My Blog

I'm still here

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:57:37 GMT

Things have been going well. I am strongly considering leaving Boulder. It's not mellow and groovy like Oregon. But I've learned a lot here - mostly how to be self-sufficient and live without being shackled into a job. I'm thinking of setting up in Fort Collins, which is more rural and more "real" than Boulder or Denver. It's been 6 months since my surgery. MY voice has improved markedly. I still can't talk for hours on end, but I am doing so much better. The scar is healing nicely and it's hard to see. Miss you guys on Tribe! What's happening with you / your life?

Surgery Update: Passed through Fear into the Light

BrettFromTibet — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:26:13 GMT

Surgery happened. It was intense.The doctor told me all the worst possible outcomes to cover their ass just in case. "You could die.. your voice could be worse... there's no telling what could happen"- i started shaking heavily and wondering if i should sign on the dotted line in a thin gown with IVs already in me. It was really negative and worst case. It busted all the confidence I walked in there with. I passed through some heavy gates of fear... severity... mercy.. doubt... weakness... vanity.... regret... self-juddgement... living in the past... blaming the guy for running me over.. blaming the first doctor for not knowhting what is wrong...and then in acceptance to be alive and to allow my creative energy to express itself however it needed to. I just accepted that I was alive and that I could walk and type and think and be creative.. and my looks and my voice would have to be however they were supposed to be for me in this lifetime. IT wasn't important to the spiritual and professional work I am here to do. afterwards the Doctor was incredibly astonished at how badly my voice box was broken... said it was the worst he'd ever seen.. was astonished at how it didn't kill me on the scene. "How did you survive this? - it's a miracle. There's a 95% chance you should be dead" he mentioned that about 8 times with geniuine awe. this was not a textbook case. he's writing it up for a medical journal if I give him permission. The night agter surgery I was connected to all kinds of machines. Strange and friendly nurses and people popped in and ran checks. A very elderly Jewish man was in the room next to mine shouting "Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy!" for hours and hours on end. I put in headphones to tune it out... feeling compassion that he must be more scared or flipped out than I was. I watched E!'s "Beautiful Sexy Nightspots in Las Vegas" which was about 5,000,000 miles from how I felt... than the Cosby Show (which was very wholesome, positive and well-done) - and some bizzareo late night informercials and zombie movies. sitting in a hotel in denver now... dreaming on Vicodin and listening to Ambient music ( Adham Shaikh.).. the intense dicomfort has passed. now I am supposed to move as little as possible for 2 weeks... not go outside... not lift anything,,,, to let everything set as well as possible. I was broken. And put back together. NOW IS THE TIME FOR HEALING. Help me picture a clear bright voice... teaching classes, doing business, singing, praying... caring and communicating. thank you! So might it BE!

Voice Box Fractured - Going in to Surgery!

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:18:03 GMT

So, it turns out, my voice box wasn't bruised like the local doctor told me it was. I was totally misdiagnosed. Reiki and slippery elm tea weren't strong enough to help me. There was a catastrophic condition. I went to an expert throat specialist last week and he put his fingers on my Adam's apple and said "Oh no! I think there's a problem." He sent me to get CT scans in downtown Denver and called me into his office with bad news: "Your larynx (voice box) is fractured. Split open. You're actually really lucky because if it just went a few millimeters more, closer to your airway, you would have probably died before they could have helped you. The only way to fix this is surgery. How about next Friday?" I quietly freaked out and after several hours, I decided to take the path of modern technology. (Now I can communicate, but it sounds like I have bad laryngitis - and without surgery it won't improve.) In spite of the fact that it costs more than a new hybrid car, and my insurance pays for a big chunk but not all of it. And it will leave a scar on the front of my neck. Still, my ability to communicate clearly is very precious and critical to my mission. I know that I will get my voice back perfectly. And when I can talk clearly, I can work well and have a huge part of my power and magic back. I am asking for your well wishes, thoughts and prayers. The healing is the most important part of this operation procedure... how the body gels back together. Visualize me HEALING PERFECTLY communicating as clearly as bell and speaking in front of large rooms, conferences... speaking words of illumination, helpfulness and kindness to everyone I meet. Thank you and LOVE YOU guys!

