Art & Culture: Indie Film

For those of you who are tired of the same trite and unimaginative drivel turned out by the Hollywood machine, here is one of the best online film festivals dedicated to CULTURE - Culture Unplugged Film Festival

Here is one of the short films, Salt n Pepper, a story of a young girl who has been dumped in love. She is so dejected that she decides to kill herself. Suddenly a thief enters into her house. She discovers that thief is actually a farmer who essentially is looking for food because he is so hungry. She orders for a pizza. The farmer refuses pizza because he feels that it is pizza that has pushed him to this dire state. What he tells changes the perspective for girl also, so much so that she decides to live on.


Part 1


Part 2

Winter Skin

Winter can be a hard time for skin, even in relatively mild climates like SoCal, but especially in areas hit hard with cold weather. First, you have a significant drop in air humidity, added together with even dryer indoor air from central heating. Then the skin on your face is exposed to the whipping frigid winds. Finally, you have the internal factors like decreased water intake.

Most people drink less water in winter for two reasons:
1. we tend to desire warmer foods and fluids such as coffee or tea that contain caffeine whic is a diuretic and dehydrating
2. cooler temperatures equals less sweating which lessens the bodies 'hydrate me' cues and also minimizes the skins opportunity to spread out it's natural oils

Below are a moisturizing Body oil recipes for every skin type from a great company, Green Valley Aromatherapy. Green Valley is fabulous woman owned and operated company that focuses on organic/sustainable growing and harvesting methods and ethical business practices including use of recycles packaging materials and Fair Trade practices, especially in sourcing their products from small businesses and indigenous women.

Remember, whenever you use Essential Oils or use Aromatherapy - you want actual essential oils and not a fragrance or perfume.

Oily Skin (Cleanser or Moisturizer)

• 3 drops Juniper
• 2 drops Geranium
• 2 drops Patchouli
• 30ml Jojoba Oil
  

Combine in 30ml plastic bottle, shake well. Can be used for cleansing or after cleansing to help balance sebum levels on skin.

Normal Skin Moisturizer

• 2 drops Roman Chamomile
• 2 drops Geranium
• 3 drops Lavender
• 30ml Swet Almond Oil
  

Combine in 30ml plastic bottle, shake well. This oil can be used for moisturizing morning or night.

Dry Skin

• 2 drops Sandalwood
• 2 drops Neroli
• 2 drops Lavender
• 60ml solid Virgin Coconut Cream or Pure Shea Butter
  

Combine in a 60ml plastic jar, stir very well. This blend can be used for moisturizing morning or night

Karma

Here's a cute vid about Karma from http://www.billyblob.com


Karma Ghost

Personal Evolution

What causes you to evolve? Is there some secret potion, some incantation, or some hidden text deeply encoded in a book? Perhaps the answer is on a mountaintop. Maybe it is emanating from another person or is coming from a departed spirit. Some of these things may be great spiritual gifts to assist us on our path, but, there is something else; something that comes up after you come down off the mountain, leave the seminar or master and close the book.

What evolves you is simple. It’s choice, your own choice to be around those who vibrate in truth, and those who reflect your spirit back to you. It’s the choice to live a life that is intentional and purposeful. It’s the courageous choice to do your own inner work. Einstein, Sheldrake, Hawkins and so many others have proven this technical truth of spirituality - like energy draws like energy. Every step you take toward enlightenment now, especially in this age, exponentially empowers you with greater energy to create faster and deeper than ever.

Each choice evolves into the next step, the next, and the next. This seems to make one basic question clearer and more important. What choice in each situation or circumstance will evolve you? The moment you ask it, the circumstance and the situation have become irrelevant. Only the choice matters.

Cool Website: Astrology

A good website I found that gives good info of the planetary placement and influences at your time of birth:

http://alabe.com/freechart/

Here's a sampling from mine:

Rising Sign is in 20 Degrees Capricorn
You are practical and reserved but very ambitious. An achiever and a hard worker, you respect success. Older looking and very serious as a youth, things lighten up and you relax more as you mature. You have a serious view of the world as being a difficult place to be in. Very envious of those who seem to have an easier life than you have, relaxation and play do not come easily. It is important that you had abundant parental support as a child so that you do not feel lonely and isolated as an adult. Generally, you have a good, earthy sense of humor that can carry you through when times really do get tough. You are purposeful, self-willed, industrious, realistic and responsible.

