Georgia O'Keeffe's Paintbox

“If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.” David Carradine

I know that some of you out there like when I yack about movies and stuff that I watch. We don't watch a lot of TV in this house unless it's an occasional thing on PBS, The Simpsons, *ahem cough cough* South Park, or a DVD/VHS or Laserdisc (For all of you kiddies out there, it looks like a really big CD but it plays movies. OMG, pretty soon we'll be explaining what the hell a CD was to people...and to think, I still have my record player AND my records).

Any ways, one of our favorite TV shows of all time is most definetly "Kung Fu" with David Carradine.

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Master Kan: "Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced."

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What amazes me (still to this day) is that this TV show was ever made. If you think of what most television shows are about, being respectful to life *all life* is definetly not high on their list of "things to focus on". I remember when David (my husband) found out that it was finally going to be released on DVD. We were at LaserBlazer in West L.A. the day it came out. I rolled my eyes at him. "Kung Fu?" He had told me many a times that it was one of his most favorite TV shows growing up and that it had had a profound influence on him. (Now, if you know my husband, you know that the man has an amazing memory, an abundance of knowledge on various subjects, and is just plain amazing. I'm biased, what can I say? I had to trust him!) So, I looked at the DVD, looked at him and said 'OK, I'll watch it."

Later that night we sat down to watch it. The music starts up, credits roll... The episode ends and I'm 100% hooked. I look at the husband increduosly "There's only three seasons?" "Yup." "Um, ok, can we take our time watching it so that it takes a reallllly long time for us to finish the whole series?" "Ok."

Well, it's now January 19th, 2007 and we are almost finished with the series. I have to honestly say that I will be extremely sad when we watch the last episode . Never has a TV show made me feel the way this one does (am I crazy??!!).

Very few (if any) TV shows in the 1970's (or any other era) carry a timeless message (or even carry a message!), and this one does. Think. Act. Think about how you act. Respect Life-all life.

And, damn, the quotes!


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Caine: "Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the present?"
Master Po: "If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past."

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Master Po: "Ha, ha, never assume because a man has no eyes he cannot see. Close your eyes. What do you hear?"
Young Caine: "I hear the water, I hear the birds."
Master Po: "Do you hear your own heartbeat?"
Young Caine: "No.""
Master Po: "Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet?"
Young Caine: "Old man, how is it that you hear these things?"
Master Po: "Young man, how is it that you do not?"