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Arthouse Garage Podcast
Podcast Transcript for Episode 51: Sound of Metal & The Father
Read the Podcast Transcript for Episode 51: Sound of Metal & The Father
Read the transcript below:
Andrew Sweatman 0:08
Hello, hello and welcome to Arthouse Garage, the snob free film podcast where we make arthouse indie classic and foreign cinema accessible to the masses. I'm Andrew Sweatman and today filmmaker Johnnie Brannon is joining the podcast to discuss the best picture nominated film, Sound of metal. Plus, we've got a review of Best Picture nominee, The Father. Stick around.
Unknown Speaker 0:40
[The Father trailer audio]
That was a bit of the trailer for the film The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The film has been nominated for Best Picture as well as Best Actor in a Leading Role for Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Olivia Colman, Best Adapted Screenplay, best editing and Best Production Design. The film tells the story of Anthony, that's Anthony Hopkins, who is aging and starting to experience the effects of dementia. This leads him to feel very confused and fearful and paranoid. And he acts out in a number of ways, making life harder for his daughter and that's Olivia Coleman, as she tries to care for him and make arrangements including at home care. A few months ago on this podcast, we discussed another 2020 film that tackled the subject of dementia and Alzheimer's and explored the topic by looking at a father daughter relationship affected by the disease. That film is the documentary dick Johnson is dead. Though the two films couldn't be more different in terms of tone. One is a true story and attribute in many ways to a real man dick Johnson, as his daughter Kirsten Johnson. Also, the film's director, tries to come to terms with the reality that her beloved father won't live forever. So the father clearly shares some common DNA, looking at family dynamics in similar situations. But the father is different in some key ways. Aside from the fact that it's a narrative film, it also shifts the perspective. Deke Johnson is dead is mostly from the daughters point of view. Well, in the Father, we as the audience are in the head of the aging parent, director, Florian Zeller puts the viewer directly into Anthony's headspace, and we understand the world just as he does. So when Anthony feels scared or confused, we've just seen the same things he has, and we feel scared or confused right along with him. In that way, the film plays out almost like a psychological thriller, but one filled with emotion and empathy. We at once completely understand Ann's frustration that her father is lashing out at family members and can't seem to keep a caretaker because of his erratic behavior. While at the same time we empathize with Anthony because the world he's experiencing is incredibly confusing. We begin to understand how devastating it is when you can't trust your own mental faculties. This affects Anthony's sense of self over time, and it wears on and as things seem to only be getting worse, despite all the efforts he puts in. Ultimately, it's a very strong film that is certainly deserving of the praise it's getting the psychological thriller elements serve to set it apart from similar films. But it's also unlike any psychological thriller I've seen. Because of the deep empathy created by the film's unique vantage point. The whole time, we as the audience are trying just like Anthony to put the puzzle pieces together. But ultimately, the puzzle is not the point. The film works on that level of trying to solve the mystery of what's going on. But it also transcends that with the emotional experience of deeply empathizing with the lead character and the particular suffering caused by demand. Writer Director Florian Zeller wrote the screenplay, adapted from play He also wrote, and it's phenomenal. The direction and the production of the film are also among the strongest of the year. And you couldn't hope for better performances than those given by Anthony Hopkins, and Olivia Coleman, this film is absolutely worth your time. And you may just come away with a new appreciation for the aging people in your life. The father is now playing in theaters and available on demand to watch at home.
It's time for today's discussion, we're looking at Best Picture nominee Sound of Metal. This film focuses on Ruben, a metal drummer who has a happy life with his girlfriend and bandmate Lou, they live in an RV and travel around the country performing. Their lifestyle is thrown into jeopardy when Ruben starts to lose his hearing. Ruben suddenly finds himself with almost no hearing and unable to perform musically. Lou takes them to a deaf community where he begins to learn to live with his hearing loss. This is my absolute favorite film of 2020. And it's very deserving of the awards it's nominated for I'm very excited to see how well it performs at the Oscars in a few weeks time. Today's guest is filmmaker Johnnie Brannon. You may remember him from the Doctor Sleep episode a couple years back, Johnnie has been making films in Central Arkansas for many years. And he also runs Made in Arkansas, a film organization that encourages local filmmaking. The Made in Arkansas Film Festival is coming up in May and Johnny tells us all about it in this conversation. Notably Johnnie is also a musician, which is part of why he's the perfect guest to discuss Sound of Metal. Johnnie Brannon, welcome back to the podcast. How are you?
Johnnie Brannon 7:13
Doing great How you doing?
I'm doing really well. You know what? I guess we're kind of nearing hopefully the end of some quarantine stuff, maybe somewhat seeing light in the tunnel. But it's it's been interesting, you know, year and a half as quarantine been terrible for you. You've been able to work on some things I've been seeing online.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I've been, you know, I guess a year ago, this time, instead of, you know, working on film stuff, I started working on music. Had putting that off for a couple years. You know, I did launch the solar project, many moons ago. And then few years later, I started one of us, you know, started getting to the filmmaking, side of things started scoring, you know, going down that route. And then I took a break. And then last year, once, everything kind of got shut down, I started back on my music project and actually started writing music again, and it just felt pretty nice to be able to, you know, just focus on that and not worry about anything else.
Yeah, that's another theory. Right? Is that Yeah, yes. Yeah.
Yeah, thank you. It's a, I started it back in the early 2000s. And when I first moved a little rock, I, you know, music was my thing. And I was, you know, I've kind of get my neck, you know, trying to get my name out there. And everything. I actually played several shows locally, between 2004 2006 and then took a break, and then start working on movies, and then eventually picked up another keyboard again, and I got to get back to this. And it's, it's pretty amazing. I missed it. I missed it terribly actually.
Well, that's essentially when I wanted to talk about sound of metal. I thought, who do I know that's a filmmaker and does music stuff as a musician? And then you came to mind with what that would be perfect. So let's get ready to talk about this one. Oh, speaking of filmmaking stuff, I've been seeing some of the stuff you've been doing online. Tell us what your latest projects are.
well lately, right now I'm, I got my focus on the main Arkansas Film Festival, and that's going to be may 13. Through the 15th. We're not sure I mean, we will probably end up going virtual again, but I'm waiting to get back with the Gaston Robinson theater to see what's what, what we can do and but most likely will probably go virtual. If we do go virtual, there's a possibility that we can extend, you know, the dates. Last year, it worked out great. We were able to take more films that way. Yeah. But this year? Yeah, I don't know. I think maybe last year But filmmakers, you know, kind of got, you know, held down because the COVID. So they weren't able to make a lot of films, I suspected that, you know, that could be a possibility it could actually hurt us this year. And we got some really good films and brought now but, you know, we still got three more days left, and I'm kind of hoping that we'll get an apple for now, I told them, You know, I get it that a lot of filmmakers right now are, you know, are in post productions. Like, if you guys want to submit your films as a work in progress, that is a totally cool and so. So that way, they still get their shot of, you know, of possibly, you know, getting screened this year. But, yeah, so that that's actually kind of a big thing. And then I just, you know, you know, finished working on a chariot, man.
Andrew Sweatman 10:49
Yeah. Tell us a little bit about the chariot,
Johnnie Brannon 10:51
chariot. It's a feature film that they shot here and what a rock. It was. It was brought here out actually from, from, I think, the producer to producers from Northwest Arkansas, he's one of the producers. And he got with another producer who was trying to bring a film into Oklahoma, and this is just what I've been told, you know, from scenes and that, you know, some things didn't really work out. So they wanted to bring a movie to Arkansas, and they, you know, met with this filmmaker, Adam Sigel. And, and you had to kind of get it all worked out, and they ended up coming here to Iraq and shooting for 20 days. And it has john malkovich in it. Yeah. JOHN markavitch. Thomas Mann, who was in me, was one was that me Earl and the Dying Girl. Interesting enough. I think Olivia Cooke that's in Santa metal, you know, was in your own that in a day? Yeah.
Interesting. Yeah.
And so. And then it's also got Rosa Salazar who played alita Battle Angel. Oh, yes. Yeah. It was it was it was Wow. Yeah,
that's an impressive cast here in Arkansas. I'm really excited about that. That's funny, I saw I was following some of the news around that. And not long after that. My wife and I, we were at a restaurant, like on a patio sitting outdoors at this restaurant. And I looked across the way I was like, is that john malkovich? It was like, I knew he's been in town. But like, I don't know if that's him. And like, the whole dinner I kept looking over, like, maybe that is him. And my wife is like, I don't think so. And finally, I got close enough to here and I you know, john Mach, which has such a distinctive voice, like, it's definitely not like it was a week after go grabs, I'm sure it was definitely not him. But that's my funny john malkovich story.
That's hilarious. Yeah, he was here only for five days, I think it was like, the first week of shooting. And that's a he was such a nice. I mean, he's, you know, such a gentleman, such a nice guy, and everybody on set, just, you know, we had nothing but great things to say about him, because it was such a common human being, and he wanted to come to Arkansas. That's why he accepted the role of this film. And it's, it's a small supporting role, but it's very us centric, and it's definitely gonna stand out for sure.
That's great. I can't wait to see that one. I'm sure that'll be some months before that's out and about, but that that'll be fun to follow. Well, cool. Any other big film stuff going on? Right now that you want to talk about? Oh, would you tell us about your YouTube channel?
