new portfolio examples

Digital Mystic is my latest flash example This is part of the portfolio I've been putting together highlighting some of my projects. In many cases I've also created the imagery.

10 best moments from Family Guy & Robot Chicken Star Wars

10 best moments

I happen to like Robot Chicken version more. But I especially love the argument between Family Guy characters Peter and Chris about the merits of each show. The inside joke is that Seth Green is the producer of RC and also the voice of Chris on FG, and Seth McFarland is the creative force behind FG as well as the voice of Peter.


Its more obvious than ever that Star Wars is the epicenter of American Post-Modernism.

Eliptical Orbit

Earth’s velocity around the sun is not constant throughout the year, what is the affect of this asymmetrical orbit on organisms on the planet?

Are there measurable events which indicate evidence for shifts in seasonal cycles based on orbital variations?  For example, is there a worldwide psycho-energetic rise and fall of earth’s energy?

Could the earth’s elliptical orbit be the cause of various mood psycho-energetic phenomena experienced throughout the year?

What is the mechanism?  Is there a way to test this theory?  Is there evidence let alone proof?  Is this pseudo-science or paradigm revision in process.  As consciousness embraces the idea of cyclical eras ending / beginning should we not also explore how the ordinary solar cycles are mirrored in the internal microcosm  

Seasonality and Disease

New Research confirms that birth month has a marked effect on which diseases an individual may be predisposed to though out life. 

It seems that fetal development is somehow affected by the time of conception. Demonstrable clusters of disease are associated with certain months and seasons. 

People who are born in December are quite possibly healthier than the rest of us--and a lot healthier than those born in March. Medical experts from a variety of prestigious research institutions, including Stanford University, Southwest Missouri State University, and Stanley Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Md., have independently found a link between the month in which you were born and a predisposition to certain illnesses, reports ABC News. If there is any explanation between birth month and disease it is most likely environmental, although no study has been able to prove a definitive cause-and-effect relationship. For example, fetal exposure to a virus in the second trimester of pregnancy when neurodevelopment begins may be linked to schizophrenia.

What diseases and disorders are most common for each birth month? 

ABC News compiled this list: 

• JANUARY Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, respiratory syncytial virus 
  
• FEBRUARY Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, epilepsy 
  
• MARCH Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism, narcolepsy, Hodgkin's disease, multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, epilepsy 
  
• APRIL Leukemia, dyslexia, learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, ALS 
  
• MAY Dyslexia, learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson's disease 
  
• JUNE Anorexia, diabetes, dyslexia, learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson's disease, and celiac disease 
  
• JULY Diabetes, celiac disease, dyslexia, learning disabilities 
  
• AUGUST Diabetes, celiac disease, autism, Crohn's disease 
  
• SEPTEMBER ADHD, asthma 
  
• OCTOBER Asthma, eczema 
  
• NOVEMBER Asthma, eczema, respiratory syncytial virus 
  
• DECEMBER Respiratory syncytial virus
  

The medical experts agree that while there appears to be a pattern between birth month and disease, none of this is a prediction for what will happen to specific individuals. In addition, more research is needed to figure out how a person's birth month actually influences his or her health.

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Seasonal rhythms in physical and mental health have been observed to exist since at least 400 BC, when Hippocrates stated 

“Whoever wishes to investigate medicine properly should proceed thus: In the first place to consider the seasons of the year and what effect each of them produces“.

A variety of rhythms are affecting a human’s everyday life. For example, human life is greatly influenced by environmental cycles, such as day and night oscillations, tides, calendar months, lunar periodicity, and seasons of the year (Hyman 1990). The word “rhythm“ is defined in many ways depending on, whether it is used to describe music, speech, rhymes, dance, and mathematical or biological functions. In all cases a rhythm may be defined to be a flow, movement or procedure characterised by a basically regular recurrence of elements or features (Pauly 1980).

