Blogs blocked in India, Pakistan, Iran and China!

A big screw that from Stray Dog! Fellow bloggers, readers from Myspace, please add people from India, Pakistan, Iran and China. Tell them all they can still speak freely on the internet! Direct this link provided bellow to them all. Freethinkers unite, ideas never die, let us all speak loudly from our keyboards from sea to shining sea!
Godspeed!

Link and Banner that will allow people to shove it to their respective goverments - Pkblogs

Unkle - Eye For an Eye - Shynola

This video was sent my way by my bestfriend via Myspace. Its a Song by the Group Unkle, with an amazing music video, it's astounding, sinister and etheral. Frankly, i was blown away. After a bit of searching i found out the animation was the work of a collective of artist known as Shynola. They are a group of four visual artists based in London. The name Shynola is a reference to a line in the Steve Martin movie The Jerk which implies that all you need to know in life is the difference between shit and Shinola. Wow, i'm already a fan. Thanks Sean.
Band Website - UNKLE
Animators Website - Shynola

Unkle - Eye For an Eye

Knitting Gone Wrong

Strange Politics - Mitsuo Matayoshi - The only God

"Mitsuo Matayoshi is an eccentric Japanese politician, self-styled as The only God Mitsuo Matayoshi Jesus Christ or Matayoshi Jesus. He is the leader of the World Economic Community Party. Matayoshi was trained as a preacher of a Protestant sect, and did religious activity. After a life of preacher he has developed a particular concepts of Christianity, strongly influenced by Eschatology. In 1997 He established the World Economic Community Party based on his conviction that he is the God and Christ.

According to his program he will do the Last Judgement as the Christ but the way to do this is totally within the current political system and its legitimacy. His first step as the Savior is to be appointed the prime minister of Japan. Then he will reform Japanese society and then the United Nations should offer him the honor of its General Secretary. Then Matayoshi Jesus will reign over the whole world with two legitimate authorities, not only religious but also political.

He has presented himself in many elections but he has not won yet. He has become well-known for his eccentric campaigns where he urges opponents to commit suicide by hara-kiri (disembowelment, note that he avoids the more polite seppuku) and says that he will cast them into Gehenna (Hell)."
Source - Wiki
Official website (in Japanese)
Unofficial website (in Japanese)
Matayoshi campaign poster with English translation

The Artwork of Gregory Euclide

"Euclide's paintings on paper build from a tradition of landscape painting that is lyrical and a bit romantic; the images are atmospheric, delicate, and often wistful. Rendered in naturalistic shades of green, rust, gray, and the soft black of sumi ink, the pastoral scenes of hill, dell, and lake country are masterfully executed with fluid lines and painterly flourishes. But where traditional landscape painting ends, Euclide's work begins to get interesting. Skylines burst off the horizontal axis into exuberant scrolls and scribbles that resemble calligraphy or lines of graffiti tags. Detailed drawings of riverbanks and shrubs dissolve into masses of abstract lines and drips of paint. Throughout, cryptic letters, numbers, and a quirky use of office supplies disrupt the illusion, suggesting a highly subjective vision -- landscape on an acid trip. Euclide's near-psychedelic imagery reminds us that nature is more than a pretty view: It can be charged with emotional resonance, broken down into underlying patterns, and dissected through scientific inquiry. "
Source - sfWeekly
Artist Homepage - Gregory Euclide

Hallucii: Trapped in Escher Illusion.

Hallucii is an animated movie created by Goo-Shun Wang about a guy trapped in an M.C. Escher illusion.

Tiger's Nest Monastery - 3000 miles above Bhutanese

"One of the most holy sites in Bhutan, the Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown here on the back of a tigeress and then meditated in a cave, contained within the present structure, for three months. The monastery (goemba in Bhutanese) was built in its present form in 1692. It suffered a devastating fire of unknown origin during the night of April 19, 1998. Speculation is that the fire was caused either by lightening or an overturned butter lamp. Old photographs and diaries were used to make the reconstruction as close to the original as possible, though there was little documentation of the wall paintings and other artwork housed inside.Special permission is required for non-Bhutanese to visit the monastery, usually granted only to practicing Buddhists on a religous retreat. This photograph was taken from the viewpoint across the valley, the furthest point ordinary tourists can reach before being stopped by a guard."
Source - UNM.EDU
Image via - Leo Palmers portfolio

Images of the Day

Visual Acoustics

With Visual Acoustics you can paint a musical composition on your screen! Choose an instrument for your brush, set the volume and delay, and move your mouse over the surface to create a pattern both visual and acoustical. Link -via Dump Trumpet

The Video for Röyksopp's "Remind Me"

I'm not a huge fan of the music on this Video, but i do really like the animation. Good stuff.

