On Netflix, there is a new show called “Have a Good Trip on Psychadelics” that is absolutely hilarious. There are funny stories from Anthony Bourdain, Carrie Fisher, and a ton of others.
Daily Photo – A Little Village near Mount Fuji
It’s hard to believe how huge Mount Fuji is until you see it in person. It’s so big you can even see it from Tokyo! There is a hike that you can take to the top to see the sunrise. I thought about doing that, but I also heard that the way down is quite slippery and dangerous. Sometimes going uphill on a hike is even easier than downhill.
If you haven’t seen a show called “Devs” – then definitely check it out if you like Sci-Fi. It’s made by the same guy that did Ex Machina, so if you loved that, you’ll love this show too.
Daily Photo – Busy Day in Shinjuku
This area of Tokyo is gold for photos! There’s not a bad angle, and, even better, no one cares if you use a tripod. Or, if they do mind, Japanese people are so polite that they would never say anything anyway.
If you go to Kyoto, I recommend you visit this area with thousands of red gates at night. It’s open all night and there are absolutely no tourists. It can get a little creepy because you’re totally alone and there are no other humans around, but I like the creepy factor of the place. To add to the creepiness, there are lots of cemeteries sprinkled all around.
Here’s a new Video from my cabin about why your should doubt and question all conspiracy theories!
Before I piss off MOST people that will watch this, let me say one thing… When people feel like they are “out of control” of their own lives (which many people do now), they may seek to believe in outlandish ideas that confirm their navel-gazing victimhood. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll believe in anything. This video, while fun, will give you another perspective. Many people will be insulted by this video (especially those of you that believe in scientific properties of Essential Oils). If you can, try not to let your ego be affronted; instead, use it as an opportunity to do more critical thinking on your own rather than adopting the ideas of other people because they sound good.
The world and the universe are not out to get you. It’s not happening against you; it’s happening for you. A positive frame of reference is important. Don’t adopt other people’s ideas because they confirm your own nascent notions of self-doubt and that you are a victim of some globalized or localized plot against you. All of these self-fictional instantiations are creations that spring from an over-active ego and self-identity which will make you think you are the center of the universe. You’re not. You’re here to help, love, and take care of other people, yeah! 🙂 I hope this video helps you to put yourself in a more positive place, rather than many other videos out there that will take you down a spiraling rabbit hole of your own demise.
Below are some great resources for you to keep you in the right frame of mind! 🙂
An interesting opinion piece on conspiracy theorists.
Daily Photo – An Autumn Walk in Kyoto
I believe that Kyoto has hundreds of temples, and at almost every one, you can see scenes like this. I don’t know a lot about trees, but I’m pretty sure those red ones are Japanese maples. Well, now I’m not so sure because the Japanese maples in my yard turn red in the Spring. Maybe they turn red in the Autumn too? Well, I guess I had should pay better attention!
This is a shot of the top level of the Ritz-Carlton there in Okinawa. It’s a beautiful property, as you can see. This area is not really a pool, even though it looks like a pool. It’s more an area where you can walk around and take in all the environment and architecture. I thought the clouds piled up very nicely there along with the shape of the roof.
It was my plan to get to Tokyo for every single Halloween, but I missed it last year because of some family stuff. But, this year, coronavirus permitting, I plan to go! It’s absolutely amazing because everyone is in costume and the Shibuya area is completely crazy. Also, since it’s in Japan, everyone is super nice despite the insane number of people out partying in the streets. It’s a goldmine for photography, so I can’t wait to get back out there with my Leica lenses to capture more photos like this.
I’ve gotten really into this new yoga studio that opened in Queenstown. It’s a chain that started out of London… maybe you have heard of it before. I like it because it’s pretty chill, they play groovy music, and they encourage you to experiment and fall over and stuff… a very sweet ego-free zone too!
Daily Photo – Belem Tower in Lisbon
This is officially the second place with Rene where he fell into the water. The first time was in Venice, and omg is that an epic story. He actually almost died there because it was the middle of the night. This time, he didn’t die, but he did get a little hurt in a funny way. He had the camera really low to the water and a wave came in and started to carry it away. He ran after it and slipped on the moss, making him land on his ass in a rather hilarious manner. Guys are the worst… we just sit around and laugh whenever our friends get mildly injured by doing something silly.
I mention the tour below… you’ll see some footage from Barcelona too!
Daily Photo – The Hotel Arts in Barcelona
While on tour in Europe, we stayed at 10 different hotels. The tour was ostensibly for the Ritz-Carlton, but they didn’t have their hotels in every city we stopped in. However, because they are part of Marriott Luxury, they hooked us up with all sorts of other partner hotels. The Bvlgari in Milan, The Edition in London, and here, in the Hotel Arts in Barcelona!
I saw this on Reddit and thought it was pretty cool. Anyone that follows evolutionary trees knows that fish are our distant distant cousins… and then when you see something like this (even though you can’t prove things by anecdote, but DNA instead), it is a bit mind-bending.
I think we spent about three hours here inside Gaudi’s masterpiece. Thanks to Curtis, we had a special art curator from the cathedral get us special access to areas where the public is not allowed. One of the places she took us was up into the upper cloisters where the Pope hangs out when he blows into town.
[La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain]
The Hills has some of the most amazing art scattered all over the property. This one happens to be the work of the uber-talented Mark Hill. He has cool works scattered not just all over the coarse, but all over New Zealand. Even better, he’s a heck of a nice guy! I’m amazed at what his creative brain can come up with!
