#siddhartha santiago*

[ruthplaysthesims]

Sundays are for the girls 🍒

Safe to say they had a good time 🤍❤️🤍

Ft. The Pink Ribbon Collection made by @joliebean and @arethabee

🎀 🎀

[jmdrd]

Mexico: An Introduction

There are roughly eight thousand nine hundred and thirty-two kilometers between Mexico City and London. England has a population of fifty-five million and Mexico has one hundred and twenty-nine million. The former’s official language is English the latter’s Spanish. The list of differences between these two nations can go on and on and on, but that is not the point. There is one very interesting similarity between these two countries: music. 

According to Spotify, the number one city in the world that listens to The Beatles is Mexico City. Guess who listens to The Rolling Stones the most? Mexico City. Radiohead? Mexico City. You can add Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Cure to that list as well. All of these bands were born in England, and a single city filled with millions of people speaking Spanish (people that love music in a language that is hard for them to understand) is consuming their music daily. 

I’ve been in London for a month now, and every-time I meet someone new I usually ask what their music taste is like. If the conversation goes well, I’ll get asked the same question back. I have not found anyone yet that knows the Mexican bands I have mentioned during those conversations. That is why I decided to take on the job of writing up a little introduction on some of the upcoming talents that sing songs in my language hoping that maybe one day it won’t matter to England if they can’t understand a few words.

Porter

Created in 2004 in Guadalajara, the band started to gain attention because of their European oriented sound. Their first single, “Espiral” showcased Juan Son’s high pitched vocals and the experimental elements that later became a trademark inside their work. The mixture of modern and classic instruments made them stand out from other independent bands in Mexico. One of the most interesting ones was the use of four-string quartets and synthesizers in the same songs. 

Today, the ensemble is formed by David Velasco on vocals, Fernando de la Huerta on guitar, Victor Valverde on guitar and piano, and Diego Rangel on bass, synthesizer and electronic programming. Throughout the fifteen years that the band has excited there has been two replacements. A very important change happened in 2013 when the band issued a press release announcing that Juan Son would no longer be a part of the band. In 2017 another release came announcing the departure of drummer Juan Pablo Vázquez leaving the band with the four members mentioned above.

Porter has released four albums during their career: Donde los Ponys Pastan (2004), Atemahawke (2007), Moctezuma (2015), and Las Batallas (2019). There was a six year hiatus between their second and third album because of creative conflicts between Juan Son and the band. In Moctezuma fans were able to reconnect with the long lost band and listen to the new lead vocalist David Velasco. This album is recognized for being one that pays homage to ancient Mexican culture. The lyrics mix mayan myths with present realities. There is a very interesting mixture of electronic sounds and traditional instruments that were used in rituals by different ancient civilizations. 

Last year the band announced the release of a new album with the single “Bandera”. Las Batallas arrived in two parts (two EPs): Las Batallas del Tiempo (2018) and Las Batallas del Agua (2019). The new record has a heavier synth focus mixed with various layers of guitar riffs and different voice effects. The lyrics focus on more personal events that the members have lived together and separately. Stories of love, loss, friendship, and revolution are the basis of this album. Various music videos have also been released for the songs inside Las Batallas giving the album a complementary visual element that hadn’t really been exploited by the band. 

Key Tunes:

“Espiral” - Donde los Ponys Pastan

“Host of a Ghost” - Atemahawke

“Palapa” - Moctezuma

“Huitzil” - Moctezuma

“Himno Eterno” - Las Batallas

“Cuando Lloro” - Las Batallas

Little Jesus

Early in 2010, Santiago Casillas was living in Boston studying his university career. During that time he felt the need to start a band so he started playing music with two Columbian musicians he met in school. After graduating in 2012, he moved back to Mexico City where he contacted his childhood friends asking them if they wanted to play some music. Casillas was successful and his new band was formed by Truco Sánchez (drums), Fernando Bueno (guitar), Arturo Vázquez-Vela (keys), and Carlos Medina (bass). 

Casillas taught the members songs he had written during his time in Boston. Soon they were playing in different parties around the city. A friend of them, Lalo Rojas, soon became their manager and played the three songs they had recorded on his online radio show. They were distinguished for being energetic, positive, and always playing for the fun of it and not the fame. 

