Stay Cool.

20 Amazing Cloud Formations

How incredible are the natural phenomena of the Earth!
We find absolute beauty in its purest form
when we realize the fact that the Earth never tries to be,
but simply is.

We find utmost tragedy in its purest form
when we realize that humankind prevents
itself as a whole
from reuniting with this true and steadfast peace.

We too should strive to learn,
to live in a way that emulates the beautiful balance
of simply being.
Perhaps, at the root of things, this is enlightenment.

Oneness.

Here are 20 amazing cloud formations captured on camera.

National Geographic -- Extreme Photo of the Week

Here's a little something the adrenaline junkies and photogs will surely enjoy. The National Geographic website selects an extreme photo of the week and posts them here for all to enjoy. There truly are no limits to what the human body/mind/soul can accomplish. If only our species could invest the same amount of energy into our interpersonal relationships...

Imagine what a world that would be.

The Steppas - Niceness

Aloha! There seems to be a stir in the political winds today. Above all else, remember the golden rule you were taught when you were a youth: Treat others like how you would want to be treated. Spread niceness my friends, spread aloha.
Peace & Blessings~

The Brothers Johnson - Stomp!

We're back with another installment of Sunday Evening Oldschool. Here's to the weekend, and to the high life! Have a terrific week~

9-Year Old Discusses the Meaning of Life and the Universe

It is amazing what a mind this young can grasp with such conviction. Continue to plant seeds among the youth! They are the ones that will have to answer to the problems we create today. 

Echo Movement:

Happy Aloha Friday! 'Ae, the time has arrived to kick back, relax, and enjoy the weekend once again. Whatever it is you choose to do this weekend, whether it be catching up on rest, catching up on work, or catching up on life, definitely grab these FREE DOWNLOADS to listen to while you go do whatever it is you do.

Click here to revisit my previous post on the inspiration and meaning behind Echo Movement's song, In the Beginning.

20 Gentle Quotations From Mister Rogers

Today marks the 85th birthday of Mister Fred McFeely Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. And in honor of his life's work and dedication to educating the public, particularly the youth, I would like to share some insightful pieces of wisdom from Mister Rogers himself. Additionally, below is a re-shared post of the most excellent audio/visual production by melodysheep for PBS Digital Studios called "Garden of Your Mind." Enjoy, neighbors! 

Mister Rogers | Garden of Your Mind | PBS Digital Studios

Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessions

Here is a brilliant piece of work from Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti produced from the convergence of art and journalism. Although these portraits are obviously staged, the juxtaposition of the photos taken of children around the world do succeed in telling a story and evoking quite the emotional response. Actually, what makes these images so profound and philosophically powerful, are the questions they elicit:

Why are we as individuals the way we are?
Is who we are predominantly defined by where we are from?
Are we predestined to become a product of our environment?  

At the same time, the photos portray a stunning depiction of the very raw, and life-affirming tragedy of global inequality. As a friend said, "Simple, yet cogent."  

Born Curious

Macklemore - Irish Celebration FREE DOWNLOAD

Macklemore has posted a FREE DOWNLOAD of Irish Celebration for St. Patty's Day! Get your free copy today! (link is safe, I tried it) Have fun and be safe tonight~

Manu Chao - Mr. Bobby

This is probably the coolest music video I've seen in a while.

:)

Stick Figure FREE Studio Sampler

Happy Aloha Friday everyone! I hope the week has been kind to you all. Here is the BEST gift I could possibly give you as a reward for making it through another work week - the FREE Studio Sampler of the most talented and soulful Stick Figure. Relax, and enjoy your weekend! Peace & Blessings~

The Legend of Surfing: Kelly Slater | Living an Organic Life

This is one of the current issues my immediate home is facing at the moment. I am grateful for those who are convicted to speak up about certain topics that seem to be implemented in our society without any general consensus by public accord.  The only social malfeasance more contemptible than ignorance, is apathetic silence.

Hollie Smith - Philosophy

"You've got to follow a philosophy of soul,
you've got to hold on,
you've got to stay strong."

Real Estate - It's Real

The week is underway. Don't forget to stop and smell the roses.
Life is made of small moments like this.

Liquid Drop Art

Here's a totally different perspective. Artist Corrie White turns simplicity into breath-taking close-ups of physics in action. Results in psychedelic awesomeness may vary.

Michio Kaku: The Universe in a Nutshell

It's Monday, time for some mental exercises in theoretical physics! If you have 42 minutes and just the smallest ounce of curiosity, you will definitely enjoy this entertaining lecture by the popular Japanese-American physicist, Michio Kaku, as he delivers a more practical approach to appreciating a world full of cultures full of physics. It is the cornerstone of all the fields of science after all. Stay curious my friends, and be enlightened!

The Weekly Life Cycle

The sky is light
today is bright
Shall everyone rejoice?