There is a broad spectrum of rhythms that operates simultaneously within a human’s biological processes, for example the heart rate and the menstrual cycle. These rhythms are called endogenous, because they arise from within the human organism. Simultaneously, there is a broad spectrum of external rhythms in the natural environment of a human. These rhythms are called exogenous, because they arise from outside the human organism. Many of these rhythms have specific phase relationships with each other, which means that they interact and synchronise each other (Haus et al. 1980, Pauly 1980).

The studies on the seasonal and other rhythmic patterns in mental disorders and their associated features are mainly based on the methodology of two scientific disciplines – psychiatric epidemiology and chronobiology. Psychiatric epidemiology has applied a variety of methods and designs of epidemiology to examine causal hypotheses relevant to the aetiology of mental disorders, whether they are social, psychological or biological (Tango 1984, Pickles 1998). Epidemiologists have been interested in cyclical clusterings of an illness over time such as a seasonal variation, because it may suggest causality due to specific factors, usually with emphasis on environmental factors, as for example with the occurrence of certain infectious diseases (Smolensky 1987). On the other hand, biological rhythms and their mechanisms are the main topic of the science of chronobiology (Halberg 1980). To chronobiologists, the cyclical clustering of illnesses points to the possible contribution of biorhythmic phenomena in the occurrence of human diseases and/or the contribution of both exogenous and endogenous cyclic phenomena (Smolensky 1987).

Although epidemiologist have studied rhythmic patterns in human diseases, mostly in terms of the prevalence or incidence, they have been criticised for not having sufficiently well enough considered relevant biorhythmic phenomena in their pursuits (Smolensky 1987, Smolensky & D’Alonzo 1988). However, recent studies have shown that there is an increasing tendency to highlight the role of seasonally regulated environmental factors on internal biological processes in seasonality studies of mental disorders (Fossey & Shapiro 1992).

The most popular method to examine seasonal or other cyclic patterns of events has been to investigate them with data aggregates of monthly or seasonal values of events (see, for example, Kevan 1980, Chew & McCleary 1997). In addition, seasonal trends have been analysed, for example, according to the days of a week (Massing & Angermeyer 1985, Nakamura et al. 1994, Joukamaa 1995), times of a day (O’Donnell et al. 1992, Schmidtke 1994, Joukamaa 1995, Joukamaa 1997), phases of the lunar cycle (Martin et al. 1992), dates of birth (Baker & Lester 1986, Lester 1986) and daylight saving time changes (Shapiro et al. 1990). Some investigators have compared suicide rates between weekdays and weekends (Zung & Green 1974, Pirkola et al. 1999b) and the days of major national holidays or a period around them (Zung & Green 1974, Jones & Jones 1977, Lester 1979, Phillips & Wills 1987, Nakamura et al. 1994, Jessen et al. 1999b). Birthdays associated with the timing of an event, like a suicide, has also been examined (Nakamura et al. 1994). Phillips et al. (1999) compared the number of deaths of the first week of a month with the number of deaths in the last week of the preceding month.

"Solstice"

"Solstice" is a Latin word, and originally derived from sol sun + status, the past participle of sistere to come to a stop, cause to stand. 

This makes sense if you think about the solstice as the sun's path reaching an endpoint and then turning around and going the other way. During the few days during which this direction change is occurring, it will appear that there is actually no movement at all.

Much can be said about the sensation of perihelion.  There is a huge revving up leading to that time and then a pause (silent night et al.) and then a strong falling away feeling as the acceleration reverses itself and moves away from the sun.  

Its just another way of attributing the coincidental closeness of the winter solstice and the perihelion.  And it is certainly debateable which is the cause, or to what degree the interaction of these 2 events influences any behavior.  

But the evidence that holidays in ancient cultures from around the world coincide and celebrate similar memes (light vs darkness) then it is arguable that the winter holiday 

Persia and Babylon

In Persia and Babylon, the festival was called Sacaea. This appears to be the original tradition in which masters and slaves traded roles and in which one of the slaves was appointed head of the household.