Oh, yeah. Well, I started a YouTube channel back in January. And basically, what I'm doing is just, you know, introducing tips and tutorials to new filmmakers, people who are, network people aren't who aren't, you know, who are, you know, thinking about doing it, and not sure how to do it, you know, from both the acting side and the filmmaking side. So, right now, you know, scheduled and kind of crazy, so haven't been able to really put as much content out, you know, as of late, but I do have some acting tips up there, how to get networked in your film community, whether it doesn't matter where you're at, you know, just kind of laid out the groundwork of what you can do to kind of look in your own, you know, your own neighborhood, to find people who will share with you people who will work with you, and how you can get cast in your, in your local film scene. And then, I'm also sharing older films that I've worked on kind of doing like a little kind of doing a little thing called short film theater. And basically, I just kind of talk about the background of how we made a film and people are part of the project and the shorter film, and it's like, you know, maybe two minutes of the introduction, and, you know, just kind of laying that out there. And so that's part of it. And yeah, yeah,
that's really cool. You know, where else I've been seeing you hits on Tick Tock actually posting little things about, you know, this film breaks this rule of editing and like just the funny little things like that, but it's all like film related stuff. So yeah. That's cool. I'll link to all that stuff. If any One security is to follow any of that, especially that YouTube channel sounds like a great resource for you for like young filmmakers. So, yeah, that's really great. Yeah. Well, alright, I guess if there's nothing else let's let's talk about sound of metal.
[Sound of Metal trailer audio]
Alright, let's talk about sound of metal. So this is an Amazon original, Best Picture nominee nominated for I think six Oscars actually. So it's it's been winning lots of things. And it's it's really quite a quite a film. I really, really like it. structure by darious, martyr, and stars raise Ahmed and Olivia cook, and tells the story of Reuben, that's Reza meds character. He's a metal drummer, and he and his girlfriend, Lou, that's Olivia cook, are in this kind of metal duo. And he he's the drummer. And one night, the very beginning of the film, he started to lose his hearing very suddenly. And he, you know, obviously relies on that for his his career. They're touring around just the two of them in their RV. They have this this little life together that they really love. And so this comes out of nowhere and kind of threatens all of that. And basically, the film follows him through what does he do when he learns that this hearing is it has suddenly become greatly impaired? And there's not much chance of it coming back? What do you do? What's his, what's his life going to be now. And it goes in really interesting directions with that. But and we're we we will talk spoilers at the end, I'll give a spoiler warning before we get into spoilers. But I came away from this film thinking this is one of my my favorite things of the year. Really, really found it moving. I'm so excited to talk to you about it, Johnny. So, sound of metal is among other things. It's a story about a musician and kind of the drive to create. Ruben in the film, he feels kind of desperate to try and get back to his life as a musician. So Johnny, as a creator yourself, as a filmmaker and musician. I'm wondering if you felt that you could identify with him at all? Or if there's ever been something that's kind of come between you and and your ability to be creative? Like Like what he experiences in the movie?
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And him being a musician and just living music. Before I started doing film, you know, any type of filmmaking that's what I just engulfed myself in was music and there wasn't a moment during the day where that wasn't working, that I just go home and just start you know, playing and I'm not a self taught musician. So I don't know how to Music and I can't, you know, you know, he that he that stuff, so I'd go home and just kind of, you know, listen to it, then all the other other bands and whatnot that I listen to, to come inspired me that just kind of the direction on when but I totally understood and related with, you know, like music at one time it's just my life and of course, I was in a band before I went solo and you know, we'd always talked about Yeah, you know, we make it you know, like any any indie, you know, band or whatever, you know, like, when these days we're going to go out and get a record deal and yada yada yada. And now the day is, you know, there's so many indie bands, so many indie bands, like what, you know, this man in this film was that are doing that and you know, going to some you know, indie shows, you know, you'll see where they get the little merge table up and all that stuff. And, and I can totally, I totally get that, you know, I totally understand, like, the struggle that the only way they're gonna make money is to play, you know, they can, you know, they can't stop what they're doing. And, you know, the, you know, I felt his desperation at the, towards the beginning of the film of whenever he, you know, when his hearing started, whenever he started losing his hearing, you know, the, the not sure, like, is this really happening to me? No, I mean, like that, when you're watching that. And, you know, and I, it's just like, wait a minute here, maybe this isn't really happening. Maybe it's like, you know, but that since a desperate, you know, I kind of strike at least for me for as a as a, as a person who's watching this film, I, I started kind of feeling a little bit desperate that this is just gonna pass, you know, for him, you know, maybe he'll but you know, as, you know, being a musician and stuff like that, you know, my, my obstacles were, you know, like, paying bills and stuff, cuz there's, like, I got to sell equipment in order to make it on. So, you know, back when I first started playing a little rock, I had a complete PA system, I had keyboards, I had a computer, I mean, all my stuff through I played shows here at various clubs. And then, you know, I went through a period where I actually had to get rid of it. And I have none of that equipment. From my, you know, that time
as financially, you had to get rid of it.
Yes, yeah. I knew the sacrifices I was making. And, you know, it was it sucked. But, yeah, but I, I totally understand, like, you know, once you if you if you lose that, you know, what, really what the app except for listening to listening to music, you know, yeah. So it's, yeah, I, I get it. I mean, I totally, you know, totally understood that.
Yeah, yeah. And this is not depicted in the film. But you can imagine, like, how he got that, that life setup with he and his girlfriend, you know, and, and how much struggle that must have been to, like, make that all work. And then this thing comes in and is threatening all of that, that you worked so hard for? And yet, like, I didn't even think about the fact that like, yeah, they probably barely scraping by, you know, selling their t shirts. You know, it shows the merch table. And that's like, such a familiar feeling, if you've ever been to a concert is kind of kind of what they're doing there. But, but yeah, it's it, he seems like he's, they've been doing this, I think for four years or something. He mentioned that that's kind of the life they've been living. Or at least that's how long we've been together. Maybe that's what it is, but, but it's been going on for a while, it seems, but it also kind of makes you think, like, who knows, who knows how fragile our lives really are, and kind of the things we have set up. And he's kind of living his dream, in a way it seems like but it turns out to be more fragile than, than he thought.
Yeah, well, absolutely. And he just nailed it there. I mean, like, this, the things that he's sacrificing to, you know, do what he loves, you know, it's like what anybody, you know, whenever you're making an independent film, and you know, you're not, you know, a second, there's so many filmmakers out there, that you aren't really, you know, as that, you know, successful. You know, when I say successful, that means, you know, like, I got a bunch of money here that now I don't have to worry about anything, you know, because you got to keep making your art to pay the bills, but, you know, like, from where he's at, you know, you know, just being, you know, putting everything into it. And it's only way he's gonna be able to make a living for himself and support, you know, he and his band, which is, you know, his girlfriend. You know, it's, you know, a lot of artists out there just kind of pinned on that lack of, you know, I think I was reading an article about Patti Smith the other day, and Patti Smith, you know, she's famous for all the music, she's done back in the 70s in the 80s. And she's, you know, kind of inspired a generation of musicians and, and there was a time, you know, that she, you know, only had like, $30,000 you know, she's like, you know, I do For that love the art. And you know, I got things like that I do that kind of helps me pay the bills, but I'm by far this is not like, I'm not gonna be a millionaire off of this. Yeah,
yeah. Wow. Well, that's super interesting. Thanks for sharing all that. What did you think about the movie in general? Are you a fan of this movie?
Yeah, yeah. And, you know, this is this is crazy. But as a filmmaker and an artist, it's really because I'm working on making my own art is kind of hard to sit down and, and, you know, take in films, and if I haven't done a better job lately, but with COVID and stuff, it just made things going to make going to the theater much so much harder. Yeah, I lost track on what was coming out. And so, but whenever I heard about this film, and all the praise was getting, and bam, it was on Amazon, take some time out to watch it. And it just blew me away. It totally, totally blew me away. Because it's such a simple film as far as like, indie film, it looks like it's on a very, very low budget. They, you know, probably didn't have to pay that much. As far as like, you know, you only got a couple of actors. And a lot, I think, I think several the actors were almost like, they were like real people. You know, they actually had real people. And yeah,
a lot of the deaf actors. Yeah,
yeah. And so. But the, you know, it just goes to show that a film like this that's made on such a small budget. Yeah, I mean, you could tell a story, you know, an incredible story on top of that, with you know, that's all you need is good script. And the script was, was right on, you know, it's pretty, pretty spot on.
I completely agree with all that. He gets interesting with, with like, award season this year, so many things are streaming, because of COVID, that theaters have been closed and everything. There's it's kind of a silver lining that you know, I can watch all these things at home, without too much trouble. But But yeah, I really love this movie. When I first heard about it, I thought that sounds like something I'll enjoy. And I really, really did. Actually, I've been calling this my favorite movie or 2020. I've since I watched it, I've seen some other really good things. That's, it's hard to say. But it's it's way, way up there. For me, I found it. So moving. You're right, that it's so simple, and the way that it's in yet, it's a really straightforward story. But it's so creatively put together performances are so good. The script is so good. And we'll talk about the sound design in a minute. But that plays a big part in it too. You're like, you just tell like they put a lot of care into the craft of making this. something so simple became so kind of transcended for me I really, really liked it. A few things I really like about it one I like how it It highlights Deaf culture in a way that like I did not expect at all, you know, I thought maybe he'll interact with deaf people since he's, you know, becoming deaf. But I didn't think it was gonna and that's basically the rest of the movie. Like, there's so much of that. And it teaches so much it's educational about that culture without ever feeling like, you know, here's our cause we're gonna like, you know, raise awareness. Exactly, you know, it just it feels really organically part of the story. And I really like that about it. We'll talk about the ending once we get to the spoiler time, but I really love the ending of this, I thought that was really profound and kind of breathtaking. And then I like to have this, this movie kind of focuses on personal wellness in a way. So when Ruben so he starts to lose his hearing. And then he goes to it's it's like a it's a deaf community for people who are kind of learning how to be deaf. But it's also a little bit ambiguous to me, but I think it's also an element of it is for people who have been addicts, like himself. So at some we learned about Ruben early on is that he was previously like, he's a recovering addict, and, and also that his relationship is a big part of him being clean and staying clean. And also kind of his lifestyle. It seems like he's, you know, he's, he's very regimented. And yeah, he he gets up and makes this particular breakfast every day. And they have their time together in the morning, and then they play their shows at night. And then they drive across the country that it's great. Seeing them driving and just talking about all kinds of things and you get a sense of their kind of their relationship. But so when he gets to this Deaf community, and he is kind of learning all these things, his mentor and sort of the leader there's named Joe and that's he's played by Paul racy, and he's also Oscar nominated for this movie. And he, at one point when when Reubens really struggling, tells him to a basically tells him to journal and meditate and he says, I want you to go in this room and just write it doesn't have to be good. No one's gonna read it. And when you're not writing, just sit there and be still. And I think that's that's essentially like, like telling him, you go journal and meditate and that's going to help you kind of get through some of this in Asheville here. That kind of thing in movies very often. So I like that it focuses on that. And that that ends up playing into the story some too, which we'll talk about maybe in the spoiler talk as well. But anyway, and that's not to mention how great all the performances are. I think they're really good. Riz Ahmed has been nominated for Best Actor. For this. I mentioned Paul racy. What do you think of Riz Ahmed? In this his performance? Are there any standout moments in it for you?
