Jing-reed's Musings from Thailand

Coffee, coffee, coffee . . .

Most Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists won't touch it, yet many coffee aficionados can't go a day without it.  I belong to the latter group.  When I lived in a high mountain valley in Mexico I used to buy my coffee beans from a local grower, always on the day that they were roasted. They were still warm and aromatic when they arrived in my kitchen.  Now that I live in Thailand, a friend sends me monthly parcels of a delicious coffee grown and  harvested in Vietnam, and which satisfies my taste buds more than the locally grown Thai coffee.

And in case you were wondering, September 29th is recognized as National Coffee Day in the U.S.

Drink Coffee? Off With Your Head!  [NPR]

"Sultan Murad IV, a ruler of the Ottoman Empire [12th century], would not have been a fan of Starbucks. Under his rule, the consumption of coffee was a capital offense.

Though Murad IV banned tobacco, alcohol and coffee, some say he consumed all three and his death was the result of alcohol poisoning. The sultan was so intent on eradicating coffee that he would disguise himself as a commoner and stalk the streets of Istanbul with a hundred-pound broadsword. Unfortunate coffee drinkers were decapitated as they sipped.

Murad IV's successor was more lenient. The punishment for a first offense was a light cudgeling. Caught with coffee a second time, the perpetrator was sewn into a leather bag and tossed in the river. ...."

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Maria Hinojosa with Neil Degrasse Tyson

 

Maria Hinojosa: One On One with Neil Degrasse Tyson [PBS]

"Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet and host of the WGBH-produced TV series Nova ScienceNow talks about his passion for science, his efforts to make astronomy accessible, and why he doesn't think the sky is the limit."

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Happy New Year - 新年快樂

The year of the Water Dragon begins on January 23, so I would like to wish all of my friends a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year - 新年快樂 !

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Mandelbulb 3D

Discovered a new fractal program, Mandelbulb 3D, yesterday.  Still learning the basics since the learning curve is pretty steep on most fractal programs.

It is available as a free download from: Fractal Forums, along with a 35 page read-me text which can serve as a basic tutorial.   There are also several step-by-step tutorials on YouTube.  And a very good web tutorial is available at Mandelbulb/Mandelbrot/fractals for beginners.

Almost immediately found one of the basic parameter images which appealed to me with little tweaking; a marvelous 'fractal box' which I saved and then added some text.  It was a childhood fantasy which had suddenly become a reality, well in the virtual sense, a wonderfully detailed Treasure Chest.  [Although most here know me as Jing-reed, my childhood name in Slovakia was Igor.] 

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Cranes Fly Over Venice

Common cranes have been hand-reared to fly alongside a microlight to capture these images.

Earthflight uses many different filming techniques to create the experience of flying with birds as they reveal some of the greatest natural and man-made monuments of the planet.


Short, but spectacular, video.

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From the new BBC documentary, Earth Flight.

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S.O.P.A. and the Internet

So now the most self serving, corrupt, and ineffectual legislative body in history of the U.S. has decided to take on the internet.  They never fail to kowtow to the large corporations, and the public can be damned.  Cretins each and every one.

Protest on Web Uses Shutdown to Take On Two Piracy Bills

"With a Web-wide protest on Wednesday that includes a 24-hour shutdown of the English-language Wikipedia, the legislative battle over two Internet piracy bills has reached an extraordinary moment — a political coming of age for a relatively young and disorganized industry that has largely steered clear of lobbying and other political games in Washington.

The bills, the   Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act in the Senate, are backed by major media companies and are mostly intended to curtail the illegal downloading and streaming of TV shows and movies online. But the tech industry fears that, among other things, they will give media companies too much power to shut down sites that they say are abusing copyrights.

The legislation has jolted technology leaders, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, who are not accustomed to having their free-wheeling online world come under attack.

One response is Wednesday’s protest, which will direct anyone visiting Google and many other Web sites to pages detailing the tech industry’s opposition to the bills. Wikipedia, run by a nonprofit organization, is going further than most sites by actually taking material offline — no doubt causing panic among countless students who have a paper due.

It said the move was meant to spark greater public opposition to the bills, which could restrict its freedom to publish.  . . . "

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The 'Housecat' Croc - Fruitachampsa callisoni

The Jurassic’s Housecat Croc

"At long last, Fruitachampsa lives. Sort of. This strange crocodyliform has been extinct for around 150 million years. But, after three decades of waiting, this short-snouted croc has finally been officially named.

