Joe Rogan on Space, The Grand Canyon, & UFO's

I saw this opening bit by Fear Factor host Joe Rogan on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham" & got a real kick out of it. He uploaded the video to share and enlighten:

click for video

Panspermia: Life from the Heavens?

Scientific American:

"Did Life Come from Another World?"

I was watching a show on the Discovery Channel about meteors (also known as shooting stars), pieces of cosmic debris that can range from the size of a speck of dust to the size of a boulder.

The show touched on a theory that I have heard before called "Panspermia." Essentially, the theory is that microbial life can survive and be transported through space on meteoroids. Certain bacteria and fungus spores have been proven tough enough to survive the vacuum & temperature extremes of outer space.

As they were discussing this, they showed a video of a meteor approaching Earth, and I saw a fascinating fractal visual relationship to microscopic images of human fertilization that I've seen.

Another physical explanation for the generation of life is the primal energy of lightning fusing molecules into complex forms that result in rudimentary, yet energetic and self-replicating processes known as life.

The similarity of form between all 3 destructively creative events is evident in their profound simplicity, the merging of the two most basic forms recognized by human consiousness... the line and circle:

I remember a different show I was watching about early Christianity, and on an ancient stone wall they had drawn a Vesica Piscis in the form of the 'Jesus Fish' and a Cross. I realized that Christianity had two of the most powerful symbols known to man. Here again, symbolically, are the merging of the basic forms of the circle and the line, which are the essence of our mind's visual organization:

Template for the Flower of Life,
the metaphor for the self-replicating nature of living things,
containing the secret of the 'Jesus Fish' in red.
(click)

America: 33% Brain Dead

A survey on internet use in the United States confirms my theory,

originally based on the approval rating of The War Monkey,
that about 1/3 of the current American population
is functionally retarded.

Proof positive in this CNN article:
"Survey: Many Americans see Little Point to Web"

"A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access
and do not plan to get it,
with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives,
according to a survey released Friday."


America's "33 Percenters":
Super-Patriotic?... or Super-F*cking-Crazy?

Death Star Attack an Inside Job?

With all the conspiracy theories regarding 9/11 being debated,
it was inevitable that questions would be raised about another event that occurred under questionable circumstances...

"Uncomfortable Questions:
Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?"

I thought this was really funny and some of the points show how obvious absurdities even slip into a story with such well thought out continuity as Star Wars.

My favorite question regarded the "Magic Missile Theory":

6) Nerf-Herders defy the laws of physics?
...How did the missile make a right angle turn after entering the exhaust port? How could a missile shot in the vacuum of space–that would tend to keep going in the same direction as it was released, according to the laws of physics–be *sucked* into an *exhaust* pipe? "Exhaust" means to exhale or blow out... Wouldn’t the missiles have been blown awry of their target rather than sucked in? If it had been an intake pipe, then the “bending” path of the missiles could be plausible. Why have these discrepancies never been investigated, let alone explained?

There is some pretty damning visual evidence, as well...

Ferrofluid Motion Sculptures

I wonder if this is the beginning of the T1000 Terminator...

This is a cool video of liquid metal being subjected to magnetic fields, creating dazzling forms with fluid motion. The artist's webpage gives a more detailed explanation of these "Morpho Towers."

Now if they can form a Silver Surfer type character with this process, then I'll really be impressed.

click to watch

Unintentionally Funny Comics

This is an entertaining rundown of 15 comic book panels that aren't supposed to be funny.

"Top 15 Unintentionally Funny Comic Book Panels"

Speaking of silly Superman comics, Superdickery.com is a great collection of ridiculous comic book panels & covers, concentrating on those that prove that 'Superman is a dick'. This is a wacky cover featuring Batman's pet ape saving the day. You can't beat a monkey in a bat suit.

Ah Pook,The Destroyer, Is Here

(click to watch)
"When I become Death,
Death is the seed from which I grow."

(transcript)

Description from Zed Gallery:

"In the scattered remains of a burnt out cosmos, the last god, "AH POOK" debates with his alter ego the trembling balance between life and death. An animated stream of consciousness in Burroughs’s idiosyncratically mesmeric voice breaks delivers us a requiem for the carcasses of Armageddon, nihilistic ramblings of ‘the last god’ searching for meaning in his universe, and finally a bitter manifesto of enlightenment, and liberation."

