Storage

First of all I am not superstitious, I believe in facts and scientific reasons for most things. Do I believe in God? Sure I do. I actually grew up in a strong Catholic background and baptized as a born again Christian. I wouldn't say I am a backslider either, I just keep it real and be a human being. Hoping I am excepted the way I am created. There were points in my life questioning my faith but then later down the road, it makes a lot of sense. Not just Christian wise but what I learned from other beliefs and philosophies. Now, what in the hell is this has to do with storage? Well, a few things. Maybe more. But things are somehow working on it's own as if something is arranging things around. Some I thought it's not going the way I want it. But then, I paused about what I want and think outside of my own box, and realized it's actually better. Not just for me but everyone.


Few days back, right before I was almost done listing all my favorite patches of drum kits, vocals, modulations, drum patterns, and etc., from my Micro-X synthesizer. I planned to buy a binder and some plastic covers for the prints. Took me awhile to list the best once because there were over a thousand patches, and not only that, I listened to every each of them. I actually experiment and jam to almost every each patches, both straight from the keys and the knobs, and hooking it to my MPC midis. My feet were even sore standing in front of the keyboard from jamming. Anyway, about the plastic cover sheets, I went to Walgreens to buy some but they only had binders and not the plastic sheet covers. So I went to the storage room in the backyard and look for some. I used to collect a bunch of graphics from magazines, rip the pages off, and place them in plastic sheet covers all clipped up in binders. I used them for a reference doing graphic arts or getting ideas from. Some were old so I threw them away and use what is needed.


As I was looking through the binders, I also found this Recipe Binder which I was planning in keeping it handy. I've been obsessed writing recipes lately. It could be a survival mode thing.


And I also found this Black & Decker Booklet.


I even forgot I had this. I don't play this. But I did kept it for a reference in making characters, perhaps for the video gaming industry. I didn't really had the time to work on that portfolio then. But now I'm gonna keep this handy as well.


Old comic strips I was working on back in 1996 but never finished. I was trying to get that same essence of Frank Miller's style for his Comic or Graphic Novel "Sin City".


Here's another page. I probably wouldn't work on a Comic or Graphic Novel down the road. Maybe some illustrations using a Digital Sketch Pad, which is much cleaner for me to work on later. Right now there are way too much shit to be focused on to that.


Specially now, for economic advantages, my little bro (Venus) and his lady Elsie are moving back to the house. Venus has some expensive fancy looking appliances and the dude rented a storage room for them. And I know we had to get rid of few things from the house in order to make room for their things. There are few things in the backyard I can live without, like the backyard gym - for now I rather go biking around the hood and do push ups in my room. And few things I can live without in the storage like my old macintosh, now collectible item. But really I just wanted to use the old macintosh to write stories and journals with no worries of being hacked or spied on while working on them. Beside we might need some of them fancy appliances in the backyard for cutting meat or for oysters and beers. The other two roommates moved near by The Great Mall where they work.


It's not a toy, as playful like this playground here, right in front of Venus' and Elsie's apartment. I kept some of my things for later needs. Like my art supplies, specially my easel maaan. I might need that when I'm like 80 years old for painting a nude lady. Actually, you never know when you need some of the things you stored in the closets. You never know when little kids pop out of no where and you had to pass on what my little sister and bro had when they were little. It's just me, I know what it's like having less. In the other hand, since there just there, mind as well sell them or donate them to who ever needs them more than we do at the moment. I tend to like my area clean too, but then I also know about preservation.


This here is their apartment. I say they can save more staying at the house if they want to get a bigger house later. Daamn man, it's gonna be some work again trying to separate my own things from the storage. I don't have a lot. I'm just concerned where to place my own things.


All these things going on, specially since the place I applied as a mobile patrol man haven't called yet, makes me wanna cook something. Here is what I recently cooked - It's Curry Goat. Perhaps I have better chances elsewhere as a security guard aside being a mobile patrol man anyway.

