GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE | VIEWING

GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE | VIEWING
Peace Movement! I finally had a chance to see the "L.A. Liber Amicorum: Book of Friends" in person, which is held inside the Getty Research Institutes special collections vault, where it will remain FOREVER!! It was mindblowing to see the amount of talent held in one book and such an honor to be amongst some of my biggest heroes. Big thanks again to Ed, OG Prime and the Getty for making this all possible.

Summary: The volume contains 143 works on paper by leading Los Angeles graffiti and tattoo artists. Inspired by Johann Heinrich Gruber's 17th-century liber amicorum (or "book of friends") and the black sketch books (or "piecebooks") that many street artists carry with them and inscribe for each other, the LA Liber Amicorum showcases the hand-styles of more than 100 "writers." Originally created on loose sheets of paper, the artworks by rival crews of street artists were bound into a single Los Angeles "book of friends" that brings together the unique letter-forms, characters and themes that represent the regionally and culturally diverse landscape of graffiti and tattoo art in Los Angeles.

A REVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

A REVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS
You are in the midst of a revolution. Modern science is now beginning to confirm what spirituality, philosophy and ancient wisdom traditions have been saying for millenia, that the entire Universe is One and that what we think of as "reality" is merely an illusion. The only real thing in the Universe is Consciousness.

"THERE HAS TO BE A REVOLUTION...BUT IT HAS TO BE A REVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS."

UNSUNG HEROES | Jadav "Molai" Payeng

INDIAN MAN SINGLE-HANDEDLY PLANTS A 1,360-ACRE FOREST
A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly.

The Times of India recently caught up with Payeng in his remote forest lodge to learn more about how he came to leave such an indelible mark on the landscape.
 It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life. "The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47. While it's taken years for Payeng's remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn't take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss. Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng's project, forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they've come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough. "We're amazed at Payeng," says Gunin Saikia, assistant conservator of Forests. "He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero."
 
Copyright Treehugger 2012

THE GREATEST SPEECH EVER MADE

THE GREATEST SPEECH EVER MADE | Charlie Chaplin
One of the most important speeches in recorded history was given by a comedian by the name of Charlie Chaplin. Enjoy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY | HAILE SELASSIE I

HAPPY BIRTHDAY | HAILE SELASSIE I
Today, we remember the birth of Emperor Haile Selassie I, Lord of Lords..Conquering Lion of Judah..King of Kings. Blessed Earthstrong King...Jah!