My Injury and Healing Process

BrettFromTibet — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:46:38 GMT

On the first week of March, I got run over at high speed by a reckless snowboarder who was going too fast to stop. Somehow in the tanglement, I was struck hard in the neck area... and I found myself unable to speak. This has continued for the past 7 weeks, due to a bruised and swollen larnyx. It's been really isolating to not speak to anyone for almost two months, but it has sparked a kind of spiritual awakening. I haven't done any real magickal work since 2003 and I have started to take it up again. I went to see the doctor today and he said it was taking an awful long to heal, but he hopes it will clear up within another month. I really, really trust this will be so... because I am self-employed and I need to be able to speak to do new business as I have things set up now. I haven't been on Tribe as much.... I have been spending a lot of time on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brettborders and also I have been blogging a lot at my new blog, Social Media Rockstar: http://socialmediarockstar.com Recently it has been really taking off, and I am glad because I have put so much work and love into it. Please meet me over there and connect! And picture me being able to speak clearly again, soon, please. Take a moment and visualize it if you can / care to. Much love and would love to hear what has been going on with you... please leave comments below! -Brett

Snowboarding Ecstasy

BrettFromTibet — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:24:16 GMT

Some of you may remember a couple years back when I blogged about going snowboarding for the first time in Mt. Ashland, Oregon - and I had a brutal experience? Well, I've come a long way since then.... I have recently acquired a Subaru 4WD station wagon and a snowboard here in Boulder... and I have got snowboarding dialed down... carving up snow like a Jack-o-lantern and launching big, fat airs... It is easily the funnest thing I have EVER done. I need it so badly, as I spend a lot of time online (70 hours a week+) - and it fills my lungs full of fresh crisp air and my blood full of adrenaline... it's SO REFRESHING! Being self-employed, I can see there is a clear and present danger of me skipping work and having "Snow Days" ( it's already happened a couple of times so far- but I think it's all for the best as long as it's occasional....) It was quite a long journey to get to this point .. that I could literally afford the autonomy and time to be able to do it... metaphorically, it feels like I have climbed a 14,000 foot peak w/ a 100lb. pack.. barefoot & no jacket... to get here. I am graduating from our local little mountain and going to Aspen on Wednesday.... a HUGE mountain and big, fluffy beautiful power snow... and then in February I am going to Florida for a month to go surfing... visit my folks... and do a little SEO + blogging work off broadband internet... I can't wait to see my old school friends, take some long bike rides through enless palm trees and hopefully catch some nices waves... (there's this one glorious loonnnng wave off a place called Krusler Park ... that breaks only when the conditions are right... that last time it happened I was there with my high-school friend, half-drunk.. and didn't own a board of my own.... THIS TIME I'm gonna get it! ) GRATEFUL TO GOD! LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL MY FRIENDS ON THEIR OWN RIDES THROUGH LIFE!

Peace in the Middle East: A Simple Solution

BrettFromTibet — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:38:54 GMT

From a speech by the lead rabbi of the UK - http://www.bluetruth.net/2009/01/speech-by-rabbi-jonathan-sacks-in.html ---- "We are gathered today, not in triumph but in tears. Nothing that has happened in Gaza needed to happen. All it took to avoid all the suffering was for Hamas to end firing rockets on innocent Israeli civilians. That's all. And let a voice go out today from here in Trafalgar Square, And from other gatherings today in Manchester, Paris and Washington - as it has gone out from Israel since the day it was born, 60 years ago: We want peace Israel wants peace. We who love Israel want peace. No to terror -- yes to peace Let there be an end to bloodshed and hate. Let there be peace. We say to those who criticise Israel: You want Palestinian children to grow up with hope. So do we You want Palestinians to be able to live in dignity. So do we You want Palestinian parents to have work, income, and a life for their families. So do we When a great British Zionist, the late Dr David Baum, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics, a man who lived in Bristol but asked to be buried, as he was, in Israel, in Rosh Pinah, sought to give expression to his hopes for Israel, he created a state-of-the-art child care facility. Where? In Gaza. He died on a sponsored cycle ride raising money for paediatric facilities in Gaza. When one of the finest young men of our community, Yoni Jesner, was killed in a suicide attack on Tel Aviv bus, his family donated his organs to save life, one of whom was a seven-year-old Palestinian girl Yasmin Abu Ramila who had been waiting two years for a transplant. We care about the Palestinian future. We care for Palestinian children. We care about life. And that is why we say to Hamas, who for years, day after day, have been endangering the lives of innocent people: Stop killing the Palestinian future. In 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza. It said to the people of Gaza: the land is yours. The factories, the farms, the buildings our people built are yours. The aid you seek in building an economy is yours. That is when terror should have stopped. Instead that is when the current wave of terror began. The living nightmare for the people of Sderot and Ashdod and Ashkelon. A ceaseless rain of rockets injuring and killing young and old, the vulnerable, the innocent, who wanted nothing except peace. There are young children in Sderot who have only known a life of living in bomb shelters. Who can live like that? When Jews built the land and state of Israel The land where our ancestors lived for 4000 years, They didn't want to fight with their neighbours. They didn't want to spend a lifetime fighting war and fearing terror. All they wanted to do was live. And so we ask Hamas, and Hizbollah, and the countries that give them aid and arms, Why do you want Israel to die? Stop wanting Israel to die. Start wanting your children to live. There is one question that cries out for an answer. Why, Hamas, do you hold in such contempt not just Israeli lives but Palestinian lives. Why do you fire rockets from schools, store arms in hospitals, surround yourself with human shields? Why have you consistently acted so as to maximise the death of innocent Palestinians? In the words of Colonel Richard Kemp, reported in today's Sunday Times: Senior military adviser to the British cabinet, 'Hamas deploys suicide attackers including women and children, And rigs up schools and houses with booby trap explosives. Virtually every aspect of its operations is illegal under international humanitarian law. The Palestinian future will begin The minute Hamas stops firing rockets on innocent Israelis. The minute they try to stop killing the people whom they see as enemies but who want to live as friends. The minute they stop endangering the Palestinian people by pursuing a policy that is blighting the Palestinian future. Just say three words: Yes to peace. And a day will come when Israelis and Palestinians Jews Muslims and Christians The people of Sderot and the people of Gaza Will live together in peace No longer fighting one another But helping one another to live in freedom and dignity. That day will come. It could be a hundred years away Or it could be today. It's up to Hamas and the countries that give it arms. And for the sake of Palestinian children, and Israeli children, Let it be today. But in the meanwhile we say, Beloved G-d The G-d we worship The G-d of life who told us to sanctify life Al Rahman, the G-d of compassion The G-d of Avraham, Ibrahim, father of our several faiths Show us the way to live your way. The way of Salaam, The way of Shalom. The way of Peace. "

