20081115

SAT

SIMPLE

I started making my own Kefir.

I subconsciously joke that this is en par with the contagious “hippie effect” that you catch when living in Mountain Air (for too long).

But I did it also because it makes sense and is available to me. It is so uncomplicated, unbelievable—so tasty and rich to do it this way.

Basically, you go to a health food store to the cold (dairy) section and buy a packet of “Kefir starter.” Don’t buy the expensive one that costs 25-40 bucks. Get the one by Yogourmet (brand)—it’s only 5 dollars. There are six packets (starter powders) in there.

The reason this is so cool is because once you get the culture/ starter activated: you keep “recycling” it—until the culture grows very rich; basically, you will not need to buy the starters anymore—once you get started (you just use portions of the activated Kefir and use it as a “base” or starter for more).

If you don’t know how to boil water—I can’t help you here.

All you do is boil a Quart of milk.

Once you see that it’s about to boil—turn off the heat.

Pour the entire thing into a Quart size mason jar (or any large glass jar with lid). Let it cool down to room temperature. Afterwards, just pour one packet of the powder in. Let it sit as long as you like: 24 hours min. Once it thickens up and become like a yogurt drink (Kefir)—put in the fridge.

Voila. That’s it.

You will never have to buy Yogurt of flavored garbage again. You will never produce waste. Plus, you get to choose your milk product. I personally like Raw milk—but it is illegal in most parts of America (except California, Pennsylvania and elsewhere).

But I am lucky to have a local Colorado farm that sells Whole milk in Glass bottles in the area: that is NOT homogenized; so you get all benefits of full healthy real cream (fat).

I am always shocked when I go into people’s homes and everything is “Low Fat” or “No Fat.”

Pardon my Vietnamese but: Do you realize how much “fucking” you have to do with Mother Nature to take all the Good stuff out?

That is just ignorance. Study Milk—by Weston Price and you will see why it’s hurting people more to fear fat—or any food for that matter. [alt. back up copy : if link breaks]

The only way to make something fat to low fat is to chemically alter the molecular structure or process it very harshly. It’s not “food” anymore…because it’s no longer “whole.” It will not do its job.

Further, you need healthy saturated fats combined with natural lean foods (grains, veggies, fruits, nuts and fiber) to be healthy.

Lard (melted from real pigs from a local farm; not bleached, or hydrogenated commercial stuff), animal fat, chicken skin—all that: very good for you. Your cells have to “breathe” and be flexible in order to absorb nutrients effectively. If it can’t do that, there is bound to be health issues (physical, neurological and emotional).

This is part of the reason why so many people have osteoporosis. Part aging, part genetic: mostly diet and exercise. If you take tons of Calcium pills and stay on a “Low” to “No Fat” diet—your bones will get brittle. It’s simple: the cells are not getting the love they need to be flexible and absorb the minerals.

Moving onward:

I’ve been reflecting on this new “High Definition” craze.

Apparently, come February or something like that—the US is pulling the plug on Analog.

If anyone has been following my blog: I am an Analog lover. I like the TV that you can bust, and then go buy a part or tube and fix it yourself.

I am not opposed to Technology per se. I just think a lot of it is scary… Scary because you do not know where the Intentions really lie. Scary because some of it has been “backwards” technology that drives society backwards—and some of it has been “forwards” technology that advances the human race.

You have to pick your technologies in a very conscientious and personal way. If not, you will be a slave to conflict.

You have to Train your technology; rather than letting it Master you.

That’s how you make corporations responsible for their decisions.

You must demand that the technology Works.

To me, that is why Karmically speaking: Google works and Microsoft doesn’t. Because Microsoft has a long history of building things to make people enslaved: such as outputting new OS versions that force society to become “guinea pigs.”

They have the responsibility to test their shit out; rather than causing suffering, waste of time and energy on their customers (aka “bug reporting”).

That’s like showing up late for work and expecting everyone else to have gotten your job done.

