Gilgamesh Epic poem

“Why, O Gish, does thou run about?

The life that thou seekest, thou wilt not find.

When the gods created mankind,

Death they imposed on mankind;

Life they kept in their power.

Thou, O Gish, fill thy belly,

Day and night do thou rejoice,

Daily make a rejoicing!

Day and night a renewal of jollification!

Let thy clothes be clean,

Wash thy head and pour water over thee!

Care for the little one who takes hold of thy hand!

Let the wife rejoice in thy bosom!

“Wherever terror is to be faced,

Thou, forsooth, art in fear of death.

Thy prowess lacks strength.

I will go before thee,

Though thy mouth shouts to me: ‘thou art afraid to approach,’

If I fall, I will establish my name.”

“Thou art young, O Gish, and thy heart carries thee away,

Thou dost not know what thou proposest to do.”

“He is acquainted with the way, he has trodden the road

[to] the entrance of the forest.”

“Do not trust, O Gilgamesh, in thy strength!

Be warned(?) against trusting to thy attack!

The one who goes before will save his companion,84

He who has foresight will save his friend.85

Let Enkidu go before thee.

He knows the roads to the cedar forest;

He is skilled in battle and has seen fight.”

“Who is distinguished among the heroes?"

Who is glorious among men?

[Enkidu] is distinguished among heroes,

[Enkidu] is glorious among men.”

“Lions he attacked

Lions he overcame"

“On reaching the entrance of the mountain at night

I saw lions and was afraid."

"Aruru washed her hands, broke off clay,

threw it on the field

… created Enkidu, the hero, a lofty

offspring of the host of Ninib.”

“Tell me, my friend, tell me, my friend,

The law of the earth which thou hast

experienced, tell me,”

The mournful message comes back:

“I cannot tell thee, my friend, I cannot tell."

The Lasting Forest in portrait

Interpretive portrait of concealed subject by undisclosed artist, 2001. The ones who from above came were paintings as well.

Strategic Future Metals and Rare Earth Elements

(Au)

Through the passage of time, human technological advances have been intertwined with the discovery of metals and the processes of refining them from ore bearing rock. The bronze and iron ages were defined by the ancient art of smelting ore bearing metals such as iron, copper, gold and silver enabling the creation of tools, weapons and fine metalcrafts, among these machines, jewelry and currency. Today, most technological advances come about by the creating of metallic alloys combined with other metals and elements such as adding carbon to iron creating steel, increasing it's strength and chromium, to produce stainless steel.
Ancient metallurgists were also associated with mysticism, being a valuable part of experimentation more akin to and associated with the dark arts. ( big deal, it was called the dark ages, after all.. and war is itself a dark art being -the driving force behind everyday modern technology .

And here we are today holding in our hands such a ubiquitous example of the link between metals, rare earth elements and technology. Palladium, chrome, nickel, gold, copper, titanium, aluminum, lead, steel, tin and Lithium are examples of what goes into the components of your portable Devices.
These are Rare Earth Elements that
are not as rare compared to gold and silver to their relatively recent discovery by scientists in the 1880's. And these are in everything from your smartphone, laptop to the hybrid vehicles and aerospace, medicine, and other advanced technological applications that we take for granted nor give much thought about. They are crucial to defense technology: Radar and sonar, imaging systems, tank engines, smartbombs, computer microchips, batteries, even armour piercing depleted uranium projectiles.

