Beauty and Pain Art

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) is a Mexican surrealist painter best known for her use of vibrant colors and self-portraits. I found one of her paintings titled a few small nips in a book named The Visual Encyclopedia of Art. The violence depicted in the painting was no surprise since I've seen worse from artists. What surprised me is the fact that the painting was done by a woman. I was instantly captivated and curious to what images were depicted in her other works of art. 

What I found is that half of her works were self-portraits mixed with folk imagery. The other half were a blend of beauty and pain showing the different hardships she faced in life. Kahlo had Polio as a child which left one leg permanently smaller than the other. Then a serious traffic accident in her teens which required numerous surgeries and caused life long health issues. Finally, she had a miscarriage of the baby made with husband famous painter Diego Rivera and found out that she couldn't bare children. 

All these hardships bled into her paintings which showed the trials and tribulations of the female experience without compromise. Below are a few of her paintings that captivate the eyes and the imagination.

 

Animal Technology

As the 21st century grows more technologically advanced, science and medicine have found that some of the most complex problems have simple answers. Housing and energy are becoming big issues in most developing countries. Modern architects have turned to mother nature for their inspiration.

They have found that designing a building with a structure similar to a termite hill allows better ventilation and needs less electricity to power. Others found that the inner structure of a bee hive provided structural strength, conserves energy and requires less heat. These innovations are barely scratching the surface of what can be found from observing the animal kingdom.

Aside from architecture and engineering using animal designs for robotics has become incredibly popular. The robotic snake is considered one of the best technological achievements of the decade. It moves like a real reptile, is amphibious and can be remotely operated.

Most zoologist agree that if they had a robotic proxy animal in an environment the behavior of the animal being studied would be different. For example in marine biology when studying whales their behavior changes when humans are introduced into their environment. If they put a robotic fish with a camera in place of a person the whales behavior would be more natural and science could learn more about all aspects of their life.

The designers proposed that the robotic snake could be used for search and rescue as well as numerous stealth and surveillance operations. The military applications for this type of technology are enormous. Below I've placed videos of some amazing robotic animals that simulate the motion of their real-life counter-parts.

The Darkside of Seedless Fruit

 First off…all fruit contain seeds naturally. The purpose of the fruit is it to hold seeds and hopefully be consumed, digested and excreted to a new location. This germination symbiotic relationship happens in all areas of nature. Most commonly with bees and flowers. Seedless fruit is genetically modified fruit and has no place in nature.

The modifications are secret and patented by big named corporations. At first people assumed the fruit was created for convenience. Who wants to be seen spitting out the seeds of an orange or watermelon in public right? That tiny vanity made a niche market for companies to make a mutant fruit that has no seeds. It also took away the ability of the consumer to grow their own fruit. Say you brought a delicious bag of apples and decided you would grow some for yourself. With seedless fruit its not possible.

Seedless fruit takes away the ability to be self-sustaining. It makes you the consumer more dependent on the grocery stores for survival. When I was a kid almost all my aunts and neighbors had gardens where they would grow fruits and herbs. Everyone knew how to grow their own food and went to the grocery store only for necessities. Now most people use the grocery store for their only means of sustenance.

I’m not saying to stop eating seedless fruit, although if you eat natural its definitely more healthy. The only way to get naturally grown fruits these days is from local markets. If you buy it from a grocery store, it costs almost triple the price of the gen-mod foods… so it can be expensive. 

What I am saying, is for a fruit to be seedless it has to be genetically engineered. Its sterile, infertile and the lasting effects from its consumption are still being debated by scientists. So if you are what you eat, and you’re eating sterile and infertile food…what will happen to you?

Flava In Ya Ear

The title is a tribute to the Craig Mack song "Flava in Ya Ear" cuz it was banging...just like the tunes in this post. Thanks to Allhiphop.com I finally know why Craig Mack and Biggie had beef back in the day. They were both on BadBoy records but Craig was already a platinum selling artist while Biggie was working on Ready to Die.