Their first album, Norte (2013), took six months to record inside a home studio and was released independently on Christmas. The record was received with great critical acclaim and soon the band was playing various shows throughout the country and internationally. A show in SXSW opened the doors for more shows in the US, and also in Asia and Europe. Norte was re-released in Japan as a deluxe edition (with four extra tracks and two Japanese renditions).

After touring, the band decided to worry about their quality instead of trying to release content constantly. Their sound is an interesting mixture of hooky indie pop and 90s rock en español. They constantly use high pitched guitar riffs and fast paced drum patterns reminiscent to tropical music. Vocally the band utilices a Beatle-like harmony for the choruses, the whole band takes part in it as well. 

In 2017 they released their second album, Río Salvaje, branded as a collection of ten A-side singles. Their lyrics continued to be day-to-day tales of life as a human being that are always accompanied by melodies that make the listeners want to dance. Their latest album, Disco de Oro, arrived in 2019. The album has taken them to various festivals in the US and Mexico, and it has had a big radio exposure thanks to singles “Fuera de Lugar” featuring Girl Ultra and “Los Años Maravillosos”. 

Key Tunes:

“Azul” - Norte

“Cruel” - Norte

“La Magia” - Río Salvaje

“Nuevo México” - Río Salvaje

“Fuera de Lugar” - Disco de Oro

“Volver al Futuro” - Disco de Oro

Siddhartha

Jorge Siddhartha Gonzalez known in the music industry as Siddhartha started his career early as a kid in Guadalajara. His parents introduced him to music at a young age by giving him various instruments as gifts. He decided to focus on drums and that is how he got his first exposure to the professional world. He was the drum technician for Azul Violeta, and he later played drums with the band after their drummer suffered an accident that did not allow him to play for a while. 

A friend of him introduced him to Zoé’s bassist because the band was looking for a drummer. He immediately flew to Mexico City to play in some rehearsals with the band. He got the job and went on tour with them to promote their EP The Room in 2005. He stayed with them until the release of their third album, Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea, in 2006 to focus on writing, composing and producing his first record: Why You? (2008). The album was well received and it showcased a folk/country sound with a heavy use of acoustic guitars and soft percussion. The album also has a little bit of indie pop with modern effects utilized in guitar solos and various riffs throughout the album. 

Thanks to that project his solo career kicked off. So far he has four studio albums and one live album that includes songs from all his repertoire played in various shows while touring with his fourth album Únicos (2016). This year will see the release of his fifth record: Memoria Futuro. Siddhartha decided to divide this album into two volumes, each one with five songs. The first volume arrived on May and the second will in the next few months. The singer-songwriter has described this as his best work yet, and as one that is very personal. Each song represents a chapter in his life. Every chapter is accompanied by a music video that helps shape Siddhartha’s tale. 

Key Tunes:

“Colecciono Planetas” - Why You?

“Náufrago” - Náufrago

“Al Aire” - El Vuelo del Pez

“El Deshielo” - El Vuelo del Pez

“Ser Parte” - Únicos

“Únicos” - Únicos

There you have it! Eighteen songs to get you started on what is going on musically in Mexico. Of course these three are not the only artists creating interesting stuff, but I wanted to start off with a little bit. Listen to the songs, take them in, try and figure out what they mean, or just listen to the melodies. Happy music-ing! 

[druponlamadorje]

“La primera joya es el Buda, palabra que quiere decir “ser despierto” como el príncipe Siddhartha, quien se convirtió en el Buda perfecto cuando despertó, conocido también como el “Buda histórico” o Buda Shakyamuni.” #estudiabudista #druponlamadorje #lamenteunpreciosodiamante #lamadorje#budismotibetano#meditacionbudista#nuevolibrodelamadorje# (en Santiago Metropolitan Region) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6mmq8ngxU/?igshid=19ajeul2dx8n5

[wherespaulo]

Hiking the Francigena Way from Siena to Rome

March 3-12, 2019

“You will find where Odysseus wandered when you find the cobbler who stitched the bag of the winds”

Homer

I'd again been hankering for some sort of expedition to get me away from New York City's urban sprawl. Something that might fit into the St Johns University Spring break where I teach organic chemistry and which would hopefully provide some badly needed sunshine. So in early March, 2019, when I hoped the Tuscan hills would be warming up nicely, I planned to hike the last 180 miles of the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome over ten days – this is an old pilgrims route which officially starts in Canterbury and includes walking-on-water over the English Channel. I would, of course, travel alone, and Camino Ways would ferry my luggage from one small hotel/B&B to the next, so I only had my day pack to carry. I've done the 'carrying everything' and 'pitching a tent in the pouring rain and dark' already – now I could afford to just do a physically challenging hike where I could travel light and have wine, pasta and a warm bed at the end of it. To find my way I would use a combination of way markers and maps (old school and electronic) but did secretly look forward to an occasional wrong turn...