However there is a dark secret contained in the elements used to power all these high-tech gadgets- they are processed in a very toxic industry in which rich nations extract and refine these elements in third world countries and leave a toxic mess that is difficult to dispose of properly. Rare earth elements often exist alongside radioactive elements such as thorium and uranium, raw ore mined by machines separated by complex processes which come out as waste product after extraction and refining using sulfuric acid and vast amounts of water and energy- requiring continuous power enough to supply fifty thousand houses and several Olympic sized swimming pools a day. When the ore is seperated from rock and radioactive elements is dangerous, workers need proper protection to avoid exposure and are stored as tailings in ponds and this radioactive waste has a long half -life span of about fourteen million years for thorium and uranium four and a half BILLION years. Earth is approximately only four Billion years old by comparison. Not to much surprise, most of refining is in countries with weak environmental laws and enforcement, therefore is as cheap as human life can be using exploitation. All of these industries are banned in the first world so they may mine it there but process it elsewhere on the planet. RRE's found in your smartphone/ laptop:
Color touchscreens: Europium, Yttrium, Terebium, Lanthanium, Dysprosium, Praseodymium, Gadolinium,, Glass polishing: Cerium,, Lanthanium, Praseodymium. Batteries: lithium. Circuit boards: neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, dysprosium.. Hybrid car: component sensors- yttrium LED screen: europium, yttrium, cerium. Fuel additives: cerium, lanthanium. Hybrid battery: lanthanium, cerium, zirconium. Electric motors: neodymium supermagnets, lanthanium. Headlight: neodymium, praseodymium, zirconium, tungsten. Engine: neodymium, terbium, disprosium. If you doubt the radiation levels are harmful, just look at Arafat, said to have been assassinated using the radioactive metalloid, polonium.


(Pm) Promethium- named after the Titan Prometheus who brought to the mortals the gift and knowledge of fire for which he was punished by Zeus chained to a rock. (nuclear batteries)

(Sm) Samarium- Named after Vasili Samarsky- Bykhovets who discovered rare earth ore samarsite. (rare earth magnets, lasers, neutron capture, masers)

(Eu) Europium- after the European continent. (red and blue phosphors, lasers, mercury vapor lamps, NMR relaxation)

(Gd) Gadolinium- after Johan Gadolin (rare earth magnets, high refractive index glass, lasers,  garnets, x ray tubes, computer memory microchips, neuron capture, MRI contrast agent, NMR relaxation agent)

(Tb) Terbium- safer the village of Ytterby, Sweden. (green phosphors, lasers, LEDs, flourescent lamps)

(Dy) Dysprosium- from the Greek"dysprositos"; meaning "hard to get" (rare earth magnets, lasers)

(Ho) Holonium- after Stockholm, in Latin " holmia" native city of it's discoverers.

(Er) Eribium- after the village Ytterby, Sweden (lasers, vanadium steel)

(Tm) Thulium- after the mythological land Thule. (portable x ray machines)

(Yb) Ytterbium- the first rare earth ore discovered. named after the Swedish village. (infrared lasers, chemical reducing agent, high temperaature superconductors, LEDs)

(Lu) Lutetium- after luteia, which later became Paris. (PET scan detectors, high refractive index refractive glass)

(La) Lanthanium- from the Greek "lanthanein" meaning to be hidden. (refractive lenses, Flint, hydrogen storage, battery electrodes, camera lenses, fluid catalytic for oil refineries)

(Ce) Cerium- after the dark planet Ceres, Roman agricultural goddess. (chemical oxidizers, polishing powder, yellow color glass and ceramic agent, ferrocerium Flint)

(Pr)Praseodymium- Greek meaning green "prasios" and "didymos".

Gubat Encantada

Oil on canvas early work (1998) by Dominic S. Rubio

Noritake made in Occupied Japan

These contain an unusual story. In1930 in Manila, a gentleman trader had constructed a fortified residential enclave designed and built by Japanese architects and artisans , amongst the laborers employed were a Japanese cook, chauffeur, bonsai artist/ gardener, who upon the outbreak of the second world war suddenly appeared in full military uniforms being Japanese intelligence operatives working for more than a decade under the employ of the gentleman as cover. The enclave was seized and taken over by a high ranking officer of the Japanese imperial navy named Iwabuchi who, during the liberation of Manila by American forces after intense carpet bombing, disobeyed direct orders by the retreating Japanese led by General Yamashita by standing ground instead of heading to the northern Luzon mountains to regroup. The Americans took over the enclave and obtained valuable decryption communique used by the Japanese for sending orders from the Emperor to his feild commanders in the Pacific theatre. When the Japanese surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, (originally meant for Germany by Einstien) the enclave was returned to the original owner together with sets of Noritake before and after the bomb as war trophies, hence the difference of made in Japan and made in "Occupied Japan" markings on the bottom of the finely crafted ornate gilded ceramics.

