Synesthesia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEiOrxhtNQ

Episode 9

Artwork by RadaR (interviewed in number 9):

otto von schirach - Live_Prague_9.8.2007

belligerent, hypnotic, crazed, ecstatic display

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=16956646

Bill Hicks at his best. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkA6zugNMQ

High Fructose Corn Syrup ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Li12nMXag

Episode 7 - Entering

Listen to Episode 7 here.

aaannnnndddd here we go:

imaginalRoots - somberset
Flying Lotus - Brainfeeder
imaginalRoots - Nus
The Dreamcatcher - Seventh Heaven
Govinda - 10,000 Years
Animal Collective - Covered in Frogs
Los Diablos Rojos - Sacalo Sacalo
imaginalRoots - nesguitar
Atlas Sound - Walkabout
Rabbit in the Moon - O.B.E
Guided By Voices - Mushroom Art
Mr Lif - Obama
Memetic Alchemy - ?
Arovane - Windy Wish Trees
Arovane - Tokyo Ghost Stories
Black Moth Super Rainbow - The Sticky

Re: PA Libraries Need Your Help!

Found this today and was shocked.
It's funny how clueless I am when it concerns local politics. . . need to work on that shit.

"PaLA Call-In Week continues today through Friday, fortunate timing in the wake of Tuesday’s vote in the PA House of Representatives. The House, in a bipartisan vote of 150-49, did NOT agree with the Senate-amended H.B. 1416 that slashed library programs 55%. Please contact both your local state representatives and senators, as well as Gov. Ed Rendell in support of your library! The following list gives you some points to bring up with them:

1. Thank your Senator, Representative and the Governor for her/his past support of public libraries.

2. Tell her/him that public libraries are a lifeline for the unemployed, not a luxury. All across Pennsylvania, we’re busier than ever during this recession serving those looking for work, many without Internet access at home, and hundreds more of their constituents and families who need the library open more hours not fewer. (If you can, offer some specifics about just how much the library means to you in these tough times.)

3. Because their constituents need more library services now, urge her/him to support library funding as one of the priorities for level funding in the negotiations for a new state budget. . ."

More here.

Podcast Page Revamped

I just updated my podcast page with a paypal donation button on the right hand side, new text configurations, new background image, and a different color scheme.

Check it out:

imaginalRoots

A new podcast: OpenSource

Today I successfully installed RSSOwl onto my computer and am really finding its features useful. While searching and scrolling through RSSOwl's default categories I came across a new podcast called Open Source which has dozens of interesting speakers interviewed on a wide variety of subjects. All relating to. . . you guessed it.

The following smidgen of text is an excerpt from an interview with Alfred Gusenbauer discussing sociopolitical environments and job scarcity,

"We are just at the beginning of real consequences for real people. I see two vulnerable groups: Those that are older than 50. Most of the old jobs and the old qualifications are gone. The huge danger is that people over 50 losing their jobs right now won’t be able to enter the market again… The second group is the youngsters, because with this enormous increase of unemployment that we are facing right now, all those that are leaving nowadays universities, grammar schools, technical education schemes, they will enter the labor market and find closed doors. And we cannot predict what this might mean for their social and political behavior… In Greece last year, among university students… this went quite far in terms of public violence and in terms of challenging the state authority. So nobody can predict right now which social and political effects a longer duration of the crisis might have upon different groups. This will be the real challenge for European democracy and for the European welfare state, to hold the social fabric together in times when it is fundamentally challenged…"

Listen Here

on Soma and its origins. . .

Original Link @ sacred-texts.com














"In the verses descriptive and songs in praise of Soma, the actual juice, and the god supposed to dwell in and manifested by it, are not at all distinct. All the gods drink of it; and Soma, the god in the juice, is said to clothe the naked and heal the sick. Many divine attributes are ascribed to him. He is "addressed as a god in the highest strains of adulation and veneration. All powers belong to him; all blessings are besought of him, as his to bestow." He is said to be divine, immortal, and also to confer immortality on gods and men. "In a passage where the joys of paradise are more distinctly anticipated and more fervently implored than in most other parts of the Rig-Veda, Soma is addressed as the god from whom the gift of future felicity is expected. Thus it is there said, "Place me, O purified god, in that everlasting and imperishable world, where there is eternal light and glory. O Indu (Soma), flow for Indra! Make me immortal in the world where Vaivasvata lives, where is the universal sphere of the sky, where those great waters flow." 1

"From the hymns addressed to this [soma] deity it is evident that at one time it was considered right for the Hindus to use intoxicants. Now as a rule they are forbidden. Amongst the members of one branch of the worshippers of Kāli they are commonly indulged in, but with almost this single exception, the people do not touch them, and Soma, in his Vedic character has ceased to be worshipped."