I didn't expect to find God since I've never been of the religious persuasion, probably for a number of reasons. Growing up in an English working-class coal mining area the only religions were hard graft and soccer, accompanied by copious quantities of beer and tobacco. Moral codes, such as treating everyone how you would like to be treated and respecting your elders, were deeply ingrained into your psyche through strong role models. And although religious education was compulsory in my comprehensive school, the books illustrating God as a big beardy bloke in a white robe, lounging on a cloud while overseeing his parishioners, and usually with some extra creative graffiti added by a bored student, never really did it for me. And then later in life, after I trained as a scientist, I always struggled with the idea of believing in an omnipotent supernatural being that I couldn't see. Don't get me wrong. I would never be so narrow minded to assume in this vast universe that just because I can’t see something or explain it by science it doesn’t exist. And I've always respected people's belief or not in any kind of God and understand that for many people the community of the church is just as important as the belief. Also, growing up amongst a family of builders, I have an appreciation for beautiful architecture which has been inspired by bygone believers – and this is usually some of the best, so I was looking forward to admiring some of it.

When I'm hiking by myself my mind tends to wander way more than the geographical journey -- I believe my traveling is just a reflection of my mental wanderings. As I strode out easily over the gently rolling Tuscan hills into dazzling Spring sunshine under azure blue skies, through the neat rows of olive and hazelnut groves and vineyards, I considered the inanimate clouds of dust rising from beneath my feet and struggled with a conundrum. How is it that the very same atoms could simply be rearranged to provide a living, breathing, reproducing organism with a life force? Where does this life force come from? Is there something else at work here.

These were all thoughts running through my mind as I started a short climb to the beautiful historic hill fort of Vignoni with its narrow medieval alleyways set within castle walls. 

I surveyed the rolling Tuscan landscape from my elevated position. Medieval hilltop villages like Bagno Vignoni and Radicofani rose from the distant valley like gigantic way markers for the wayward pilgrim, while the neat rows of Italian cypress and umbrella pines lining every vineyard track seemed to be tempting me with diversions.

Having already considered the very nature of life my mind now wandered further to contemplate life’s journey and its many meanderings. At some point in life most of us become lost. Don't we? And as with Odysseus we strive to find a new way home. Wherever or whatever that may be. Life seems to follow a simple route for some. For others we have an occasional unforeseen diversion. Maybe a mid-life crisis where we suddenly realize we're not where we expected to be, no longer recognizing our immediate surroundings. I think that's what happened to my ex-wife – she became lost and didn’t recognize me anymore. Yet others seem forever lost. Some people don't seem to mind being lost. Others do. Some don’t even know they’re lost.

It was shortly after leaving the most beautiful medieval lakeside town of Bolsena that I became lost – did I miss the sign? I wandered back about half a mile to the last way marker I'd seen and wandered back and forth for quite a while, but alas...

     Until 2005 my own life seemed to have been following a well-trod path --             good job with wife and two kids in the English burbs. Then there was an               unexpected detour after missing the signs – a divorce had altered my                   expected route and directed me across the ocean to New York City.                     Although, as with Odysseus, the four winds had now been loosed, an                   interesting job and good social life had tethered me like a kite for nine years.       But that tether was severed in late 2015 when my job was eliminated, and I         saw this as an opportunity to blow to the four corners of the earth. But, as           with Odysseus, I recently seem to have become lost and home seems to be       just an idea.

My favorite much-used advice to my young sons when they thought they'd lost something was “seek and ye shall find”. Of course, they'd always assumed that it was lost as soon as it was out of their sight – they hadn't yet learned that you have to realize you’ve lost something, or realize you’re lost, before you can find something or find your way. And they always did find it after listening to my advice. Always. They are both well along their own journeys now – good jobs in computer science and living with their girlfriends in London and Lyon. And just like they’d done many times while growing up, I did eventually find that way marker post after I’d searched for it -- it had been knocked over and hidden in the grass.