Craig became a born again Christian and didn't support all the gunplay and drug dealing that people were glorifying in their rhymes. This didn't sit well with Biggie since his album was about to drop and that covers the majority of his subject matter. It's been a mystery in Hip-Hop to why they were beefing for a long time..now you know. If you want more details click the link and go read the article at AHH.com.

Below are videos by west coast mobsta Crooked I, a newly slimmed down Fat Joe (the beat is FIYA!). Also there's music by newcomers 2Gzz featuring Juvenile, Killa Kyleon and Philly Swain. Check 'em out.

Cell (phones) Can Cause Cancer

The title may seem like something you would see on a conspiracy website...but its true. Recently the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) concluded a study showing the radiation from cell phone use can cause brain cancer. The study was conducted by numerous different scientists and doctors from across the globe. They classify cell-phones in the same category as lead, chloroform, and carbon monoxide. The phones act like miniature microwave ovens causing the cells to rapidly duplicate leading to tumors.

There's a video on youtube showing how strong the radiation from a cell phone is. They put three cell phones in a triangle around a kernel of popcorn and make them ring. I few seconds later the kernel pops. Think about it.. if the phone is strong enough to pop popcorn... imagine what its doing to your brain.

This doesn't mean you need to throw away your cell phone and it doesn't mean that you're going to get cancer from having it against your ears every once in awhile. What it does mean is that you need to use a phone mic/headset when talking on the phone. What the study shows is that having the cell phone against your ear allows the radiation to damage the brain causing the tumors. So if you keep the phone a foot (30 centimeters) away from your head at all times it won't have the damaging effect.

In a different study some scientist found that the same cell phone radiation effects a persons bone density. Meaning if you keep the phone in your pants pocket all the time it will soon weaken your bones. Its better to keep it in a coat bag, backpack, or somewhere away from the body...until cell phone makers lower the radiation levels. Check the videos below for more information.

New Muzik

I heard a few new tunes today worthy of being classified New Muzik. The first is by artist Cuban Link who used to be part of the Terror Squad with Big Pun and Triple Seis. He was off the scene for awhile due to some label issues. There were also industry rumors that Fat Joe blackballed him in the game. Regardless he's back with some hot tracks for the summer.

Tech N9ne is back with more strange music. His rapid, machine gun fire flow leaves allot of people baffled and others copying his style. He gets comparisons to Twista but I think his flow is quite unique. He came in the game as part of the Regime with Yukmouth. Since then, he's released numerous albums and started his own label Strange Music. His new song 'He's a Mental Giant' will probably help stop the Twista comparisons and give him the credit for being a sick lyricist he rightfully deserves.

There's also tunes by newcomer Oun-P with his 'What chu Talkin Bout' remix featuring Lloyd Banks and Jadakiss. The beat to the track is Fiya! Last there's music from female spitter Patwa, Lloyd Banks and Ace Hood.

Romance Art

Spring is in the air! Its getting warmer outside and the women are wearing less. I don't know if its the birds, the bees, or flowers and trees...but people are sexing! I was biking through the woods yesterday cuz there's a large forest with bike trails behind my house. While riding I caught two different couples sexing in the woods. (Seriously!)

The first couple looked like teenagers and they had their bikes thrown in the bushes so no one would steal them. The second couple were older, much older. I'm talking 40's or early 50's and they were going at it. They were in a clearing that looks like a former camp site that hasn't been used in a long time. There were lots of trees and bushes surrounding the area, you have to go off road from the bike path to get there. Normally I stop in the area to catch my breath and enjoy nature. This time while riding through, I saw this man on his knees, behind a woman on all fours with streaks of white hair in her hair...f**King like drunk bunnies. As I rode by, the woman put her head down so I couldn't see her face and the man just smiled and gave me a slight nod.

The free spirited nature of the old couple reminded me of a girl who got turned on by art. Not just  any art... by a particular artist named Kevin A. Williams. His initials in reverse spell WAK. His art is described by some as black art by others as modern art but by most women as Romance Art. He depicts scenes of love and romance in a masculine way that invokes a certain feeling in the opposite sex. His paintings have been featured on television shows Law & Order, Soul Food and Oprah. 