The Ingredients:

*Around 8 pounds - Goat Ribs / Back Bones / Some Meat (remove the fat)
*1/8 Cup - Curry Powder
*2 Tsp - Ground Pepper
*10 Cloves - Garlic (minced)
*1 Whole - Onions (diced)
*10 Thin - Carrots (chopped unto 3)
*6 - Bay Leafs
*1 Can - Coconut Milk
*6 Glass - Water (or more, eyeball it)
*5 - Ripe Tomatoes
*1/8 Cup - Fish Sauce (or go for the taste)
*1 Tbsp - Oil

Procedures:

Cut the meat and bones - remove the fat - use a mallet to hammer the meat cleaver to cut through bones. Minced the garlic, cubed the onions - drop that to the cooking pot with a little bit of oil. Add in the meat, a little bit of ground pepper, and bay leafs - let it fry a little, place the lid. Add in some fish sauce, and curry powder. Wait for that to cook a little bit, and then add in coconut milk and water. Make sure to add lots of water to make the meat soft - takes about an hour and a half till the meat are soft and tender - and then add in the carrots and tomatoes. When the carrots are soft - it's done.

I heard it's more Caribbean or Jamaican if it has more water, and Arabic or East Indian if it was thicker...

Hindu Psychic Readings

I'm not much of a believer in Taro Readings and Crystal Balls, but I do somewhat believe that there are authentic readers of the stars, that can foretold the future. One good example is the famous Notradamus. Astronomers had been reading the stars for thousands of years man. Ever since the stars and the moon were the only source of lights at nights before men discovered fire. So there's gotta be some guidance from the stars that had been evolved till today after thousands of years.

One time, around 7 years ago, I was walking to an asian plaza's parking lot going to an asian super market. An indian dude approached me and says "You my friend are in a terrible situation about a girl..." And I said "Wtf... How so?" And he says "You love this girl but you know she's not the right one." And then he goes on to say "I can read it all over you." I was actually more pissed than surprised how he knew that. Plus I ain't that much of a good looking guy and then to say something like that didn't really help my day.

And then the dude came closer and showed me some magic. I forgot what it was. There were three questions that he guessed right, I just forgot the other two. But I think it had to do with colors I was thinkin' that day, and the type of flowers I was also thinking at that moment. There was this magic guess that stood out from the rest of his guesses that I remember to this day, is when he asked "Think of an animal, somewhere in the jungle..." And I said, "A frog!" He was about to hand me a piece of paper where he recently wrote something on it but didn't, and then he goes on again and asked "No no in a jungle somewhere. A beast like animal... quickly quickly." So I said a "A tiger?" And then he gave me the crumpled piece of paper and told me to open it, so I did and sure enough, the paper says "Tiger." It was a little funny because these type of guesses are mostly common. Actually, I did think of a tiger but I had to play smart with his guesses.


He had a book with him. He opened it, and had a picture of Krishna as a divider for his book. I think it was a Hindu Bible. He had a small chart or something in the book. He asked the date of my birth, and so I did. Made some quick calculations and says that there's something about a girl in the future. A perfect match. But there's gonna be communication problems (also very common to a lot of dudes searching for relations - but it was interesting enough). He said "I can help you fix this by giving you these little amulets." The dude showed me few tiny crystals and stones. He says he had to do fasting and some prayers first. But in order to help me out, is to give him some money I can afford to give. Right when he mentioned money, I thought the dude was a scam. He could tell I was skeptical. So he said "Why would I be a scam if a doctor gets payed for being a doctor, why can't I also get payed." It's true, but to me a doctor is a profession. Crystal Balls are in a magic category, and magic is a part of illusions, and illusions is a part of trickery. So trickery is a scam. That's why I didn't have to pay the dude. The only things I gave that day was bottles of water because it was hella hot that day.

Speaking of star readings, The Three Kings that found where Baby Jesus was by looking at them stars, were actually Astrologist sent by King Herod to find the new born king. Others says it was a fire in the sky that lead them, meaning possibly a UFO. But knowing that The Three Kings were also called The Three Wisemen and Magi, was enough clue for me to know that they were looking at the stars. Not one star, but the stars. Magi also means Magic or Magicians. Just to correct my criticism what magic means.