Well, I think I think at the beginning, whenever he was, you know, whenever he was not sure if he was losing his hearing, just kind of getting you know, because I think with anything, like when your your Heck, even if you have a health scare, you just kind of like take against it. Like, is this just serious? Or it is coming? Is this really happening? or? Yeah, I thought he did a tremendous job on, you know, like, you know, wait a minute here, something's not right. And then just kind of playing it off before he actually got down to like, wait a minute, something is wrong here. Yeah. That was That was great. You know, it's something about you know, about films like this that are that are smaller budget, you don't get lost in all the big, you know, like, the Hollywood big Hollywood stuff, you know?
Yeah, there's no gimmicks in this movie. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
And this is a, you know, just, I think, you know, like, an actor, like Riz Ahmed, who's a good actor, you know, on and, you know, he can go out and perform in any film, and it would, he would be considered good you want I mean, but you take, you take, you take him out of that equation, you're like, we're gonna give him a shot of leaving and leaving a film and to see how, how much depth he's got. And, you know, something, you know, so many actors out there like that, you know, people, even people who've been doing this forever, you know, just kind of forget that, you know, this is one of the professional actors, and I thought he was, I thought he was fantastic. Now, Paul, racy, on the other hand, really blew me away. He was such a natural actor in this and very believable, and I think he was an alcoholic. I think his character in this film was an alcoholic. That's kind of you know, about the addicts, you know, that kind of being ahead extent. It, I think, yeah, you're right, you know, just kind of wasn't really as I guess, explained during that, but they did such a good job of like, you just you're, you didn't have to think too hard about what you want. I mean,
because it goes to a what seemed like an A a meeting or like a, for one part of it and everyone there's deaf, but then there's also like a school for deaf kids there. And so it's like a whole community. And that's just one piece of it is my understanding of it, I think. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right. That's awesome. Yeah, it just, it never just lays out exactly what's going on. You just kind of learn as you go.
Yeah. No, I was I was, I think rafter watched us, I went back and look and see what race he was in. And he's just, it's just, you know, same thing. You know, he had all these little small roles, and he really hasn't done a whole lot, you know, over the years, but I guess I think last year he made was back. Well, we can hear us 2013. So you have that much time in between, and maybe work on some projects here and there. Oh, yeah, he came out and pretty much just nailed it, you know. And now he's now this film was probably gonna give him a pretty big career, you know, much more than what he what he's had so far. You know? Yeah. Man. And I think that he, because he was read somewhere that I don't know if his parents were deaf, and that's how he knew sign language already or something. Again, I'm
not I'm not clear that or whether he's actually deaf, I think he might be let me know. I'll kind of look that up. As you go here.
I'm looking at right now. He was raised by his head, deaf parents, fluent in sign language, and he was so good at that, and everything and you know, just being natural and being very fluid with his performance. It. It really stood out and I would be I mean, of course, I'm gonna be a little biased here. But I'd be really surprised if he doesn't win. I mean, I think he he has good shot, but who else is the nominee this year for the
supporting actor? Let me let me have a look. Yeah, I didn't realize till just now that he actually is here yet says in his Wikipedia, he's the hearing son of Deaf parents. So that that definitely adds an interesting layer to that. That's, that's fascinating. Let me pull up the Oscar nominations really quick. And I'll tell you we've got Paul racy is up against Sacha Baron Cohen in trial, Chicago, seven, Daniel Kuya, and Judas in the black Messiah. Leslie Odom, Jr. in one night in Miami and then lucky Stanfield. Also in Judas in the black Messiah. This is the the weird category where it feels like Daniel kuliah probably should have been in The bleeding category because he's kind of the central figure of that film. And honestly, he I think he's so amazing that movie that I think he might win, it would be very happy if Paul racy Winslow to you. They're both fantastic.
Yeah, you're right. He did such a great job of Judas and like Messiah tell you about Yeah, yeah,
I forgot to, because he really doesn't belong in that category. It's so strange. But just for context to for resentment, and so he's up for Actor in a Leading Role against Chadwick boseman, for more, and he's black bottom, Anthony Hopkins and the father, Gary Oldman in manque. And Steven un in menari. In this one, you know, I would be very happy if it was on that one. I think this one is going to be Chadwick boseman. Just have to because it's a posthumous since he passed away. Yeah, in his performance is very, very good in that film, too. That's that's not to take away from his performance, because I think it would be very deserving. But I tend to think that he'll probably win. The voters will probably go that way. But so throw the reason that is nominated the two. Yep. Yep.
I agree. I totally agree with you. It's, it's like if it was any other year, you know, yeah.
But the cool thing is, is that they are nominated with some incredible performances. Yeah. That brought along you should definitely be noted for sure. Yeah.
Yeah, there's really not a bad Not a bad performance in that. But I guess that makes sense. It's, it's the what, but, but yeah, I really, I really love Riz Ahmed, in this film, I think his performance, he's very physical, like, he starts out on the drum kit and the very opening of the film. And he's obviously getting his whole body into that. But later, when he's signing, you know, that's I listened to Riz Ahmed on fresh air on NPR. And he talked about learning American Sign Language for this role, and realizing how physical it is, because you're kind of using your whole body to communicate. And he talked about, I thought this was really interesting. You know, when you learn different languages, sometimes different sides of your personality come out. Which I don't know, I don't really know more than a handful of words in any language, besides English. So that was interesting to hear. And then he talked about what sign language he felt like he was more emotionally expressive in a way. Yeah, that that makes sense. That kind of comes through in the performance. And you know, because you're using your whole body to communicate that way. I thought that was super interesting. I think my favorite moment, in his performance is probably a couple things. But the one that really stands out is when lou is leaving, it's towards the beginning. It's like, he, he's they visited, he's like, I'm not sure about this. But she really believes strongly that it's the best thing for him. So she's gonna leave. Yeah. And he's in the parking lot. And she gets in this cabin is driving away. And you can kind of feel like this is it feels like a rock bottom moment for him. Like he's, he's really setting in that this is really happening. It's happened so suddenly that like, you're saying, like, is this really a serious issue? Is this going to go away? It's kind of finally setting in like, this is really seriously affecting my life right now. And he's, he's very kind of animated, but obviously so upset. In that moment. I think that's a really, really good one. And then another one that I like, said this, something I didn't really note, the first time watching it, but I was listening to podcasts and things and they noted this on a podcast called film spotting that I really liked to listen to. It's a moment where he, it's the first time he goes to this, this room to do his journaling and meditating or his, you know, his writing. And he has a coffee and a doughnut. And when he first sits down, he just smashes the hell out of this doughnut. He's so angry. He's got all this pent up rage, and then he smashes and smashes it. And then what's so interesting is that then the next thing he does is he tries to put it back together. And like he, they said, They noted on this other podcast that it just like pointing to he's always trying to fix things like he feels like he has this drive to like, get things back to how they're supposed to be. So here's a mess he just made he's gonna try to piece this donut back together, which obviously it's not gonna happen. But I thought that was a nice touch that they noted on that and I thought I'd bring that up here.
Do you love arthouse movies and blockbusters you get excited about the power of cinema and you want more people to watch more movies? Perfect. Tell the world right from your T shirt with some official art house garage mirch. We've got shirts declaring movies are for everyone. We've got comfy beanie hats with the art house garage logo. And we've even got clothing that encourages people to watch weird movies or watch old movies. Who knows maybe someone will see your T shirt that says watch old movies and be inspired to go home and watch Citizen Kane for the first time. Get all your art house garage gear today and show your support by going to art house garage, comm slash shop. qc I'm trying to fix up the whole time and that's when Paul raci tells him character's name is Joe tells him to do this go riding thing is because he's he just starts fixing the gutter on the house with without him telling him he's like you don't have to fix anything next stop trying to fix everything. And of course, he's, you know, he's wanting to fix his life to get back to where he was as a musician, and that's fixing stuff in big ways, but then also constantly trying to just fix things around them. And yeah, maybe that's kind of speaks to the addict. side of him. Like, he has to be in control and make sure everything's okay. Which is Yeah, it's really interesting. Well, this movie is also been nominated for best sound. The sound design is really interesting. And it plays into the deaf community stuff as well. So fun, kind of throw it out there. What did you think about the sound design? Anything? Anything interesting there?