As played out in ancient Babylon, in proper season the king would repair to the temple dedicated to Marduk, be stripped of his insignia by the chief priest and swear that in the past year he had done nothing wrong. The chief priest then would speak for Marduk and re-invest the king with his kingdom. We can see how the priestly class simultaneously protected its power and provided an explanation for terrifying, unexplainable natural events.

Epiphany (holiday)

Epiphany (Greek for "to manifest" or "to show"), is a Christian feast day which celebrates the "shining forth" or revelation of God in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. The feast falls on January 6. Western Christians commemorate the visitation of the Magi to the child Jesus on this day, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, his manifestation as the Son of God to the world.

Compitalia – Late December or Early January

Compitalia – Late December or Early January Originally the Compitalia was a movable feast, one of the most important of the Feriae Conceptivae, whose dates were fixed by various presiding authorities including the consuls, praetor, priestly colleges or minor religious or political dignitaries. During the early Empire, its dates were fixed at Januarius 3rd to 5th. The president of each insula would sacrifice a hen on a temporary altar at the local crossroads. This signaled the beginning of three days of celebration.

But it was in the country, where the festival probably had its origin, that each landowner would build a small shrine with altar at the boundary with his neighbor. There he placed a plough and a wooden doll for each person in his household. The festival the next day was inaugurated by a sacrifice which purified the farm for the coming year. As part of the celebration, slaves were given extra rations including wine and the foreman in charge of the estate (the vilicus) and his wife deigned to dine with them. In this it shared characteristics with the Saturnalia and it may be that originally the landowner would celebrate Saturnalia with his slaves in Rome and then Compitalia with the slaves on his estate. Later the vilicus probably came to represent the master.

That the Compitalia was one of the most important festivals can be seen from the fact that it was one of the few that Macrobius reported as still being observed in the fourth century AD. It may have a more modern successor in ceremonial blessings of the fields.

Saturnalia - The Ancient Winter Celebration

What Day is the Earth Farthest from the Sun?

Have you ever asked yourself what day of the year the Earth is farthest from the Sun?

a) December 21st

b) July 4th
c) March 21
d) It changes every year
e) None of the Above

The answer is (b) - July 4th

July 4th is in fact the day the earth is furthest from the sun in its yearly eccentric elliptical orbit. This most distant point is called aphelion. As you are celebrating the rocket's red glare and the bombs bursting in air as a show of your patriotism, shift your consciousness for a brief moment. Celebrate that you are at the furthest point you'll be this year from the sun, the giver and sustainer of all life on our precious planet. That we are all together in this endless journey.

HAPPY JULY 4th. HAPPY APHELION!

If you pass this astronomical tidbit on to your friends over a cold beer you may also take note that you are one of the few people who knows what day the earth is furthest from the sun. But you may find yourself asking how July the fourth could be the farthest from the sun? The Fourth of July? Its a summer holiday! Do you think that's the wrong answer? It is counter-intuitive but its most certainly not wrong. And if you are like most people, you've never really given it any thought before. In the northern hemisphere it seems even more confusing, since the hot summer climate seems to contradict the obvious heat and light changes that must be associated with being closer or further from a star, right?

Most people are surprised to learn that the distance of the sun in its orbit around the sun changes throughout the year. [Actually answer (d) above is also somewhat true, since the actual day does fluctuate a few hours year to year] The solstices and equinox are on the 21st of March, June, September and December. These are caused by 23º tilt of the earth on its axis. This is the cycle of the equinoxes, revered by druids and shaman is observable as the sun seems to rises and sets in patterns moving along the horizon. Days and nights growing longer and shorter with the seasons is the usual association made between the seasons and the solar cycle.

However this has nothing whatsoever to do with Earth's distance to the sun.

Dates and times of aphelion and perihelion* of Earth:
*Perihelion is the time of year when the earth is closest -- January 4th.