What You Should Know About the Israel - Hamas Conflict

BrettFromTibet — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:55:42 GMT

I strongly support peace, democracy and higher consciousness... and I despise war, hardcore religious fundamentalism and terrorism. I also prefer psychedelic culture, gender equality and freedom of religion... over Islamist government mandates and dictators. That is why I support Israel's right to exist as the only western-style democracy in the Middle East... and to defend itself against Jihadi terrorists. What Israel is doing now is what ANY nation would do. The USA invaded Iraq... because of a flimsy (non-existent) connection to a single terrorist attack... and our occupation resulted in the death of over 100,000 Iraqi civilians. I am not defending this, but rather, saying that what Israel is doing to protect itself is miniscule compared to what the USA does on a routine basis. And much more understandable - as Israel has been the victim of several thousand terrorist attacks and Hamas is a terrorist organization whose charter and sole focus is to destroy Israel and kill as many citizens as possible. There's a lot of propaganda flying around and harsh criticism of Israel (much of it tinged with anti-semitism - conscious or unconscious) but I just want to present another side to the story. An article I found online.... If you disagree with this article, please state the facts you disagree with and and not assumptions / emotions / projections. WITH PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS! -Brett ----------------------------------------------------- WE'VE ALL BEEN HAD! Did you know that there was never any country called Palestine? Did you know that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people? The ideas that the West Bank and Gaza are occupied Palestinian land, and that the Palestinian people are fighting for their land, have been accepted by most of the governments of the world and by most of the media in the world. But if you read on, you will see that these two claims are the biggest lies ever deliberately perpetrated on humanity. Check out any map of the Middle East and see for yourself. http://www.masada2000.org/sahara.JPG You will find Palestine listed as a region as it always has been, but definitely not a country. We can locate the Mojave Desert on the map, but we still do not recognize it as our 51st state, let alone a country. Similarly, the region of Siberia is a region not a state. Or the Sahara is a region not a state, etc. Neither is Palestine a state. It never was a country, just a region. Importantly, the Jews did not displace anyone, because no one permanently resided there. It was a land inhabited by nomadic, Bedouin tribes. The whole region was nothing but deserts and swamps. Only about 120,000 Arabs resided in an area that covered the territories, the state of Israel and Jordan. When Mark Twain visited the area, he wrote he found nothing but a wasteland. Map of Israel (West Bank and Gaza included)During the 19 years that the territories, including Jerusalem and Gaza, were occupied by the kingdoms of Jordan and Egypt, (refer to http://masada2000.org/historical.html no one talked about a Palestinian state, not the Arab countries, not the United Nations. Nobody asked Jordan or Egypt to abdicate their ownership and give it to the Palestinians. Not even the Palestinians themselves said anything about a Palestinian state or a Palestinian people, because nobody heard of a Palestinian people. It never existed. The fact simply is that there are no Palestinians. These people are Arabs like all other Arabs, and they happen to live in a region called Palestine. They are not a separate people. What makes a separate people? Religion, language, culture, garb, cuisine, etc. The Arabs in Palestine speak the same language, practice the same religion, have the same culture, etc., as all the other Arabs. The few minor differences that exist between them are like the minor differences that exist between the American Northerners and Southerners, Easterners and Westerners... but they are still all Americans. People in the south of France are quite different from the people in the north, but they are still all French. These inconsequential differences do not make a people. The Arabs living in Syria or Jordan, etc., are also the same Arabs, but they are each a separate nation because they each have a separate country. The so-called Palestinians want a separate country because they claim to be a separate nation. They are not. They were never a separate people before the new state of Israel. How did they become one now? Because of these lies, the so-called "Palestinians" feel justified in sending suicide bombers to kill women, children, babies, old men, old women and noncombatant citizens. Because of these lies, the United Nations and the media of the world are condemning Israel who is acting less harshly than any other country would act in retaliation for such heinous attacks. What is the United States doing in Afghanistan, a totally foreign country? Killing Afghanis. Why? Because they attacked us on Sept. 11. I understand this. But why do they not understand that that is exactly what Israel is doing, only on a much smaller scale? Ask yourself this: Should the use of terror ever be rewarded? When is the use of terrorism justified as a military tactic? As a political tactic? As an economic tactic? What implications does this hold for future conflicts? Let us examine the truths here: Arab "Palestinian?" with Flag of "Palestine?"1) There never was a Palestinian state or a Palestinian nation. There are no Palestinian people, per se. Rather, these are Arabs living in a region that historically has been called many things, including "Palestine." 2) Israel did not go to war against a Palestinian state and occupy its land. Rather, Israel was attacked by six Arab countries at once. She defended herself, defeated her attackers, and won the so-called territories, not from the Palestinians, but from Jordan and Egypt. 3) Jerusalem was never the capital of any state but Israel. It was certainly never the capital of a country that never existed. Why should the Palestinians get any part of it? Because they want it? Because they have terrorists? 4) Jerusalem, under the current Israeli control, is a free and open city. Israel, as a democracy, guarantees freedom of religion within its borders. Contrast this fact with areas that have come under Palestinian occupation. What percentage of Christians have left in recent years because they cannot stand the harassment and persecution? 5) Most Arabs living in Palestine today are not indigenous to the region. It was not until after the Jews had changed deserts and swamps into a productive and thriving land that the Arabs started migrating there. Arafat himself was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. Did you know that? The belief that giving the Palestinians a state will bring peace is a delusion. The truth is that they want it all. The short-term goal is a state consisting of the West Bank and Gaza. The long-term goal is a state which includes all of "historical Palestine," including Jordan. How do I know this? The late Faisal Husseini, Arafat's Jerusalem representative, a man who was cultured, sophisticated and considered the most moderate of all the Palestinians, shortly before his death on May 31, 2001, expressed his true feelings in an interview with the popular Egyptian newspaper el Arav. Husseini said: "We must distinguish the strategies and long-term goals from the political-phased goals which we are compelled to accept due to international pressures." But the "ultimate goal is the liberation of all of historical Palestine." Explicitly he said: "Oslo has to be viewed as a Trojan Horse." He even added and clarified that it is the obligation of all the Palestinian forces and factions to see the Oslo Accords as "temporary" steps, as "gradual" goals, because in this way, "We are setting an ambush for the Israelis and cheating them." He also differentiated between "strategic," long-term, "higher" goals, and "political" short-term goals dependent on "the current international establishment, balance of power" etc. All of historical Palestine! Does not this include all of Israel and all of Jordan? What does this say to you? Unless the Arabs recognize and accept these truths, even if they are given a state of their own, and no matter how many agreements and treaties they sign, they will always feel wronged, cheated, and forced into giving up what they now claim is theirs. They will continue to plot and look for an opportunity to destroy Israel in order to take back what they claim is theirs, especially the younger generation that has been brainwashed to hate the occupying enemy. Whether there is a Palestinian state or not, there will be no peace. Only a massive and ongoing re-education of the Arab people to these truths will enable meaningful negotiations to begin, followed by a lasting peace between Arabs and Jews. It is therefore critical that everyone who has an audience, whether in print or other media, use the forum they have available to repeat these truths again and again until they reach the consciousness of those waging war in the Middle East. http://www.masada2000.org/been-had.html

Coming to PDX - 12/31 through 1/4 !!!

