alan lomax was one of the greatest collectors and documenters of folk culture in the world. for the majority of his life he traveled the planet recording the local music and interviewing the local natives. those 17,000+ recordings have finally been digitised, more than a decade after his death, and absorbed by the united states library of congress and are now readily available online at the association of cultural equity. just start at the beginning. it means you get to start with the calypso anyway.
walk good.
ps. this here sidebar worthy.
Friday, August 30, 2013
brain games
i'm a science geek, but you already knew that. i always say, even though it's not always true, that my favourite sciences are astronomy and cognitive sciences (eg: neurology) likely because we know so little about each. this post is news about the latter.
two american researchers working at the university of washington have successfully conducted the first human brain to brain transmission (liking cbc news these days). previously successful with rats, these too scientists sat at opposite sides of the university's campus and using the internet, the sender controlled the receiver's hand. swim caps. diodes. video games. yet another instance of the future made present; of science fiction made reality. it's amazing and terrifying as the future tends to be.
in yesterday's future we can implant jaws that were printed in 3-d, grow ears+noses from stem cells, and now brains too. yep, we grow brains. these miniature brains will only grow so large with the absence of blood+oxygen. still, scientists believe these brains may give vast insight into rare diseases and better explain how new drugs affect the brain. again with the amazing and slightly terrifying; the freaky but incredible.
adding these two interesting articles a day later.
insomniacs lose focus. i've experienced that though must say when my brain keeps me up in the wee hours i always seem to be focused+driven.
poverty affects mental ability, influences critical thinking and decision making.
two american researchers working at the university of washington have successfully conducted the first human brain to brain transmission (liking cbc news these days). previously successful with rats, these too scientists sat at opposite sides of the university's campus and using the internet, the sender controlled the receiver's hand. swim caps. diodes. video games. yet another instance of the future made present; of science fiction made reality. it's amazing and terrifying as the future tends to be.
in yesterday's future we can implant jaws that were printed in 3-d, grow ears+noses from stem cells, and now brains too. yep, we grow brains. these miniature brains will only grow so large with the absence of blood+oxygen. still, scientists believe these brains may give vast insight into rare diseases and better explain how new drugs affect the brain. again with the amazing and slightly terrifying; the freaky but incredible.
adding these two interesting articles a day later.
insomniacs lose focus. i've experienced that though must say when my brain keeps me up in the wee hours i always seem to be focused+driven.
poverty affects mental ability, influences critical thinking and decision making.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
nolapdbs
friday morning i headed to work; magazine street becomes camp and with the park on the left and the international school of louisiana on the right i drove the left lane at the requested 20milesperhour with the rest of the commuters motoring to work. well beyond school grounds (100meters+) a sudden smash of brakes and warning red from the suv in front of me had me smashing mine and rather than jam them to a full stop inches from her tailpipe i quick check the right lane, make lane change and proceed to gather speed as to not slow that lane too. just as i was about to cross melpomene, a cop who was already busy writing up another motorist looks up from his ticket pad and jumps out from in front of his cruiser and nearly into the path of my vehicle, banging on the side+trunk; evidently not pleased with his morning or my ability to transport myself about town.
i thought briefly about continuing about my trip to work (and probably should have) but thought better of it knowing that driving off would certainly bring penalty once he checked the cruisers on-board-camera for my plate#, so i obliged the officer and spun my car around to sit on the corner of melpomene+camp. it was about 8:45a. the officer (i won't name him now, but perhaps after future installments to this story) was curt to say the least. "license, registration, proof of insurance." i obliged. "i'll be back," off to his cruiser to check me for warrants. i have none. he returned to my car window with my information and then very plainly informed me that i was driving 30mph in a 20mph school zone, that i was following too closely to the car in front of me and that i failed to signal. he handed me a citation for all three 'violations.'
"sir," i tried to be polite, "you were just writing a ticket. you didn't see all that. the car in front of me smashed their brakes, of course i was close. i did signal. and you certainly didn't clock me from outside your cruiser."
"sign here. you can protest it with the court if you like."
i do like. and i fully intend to. dude shit on my friday morning simply to fill an end of the month citation quota he hadn't yet reached. traffic cops, i've been told, have to meet #s like any other form of solicitation. as he began to walk away from me i said "excuse me sir, you give no favor or grace for the fact that i simply could have just kept driving? i wouldn't had stopped had you not got my attention by banging on my car."
"i didn't bang on your car," he said anxiously and then walked away.
i felt like telling him to get laid.
added 9.43p: initial research+calculations project approximately a $857 fine.
i thought briefly about continuing about my trip to work (and probably should have) but thought better of it knowing that driving off would certainly bring penalty once he checked the cruisers on-board-camera for my plate#, so i obliged the officer and spun my car around to sit on the corner of melpomene+camp. it was about 8:45a. the officer (i won't name him now, but perhaps after future installments to this story) was curt to say the least. "license, registration, proof of insurance." i obliged. "i'll be back," off to his cruiser to check me for warrants. i have none. he returned to my car window with my information and then very plainly informed me that i was driving 30mph in a 20mph school zone, that i was following too closely to the car in front of me and that i failed to signal. he handed me a citation for all three 'violations.'