"In later years the name Soma was, and still is, given to the moon. How and why this change took place is not known; but in the later of the Vedic hymns there is some evidence of the transition. In the following passage Soma seems to he used in both senses—as god of the intoxicating juice, and as the moon ruling through the night. " By Soma the Ādityas are strong; by Soma the earth is great; and Soma is placed in the midst of the stars. When they crush the plant, he who drinks regards it as Soma. Of him whom the priests regard as Soma (the moon) no one drinks." * In another passage this prayer is found: "May the god Soma, he whom they call the Moon, free me." Again, "Soma is the moon, the food of the gods." "The sun has the nature of Agni, the moon of Soma."

Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes

Two books [1,2] you should check out and a relevant quote:

"You [white folks] have not only altered and malformed your winged and four-legged cousins; you have done it to yourselves.

You have changed men into chairmen of the boards, into office workers, into time-clock punchers.

You have changed your women into housewives, truly fearful creatures. I was once invited to the house of one.

"Watch the ashes, don't smoke, you'll stain the curtains. Watch the goldfish bowl, don't lean lean your head against the wallpaper; your hair might be greasy. Don't spill liquor on that table; it has a delicate finish. You should have wiped your boots; the floor was just varnished. Don't don't don't...'

That is crazy.... You live in prisons you have built for yourselves, calling them 'homes, offices, factories.""

- John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes,
Lame Deer Seeker of Visions

Thanks Karen. . .

a friend of mine sent me a message the other day which read:

"you need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star"

Guess who?

Nietzsche, dude. Nietzsche.

Glad to see this. . .

http://www.dosenation.com/listing.php?smlid=6127

Joan Bottorff worked with a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, to conduct in-depth interviews with 63 cannabis-using adolescents. Of these, 20 claimed that they used cannabis to relieve or manage health problems. Bottorff said, "Marijuana is perceived by some teens to be the only available alternative for those experiencing difficult health problems when legitimate medical treatments have failed or when they lack access to appropriate health care.

wise advice

"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months over-analyzing a situation trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened..or you could just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on."

The launch of the World Digital Library is announced by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress.

"

The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the American Library of Congress.

The WDL has stated that its mission is to promote international and intercultural understanding, expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences, and to build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries.^[1] It aims to expand non-English and non-western content on the Internet, and contribute to scholarly research. The library intends to make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and other significant cultural materials."

- en.wikipedia.org

Poster #2

For every girl who is tired of acting weak when she is strong, there is a boy tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.

For every boy who is burdened with the constant expectation of knowing everything, there is a girl tired of people not trusting her intelligence.

For every girl who is tired of being called over-sensitive, there is a boy who fears to be gentle, to weep.

For every boy whom competition is the only way to prove his masculinity, there is a girl who is called unfeminine when she competes.

For every girl who throws out her E-Z-Bake oven, there is a boy who wishes to find one.

For every boy struggling not to let advertising dictate his desires, there is a girl facing the ad industry's attacks of her self esteem.

For every girl who takes a step toward her liberation, there is a boy who finds the way to freedom a little easier.

- Adapted from a poem by Nancy R Smith
CrimethInc.com - Gender Subversion Kit #69-B

Regarding The Pirate Bay lawsuit

"The establishment and the politicians have declared war against our whole generation," he said, calling on "file-sharing for the people."

The Pirate Bay doesn't host copyright-protected material, but directs users to content through so-called torrent files. It has an estimated 22 million users worldwide."

- The Associated Press

Here is the link.

. . . working on episode 4 of the podcast. . .

and I thought I'd share this with you...

First of all, here is a fascinating interview with Dennis Mckenna conducted by Alexander Price in conjuction with Reality Sandwich.

Here is an excerpt,

“During that time Terence underwent a period where he did not sleep at all. He would stay up all night and all day, just stay there in the hammock next to me while I'm off traveling in the cosmos, looking after me and trying to be sure that nothing happened. I had a tendency to want to get away from the camp and wander out because, you know... I had to be out there healing people, man! I had these powers!” He laughed. “In shamanism it's very common, when the shaman undergoes transformation or the shaman becomes a shaman – in many, many traditions, not just South America – what happens is you get blown apart. You literally get torn to pieces, and then you're put back together as a transformed person.”