BrettFromTibet — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:24:05 GMT

Hey now... I will be headed to PDX from the night of 12/31 ( Jai Ganesha - Beloved Presents!) through my b-day on 1/3 and headed out the morning of 1/4.... Wondering what's happening in PDX during this time.. any great events? Anyone want to meet up? Send me a private message with your phone number and hope to see you in P-town! -Brett (303)506-0165

My New Blog: Social Media Rockstar

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:39:51 GMT

My new blog, Social Media Rockstar, launched today! http://socialmediarockstar.com Please subscribe via RSS and get news and interviews from the cutting-edge of social media.

Extreme Wheelchairing!

BrettFromTibet — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:47:10 GMT

This guy shreds! Go, go, go! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrOwvNnTeD4&feature=related

Review : Shpongle LIVE at the RoundHouse in London - 10/31

BrettFromTibet — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:32:04 GMT

Photo: The first Shpongle Live at Solstice 2001 - by BrettFromTibet ---- Today was one of the tastiest Halloween treats imaginable.... Shpongle live at the RoundHouse in London.. the 3rd Shpongle Live ever... was broadcast live on Web TV..... (I only found out an hour before, sorry I didn't have time to post on here...) I had it beamed into my living room on my Mac Mini media center... watching it with a friend... and we were both left speechless. The show was stunning.... surely one of the most impressive live performances in the history of psychedelic electronic music... They unveiled about 4 new tracks and they sound great.... lots of female vocals, strange steel drums.... ass kicking guitars and live bass They had 3 female vocalists, and 3 or 4 very sexy female dancers in Carinvale constumes... guiarist (and simon on guitar sometimes)... live drummer, electric bass and standup bas players... keyboard. .. and Raja ram giving a rather un-spastic performance on flute.... It was really, really live and really "on"... intense synnergy.... glows.. smiles.. totally doing justice to the Shpongle sound and making it look beautiful and alluring. I saw the first Shpongle live in 2001 and it was good, but no where near this level of fluidity and polish... it sounded good but looked awkard. This time looked HOT! Like Pink Floyd in 1973 or the 'Dead in 1977. The first, and best track, is made out of Indian sounds and instruments. I have no words for it. You'll understand when the new album comes out in 2009. People can fly - and this provides the soundtrack. The other highlights were DMT.. with Simon and Raja doing live exhalations into the microphone... saxaphone sounds and WICKED guitar jams and licks... Around the World in a Tea Daze, Stamen of the Shaman, and Once Upon A Sea of Blissful Awareness! Apparently they are going to do a DVD... and I would say that it is a MUST!

Music Review: Waterjuice - "Liquid Journeys" - [Vaporvent, 2008]