James Brown - Rest in Peace

"Brown was admitted to the Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia on December 24, 2006 after a dentist visit where he was found to have severe pneumonia.[6] Brown died the next day on December 25, 2006, around 1:45 a.m. (06:45 UTC)" Source : Wiki
James Brown- Sex Machine / Soul Power

Pictures of Walls

Link : 100's of Galleries with Pictures of Walls

Reindeer Hot Dogs Served For Holiday Season

"Just in time for Christmas, they're selling reindeer hot dogs in suburban Chicago. With grilled onions and mustard, it will cost you $8 at Fred Markoff's hot dog stand in Glenview.The reindeer dogs are made in Alaska and actually contain a bit of beef and pork, because reindeer meat is so lean and dry." Source : CNN

Justin Time for Christmas

Justin Timberlake sings "Dick in a Box" SNL Uncensored

The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World

The Voynich manuscript is a mysterious illustrated book with incomprehensible contents. It is thought to have been written between approximately 1450 and 1520 by an unknown author in an unidentified script and unintelligible language.

Over its recorded existence, the Voynich manuscript has been the object of intense study by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including some top American and British codebreakers of World War II fame (all of whom failed to decipher a single word). However, Statistical analysis of the text reveals patterns similar to natural languages

The illustrations of the manuscript shed little light on its contents, but imply that the book consists of six "sections", with different styles and subject matter. Except for the last section, which contains only text, almost every page contains at least one illustration.

The question is - who wrote it, what does it say if anything and what was its purpose? We may never know. Source : Wiki

The official site listing its history and a massive gallery - The Voynich Manuscript Homepage

Pictures of the Day

Chet Zar - Dark Surrealism

"Chet Zar's interest in the darker side of art began in the earliest stages of his life. An emotionally unstable father and subsequent volatile family life fostered within himself a deep connection to horror movies. He could relate to the feelings of fear, anxiety and isolation that they conveyed. These are themes which had permeated most of his childhood drawings and paintings and are reflected in his work to this day.

The combined interest in horror films and art eventually culminated into a career as a special effects make up artist, designer and sculptor for the motion picture industry, designing and creating creatures and make up effects effects for such films as, "The Ring", "Hellboy", "Planet of the Apes" and the critically acclaimed music videos for the art metal band, Tool.

But the many years spent dealing with all of the politics and artistic compromises of the film industry left Zar feeling creatively stagnant. At the beginning of 2000 (at the suggestion of horror author Clive Barker), he decided to go back to his roots and focus on his own original works and try his hand at fine art, specifically painting in oils. The result has been a renewed sense of purpose, artistic freedom and a clarity of vision that is evident in his darkly surreal (and often darkly humorous), paintings." - Source : Chet Zar's BIO-RESUME

Link : Chet Zar's Oil Paintings Gallery

The History of Religion in 90 Seconds

Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!
You may need to click the the box bellow to activate Shockwave-Flash.

Komodo dragon gives virgin birth in the UK

"Scientists report of two cases where female Komodo dragons have produced offspring without male contact. Tests revealed their eggs had developed without being fertilised by sperm - a process called parthenogenesis, the team wrote in the journal Nature. Flora, who has never been kept with a male Komodo dragon, produced 11 eggs earlier this year. Three died off, providing the material needed for genetic tests. These revealed the offspring were not exact genetic copies (clones) of their mother, but their genetic make-up was derived just from her."