In The Invisible Landscape Dennis and Terence quoted a description of shamanic initiation in a Siberian tribe:

“Before a man becomes a shaman he is sick for a long time... The shamanistic ancestors of his clan come, hack him to bits, tear him apart, cut his flesh in pieces, drink his blood. They cut off his head and throw it in the oven... [etc.]” I think we all know what that's like!

“You literally get torn to pieces,” Dennis said, “and then you're put back together as a transformed person. You're not human anymore, you're something more than human. And you're healed in that process. It's a process of controlled self-transformation. That was the model that fit more than anything else, was this process of being completely deconstructed and spread all over Hell's Half Acre, literally, and then slowly condensing back together into a whole person again, with most of my faculties more or less intact but still with the experience of this transformation under my belt.

“We understood this process as a process of condensation, collecting all the cosmic energy and reconcentrating it back into some form which we still conceived to be a physical object that we would be able to see and manipulate. You would both see it and be it at the same time."

It was exciting to read Dennis speak of him and his brother's adventures and life affirming experiences in La Chorrera.

Episode #3 is finished

you can connect to it from here.

what's uppp

wander and wonder away.
fucking amazing video, this. . .

wanderlust

Saw this on MetaFilter today. . . if you have a last.fm account, I think it's relevant:

"Did Last.fm Just Hand Over User Listening Data To the RIAA?"

On the subject of fear

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

- Dune

Some tunes, a blog, and a universe

Check out Central Processing Universe. This guy has some quality tunes, really good stuff if you're into electronic/IDM. I really dig 'flowetry' and 'There is More to This', which combines a nice flowing synth and a gentle kick-drum pulse with some T Mckenna clips in the background, need I say more?

-

I greatly enjoyed reading Dimitry Orlov's newest blog entry, entitled, "Social Collapse Best Practices" which was a talk given 4 days ago at Cowell Theatre in Fort Mason Center, San Francisco.

"If there is one thing that I would like to claim as my own, it is the comparative theory of superpower collapse. For now, it remains just a theory, although it is currently being quite thoroughly tested. The "theory states that the United States and the Soviet Union will have collapsed for the same reasons, namely: a severe and chronic shortfall in the production of crude oil (that magic addictive elixir of industrial economies), a severe and worsening foreign trade deficit, a runaway military budget, and ballooning foreign debt."

"So, what is there for them to do? Forget “growth,” forget “jobs,” forget “financial stability.” What should their realistic new objectives be? Well, here they are: food, shelter, transportation, and security. Their task is to find a way to provide all of these necessities on an emergency basis, in absence of a functioning economy, with commerce at a standstill, with little or no access to imports, and to make them available to a population that is largely penniless. If successful, society will remain largely intact, and will be able to begin a slow and painful process of cultural transition, and eventually develop a new economy, a gradually de-industrializing economy, at a much lower level of resource expenditure, characterized by a quite a lot of austerity and even poverty, but in conditions that are safe, decent, and dignified."


In parting,

At that hour when all things have repose,
O lonely watcher of the skies,
Do you hear the night wind and the sighs?
Of harps playing unto Love to unclose
The pale gates of sunrise?

When all things repose do you alone
Awake to hear the sweet harps play
To Love before him on his way,
And the night wind answering in antiphone
Till night is overgone?

Play on, invisible harps, unto Love
Whose way in heaven is aglow
At that hour when soft lights come and go,
Soft sweet music in the air above
And in the Earth below

- James Joyce

Observe the Eego

What a beautiful day it turned out to be here in Western PA. The temperature rose to a perfect 73 degrees (22 degrees Celsius) and I'm here at the library sitting with jeans and a. . . gasp. . . T-Shirt on! Who'd have thunk it?! Because the usual array of snow, ice, and slush is out of the way (for now), there are children playing outside, people are walking their dogs, and couples are out strolling about the town. The humans have come out of their caves! The Sun is shining and my spirit feels energized!

So yesterday was eventful because I visited the local supermarket (Safrans) and picked up a bunch of food, which came to $53.00 (my highest grocery expense to date). 53 dollars is fucking expensive, man! I'm trying to eat as healthy as I possibly can, but unfortunately, Safran's does not sell much organic food so I'm stuck with consuming food produced by the aggro-industrial mega-whores for now. This simultaneously stimulates my incentive to grow my own food; which I'm in the process of begining. I plan on growing some cucumbers, tomatoes, tangerines, herbs, and various other greens which will most likely take place when summer rolls around.

