Monday, June 30, 2008

Hanuman Images

When I was writing my last post, I found alot of cool images of the Hindu deity Hanuman - depicted as a half-man, half-monkey.

There are some cool wallpapers on an Indian website called SantaBanta.com.


The one below is awesome. From what I can tell, the scene is of this story from Hindu scripture. You have a flying monkey-god carrying a mountain over an army of apes surrounding Rama & Sita. As imagery goes, it is wonderfully crazy:


Equally wonderful is another image of Hanuman in my favorite color - Green, the color of life and prosperity. Hanuman seems to excel at moving mountains:


I also found a website with a bunch of links to Hanuman pictures, like this flowery (almost trippy) image:


Ok, and I just saw this video clip from a live action Bollywood film featuring Hanuman. It really 'takes off' around the 2-minute mark. It is from a film called Bajrangbali & the movie trailer is even better.



Sunday, June 29, 2008

Hanuman Idol for Obama


It looks like Barack Obama is going to receive a 'Monkey Buddha' of his very own.

Browsing Disinfo.com, I saw that some devotees of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman claim they saw a Time magazine article in which Obama talks about carrying a "monkey king charm" for good luck. I couldn't find this article in a quick Google search. Regardless, a group of Indian well-wishers are giving Sen. Obama a brass Hanuman statue to bless his campaign.


You can never go wrong with some extra Monkey Buddha power.


It's kind of interesting how the context of the image of the monkey can be regarded as racist (or not) in this country. If Barack is associated with a monkey sock puppet, it is (rightly) considered at least a little offensive. Presenting him with an ancient image of a Hindu monkey deity, though, is culturally acceptable.

Even worse than the sock puppet was the lazy & legally risky combination of a unaltered picture of Curious George with Obama's name. Fortunately, if you're an uncreative racist dope, you're probably not smart enough to avoid being sued out of business.

Funny Captions on Stock Art

I saw this collection of mostly vintage-looking graphics w/ witty captions & thought it was pretty funny. It's not really "haha" funny but I find them amusing.


I liked this one - a good take on how much designers rely on computer technology nowadays:




The idea of adding funniness to generic graphic art is also the basis for the site of funny e-cards called Someecards.com. I've sent & received some of the gems on this site.

Combining these simple elements in the right way has a surprisingly comedic effect.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Summer Sun

My favorite time of year has officially begun. Woo-hoo!


This was the first weekend of the summer & the inevitable hijinks have already started.

Anyway, many people know that Friday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Like other astronomical and seasonal events, this point in the solar cycle has been recognized & celebrated since the beginning of civilization.


The sun
was one of the first physical entities to be perceived as a deity, for obvious reasons. It is the Earth's source of heat, visible light, cyclical time, and of most life.

I've always felt a sense of amazement in the relatively immense power of the sun. As a student at Rowan University back at the turn of the 21st century, I picked our closest star as subject for a fun project in my intro design class:


My only tattoo is a graphic I made of the sun with the Chinese pictogram for being alive. To me, it's a mandala more than a decoration. When I got it in college, I wanted it to be a symbolic reminder of how important each day is that I get to experience life, including all the joy and sorrow it brings.


Besides being a student of sun symbolism, I also simply enjoy basking in the summer sun - doing absolutely nothing and thinking about absolutely nothing. When I close my eyes, I feel the pulsing radiant energy that originated in the depth of a stellar inferno millions of miles away. It is an invigorating feeling that is further enhanced by an ice cold Corona w/ a lime.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying


I usually read on my lunch break. Right now, I've started my my 3rd read-through of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, a book that I consider essential knowledge.

I have a deep appreciation for Buddhist philosophy, but this book really goes beyond the boundaries of religion. It deeply addresses both experiencing life to the fullest and dealing with the inevitability of death. Sogyal Rinpoche writes in a way that is wise and fascinating at the same time.


It is basically a explanation of the Buddhist teachings behind the Bardo Thodol, often called the "Tibetan Book of the Dead". The actual translation is "Liberation through Hearing in the Intermediate State," but that doesn't sound nearly as creepy.

This is not some kind of death-worshipping "goth" religion or something. Much of the material is very matter-of-fact, practical, and positive. It's 400 pages that I consider myself fortunate to be able to read and try to fully appreciate.

"Misleading" Ads from Video Game History

This is a great collection of classic video game advertising.

However I don't agree with the idea that they're 'misleading'. Most of the ads show a screenshot, so you know at least what the game really looks like like.

Besides when I create commercial art, conveying a story or idea is often more important than strictly representing physical reality.