2008-Jan-03 00:00 Earth at perihelion .983280065957433 AU (91,421,133 miles or 147,096,604 km)

2008-Jul-04 08:00 Earth at aphelion 1.01675351039063 AU (94,533,350 miles or 152,104,160 km)

Notice that this is a difference of about 3,000,000 miles. That is a big number, and one which is usually not taken into account when people think about the seasons and cycles of the year. In fact sunlight is about 7% less intense in July than it is in January.

The earth is also moving with its slowest velocity at this time of year. From July 4th and for the rest of the year the earth will increase its acceleration towards its closest pass around the planet - right after the holiday season.

You now know that July 4th is the slowest and farthest point our planet extends from the sun. Next consider the perihelion the closest and fastest point, four days after the Gregorian New Year.

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Some of you may have heard before my extensive speculations regarding the relationships between the earth's eccentric orbit, the mind-body relationship, seasonality, cognitive sciences, Quantum Mysticism, archeoastronomy, alchemy, chronobiology, shamanism, ayurveda , conventional western medicine, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), winter depression & holiday stress, the collective unconscious and mass consciousness. My inquiries are somewhat eccentric in and of themselves and this is admittedly terra incognita - largely unexplored material within the confines of rationalistic science. I am reminded that all orbits are eccentric, some faster, some more uniform in motion. Kepler's Law states that eccentricity is the nature of an orbit around a source. Some orbits are just more off-center than others.

If this subject interests you please see my other postings under the Kepler tag

State Dependent Learning

Ritucharya: Ayurvedic Seasonal Regimen

Ritucharya: Ayurvedic Seasonal Regimen

Weather changes according to season. These changes in the atmosphere affect all living beings. Some changes are beneficial, while others are detrimental. In order to achieve maximum benefits from the good qualities of the atmosphere and protection from the bad effects, Ayurveda has prescribed certain guidelines about diet and life style called seasonal regimen i.e Ritucharya.

Two energy principals, Hot and Cold (ie, Yang and Yin), govern all activities in the universe. Based on this, the entire time span of the year has been divided in to two parts, Accumulation (Adana) and Release  (Visarga)

• During accumulation period (Adana), between Winter Solstice and Summer solstice, there is a dominance of “Sun or heating” principle (Pitta Energy). Due to increasing heat, hot and dry qualities increase. So Dhatus deplete and physical strength becomes less and the incidence of disease is high.
  
• During the release period (Visarga), between Summer solstice and Winter solstice, there is a dominance of “moon or cool” principle (Kapha energy). The strength of all living beings increases.  Immunity becomes strong so the disease incidence is low.

We can neither control Mother Nature nor the changes in it. To balance the seasonal changes Ayurveda has described some guidelines called seasonal regimen or Ritucharya.
Due to changes in the season, doshas have the cycle of Sanchaya (accumulation), Prakopa (aggravation),  Prashama (palliation). These changes reflect in our bodies so we need to adjust our routine i.e diet and life style to prevent the imbalance.

Dosha cycle in a year:

Kapha is aggravated in Spring (mid February to mid June), Pitta in Summer (mid June to mid October) and Vata in Fall and Winter (mid October to mid February).

It is not really the calendar, but nature itself that tells us when the Dosha will be influenced. Therefore one should not indulge in things like food and acts, which are likely to increase or provoke the respective doshas.

On the other hand one should resort to Vamana or herb induced emesis in early winter, Virechana or herb induced purgation in summer and Basti or herb induced enema in fall and winter. To eliminate Kapha, Vata  and Pitta by carrying out this measures one can prevent seasonal diseases.

In India, the whole year is divided into 6 seasons. 

In the US, there is a vast difference in the weather pattern in different states.

In Ritucharya, the same Dinacharya should be followed. Ritucharya fine-tunes it, depending upon the individual Constitution.

(many thanks to James Bailey for this excellent information.  visit his excellent website for more information regarding Ayurveda and Oriental Medicine )

Kepler’s second law states that the radius vector describes equal areas in equal times. In other words, for a circular orbit the motion of the planet is uniform, but in order for an object along an elliptical orbit to sweep out the areas at a uniform rate, the object moves quickly when the radius vector is short and the object moves slowly when the radius vector is long.