He's a best-selling author and on a mission to change peoples perspective on art. If you want to know more about him click the link. I used one of his paintings for the "Sexist Science" post. Below are a few more of his more famous pieces. 

 

  

 

 

Older Muzik

Originally this post was going to be about new music. The problem is I didn't find enough new music that I like to post. There are new faces popping up on the internet everyday and the majority of them are wack! Lets be real. I'm hearing catz claim to be rappers but their verses don't rhyme. Other catz why can rhyme have a whole song of punch-lines. The song has no structure, meaning a beginning, middle and end. Finally you have these Cat in the Hat rappers whose rhymes are so simple a 7 year old could do better. Which is why there are so many 7 - 10 year old kids with record deals now. Its not that these kids are dope, its that the adults around them suck.

On a whole different subject. For the people writing me, asking why I don't put music by Lil B or Odd Future on the blog. Its because I don't like there music...period! I post music I like, and that I listen to. I don't have anything against them as artists but the music they make I'm not into. So save the emails, and stop with the requests, cuz its not going to happen...real talk.

With that said, I decided to post some Older Muzik. Music by artists who knew how to rhyme and song write. MC's and groups that respected the craft and created music that made you feel something. Below are tunes by Styles of Beyond, DMX, Cali Agents, Thirstin Howl The 3rd, Tupac, and Onyx. All groups and artists that made (and some still making) music people can feel.

Smart Testing

I often here the statement “education is the key to success”. That’s true in some ways but misleading in others. Its not how much a person studies that makes them successful. It's a mix of what they study and how they apply those lessons in life. If you’re a Chemistry major and all you study is English literature, it probably won’t help you graduate. Or if you're a History major but spend the majority of the time reading books on plants. You will know how to grow a garden but won't have a degree.When you think about it, the only universal language is mathematics. Why? Math is the same in every country. No matter where you go, whether it be city, town, or village...1 + 1 will always equal 2.

I'm a strong supporter of continuing education and that's why GMAT preparation is useful.  The GMAT is an analytical exam that focuses on learning to think, rather than lesson memorization. In most schools they use standardized tests like the SAT's (Scholastic Aptitude Test) which require students to remember large quantities of information. Most of which is forgotten once the test is over. This type of learning does strengthen the memory but doesn't teach students to think for themselves. This ability is necessary for students doing post graduate studies in fields like Law, Medicine, Business and numerous other careers. 

The GMAT is one of the tests that doesn't just help with school. It helps students achieve their goals in life. For more information about the GMAT and companies that assist in preparation for the exam check out their website.   

Sexist Science

I've been busy working on music and enjoying the warm weather, so haven't had much time to update the blog. Today I decided to catch-up on the news and what's going on in the world. While reading some technology articles at popsci (short from popular science) I came across an article that most feminist would term sexist science. 

Back in 2002, psychologists at the State University of New York at Albany published a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior looking at the potential role of semen in alleviating depression in women. The researchers presented evidence supporting an earlier hypothesis that the hormones in semen have a mood-boosting effect on women. 

Did you read that correct...are they saying the semen has anti-depressant properties? Yes, you did and Yes, that is what they are saying. This research is not only being examined it has quite a bit of evidence to support the claim. 

Semen is a mixture of several different compounds, and sperm only makes up a small amount of it. When you remove the sperm, what's left is seminal plasma. Three compounds in seminal plasma being researched are estrogen, prostaglandins and oxytocin. Estrogen and prostaglandins have been linked to lower levels of depression, while oxytocin (which women release during birth, breastfeeding and orgasm) promotes social bonding.

Last February, Lazar Greenfield, the incoming president of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), wrote an editorial about this research in Surgery News. The backlash was so strong that he had to resign from his job at the college and position as editor for Surgery News. This is volatile science and even highly respected academics are treading cautiously. 

If you want to read the whole article including the studies done on 293 different women who had protected and unprotected sex to research the results. Do a search for this article Controversial Ideas: Does Semen Act As an Anti-depressant to the Recipient?
Or copy and paste this link in your web browser http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/controversial-ideas-semen-natures-antidepressant