If you watch, if you see anything that's a nominee for an Academy Award, usually, it's like something like, you know, a Marvel film or something that's like Star Wars or something that, you know, where you got million, like all these like little sounds, you know? Yeah. And you're, like, the lasers are going off, and you got like, you know, 2030 of those things just can't find past yet. And, but nobody really thinks that something is subtle, you know? Yeah.
Well, I can talk about a couple moments that stick out. For me, it's really it's the moments when we we kind of go in his head, and we hear what he's hearing. Especially like as he's starting to lose the hearing and getting this muffled sound. And then when we talk about spoilers, there's another sound thing I'll talk about. But when I think it's I read, I looked up some stuff about that, like, how do they record that? The sound designers name is Nicholas Becker. And he, yeah, it's like when we are in his headspace with that we're hearing like this muffled sound, it's almost like we're underwater. It's kind of what it sounds like. And like, he goes to the pharmacy, and he can't communicate, and we're kind of hearing those things. And then that that scene when he goes to the doctor, and we're kind of hearing what he's hearing, as the doctors testing his hearing and realizing Okay, yeah, this is really, it's pretty bad. And then the doctor, of course, explains how bad it is. And so I thought that was that was fascinating, was a good, interesting choice to like, let us hear. And like, even when it first happens, like during the show, and it's just like the ringing, you know, he can't like make out anything specific. But in this interview, I read with a sound designer, he talks about like, it's like when we're underwater or like, when we hear that kind of muffled sound. Often what we're hearing is like the the inner sounds of our own bodies, like that's all we can really hear is things that are in within us. So that was interesting. And so what they did for part of this record, is they actually put like mics all over raise Ahmed's body some kind of special microphone to capture his body sounds. So when we were hearing that we're actually literally hearing Riz, Ahmed's body, which is interesting. That's I thought that was fascinating. But yeah, I'll link to that interview. Cuz there's some more interesting stuff in there in the show notes, but yeah, the sound is the sound is quite fascinating. And so before we talk more about that, I think it is probably time for spoilers. Are there any other non spoilery thoughts you want to mention before we jump into the end of this movie?
No, no, no, I think so. And no, but no. Touching. Really? Click on that. Yes, you're right. Whenever he was, you know, whenever he started to lose a sound, and it does someone's like, is the sound itself just kind of turned inside out? You know, I mean,
yeah. And
that's, that's actually pretty fascinating that that's what we hear. And maybe, maybe, maybe if we think about it, you know, maybe his maybe he does have a whole lot of, you know, turmoil that's going on through his head. And maybe that's why, you know, we're hearing so much noise throughout this, you know, like, you know, what he's hearing I guess, you know, like, whenever we're listening to what he's, you know, like what he did here?
Yeah, maybe that maybe that's what that is. I don't know. But I do, but it does feel it's a claustrophobic feel. Like, you know, it's kind of very, obviously unnerving. But it does feel like I look a little bit claustrophobic whenever, anytime I had to hear it through. There is.
And it really jumps in there a few times. It's like, we mostly can, you know, stay outside of him and understand what he's going through. But then those few moments that we like, we jump into his head and his his ears, I guess. And then it's, yeah, we realized how frustrating This is and how scary This is for him. Well, let's get into spoiler talk. So if you have not watched the sound of metal and you don't want to be spoiled for the ending, which I would encourage because I think the ending especially if you don't know what's gonna happen, I think it's a really powerful ending. So jump out now and go watch the movie. It's on amazon prime. Alright, let's talk about spoilers. So, towards the end of this movie, I guess the The final third or so, I think what kind of incites it is Paul Raci's character, Joe start saying, you know, what's the long term, maybe you should stick around here because he started to get more comfortable. He's becoming more fluent in ASL. And he's like giving back and teaching the kids how to play drums. And he started to kind of enjoy himself and kind of get used to this. And then when he when Joe asked him about long term, I think, I think that's what causes him to kind of spiral and decide, now's the time to do something drastic. And so he sells his RV to pay for the cochlear implant surgery, when he goes and gets that surgery. And the next scene, like when he confronts or when he tells Joe and Joe kind of confronts him about that. Is, is one of my other favorite scenes of this movie. It's really, I think that for Paul racy, that's the, that's the his moment that he really shines. And so let's talk about that scene a little bit, because I really like it. So it's, I think Paul raci's superpower as an actor, at least in this movie, is he does this thing where he just sits very, very still and just kind of stares at the person he's talking to. He does it a few times before this, but then in this scene, he does that it's so powerful, I think, because you can feel how disappointed he is. And like he feel like he's on the verge of tears. And like his, his face is just so storied, and it's really, really good. But it also this is kind of where we get into the Deaf culture stuff about cochlear implants. So the movie doesn't really explain exactly what the cochlear implants are. But it's, you know, he understands it as a way to get his hearing back. So he can go back to, you know, doing whatever he wants to do. And so, I'm gonna give a little context here. And actually, I talked to a deaf friend about this, because I thought was really interesting. I've learned maybe a couple of years ago, just just a little bit about kind of Deaf culture, and found out that there are a lot of deaf people who do look down on implants like this. And, and they kind of learned about the difference between, you know, deafness, versus like capital D Deaf culture, and its its own kind of subculture. And that was news to me. Yeah, a few years back. But so this is these are people who are claiming, you know, deafness as their identity and saying, you know, my lack of hearing isn't in this movie, he says, isn't a handicap. But you know, I can live and communicate and live a vibrant life without hearing and you know, it doesn't have to be a negative thing. And so here's the quote from Paul racy in that scene. As he explains that I thought it was really just really moving. He says, you know, as you know, everybody here shares in the belief that being deaf is not a handicap, it's not something to fix. And that gets back to his, his need to fix everything. That's pretty important around here, all these kids, all of us need to be reminded of it every day. And so that's why he, you know, he's like, you can't stay here anymore because of that. But I thought that was really a powerful way to understand it, and kind of, to bring that empathy and show that side of it in a way that I never really quite understood that, you know, I mean, especially for the kids here, what we're trying to teach them that they don't need a way out of this situation that they are in, they are whole and complete as they are. And so for you to get this surgery is completely ruining that and you have to leave. So I thought that was so interesting. So you understand, you know, his his view on that. I think it's such a powerful scene. As soon as I finished this movie, the first time I watched it, I texted my friend who's deaf. Anytime I see any, like deaf, anything in pop culture, I talk to her about it, because she usually knows about it. And she did. she'd already seen this movie and she really liked it. So I just asked her what what she thought about it, what is the deaf community saying? And she talked about the cochlear implants and the controversy around that just to provide some context that I found very interesting. It really is–people are pretty split on it. My friend herself is not opposed to them. She thinks they can be really helpful in some situations. She's married, her wife disagrees. Her wife is very anti the implants so I thought that was just interesting that it's it's that much of a thing that's that's talked about. And actually my friend is considered getting them because she also has tinnitus. So she has like a ringing sounds so there are some times or medical reasons for them.
But the problem she explained is is like when people treat them like glasses like okay, my visions messed up, I'll fix it with these glasses. It's not the same thing. And that's what Reubens trying to do. And so I think ultimately, he's having to like learn that lesson over the course of this movie, so I thought that was really interesting. I'm glad she was able to to bring that info. I asked her if I could share on the podcast and she said yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought that was pretty interesting.
Yeah, I think that you know, it's it's kind of explains a little bit well, his character is pretty intense you know, he's a he's and and to me pleased metal you know, and people like that that's kind of got a little bit in part of that too, is probably because he was an addict as well. You know, just kind of enhances That short views, you know, I mean, sure. So. So I think that, yeah, it was unfortunate that that's that's kind of how it went. But yeah, but you know, it's this is like, you know if your word with great power comes great responsibility. Yeah, or irresponsibility, and, you know, just you can look at it like, this is the same thing, you know, you know, maybe he found himself after he lost his hearing on, you know, becoming one who will let people help you home or from others, you know, he obviously he learned from from a community and everything. And then whenever we got to the point where he could, he thought that the best way, man, would there is a resolution here. Yeah, I think that's human nature, because he's, he wasn't born deaf, you know what I mean? Right? So human nature, you know, it's like, if I can, if I lost my hand, you know, if there's a, if I can get a surgery or something like that, where I can actually have another hand or something where I could still be so bad, wouldn't? What would I be willing to do to get that again, because obviously, I would be able to, you know, work on films and work on, you know, music, you know, again, and, and so, and being a musician, you know, I kind of I kind of understood that part of it, you know, that, although, although, you know, the heart of me is like, you know, you think this is where you belong, you don't I mean? Like this isn't, yeah, even you can still make music, you can still you can be right here with with this group, and still, you know, be able to work on music and stuff like that, and maybe try something and do something different, you know, that, you know, there's multiple ways of, you know, but we only got, what, two hours of this film, and, and his story, unfortunately, that's that's kind of where it went. But I totally get that though. The, the desperation of, yeah, I can fix this. And I want to see if I can I want to see what could and,
yeah, yeah, I think you're right. I think it the film, totally, you totally understand why he would want to go back, you know. But then you also have completely understand Joe's point of view, and, you know, kind of learning about why this is so important to him. And so it's really, it's a really well done kind of clash there. I think you're right. There's such a dramatic irony, because we as the audience, I think at least I was like, you had to let that go. Like even early on, like, you have a new normal, you got to accept that. But then the question is, is he going to and he's, he takes forever to kind of come to terms with them. And so I wanted to mention, too, so he though he goes and gets the implants. And the sound design of the cochlear implants is another thing. That's really interesting. And I, in that interview that I'll link to, he talks about kind of haggis, he researched the sound designer, the hearing person, obviously. So he's never been able to hear what it's like to have cochlear implants. But through secondhand accounts and things, he tried to recreate that. And I watched this movie with headphones on. So it kind of felt like, like, this is really in my head, you know, you're hearing what this is like, I thought that was really fascinating. And it's also clear why he would be disappointed like, this is not the same. How can I play the drums Like this? Like, is this gonna work? So you can kind of feel, feel all that just in the in the way they they kind of put that together. And so then he goes to this party, he goes, find his girlfriend, and there's a party and she sings with her father. And I think in that scene, my understanding, like we really focus on his face. And like, as he's watching her sing, I think like he's moved by hearing her sing again. But also, I think he's kind of coming to terms with like, this is not the same. It's not going to be the same. And so then I really love the scene. Again, we're in spoiler territory. But the breakup scene, I think is really well done. So they're, they're like, they're about to go to bed. And he starts talking about another aspect of this is like, so she's helped him get clean. And then it seems like he's helped her with some issues, too. It's not exactly clear. But at one point, he says something like, Oh, you stop scratching. And I think early on, we see some scars on her arm or something like that. Yeah, so maybe there's like a self harm or something going on. But he starts talking about Okay, yeah, we got to get back to it, we got to get our album go and get your tour going. And we can kind of sense that she's pretty happy where she is. She's doing some solo music and all that kind of stuff. But as he starts talking about this, she starts scratching her arm, and like kind of instinctively, and that's just the kind of look at worry. And then you watch him react to that just without any words, seeing on his face, like realizing, Oh, she doesn't want that. And like this wouldn't be good for her. And kind of realizing that and then coming to terms with it, and so then completely wordless and then he just says, It's okay. It's okay. And like he he accepts that in that moment. And then she kind of comes to that realization to you and I thought that was so well done to be able to perform that without any dialogue and like I understood in that moment, okay. They're breaking up like this is this is the end of that and Yeah, really moving really powerful. I really, really like that scene.