More simply stated: planets sweep out equal areas in equal times and move fastest when closest to the focus of the orbit.

Therefore when a planet is at it furthest point (aphelion) it is also moving slowest. When it is at its closest point (perihelion) it is moving fastest. The velocity of the object in orbit is constantly changing depending upon the eccentricity of the orbit. The more circular the object, the more regular the speed variations. The more eccentric the orbit the greater the change in angular momentum from closest to farthest point.

Traditionally the seasons were marked out as the planet runs through its yearly orbit around the sun. The seasons were on a continual cycle that reflects, the recognition of this psyco-energic shift. The axial tilt causes one half of the Earth and then the other to point more directly toward the sun. This is the reason that the day to night ratio is constantly changing from the longest day on the summer solstice (June 21st) to the shortest on the winter solstice - December 21st. It seems logical that dividing the year into two equal parts (four if we include the vernal and autumnal equinoxes) is the best means to account for seasonal phenomena and the affects associated with them.

The length of the day obviously influences the processes on our planet. However there is also another process which strongly influences the yearly cycle. It is the fact that the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is asymmetrical. This observation was first made in the fifteenth century by the astronomer Johannes Kepler (right) who stated in his first law that planets move in ellipses with the Sun at one focus. Circular orbits are a special case where both foci are in the same place. (Such perfectly circular orbits are almost non-existent in nature)

23.5 degree tilt of the earth.

It is well known that the seasons are due to the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth on its axis. This accounts for the most obvious feature of the year; that days and nights are longer and shorter depending on the season.





But this is not the only thing which distinguishes the year and the seasons

Many seasonal conditions ranging from seasonal affected disorder [SAD], to winter holiday stress, summer malaise, bipolar mood cycles, and perhaps other heretofore unaccounted for recurrent seasonal phenomena, have faulty or flawed current explanations for their relationship to the solar year. A number of disciplines openly acknowledge that the mechanism for seasonality is not well understood.

As of yet this area of chronobiology has not as been thoroughly studied. But it is entirely possible that the change in proximity to the Sun is a perceptible feeling, and even exagerated within certain populations.

What’s more, these internal ‘bio-rhythms’ are furthermore evidenced throughout human history. The timing of certain modern celebrations of traditional seasonal holidays, demonstrates further evidence of a connection between perihelion effect and the internal human alchemy. Holidays are clues as to ancient methods of paying homage to the source of holiday rituals and legends since ancient times. By a deconstruction of the pattern of holiday celebrations another deeper understanding of the seasonal cycle is demonstrated.

Self Study and the Cosmos

I think that the ancients realized the alchemical relationship between the solar cycle and the human being the through somatic yoga and self study.

By observing the body's cycle superimposed over the calendar's these sages and shamen made predictions based on their understanding of the celestial dynamics. As records and observations improved, the calendar has changed significantly and holidays moved to suit these observations. The heliocentric understanding of universe seemed absurd until Galileo re-interpreted the existing data into a new paradigm. The world remained unchanged, but our understanding of it was forever transformed.

If you look at holidays (most of which pre-date our present calendar systems) they all acknowledge the winter solstice as a significant date. I think that this is because the winter solstice is the most basic astronomical marker that pre-industrial peoples had for the perihelion (the point that earth is closest to the sun) -- Think Stonehenge. That's why Christmas, Diwali, Hanukah, New Years are all celebrations of the 'holiday spirit' . That's why people are all hyped up around the holidays. Not only because they are being affected by social pressures like family, but because the earth is moving fast and close to the sun. The earth is in fact 2.3 million miles closer to the sun in January than in July. Orbital mechanics require that the length of the seasons be proportional to the areas of the seasonal quadrants, so when the eccentricity is extreme, the seasons on the far side of the orbit can be substantially longer in duration. When autumn and winter occur at closest approach, as is the case currently in the northern hemisphere, the earth is moving at its maximum velocity and therefore autumn and winter are slightly shorter than spring and summer. Thus, summer in the northern hemisphere is 4.66 days longer than winter and spring is 2.9 days longer than autumn.