I was searching for some Hindu Psychics in Youtube and found this video. A Hindu Pyschic named O-Star-O from The Letterman Show. Circa 1986. I then google searched Hindu Psychics and learned that it's something that anyone can master. It's not one of them typical gift that certain people are born with. I could be wrong though, but so far I think It's more like a profession. And it's called Nakshatra.



Here are the basics of Hinduism. I found this from Himalaya Academy. Now, I am a Christian. Not a perfect one, but I gathered enough evidence and reasons why I sticked to my belief. I am also opened to learn other Religions and Philosophies.

Hinduism determine the thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct actions. By actions, creates destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters--God, soul and cosmos--are essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

Hinduism, the world is oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations: Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.

One:
Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

Two:
Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.

Three:
Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

Four:
Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

Five:
Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.

Six:
Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

Seven:
Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.

Eight:
Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.

Nine:
Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Polynesian Diet

The first time I heard of Samoans was back in the Philippines, when I was around 7 years old. A relative had this postcard and he says the people in it were Samoans. When I was in the States, the first time I've seen about Samoans were on TV in the WWF. A notorious wrestlers called The Wild Samoans: Afa & Sika. The Wild Samoans didn't even have to say a word, they just growl and Captain Lou Albano would speak for them, and then The Wild Samoans would finished off by wildly eating a raw lobster. It was pretty crazy. Later in my life I've met few Samoans but most of them are really soft spoken people. If you haven't seen The Wrestler yet, make sure to check it (r-rated). I think it's a really cool film, the script, acting, and even the soundtrack was cool. Afa one of The Wild Samoan trained Mickey Rourke for the film.

After learning that Samoans and other Pacific Islanders share the same Cultural Ladder as Filipinos, I wonder how they got so huge. Majority of Eastern Pacific Islanders are big in stature than the typical Southeast Asian. I always thought, it could be from their diet of hunting down The Giant Moas. But Giant Moas are only in one area, which is in New Zealand. The Giant Moas were hunted down for food until they were all extinct. But that wasn't the reason why they got so big because the Maoris were already big folks when they arrived in New Zealand.


On mother's day, my family and I went to this Buffet Restaurant which serves Asian Cuisines. As well as Shell Fish and Sushi. When we were there, the restaurant were also packed with Tongans. There were also Indo-Fijians. At first my Family and I thought they were Samoans. Big folks. It sucks though because the restaurant didn't have any dividers. I am used of eating alone. Everythin' was in the open and we didn't know a single one of them. It was sunday so I figured the Tongans must be from a Mormon Church. Perfect day to celebrate mother's day. Tongans are of Fijian people (melanesians) mixed with the Samoans (polynesians). But they do have their own Islands just bellow Samoa, and just across side of Fiji. The youth consider themselves the Vikings of the South Pacific.

About the restaurant, the restaurant is literarily called Crazy Buffet, there are a lot of Asian Buffet around Silicon Valley with funny names, there's another one called Yummy Buffet, next thing you know another one is called Eat Food Buffet or Very Fishy Food Buffet. These owners must be laughing on their way to the bank for having them catchy names. Good food though. Maybe even better than some Authentic Restaurants.

Noticing how they like shell fish, also brought back some memories of The Wild Samoans. Which gave me enough clue to know how they got so huge. These people lives in small islands. Which gave them lots of advantages over the large ocean that surrounds their homelands. Like one big table filled with lobsters and other types of fish. I like them too and I think they are tasty, but I can't eat shell food like: Lobsters, Crabs, and Shrimps. Not even Squid or Octopus. If I do, my skin starts to itch, my throat starts to itch, and then my lungs gets tighter. I can though eat regular fish. Oysters are okay. Just not that day, I had enough Tilapia and Tuna at home, and wanted to try other food than fIsh.

Common Polynesian Diets and Fishing Tool:
Lobsters, Taros, and a Fishing Hook an evidence of hunting big fish.


Typical Wooden Clubs for Paddling, Hunting, Playing, and Fighting:
You gotta knocked a huge fish somehow. And knocked territorial rivalries at the sea. To me the Wooden Club also gave birth to Cricket and then to Baseball. Boomerang is also a cool hunting tool and weapon from the Aboriginal People of Australia. Philippines has the Yo-Yo. But I ain't sure how Yo-Yo works as a Hunting Tool.