"sir," i tried to be polite, "you were just writing a ticket. you didn't see all that. the car in front of me smashed their brakes, of course i was close. i did signal. and you certainly didn't clock me from outside your cruiser."
"sign here. you can protest it with the court if you like."
i do like. and i fully intend to. dude shit on my friday morning simply to fill an end of the month citation quota he hadn't yet reached. traffic cops, i've been told, have to meet #s like any other form of solicitation. as he began to walk away from me i said "excuse me sir, you give no favor or grace for the fact that i simply could have just kept driving? i wouldn't had stopped had you not got my attention by banging on my car."
"i didn't bang on your car," he said anxiously and then walked away.
i felt like telling him to get laid.
added 9.43p: initial research+calculations project approximately a $857 fine.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
project be
monday evening i took the opportunity to venture out to the florida housing development deep in the recesses of the 9th ward; abandoned since hurricane katrina unleased her wrath back in 2005. demolition is set to begin soon to make way for new, but before they're gone local artist brandan 'bmike' odums has taken the opportunity to turn many of these empty galleries into project be; a collection of graffiti paying tribute to leaders+motivators+creators, complete with uplifting quote+verse. his work has inspired other artists to join in the creation and this old community suddenly has the new life as a museum of very modern art.
there is no telling when the demolition will begin but in the meanwhile the walls inside this fenced in community are pulsing with +vibes, powerful art, and the words of common.
during the visit i met several good souls braving the broken glass+crumbling steps to either create or admire but most importantly commune with each other and i realised at a point that the art had made this abandoned housing development a safe place to share+express ideas; it is safe place to be.
below are some of my photos from the day. you can find more by following the project be link above.
below are some of my photos from the day. you can find more by following the project be link above.
walk good.
ps. some friends+i are talking to go back to create own. if do, more sooncome.
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
flying lotus videos
flying lotus has this cool sound, but his videos are visually stunning. check this one and then a few others.
putty boy strut.
tiny tortures.
and this short clip about flying lotus' cosmogramma album appeals to me greatly.
putty boy strut.
tiny tortures.
and this short clip about flying lotus' cosmogramma album appeals to me greatly.
Friday, August 02, 2013
years since birth
people have always worried about my earthly age more than i have. for many years when questioned i'd have to figure the math before answering. i seem to have more of a handle on that these days if for no other reason than to avoid a dumbfounded look when i can't answer immediately. as a child i was allowed 3birthday parties at 5, at 10, and at 15years old. i waived the last one; by then celebrating seemed wasteful.
my theory has always been that each day your a year older than you were a year ago so celebrate everyday, not one day.
something is changing though. i'm half way through 30 suddenly and feel as though i'm only now awakening. awakening isn't really the right word. it's a safe word i use to keep from stating the reality. the reality is that i'm only just now beginning to chase my dreams, which isn't quite the truth either. i suppose the truth is that i'm only just now beginning to believe in myself; in my ability to succeed at more than the mundane. i'm only, at 30.5years old, just finding out that what i have to share with the world is real+beautiful+brilliant. my ideas, my art, my effort isn't for not. it matters. but most of all it can make a difference. it can better the world around me.
you see, like many people, i was trained not to chase my dreams but to chase a living. to work toward satisfactory. to survive. a mediocre job and roof overhead was suppose to be enough. and i'm great at that... the surviving part. if everything in this world goes to shit, look for me... i'll be the one thriving through it all; surviving. though being satisfactory and surviving the way i do isn't enough. i'm not accomplishing nearly what i'm capable of.
what i have inside of me can be a light of good+worth+wonder. i can change norms with my ideas. i can expand minds. i can leave a mark. as a friend so wonderfully put just recently, it's about time i become the eye of the storm. i spinning into it just now... hold on. these winds are gonna get strong.
spin strong.
my theory has always been that each day your a year older than you were a year ago so celebrate everyday, not one day.
something is changing though. i'm half way through 30 suddenly and feel as though i'm only now awakening. awakening isn't really the right word. it's a safe word i use to keep from stating the reality. the reality is that i'm only just now beginning to chase my dreams, which isn't quite the truth either. i suppose the truth is that i'm only just now beginning to believe in myself; in my ability to succeed at more than the mundane. i'm only, at 30.5years old, just finding out that what i have to share with the world is real+beautiful+brilliant. my ideas, my art, my effort isn't for not. it matters. but most of all it can make a difference. it can better the world around me.
you see, like many people, i was trained not to chase my dreams but to chase a living. to work toward satisfactory. to survive. a mediocre job and roof overhead was suppose to be enough. and i'm great at that... the surviving part. if everything in this world goes to shit, look for me... i'll be the one thriving through it all; surviving. though being satisfactory and surviving the way i do isn't enough. i'm not accomplishing nearly what i'm capable of.
what i have inside of me can be a light of good+worth+wonder. i can change norms with my ideas. i can expand minds. i can leave a mark. as a friend so wonderfully put just recently, it's about time i become the eye of the storm. i spinning into it just now... hold on. these winds are gonna get strong.
spin strong.
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