The new paper that describes Fruitachampsa callisoni calls the animal “A new shartegosuchid crocodyliform from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of western Colorado.” That’s “new” in a relative sense. Between 1975 and 1979, George Callison and James Clark discovered remains from multiple individuals of this croc near Grand Junction, Colorado. This animal was not like the alligators, caimans, gharials, and crocodiles we know today. (In technical terms, all those living lineages are crocodylians – a remaining portion of the larger and more varied group called Crocodyliformes to which Fruitachampsa also belonged.) Informally referred to as the “Fruita Form” in publications for years, this roughly three-foot-long archosaur had slender legs, a short skull, and rows of flat teeth with wrinkled, horizontal cusps socketed behind a small set of pointed teeth at the front of the jaws. As Jurassic expert John Foster dubbed the animal in his book Jurassic West, Fruitachampsa was “the house cat of the Morrison Formation.”

. . .But how did Fruitachampsa make a living? This Jurassic croc clearly was not an aquatic ambush predator. Fruitachampsa was a relatively slender animal adapted for a life on the land, but the more precise details of what it ate and how it behaved are unknown. Especially perplexing are those flat-topped teeth which Fruitachampsa shares with other shartegosuchids – what kind of food could such a tooth be suited to? Lizards, mammals, and even baby dinosaurs might have been suitable prey, but no one knows for sure. Hopefully, now that Fruitachampsa has a name, paleontologists can begin studying the natural history of the Jurassic’s housecat croc."

'When Languages Die' - K. David Harrison

Recently watched the documentary 'The Linguists' on the BBC channel about David Harrison's linguistic work around the world. 

"Informative conversation with K. David Harrison, assistant professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College near Philadelphia and the author of the new book "When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge". He is the Director of Research at the Living Tongues Institute and was recently featured in the documentary called "The Linguists" which followed hands-on linguistic field work in countries around the world. In this fascinating interview, Harrison discusses the critical importance of the world's many threatened languages and the vital knowledge that each language uniquely packages and holds for all of us. Harrison also discusses the need for more trained linguistic personnel to go out into some of the remotest parts of the world to document these nearly extinct languages before they are lost to humanity forever."


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Bill Moyers Returns

Bill Moyers: Back With a New Series

"Dear Friends,

You already may have heard that I'd be coming back in January with a new series on the public television station nearest you. But you may not have heard exactly why. It's not just that I lack retirement skills, as my wife and co-editor, Judith, keeps reminding me. Or that the squeaky rocking chair on the front porch got on my nerves. I'm coming back because in tumultuous times like these I relish the company of people who try to make sense of the tumult. These are the people I'll bring to our new broadcast, Moyers & Company.

Journalism has long been for me a continuing course in adult education. Given what's happening in this country, it's time to sign up for more classes. The lack of civility and common sense that has paralyzed our democracy, the vast economic and social inequality that sends both left and right raging into the streets, the corrosive influence of money in politics - we're in a tailspin with little hope for a course correction from our elected leadership or corporate-dominated media. The need for voices of reason, simple and eloquent, has rarely been stronger. ,,,"

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The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Battle Los Angeles

It must be more than obvious to the rest of the world that Americans really love war, and of course war movies.  Seems only natural since they appear to be the most militarized society the planet has ever experienced - and Hollywood seems to pump out war flicks at a prodigious rate.  However most of them are lacking in the writing department; once you get past the special effects there just isn't much substance.    Many even win Oscars, though I sort of doubt that this one will garner much attention.

Battle Los Angeles: Alien Life

"Angry aliens invade Earth in the new movie Battle: Los Angeles. And once again it's up to us to stop them. But what could life out there really be like? Jorge Ribas talks to SETI astronomer Seth Shostak to find out."

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Official Trailer

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Yellow Adenium

A note and photo from David Clulow in Venezuela that he has finally had a true yellow Adenium to flower.  Felicitaciones and congratulations David, it is absolutely beautiful. 

For those of you who are not familiar with the Adeniums [Desert Rose], they are a floriferous African plant that in the past has been limited to flowers in the color range of reds, pinks, and whites with few deep purplish reds.  They do quite well here in the tropical clmate of Thailand.

"On 28th August 2010 I received some seeds from Mr Ko which included 12 labelled 'Yellow Earth'.  These were sown on paper and 9 germinated.  It was obvious from an early age that 2 of the seedlings would be albas, or more technically correct concolors as their stems were without pigment and were jade green coloured.  When these two seedlings were reasonably big the tops were cut off on 11 April 2011 and five grafts each were made.  Fortunately all of the grafts took and the first one started to flower this morning. . . .  The brown mark on the petal is just insect damage.  Here is another view to show the leaves,  they look to me to be rather narrow and "V" shaped possibly indicating A. swazicum and A. crispum in the background of the breeding. "

"This is Mr. Ko's photo of 'Yellow Earth', possibly my seedling flower will flatten out as it gets a little older."