The Moai Statues of Rapa Nui: Just a sample of carving canoes evolved unto ritualistic carving of logs and stones as an artifacts. I mean if you live in an Island, there's gotta be lots of time to kill. Plenty of time waiting for the GODs in which they were from. Plenty of time for art. Plus art also keeps the mind occupied and strong.



Here is a sample of a Maori Tiki Jade. A Moko Facial Tattoo is also a form of carving but with ink. A Fish Hook Pendant made of Bone.


The images bellow illustrates the Austronesian People of Oceania:

MALAYAN

Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo, Taiwan, and etc.
These groups migrated from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. Also known as the East Indies. The Westerners that discovered East Indies of Malay were Spanish, French, Dutch, and Americans. The Malaysians kept the name as their official country name. Malayans are the forefathers of the Austronesian Language and Culture.

MELANESIAN

Solomon, Papua New Guinea, Australia (aboriginal), Timor (alfredo reinado), Fiji, and etc.
The black people of Oceania. The Westerners that discovered the Melanesians were Portuguese, Dutch and British Missionaries. To me MICRONESIA is also part of the MELANESIAN, basically just smaller islands just above the MELANESIAN islands. It's cool how some people of the Solomon and Australia have natural blond hair. I think it has to do with the sun and the ocean. There are people in the Philippines who also has blond hair, mostly young kids that lives on the oceans.

POLYNESIAN

Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand (maori), Hawaii, Tahiti, and etc.
Polynesians has Portuguese and British blood lines, as well as American. They are more known as the standard Pacific Islanders. Since the rise of Colonialism, places like Guam (micronesia) and Hawaii, or even Tahiti has mixed blood with people from the Orient. Like Japan, Korea, and China. Specially Ilocanos of the Philippines. And made a unique language of it's own called Pidgin Language. Like a boomerang that flew from the east to west. Or something like that.

A well known Polynesian Actor other than Dwayne Johnson (the rock), is Cliff Curtis. Who appeared as supporting actor in Once Were Warriors, and an extra in some award winning film The Piano. Me and my Bro sometimes laugh about it because the dude can play any type of roles. He plays characters as an Arab and even a Cholo Mexican from the movie Training Day. And I don't think a lot of people seems to notice that. The dude came up though man.



I could be wrong though, but according to my research, Filipinos is a new nationality. Christianity is the official faith. Every Nations has a beginning. The first known Filipinos were Spaniards that was born in the Philippines. Eventually, most of these Filipinos blend in with the indigenous. Some Indigenous still practice Shamanism and into Mother Nature. Before the Spaniards, were the Malay People (austronesians) and then the Arabs, Indians, Japanese, Chinese (mostly merchants). Before that were the Aetas, the very first settlers of the islands, believed to be from Madagascar. An island just below Africa.



Aight, I just finished a track, just needed a little mastering and then I'll post it here. I sampled a little bit of Asha Puthli. I had to do this Blog about Polynesian Culture or else it will keep on knocking the sides of my head to come out.

Taliban Flogged a 17 Yr. Old Girl

I found the blog from The Jawa Report. I was just browsing about the detained No. 2 suspect of the Mexican Juarez Cartel, and not only that I found what I was looking for, I also found this story of the Taliban flogging a 17 year old girl. Jeeez man, American girls has it easy and very lucky to be far from this type of laws. She was probably just talking to a girl next door or something.

Here's the grainy 3GP video being sent from phone to phone throughout Southeast Asia showing Sharia Law. In it Taliban enforcers in Pakistan's Swat Valley, which has just made peace with the Islamists and instituted Sharia Law, are seen beating a young girl.



Her crime? Either she was caught leaving a man's house without a chaperon or she's been accused of fornication.

Good thing she wasn't married and caught in the act in which case the punishment would be stoning to death.

The caption accompanying the video at Liveleak says her screams are translated as, “Please! Enough! Enough!” and, “I am repenting, my father is repenting what I have done, my grandmother is repenting what I have done...”.

The man beating her says, “You should hold her tightly so she doesn’t move.”