Absolutely. And, you know, it's just, it's just one of those things like, you know, as far as like, the story goes, it's like, like, because of this, you know, not just, you know, not being able to hear it's gonna change his life, but so much more. That's, that's just gonna unravel, you know, and, and it is, it's pretty amazing. Like, he just wrote who wrote this and darious? Matt martyr?
Yeah, keep it directed. It's here.
Yeah. Derek says what? I can't say his last name, Sam, Sam, France, say France. Now, it's just I mean, it's it's been such been such a simple film, it's also got those complications in there, too. Where were things like, this is just, you know, like you said, you know, you don't have to have a whole lot of dialogue in it. And, you know, it's all in the eyes. And that's where the power comes from. Now, at the very end of it, I mean, do you
talk about the very end? Go ahead. I was gonna say next, what do you think about the very, very ending? A bunch of stuff to say about it, but
I think that, uh,
I don't know, part of me is like, I hope he goes back, you know, to,to the community, although I don't think he will.
So you're you think you're reading is that he's gonna continue to try to do music and stuff? I don't know.
I really don't know. Yeah, I don't know.
Yeah. Okay, I'll give you all my thoughts. Just my thesis. I wrote an essay in my notes here. So I'll try to keep it brief. But the way I read the ending is that he's kind of finally coming to terms with it. And like, so he, so what happens is, he's on the street, he sits on the bench, there's a lot of noise. And then he just pulls up and pulses implant off like a unplugs it, and it's just in the silence. And so I take that to mean like, here's this final step towards accepting that, like this new life like this, it's not gonna go back to the way things were. Now, whether he not he goes back to the deaf community, I don't know. But I think he's going to kind of accept the, the deafness and, and live, you know, without trying to relive his old life. That's kind of the way I read that. And, and I, when I first watched it, I like kind of took my breath away. So here's, here's another side, side thing, and I'm gonna go off on a tangent, I'm sorry. So I've kind of had this feeling for a long time, that, that cinema can be a very spiritual thing. And it's kind of hard to explain, like what I mean by that. But I had that experience with this movie, and specifically with the ending. And I guess what that means is kind of like, when like my brain and my emotions are kind of in sync. And like, basically, I come away from it feeling like I've grown as a person like this, this, this movie kind of changed me a little bit, is kind of the feeling that I have. And so at the end of this movie, that's kind of what happens for Ruben too, in the way I read it is that he's, he's finally coming to some acceptance of this. And like self acceptance, maybe you're expecting this new, this new normal, this new paradigm that he's kind of found himself in. And so he's, you know, he sits there, and he's so overwhelmed by the noise, it seemed like and then he, he reached reaches up and unplugs up, and he's finally able to sit and just be still until like the last I don't know how long that last shot last, but it's just silent. And it's just on his face. And it seems like he's he's experiencing that stillness that, that Paul races character talked about. So it's a few levels to them. So So one is that the spiritual experience that I felt while watching this, when I watched it a second time, I realized, so that the main noise that he's hearing is church bells actually said like, there's these loud church bells, and there's all these kids around and stuff. But then there's this long shot on this church too. And so I think I almost wonder if the filmmaker wants us to bring a connection there to think like, some in some way, this is a spiritual experience for him that kind of bringing in the church in that way. So that's just a theory. I don't know. But then I think it does call back to a couple things in the movie. So one is with Joe with Paul races character. When that during that confrontation scene, he also says, during all this time that you've been sitting and writing, have you ever been able to really be still unexperienced this stillness? And then he talks more about it and says, Those moments that you can really feel stillness, like this world is crazy. This world will beat you up, like all these things, can be really crappy place, but when you can really sit and be still. He says the exact phrase he says, that's the kingdom of God. I thought that was really interesting. And so I think that also is like, here's here's Ruben finally being still and then another thing is that it calls back to when he first loses his hearing, and they're sitting in his diner. And his girlfriend Lou calls his sponsor, because he's had a cigarette for the first time which he continued smoking throughout the movie, to which may That's a sign that he's like, not doing well this whole time. Like he's, he's still not accepting, you know, everything. But so he has a cigarette outside this diner. So Luke calls a sponsor. And he's kind of hollering at the phone because he can't hear, right. He's like, I can't hear what you're saying. But here's what you would probably say, like, are you? Are you okay? Yeah, like, are you? And he said, He's kind of like, throwing out all these things that his sponsor would probably be saying, and he's kind of annoyed, and he's like, but I'm good. I've got this, it's fine. I'm gonna fix it, whatever. Well, one of the things that he says, and that his sponsor would probably say, Yeah, I wrote this down, because I didn't realize this till the second time. But it's serenity is something you get when you stop wishing for different paths. And that exactly nails. The ending for me, too, is that like, he finally has serenity now. Because he's, he's stopped wishing for something different for his life. So that was a really sneaky little foreshadowing right at the very beginning of the movie, that really kind of explains exactly what's going to happen here is like he has to get to this place. And you know, sometimes you hear the same kind of mantra, you learn this lesson over and over, but you don't really learn it or understand it until you like, feel it, I guess, and that it feels like an experience of that, like, finally, this came together for him. Anyway, I really like that ending. I think, too. There are certain movies that can can really use the like the fade to black or the cut to black in a really powerful moment. Like I think about
the movie before sunset. The second one in the before trilogy has a great fade out like I there's certain endings that I just think about, like when it comes to black and you weren't exactly expecting it. And how great that is. This is one of those endings for me too, is that it is sitting there and I think, is this gonna be the end? And then it just cuts and it's like, oh, that was a great, final moment. Anyway, all those things came together. I really, really liked the ending of this movie. But yes, I've talked to plenty. No, no, no,
Johnnie Brannon 1:01:51
you're absolutely right. Yeah, I had to think about that. And but yeah, yeah, I guess is less or less part of him where he's just, you know, sitting in silence. And now it does. And you can you can see it in his eyes that, you know, he's just, you know, it's like that, you know, is that performance, you know, as as being such a strong actor that, yeah, you can relate that you can put you can put, you know, push that towards, you know, the viewers, and it gives you a sense of calm, you know, but you know, he's at peace with this. And so, yeah, yeah, very subtle, but very, very, very effective and pretty powerful at the same time.
Andrew Sweatman 1:02:28
We're gonna do that is sound of metal there. Do you have any other thoughts? Before we wrap up? I think we've we've made it to the end of the movie. I guess. We should stop talking at some point. But
there's a it's really interesting, because, you know, you think sound of metal and you think, well, it is about a heavy metal group. But at the same time, it's like, you know, it, it can mean so many different things. But yeah, this is definitely This is an excellent film, and, and I'm definitely going to revisit and looking forward to it. So anybody out there is listening, for sure. Definitely. Definitely check out this film. I think you'll watch it.
Yes, highly recommend it as well. And I think you're right that the title is almost a double meaning, even like the sound of the cochlear implant is like a metallic kind of sound or like the the ringing that he's hearing sometimes. So I think you're right that it's like, it's kind of pointing to that too. Yes. Clever title. Very good movie. Sound of metal streaming now on amazon prime. Thank you so much, Johnny, for coming back on the podcast. Always a pleasure. It was a really great conversation. I appreciate it.
Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me.
I love the show. And thanks again
Well, I'm so excited for made in Arkansas in a few weeks down the road here. So I'll be definitely tuning into that. And I'll be linking to everything on Facebook that I can for my listeners to, to tune into that as well. But all right, well, thanks so much again, and I guess we can say bye bye for now. I'll talk to you soon.