This is a very strange animated narration that works on a level that really defies rational understanding. It is like a dark Zen riddle that causes you to look into the very nature of Life, Death, the Cosmos, and the Human Experience. It is a puzzle that cannot be solved, only pondered.

We are usually so busy dealing with the trivialities of primitive human existence such as war, relationships, politics, and entertainment, that the huge questions and dangers staring us in our collective face often end up going unnoticed. This video, for me, touches on that base instinct that our relatively fragile world could be obliterated at any moment. Ah Puch, the God of Death, is always here, but without it, the World of Life could not exist.

Fractal Foods

Fractals = Complex shapes which look the same at a wide variety of scale factors.

Fractals are one of my favorite topics because it is a unique synthesis of art & science which trancends the qualities we normally look for in those disciplines. This post "Fractals for Food" has a nice collection of pictures of fractal geometry in natural forms.

I can't believe that this particular cauliflower, Chou Romanesco, even exists! It looks like it was made with a computer program.

Click for bigger image:

More Fractal Photos

MadTV: The i-Rack

This skit is a pretty brilliant & funny take on a "new Apple product" called the 'i-Rack'.

I particularly enjoyed it since it mashed-up 2 topics I'm passionate about: the ingenuity of Apple, Inc. with the insanity of George W. Bush & the Iraq War.

Click to watch (& laugh):

UPC Barcodes: Mark of the Beast?!?

"God-fearing Villagers Snub 'Satanic' Bar Codes"

"Satanic bar codes?!?"Although it might sound wacky, there is actually some truth to what these villagers are saying...
Every standard barcode has the bar pattern for the number "6" in the front, middle, and end of every sequence, as place-holders. Therefore... every single barcode used in commerce contains the infamous "Mark of the Beast": 666. Fun stuff, huh?

See the example below, showing the bar pattern for '6' (blue) and it's appearance as placeholders (in red).
Click on the graphic for a website that explains it further:

Even though I generally don't take the Bible (& especially Revelations) literally, this is one of those things that is hard to believe is just a coincidence. If anything, it seems that the people in the grocery industry that created the UPC system were very cynical or just not paying attention to the consequences of their system.

The problem is, all of the biblical-minded people worried about the "End Times," the Anti-Christ, and the Beast do not realize that it is already too late. We carry items with marks needed to purchase goods in the belly of the 'Beast', which is the devouring monster of global capitalism. We are are part of the 'System' and therefore slaves to it, no matter how much we try to deny it or pretend that we have some degree of freedom.

With such technologies as RFID chips and mind-reading devices on the way, there is a real possibility that things will get even more complicated before long.

Pierre Matter - BioMechanical Art

(seen on BoingBoing.net)

I saw the amazing work by sculptor Pierre Matter, which I thought as a whole was pretty awesome. as a biomechanical fusion of industrial elements and organic form, it is similar in style to 'Aliens' designer H.R. Giger, but unique and fascinating in its own right. A couple of my favorite examples are below, click to go to its page:

Pierre Matter Opera Gallery

"Birth" - Pierre Matter

"Le Poisson Oeil" - Pierre Matter

Perceptive Pixel: Touchscreen Tech

Everytime I see demos of touchscreen technology like this, it makes me mad that I don't have an Apple iTablet computer in my hands.

Sure, they have custom "MacTablets" out, but it's just a modified Mac Powerbook w/ a touchscreen. So, it doesn't have Apple's proprietary gesture & interface tech that the new iPhones will have.

Anyway, these big interactive touchscreens in the video create a universe of possibilities in creative fields, business, communication, & technology. I can imagine using it like a futuristic digital canvas to paint in Photoshop. Things like this make me feel like I'm actually living in the 21st Century.

Click To Play

Mayan Priests Fight Bush's "Evil Spirits"

"Miro El Diablo!!!"

I am fascinated with ancient cultures in general, but the Mayan people are especially amazing to learn about. The art, astronomy, & engineering they developed in the jungles of Central America continue to amaze people today. Indigenous Mayan shamans are still practicing their traditional religion, but in a more peaceful form than the state-sanctioned priesthood that existed when the Spanish arrived.

"Mayan Priests Purify Site After Bush Visit"

"That a person like (Bush),
with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States,
with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands,
is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture,"

It takes alot to be considered evil by people whose spiritual leaders once ripped the hearts out of living people to maintain political control of the population...

A Special Message from the Reagans

(seen on BoingBoing)

The spectres of Ronald and Nancy Reagan have done a complete 180° from when I was a kid - their newest campaign is...

"Just Say Yes!"

Don't believe it?
Click the "Freaky First Family" graphic I made below...

The Complex Reality of Climate Change

...which I will simplify.

Basically, nobody knows what the hell is going on.

All people can really do with events on a scale of a planetary or cosmic nature is to simply observe. I think the "Global Warming" movement is a little misguided, though the general intention is positive. The problem is there is the broader reality of 'climate change' which involves possibilities that are beyond the realm of human control, and therefore much more frightening.

• "Earth's Magnetic Field Reversals"

• "Cosmic Rays May be Causing Global Warming"

• "Wikipedia - Climate Cycle"

The human situation on this planet is so fragile, yet we are here against all odds. You can't help but feel a sense of awe when you consider the unimaginable scale of reality.

"10 False Flags That Changed the World"

Sometimes there's conspiracy theory... and sometimes there's plain ol' conspiracy. I came across the link below and thought it was a good collection of shady scenarios that ultimately effected the world in a significant way. All we can do as individual people is examine the evidence from as many sources as possible and try to understand different situations in as objectively as possible. The problem we run into is the inability to remove ourselves from this husk of skin and bone to gain a wider perspective that isn't hindered by mental illusions of national, religious, or political identities.

I'm a complete skeptic in many ways. To me, the idea of Ultimate Truth is an abstract fantasy, so I ultimately doubt all information and analyses to some degree. I guess it's my familiarity w/ Photoshop & other technology that prevents me from completely believing any digital or other media that I see. Everything may be an illusion, but that doesn't mean we can't try to see as much of the rabbit hole as possible...

"10 False Flags That Changed the World"

Insane TV Preacher

This video is a personal favorite of mine, and proves that crackheads finding religion can be really wacky.
Some viewer calls in a demon voice claiming he's Satan. Another guy says the host is really just holding a Yellow Pages phone book & not a Bible. The sheer ridiculousness of this dude's whole show is a riot.
The ponytail alone is enough to make your head spin.

College Humor - "Insane Preacher"
Google Video - "One Man Show-Insane Preacher"

"You f*cking nincum-f*cking-poop!"

Neo-Mickey & Flower of Life Pattern

In my last post, I pointed out the Flower of Life patterns I spotted carved on an ancient coffin found in the recently announced "Tomb of Jesus". Well, I found yet another recognizable use of the distinctive pattern, in a completely different context. Instead of being associated with the ancient world's most well-known religious figure, this time it is associated with the modern world's most well-known pop culture figure - Mickey Mouse! In this case however, it is Neo-Mickey, a whimsical re-imagining of everyone's favorite rodent.

Even in this graphic, it seems there's a subtle, perhaps unconscious, reference to the union of polarities that the Flower of Life symbol has represented throughout history. Like I said about the number 23, it is amazing how the brain finds patterns and connections in such random things.

Flower of Life Design in "Tomb of Jesus"

I am fortunate as a designer to work on different types of creative projects. The published game I created, "Da Vinci's Challenge," is something special because, for me, it really is 'classic' in every sense. When I was designing the game as a student back in 2000, the thing that fascinated me the most was the sense of history and universality of the symbolic pattern of circles called the Flower of Life. It is a recurring visual device in that art of cultures spanning the globe; India, Egypt, Japan, Spain, and even in the studies of Leonardo da Vinci - hence the title of the game!

Despite being familiar with the widespread use of the Flower of Life patterns, I was in for a bit of a surprise tonight. I clicked on a news article about the discovery of the supposed tomb of Jesus and his family that is the basis of a documentary by James Cameron. This is obviously highly controversial & it is already getting crazy coverage.

