Thousand-Hand Guan Yin

Picked this up from Joe. My. God. 

How about a bit of stunning beauty for your Friday?

Guan Yin, also called Kuan-Yin and Guanshi'yin among other names is the Bodhisattvi of compassion. She is an East-Asian religious figure often misidentified as a god. According to Buddhist tradition she was a human who obtained enlightenment but was so compassionate she returned to help others instead of going on to Nirvana. Her name roughly translates to "hears the cries of the world."

This Web site indicates the performers in this video are all deaf. They are members of the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe. Which just adds another layer of amazing to the performance. 

When I Was Your Age Cigarettes Were Made Out of Paper and Tobacco...and They Caused Cancer

Genius! 

The folks over on Slog posted an item about the Electronic Cigarette, or (get this) the E Cigarette, from a company called Smoking Everywhere. Their Web site includes a how-to video:

Another company, Green Smoke also has a site here. I'm sure there are others. 

Dear god, why didn't I know about this before I tried to quit smoking? Hell, why stay quit? This makes me want to smoke again. But hey, I can smoke and not smoke at the same time. And nobody has to know. There's even a little light on the end that makes it look like a real tar, carbon monoxide, sixty chemicals known to cause cancer type cigarette. And you can even blow smoke! But it's harmless vapor! No more bitching about second hand smoke. No more hacking one's lungs out every morning. No more tar colored teeth. 

I haven't been able to find the down side yet, other than you have to charge the thing. But I can handle that. Half of my life these days has to be plugged into the wall at night so I can use it again tomorrow. Is this the cigarette of the future? I'm all excited. Smoking was totally my favorite thing in the world. And I hated like Hell having to quit. Now I can start a new habit. Hooray for addiction!

Today in Ear Bugs

Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons was on Fresh Air this past week promoting the new album The Crying Light. 

If you've never heard Antony's voice, I highly recommend the song "Shake That Devil" as an entry point. It came out a few years ago, but it has the magical ability to reappear in my head again from time to time and stay there for days. But I think the real joy of their music comes from a deeper listen. It is alien and etherial but also familiar and deeply, deeply human. Their songs are what my ex used to call a "good sucker," something so wonderful, so delicious, so good it actually hurts to know the experience of it is only temporary. 

Today in Ear Bugs

I know I'm a sarcastic bitter mean-ass bitch most of the time. So here's a little something to let you know it is possible to pour a little ethylene glycol on this charred frozen stone of a heart. I heard this song yesterday and I can't get it out of my head. The usual cure for such things is to listen to it, right? Or maybe to force someone else to listen to it. I've done both. So now I'm passing it on to you, ladies and gentlemen and the rest of you. It's up to you to decide now what to do with it. 

The artist's name is Matt Alber. His debut album, called Hide Nothing can be bought via his Web site. Or, I think Joe. My. God. may be giving away a copy for Swag Tuesday. Excuse me now, I have to go cry again for the fifth time in 24 hours since Joe posted the song to Facebook yesterday. 

P.S. while you're on Youtube check out his cover of "Mad World." Lovely.

Today in Ear Bugs

Trust You-Tubers to take a perfectly inane piece of technology and make it sublime. Microsoft Songsmith creates music to go with your vocal tracks. As if American Idol didn't already drag every tone deaf moron out of their parent's basements. But what happens when you apply Songsmith's magic to established acts?

Sheer craptastic genius.