The reason I say "stuck" is because as of today, I have no viable means of transporting myself and the food to and from the desired location. This is soon to change, though! My bike is finished with its repairs (I regret not fixing the thing myself), so I should have it soon! Hopefully I'll be able to find some decent organic stores nearby once that's all taken care of.

Kind of strange that the majority of western society is completely disconnected from its food sources. This is probably a good thing, though; considering the fact that if we actually saw HOW our "food" is created and manufactured, the majority of people would be horrified. Then again, this infortmation is already out there - people simply don't care.

While I'm on the subject of food, I'd like to direct you to an article by a guy named Michael Pollan, who begins the essay with the header, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Very intellegent guy who speaks very conciously about health, the way humans interact with their environment, and. . . well. . . plants! I'll leave it at that, check it out!

A belly full of Kratom brings the midnight goodness

You might be thinking what I'm thinking
Have I ever thought a thought you haven't thought?
Have you ever felt a feeling I haven't felt?
Are we all not sisters and brothers?
Time to rise, brush, cloth, work, eat, enhance, and fade
We must realize that we are spinning the wheel

A philosophical question; the biologic mysteries
The tides of braided DNA, spiraling through the crystalline ocean - a rainbow staircase

The grand replication inoculates its form code
The code becomes atomized; living dots!
The molecules perform their dance; nobody is watching
Increased intervals of connectivity and acceleration
an inevitable process, the path is chaotic

Circulation

The mind has been sifting and wandering a lot recently, so this is going to be scattered.

To begin, I'd like to direct you to my newly acquired Flicker account. I have a lot of photography which has been patiently resting within my computer for years, collecting digital dust; so I've decided to upload my work and share it with everyone.

I'd encourage you to create a Flicker account as well, it's very easy to register and get started. After all, you never know when the hard drive might decide to conk out on ya.

Secondly, over the past week I've become especially interested in a podcast called Mystic Mind, created by a guy named Jesse Miller who has been producing some pretty impressive shows which definitely resonate with me and where I'm at. His podcast incorporates some personal reflections, music, entheogenic musings and the occasional audio recording (Joseph Campbell, Alan Watts, John C. Lilly, just to name a few). It all blends together and cyrstalizes into a pleasurable listening experience. There is much information and insight to digest here - as described on his website the 'cast covers topics such as, "the occult, conspiracy, magick, alchemy, and the use of entheogens & psychedelics". Good one, Jesse - I'll definitely stay tuned.

Finally, I'll leave you with a zine of sorts. Here are some notes I jotted down last night which I recorded in my journal,

"I must say, in the short lapse of time I've spent on this beautifully mysterious planet, I've really had a great time.

Where else in the universe can I experience myself (my ego) die and subsequently be re-born simply by swallowing some fruit? Where else can one swim in the great seas and spread out on the beach, basking and surrendering to the pulse of the Sun? Where else can we shake and swing, grind and throb, jump and stomp, spin and leap with the elegant web of vibration that surrounds us? Where else in this Expanse can individuals sit down, communicate virtual ideas through a holographic mind space and connect and transmit information and love into eachothers minds and hearts?

Who else is given the freedom to create and build environments which can either create and convert or control and destroy?

Either way, we end up becoming involved in all four - we just need some balance. As a wise man still says, "everything in moderation"

I think all I'm searching for is peace of mind. Seriously though; fuck material obsession and high spending. We live in a culture which is led by the least among us. Consumeconsumeconsume. Keep breeding. We're trained to operate - like mice! It's not grounded in humanity! IT which is unconsciously lurking within each of our minds (ie: the shadow), can either be recognized for what it is - accepted - and transformed or the cultural slime-like residue which consists of greed, consumerism, fear, and hierarchy will prevail.

It's collapsing and trying to take everyone down with it."

So I've been away from the blog for a little over a week because I've been up at my place (which does not grant me access to the net at the moment) working on a few musical creations, chilling with friends, and working on a podcast I'm putting together.

If you've not heard or listened to a podcast (Personal On Demand broadCAST.). you can read about them here. I'd definitely encourage you to check them out. I maintain that podcasting/webcasting is a brilliant new resource and technological development which has changed the way ideas and information can be distributed and absorbed via electronic networking.