Source and Complete Story : BBC NEWS Science & Nature

Buddha was a Catholic Saint - Barlaam and Josaphat

Now that i have your attention lets look to what the many various sources say about Barlaam and Josaphat, including the Catholic Encyclopedia. Right out the gates The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 states :

"Barlaam and Josaphat, a legend popular in medieval times. It corresponds in part to the legend of Buddha. Versions of the story have been found in nearly every language." The Columbia Encyclopedia

The Getty Museum, which holds a german manuscript (Barlaam und Josaphat), compiled by Rudolf von Ems in the 1200s, states :

The text of Barlaam and Josaphat is a Christianized version of the story of Siddhartha (later known as the Buddha). According to the revision, the young Indian prince grew up sheltered from the world in a luxurious palace and was devastated when he encountered death and illness for the first time. A Christian monk by the name of Barlaam heard of his distress and introduced Josaphat to Christianity. Much to the chagrin of his father, King Avenir, Josaphat adopted Christianity as his faith. Instead of succeeding his father as king, Josaphat decided to spend the rest of his days in the desert with Barlaam, leading the life of a hermit. Upon their deaths, both Barlaam and Josaphat were recognized as saints. The Getty

The Catholic Encyclopedia States :

The story is a Christianized version of one of the legends of Buddha, as even
the name Josaphat would seem to show. This is said to be a corruption of the
original Joasaph, which is again corrupted from the middle Persian Budasif
(Budsaif=Bodhisattva). The Catholic Encyclopedia

A Bodhisattva is one who seeks enlightenment so that, once awakened, he may efficiently aid other beings with the expertise of supreme wisdom. Gautama Buddha, the historical buddha and founder of Buddhism, was a bodhisattva not only in his life, but as recorded in his previous incarnations.

Wikipedia explains the change in language from the term Bodhisattva to Josaphat best :

Josaphat’s name may be traced to the Sanskrit term bodhisattva via the Middle
Persian bodasif. Investigation by researchers at the Korean Seoul National
University indicates that the name Buddha or Bodhisatta in Sanskrit changed
to Bodisav in Persian texts in the sixth or seventh century, then to
Budhasaf or Yudasaf in an eighth-century Arabic document, and Iodasaph in
Georgia in the 10th century. That name was then adapted to Ioasaph in Greece in
the 11th century, and Iosaphat or Josaphat in Latin since then." Wiki

However, Barlaam nor Josaphat where offically formally canonized, they were included in earlier editions of the Roman Martyrology (feast day 27 November). Nonetheless, the tale was popular among the many during the Middle Ages, who saw Josaphat as a Saint. Not to mention that with-in the The Golden Legend, Josaphat is seen as the successor to Saint John Damascene. Bear in mind that The Church only began to formalized canonization in the 13th century, when it was discovered that many 'Saints' where indeed A) from other faiths, as in this regard or B) nonexistent individuals based soley on Legend. This is why before formal canonization, Gautama Buddha was a Christian Saint.

You can read The Golden Legend Here at the Catholic Saints Forum : The Golden Legend

India's version of MJ's Thriller

Indian Thriller
Video sent by tamalougbobola

Historical Celestial Atlases on the Web

"Man has always been fascinated with the solemn and mysterious parade of the celestial luminaries across the night sky. As the earliest-known texts of various ancient cultures attest, the stars were commonly grouped into constellation figures which were believed to represent divine persons, sacred animals and other objects of religious importance.

Of course, each of the major cultures stemming from the Near East, the Far East and the New World developed an indigenous system of constellation figures and associated legends which were recorded in written texts or depicted in maps or on globes.

Of these various constellation systems, the Sumerian/Babylonian system of constellations would prove to be the most influential as it was their system that through successive adoptions, modifications and additions by Greek/Roman, Islamic and European astronomers evolved into the mathematically defined system of 88 constellations that is currently employed in the international astronomical community. "

Link & Source : Historical Celestial Atlases on the Web 1000's of images like below.

Chuck Close - Photorealistic Painter- Inspiration

Chuck Close is an American photorealistic painter, most of his works are very large portraits based on photographs. At first Close worked on photorealistic paintings, later he moved on to his grid style that he has become famous for. To create his grid work copies of photos, Close puts a grid on the photo and on the canvas and copies cell by cell. His first tools for this included an airbrush, rags, razor blade, and an eraser mounted on a power drill. From a distance Close's works seems photorealistic, taking on Hyperealistic qualities, up very close one sees all the painter stokes in circles and squares. Whats amazing is since 1988 Chuck Close has been a quadriplegic.