If you need to test stuff out on society: you have to offer it in “Beta”—but for Free. You can’t go on a business model of enslavement and expect to succeed. It will eventually boomerang on you: because Intelligence always wins out.

Another example: the Anti-Virus software scams; another Evil Empire, and Demonic Entity. Prey on Fear and Human Weaknesses—then evoke more of the same in order to stay in Business. It’s not nice.

Think of the Elderly, the people who don’t know how to use computers—considering the pain and suffering these Technologies cause. Such companies do not resolve conflict: instead, they create it.

Sidebar: I like AVAST “Home Edition“; it’s free and it works. 

So is it no surprise to me that both MS and Yahoo are in the Shits…in the Shitter. Why they are not doing so well; why their popularity stinks.

Gmail is Free: but does not invade your personal space. Yahoo (email) is free, but attacks you with News, Click-Thru’s of all kinds, Flashing Shock oriented Ads—further: they produce their own Spam (just like MS’s Hotmail: I am sure of it). I cannot prove it. But that’s my hunch.

Yet Gmail is relatively spam free.

If you want to really manage it (to be clean and spam-free); create what I call a “Redundancy” account: two gmail accounts—one that catches the spam; and the other to retrieve pop email from your spam account. The only way you manage this right—is to ALWAYS block or delete the spam from your “backup” (or redundant) account, as opposed to clicking “spam” on the email forwarded to your real account. This way whatever tracking algorithms the spammer is using—does not recognize your real account.

Gmail is a Forward technology. That’s why it works. That’s why people like it. If their values change—and go backwards…they will certainly feel it.

But my discussion here is not about corporate favoritism or promotion.

For someone who TRULY HATES technology: I’m very verse in it.

Why?

I hate technology so much that the only thing I can do is to Master it. That’s why I’m always testing and figuring things out: because I refuse to be Enslaved by it…to be afraid of it.

I realize that I can change the world by the choices of products I use and not use. I don’t buy what I am told to buy.

For instance, in NYC, everyone owns a Mac, iPhone and iPod. Apple technology no doubt, is truly refined; sophisticated; savvy and culturally up to speed.

But I do not own any of those things largely because they are Status symbols; and people own them largely because they like it—but they do it mainly to Look Good; for impression.

The people at Apple know this. That’s why everything looks and works like a Vibrator. They know that you get a “Hard on” when you see or touch what they make. They work off the lower unconscious emotion—the part that Desires.

They fulfill your Expectations. But most of the Sales Point is driven by pure Lust alone and “works” the Vanity people feel they need in order to function socially.

I do not have that lust or that need. I still own a legacy version of Creative Lab’s “Zen” MP3 player. It cost me 200 or 300 dollars. It still works.

But no one wants a Zen because it’s not “hot.” So as a consumer, they become enslaved by technology in that way. They want to Waste. And so that is how the whole industry is driven: based on individuals that do not have the common sense, self-control or awareness to make smart or ethical decisions.

I have one Mac item: that’s my video editing system. I got it because it Works.

But this decision didn’t come easily. I waited three years to see how the market plays out; whether Final Cut was going to throw me into a painstaking, trend-oriented, transient and self-destructive “Learning Curve.”

Instead of expanding on the pros and cons of equipment, I’d rather express my thoughts on Technology from an Artistic point of view:

Everyone is turning “High Def”—Hi Def, Hello Definition.

People are NUTS about it. But they don’t know why. Apparently they boast that it is Superior technology, smart, intuitive and is Pristine and sound in quality.

My feelings about High-Def are very lukewarm.

From an Aesthetic and lifestyle point of view: I don’t “buy” it.

From an Aesthetic point of view, I personally do not LIKE the way High-Def video images look.

I don’t find Clinical, Icy, Commercial, Glossy looking image appealing.

People are dazzled by the Luster, the Polish and the technology’s Deliverance: but there is no Depth.

There is Def, but not Depth. Fake pearls with lots of sheen; but inherently impotent and inept.