Thanks again to Johnnie Brannon for being here. It's always a pleasure to talk movies with that guy. Do keep your eyes peeled for more info on the Made in Arkansas Film Festival coming up in May. If it ends up going virtual the silver lining is that you don't have to live in Arkansas to attend. I'll share out everything I can on social media. On the next episode of art house garage, we've got an Oscars preview, plus a discussion of Best Picture nominee Minari I'm joined by filmmaker Andrew camera Hello for that conversation. And thank you so much for listening to arthouse garage. We've got a few years worth of episodes and you can hear all of those in your podcast app of choice. Our theme music is by composer Paul Huenefeld. Learn more at www.apaulingproductions.com or find the link in the show notes. If you want to support arthouse garage, leave a rating or review in your podcast app or you can buy an art house garage t shirt at arthousegarage.com/shop. stay in the loop about art house garage and the films we're covering by subscribing to our email newsletter by going to arthousegarage.com/subscribe or you can email me directly Andrew@arthousegarage.com And of course follow on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and letterboxed just search @arthousegarage in all those places or find links in the show notes. And that will do it for this episode. Thank you again so much for listening, and until next time, keep it snob free!


3. In the UK road death is the number one cause of death amongst men between 15 and 34. What is number two ?
4. Which high flying two-time Oscar winner for best actress was born in Tokyo, Japan?
5. Its a mad, mad world. What is orthorexia?
6. "Strawberries, cherries and an angels kiss in spring" are the ingredients for what ?
7. When translated Koh-i-Noor means 'mountain of light'. What is the Koh-i-Noor ?
8. John Philip Sousa's 'The Liberty Bell' is the catchy TV theme song for what nonsense?
9. Which vegetable in the USA is the main source for ethanol, a substitute fuel used in cars?
1. Cyrillic The Cyrillic alphabet (also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is actually a family of alphabets, subsets of which are used by certain East and South Slavic languages?Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian and Ukrainian?as well as many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. It has also been used for other languages in the past. Not all letters in the Cyrillic alphabet are used in every language that is written with it. Brothers Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, monks from Thessaloniki, are usually credited with the alphabet's development. Although it is widely accepted that the Glagolitic alphabet was invented by Saints Cyril and Methodius, the origins of the early Cyrillic alphabet are still a source of much controversy. It is attributed to Saint Clement of Ohrid, disciple of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. Also, the alphabet is developed at the Preslav Literary School in northeastern Bulgaria. Among the reasons for the replacement of the Glagolitic with the Cyrillic alphabet is the greater simplicity and ease of use of the latter and its closeness with the Greek alphabet.
5. An unhealthy fixation on eating healthy !!
7. One of the largest diamonds in the world. It is a 105 carat (21.6 g) diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. The Kohinoor originated at Golconda in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers who fought bitterly over it at various points in history, and seized as a spoil of war, was finally taken by the British and became part of the British Crown Jewels when British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli proclaimed Queen Victoria "Empress of India" in 1877. Like all significant jewels, the Kohinoor has its share of legends. It is reputed to bring misfortune or death to any male who wears or owns it. Conversely, it is reputed to bring good luck to female owners.
8. Monty Pythons Flying Circus "The Liberty Bell" is an American military march composed by famous bandmaster John Philip Sousa in 1893, and is considered one of his finest works. Many people associate it with the British comedy television show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, which played an excerpt over its opening titles. "The Liberty Bell" came very close to being called "The Devil's Deputy." But due to financial arguments, Sousa abandoned this title and its soon-to-be dedication. Sousa and his band manager George Hinton were touring in Chicago observing the spectacle America, when a large backdrop depicting the Liberty Bell was lowered. Hinton suggested the title "The Liberty Bell" for Sousa's recently completed march. Coincidentally, Sousa received a letter from his wife, saying that his son had marched in a parade in honor of the Liberty Bell, which was on tour in Philadelphia. These two events helped Sousa make up his mind. The march was named "The Liberty Bell" and sold to the John Church Company for publication.


This Review contains major "Pool"- related terms, short phrases and links grouped together in the form of Encyclopedia article.
A pool is easily contaminated when someone with diarrhea goes swimming.
The pool is well kept and there is space around it for sunbathing should you prefer a change from the patio or the beach.
These brand new, sunny apartments enjoy a peaceful setting and views over the sea and their own swimming pool.
The hotel is basically on the beach with the pool and sea about 40 metres apart its perfect for people who like to swimming and sunbathing.
The lack of capacity in the Pool of London prompted landowners to build London's Docklands with enclosed docks with better security and facilities.
It moved to its present floating headquarters on board HMS Belfast in the Pool of London at the end of the 1960s.
Just 8 miles from the sights and shops of London, the contemporary Hilton Croydon hotel has a heated indoor pool and gym.
A set of servlets could handle connections with hundreds of clients, if not thousands, while recycling a pool of expensive connections to database servers.
The germans and italians who were there were all inclusive which meant breakfast, lunch and evening the pool and hotel were really quiet.
Despite the Hotel being very quiet and under occupied, I was given a side view room rather than the Pool or the sea.
Work out in the fitness centre or dive into the pool.
Go for a dip in your private plunge pool or hop down the steps and dive into the lagoon.
Spend your days in Sunny Beach with your kids in the pool, in the playground, or treat yourself to a massage or a new haircut in the salon.
Excellent for birdwatching, relaxing by the pool and even a football area for the kids.
We chose the hotel because of the swimming pool on the roof, for the kids.
In the pool, Lochte has been a challenger, to Phelps in the individual medley and to Peirsol in the backstroke.
The backstroke is similar, but the swimmer's back is to the bottom of the pool.
In the freestyle, swimmers originally dove from the pool walls, but diving blocks were eventually incorporated at the 1936 Olympics.
For breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly and individual medley events, swimming starts with swimmers standing on blocks at the end of the pool.
Freestyle races begin with swimmers doing forward-facing dives from either a starting block or the side of the pool.
For a rejuvenating experience in the Chamonix Valley, start and end your day with a dip in the pool and a relaxing moment in the sauna.
Start your day with our free "Early Eats" breakfast and relax at the end of the day in our indoor pool and spa.
Underwater video of class, pool, and open water dives as well as broadcast quality video for promotions and dive tours available.
Before any confined water dives (in the swimming pool or an environment similar to a swimming pool i.e.
Gites with pool in the Dordogne to rent.
Self catering holiday accommodation in the Aveyron.Gites to rent with pool in the Aveyron Estaing in South West France.
Dordogne holiday home sleeps 10 with pool to rent near Riberac in South West France.
St Tropez: Exclusive private holiday villa for rent with pool in quiet location.
Provencal rental villa near Ste Maxime i the Gulf of St Tropez with a heated (and alarmed) swimming pool in a large private and enclosed garden.
The 18th-century property, which has a lodge, a staff flat, stables, a tennis court and a pool, went on sale in March with a guide price of £5m.
On offer for sale is an unfurnished studio in Sunny Beach, located in a new built complex with a swimming pool and 24-hour security.
Property for sale in Vidais within short distance to Caldas da Rainha with private swimming pool and garden within quiet surroundings.
Luperon Beach Resort has a health club, an outdoor pool, a steam room, and a fitness facility.
Boutique resort in landscaped gardens alongside picturesque beach facing offshore islands with bungalows, villas and pool.
Located 200 m from Puerto del Carmen's beach and conveniently near Lanzarote's airport, these apartments are set around a large pool in landscaped gardens.
Situated in a quiet residential area, near to beaches you would have the luxury of your own pool, and extensive gardens.
From pools to suits to toys, carrying all you will need for your pool and spa.
With the ACSLS media pool feature, each application or user is assigned its own pool of tapes to manage and pools can easily span physical libraries.
Beach Villas (95m2) There are 45 Beach Villas, with the same facilities as the Pool villas, except for the pool.
Beach Pool Villas (116m2) These 12 Villas all have direct beach access and an uninterrupted view of the lagoon.
The suite was very spacious, overlooking the pool(s) area and the sea.
Spacious one bedroomed apartment located on a small quiet complex overlooking a large swimming pool.
That's what brought him back to the pool much quicker than Olympic stars such as Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin, both still on break since Beijing.
Sport Northern Ireland funded athlete Andrew Bree will become a two time Olympian when he dives into the pool at the Water Cube in Beijing.
Fitted wardrobes, Satellite TV, Solarium, double glazed windows, Air Conditioning, heating, Pool, private complex, sea views, mountain views, Garage.
It has access to a shared swimming pool, a south facing balcony, sea views, a tennis court.
There are eight common competitions swum in freestyle swimming, both over either a long course (50 m pool) or a short course (25 m pool).
It has access to a shared swimming pool, a south facing garden, a south facing patio area, a south facing balcony, sea views, panoramic views.
It was nicely furnished, spacious and the balcony was amazing overlooking the pool.
It has a private swimming pool, a garden, a summer house, a patio area, a balcony, sea views, panoramic views, interesting views, a barbeque.
The Briz Beach B Hotel is situated right at the beach strip of the Sunny Beach resort and boasts an outdoor swimming pool and charming rooms with balconies.
BEIJING (AP) -- American goalkeeper Merrill Moses swam to the center of the pool before the fourth quarter, picked up the ball and kissed it for good luck.
Lounging in the pool and having a ball: U.S. Olympic water polo player Tony Azevedo, who is taking his All-World credentials to Athens for the Summer Games.
Now, be sure to roll the rack so that the 1 ball is exactly in the middle of the pool table "dot" on the billiard (pool) table.
Manufacturers of worsted woven, batch dyed and finished fabrics for billiard, snooker and pool tables, from wool and wool rich blends.
In both cases, it is the power of the water that is being considered, and so the pool of Bethesda is a figure of the baptismal pool.
A holiday apartment for rent in a private villa with its own pool and garden near Altea and Benidorm on Spain's Costa Blanca.