Close continued to paint with a brush held between his teeth, creating mini-portraits in grid squares created by an assistant. From a distance, these squares appear as a single, unified image. Eventually Close managed to recover some movement in his arm and legs, and now paints with a brush strapped to his hand. An amazing artist and a true inspiration.
Source : Wiki
Link : A wonderful Chuck Close Gallery

More Borat then you can handle - Free

Anyone whos seen the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, finaly is up to speed as to who Sacha Baron Cohen is, and what he is is bloody brilliant! But i've found that few know that Sacha originated his charactor Borat on the Ali G show originally on Channel 4 (UK) TV. But its doesn't only feature his charactor Borat, but Ali G and Bruno. Ali G is the main character of Da Ali G Show. He is the self-proclaimed "voice of da yoof" and the leader of the West Staines Massiv. Bruno is a homosexual Austrian, who is a fashion aficionado and loves the 'party people'. All played by Cohen himself, unscripted and in a interview format, the same formula as the Borat Movie.

Ok, so now you're wondering - " Wheres the free shit at man?!?" Well i must admit, i'm a touch reluctant to have folks downloading Ali-G seasons and movies. So after you download these and you find out you're a Cohen fan too, please go buy the real DVD's. K? Good. You can watch the BBC version of the Ali G Show, Both Seasons of the State-side verison of the same name, all 3 Ali-G Movies and Specials, not to mention a great "Best of Borat" compilation at website titled "Lando's Stinking Hole". Enjoy.

Link : Lando's Stinking Hole This blog doesn't upload copywritten matterial, it only links to sites that have.

Ron Mueck - Hyperrealist Sculptor

Ron Mueck the Australian hyperrealist, started off as a model maker and puppeteer for children's television and films, notably the film Labyrinth for which he also contributed the voice of Ludo. Although highly detailed, these props were usually designed to be photographed from one specific angle hiding the mess of construction seen from the other side. Mueck increasingly wanted to produce realistic sculptures which looked perfect from all angles. So, Mueck transitioned to fine art collaborating with his mother-in-law in 1996. This departure lead to the birth of Mueck's true artistic vision - sculptures faithfully reproducing the minute details of the human body, but playing with scale to produce disconcertingly jarring visual images. Source : Wiki - Awesome Gallery of Mueck's Work : The Washington Post

YouTube Style Alternatives

So you think YouTube is the end all be all of streaming video services. It is the largest granted, but since Google bought YouTube for 1.65 billion they where forced to remove TV shows and Movie Clips from the service. I dont plan on going in to why - that isnt the point of this post, having said that, you can still find all the great clips you used to find on Youtube on other streaming video sources. Give a few bellow a try - none of these are listed in any particular order.

Dailymotion : video sharing
Grouper : social video sharing
MetaCafe : social video sharing
Revver : social video sharing
Bolt : video/photo/music sharing service
Strmz : videos from TV channels

If these don't do the trick Here are 62 choices to pick from.

John Frum - Messiah - King of America

On the remote island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, February 15 is John Frum Day.The Villagers worship a mysterious American they call John Frum - believing he'll one day shower their remote island with riches. More info from- Smithsonian Magazine - Info below - Wiki :

This is February 15, John Frum Day, on the remote island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. On this holiest of days, devotees have descended on the village of Lamakara from all over the island to honor a ghostly American messiah, John Frum. “John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him,” a village elder tells me as he salutes the Stars and Stripes. “Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.” The island’s John Frum movement is a classic example of what anthropologists have called a “cargo cult”—many of which sprang up in villages in the South Pacific during World War II, when hundreds of thousands of American troops poured into the islands from the skies and seas. As anthropologist Kirk Huffman, who spent 17 years in Vanuatu, explains: “You get cargo cults when the outside world, with all its material wealth, suddenly descends on remote, indigenous tribes.” The locals don’t know where the foreigners’ endless supplies come from and so suspect they were summoned by magic, sent from the spirit world. To entice the Americans back after the war, islanders throughout the region constructed piers and carved airstrips from their fields. They prayed for ships and planes to once again come out of nowhere, bearing all kinds of treasures: jeeps and washing machines, radios and motorcycles, canned meat and candy.

More BODY WORKS Images - Gunther von Hagens