Simply put - it's aiding in creating incredibly diverse communities and encouraging creativity. Think of these "communities" as non-local cyber tribes. They're linking up, organizing gatherings, sharing ideas and inspiring human connection, while simultaneously creating and sustaining harmonious networks of people who are interested in the "real" world too.

See if you dig them :










http://c-realmpodcast.podomatic.com










http://dopefiend.co.uk/









http://www.mikehagan.com











http://www.matrixmasters.com/podcasts/












http://mysticmind.podomatic.com/










http://entheogenic.podomatic.com/










http://blacklightattic.podomatic.com/

-

Although I've not released any episodes yet, you can still check out my page at http://imaginalroots.podomatic.com - Add me or somethin!

I imagine the town connected
City hall turned atmospheric, a golden wheel
A dome with a shimering blue aura, the aquatic state

Wandering minds and high spirits unite
the desperate and dying are interwoven
The ancient secrets of Intelligence
are whispered throughout form
while simultaneously fo orm m rm m looses [place] ]

A Lady of green with seductive tendencies
low collar, that deliciously wicked grin
those eyes - the eyes of loving, the eyes of it all
gaze and enter into my being
Only now do I recognize

We've become obsessed with the screens of externalized mind material
The misfits are behind the moniters we're chained to, never forget

To explore, search, and find the Others
appear to me to be some legitimate reasons for living

So grow, friend, grow!
pass the toy around
Join the game! It's your turn
If you want to dance, sing, and celebrate in harmony
Just realize you CAN dance, sing, paint, act in harmony

Oh grand exhalation
The Great Spirit
Embracing our stimuli and imperfection
Transforms and constantly disassembles
We recollect every morning, attatch signs, symbols

words can only represent the meaning
archetypes allow meaning to become concrete structures, which form and collectivize the stories we tell ourselves

As the light reflects
I/- am aware of all which is
This is all that ever was

Whatever WAS resonates within what IS

Echoing into the mystic chemical ether
of Direct Experience

unbiased contradiction
nuclear tabloids
control, fear, tension ensues
the fingers tingle
the arms grow wild

The reptilian shadow crawls against a scaley, disfigured back drop
Beams of hazy violet light, radiate and wave through the mist
which is swirling and brushing against my skin

HOLY SPIRIT
we
me
all
you
us
it
them
NO ONE
NO THING
Nothing

Who is eavesdropping on the moon?
She doesn't mind

rooootsINtheOM

If you're connected to Terence McKenna* in any way; whether it's via his books, audio presentations, or his novelty theory, this post calls yours attention!

Thanks to EROCx1 over at erocx1.blogspot.com for directing my attention over to this newly converted Terence McKenna presentation. I enjoyed the background music, although at times it tends to override McKenna's voice. No matter - this is still a great talk and I resonate with what EROC speaks of when he says , "This complete version is one of his best talks ever. A real treat for both McKenn-ites and McKenn-noobs alike. In fact if I had to recommend only one of Terence's talks, this would be this one." Although the word, "McKenn-ites" is slightly disturbing, eh? . . . ideology (which put simply, is just another mechanism of faith) and category are clouding the mind, remember? :P

EROCx1 Blog: Terence McKenna: Dream Awake - the complete version










click on that, for sure ^

Now that music has just entered the mind I'd like to forward you over to a fantastic musical collective who call themselves, Kasai All Stars. These sonic vibes~~~) are really straightforward and mystic; the sound confronts you and calls you inward. The sound here creates swirling auras and threads of circular cohesion. . . 'think you'll dig it.


Also, Bouncing Bear Botanicals posted a helpful introduction involving the use of entheogens. If someone was new to the world of Entheogens (also known as psychedelics/plant medicines) and curious to learn more, this would be a useful link to start with:

http://www.bouncingbearbotanicals.com/index.php?ref=479&affiliate_banner_id=23
(sub-title reads, "So you've heard some crazy stuff about Salvia divinorum, huh? Now what?)

*a video clip from from the gathering posted

Tomorrow I move into my new place - somewhere to call my own; it's all very exciting. I'm not bringing much, because frankly, I don't need much. As fortune would have it, I work with a few really good people who are generously letting me borrow the pickup truck for tomorrow's endeavors. Sweet.

While we are on the subject, here is a fucking hilarious Craigslist advert for rent space. Even though it's only been online for 12 days, it's already a classic. Thanks to Sancho for posting that link.

Happy New Year, everyone.

I'll leave y'all with a piece I was working on today, inspired from the fractals I was watching this morning: