Environmental Graffiti: Offbeat Environmental News

I was doing research on moss and I ended up at this website. In a similiar spirit as the www.oddee.com website, Environmental Graffiti reports on odd and interesting phenomenon with an environmental spin. They have a lot of interesting articles and pictures. Born in May 2007, Environmental Graffiti is an eclectic mix of the most bizarre, funny and interesting environmental news on the planet. They search the vast realms of the internet on behalf of all environmentalists who don’t take themselves too seriously and compile it into a daily blog. Surf and enjoy!

Here are some really interesting could pictures from one of their posts:

This is an angel cloud made from military planes and a pig cloud made from factories.



Here is a naturally formed fish cloud and a disk cloud over a mountain.



If you're interesting in checking out fascinating environmental phenomenon click here or the logo above.

Democracy Now: TV and Radio News

Democracy Now is a Television and Radio program that provides alternative news and is a progressive left leaning program. The show is hosted by Amy Goodman and she covers a wide range of issues from the Iraq war to the market meltdown. Democracy Now is a well produced program that tries its best to be balanced.

Particular shows that I found interesting were the following:

Nobel Prize-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz: Obama Has Confused Saving the Banks with Saving the Bankers

“The Zombie Ideas Have Won”–Paul Krugman on $1 Trillion Geithner Plan to Buy Toxic Bank Assets

“Economic Hit Man” John Perkins Recounts US Efforts to Block Nationalization of Panama Canal

All three interviews are very interesting and the viewer will get interesting viewpoints on our handling of the US economy and foreign policy. Click here or the logo to go the website.

Core77: An Industrial Design Magazine

Similar to the Crib Candy website that I mentioned in an earlier post Core77 is a website that all the industrial designers go to keep up with the latest trends. The website is packed full of new and innovative designs. I have yet to explore the website and have only been to the webpage a couple of time but from what I saw it was really cool.

Here is their mission statement:

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Since 1995 Core77.com has served a devoted global audience of industrial designers ranging from students through seasoned professionals. Core77 publishes articles, discussion forums, an extensive event calendar, hosts portfolios, job listings, a database of design firms, schools, vendors and services. Core77 provides a gathering point for designers and enthusiasts alike by producing design competitions, lecture series, parties, and exhibits.

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To check out the website go to www.core77.com or click the logo.

NHK Professional: Shigoto No Ryuugi

This is my all time favorite television series and I am going to really gush when talking about this show. It chronicles the lives of professionals in all different walks of life. The program follows these professionals into their workplace and provides an inside view of their daily dealings at the job site. This is interweaved with the professionals confiding to the audience their personal history, evolution, trials and tribulations.

It is a really inspiring show because it encourages me to live my life to the fullest and work for others. The documentary shows people who have discovered what their mission in life is, what they were put on this earth to do and you see them putting their entire lives into moving forward on the road they chose. I watch this program and I want to be like these people. You are able to see their inner lives shining and radiating out of them and giving all they got. You can also tell that these people work not for money but to carry out their job with passion. You get a feeling of nobility when you hear their stories.

To sum it up, this program focuses on what it is to be a true professional at work and what are the keys to becoming one. All in all it is a great show but unfortunately it is in Japanese which is a tragedy. I think everyone would benefit from this program and feel a sense of passion surging forth in their lives from watching this program.

To check out this program click here or the picture above.

Alex Jones' Infowars

This website is where all the conspiracy theorists go to get their information. I am not one and I have an issue with the host, Alex Jones, because he is too quick to conclude that everything is caused by the shadow government or is a conspiracy. I do feel he is a good resource and his show and website is a good place to obtain a different perspective. Infowars is a good alternative news source and you maybe able to come to your own conclusions by using information from here, mainstream media and other alternative news sources. By going to this website it is a good exercise in developing your critical thinking regarding world affairs.

It is a interesting website and is definitely worth checking out. Click here or the picture of Alex Jones above to listen to his program or read articles.

Ego Wrappin': Excellent Indie Band

This band is one of my favorite Japanese bands of all time. Ego-Wrappin's music is mostly influenced by jazz, often featuring traditional jazz band instrumentation, including a double bass and horns section,however, their music also integrates many different styles such as rock, raggae, or pop. Here is an article on them.