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New Banner

In an attempt to keep this blog interesting I occasionally change the masthead. This new banner design contains a digitized version of my Japanese 'hanko' [name stamp].

In 1954, when I was working in Japan, for the U.S. government, I became friends with a most remarkable person, the abbot of a small rural Soto Zen temple.  Rev. Shimizu becama a personal friend and mentor during my four year stay in Hokkaido.  During one of our many conversations he suggested that I get a personal hanko, or name stamp. In Japan it is the custom for all adults to have a personal name stamp which is used in lieu of a personal signature and is used in all documents, office paperwork, contracts, art, or any item requiring acknowledgment or authorship.

And to this end he transformed a part of my surname into Japanese kanji characters, striving to combine the phonetic sounds with kanji characters which had a connection to nature..   And so I became 栗巣帝 [Kirusutei].

   栗 'Kiru' can be traslated as 'chestnut tree',
   巣 'su' means 'bird nest',
   帝 'tei' means 'along the royal way'.

The Artistry of Don Hong-Oai

Chinese Photographs Look Like Traditional Paintings

"These images may appear to be traditional Chinese prints, including the beautiful calligraphy and stamp work that decorates such classic works… but in fact, they are all photographs. The serenely peaceful craft of Don Hong-Oai, a Chinese born artist who immigrated twice and never left behind the stunning aesthetic of his homeland.

Don Hong-Oai was born in Canton, China in 1929. The youngest of an astounding 24 siblings, his parents passed away when he was just 7 years old and soon he was sent to live within the Chinese community in Saigon, Vietnam. He would spend most of his life there doing odd jobs until he became a student at the Vietnam National Art University. He remained in the country throughout the Vietnam War, but when conflict broke out between the Peoples Republic of China and Vietnam in 1979 he fled to the San Francisco.

Now 50 years old and speaking no english, Hong-Oai was able to procure a small dark-room in the city and continue his photographic work, returning to China every few years to make new negatives. It wasn’t until the last few years of his life that his work was discovered by the public and became popular with collectors worldwide. The artistic master passed away in 2004, leaving a legacy of beautifully meditative art, the result of a life-long persistence and passion for beauty. You can see more of his prints on flickr."

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Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher

Tashi Mannox  CALLIGRAPHY ARTIST

"Tashi is an Englishman who started on his path in the arts and meditation at the tender age of 11. After he finished his formal art degree training, he became a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan Karma Kagyu order. For the next 17 years he studied under a Tibetan master of arts called Sherab Palden Beru, apprenticing in the elaborate art of temple decoration and Tibetan calligraphy. In his finishing year as a monk, Tashi studied under a master of the rare ancient Sanskrit forms, namely Lantsa and Wartu in Dharamsala. Since the beginning of the Millennium, Tashi has been actively creative in Tibetan calligraphy and iconography, established as an internationally known artist. This blog is an attempt to share knowledge on Tibetan related scripts, upholding the integrity of their ancient heritage, through a concern in conservation and preservation and to communicate Dharma; is very much at the heart of Tashi's work as an artist. ..."



Tashi Mannox Calligraphy [YouTube]

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What's Going On . .

..."I made this video 4 months ago just before school was about to start. I was 13. It was a very emotionally dark time in my life. I made the video at 4:00am in the morning; I hadn't been sleeping at night for a long time, too many things going on in my head. I was dreading going back to school and I had not come out to my family yet. Only my closest friends knew. I didn't know how to say what I needed to say. All I could think about were all the bad things that had been happening at school last year, every year for that matter. I just couldn't bare to go through that anymore. I was done being fake happy, pretending hateful words didn't hurt, done hiding it from my family.

So this video was made for my friends that had moved on to High School who were worried for me, to say to them that I was going to take a stand, and to the haters at my middle school that I'm not going anywhere. I am who I am. I posted the video here and told people were to find it. That was it.  . . . "

Thank you all, Love and peace to all who are hurting.
Jonah Mowry


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Happy New Year

 

 

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OPERATION CLAMBAKE !

My new, all time favorite YouTube video, which relates to the REAL evolutionary history of man [well, according to L. Ron Hubbard].

The Clam FAQ:
http://www.xenu.net/clam_faq.html

"What is all this talk about clams, and why is the site called Operation Clambake?"