It is another one of those “Hard On” technologies that is going to Waste a lot more than it will produce.

Every corporation is in a Race to create a Standard propriety technology and rake in all the dough (revenues)—the way Microsoft brilliant did by cleverly pre-installing their OS in every home computer.

For a long time “World Domination” was the impetus for Entrepreneurs to get off and running…and we see how and where that Value System has led us.

The fact is, Nature does not survive on the Darwin theory of “Survival of the Fittest” Alone. She survives through resilience towards limitations that prohibits Intelligence and Freedom.

The MS attitude (and trends it produced) is a backwards technology because it is based on Greed. With greed, there will always be a price and tremendous suffering and waste.

People that invent technologies must have their “intentions” in place if they really want to benefit themselves and the world. Yes, by intentions, I mean “Self Knowledge.”

My attitude is that for Corporations to be shaped through Forward intentions: Individuals must exercise awareness in their own personal choices (to influence that). It is a Socialist point of view—but it Works and is needed to support Humanity.

People must learn patience and wait. They must be able to determine for themselves how a product really improves their lives—or is simply used to mask the obvious: low self-esteem, self-image or sexual (unconscious) frustrations.

If people do not demand a Forwards Technology model—they will be fed the backwards and enslaving modality.

That’s why you have so many great Anarchist minds out there doing amazing earth-shattering things.

That’s why there is Open Source and community networks trying to achieve balance and restore order in cyberspace. They do it through technology, but their worldview is very Forward.

That’s why I love Youtube, but I HATE Myspace and Facebook. The former gives you the reins—and the latter plunges you into a virtual world you can’t escape; and that damaging effect shapes human relationships.

Do you want a Leader who has a fetish for drinking virtual beers and buying virtual diamond rings to win Esteem? Do you want 1 million fake friends whom you’ve never met—or do just want to know One person whom you truly Trust?

Facebook is Evil—no doubt. It destroys lives based on preying on the lowest human weakness. At least Myspace has great original music.

That’s why I love Wikepedia and Hate IMDB. I see IMDB as the Devil—to be quite frank. Withholding Information equates to harnessing and withholding Freedom.

If you take the Freedom from people—you also take away their power.

For newbies: mind you, there was  time in history where IMDB was like Wikipedia. Then they sold their services to Amazon.

How do artists network or great minds meet if you have to pay to attain the name of an Agent, research, or obtain a phone number? Why do you have to put  yourself in a “Loop” in order to be “worthy”?

It is for this reason that I stopped joining “Independent” filmmaking sites when they stopped being Free. When they stopped being Free—they lost Spirit.

People must meet in a Free forum. If you can’t afford to administer the cost of managing that—then be creative, figure it out. Once you pay for relationships, it is no longer a relationship. It is a business.

If you want a business: announce it—but don’t pretend you’re doing the community a “favor.” Don’t lie.

That is why I consider IMDB a very “unpopular” technology along the lines of Microsoft.

It is based entirely on Enslavement and Greed.

Even if such firms try to “fake community” work—it will fail. They feel so guilty from their hording that to mask it, they get involved in Charity or “community work.”

Mean at the Office; Friendly in Church. Cheap redemption. False pride.

Life doesn’t work that way. Karma is very Wise—very Smart…it is Intelligence and its drive always gravitates towards total Liberation.

So whatever we do in life, if we think we can Trick our way into beating Intelligence itself—it will never happen. It only Appears to be happening—but it’s not.

Why?

Everyone knows that is Wrong and what is Right. They may not be able to identify it; but they “feel” it on some level. In short, everyone knows the Truth.

Principles and Values are at the heart of Forwards Technology. And when I mention Values—I am not Speaking of “Ideals”—ideals of say “making everyone’s life more Convenient” or some stupid shit like that.

Convenience is not a value. Convenience is laziness, complacency and waste.

Intention is what matters. People must realize their true Intentions.

Going back to the Hi-Def topic, I’d like to discuss Aesthetics more deeply:

The evolution of Video has been a very interesting path.