The mainstream Japanese music scene is full of crap such as Morning Musume, Arashi and NEWS which have no musical relevancy and are just money making schemes.

Ego Wrappin is part of a healthy Japanese indie scene and they are worth checking out.

My recommendations are:
Darui
Gogatsu no Clover
Ashinaga no Salvadore

To check out several of their songs click here or the picture.

Bladerunner: 1982 Cult Classic Movie

There isn't much need for an explanation here. If you are a sci-fi fan, Blade Runner needs no introduction. This is one of my favorite movies by Ridley Scott. I really like the cyberpunk genre and if you like this movie then you will also like the anime Akira and the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

Bladerunner did get mixed reviews when it first came up but it is now a cult classic and also has received a number of accolades:

In 2007, the American Film Institute listed it as the 97th greatest film of all time, making it new to the list, having been left off the 1997 version. In 2008, Blade Runner was voted the sixth best science fiction film ever made as part of the AFI's 10 Top 10.

To watch to full movie click here or the movie poster.

AZNV TV: Free Asian Dramas, Anime, and Movies

AZNV TV is awesome site! It probably is one of the largest databases of Asian movies, anime and dramas. Whenever I want to watch a Japanese anime or drama, I go to this website and they usually have it. Also all the files have english translation so its great! You can sign up here. Due to its popularity there are rare occasions that files don't load up because of traffic.

My personal recommendations are:
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FLCL - Naota is a normal Japanese 6th grade boy (although a little cynical), but when his older brother leaves for America to play baseball, his brother leaves his homeless 17 year old girlfriend Mamimi behind. Mamimi is sending mixed signals and advances to Naota, and he doesn't know what to do about her. But to make matters worse, Naota's world is totally turned upside down when he is run over by a woman on a Vespa. During their first encounter, she hits him over the head with her guitar, which then causes a horn to grow out of his forehead. She calls herself "Haruko" and her presence changes Naota's life to even further insanity.

Barefoot Gen - The series begins in 1945 in and around Hiroshima, Japan where the six-year-old boy Gen lives with his family. After Hiroshima is destroyed by an atomic bomb, Genand other survivors are left to deal with the aftermath. The movie chronicles his trials and tribulations.

Planetes - It is the year 2075. In a world where travelling between Earth, Space stations and the moon has become normal. Hachimaki (Hoshino Hachirouta) is just an ordinary salaryman. He works at a space station collecting debris. However, he has a dream of owning his very own space ship someday. And so he is spending his days collecting debris together with his colleagues Yuri, Fee and his friend Tanabe. Now it is his fourth year doing that work and he is going to be 25 years old soon, which is why he starts to think about his life. How does Hachimaki feel? Well, today, Hachimaki is going to do the same job...

To check out the site go to aznv.tv or click the banner above.

Peter Schiff: Investment Manager Who Predicted the Stock Market Crash

In the same vein as Jim Rogers and Marc Faber, both of whom I introduced in a previous post, Peter Schiff is a non-conformist and contrarian when it comes to the economy. He along with Rogers and Faber predicted the economic collapse. The first time he began speaking about the overvaluation of the stock market and its collapse was in 2002. Peter Schiff is a fund manager of Euro Pacific Capital and is another expert that should be closely followed. Stay up to date by tuning into his weekly program on his website at www.europac.net/radioshow_archives.asp. I strongly suggest listening to him along with Rogers and Faber. By preparing for the future based on the facts that these three present, listeners should be in good position in preserving their live in the rough times that is to come.

If you want to stay current with the global economy and get a different perspective on what is to come economically then click here or the picture of Peter Schiff.

Gaia No Yoake: Japanese Business Documentaries

It is tremendously unfortunate that such a program as Gaia No Yoake or (Gaia's Dawn in English) does not exist in the United States. It is a documentary that delves deeply into certain business sectors and industries and chronicles the trends, challenges and events happening in these places. What makes the program even more engaging is they follow companies and reveal what strategies and actions they are taking to respond to the times. For any person who is interested in business, finance and economics this program is a revelation and is a very a good source of generating ideas and strategies for their own business situation.