In most articles I've seen, there's also photos of stone coffins & one in particular that they are claiming belonged to a 'Mary'. The decorative carvings form the "Seed of Life" - a simpler design that forms the center 'seed' of the Flower of Life pattern. In fact, the Seed of Life flower-in-a-circle design is in the center of the art on the Da Vinci's Challenge game box.

Of course, the claimed connection between the tomb & the Bible characters might just be a load of crap. Regardless, the decorated coffin is an interesting example of the use of the Flower of Life pattern in the sacred art of ancient cultures.

Here's a close-up of the carved ossuary from New Zealand Herald :The homepage for the documentary on Discover.com has the carved design peeking out from the bottom corner:The story, with the Mary ossuary, has already made a stir on Google News:

The Number 23

In a weird coincidence (only for me) the Jim Carrey movie "The Number 23" comes out tomorrow - on my birthday - February 23. In the film, his character becomes obsessed with the mysterious workings of this number in a book that seems to be about his own life.

Of course, numbers are simply an abstract tool that can be used describe and relate anything in the realm of human experience. The "mystical" connections and coincidences that people find when they manipulate numbers are just that, arbitrary connections formed in the human mind. If you fixate on any number or letter, guess what? You'll see it everywhere and swear there must be a deeper relationship there! Just like Jim Carrey is doing now in real life.

I'm posting this today, since tomorrow I'll hopefully be busy seeing the movie and celebrating another year of life in this wild & wacky world. Anyway, more on the amazing number 23...

Wikipedia: 23

Fusion Anomaly: 23

23: How Weird is That?

The Insanity of Nuking Iran

"Iran Must Get Ready to Repel a Nuclear Attack"

This analysis I read last month by a Russian general is a sobering look at the situation in the Middle East. I don't know what kind of miracle can stop this madness, since everything in the article is happening as stated. Between the naval buildup in the Persian Gulf and the sudden barrage of "It's Iran's fault!" stories in the news, it looks like deja vú all over again. The most frightening reality is that the U.S. and Israel policy-makers do not want peace in the region. They want power & empire, which means destroying all opposition, which means creating widespread chaos:

"This will solve the problem of completely destabilizing the region, a task of major importance for the US and especially for Israel. The war in Iraq was just one element in a series of steps in the process of regional destabilization."

I metioned the lust for power, which goes along with the main reason for every war - greed and lust of money:

"...what matters to the Americans is not how big the shock is, but how high are the revenues of their military-industrial complex."


Here's another article worth reading, an interview with M.I.T. Professor Noam Chomsky:

"On Iran, Iraq, the Democrats and Climate Change"

George W. Bush Saves a Baby

...the only way he knows how.

This is another "Meet the Press" parody that jabs the ridiculous lengths that delusional hero-worshippers will go to defend the Worst President Ever.

The sad thing is that it seems 30% of this country really would find a way to rationalize Dubya eating a baby on live TV.

click to watch

Meet the Press for Idiots

Conan's the man!
Here's a funny, yet oh so true, little segment...

"Meet the Press" for Idiots

Hummer O2 Conceptual Design

HUMMER O2 CONCEPT DESIGN

The imagination is the most powerful tool that humans have, and I'm a firm believer that anything man can visualize will eventually be acheived. Time and time again, thoughts that have seemed completely impractical or physically impossible become reality.

Once fantastic ideas like levitation, invisibility, teleportation are being visualized into reality.

We are entering a era of human history where anything that can be imagined can be created physically or digitally in some form. This conceptual, creative novelty is a human resource that is thankfully reaching heights beyond anything in known human history, despite the ever-present chaos in the world. Even though Hummer is traditionally known for it's complete gas-guzzling disregard for moderation and modesty, their concept of the Hummer O2 deserves credit, if nothing else except for the amazing combo of cool, tech, & organic factors.

HUMMER O2 CONCEPT DESIGN

The Bible - Revised (again)

The Eternal, Unchanging, Everlasting, Sacred, Immutable Word of G-D

....has been changed....
.....for the thousandth time in history.

"German Bible Goes Politically Correct"

NO, THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION!!!!!!

Amen.

(seen on WRH.com)

Bleeding the Country

...and I'm not talking about Iraq - that's more like dismemberment.