The short version of this is that the creator of Dianetics and Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, claimed humans evolved from clams in his book "A History of Man". Since the claim itself and the "proof" Hubbard provided is utterly silly, it serves as a good example of the general validity of his teachings. CoS has copy protected the word "Scientologist" and claim that a Scientologist is anybody who (since 1950) ever bought a Scientology book or a course. "Clam" is also slang for money, referencing in this context the high cost for Scientology. "Clam" is therefore used by many critics as an alternative or better term to identify an actual follower of Hubbard and Scientology teachings today.

A clambake is originally an outdoor party; especially a seashore outing where food is usually cooked on heated rocks covered by seaweed. It can also mean a gathering characterized by noisy sociability. "Operation" derives from the many criminal operations run by CoS, like Operation Freak Out, Operation Snow White, etc.

A more thorough explanation of the term clam and why the site is called Operation Clambake is available on the Clam FAQ."

And if you haven't read the hilarious, but somehow true, "The Barefaced Messiah" it is available for free on 'Operation Clambake'.  Anyone who takes the time to read The Barefaced Messiah could not possibly join or believe in the Scientology cult. 

 

According to several of his fellow science fiction writers, Hubbard had on several occasions stated that "the way to get rich was to start a religion". 

That is what he believed and that is what he did.

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Year's Worst Planet-Wide Disasters

The Year’s Worst Natural Disasters

AUSTRALIA
FLOODING  Following a long drought, heavy rains in December 2010 and January 2011 caused devastating floods in the state of Queensland, destroying crops and killing 35.

BRAZIL
LANDSLIDES  In areas surrounding Rio de Janeiro, landslides triggered by rainfall killed 850 in January. Deforestation may have made soils in the region more prone to erosion.

NEW ZEALAND
EARTHQUAKE  With an epicenter 6 miles from downtown, the Christchurch quake in February took 181 lives and caused $12 billion in damages despite having a magnitude of just 6.3.

JAPAN
EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
In March, Sendai was rocked by the fourth-largest earthquake on record, a magnitude 9.0. The quake and resulting tsunami killed an estimated 20,000.

CENTRAL U.S.
TORNADOES  April set a new record, with 748 twisters in a single month. The season’s tornadoes killed 548 and did more than $24 billion worth of damage.

EAST AFRICA
DROUGHT  A continuing drought that the United Nations describes as the worst in 60 years has left 10 million hungry.

U.S. EAST COAST
HURRICANE  Irene charged up the U.S. coast in August, leaving 44 dead, 7 million without power, and thousands of roads impassable for days. Estimated damage: $7 billion.

CHINA
DROUGHT   The southwest is suffering under a long dry spell that threatens the clean water supply for 14 million people.


But the largest disaster  is what we are doing to the planet, and it is connected with the use oil, gas and coal. [WINNER OF YOUTUBE'S BEST NONPROFIT VIDEO AWARD!!!]

300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds

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Meet Your Evolutionary Vegetarian Cousin

"In 1959 paleontologist Mary Leakey pulled a bone fragment from a gully in Tanzania. The find turned out to be one small piece of Paranthropus boisei, an evolutionary cousin who went extinct some 1.5 million years ago. His strong jaw, flat molars, and bony spine on top of the skull led paleontologists to believe he ate nuts and seeds, earning him the nickname Nutcracker Man.

But last May, University of Utah geochemist Thure Cerling revealed that P. boisei had unexpected dining habits. Analyzing carbon isotopes from the tooth enamel of 22 P. boisei individuals, Cerling found traces not of nuts but mostly grasses and grasslike plants. About 80 percent of their food came from the fields, where they grazed alongside gazelles, horses, and elephants.

That diet is markedly different from those of other primates. Chimps and gorillas find their food in forests. Direct human ancestors ate plants and meat. “It’s long been thought that primate digestive physiology was not that adaptable, but clearly grass was an available resource and P. boisei took advantage of it,” Cerling says. “Even though it’s no longer around, P. boisei’s line lasted half a million years—twice as long as modern humans
so far.”

"Love Makes a Family"

This year, over 18 million people on YouTube saw Zach Wahls defend marriage equality on behalf of his family in front of the Iowa Legislature.

This month, thousands of families submitted photos, joining Zach and his family in sending out this simple holiday greeting.....and creating this video and online campaign called "Love Makes a Family."

 

And in case you missed the first Zach Wahls video, here it is [well worth watching a second time] :

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Thank you Christopher

Of the many tributes to Christopher Hitchens, this is by far one of the best.  Eloquently spoken, beautifully realized.  Much like Mr. Hitchens himself, this video is a work of art.

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