Whenever I watch this program it is a good motivator for me because it instills a bit of fear in me. The program gives me a chance to look at the global competition out there and it is tough so it serves as a good reminder that I have to work harder.

The programs takes such a unique perspective that I wish there is a similar program in the US. I apologize but only Japanese speakers will be able to benefit from this post.

For Japanese speakers click here or the picture above to view episodes. As a note you will have to install Veoh, a media program, to view the episodes but it is well worth the trouble.

Dr. Wayne Dyer: The Power of Intention

As it is quite obvious at this point, I watch a lot of PBS. This programs that I am introducing is another program that I saw on the channel. It is a presentation/lecture by Dr. Wayne Dyer on maximizing the potential that sleeps in our lives. I like his lecture because it is inspirational and he gives a lot of moving anecdotes on the greatness of mankind and the individual. I particularly like his presentation because it is in accord with Buddhist philosophy which I am a firm follower.

One of the highlight of his lecture is the story about a disabled boy named Shaya and the time he played baseball with other kids. It is a wonderful story that is a testament of the goodness of humankind. I am not going to go into detail about the story but it is worth checking out if you need an emotional and spiritual pick me up.

Click here or the picture above to watch the full lecture. You will definitely feel refreshing and inspired after listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer.

PBS: Frontline

Frontline is one of my favorite PBS documentary series. It is a very well produced program and I am almost always interested in the topics that they cover. Their website actually has a large collection of previous programs they have aired that can be viewed for free. Their webpage is well put together and fairly easy to navigate since each photo represents an episode.

They focus on current issues so this site is another resource in which you can stay current with the times and be exposed to matters that are important today.

Episodes that I think were particularly interesting were the following:

The Madoff Affair: Go inside the dealings of the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme

Inside the Meltdown: An in depth look of the days during the recent financial collapse

Young and Restless in China: A look inside the lives of young Chinese people dealing with the rapid changes in their country

To check out some episodes click here or click the Frontline logo.

TubeZoom: Free Movies

Want to watch movies that that have just been release for free? I have the website for you! Actually my dad discovered this site and I have been going to this place frequently to see new movies. The most recent movies I have seen are Star Trek, Pelham 1,2,3, Up, Hangover, Inkheart, Revolutionary Road, and the Land of the Lost. That is $70 in savings if I were to go watch it at a theater! Yeah boy!

The only draw back the movie isn't in the best of quality because it is some guy with a camcorder in a theater. Also sometime the text is in Russian. Hey, but its free so your not hearing any complaints from me. Another drawback which is a pain but only happens once is that they ask you to fill out a survey. I filled out an eHarmony application but I only had to do it once. After that I was good to go. They just added Ice Age and Transformers.

Go check it out at tubezoom.com or click the logo.

Nujabes: This is Real Hip Hop!

I personally feel that Nujabes is one of the best hip hop beat makers out there today. Like the Sound Providers that I introduced earlier he is a minimalist that focuses on using piano, classical guitar, and jazz samples. Nujabes hails from Japan. His real name is Jun Seba which is Nujabes spelled in reverse (following the Japanese tradtion of placing the last name first, Seba Jun). Nujabes' music steps away from the traditional sound of hip hop that has heavy traces of jazz, soul and R&B samples and sounds more like new age and classical music. A truly refreshing sound that natural guides the listener into deep contemplation and reflecting on one's own life.

My personal recommendations are the following:

Arurian Dance - Classical guitar sample, relaxing chill out beat
Eternal Reflection - Classical piano sample, a deep song that puts the listener in a contemplative mood
Hikari - Symphony and piano sample, really relaxing beat, MC Substantial rapping over the beat

Check out song by Nujabes by clicking here or clicking the album cover.

Marc Farber and Jim Rogers Discussing World Economics: A Must Watch!

Marc Faber is one of the most respected investment analyst in his field. His advice and analysis are sought after by major investors and media outlets around the world. He correctly predicted the market crash of 1987 and his predictions of rising oil, gold and precious metals prices has been accurate which he presented in 2000. He also predicted the market crash of 2007 and is currently strongly advising investors to get out of the dollar.