BrettFromTibet — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:22:58 GMT

Artist: Waterjuice Title: "Liquid Journeys" Label: Vaporvent Records, San Francisco, USA - http://www.vaporvent.com Available in HQ digital download @ Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/138688/liquid_journeys Tracklisting: 1. Are You? 2. Don't Kill It (featuring Blane Lyon) 3. Next Steps 4. Psychic Dissent 5. Swamp Planet 6. Liquid Journeys 7. Back to Ibiza 8. Bells Review: Q: What do you get when you distill organic Goa trance, dub, bewitching breakbeats, smooth downtempo funk, psychedelic guitar wizardry and celestial trip-hop into a pure crystal goblet? A: A tangy, highly-intoxicating elixir called "Waterjuice." The San Francisco-based duo, Waterjuice, is among the most underrated live electronica acts in North America. Party people go crazy over Bassnectar and The Glitch Mob, they love Bluetech, and they worship Tipper and Shpongle DJ sets... but when it comes to an actual "live" performance, Waterjuice's beats and grooves hit the dancefloor just as hard, and they're more interesting to watch on stage. The third Waterjuice album, "Liquid Journeys" pushes their classic 'electronica jam' sound to a new level of refinement and contemporary influence. The sound is quirky like the trigger fish on the album artwork: colorful, FUNKY, liquid, and submarine... with a few shadowy crevices between the coral, a couple of spines and nips from tiny teeth. "Liquid Journeys" stands apart from countless generic, laptop-produced downtempo releases (with ethnic wailing ripped from the same sample CDs). This is proper music: hand-carved, slow-cooked sonic artwork. Individual tracks: 1. "Are You?" is a monster opening: a moody, post-terrestrial psychedelic-tech-funk sojurn. Melodian synths, vocoder syllables and strange sine waves are soldered together into something epic and haunting. I get the same excited feeling as the first time I heard tracks like KoxBox - "Go Fly A Kite" or Shpongle's - "Dorset Perception." Listen to the gorgeous melodic solo 4'24" and you will feel it, too. 2. "Don't Kill It" drops some serious trip hop knowledge. Accelerating didjes and pulsing grooves push the breathy, high-vibration rhymes into the meta circuits of your mind - and keep them echoing around in there. 3. "Next Steps" squeezes out juicy, funky basslines and fat percussion grooves that could take on James Brown or George Clinton... A 70's detective show interlude with extra-terrestrial flair. Midway through the track..a UFO turns on its transporter beam and things get weird for a moment, before dropping you back into funky, familiar terrestrial realms. 4. "Psychic Dissent" - A clever, cheeky sample about an unauthorized party at a kid's parents' house sets the stage. A curtain of sound flows out of the speakers as cool as spilled liquid nitrogen, sublimating into FAT breakbeats -- fatter than your momma standing on a black hole after drinking 1000 lead milkshakes. The seductive, wommpy basslines and percussion synthesesia is beyond hypnotic. If the bass groove that drops 2'00" doesn't make you dance... there's no hope left for you. Nothing will. 5. "Swamp Planet" opens with a slow, classic Waterjuice techy interlude until 1'05".. KA-POW!..a soft gunshot sound pops the track into high gear. Delicate, complex pummeling percussion and liquid melodic swirls percolate over whispers of ancient Tuvan throat singing and future robot voices. FUNK! Watch out at 4'08" for a heady drum solo and bass attack! 6. "Liquid Journeys" gallops right into bumping, driving downtempo with a sublime underwater vibe. Colorful calypso grooves and shimmering metallic tones swirl and dance about like schools of tropical fish in coral atoll water. 7. "Back to Ibiza" is slow-burning, punchy new-skool Goa trance. An unexpectedly complex sound fractal that's triple-acid-dipped and bursting with original flavors. This monster track has a decidedly split personality... its legs are rooted deep into the mud of a primordial swamp... the upper limbs and tentacles flailing high into the stratosphere. 8. "Bells" is a slow, staggering, darkish 'come down' track. Sounds kind of like NES Metroid or Sci-fi music. This is the most 'average' track on the album. Best Tracks: 1(!),2,3,4(!),5,6,7(!) Verdict: "Liquid Journeys" is seriously high quality gear. It surpasses current downtempo cliches and production standards, and it has potential for long-lasting listening pleasure. While Ott's "Skylon" impressed me more in some ways, "Liquid Journeys" has been the most heavily repeat-played album to grace my headphones in 2008. It's also the best Waterjuice release yet... with a more polished, mature sound and complex production than the previous chapters. I dug it from the first track, but after about 25 plays my brain started to grok the subtle flavors and majestic details that "Liquid Journeys" is richly engraved with. Highly recommended! (9/10) ------------------ Written and Produced by Waterjuice: Cyril Kollock - Logic Pro, pads, drums and bass Bruce 'Raven' Tupling - live guitars and technical effects Vocals by: Blane Lyon Mastering by: L. Henry Sarmiento II. @ Sonic Vista Studios, Ibiza. ( http://www.sonicvistastudios.com/ )

Ott + Goddess Alchemy Project - Live in Colorado - 10/19

BrettFromTibet — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:20:14 GMT

...the master dub alchemist is back! OTT (Twisted Records, UK) Live in Fort Collins, Colorado @ The Manifestation Celebration Also featuring The Goddess Alchemy Project (Oakland, CA) - incredible mystical goddess hip hop. http://www.manifestationcelebration.com/scheduleofevents.htm 10/19/08 I called the festival organizer today and he said that Ott is 100% confirmed. He is scheduled to close the gathering with a set from 9:30 - 11:00 PM on Sunday. Lincoln Center 417 W. Magnolia Fort Collins, CO 80521 Tickets are $23.50.

Google Earth View of Route to Kanokawa

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:26:44 GMT

Here is a very approximate map I made from following the topography in Google Earth

Photo of Kanokawa Beach

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:20:02 GMT

Here she is... "The Beach" as seen from Google Earth to the left and the right... extending for almost a kilometer.. is live coral.