I entered a dense woodland where Spring was already in the air. Colorful European jays, the creepy cackle of the green woodpecker and the sharp floral smell and beautiful white blossom of the hawthorn bush all caught my attention and brought me into the moment. I considered how my mind is temporarily anchored in times like these, when it's not timebound and craving for something from the past or future. Is that why people who consistently live for the day don't tend to feel lost? Erkhardt Tolle writes about this while Siddhartha was the ultimate practitioner.

I walked the last few miles into Rome with a fellow 'pilgrim'. Beatrice was a tall, windblown and sunburned 40 something from the Spanish Basque region and we’d met after she’d appeared from behind a derelict barn while pulling her pants up. She wore a red beret tilted at an angle and smoked like a chimney while carrying a very large full pack, of I'd guess 35 pounds or more. She informed me in broken English, while prodding my chest intensely, that she'd left Madrid at the beginning of November and had walked to Rome via Santiago de Compostela, through the Winter. I felt humbled. After further questioning it seemed she'd been walking almost non-stop for a few years now – with that full pack and while sleeping in a tent. It's a pity I didn't have more time to hear her story as she seemed to have a purpose about her. Maybe she was also on an Odysseun journey to find her way home.

Our first sight of Rome was from the elevated Monte Mario Park – I could make out all the main sights that I’d visited back in 2010 on my way to a business meeting in Ascoli, just east of Rome. The colosseum, the Pantheon, the Alter of the Fatherland. And I considered my lifetime diversions since then - leaving the corporate world to travel, write and teach. But I hadn’t had time to visit the Vatican then and since that was the official end of the Via Francigena pilgrims’ route, this was going to be first on my list.

As I entered St Peters Basilica all my previous experiences of admiring ecclesiastical architecture – the enormous cathedrals of Chartres, Notre Dame, Canterbury, Seville, Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem – quickly paled into insignificance. St Peters was so much grander and opulent than anything I'd seen before and set a whole new bar. Building had started around 1500 under the power-hungry Pope Julius – it hadn’t surprised me that after demolishing the original 1500-year-old St Peters Basilica it had taken another 120 years to complete this one. And it was just the same as the Louvre’s art paled into insignificance against the enormous Michelangelo and Raphael frescos of the Sistine Chapel.

As I considered the enormity of it all I thought about the many pilgrims over the years who’d viewed Rome with the very same awe after their tiring journey from Canterbury -- and how they too, like Odysseus, had to get lost before they could find their way home.

[jacobhinkley]

Hyperledger Announces Global Forum Schedule & Keynotes

Hyperledger, an open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry business blockchain technologies, announced the full schedule and initial keynote speakers for its inaugural Hyperledger Global Forum. The event will take place December 12-15, 2018, in Basel, Switzerland. Confirmed keynote speakers to date include:

Alexis Gauba, Co-Founder, Mechanism Labs and She(256); R&D, Blockchain at Berkeley; R&D, ThunderCore

Leanne Kamp, Founder & CEO, Everledger

Bruce Schneier, Fellow and Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School

Frank Yiannas, Vice President, Food Safety, Walmart

Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director, Hyperledger, said:

“From tech and commerce giants and global policy groups to start-ups, blockchain creates new opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, transparency and, ultimately, growth, Hyperledger Global Forum is the first chance for the worldwide community to come together for an extended conversation about where and how to maximize the value of blockchain technologies using Hyperledger frameworks and tools. The packed schedule features a broad range of content and connections for business and technical audiences. This event is a must for anyone eager to understand blockchain implementations in real production settings, best practices and lessons learned.”

Hyperledger Global Forum will cut through the hype and focus on adoption, spotlighting real uses of distributed ledger technologies for business and how these innovative technologies run live in production networks across the globe today.

Attendees will see first-hand how the largest organizations in the world go beyond experimentation to lead blockchain production applications with measurable impact.

Attendees will walk away from the event with a clear understanding of the Hyperledger business blockchain projects, how they differ from other ledger platforms, and how to contribute and determine which one best suits an existing architecture.

In addition to a line-up of business and technical experts and leaders, the forum will feature demos and presentations from organizations taking the lead in speeding blockchain to market, including Diamond Sponsor, Accenture, and Gold Sponsors, Cisco and IBM.