Jim Rogers is a renown investor and is author of several best selling books including his most famous work "Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers". He first found success by partnering up with George Soros and establishing the Quantum Fund which grossed a total return of 4700% Along with Marc Faber he correctly predicted the most recent economic collapse. He adamantly states to get out of the dollar, invest in commodities, and move to China.
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The conversation that the two had along with oil expert Daniel Jurgen took place in 2005 which makes it a little dated but a lot of the topics that they discuss are still relevant today. It would be well advised to listen to this conversation to use it as a good introduction to these two men. By listening to these two the viewer will get a good sense of what is happening in the world currently and what direction it is heading in the near future. I strongly suggest that viewers follow both Marc Farber and Jim Rogers closely and based on the information they provide develop a financial plan accordingly. In terms of the current financial collapse, we are still not out of the woods yet and it is only going to get worse. According to both Faber and Rogers once the US economy begins to make a recovery the country is going experience hyper-inflation greatly devaluing the dollar. They believe civil unrest in the U.S as well as other parts of the world is highly probable due to the tremendous lose of wealth. Don't be caught with your pants down! Gather as much information and develop a solid plan because these next couple of decades are going to be rough.

To listen to their informative and eye opening conversation click here or the picture of Marc Faber.

Oddee: A Blog On Oddities

I can spend hours at this incredibly interesting website. It is a blog that posts all types of strange oddities of the world.

Some examples of posts at these blogs are topics such as: 7 Incredible Natural Phenomena You've Never Seen, 10 Most Amazing Ghost Towns, 10 Most Creative Bras, World's Most Amazing Islands, 15 Most Offensive, Banned and Rejected Ads, etc.

Here are some pictures taken out of a 10 Fascinating Frozen Wonders of Nature post:

Check out interesting topics at www.oddee.com or by clicking the logo above.

Zeitgeist Addendum Documentary

In the movie Matrix, Neo, the protagonist, takes the red pill to "see how far the rabbit hole goes" and wakes up to the true reality of the world. Zeitgeist Addendum is such a red pill and is a documentary that challenges our prevailing perceptions of our societal institutions. The movie goes into religion, 9/11 and the banking system. This is a favorite of conspiracy theorists and is a controversial movie. I am not a conspiracy theorist but some of what is presented in this movie is interesting and thought provoking to me. The movie makes some radical statements and I do not claim to accept all the ideas of the movie completely. The movie has, however, pushed me to look at things from a different perspective and has helped me to think critically on all matters of the world. You don't have to believe in what is presented but I think it is important to ask questions. The doors of perception will open up some more after watching this movie. To watch it click here or the movie poster.

Crib Candy: Household Design Blog

Stay up to date on the latest designs for household items. Although I can't afford most of the stuff on this website, the site is packed full of eye candy. I always feel refreshed when I go here because it is filled with so many beautiful things. If you want to be where art meets functionality then Crib Candy is one of the best places to go. Here are some gems that I found while perusing the blog.

The table on the upper left is one of my favorites and it is called Nar. The designers of this table says: “nar” means “pomegranate” in turkish. Pomegranate is a fruit that holds hundreds of juicy seeds inside. It’s a fruit that symbolizes fertility. Nar coffeetable carries books and books carry ideas. Ideas can be destructive as much as they can be constructive. Our aim was to emphasize the danger and the dilemma it holds with utter nakedness."

The table was awarded the Design of the Year in Istanbul Design Week 2005

For more cool looking household items go to www.cribcandy.com or click the Crib Candy logo above.

No End In Sight: Documentary of US Failure In Iraq

This award winning movie is a thorough dissection of the failure of US foreign policy of the occupation of Iraq. The movie gives the viewer an inside view of the movement and stages of the occupation.

The whole event was a travesty because capable experienced experts were originally put in place to work on the occupation; however, in order for the occupation to meet the political agenda of the Bush Administration, competent experts were replaced with unqualified inexperienced bureaucrats who made key decisions that set off a series of catastrophic events shifting an already serious problem into a full blown catastrophe.

What I walked away with after watching the movie is the importance and extremely critical nature of leadership. The movie reveals the heaviness and responsibility individuals have when sitting at a high level position. So many lives are in the balance and the administration seemed to have made uninformed decisions with no regard to the lives of the U.S soldiers and the Iraqi people. Prepared to be shocked, angry and better informed by watching this documentary. Click here to see the entire movie or click on the movie poster.

