The Nature Of Things: Difference between revisions

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== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
Joe talks about how large the universe is, then about animals that eat
other animals, particularly gruesomely, including the hatchetfish,
with its luminescent anus<ref>marine hatchetfish,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternoptychidae</ref> , and the violin
spider<ref>recluse spider?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recluse_spider</ref> - examples of God's
grace.<ref name=Karma6>re-used in [[Karma Part 6]] </ref>
4:30: Jack Kornfield tells of explaining a passing satellite to an old
monk, who didn't even know the Earth was round.  Kornfield points out
that this fellow was venerated for his wisdom, how wisdom is different
from knowledge.<ref name=Karma6 />
8:50: 'I hate this nature stuff&hellip;' - [[Zak Block]] kicks off
an argument with Larry, who likes nature.  This devolves into a
father-son argument about how his parents don't understand him
(including the jackhammer story), that Larry drinks too
much&hellip;<ref>They're in Seattle, where Larry has a
role.</ref><ref>re-used in [[Karma Part 4]] </ref>
15:20: Larry buys some booze, starts drinking before the show,
something he says he never does, understands he has become an
alcoholic.<ref>re-used in [[Karma Part 3]] </ref>
19:40: Kristine McKenna is distraught, crying; she talks to her
sister.  They both agree that their father was terrible; Kristine
thinks her sister has gotten over it but she hasn't.<ref name=redux>re-used in [[Karma redux]] </ref>
21:20: Larry says that no quality of acting would have impressed the
director at his audition, talks about taking control of his fate by
failing deliberately, succeeding by achieving failure.<ref name=redux />
24:50: 'Mind is the forerunner of all things&hellip' - Kornfield
quotes the <i>Dhammapada</i> , that our actions follow our
thoughts.<ref>In different words Kornfield returns to this idea in
[[Karma Part 1]] and [[Angina Dialogues, The]] .</ref>
27:10: Mike Meloan tells story of meeting an Indian palm reader.  When
Meloan won't pay the fee he wants, he says, 'Don't deny me!'<ref name=deny>re-used in [[Karma Don't Deny Me]] </ref> .
32:40: Jack Kornfield talks about dealing with difficult
situations by imagining that Jesus/Buddha/Mary shows up to take
over.<ref name=deny />
38:30: Kristine is in the hospital.  An old man in an adjacent room
screams frightfully; she finds out he's 84, hasn't recovered well from
a surgery.<ref name=Karma7>re-used in [[Karma Part 7]] </ref>
41:40: Joe tells of going to a birthday Party.  Someone tells the
story of the antics of Norman Wexler: buying everything in a bakery,
taking a dump at LAX.<ref name=Karma7 /><ref>According to his IMDB
page, 'Andy Kaufman's character of "Tony Clifton" was Partially based
on Norman Wexler' and 'Wexler was the mysterious "Mr. X" referred to
in Bob Zmuda's biography of Andy Kaufman, "Andy Kaufman Revealed".
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923319/</ref>
46: Kornfield tells us how large the universe is.<ref name=Karma7 />
48:30: Larry describes drinking tequila with lemon and salt,
chasing it with beer, a fake margarita, then the terrible food he eats.<ref name=Karma2>re-used in [[Karma Part 2]] </ref>
51: Joe tells Larry about making french toast himself because his
Chinese house boy is out, the special maple syrup.  Then they talk
about drinking, anti-depressants, hip psychiatrists.<ref name=Karma7 />
54:50: Larry talks about what he would do instead of
committing suicide, how he counts shotgun blasts to the head to fall
asleep.<ref name=redux>re-used in [[Karma Redux]]</ref> .
56: Kornfield tells about the psychology class in which
students were tested by giving them oranges.  The student described
the nature of his/her orange, put it back on the table, then had to
find which was his/hers.  He quotes Gide and Camus to illustrate the
value of perceiving joy. <ref name=Karma2 />
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:100%; overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Legacy Synopsis</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*The big bang is absurd.  Deep sea creatures.  Various Animals and god's plan.
*The big bang is absurd.  Deep sea creatures.  Various Animals and god's plan.
*[[Jack Kornfield]]: talking about the universe and wisdom and knowledge ("what is a satellite?").
*[[Jack Kornfield]]: talking about the universe and wisdom and knowledge ("what is a satellite?").
Line 37: Line 116:
*Larry talks about drinking and then eating junk, antidepressants, suicide.
*Larry talks about drinking and then eating junk, antidepressants, suicide.
*Kornfield: a class describes an orange - an exercise in observation.
*Kornfield: a class describes an orange - an exercise in observation.
</div></div>


== Music ==
== Music ==

Revision as of 20:58, 7 April 2021

The Nature of Things[1]
Series
The Other Side
Original Broadcast Date
April 3, 2000
Cast
Larry Block, Zak Block, Michael Meloan, Kristine McKenna, Jack Kornfield, Joe Frank
Format
Absurd Monologue, Karma Style, 1 hour
Preceded by: The Wire
Followed by: Karma (Part 1)

"According to the theory of the big bang, the universe exploded from a single point."