Hyperledger Global Forum Agenda Highlights

Business track:

Financial Inclusion: How DLT Provides Hope For 1.7 Billion Unbanked People – Matthew Davie, Kiva

Verifiable Organizations Network: A Production Government Deployment of Hyperledger Indy – John Jordan, Province of British Columbia & Stephen Curran, Cloud Compass Computing, Inc.

Creating a Blockchain Platform for Our Citizens and Companies – Gorka Oteiza, Lantik, S.A.

Blockchain is Reshaping the Supply Chain Ecosystem – Roberto Mancone, we.trade

Teaching Blockchain to University Students and Professionals – Approach, Experiences and Reflections – Imre Kocsis, Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Technical track:

Wrangling Hyperledger: Usability Lessons Learnt the Hard Way & Proposal For Steps Ahead – Sudheesh Singanamalla, Microsoft Research

How Consumers Are Taking Ownership of Their Digital Identity – Julie Esser, CULedger & Drummond Reed, Evernym

Blockchains in the Cloud – Nodes, Clusters, and Distributed Systems – Casey Kuhlman, Monax

Cryptography, Security Modelling, Privacy, and Confidentiality in Hyperledger – Hart Montgomery, Fujitsu Laboratories of America

Case Study: Santiago Stock Exchange Blockchain Lending Repository. How to Get a Blockchain Project in Production – Marco Alarcon, Bolsa Comercio Santiago

Production demos:

Fighting Counterfeits from the Ledger – Benjamin Djidi, Amazon

The Industry Convergence of Automotive and Blockchain – Jason Bennick and Wes Reid, Dealer Market Exchange

Securing Cross-Border Exchange of eHealth Data in the EU through Blockchain – Ioannis Komnios, EXUS Software Ltd

Lessons from 2008 Financials Crisis: Combining AI and Blockchain for Loan Securitization – Siddhartha S & BS Anil, Intain Technologies

View the full schedule for Hyperledger Global Forum: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/hyperledger-global-forum-2018/program/agenda/

Prices to attend to Hyperledger Global Forum will increase after September 30, so register today to save: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/hyperledger-global-forum-2018/attend/register/

Use the code HGFCOINSPKR20 for 20% off.

The post Hyperledger Announces Global Forum Schedule & Keynotes appeared first on CoinSpeaker.

Hyperledger Announces Global Forum Schedule & Keynotes published first on https://medium.com/@smartoptions

[ocioenlinea]

Llegó el Coordenada

Hoy y mañana la música, la comedia y la gastronomía se unen para un fin de semana inolvidable

Las novedades de Aterciopelados

Con motivo de su próxima visita a tierras tapatías, Andrea Echeverri quien forma parte de la agrupación junto a Héctor Buitrago, platicó sobre la historia detrás del disco Claroscura. “Una de las cosas que marcan el disco es que el anterior lo sacamos por 2008 y después de eso estuvimos cada uno con nuestros proyectos solistas. Luego cuando nos juntamos sacamos un DVD con clásicos que se llamó **Reluciente, Rechinante y Aterciopelado y después vimos que ya era momento de sacar un disco nuevo. Lo que hicimos fue reunir demos de muchas épocas y producir algunos en ese momento. Así que, si vamos a hablar de tiempo de composición es difícil porque había mucho material ahí, esbozado y otro reciente. El asunto fue de componer mucho, por eso mismo de que llevábamos 10 años sin sacar un disco, porque la industria musical estaba muy diferente y queríamos tener muy buenas canciones. Entonces subimos a Soundcloud los demos y nuestro equipo, de la banda, la disquera, las escucharon y comenzaron a hacer votaciones y así se escogieron las 12 que quedaron. Cinco de ellas las produjo Cachorro López y las otras siete Héctor. El año pasado en agosto comenzamos a trabajar y había muchos conciertos así que lo hicimos por partes, continuamos en enero, con la mezcla, masterizacion, y el arte de la portada que traduce mucho la idea de Claroscura en la cual además se incluyeron cerámicas que yo hice”. 

Agregó que la idea general “tiene que ver con contrastes, con canciones luminosas y oscuras. Pero también hay un juego estético como de tira cómica. Por eso Héctor hace un personaje que es claro y yo soy oscura. Con un poco de humor y exageración. Y cuando escuchas el disco mantiene esa esencia de Aterciopelados, mucha experimentación, suena actual pero a la misma de siempre. Fusiones con vallenato, con blues, reggae, andino, cumbia rebajada. Y escuchas los temas que siempre hemos tocado como lo ecológico, el feminismo y el humor”.

