slices May 31st, 2007

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I noticed that mayan astrology has turned out to be a hot topic in this blog; consequently, I figured it would be a good idea to discuss this fascinating concept a bit more. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, refer to the first post on this matter.

According to this tradition, I am a Red Skywalker. This is a poem explaining my innate destiny, as described by tortuga.net (once again, refer to previous post):

Red Self-Existing Skywalker
I Define in order to Explore
Measuring Wakefullness
I seal the Output of Space
With the Self-Existing tone of Form
I am guided by the power of Universal Water

You see, one of the things I like best about this horoscope is that it doesn’t try to foretell your future. Instead, it tryes to describe your innate potential… your destiny, some might say. My kin, for example, is all about bridging the gap between this world and the other, and this is something that I can closely relate to. I’ve always been intrigued with the contrast between the way things are, and the way (I think) they should be, and I’ve always been extremely interested in understanding myself and the process of consciousness.

Granted, I cannot help but shudder at the prospect of divination and predestination, since I’m a firm believer in free-will, and the possibility of changing one’s destiny. Nonetheless, there’s a reason why anybody can benefit from studying his mayan horoscope, and it ties precisely to its unpretentious nature. This horoscope acts as a guide for self-knowledge, rather than indulging in ego-massage as most other horoscopes do; besides, it encourages people to find their true self and transcend their established boundaries, which is always a good thing.

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slices May 30th, 2007

 I’ve been looking around for a good webhosting service, so I can finally make the big transition and create my own domain. As it turns out, there are several options, and some of them can be quite misleading. However, after intense research, I’ve definately found a winner: Bluehost. Why? Personally, because they have extremely competitve prices and provide new customers with a handy $75 for running an ad campaign in google and yahoo. Technically, because they provide all the top-of-the-line trinkets and features available in the market, and furthermore because they let you run several domains from a single account. Not only that, but they also make it easier to run the full server version of wordpress with minimum hassle. Anybody who’s considering getting a good, reliable hosting service should check BlueHost domain hosting!

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slices May 29th, 2007

This is called the Leonardo da Vinci Quiz as homage to the individual who is often regarded as the true example of a “renaissance man”, or a man who is interested in developing diffrent types of knowledge and skills. By analogy, this quiz evaluates your particular thinking style, based on 36 simple questions. The 8 possible thinking styles the test is based upon are Logical-mathematical, linguistic, inter-personal, intra-personal, naturalist, existencial, musical, spatial and kinaesthetic; I turned out to be a linguistic and spatial thinker which i believe is a good match, since I’m the sort of person who revels as much in words as in pictures.

“Some people have a strong preference for one style of thinking, and find some skills come more naturally than others. Other people tend to adopt different thinking styles in different situations.

This test gives you an idea of what your current thinking style or styles are. But remember - the brain is a very adaptive organ. You should be able to improve your performance in any one of these categories with practice.”

The best thing about this quiz, besides its apparent accuracy, is the fact it doesn’t merely try to distribute labels, or rub egos to distract people. It’s thouroughly rational and actually quite engaging. Definitively recommended, for every inquiring mind out there on vast cyberspace wilderness, who occasionally likes to revel in this life-slice cocktail: Click here to take the quiz.

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slices May 28th, 2007

This is possibly the largest flower in the whole wide world. With an average 3 feet in diameter (1 metre), petals approximatelely 1 inch thick, and roughly 24 lbs. (11kg) weight, Rafflesia Arnoldii holds the record for bulk, as far as the flowery portion of the vegetable kingdom is concerned. You may wonder how come you have never heard of such a huge plant, but matter of fact is that it’s quite rare; most likely, that’s also the reason it doesn’t have a more “common” name, such as “Rafflesacks XL”. Hum, nevermind that. This vegetable mammoth only sprouts in Southwest Asia, and it’s regarded as an endangered plant. Not because humans are hunting it down for makiing huge decorations (for once, it’s not our fault), but actually due to the plant’s peculiarities. The standard Rafflesia Arnoldii takes several months to sprout, and then it only last for a few days before it rots. Further, it actually smells better when it dies, because during it’s fertile time-span it’s known to release nauseabund, disguting scents which supposedly are intended to attract pollinating animals, such as flies. All things considered, this is one of those miracles of natures which are definately pretty to look at, as long as you keep a reasonable distance. Good thing it’s such a huge flower!

For more detailed information, click here. That’s it folks, now you know all there is to know about the world’s largest, foulest-smelling flower. Aren´t you glad you stumbled upon this blog of oddities and curiosities?

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slices May 27th, 2007

I just read a truly inspiring story about invention and disaster, and how they’re often side-by-side in life, in a way that it makes you think it couldn’t possibly be otherwise. I’m a firm believer in duality, and this is the kind of story that contributes to such belief. As it turns out, Henry Ford (who would later invent the automobile and introduce industrial assembly lines), performed a miscalculation during his early youth that might have been disastrous. When he was ten years old, legend has it that he decided to experiment with a boiling teapot. He had decided that if the steam was trapped inside the teapot, then it would float; consequently, he tied down the lid on a clay teapot, and he set it upon the fire, waiting patiently to see what would happen. Naturally, the pot exploded, and young Henry Ford was not only scolded for breaking a window and a mirror, but he was actually scalded from the explosion, suffering a minor scar from a shrapnel as well as burns from the water. Nonetheless, the seeds were planted, that would allow him to invent the combustion engine, just over a decade later.