Frigiliana: Luxury 2 bedroom apartment with pool near Nerja.
It offers accommodation for 14 persons in spacious and comfortable rooms, Pool and Children Playground; it is situated in a peaceful area.
Situated in the village of Sarigerme, this family-run hotel offers comfortable rooms with air conditioning and a TV. Facilities include an outdoor pool.
Pool of Translated Addresses One form of NAT maps a large block of addresses from the private network to a small pool of addresses on the public segment.
The hotel offers comfortable rooms and apartments, delicious food in the small restaurant and relaxation at the small pool.
During the day, the sun provides the same amount of heat to the water in a small pool and to a car parked nearby.
Enjoy elegant, stylish rooms with panoramic views over the golf course or pool terrace, just 1.5 hrs from Johannesburg.
Ample off-road parking and a few steps up to the pool terrace.
Enjoy eating al fresco and relaxing on the day-be on the pool terrace.
Download and Enjoy 4 variation of Pool (billiards) games, and 3 types of Snooker games.
I would never think to call snooker or really any game not played on the normal US pool table "billiards".
Cue sports notability — Proposed guideline on notability with regard to cue sports (billiards, pool, snooker) games, including bios, games, companies, etc.
He is also the owner of Eddie Irvine Sports, a snooker, pool, kart racing, paintballing and football facility in Bangor, close to his native Conlig.
Fantastic views over the terrace and pool from the villa.
Imagine relaxing in a villa with a pool like this luxury villa near Carvoeiro in the Algarve region of Portugal.
Luxury villa for rent in Grimaud near St.Tropez - newly refurnished with all mod cons & pool, views, Sky TV, Broadband.


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Episode #1 of the course "Incredible female leaders through history"
Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d'Arc, is a French heroine and martyr who historically "led" the French army into victory during the 100 Years War against England in the 15th century. Captured as a prisoner of War, Joan was tried as a heretic and burned at the stake, although she was later exonerated and beatified by the Roman Catholic church. She is considered one of the minor patron saints of France.
Born in approximately 1412, Joan grew up an illiterate farm girl. She received her first holy "vision" of the Archangel Michael and two French saints at age 13. They commanded she lead the French army to victory in restoring the Dauphin, Charles VII, to the French throne. Although it took two years to receive an audience with Charles, Joan earned support in the French court with her devotion and upstanding character. Having exhausted military options, Charles granted the peasant girl a leadership position in his army at Orleans in 1429.
Joan became a shining symbol of divine intervention, restoring France's military morale. In a short time, the army had reclaimed French land and was counting victories. Although it's unlikely Joan led military strategy, the teenager is credited for knowing the outcome of battles before the reports came back, which is ascribed to "divine revelation" and contributed to the army's success.
After a brief truce with England in 1430, France again enlisted Joan to lead against new tensions in Normandy. She was captured in battle and imprisoned. Although she attempted several daring escapes, she was eventually tried by the English officials of the church on a number of false charges and burned at the stake. Exonerated 25 years later, it wasn't until 1920 that she was fully recognized as a martyr and miracle worker and pronounced a saint in the Catholic church.
"If ever I do escape, no one shall reproach me with having broken or violated my faith, not having given my word to any one, whosoever it may be."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
TSG.TV Community > The Lounge > The Lounge > Nelson Mandela Dead At Age 95
View Full Version : Nelson Mandela Dead At Age 95
Today the whole world will be saddened by the loss of a great man that is Nelson Mandela. The news literally got me out of bed this morning. It has been a very depressing week around the world that's for sure, but I think this one will hit more people than ever. The tv has been on all day and all that's playing on the news is this tragic event.
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201349/two.jpg
[spoiler=Picture taken from the following site:1y4fq53e]http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11168116[/spoiler:1y4fq53e]
This was one quote that my mum has on the fridge that Nelson once said:
"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom".
R.I.P Nelson Mandela! :'(
pkGamerB
We definitely lost an amazing and influential person today, and that's putting it lightly. DarkBlaze made a great point in another thread though, that "...it sucks he died, but it seems he died in the best case scenario, peacefully after 95 years of hard work."
Mandella was a true survivor whose life impacted people internationally, and his legacy will live on forever. May he rest in peace.
The world might've lost an amazing person, but the thing about influential people is their legacy lives on. People will continue to be inspired by Mandela for many years to come. R.I.P.
DrewStern
I don't think we should take Nelson Mandela's death and claim it as a tragedy. He lived a long, fulfilling life and changed the world with his message and influence. I believe history will treat Nelson Mandela well, so it would be best to let him rest in peace and use this time to celebrate his memory.
[ Post made via Android ]
JaggerG
Agreed to all of the above. Legacy can immortalize a person.


Currently there is no legislation regulating accessible or universal housing design for single family dwellings. Unfortunately the Fair Housing Act (FHA) only addresses multiple housing units and does nothing to promote the same standards for single family homes. This means the Fair Housing Act only addresses housing provided in apartment complexes, designated group homes and other "public" types of housing. This is not to be confused with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was originally designed for public and commercial spaces. Again, nothing is said about single family dwellings. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Given there is no specific standard for single family home construction most architects, drafters, and builders will reference both the FHA and the ADA for basic standards but these cannot be enforced by municipalities as single family dwellings were not included in either act in their present form. This makes finding an accessible home a big problem for families with disabled family members or who would like to age in place without large remodels later on. As of this writing there are no proposed amendments or legislation addressing single family dwellings in sight.
While inroads have been made by the construction industry regarding accessible/universal home design there is still a long way to go before the general public is able to find truly accessible housing without a great deal of difficulty. Current thought among most builders seems to be if a home has a bathroom and kitchen that meets commercial ADA standards, has an exterior ramp and a wide front door; the home must be wheelchair accessible.
Current home-building trends are turning more toward building homes with at least a few basic accessible features. Many builders are now adding at least one ADA qualified bathroom, ground level entries and a wider entry door. While this is a step in the right direction builders and designers seem to have forgotten that people with disabilities don't spend all their time in the bathroom or the kitchen. They want to be able to access the rest of the house as well. There are many additional features that can easily be added to new housing plans with minimal cost to the consumer.
If you are unsure of what types of changes will need to be made or equipment you will require, an evaluation by a Rehabilitation specialist trained in housing accessibility may be very helpful in assisting you identify features that could be upgraded. If you are applying for assistance programs for remodeling or updating your current home a Rehabilitation evaluation is an absolute must. An assessment of your current housing situation with a list of limitations and pit falls with recommended changes and upgrades for new housing is key. This letter of recommendations will be the foundation for shopping for new housing, applying for grants, HUD loans, ordering equipment, working with a contractor etc. Your physician may also use this letter as a reference when writing prescriptions for equipment ordered through a medical equipment company, which may also be paid for by your insurance company. Once you know what you need, you can then begin to look at your options.
Whether you are renting, purchasing existing construction or building a new home from the ground up there are several specific features to be on the look out for.
1. An easily accessible, safe, approach to the main entrance. Either a gently sloping sidewalk or ground level porch. Covered and out of the weather is preferred.
2. A wide front doorway a minimum of 36 inches wide. Paddle/lever handles are easier to grasp and manipulate.
4. At least one bathroom must be accessible. A wheelchair turn space and room for a care assistant should be built into the room. Add a curb-less shower, handheld shower head and lower faucet controls for ease of use.
5. Kitchens should have the minimum ADA required turn around space and accessible counter tops and cooking surfaces. Lower cabinets and open shelving add to the accessibility of the space. A lower wall oven and a drawer dishwasher will also increase ease of use in the space.
6. Bedrooms must have enough room for a bed, dresser and space for any equipment that may be needed by the individual. Allow room for a wheelchair or walker to be placed within reach from the bed. Install an intercom near the bed if needed to call for help during the night.
7. Light switches and plugs should be easy to reach for all occupants. Plug sockets should be raised to between 25-27 inches from the floor with light switches at 40 inches.
8. Minimize the number of transitions between types of flooring and the use of carpet. This will decrease the number of trip hazards in the home as well as frequent replacing costly carpet. If carpet is a must, stick with a low pile and use as little as possible.
9. Handles and faucets. Paddle, or lever, style handles are excellent replacements for door knobs. Simple pressure with a fist or an elbow will serve to open the door. Same for faucet handles in the kitchen and the bathroom. Drawer pulls should be "U" shaped to allow for a simple "hook" with stiff fingers.
It is important that to note that most spaces will need to be accessible to more than just one family member at a time. Quite often special needs individuals will have Home Health Aides, Respite Providers and other family members assisting them at various times during the day. Especially children. Everyone needs to be able to safely use all spaces within the home.
True Universal Home Design is building design that EVERY member of the household, regardless of ability, is able to access every square inch of the space and not be impeded in the process.


Shipping Methods – We ship via UPS, Fed EX & USPS and Roadway Express trucking & Eastern trucking lines.
International Orders –We will ship to Canada, but buyer must pay all duty, taxes and an additional $10.00 will be added to order for our special packing and expenses. In the near future, we will begin to accept international orders, and payment for these orders must be made by bank transfer in advance of shipment. Credit cards will NOT be accepted for international orders. We will not be responsible for any taxes, duty or government fees associated with international orders. We will post a notice when international orders are accepted.
14 Day Return Policy – If for any reason you are not satisfied with your fountain purchase, we will accept returns if unopened for cash refund plus shipping. If opened & used, we will issue a merchandise credit for the cost of the item (less shipping and handling and a 20% restocking fee). Returns on merchandise after 14 days WILL NOT be accepted for any reason. All errors with orders must be reported within 5 days of receipt of goods. Returned goods must have a Return Authorization number that will be issued by Fountains Feng Shui. E-mail or call us for an authorization number and/or instructions. Please write down this number on a piece of paper and enclose it along with a note stating the reason for the return. Unauthorized returns will be REFUSED. Returned fountains and dreamlights must be shipped at the customer's expense.