Rey Pila promociona su EP Wall of Goth En entrevista el guitarrista Andrés Velasco platicó que su más reciente EP lanzado en 2017 fue creado primero en su estudio antes de llegar a Nueva York para trabajar de nuevo con Julian Casablancas. “Aunque nos encanta tocar en vivo, y el show en vivo lo tenemos muy bien armado y todo, digamos que nuestro proceso es más en estudio. Más que juntarnos a chambear como dicen, en un cuarto de ensayo con los instrumentos tocando como banda, todo lo hacemos directo en el estudio. Diego va pensando en partes de voz y vamos estructurándolas y ya después viene la parte de montarla en vivo”. En sus viajes el aprendizaje ha sido constante. “Hemos tenido oportunidad de girar con distintas bandas que admiramos mucho, de trabajar con ellos, y claro que le vas aprendiendo. Más porque a veces es en una gira donde estas 30 días tocando casi a diario con ellos. Y cuando convives con gente de ese tipo, no los estás viendo como el público, los miras desde tras bambalinas, como preparan el show, los trucos, como enfrentan las complicaciones, eso nos va haciendo crecer en otra área de nuestro trabajo como banda”, continuó.

El Mató a un Policía Motorizado presentará su nuevo disco En entrevista Santiago nos platicó que La Síntesis de O´Konor fue el que más tiempo le han dedicado, “lo encaramos de manera diferente, decidimos que el proceso de producción no sería igual. La grabación final se hizo en el estudio Sonic Ranch en los Estados Unidos, y fue una experiencia muy especial”. El proceso de composición les tomó tiempo, pero agrega que fue muy divertido. “Fue abarcar un formato musical como no lo habíamos hecho antes. Los detalles en las canciones fueron más profundos, y estamos contentos con el resultado final”, continuó. Es evidente en la placa la evolución del sonido. “Habia un grupo de canciones, que comenzamos a desarrollarlos pero al adentrarnos a los detalles en las texturas, capas, en otro momento sería una cosa más salvaje y más cruda. Así que conceptualmente ya había una diferencia desde ahí. Cuando vimos que el disco iba para ese lado, también decidimos que estaría bueno redondear ese concepto y grabar el disco con herramientas que sirven a una calidad sonora, que sea claro. Porque por ejemplo en el anterior disco la idea era que la banda sonara como en vivo. La grabación se iba moldeando de acuerdo a lo que pedían las canciones”, agregó. 