Radiation levels also vary, the former registers 500 millirems less, which is just slightly lower than the latter, being just about the range of background radiation. It is understood that the residual radiation dissipated rather quickly after the initial blast and is way less than the 10,000 millirems and more currently measured in post- tsunami Japan in fukushima. Imagine the looks I got obtaining a radiation meter. They are currently used to serve mutant sashimi. Harhar!

Tektites

The last tektite expedition over the weekend saturday November 17, 2012 yeilded three tektites on the tidal surf amongst an ancient limestone coral formation at undisclosed location. One was given to the landowner as a token of appreciation for guidance and wisdom given during the journey.. therefore not included in photograph. The found old five peso coin is shown for scale. By golly, Chicken little was right! Bakaak!

The Black Violin: Superstring theories

Higgs is my Boson Buddy-  there goes my superstring pasta recipe even before I prepare it! When mainstream science catches up faster than expected from the other side, with nary a notion of the effects it may have especially for a specie whose talent for war and destruction is only as great as their hubris and greed, perhaps imperializing even the universe as with the atom before- is great cause for concern for the ones aware of awareness. Beware of those who art aware of the selves awareness. Before you know...  you know it already. Or rather just like tower of powersong the more you know the more that you don't know. Shrodinger cat out of bag soon. Higgs Boson has already been observed, it is literally but a matter of time before they figure out how to measure it once they find the way of observing it from another literal point of view. All will shatter many of us will perish just as in the past which we cannot live in, nor send a message. If I could, I'd reply to mark Twain in the 21st century a hundred late. Perhaps send spectra shield armour, an LRAD and a 2012 glock fmg to Herr A. Roensch using the Glocke. hehe! For serious jokes on the hahaha MATTER, go to higgs jokes forum. What's art got to do about this anyway?!!! Is dark matter collectible? thanks for the violin 5368!

We were crazy even before it became "cool".

Sociedad De Tiro Al Blanco De Manila

Marksman competition held in Sta. Mesa,  Manila for consecutive years 1915-1916 sponsored by H.B. McCoy. Both were won by a German immigrant who held the distributorship for Spanish Mauser 1893 Spanish Civil Guard and Guardia Civil model rifles. Later on improved and crafted by the Ovideo Arsenal from the original 7mm Mauser to the 1916 model upgraded to .308 Winchester cal. 7.62 until 1951. There are no surviving records that indicates if it was a superior weapon at the time or if it was the skill of the marksman that bagged the trophies, using it as a sales demo for clients that had already purchased the 1893 model and presumably were used in the Spanish- American War overseas and in the Philippines. It is unknown if it was also previously supplied to the Katipunan or what currency was used to purchase weapons. Subsequently more attention shifted from marksmanship to playing Polo, a sport better suited for gentlemanly competition which they often won until Ricky Y. came along.... way in the future. Never say Colgate to a Spanish conquistador when it's all about trade.

Ming the Merciful

Where one's backyard is a hill and front yard the sea
located in a very important historical archeological site

It contains much of past unknown before what is thought
the stories that they keep are revealed in time
to those to whom space compresses and expands
Gets baked into a loaf of bread to slice the defining parrallel realities
Of mirrors of selves, through rose tinted glass what has come to pass.

Dimasalang Art Movement: Andres Cristobal Cruz

Painting by Andres Cristobal Cruz, Manila, 1968.

Secret Room: Doorknob #3

Doorknob #3, by Ferdinand Lebumfacil Romualdez, 2010.

I don't have this painting but the original antique which is the subject... now, I shall look for the key ...it's not always oppen like it used to be. I wonder if I may take a peek through the keyhole before threshold.

Jorge Riveros woodcut prints

Jorge Riveros woodcut prints, 1973 Bogota, Columbia. Original woodcuts destroyed by artist.

Protocol Officer

No hostile protests cannot afford fiasco.

Artistic License

An "Ah!" Momento. Usually used as an excuse, which it is not.