The Nature of Things is a program Joe Frank produced as part of the series The Other Side. It was originally broadcast on April 3, 2000.

Synopsis

Joe talks about how large the universe is, then about animals that eat other animals, particularly gruesomely, including the hatchetfish, with its luminescent anus[1] , and the violin spider[2] - examples of God's grace.[3]

4:30: Jack Kornfield tells of explaining a passing satellite to an old monk, who didn't even know the Earth was round. Kornfield points out that this fellow was venerated for his wisdom, how wisdom is different from knowledge.[3]

8:50: 'I hate this nature stuff…' - Zak Block kicks off an argument with Larry, who likes nature. This devolves into a father-son argument about how his parents don't understand him (including the jackhammer story), that Larry drinks too much…[4][5]

15:20: Larry buys some booze, starts drinking before the show, something he says he never does, understands he has become an alcoholic.[6]

19:40: Kristine McKenna is distraught, crying; she talks to her sister. They both agree that their father was terrible; Kristine thinks her sister has gotten over it but she hasn't.[7]

21:20: Larry says that no quality of acting would have impressed the director at his audition, talks about taking control of his fate by failing deliberately, succeeding by achieving failure.[7]

24:50: 'Mind is the forerunner of all things&hellip' - Kornfield quotes the Dhammapada , that our actions follow our thoughts.[8]

27:10: Mike Meloan tells story of meeting an Indian palm reader. When Meloan won't pay the fee he wants, he says, 'Don't deny me!'[9] .

32:40: Jack Kornfield talks about dealing with difficult situations by imagining that Jesus/Buddha/Mary shows up to take over.[9]

38:30: Kristine is in the hospital. An old man in an adjacent room screams frightfully; she finds out he's 84, hasn't recovered well from a surgery.[10]

41:40: Joe tells of going to a birthday Party. Someone tells the story of the antics of Norman Wexler: buying everything in a bakery, taking a dump at LAX.[10][11]

46: Kornfield tells us how large the universe is.[10]

48:30: Larry describes drinking tequila with lemon and salt, chasing it with beer, a fake margarita, then the terrible food he eats.[12]

51: Joe tells Larry about making french toast himself because his Chinese house boy is out, the special maple syrup. Then they talk about drinking, anti-depressants, hip psychiatrists.[10]

54:50: Larry talks about what he would do instead of committing suicide, how he counts shotgun blasts to the head to fall asleep.[7] .

56: Kornfield tells about the psychology class in which students were tested by giving them oranges. The student described the nature of his/her orange, put it back on the table, then had to find which was his/hers. He quotes Gide and Camus to illustrate the value of perceiving joy. [12]

Legacy Synopsis
  • The big bang is absurd. Deep sea creatures. Various Animals and god's plan.
  • Jack Kornfield: talking about the universe and wisdom and knowledge ("what is a satellite?").
  • Larry Block talks about drinking before a show, reads a poem.
  • Kristine McKenna: A woman cries and talks about her sister.
  • Larry and Joe discuss self destruction.
  • Mike Meloan talks about meeting an Indian fortune teller in a parking lot.
  • Kornfield: a merciful being assumed your body.
  • Kristine talks about hearing a man in pain.
  • A birthday party for film industry types: a man buys a bakery, shits in an airport.
  • Kornfield: The scale of it all.
  • Larry talks about drinking and then eating junk, antidepressants, suicide.
  • Kornfield: a class describes an orange - an exercise in observation.

Music

This is an incomplete record of the music in this program. If you can add more information, please do.

Shared material

Miscellanea

  1. ↑ marine hatchetfish, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternoptychidae
  2. ↑ recluse spider? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recluse_spider
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 re-used in Karma Part 6
  4. ↑ They're in Seattle, where Larry has a role.
  5. ↑ re-used in Karma Part 4
  6. ↑ re-used in Karma Part 3
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 re-used in Karma redux Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "redux" defined multiple times with different content
  8. ↑ In different words Kornfield returns to this idea in Karma Part 1 and Angina Dialogues, The .
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 re-used in Karma Don't Deny Me
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 re-used in Karma Part 7
  11. ↑ According to his IMDB page, 'Andy Kaufman's character of "Tony Clifton" was Partially based on Norman Wexler' and 'Wexler was the mysterious "Mr. X" referred to in Bob Zmuda's biography of Andy Kaufman, "Andy Kaufman Revealed". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923319/
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 re-used in Karma Part 2
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