The Young Turks: Political and Celebrity News

If you want to keep up to date with politics and be wildly entertained at the same time then The Young Turks is the Youtube channel talk show to check out. Former Republican turned Democrat Cenk Uygur (first name pronounced Jank) who is a left leaning moderate hosts the show and shares his opinions on current political news. The show also covers celebrity news led by Ana Kasparian and supported by producer Jayar Jackson and director Jesus Godoy.

I think the commentary is on point and they are consistent in posing convincing rational arguements. I particularly like the personality of all who are involved because the color commentary provided by everyone fits my taste. Cenk has phrases he is known to use such as "of coooooooooooourse!" and "whoopsie doopsy" which I find particularly amusing.

I think it is a really well put together show considering their production budget. They get the job done and they get a thumbs up from me.

Check them out by clicking here or the picture above.

Now This is Real Hip Hop!

Man oh man! These guys are so good. This is underground hip hip at its best. If you like Common, Mos Def, The Roots, et. al. then you will like Surreal and the Sound Providers.

With the crap that is out there such as Soldier Boy, the "You're a Jerk" kids (they are horrible, they bit off the style of the Pack, "Got My Vans On"). I thought that hip hop was dead.

Surreal and the Sound Providers single-handedly resurrected hip hop with their album "True Indeed". The song consists mostly of jazz samples and has a real nice 60's-70's feel. The music is very minimalist and is not over the top with its sound so even though you don't like hip hip if you like jazz you will like this group. The lyrics focus on moving forward in life and bettering yourself. The theme and message of the music is positive.

My personal recommendations are:
Autumns Evening Breeze
The Field
Push On

Money As Debt

One thing that has always eluded me was what money is, how
it is generated, and the deep intricacies of how it functions. Whenever I saw the printing presses at the treasury generating large amounts of bills on television, I always wondered where it came from. Based on the law of conservation of energy: energy is neither created nor destroyed; however, money seemed like it didn't follow this law. Money seemed to be created out of nothing.

I was surfing through youtube.com one day and typed in the word "money" in the search field and I came across a documentary called "Money as Debt" that completely broke down the monetary and banking system down. It starts with the history of the banking system, the creation of interest rates, the introduction of fractional lending, and the concept of the creation of the money supply through the use of debt. This documentary also proposes an alternative approach to the money supply.

We are sometimes so immersed in systems be it social, environmental, economic and political that we forget to step back and think critically about them. This documentary reveals some surprising concepts about our monetary system and provides the viewer with an opportunity to question the current system.

If you want a better understanding of one of the major influences of society, money, and discover answers and questions about it click here or the picture above.

FORA TV: The World Is Thinking

This website is awesome! It is a site that holds a large collection of lectures from world re-known thinkers. By coming to this site you will be able to stay current with all the latest developments in the spheres of politics, the environment, technology, culture, science and the economy.

My personal recommendations that I thought were particularly interesting are:

Michael Lewis: The End of Wall Street - His perspective on the collapse of Wall Street, his family and the writing of Hardball, the book about the Oakland Athletics front office management.

Thomas Friedman: Why We Need a Green Revolution - Discusses how green technology can bring the US back to relevance in the near future and the role of other countries in the world.

This site is so good and has a wealth of current information. It is definitely worth checking out the site at fora.tv or by clicking either the logo above or the "Recommended Links" section on the upper right hand side of this site.

Logan's Run: 1972 Cult Classic

I have always heard about this movie but I finally got around to watching this movie this weekend. I actually really like cheesy science fiction movies and this one was pretty good. Considering that this movie was made in 72', the special effects were probably amazing at the time. There were several scenes where I wondered how they pulled off the effects.

If you like sci-fi B-movies such as "The Battle Beyond the Stars" and "Ice Pirates" then you will like this movie. It is interesting to see what people thought the future would look like in the 70's. If you like that 70's movie feel th this is the movie for you. Here are some reviews by movie critics:

Roger Ebert gave the film a three star rating, calling the film a "vast, silly extravaganza", with a plot that's a "cross between Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars and elements of Planet of the Apes, but "that delivers a certain amount of fun."