"Misleading Ads from
the Golden Age of Video Games"



"Become a Jedi Master
without ever leaving your home"...


...by moving digitized lines back and forth

Monday, June 16, 2008

Cool As Ice


Where do I start with this?

Let me say that Vanilla Ice's movie Cool As Ice has been one of my very favorite 'bad' movies for a very long time. I put quotes around 'bad' because this movie is so unbelievably absurd that it goes far beyond good or bad. Don't believe me?





My very first job on a payroll was working at a Movies Unlimited video rental store as a teenager. I worked with some crazy characters. We used to play movies on the TVs in the store all day & chill at the counter watching them if there were no customers.

We played a eclectic variety, but there was one wacky movie we all watched over & over. This was also the only movie that people asked about EVERY single time we played it. I wish I were lying, but the only thing I can guess is that the customers were mesmerized by Ice's neon orange outfits and killer dance moves.

This classic piece of cinema is of course:


My parents are replacing a cabinet w/ video tapes at their house & I saw this tape sitting out. (This was one of the tapes I secured when the movie store went out of business.) I was watching it with my brother & he vowed never to watch it again.

I cannot recommend this movie enough nor describe how hysterically horrible it is.
There are some tidbits on Youtube, but these are just morsels from a feast of pure ridiculousness.



Sunday, June 15, 2008

Aztec Discovery


There is a increasing rate of archaeological discoveries being made every day. I love reading about new finds - Archaeologica is a great resource for archaeological news.

Humans are scouring the planet to discover the mysteries of a past that is largely forgotten. Some historical sites are well known & still occupied, like Mexico City. During the reign of the Aztecs, this area was the capital city called Tenochtitlan and was actually an island in the middle of a lake.

The Spanish invaders marveled at the city that seemed "like an enchanted vision." Of course, the Aztec city was destroyed as result of the the conquistadors' legendary greed, ignorance, and ideological fervor.

Like all conquering groups, the Spanish destroyed the Aztec temples and centers of spiritual power in order to subjugate the population. These places of power were still used, though, as the Catholic invaders established cathedrals and political buildings on the same spots.

Anyway, an area that is believed to be the palace of the last Aztec emperor, Montezuma, has been discovered beneath the Museum of Culture in Mexico City.


The article says they think they've found a windowless black room. This was where Montezuma sat in darkness, took psychedelic substances, and communed with the ancestors & spirits in visions. Obviously, his spirit guides didn't help him prevent the destruction of his empire.


Speaking of Aztec spirituality, it was very sophisticated yet completely alien to the Western modes of thought. Their concept of the ultimate nature of reality was similar to the idea of The Tao or even "The Force". At the highest level, they understood their pantheon of unique gods to be personality attributes used to describe aspects of infinite reality, or Teotl.



"I command you to surrender to Cortez
& give him large sums of gold!
Trust me!!!
Would you're Spirit Vision lie to you???"

Friday, June 13, 2008

Why I'm Voting Republican

Yes, this is shocking news to anyone who knows me or has read this blog.

Although I'm registered as an Independent, my entire adult life has been spent feeling nothing but contempt for George W. Bush, his Republican Party, and the ideological neo-con version of conservative politics.

This one thought-provoking video has really opened my eyes, though.

Here's "Why I'm Voting Republican":

Proof of The End Times?

I saw this interesting segment on Raw Story.

It is an interview with one of my heroes, Dennis Kucinich. He's being interviewed by one of my least favorite people in the media - the reactionary & overly pompous Bill O'Reilly.

After watching this clip where O'Reilly actually agrees with & praises Rep. Kucinich on certain points, I had to feel around to make sure my head hadn't exploded.

This could also be definitive evidence that we're living in the Bizarro Universe...

"Bill O'Reilly & Dennis Kucinich - together at last"

What, what?!?!


Monday, June 09, 2008

The Case for Impeachment

Well I happened to flip to CSPAN to see one of America's greatest progressive patriots, Dennis Kucinich.

He has a huge set of balls, despite his diminutive physical presence. Right now he is on Article 28 of 35 Articles of Impeachment against The War Monkey himself, George W. Bush.

Crooks & Liars:
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Introduces
35 Articles of Impeachment


I turned it on around Article 15. He's basically going through the laundry list of crimes & offenses committed by Bush, Inc. against the people of our country and around the world. The only reason I need is that 'Dubya' is an incompetent, dangerous fool.

Kucinich has already introduced impeachment against the Beastmaster Dick Cheney. Bush & Cheney are universally agreed to be a blight on American history. Kucinich is strong enough to stand up to these two gangsters and make sure history remembers them for what they are.