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New ACTA leaks reveal internal conflicts among negotiators
Public outcry over the secret negotiations is heating up, especially in Europe
Brenno de Winter (WebWereld Netherlands) 26 February, 2010 03:19
Countries negotiating the secretive Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement are clashing over a proposed three-strikes regulation, the legal basis for such a treaty and the lack of transparency in the process, according to newly leaked documents.
The European Parliament is demanding answers from the European Commission about ACTA, while public outcry and criticism are driving many European countries to demand clarity about the secret talks, which have been ongoing for more than two years. But these E.U.-member nations are being frustrated by the European Commission.
This conflict is depicted in internal documents drafted by the Dutch Department of Economic Affairs, which is involved in the negotiations. Webwereld, a Dutch IDG affiliate, obtained the documents after earlier requests for such documents on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act were turned down. An English translation of the document is available at a Dutch Web site.
Annoyance about secrecy
The bulk of the text deals with the (lack of) information disclosure to the outside world by the ACTA negotiating countries. Continuous criticism about the secrecy is seen as a problem and a discussion on transparency has erupted as a consequence.
The U.K. wants full disclosure with support from, among others, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Austria. Germany and Denmark are opposed to that. It turns out that Singapore and South Korea also demand secrecy. Japan switched position and now favors full disclosure. The U.S. is silent on the matter.
But the position of Washington becomes apparent when the report states that Italy and France fear retaliation. "The EC is prepared to go along in the direction of full disclosure of documents, but matters were dependent on the position of the new Commissioner and of course the wishes/concessions of other countries (the USA did not seem convinced) had to be taken into consideration," the document states.
More secret negotiations
But most prominent is the stance of the European Commission. The leaked documents state: "The EC feared to establish a precedent for the free trade agreement currently under negotiation. It is not the intention that the position of the EU in those will be completely public. This could have great repercussions for the interests of the EU."
The role of the U.S. in drafting ACTA is also supposed to remain secret. The section in the draft treaty on civil enforcement was written by the U.S. This is something critics have feared for some time, since leaked versions indicate strong similarities between parts of the treaty and the U.S. law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. ACTA negotiators aim to create international standards and enforcement for intellectual property rights, including measures to combat counterfeiting and Internet piracy. Some proposed provisions would push Internet providers to cooperate with antipiracy measures, possibly banning customers form the Internet for repeated illegal file sharing.
Questions and debate
The latest leaks have fueled the aggravation in the European Parliament over an ACTA cover up. Liberals have already conveyed written questions to the European Commission for clarification.
Member of European Parliament Sophie in 't Veld has also requested a debate. "As things are progressing now the parliament can only say yes or no, but in order to make a decision we need to get hold of all the facts," she states. If that clarity isn't given, she expects a negative vote just as happened with the transfer on financial transactions (SWIFT) recently. "There the Commission was anything but transparent."
Also she is doubtful if the proceedings are legal at all. "We don't know the legal basis for ACTA and thus we don't know the valid democratic procedure," says In 't Veld. She is furthermore disturbed that the parliaments of E.U.-member nations are being kept in the dark. "They gave a mandate to the E.C., but for what -- it's anybody's guess."
If ACTA doesn't contain a section on criminal law, national parliaments of Europe have no role in accepting or denying the treaty. Since Dec. 1, 2009, the Lisbon Treaty handed those powers to the European Parliament. Says In 't Veld: "I wonder if they are aware of the consequences of their mandate. It amazes me that national parliaments show so little interest."
Tags ACTAcopyright infringement
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The heart is connected to the field of nonlocal consciousness. Nonlocal consciousness is the subtle level of our consciousness. Our real consciousness is behind the ego at the level of Cosmic Consciousness. This consciousness is who we really are. Therefore, the heart is aware of the subconscious material patterned in our brain circuitry from old beliefs arising from earlier experiences, traumas, and societal conditioning. These patterns often cause us to habitually react to our environment in negative or non-productive ways. Our negative behavior patterns resonate with negative outcomes. And, though we are sometimes aware that our actions are self-fulfilling, we feel doomed as we helplessly attempt to break the brain-circuit patterns that lead to these unfruitful outcomes. Fortunately, the heart is aware of these negative memory patterns. For this reason, we have the possibility of re-routing these circuits by overlaying them with positive emotional frequencies and establishing/shifting these old patterns.
The geometry of Metatron's Cube (figure 1) provides a template for methodically uncovering negative brain-circuit patterns. It also provides the frequencies needed to change these patterns into positive ones.
Figure 1. Metatron's Cube – the twin interlaced tetrahedrons.
By mapping out the emotional qualities associated with each chakra and their organ relationships, we have a means for identifying both the subconscious content holding us in negative patterns as well as the positive aspects required to shift our perspective (see figure 2). When we change our perspective, we change our reality.
Figure 2. Twin tetrahedrons representing chakra emotional qualities.
When we feel emotionally out of balance we can use Metatron's Cube as a means to connect to the heart's innate knowing. The process allows us to do a 'session' on ourselves as well for and with someone else. After identifying the emotional discomfort arising from negative beliefs and outcomes, the 'heart-mediator' asks the 'recipient' to pick a number from a list in order to identify the specific chakra that is over-activated. For some, it is not different from picking a playing card out of a deck of cards. Others experience an intuitive sense of what number is involved. I have found that numbers come to me as mental pictures, like playing cards. At other times, I visualize a row of numbers and wait to see if one stands out amongst the others. This is an individual process. The heart is imaginative and creative. How it communicates and tells us which number to pick is ever changing.
Picking numbers related to our inner psychic/emotional state is somewhat similar to The I-Ching. Carl Jung described the system of The I-Ching as a method devised by which an inner state can be represented by an outer one; in this case a written statement about our subconscious emotional state, which is assigned to a number. Like The I-Ching, the only criterion of validity of the method is the observer's opinion that the text of the statements chosen reflects a true rendering of their psychic/emotional condition.
At this point, the 'recipient' is consciously aware of the chakra that is out of balance and more specifically, the underlying emotion causing the energetic disruption. The next step is to obtain more information about the aspect of the chakra that is expressing negative emotions. This is the negative conditioned belief or perspective that has habitually patterned itself in the mind-brain. We also need to identify the positive emotion or belief, which will be used to replace the negative pattern belief. By now, the 'recipient' is beginning to see the underlying issue. In the first example above, after the 'recipient' addressed her fear of the unknown, they chose the number related to the negative statement: "I exploit nature and her natural resources." The positive statement she chose was: "I welcome and embrace change." I share this because I know the reader is searching for continuity between these two statements. It is this need for a rational explanation that shakes the core of the compulsive mind-brain circuits. Now, the 'recipient' is not only seeing the underlying issue, but they are also beginning to understand and accept it. This is a powerful process because it allows communication between the heart and the brain, which allows the 'recipient' to not only see the connections but to feel and understand the connections as well.
There are organs associated with most of the chakras. The organs reflect various and specific aspects of the chakra emotions. In the case of the root chakra, the associated organ, or meridian system, is the large intestines. In the example of the first 'recipient,' they chose the large intestines statement: "I know when to move on." A story is emerging from the depths of her unconscious.
In order to re-wire the negative circuits, it is generally necessary to identify the origin of the negative belief. This is the exciting part, because both 'heart-mediator' and 'recipient' know they are embarking on a journey that will lead them to deeply buried subconscious material. The process is designed to lead the 'recipient' to specific areas of their past. The heart may lead them to a specific month when they were in the womb or to the birth process itself. Others may need to identify a specific age, person involved, and/or an event. Others still, may be lead to a past life trauma or to a negative situation their mind-brain has repressed.
The 'recipient' now has a picture of how their emotional responses and behaviors have been conditioned by past events. The Scalar Heart ConnectionTM process provides space for the 'recipient' to reflect on what their heart has illuminated to conscious awareness. Our sample 'recipient' has figured out that she becomes paralyzed when she gets caught up in her head, trying to figure out the pieces before taking action. She does this, not in a healthy and precautionary way, but because she is afraid of the unknown. She realizes that she compulsively tries to make sure whatever she does is done right and is completely thought out ahead of time in order to be safe. She is afraid to be wrong, so she remains frozen as life goes on around her.
Just in case more information is required, the process provides an opportunity to ask the heart if we need something more. Often, the heart will want to reinforce the new positive intention by having the subject listen to a Quantum Healing Code™. When this comes up, we ask the heart to choose which one they need. Generally, the code that the person chooses from the list is the code related to the chakra found to be out of balance, but not always. It can also be the case that they need another code or frequency. Recall how the frequencies and their harmonics came together in ways that produced the triangles found in the geometry of Metatron's Cube. We might view emotional imbalance as creating distortions in the geometry of ego-consciousness, which manifest as disruptions in heart patterns. This distortion, which is really only a question of perspective, causes us to lose coherence with nonlocal consciousness. Therefore, when we listen to a specific Quantum Healing Code™ within the context of our newly created positive statement, we are reformatting the geometry of inner-connection.
This brings us back to the image of the mandala. The mandala reminds us that our experiences help bring us from the outer edges of ego-consciousness back to the center of the mandala, to the center of wholeness, unity and equilibrium. Equilibrium is the white light center of the Twin-Tetrahedron, where the double-heart becomes one heart. At this stage, we automatically resonate with the intentions of non-local Cosmic Consciousness.