Core: the reason video technology advanced so quickly is because of Artists and Filmmakers.

The Core reason that pushed video to better itself was because Artists wanted “video” to Look “more like film.”

That desire alone is what really challenged video. And when video is able to emanate the “Analog”, the “Warmth”, the “Reality” and the “Natural” aspects of the closest reading of the Naked Eye: that was how video would Redeem itself…how it would Rise to Power or “Reign”…so to speak.

But with High-Def, that attitude has shifted to Backwards intentions, and backwards technology. Now, its attitude is not about trying to “look” like film—rather, it ignores Aesthetic integrity and the human component entirely.

Instead, it wants to be MORE complicated…more enslaving. It wants the entire world to be computer-savvy and technological verse or dependent.

In other words, it wants to turn us all into Robots: to treat our brains like a CPU, and to make all our decisions to work fluidly like Widgets.

Hi-Def technology drives society in droves towards this attraction to “Crisp Clear Image” and the convenience of being TOTALLY WIRED….hooked up in every way (GPS’ed; interpreted by corporate and militaristic databases, tracked and trailed).

I would not be surprised if one day you can Scan your Credit Card on the surface of a Television.

But you must step back and ask, “How and Why.” Why? Why do we need Crisp Clear Images…what is the point behind this.

This “hard on” effect is most notably seen in Boys…Filmmakers who REFUSE to watch a VHS tape or see a film on anything less than Blu-ray.

The absurdity of thinking fundamentally on the Groin Affect; on the lower energies of the mind boggles me.

The truth is this, from an aesthetic perspective: a Forwards Technology must always help one become more Human.

Progressive Video advancement to me, must have its intention on being more “vivid” like the best camera in the world: which is the Eye.

The Eye, similar to the Enamel on one’s Teeth cannot be replicated. This phenomenon sparks our human impetus to reach the Highest Goal to be near (enamored and in reverence) of Perfection.

This Aesthetic drive in video has gone off the path with Hi-Def because people want it for the wrong reasons.

They don’t want “Vivid” any more because it emanates the Warmth and Richness of the way the eye captures or receives light.

Instead they want Vividness so they can see “Detail” like some Clinician or to watch better porn.

In that regard, Society wants be a Gynecologist when it comes to Image technology.

They want to see for the “sake of seeing.” There is no value in that.

More detail and more more more…. More of what exactly?

Strictly from an Artist point of view: what is the point?

What is the point that I can shine the  brightest white light to microscopically see a person’s facial pores?

Does it mean that the actors simply need to put on more make up now? Does it mean that now we have to light “high def” like “air brushing” to hide everything we are trying to see—yet not see?

If that is the case, such an impetus to advance image technology is Enslavement; because you design your entire life and raison d’etre (cyclically) around an empty and worthless Cause.

It is an invitation for Conflict. A house of Mirrors. Voluntary confinement.

Labyrinth.

What does all this mean—from an Artist’s point of view?

Because frankly, I think 3-chip camera technology is very beautiful.

It is “video”—but it still looks MUCH more like Film and honors the filmmaker’s eye. Much warmer, much richer—and generous, if not passive in the way it interprets light.

These are some things to think about.

Just think about it.

Think about why a 75-dollar paintbrush is different than painting with generic hairs. Think about why a “pre-primed” canvas is different than stretching and priming a bed sheet.

Think about why “Superior and Efficient” materials that are all handsomely laid out for you is better than Working towards something based on your means.

Think about your means. And then ask yourself: does that change your Aesthetics and Should it?

I do not think that Hi-Def should change my Aesthetics.

I refuse to be enslaved by a 75-dollar paintbrush.

None of that will make me a better Artist, boost my self-esteem or make me a better person.

No technology should restrict you from appreciating the finer and simpler things in life.

—

 “No (I don’t see) myself as an Artist.  I’m just a musical prostitute, my dear.” – Freddy Mercury in 1984 Film Interview