This action, even if nothing comes of it, at leasts shows the extent of the Bush Administration's arrogant disregard for the law on the official record. I'm interested to see what the newly-appointed nominee Barack Obama has to say about the idea of impeachment, which has been said by other Democratic leaders to be "off the table".


All I know is that listening to the reading of all these Articles have burned the following words into my mind:

"Wherefore,
President George W. Bush,
by such conduct
is guilty
of an impeachable offense
warranting removal from office."

To me, it's like a haiku,
containing deep meaning,
but in a simple form that even an idiot can appreciate.




Afterthought:
The idea of impeachment also brings up a nightmare scenario.
Like cornered animals, it's always possible that Bush & Cheney
will use extreme measures, overt or subtle
to remain in office and exercise the unconstitutional powers
that Rep. Kucinich is petitioning against.

That would suck.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

OBAMA!

So it seems like Barack Obama is heading toward the general election against John McCain.

I really can't wait to see these two in a debate setting. It will be a real study in contrast!

McCain is no monster, & I'd vote for him over George W. Bush, but that's also not saying much. I'm sure some people will find McCain more appealing, but there also people out there who like to hang by their flesh on meat hooks.

When I hear Obama talk at length about his vision of what America should be, it resonates with me. Of course the guy's not perfect & has shady links, like every other high-profile American citizen. It's not a small thing that his associate Tony Rezko is convicted at the same time as the Dem race ends. I'm sure we'll being hearing about that till the fall. On the other hand, I don't think alot of what his former pastor Jeremiah Wright said was all that crazy... but then again I have a high threshold for craziness.

Anyway, I'm not one to get my hopes up about the American political system. Until President Obama is actually sworn, in I'm going to assume the worst - that Bush, Inc. will somehow stay in charge. But in the Election Multiverse, I prefer an outcome with a leader who can inspire this country & amplify the positive aspects of this nation, and not the negative.

In a tribute to "The Long Legged Mack-Daddy" here's some of my personal favorite Obama-related clips:

• The great viral video that started it all "Obama Girl":



• Pastor Manning's unbelievably awesome mack-daddy sermon on Obama that I referenced above. Howard Stern uses the clip of this guy yelling "OBAMA!" & I find myself exclaiming it.



• Stephen Colbert exposes Barack Hussein Obama:



• Daily Show interview with John Stewart:


• "Yes I Inhaled... That was the Point"

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

'Alien' Footage on CNN

My brother sent me this clip of that stud Larry King interviewing a man who claims to have footage of an alien looking into his window.

Larry's interview is predictably ridiculous in itself, but I laughed out loud when I saw the 'footage' of the alien in night-vision. It's only a video recreation, but for a second I thought he was actually trying to pass that off as real. Besides looking fake as hell, back in the day I used to have the same exact alien puppet they use. I quickly saw it was a reenactment, but its still funny.

Along with Great White Sharks, if this were real it would probably be up there with top scary things to see.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Lost Tribes of the Amazon

There's a series of photos creating alot of interest in the news.

They were taken from a plane flying over an isolated village deep in the Amazon jungle. The people of the village are painted in bright colors and are obviously disturbed by the unknown object flying above, which they are threatening with yells & spears.


One can imagine the terror & anxiety seeing such a vehicle in the sky would cause to any person unfamiliar with aircraft. It's no different than if bizarre hyper-dimensional alien entities appeared to Americans over Washington DC. There was a pretty good comment in the Wall Street Journal article: "Will we look any less ridiculous if the aliens come? flying over in their giant silent craft and laughing at the nuclear weapons we point at them?"

Although I definitely don't think that inflicting mass psychological trauma on innocent people is a good thing, I have to admit these photos are pretty fascinating.

It shows that the myth of Eden is really just an analogy for a state of being. This way of life is one in complete sustainable harmony with the natural environment. Photos like these prove that this more organic state of existence still persists in certain isolated environments. The Garden of Eden is a cultural metaphor for a time before the imposition of large-scale society, when life was a process more in tune with the realities of Nature than a concept of "The State".


Unfortunately, the abstract organizing process and system of control known as "civilization" is surely on its way to devour these holdouts of human independence & self-sustenance. Then, their lifestyle will become a memory in the growing collective consciousness of humanity.

However, like a bacterium absorbing DNA from other living things, civilization has a way of assimilating useful traits from the smaller social entities that it engages. So, maybe the positive aspects of life in the remote Amazon jungle will be able to inform the global culture that is evolving & looking for ways to harmonize with the world we live in.