Lighten your weight
and open you gait
for fun and joyful noise!

At last it's here,
the end is near
and we can breathe again.

The clock has chimed,
pau hana time!
Let's celebrate, my friends!

Happy Aloha Friday everyone! Enjoy your weekend~

Reinventing Yourself

Stick Figure - Hawaii Song

Welina ke aloha! E komo mai! This week is underway:
keep on groovin' through and through~
Peace & Blessings from Hawai'i nei.

The Overview Effect

Perspective really does create a vehicle of radical enlightenment as it is quite the profound metaphor for ourselves as individuals as well as a collective species. Push yourself and your mind to think beyond your own immediate scope of knowledge and undertake the mental stretches required to strengthen your capacity for personal growth. The Overview Effect that these scientists discuss verges on the spiritual connectedness that ties together all life contained within our tiny blue orb of energy floating in space. Take care of one another, and together we can take care of the Earth. Brought to you in HD. Enjoy!


OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

Tilt-Shift Crazy

I finally got around to leaning how to create these awesome miniaturized style photographs on photoshop. I've included the how-to below so you can learn how to create your own tilt-shifted photos too. Have fun!












1. Enter Quick Mask Mode in Photoshop by pressing Q on your keyboard.

2. Make sure that your foreground color is set to black and the background color is set to white. If they are not, you can reset them to this setting by pressing D on your keyboard.

3. Select the Gradient tool by pressing G on your keyboard. If the Paint Bucket tool is set as the default, simply click and hold down the mouse button over the Paint Bucket icon, then select the Gradient tool icon.

4. Set the gradient to “Reflected Gradient” and the gradient type to “Foreground to Background”

5. Move the mouse cursor to a focal point of the image. This is the part of the image that you want to make appear to be the most clearly miniaturized. Hold Shift, click and hold the mouse, then drag the cursor vertically to about halfway up the picture and release. For scenery pictures a good guideline is to drag the cursor from your focal point to about where the skyline meets the horizon. 6. A red gradient will appear. This is why it is necessary to be in Quick Mask Mode.

7. Exit Quick Mask Mode by pressing Q on your keyboard. The red gradient will disappear, and in its place, the image will now appear with a selection around the area of the focal point.

8. Now apply a lens blur to the image. Select “Filter” then “Blur” and click on “Lens Blur”

9. The Lens Blur dialogue box will open. Apply the following settings to the blur--set the “Shape” to “Hexagon”, set the “Radius” to “15", set the “Threshold” to “245” and set the “Distribution” to “Uniform”. If you’d like, you can play with these settings until you achieve the desired effect. Click OK to apply the blur.

10. The image should now look blurred with a clear area where you selected your focus point. Now, deselect the selection around the focal point by clicking “Select” then “Deselect” or by pressing “Ctrl + D” (on a PC) or “Cmd + D” (on a Mac).

11. Open the Hue and Saturation settings for the image by selecting “Image” then “Adjustments” and clicking “Hue/Saturation” or by pressing “Ctrl + U” (on a PC) or “Cmd + U” (on a Mac)

12. Set the Saturation to roughly 25 to 35. You can also play with this setting until you get the desired effect.

13. Click OK to apply the Saturation change. Objects in the image should now appear miniaturized or toy like in their appearance.

And here is a different, supplementary site for learning how to create the tilt-shift effect.

3 Easy Things To Consider

Sunstroke Entertainment

Happy Aloha Friday everyone! The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer here in Hawai'i nei! Here's some sweet summer tunes to keep your spirits lifted until then. Download the whole mixtape for FREE courtesy Sunstroke Entertainment. A hui hou~
1. Rootdown - All I Wanna Do
2. Iration - Summer Nights
3. Tomorrows Bad Seeds - Only For You
4. Seedless - Banana Tree
5. Thrive - So Beautiful
6. Audiodub - Sexual Abuse
7. Through The Roots - Weekend
8. Mike Pinto - Cool and the Deadly
9. Conscious Souls - My Time To Shine
10. Donavon Frankenreiter - Glow
11. Common Ground - Live It
12. The Supervillains - Drinkin' Tonight
13. The Expendables - Wells (Acoustic)
14. Passafire - Start From Scratch
15. Ballyhoo! - Last Night
16. Bad Neighborz - Sunny D
17. Arden Park Roots - One
18. Simplified - Wake 'n Bake
19. Sono Vero - Clouds
20. High Tide feat. Clear Conscience - Back For More
21. Lavish Green - At The Bar
22. Katastro - Where I Wanna Be
23. Tommy McKinley - Hawaii
24. Haleamano - Recession
25. My Peoples - Tell Me
26. The Melodramatics - Under The Influence
27. Top Shelf - Moonlights
28. Mystic Roots - Cali-Hi
29. The Green - Travlah Dub
30. Eddie Blunt - No Amature