Now, my thought is that young Henry actually learned a lot about inventions, that day, and about his destiny as well. He must have been incredibly lucky not to get severely hurt, and yet his spirit was not put down by the disaster; he would go on to set his name upon history as one of the most prolific and influent inventors of the modern age. That day, Henry Ford learned from an exploding teapot that invention and disaster walk along hand in hand, trough the garden of good and evil.

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slices May 26th, 2007

It’s a good thing we live in a free society, where it’s not a crime to make really loud, annoying music. I may not favor this particular kind of music wholeheartedly (not at all times, not while absolutely sober), but at least it’s cheerful, and above everything I appreciate the creative freedom, so there you go…. for your viewing pleasure, an homage to Gogol Bordello, gypsy punk rock band from Lower East Side, NY! Rock on, crazy accordeon dudes!~

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slices May 25th, 2007

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix; Angel-headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection

to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the night.”

I just learned about this poetic masterpiece which is a true paragon of the so-called “beat generation”. I´m not that familiar with the whole peace & love shebang those people had going back there; nonetheless from what I understand, there truly was some substance to these knackered, weary folks, who threaded life´s intricate networks and railroads like no other. I think these opening verses from Alan Ginsberg’s “Howl” clearly demonstrates why that is so; there is just an amazing, ethereal quality to these words, a lingering pervading sense of restlessness and despair, that just speaks volumes. It´s little to do with the words themselves, and all about the way they´re put together, these worlds of meaning. More and more, I´m getting convinced that´s what being a good writer is all about… that, and the ability to excite people’s imaginations, of course.

There is a second aspect regarding this particular passage which is equally noteworthy. Point of case being, they are truly intemporal verses. Several decades past, I can relate to the feelings expressed upon this poem, as I become progressively certain that so many human potential is laid to waste, every day around, and even within me. Sometimes I swear, I feel like our ultra-modern society is so ostentatiously numb that we´ve become heartless drones, daily grind sleepwalkers. I think the main reason people turn to drugs is because they are depressed with society; the main reason is the feeling of opression and hopelessness, which particularly afflicts the most creative people. As far as I’m concerned, a drug is pretty much anything that generates the feeling of “need”. I think people turn to drugs because they need something they can barely understand…. such as comprehension, comfort, and the sense of belonging somewhere. Think about it… as much as you try to, there doesn’t really seem to be a way around that!

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slices May 24th, 2007

On the subject of optical illusions, I just uncovered this website featuring amazing works from this pavement artist called Julian Beever. you might have already seen some of his work trough a hugely popular chain letter that has circulated the internet for years; still, in case you haven’t just feast your eyes on these samples:

Most works by J. Beever are pavement-painted optical illusions (anamorphoses), and he’s got a real knack at distorting perspectives. Most of his works look like a huge blur unless they’re observed from the right spot; there’s something magical about this. There are no words to express my admiration for some one who dedicates his life to perfecting his craft in such spectacular fashion. This is just my humble tribute, but if you want to learn more (beyond the hype, that is) about this true artist, check out his official website here.

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slices May 23rd, 2007

In all Truth, Tom Morello  performs the genuine “One Man Revolution”, as he embodies the Nightwatchman Project; after a long interventive absence, Morello (who was once lead singer in Rage Against the Machine) finally strikes back with his most powerful weapons of socio-political contestation: his guitar and his words.

A few weeks back, in Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival, Tom and his ex-partners from RATM came together to manifest their deep concern with the present situation of the U.S.A, as enacted by the Bush administration. According to Morello’s manifesto, the old band came together at that occasion for a single reason:

“Is it coincidence that in the seven years that Rage Against the Machine has been away that the country has slid into right-wing purgatory? I think not. It occurred to all of us that the times were right to see if we can knock the Bush administration out in one fell swoop, and we hope to do that job well. This administration has done enough damage that it may take generations to undo. This is an administration that believes it’s beyond the laws of the land, which is fine for emperors, but not so great for presidents. One thing this president isn’t above is the laws of physics, and there is no action without reaction. And we’re part of that reaction.”

Hollow idealisms or noteworthy reactions to an aggravating socio-political panorama? It’s up for you to decide.

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slices May 22nd, 2007

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about an oddity from the animal kingdom, because I was waiting for the perfect specimen to surface within my imagination. Well today I was introduced to this horrid creature that inspired the warner bros cartoon, the Tasmanian Devil. As you might remind from the animated funnies, it was an outrageously excentrinc and insane creature which roamed around senselessly, wreaking havoc along its path. Well what would you know, it turns out the genuine Tasmanian Devil (Mother Nature’s Own, not WB’s), is actually quite reminiscent of his animated counterpart, as you can tell by checking out this (somewhat disturbing) youtube video. 

 Good ol’ Taz is one of the few carnivorous marsupials in existance, as well as the very biggest: adult devils are roughly the size of a bulky, meantempered dog (or maybe an overgrown mutant rat from hell). According to my research, it can only be found in Tasmania, which is an Australian island (bet you didn’t know that, unless you’re from Australia), and it leasurely occupies its time by releasing foul odours, skreeching loudly, killing other animals or scavenging for corpses, or, when nothing else seems to work, plainly eating other beasts of his kin. Now, wouldn’t that make a lovely pet?

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