Contact.

July 26th, 2008 (1:11 am)

I’m currently re-reading Dr. Rick Strassman’s book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, and tonight I was listening to a radio show that briefly discussed DMT and the importance of Strassman’s work. Anyway, a guy called in and said, “In the movie, Contact, if you replace the huge, falling apparatus that Jodi Foster sat in with taking a hit of DMT, the movie makes more sense.” Everyone agreed and, with that notion planted in my skull, I decided to put the book down for a bit, get a hold of the movie again and give it a second go.

It had been about a decade since I’d seen it and I couldn’t quite remember much about the movie and, rather than reviewing the damn thing, I’ll only say that, wow, yeah… I did find it a lot more poignant when looking at it from the perspective suggested by that caller, especially considering my own standpoint, with ten more years of experience and a lot more curiosity and inquiry regarding the subject of human consciousness under my belt. I also have to mention the deep familiarity I found in the opposition and tension, strictly on a spiritual level, between Jodi Foster and Matthew McConaughey’s characters. That exact dynamic is one I’ve shared, cherished and struggled with for the entirety of the longest lasting bond of friendship I have in my life; one that I was born into, really; one that, even at its core, continues to evolve.

As do I.

Anyway… whatever. Back to readin’.

LHC, Baby!

July 25th, 2008 (12:07 am)

I’m glad to finally see some decent, online news coverage of the Large Hadron Collider. You’d think that a project of such magnitude, involving a collective of over 5,000 of the top physicists from over 30 countries, billions of dollars and intentions that include finding the Higgs boson - something also glorified as “The God Particle” - would raise more attention, but nah. Can’t miss Insert Mindless Pop-Culture Distraction Here! Don’t worry, I won’t keep you from it with this entry either.

I just want to note a quaint observation I made from nothing but an artistic standpoint. Considering the implications and potential discoveries regarding the LHC, I get a child-like giddiness rush through my artistic soul when I notice that the kaleidoscopic feel of the photos from inside the facility kind of remind me of Alex Grey’s paintings that depict states of elevated human consciousness.

LHC vs. Grey

A little bit, right? OK, OK… maybe it’s just some warped free association sort of thing on my part. Either way, it makes his work kick that much more ass from my perspective.

OK, that’s all. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

EDIT (08/01/08):
Great new photos!

And another good, concise news article with lots of answers.
Oh… and I just can’t resist…