Regresa el Enjambre La agrupación sigue en la promoción de **Imperfecto Extraño, en entrevista Rafael Navejas platicó que la experiencia fue “el único que hemos hecho en etapas, y fue porque así lo planeamos, decidimos tomarnos el tiempo que fuese necesario. Los discos anteriores habían sido apresurados y con fechas que había que cumplir y en este decidimos cambiarlo. Comenzamos a grabarlo en un pueblito de Jalisco llamado Nextipac, un amigo nos prestó la hacienda y nos instalamos. Y está muy loco porque instalamos un estudio de grabación ahí, nos llevamos tres camionetas y fue un trabajo muy interesante. Ahí hicimos la primera parte del disco, toda la preproducción, armamos unas maquetas. Después fuimos al estudio Sonic Ranch del Paso Texas donde grabamos la segunda parte y el cierre lo hicimos en otro más que se ubica en León, Guanajuato. Tuvimos todo el tiempo necesario para dejar las canciones a nuestro gusto y fue una experiencia buena, algo diferente, por eso el disco no suena como los otros”. Y compartió su amor por Guadalajara. “Desde que no mudamos de estados unidos a la ciudad de México, desde allá siempre la ciudad a la que visitábamos mucho era Guadalajara. Recuerdo que fuimos como tres veces a un barecito que se llamaba Rocktown, y muy lindo porque ha sido un crecimiento gradual pero evidente y lo hemos ido midiendo en los lugares que nos hemos presentado. Primero en algunos barecitos, luego el apoyo de la gente se hizo evidente y fuimos a foros más grandes, después el Teatro Diana, el Auditorio Telmex, luego los festivales. Todo ha sido un proceso muy lindo donde la gente se sigue sumando. Incluso en las redes sociales cuando vemos las estadísticas, los tapatíos son los que siempre están entre los que más están apoyando, interactuando y eso lo agradecemos mucho. Sabemos que son exigentes así que el apoyo lo agradecemos aún más”. Viernes 19 15:00 h Marcela Viejo (Escenario Tecate Original) 15:00 h Serbia (Escenario AT&T) 15:30 h Lost Acapulco (Escenario Tecate Light) 15:30 h CHDKF (Escenario Viva Aerobus) 16:00 h LNG-SHT (ETO) 16:00 Airbag (EATT) 16:40 h Camilo Séptimo (ETL) 16:40 h Nombe (EVA) 17:20 h Aterciopelados (ETO) 17:20 h Marian Hill (EATT) 18:05 h IMS (ETL) 18:05 h Odisseo (EVA) 18:50 h Enjambre (ETO) 18:50 h Johnny Clarke (EATT) 19:40 h St. Vincent (ETL) 19:40 h The Boxer Rebellion (EVA) 20:30 h Vicentico (ETO) 20:30 h The Magic Numbers (EATT) 21:30 h Fobia (ETL) 21:30 h Miranda! (EVA) 22:30 h Zoe (ETO) 22:30 h Mi banda el mexicano (EATT) 23:40 h Deadmau5 (ETL) Sábado 20 15:00 h Los de Abajo (ETL) 15:00 h Lanza Internacional (EVA) 15:35 h Dr. Krápula (ETO) 15:35 h Jet Jaguar (EATT) 16:10 h Los Cafres (ETL) 16:10 h El mató a un policía motorizado (EVA) 16:50 h Jumbo (ETO) 16:50 h Heavysaurios (EATT) 17:30 h Kase.O (ETL) 17:30 h Rey Pila (EVA) 18:15 h Love of Lesbian (ETO) 18:15 h Dorian (EATT) 19:00 h DLD (ETL) 19:00 h The Voidz (EVA) 20:00 h Panteón Rococó (ETO) 20:00 h Django Django (EATT) 21:10 h Residente (ETL) 21:10 h Siddhartha (EVA) 22:20 h Bunbury (ETO) 22:20 h Sonido Gallo Negro (EATT) 23:30 h The Offspring (ETL) 23:30 h Cuca (EVA) 00:40 h Cypress Hill (ETO) Casa Comedy contará con Lalo Elizarrarás, Ibrahim Salem, Fran Hevia, Mau Nieto, Ray Contreras, Ricardo Pérez, Alexis de Anda y Carlos Ballarta FESTIVAL COORDENADA Viernes 19 y sábado 20 de octubre PARQUE TRASLOMA. Mariano Otero 1460, frente a Expo Guadalajara Boletos: $1,650 Fase 3, $1,880 Fase 4

Luis Addams Torres No.1101. 19/10/18

[freewhispersmaker]

Siddhartha and The Alchemist comparison

Siddhartha and The Alchemist comparison

  Santiago and Siddhartha both go on quests to seek the ultimate meaning of their lives. Are their quests similar? Or are they different? How and why? Does the “ultimate meaning” of life refer to the same sorts of principles in each these texts? Or do these texts advocate different values that comprise different senses of the meaning of life? Write an essay that answers these questions by taking…

[ruthplaysthesims]

"Little girl gone got a gun from a gangster"

Amani and Siddhartha "talking business" at the Red Mirage Nightclub (by @rheya28)

CC: @sentate @kiegross @simstrouble

[nicktungle]

Path [cont’d]

Blessings upon blessings, I can’t seem to keep up. Everything is I “can’t” this or that. Why do we think that way? Why is my mind specifically so wired to have the perspectives of can’t’s and won’t’s with the inability to process positivity when they slide up my stream? Anyways. I am trying to process all these things as they come and I believe that my vessel, my threshold, is constantly being changed, altered, tested--that is why we say “can’t.” Which is beautiful in itself with a little hint of somberness.  As I’ve mentioned before, I have been on a spiritual journey. The end goal? Who really knows, however, I feel as if the universe is constantly pushing me toward this path. No longer am I cautiously treading through this metaphorical tunnel with the light at the end of the tunnel. Rather, I am my light; no longer at a stride to escape, I am slowly pacing with the ability to see the things--blessings, curses, inanimate objects within arms-length radius. To my left and right are my tools, behind me are the lessons learned, and in front of me--the rest of the path needed to be un/covered. One consistent theme, perhaps I may also be looking too much into it, or perhaps not. Infinite signs are given to us on the daily, it is only up to us to see the message and decipher its meaning, or to simply allow them to pass and not think twice about. What I am trying to say is that what I have chosen to understand about this path are these few instances that I may or may not be reading too deeply into. Enough with the vague dialogues, here are the events that I am going to list and continue to add to as the rest of this path unfolds. Signs of the universe nudging me onto my spiritual journey: 1. Aligning myself with myself allowed the universe to play its role and take over without any of my [direct] influence (subjective; by wavelengths) and pushed me into a world of spirituality to be experienced in 21 days--getting to know myself, my role in mother nature’s world, and the thresholds constrained by years of societal conditioning to be questioned and surpassed.