Moon is in 22 Degrees Libra.
Affectionate, warm and friendly, life must be a "beautiful" experience for you. Unpleasantness should be avoided at all costs. You tend to overlook other people's faults and you would rather give in than fight. You are uncomfortable with strangers, but at ease and sociable with friends and associates. Indeed, you would rather socialize than work -- you can use your prodigious charm to avoid unpleasant tasks. You need the support and assistance of another in order to get you started on any new project -- you are not a self-starter. Be careful of a tendency to be overly self-indulgent (i.e., lazy). Your refined aesthetic sensibilities attract you to music, dance, art and any other cultured activity.

Mercury is in 10 Degrees Scorpio.
You are a born investigator. You are fascinated by secrets and mysteries and unanswered questions of any kind. When you become upset or angry, your emotional reactions are overpowering -- reason and logic disappear in an uncontrollable passionate outburst. You tend to keep your thoughts secret and bottled up and this makes others regard you with suspicion. It is not that you are trying purposely to be evasive, it is just that you would rather not deal with the explosions and hassles that often occur when you reveal your true feelings and opinions. Your sense of humor tends toward sarcasm and irony.

Venus is in 16 Degrees Capricorn.
You tend to keep your feelings under control -- emotions are only released in serious or important situations. You are distrustful of others whose behavior could be judged excessive or immoderate. As such, you prefer to relate only to those who are older than you or to those whose position is such that respect and duty are more important for both of you than passion or emotional response. Be careful, however, of relationships that are merely based on practicality or utility or you will ultimately be lonely.

Mars is in 25 Degrees Aries.
You are very independent and self-assertive, and you have lots of physical energy. You are not satisfied unless you can be the first to do something. As such, you are more comfortable in leadership positions than you are as an underling. When you are challenged by anyone for anything, you delight in the competitive process and will fight long and hard for your beliefs. You are bold and courageous and often act without thinking. At times, in your zeal to get ahead, you are tactless and offensive -- learn that cooperation with others can often bring you nearer to your goals quicker because of the support you will get.

Jupiter is in 06 Degrees Aquarius.
Your personal growth occurs when you have the freedom to do things in new and interesting ways -- this brings out your natural inventiveness. You are an individualist, but you are also attracted to mass movements that emphasize social betterment and you will devote much time and energy to their efforts. Very fair- minded and objective, you have extraordinary skills at organization and administration.

To Do: Los Angeles

For anyone living in or around Los Angeles, Lucent Dossier, a vaudeville cirque, preforms every Wednesday Nite at the Edison in downtown LA. Performers weave in and out of the 'audience' blurring the line between performance and reality.

Lucent Dossier was formed two years ago, with the intention to ”Bring light onto its viewers.” The name ‘Lucent Dossier’ loosely translates to ‘A Gathering of Light’. They have performed at various festivals through out the USA and Europe as well as with artists, such as Panic! At the Disco, 30 Seconds to Mars, Healer, and the Flaming Lips.

From their website:

Deep from within the Los Angeles underground art and music scene comes the LucEnt dosSieR Experience. Conceived in a blaze of collaborative creation this full production performance-art troupe embodies a newly awakened style of vaudeville glamour infused with their own magical blend of circus shenanigans. The unique inter-active choreography, inspired costuming, original music, mystical face and body artwork are all brought together by the spirited performers to create mesmerizing high-concept spectacles of human light.

Tuaca

Tuaca (Italian pronunciation: [tu. a:ca] is a brand of liqueur produced by the Tuoni and Canepa families of Livorno, Italy The liqueur is sweet and golden brown in color. Its ingredients include brandy, essence of Mediterranean Lemon, Orange, and Vanilla. Vanilla is the dominant flavor. It is bottled at 70 proof (35% ABV).

The recipe supposedly dates back to the Renaissance. A legend claims that it was created for Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Tuaca has been sold in the US since the 1950s and can be bought in most liquor stores in the Liqueur section.

This liqueur is always a big hit at my gatherings. Even though my bar is better stocked than most commercial Bars and Restaurants, a few friends and I went through a whole bottle of Tuaca last night. One of things I like most about Tuaca is that is so simple to drink. The citrus and vanille mix well with lots of things, but really just drinking it chilled and over ice is great, or maybe with a bit of natural sweet and sour mix. It makes for a fantastic shot for people who don't normally ever like shots and still works for those who make doing shots look like a profession.

The best I can describe it would be similiar to an amaretto, but with a bit of bite, vaguely sweet but not a syrupy and overly sweet as I can handle (like my Butterscotch Schnapps over ice). My tequila drinking friends put aside the Patron Silver for some more Tuaca. Nuff said.

For a more info and drink recipies, see http://www.tuaca.com/home.aspx