Abstract distractions: Carratala

Unknown title

Ernesto Carratala, Spain 1972

Abstract distraction

Came across this H.R. Ocampo abstract that the current owner inherited and has put up for sale. Interesting piece. Commissioned in October, 1978, a few months before he passed and has been in a private collection since. Below is the current owner with Norma Ocampo- Fores, daughter of H.R. Authentication control #083.

"Give us this day"

Anthroapology

On an expedition to discover more about tribal culture, an anthropologist and ethnomusicologist set out together to compile research about customs and rituals. The anthropologist kept wondering why the tribesmen kept watching and staring at him, observing his every move... all the gadgets that this stranger used to log his feild research and this other bespectacled fellow recording their music during celebrations kept noticing the natives would hang out when he was at the waterfall. They find out that the natives are actually also studying rituals performed by these strange blogging and singing whilst bathing at the waterfall. Upon listening to Jim morrisson on headphones, correctly presumed he sang drunk in a spontaneous poem, just like they do. See, the rituals are the same but expressed differently no matter what tribe or culture or even time for that matter, explained the guide. The only difference is we study art whereas they live art.

They also tried to grow the bag of popcorn we gave them. Good thing it was organic heritage seed.

Found objects

Calatagan pottery shard of unkown origin Found off the reef kaypating channel, Calatagan Batangas. Presumably pre Ming dynasty.  900days Russian expedition boat spotted at kaypating channel, pagapas Bay Batangas aon Philippines leg 12:25pm October 5 2012

Guys!!!!

Missed the underwater cross marker exposed by storm. Fronting dulong Kubo. SSRadar se.

Indio Tears

I have heard of many obscure inventions by archeapelagists, that are brilliant but alas never made it or worse, stolen and patented by others abroad. Lost in obscurity, ahead of their time and laughed at. Here a a few I vaguely remember but their ideas were sometimes whimsy or impractical. I shall mention a few and let's see if they would be significant today if things were different from today. A few started off as accidental discoveries or simple humor taken to the next level into the reality we percieve. Imagination does become reality and sometimes we regret bringing new things into this world that cannot be undone so here are a few worthy of mention:

The Flying Tampipi

Inventor's name eludes memory but the premise was to build airplanes for the postal and cargo using indigenous materials. Using woven bamboo mats (think sawali or baning) to make an airworthy frame, wings, rudders, and even the propeller. Bamboo is very strong and it's fiber made into mats that when layered and bonded with resin for panels forming the fuselage and wings, round hollow sections for tubes as structural support struts and even laminated and shaped for propellers. The only parts that had to be imported were the engine, flight controls and instrumentation, landing gear and tires. A prototype was built and successfully tested, but nothing came of it because at the time it was preposterous and was the laughing stock of aviation. Disappeared without further pursuit for development, ended up importing aircraft made of flimsy cloth and subsequently aircraft grade aluminum. This design was superior in strength and way ahead of present day carbon fiber composite laminates that are non biodegradable.

The Unsinkable Batel :

Patterned after the Spanish galleons, it was made up of many compartments that would flood if Hull was breached, but would still float even if riddled with cannon shot or small arms fire, localizing flooding of the ship. Think of straws in bundles that are sealed in sections. Again, bamboo has natural sections in one pole, resin, lime and Manila hemp (the unsmokable type you guys!) Bound it together.

High protien feeds for livestock:

Using waste material form rice mills,  the husks are combined with rice bran (Darak) into a large pile outdoors to which molasses (pulot) was added and mixed thouroughly and left outdoors. The millions of flies they attract feast and lay billions of eggs that hatch and become maggots that are steamed and run through a ballmill then dried. Excellent source of protien and fiber for livestock.

Manhole covers made of recycled tires:

This one invention is especially relevant today as a substitute for iron manhole covers or drain grills on the street which constantly get stolen because they are metal easily sold as scrap to junkshops. Made out of old tires shredded and molded reinforced with the steel belt layer to add strength to support vehicles all the way up to holding up the weight of heavy equipment. This way nobody would bother to steal them for it's value in metal.