The New York Times was less positive:
“Just why and for what particular purpose Logan makes his run is anything but clear after you've sat through nearly two hours of this stuff. Logan's Run is less interested in logic than in gadgets and spectacle, but these are sometimes jazzily effective and even poetic. Had more attention been paid to the screenplay, the movie might have been a stunner.”
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Gene Siskel gave the movie no stars and called it "the worst major motion picture in seven years of reviewing films." Siskel cited what he believed to be "cheap special effects" and "terrible performances with the exception of Peter Ustinov, whose cameo is expanded to a ridiculous length because he is the only decent thing in the movie." Siskel stated his contempt for the film began in the opening scroll with information about the Carrousel and "a half dozen or so other facts but I'll be damned if I could read them in the time allotted so already the audience is angry with the picture."

Click here to watch the movie or the movie poster above.

Jacque Fresco: Industrial Designer and Visionary

I sometimes really question the present social construct. I really don't buy the argument that capitalism is the best economic and social system out there. I guess it is the best out there for now and the lesser of all other evils; however, when monetary gain is the primary motivator used to move humanity forward, I feel it is accompanied by a significant level of greed, competition, sense of scarcity, and disconnection. These elements suppress the advancement of humanity thus rendering capitalism an inefficient system to move humanity forward.

Capitalism became the predominant social system around the 1300's and since then we have had tremendous technological and social advances but at what cost? Since then we have had about 165 wars and tyrannies in the 20th century alone, killing an estimated 180 million people. Today under the predominantly capitalistic world system, 80% of the world population is living on $1 a day. Something is seriously wrong here. Your telling me that the best the world can offer is a system that can only provide a 20% success rate? Granted, ultimately it comes down to the thoughts, spirit and morality of humanity and not so much what system is in place. If people are screwed up, the world is screwed up no matter what perfect system you have in place. However, I don't think capitalism is the answer even though the verdict is still out on its effectiveness.

Is there a more efficient system out there where we can advance without such high costs? We need a system that cultivates the desire to advance humanity opposed to cultivating the desire to achieve monetary gain. Jacque Fresco proposes such a system. He is the creator of The Venus Project a social model centered on the scientific method, eliminating inefficiencies, maximizing the human potential and implementing a resource based economy. The Venus Project states: "A Resource-Based Economy is a system in which all goods and services are available without the use of money, credits, barter or any other system of debt or servitude. All resources become the common heritage of all of the inhabitants, not just a select few. The premise upon which this system is based is that the Earth is abundant with plentiful resource; our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter productive to our survival."

Click here or the picture of Jacque Fresco above to watch a documentary on this great man. His vision is light years away from our current thinking and we will probably only to begin seeing a hint of such society thousands of years from now but I think this is the way to go. I hope you enjoy the movie!

Road Trip Nation: For people who are trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives.

I bumped into Road Trip Nation on PBS several years ago. Although I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, I was even more lost several years back and this series really helped clear some of the fog away. For those of you who are seriously searching for what you want to do with your life, career-wise this series is a must watch. What you will get out of watching this are all the essential elements to guide your life on the correct course.

The premise of the series is a group of students who feel pressured by society and are unclear of their career paths touring the entire US interviewing successful people from all fields in society. The people being interviewed are folks who are living lives that truly follow their hearts. This series is perfect for those of you who are in search of what is real in life. Here is the link to all the episodes: http://www.roadtripnation.com. You can also reach the website by clicking the green RV picture or going to the "Recommended Links" section on the upper right hand corner of this page.

Purpose of This Blog

Hello Everyone! My name is Ryan and I started this blog because I wanted to create a platform in which people can get a chance to get into my head. For those who care, you will get a better understanding of my world perceptions, passions, motivations by exploring this blog. I also want to use this blog as an avenue where I am able to refer people to things that I feel are of value and would help in bettering the quality of their daily lives. The blog will mainly consist of entries of my personal thoughts, links to points of interest and critiques on a wide range of things. My hope is that this blog will be a place where you will be activated mentally as well as spiritually and a place where these two elements will be challenged. Thank you for visiting my site.

Sincerely,

Ryan