Aha!!!! Overland Route to "The Beach" Discovered

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:51:33 GMT

This afternoon I finally unraveled the overland route from Funakui Village to Kamokawa Beach (Deer River)... It was a major Aha! moment.. I have been trying to crack the code and figure out how to get there without a boat charter for DAYS... reading line by line.. guessing, researching.. calling Okinawa and asking perplexed hotel operators.. but today.. by comparing the handrawn maps and a High-resolution view in Google Earth - EUREKA! All the Japanese translating and digging paid off! Kanokawa beach is the most remote beach on Iriomote Island in Okinawa, an untouched tan sand beach with two fresh water sources - lined with spectacular coral reefs - on the hard-to-access south coast of the island. In ancient times, there was village there but it was abandoned centuries ago. In the last century, an old man name Shimura lived in the jungle there and it was his sole paradise until one day he left for untranslatable reasons. I found a description on an old Japanese Geocities page, where a backpacker very thoughtfully explained the trail and had given three hand drawn maps. The descriptions of the stays at the beach wirrten by Japanese backpackers are glowing.. filled with superlatives and words of unspeakable paradise. Time disappearing, etc. You usually don't post "The Beach" but I am glad this Japanese guy did, and I am going to one share one fraction of the map anyways... in Japanese... knowing that the route is hard and involves rock-coral walking and dense jungle crossings with no trail.. so only those who truly deserve to reach here will make it.

Solar Eclipse and Paradise Island Camping in Japan? Let's go!

BrettFromTibet — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:19:32 GMT

From about July 15th to August 6th 2009, I am planning an extraordinary adventure in Okinawa!... I will travel to Amami-Oshima to join the world's psy freaks for the total solar eclipse on July 22nd. After this, I will be exploring the pristine, remote Okinawan islands of Ishigaki and Iriomote... surrounded by shallow coral reefs, sugar sand beaches, and few people or camping restrictions. I'm telling you, it is one of the most beautiful tropical places on earth... absolutely luscious and teeming with colorful life and gin clear waters! http://www.kanpira.com/english/ida_beach.htm http://www.kanpira.com/english/kanokawa.htm a page with info on beach camping and overland routes (japanese): http://www.kanpira.com/kanokawa_camp_2000.htm I speak enough Japanese and am very experienced at island camping / snorkeling / fishing and survival.. Discuss if you are interested !

Hallucinogen LIVE in Denver - 9/5 Gothic Theater

BrettFromTibet — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:36:04 GMT

Simon Posford is coming to town again... he's doing a Hallucinogen Live and a breakbeat-y Shpongle DJ set after the STS9 show - the after party is in Englewood, Colorado at the Gothic Theatre. http://www.gothictheatre.com/show/detail/17194 This is confirmed on the Twisted Records website: http://www.twisted.co.uk/events/ See you there!

New Blog Design: Social Media Rockstar

BrettFromTibet — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:49:04 GMT

I just got finished tweaking a new blog design: http://socialmediarockstar.com The vector work and stars were done by a medical student in Kyrgyzstan. I did the typography & CSS customization. It's pretty much done. I have to get to work on writing good content for this new site! It's gonna be about influential social media users and top stories. Trying to cover the new media reality with a focus on the people who make it happen. What do ya think?

Enjoying Florida like Never Before!~

BrettFromTibet — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:58:41 GMT

I'm spending labor day weekend in Florida. My mom turned 60 and it was great to be here with her. Every day I am taking a 20 to 30 mile bike ride and getting in at least an hour of surfing. Before when I lived in Florida I just sat and drove around.. but now I'm starting to get it.... boating, wakeboarding, sailing, surfing, skimboarding, scuba diving, fishing, biking, etc. This morning there was some nasty, choppy tropical storm swell that was sloppy but still ridable. Heading back to Boulder tomorrow.... not looking forward to it!

Sri Lanka Flips Out Over Fossilized Buddhas Tooth

BrettFromTibet — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:16:21 GMT

Here's a guest article I wrote on the Esla Perahera, Asia greatest fire dancing festival.... head each August full moon in Sri Lanka: http://www.weirdasianews.com/2008/08/22/sri-lanka-flips-out-over-fossilized-buddhas-tooth/

