Day: May 17, 2016

Brain, Curiositys, Health, PsychologyLeave a comment

Do You Often Have Nightmares? It Could Mean You Are More Creative and Empathetic

Fernando Kaskais

We have all experienced dreams, but not everybody has consistent nightmares through the majority of their sleeping life. Whilst this may seem like a good thing to those who don’t suffer from nightmares, it can actually mean that sufferers are more likely to have positive dreams, as well as having very high empathy and creativity levels. Who knew that something so negative and often terrifying could turn out to be a positive thing? Michelle Carr, psychologist at the University of Montreal’s Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, recently wrote an article in New Scientist explaining the two most dominant theories … Continue reading Do You Often Have Nightmares? It Could Mean You Are More Creative and Empathetic

Curiositys, Globalization, History, Media&Culture, PoliticsLeave a comment

Cruel ships of prosperity

Fernando Kaskais

Azulejos (ceramic tiles) depicting a galleon off the coast, made by Jose Antonio Ortega and El Lledoner’s workshop. Spain, 20th century. Photo by Getty For more than two centuries the huge profits and profound suffering of the Manila Galleons helped create global capitalism by David Z Morris David Z Morris writes about technology and the arts for publications such as Fortune and Signal to Noise. He lives in Tampa, Florida. Gemelli Careri, an Italian adventurer, circled the world in the late 17th century. No part of his journey was more dangerous than the trip from Manila to Acapulco, made in 1697 … Continue reading Cruel ships of prosperity

Big Brother, Bizarre, Freak U.S.A, Military, RightsLeave a comment

The Psychotic Militarization of Law Enforcement

Fernando Kaskais

How did it ever come down to abandoning peace keeping and accepting law enforcement by any means? Even the New York Times expresses alarm in, When the Police Go Military. “The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 generally bars the military from law enforcement activities within the United States. But today, some local and city police forces have rendered the law rather moot. They have tanks – yes, tanks, often from military surplus, for use in hostage situations or drug raids – not to mention the sort of equipment and training one would need to deter a Mumbai-style guerrilla assault.” World … Continue reading The Psychotic Militarization of Law Enforcement

Art, Curiositys, Media&Culture, TechnologyLeave a comment

Mat Maitland’s surrealist artworks for Komono watches inspired by Magritte

Fernando Kaskais

by Jenny Brewer Mat Maitland has created a campaign film and set of stills for watch brand Komono, to promote the launch of a capsule watch collection inspired by the surrealist art of René Magritte. The collage artist and film maker was asked to combine Magritte’s universe with his own surrealist vision, which has resulted in dreamlike imagery combining strange elements, from bowler hats, fish and dismembered hands to beaches and rocky landscapes. At the centre of the artworks are the watches themselves, which also feature unusual scenes on their straps. These include one with a white background dotted with … Continue reading Mat Maitland’s surrealist artworks for Komono watches inspired by Magritte

Bizarre, Curiositys, UFO, UnbelievableLeave a comment

The Surreal World of Alien Abduction and Missing Persons

Fernando Kaskais

by Mark Whittington People who have followed the UFO phenomenon are familiar with cattle mutilations (1). The animals have been found dead with body parts taken from them for decades, presumed by UFO enthusiasts to have been the victims of aliens, perhaps taking biological samples. However, a grimmer phenomenon exists in the UFO mythos that involves human mutilation. The typical alien abduction story (2) has a person being picked up by an alien spacecraft from some remote location and then being left back on Earth hours later with an imperfect recollection of what happened to him or her, but usually … Continue reading The Surreal World of Alien Abduction and Missing Persons

Art, Brain, Curiositys, Drugs, Media&CultureLeave a comment

Creatives, designers and drugs: what are they on, and why?

Fernando Kaskais

  Illustration: Jose Mendez by Emily Gosling Long before acid advocate Timothy Leary advised people to “turn on, tune in and drop out” back in 1966, people have taken that doctrine and lysergically run with it. From the French exchange students browsing Bob Marley stash tins in Camden Market to Miley Cyrus harping on about ayahuasca, people are looking to buy into that heritage of intoxication and creativity. Coleridge was laying back and writing poems on opium, Basquait was emblazoning New York with murals and his veins with heroin, Hendrix was noodling away on LSD and Warhol buzzed about his Factory … Continue reading Creatives, designers and drugs: what are they on, and why?