This explains the autumn agitation (a time of fasting a reflection i.e Ramadan and Jewish high holidays which require repentance) The creepy feelings of Halloween and Day of the Dead, In fact this holiday is ancient. The ancient Romans celebrated November 1 as the day when dead ancestors walked the earth. The autumn feast as the body takes on more and more energy from the sun, the frenzy of the holiday build up, then a brief moment of calm as we round the bend (christmas, new years, etc) followed a quick change of direction and a fall off into depression, weight gain, seasonal affected disorder. The balance returns around early spring, (although this recovery is itself augmented by the natural human hormonal mating cycles of springtime). Lastly are the torpor of the dog days which I guess are not caused by summer heat but the maximal distance and minimal orbital velocity of the earth in July and August.

In sum; the traditional winter holidays, astrology, calendar are all memorializing the seasonal feelings of change within the person rather than the relative position of the sun to the horizon. Not the other way around.

This is akin to the mistake that people commit when they think that the rationale for astrology is that the stars lining up in some cyclical patterns, effects events on the planet and within the individual. Objectively is seems ludicrous to think that the gravitation of far off bodies like planets and stars can affect the individual here on earth. But what if the stars are not the cause of the effect, but rather just the yardstick we measure the effect by. In prehistory the stars were seen as the keepers of time. From the perspective of a clock there is more truth to the positions of stars ruling the goings on her on planet earth. If the eccentric orbit of the earth creates some inherent cycle, then charting the positions of stars is a legitimate way to express that cycle. The sun is a much more likely candidate for influencing happenings on earth. Science now indicates that birth month influences the illnesses that we will have during life. Is this not also similar to the assertions of astrology and systems of internal alchemy which ascribe personality templates depending on when the person is born?

As I say this theory is a work in progress, however the more I read the more it seems to ring true. Possible paradigm shift?

Post - perihelion phenomena

If this hypothesis is correct there should be a rapid and markedly difference in mood after January 4th.  

Indeed there is.  Right after new year we start to hear about the need to fight depression and start dieting .  The assumption being that over-consumption at the holiday feast was the cause rather than a symptom of some more general somatic response.

Depression peaks at this period of rapid recession from the closest point 2 weeks before.

There was an statistician who calculated that January 21 is the worst day of the year. 

After that February depression is augmented by hormonal spring mating drives. Suicides increase in March.  School shootings seem to peak at this time of year as well.  

Winter Holiday Stress

Many people seem to be noticeably affected by the winter holidays.  I know I am.  I also observed that this energetic cycle is not an isolated event but rather part of a continual process which is year long, but most noticeable from the Autumnal equinox to the Vernal equinox.  

Beginning around Halloween I begin to feel an increased agitation, high energy but dysphoric.  This Is marked by rising anxiety.  It is common.  You hear many people at that time of year complain of their increased stress.  Most attribute it to the pressures of having to deal with family and buy gifts.  Many of us just put on a strong face and hope that the season passes as quickly as possible.  

However what if this is a backwards assumption.  What if the holiday is not the source of the stress but the means by which people in days of yore tried to cope with this ubiquitous shift in energy.  

Winter holidays exist in almost every culture regardless of their religious orientation. Winter holidays are associated with symbols of light.  Most people feel that this is due to the diminished length of winter days.  

However there is another possible explanation.  What if this winter holiday pattern and somatic stress patterns are due to the proximal velocity of the earth as it approaches the closest point to the sun.  The earth is not only moving closest but also fastest at this point.  What is the affect on the mind-body by this shift in 3 million miles?

Is it possible that solar fields or other energetic phenomena are responsible for the pattern which seems to peek and pass at the time the earth is closest to the sun?