Finally! Affordable, Quality Music Earplugs

BrettFromTibet — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:15:22 GMT

If you DJ or go to electronic music shows and you don't want to suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss later on, I really recommend you wear ear plugs every time you go out. Every time. Just like a condom or birth control pill. Practice "safe sound," y'all! I have rarely, if ever, been to an electronic music event where the sound wasn't loud enough to cause some hearing loss or damage with prolonged exposure. DJ's and sound guys frequently have hearing loss and can't judge accurately. People are used to being mauled with sound and using bad little Mackie systems and don't know what clear audio sounds like. For a long time, there has been a limited number of choices: - You could get foam earplugs for about a buck and they mess up the sound and make it hard to hear and converse. - Then you could get Etymotic Research custom "Musician's Plugs" for $150 - $200 (http://www.ultimateears.com/resource-guide/musician-ear-plugs.html). You visited an audiologist and waited two weeks to have them made in a lab. They are custom molded, sound good, look like a hearing aid. It sucks when you drop one in paya dust and you're on your hands and knees digging.. and everyone thinks you lost a pill. - Then Etymotic Research came out with the $20 ER-20's (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx) which sound good, except they're not comfortable and you look like a Teletubbie with these dumb plastic cylinders sticking out of your ears. I have them a 'FAIL' rating. Finally, I am glad to report that I have discovered and tested a high-quality ear plug that only cost $25, and I think it is more comfortable and more fashionable than the custom-audiologist-moulded "Musician's Plugs." I haven't done an A/B comparison with the custom earplugs (I lost mine) - but it sounds damn good. It feels light and discreet (you can even trim the rubber stems to make it shorter - but harder to take out). It's not invisible, but it doesn't "stick out." Most importantly, it only blocks HALF as much sound as foam earplugs - and it sounds twice as clear. They're called the "Alpine MusicSafe Natural Sound Professional Musician's Ear Plugs" http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/alnasoearpl.html http://alpineearplugs.com/index.htm I have them in now and I am listening to LOUD trance on my Sennheiser headphones and it feels totally comfortable and sounds great. I have also tried them at clubs, rock shows and outdoor bass meltdown parties and they pass the test for me. There's no excuse anymore. Going to a party without filtering ear plugs is a lot more foolish than going to the beach without your sunglasses! Hell, it's more foolish than going to the club without your wallet and ID. Be safe, family! Enjoy music for a lifetime!

Killer Trance Party: Treavor Moontribe vs. Ecliptic (8/23) - Denver

BrettFromTibet — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:51:44 GMT

Don't stay home next Saturday night (8/23) - you're invited to a top-notch, outdoor international trance party -- here in Denver -- to finish the season of with a bang! Lineup .:: Ecliptic ::. - (Maia Records, Mexico City) - * LIVE * These two classically trained musicians make groovy psychedelic trance influenced by psychedelic music from decades past. Their positive vibe and intricate sounds are known for blowing up dancefloors in Latin America and at Universo Parallel, Brazil's biggest New Year's event. .:: Treavor ::. - (Moontribe, Los Angeles) - * DJ Set * Treavor is one of the top psychedelic trance and progressive DJs in the USA - and the founder of the legendary Moonrtibe desert parties in Southern California. Also DJ sets by: Alexander (Paradigm Productions), Schmid-E (Wacky Shack), Brandon (Paradigm) and Stads (Paradigm). Sound: 100,000 Watts of audiophile Turbosound Visuals: OMG! Sublime digital projections by Fusion Visuals and Vibe Creators. An abundance of organic art and visual installations by Paradigm with Quill. Donation: $20 Time: 9 PM Saturday night (8/23) till 11 AM Sunday Morning or beyond. Location: Located on a private ranch near Idaho Springs - an easy 45 minute drive from downtown Denver. Call the infoline (303)274-6164 on the day of the event for exact directions. Camping is allowed and encouraged. Mountain conditions, please be prepared for outdoor chilly temps in the wee hours. (p.s. I went to the other events thrown by the same people this summer and they were b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l - solid music, pristine sound, an abundance of visuals and attention to detail. WAY too good to miss!)

Wanted: Rockstar Designer for Blog Logo

BrettFromTibet — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:34:58 GMT

Hi! I need help with a very detailed / eye-catching / web-styled logo for my new blog. I am starting a blog called ("Social Media Rockstar") - the default theme is up here - http://socialmediarockstar.com It's about top social media users (power bloggers, top Digg users) and the top social media content. I would like to get a ~960 x 165 header logo (.psd / .png file to export as a .jpg / .png) to sit on a white background. Vectors, semi-transparent pixels, micro details, spectacular typography /// would be good. [Must be technically / aesthetically impressive enough to not raise the eyebrows of bleeding-edge web snobs (social media power users]. Refined and subtle, more than gaudy or blingy. The "Craigslist corporate-logo" class of design wouldn't work - it's gotta be Tokyo / San Franciso stylin'... Can anyone recommend anyone semi-affordable (I'm a freelancer ) and suitable for this project? Know anyone who might be able to do a "knockout"?

Breathtaking Siberian Solar Eclipse Report!

BrettFromTibet — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:37:49 GMT

My friend JDS just got back from the Altay Mountains of Siberia. This is one of the most amazing travel stories I have ever read on Tribe: http://people.tribe.net/12f8fe12-1cf5-4bb5-a3ce-c440423764ab/blog?topicid=91a975ea-85c2-43ca-b277-24979c11d110 Intense Adventure Story! Well worth the 10 minutes to read this!