Unfortunately, the country that is getting slowly bled is the United States.
When half of our taxes are already used for the goal of state-sanctioned death and destruction, it's pretty horrifying for any rational person to see the War Monkey & his gang making proposals like this:

"US President George Bush has proposed deep cuts
to federal health care, education, and transportation programs,
searching for new money to pay for increasingly costly
defence programs and the war in Iraq."

So Dick N' Dubya have their sights on Tehran, Congress is waiting for more Republicans to wake the hell up and help stop the madmen in the White House, and we taxpayers are throwing money to the wind everyday we are occupying Iraq.

Maybe this guy has the right idea...

"Ed and Elaine Brown were convicted last month of plotting to conceal their income and avoid paying federal income tax for years. They argued the tax is illegitimate and no one is required to pay it. They said they would pay their taxes if the government shows them a law that allows labor to be taxed."

Of course, if anyone were to stage a tax revolt or a protest action like the Boston Tea Party they would be considered a terrorist, as the British overlords considered Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams to be. (Here's an idea: The Houston Oil Party, dump barrels of oil into the Gulf! Just Kidding!(?))

Killers of Comedy

I've been a Howard Stern fan since I was in middle school, when I would listen to his show on the bus in the morning in my Walkman. Me and my younger brother used to watch his Channel 9 TV show on a crappy black & white TV I had in my room, since my mom wouldn't let us watch it.

Since he has moved to Sirius, alot of people I know have signed up for satellite radio... mostly because of Howard's show. It is unbelievable how funny the show is, and alot of it is because of the crazy personalities on the air. One of my brothers got us tickets to see the Killers of Comedy show that came to the Broadway Theater in Pitman, a stand-up comedy show that includes a half dozen comedians and personalities who appear on Howard's show. It was funny as hell and I got some pictures with a few of the guys who performed. Below the photos is the graphic I made for the shirt that I wore, featuring possibly the best guest in the history of Howard's (or anyone's) show - Beetlejuice.

(Click on Photos to Enlarge)

• Me with Jim Florentine, voice of the retarded puppet Special Ed from the show Crank Yankers. His act was really good & he was cool about letting me snap some photos.

• Beetlejuice, Jim Florentine making an obscene gesture, Me.

• Me w/ the Reverend Bob Levy. His act was hysterical, too. He was trying to sell shirts at the merchandise table after the show, saying "Buy some shirts, I need an eight-ball." and "I need money for hookers."As I was getting the pictures, he dropped a shirt that we picked up & he didn't notice. Sorry for not contributing to your cokewhore fund, Bob! At one point during his act, he was asking the audience what kind of porn they liked. Nobody was saying anything, so I yelled "Blue Iris!" and he started laughing and telling dirty old lady jokes. Funny stuff.

The Beetlejuice graphic I made for the shirt I wore to the show:

Touchscreen Tech & the iTablet

Man, this guy is sooo right on the money...

"What has Apple got in store for us next?"

The thing that got me really hyped up over the announcement of the iPhone is the inevitable use of the touchscreen interface in a full-scale tablet Mac. This is the computer I've wanted ever since my family got it's first Windows 3.0/DOS piece of garbage computer, way back when.

C'mon Apple, you're killing me!!!

History of Religion Map

This is a neat animation showing the geographic domains of religion over time since the formation of the oldest of the world's major religions, Hinduism.

Animations like this really give the impression of institutions like religion or empire as being an amoeba-like phenomenon that almost has a collective mind of its own... moving, expanding, devouring each other, learning and adapting to the changing situation.

History of Religion

The Universe: Infinities Upon Infinites

Been there, done that... Been there, done that... Been there, done that...

It's very interesting to compare the "discoveries" of current science and their amazing analogs throughout ancient history, whether in philosophy or technology.

"No Big Bang?
Endless Universe Made Possible by New Model"

"Lord Vishnu is said to rest in the coils of Ananta,
the great serpent of Infinity,
while he waits for the universe to recreate itself."

Leprehcaun Sighting in Mobile, Alabama

This video is one of my all-time favorites & always cracks me up when I watch it. This neighborhood is only half as crazy as people who see Jesus in a frying pan. There are more great quotes in this segment than most news shows get in a month. The Eazy-E clone at the end should be careful, though...

Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

"I wanna know where da gold at.
I want da gold... gim me da gold!"