Ammonia harvesting public urinals:

Take a pee- get a peso instead of paying to use the comfort room. Waterless urinal that proccesses and stores ammonia for use in industry. Not only save precious water but harvest the waste product. Ammonia was used in refrigeration and has many commercial uses. Think of your pee providing AC for Edward and make a Buck on top of it.

Whipple Shield Bunker walls:

Whipple shield is a structural design that protects modern spacecraft from micro meteor or space junk impacts. One small scale prototype was built and successfully tested as  ballistic protection for use in buildings alternately layering fiberglass, sorbothane, Kevlar and coconut coir together with concrete, lead (for radiation) rubber and ten meters of soil and rock.

There are many more..... This is just to illustrate but a few ideas turned into reality, whether successful or not. Ingenuity and imagination we lack not.

We have all we need and hope to inspire new forward thinkers by rekindling the past and better yet, improving them not for personal gain or acclaim, but for us earthlings

Now back to indio tears: basically a modern Baghdad battery made by the ancient sumerians using the electron dissimilarities between two metals and a saline solution so that the next time your device runs out of power, its alright to cry about it. Now, to find a crybaby to shed tears into pure silver vials (see colloidal silver) set on a frame of old reading glasses- chopping a sack of red onions. Hehehe!

Tektites

A few of the tektites gathered through time -"out of this world" remnants of meteorites zipping in and around earth orbit, sometimes surviving the intense heat... presumably from the asteroid feild between Earth and Mars. The lighter is to show scale. The most recent find (the.largest in this group) has what seems like (Au) metal. Extremey difficult to date as new element Lutetium (Lu) is not made in commercial volume which makes it rare. Zeiss should incorporate this in optics, as it has reflective and diffraction properties aside from as above. I have yet to come across a micro diamond meteorite, It shall take perseverance and patience. No space cadets, preferably.  :)

See no evil, hear no evil....

"See no Evil, hear no Evil,  speak no Evil, do no Evil."

Painting by DaDing 2006,  Vienna, Austria

Omega

Here's an example of Swiss watch durability. A mint condition 1962 gold omega ladies watch from Geneva. Perfect working condition considering it had been unused for approximately four decades hermetically sealed by a hermit. Or was it Kermit?

Lute 3

Detail showing the level of craftsmanship.  Needs a piezo transducer pickup pre-amp and a effects module.

Lute pic 2

View. Of the lute form above.

Custom lute

A picture of a one of a kind stringed lute solidboy hardwood from palawan, now in a private collection in Switzerland. 

Installation art

The title of this recently updated installation is "THE JIHADIST, THE INFIDEL AND THE DOOMSDAY PREPPER."

Indio tears as a power source

I accept this challenge by an eccentric peninsulares and insulares tandem to prove that their power scammed from generations of tears shed by indios. I shall power a one Watt LED light for three minutes using nothing but tears.

The fly trap clock that traps insects and deposits them using flypaper coveyor belt into microbial fuel

Cell to power a digital clock has already been invented. Because this challenge infuriated me so much at first- being an affront to all colonized cultures and is true after all, we ourselves perpetuate this cycle of free will to be subjugated and claim to be proud to be pinoy, nothing more than slaves of a European king.

Better prepare that blank check, I'm way ahead.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 16

Philippine cobra vertebrae Necklace. Mountain province.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 15

Pair of antique ifugao spears.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 14

Shaman warrior battle axe. North Luzon.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 13

Shaman warrior weapon, specifically designed for decapitation.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 12

Bronze Buddhist pendants.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 11

Part of a monkey skull mumbaki headdress from kalinga apayao.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 10

Shark jaw with round teeth used to enter and appease the realm of the sea spirits.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 9

Micro wood meditation drum and scops owl feathers.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 8

Tibetan bronze -silver alloy cymbals and bronze ring and rod.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 7

Micro ritual drums used to summon spirits using rhythm. entrainment. Bone, rattan, beads, snake, lizard and goat skin.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 6

Two enlightened bhuddist figures flanked by bronze warriors.

SHAMANIC TOOLS 5

Ritual steel bladed dagger from northern European Druid, with deerhorn handle with inlaid red glass eye.