2. Through this experience, my wavelength crossed paths with meeting Vence. My homie, my spiritual brother, the person who had knowledge of this unexplainable feeling I’ve always had but to put into concrete terms and lessons to be learned and expressed. A week spent with Vence and Dean truly pushing each other to our limits and reaching a few of the highest peaks in California with little-to-no sleep and not only striding through them, but also taking moments, days, weeks to truly reflect upon each mountain and their effects on us physically, mentally, and spiritually. What did each of them mean to us? That week is probably one of my favorite weeks in my entire life. The duration of each climb building my heart and mind with so much energy and to be dispersed at each peak, whether through sweat, deep breaths inward and out, and/or tears. I’m not ashamed to cry at a mountain top. I’m not ashamed to cry tears of joy anywhere for that matter anymore. This was what it felt to truly feel.

3. Following these days, I was inspired once again by my spiritual brother to revisit The Alchemist. Nights spent reflecting upon our experiences, we constantly came back to figure out the goal: what is our purpose here? What is your personal legend? I think it is extremely important to once in a while revisit the things that have once inspired us because as we grow, so does our perspectives. With each visit, we notice other meanings within the same words we’ve read multiple times that take on different meanings, new perspectives that become relevant to who we are today, tomorrow, whenever and whatever it is that we were/are searching for in that moment. 4. Upon finishing The Alchemist, I was also recommended Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. The story of a man’s journey through “finding” enlightenment within the boundaries of mankind and our relationship with ego, greed, hunger, temptation. I brushed off the recommendation because I was still allowing Santiago’s story to set in. However, a few months later, another friend completely unexpected and unrelated once again nudged me to read the story of Siddhartha. So I did. And I’m glad I read it when I read it because only then was it that much more relevant to my days.

5. On a late-night conversation with my loving mom, I expressed to her the issues that I was dealing with--experiences no mother would want to hear from their child--depression, anxiety, hopelessness, distant. She hugged me tenderly. My eyes swelled with tears. She told me she too once felt the feelings I described. I love her, with all of my being, all of my soul, all of my energy beyond this physical plane. Upon completing Siddhartha, my mother summoned a book from her library, The Art of Happiness, a handbook graced by the Dalai Lama.  6. Months later, we all receive an email. The Dalai Lama himself will be speaking at the graduation ceremony of 2017. Coincidence? Maybe. Affected? Absolutely. 7. Every other day I feel like I am going through some type of existential crisis. Constantly wondering where I am going to be after this is all over, constantly questioning if I’ve made the ‘right’ career path, constantly engulfed by every insecurity going on through every early 20-year-old soon-to-be graduated college student during a quarter-life crisis. 

Which leads me to meeting Jumpei. At attempts to keep busy and work toward where I want to be--the considered “safe zone” in this capitalistic society, I study or research music and the various avenues to “succeed”. With my favorite coffee shop getting incredibly busy during this part of the season with college kids sprinkled everywhere, it has increasingly become difficult to find a seat nowadays. One table, in a row of individual tables aligned a long bench, was open, so immediately I sat down and began to construct my workstation. About a half hour into my studies, the Japanese kid in a flashy suit next to me asked what I was studying. Macroeconomics, I replied. “What is your dream”, he asked. Thinking to myself, “that’s a loaded question for a stranger, who is this guy?” I stopped and asked myself that question. Unable to come up with an answer, I was startled. Everybody has a dream. Kids have limitless dreams. Why can’t I think of even just one that can bring me some type of satisfaction? In a string of stutters and verbal circles, ‘I don’t know’ I defeatedly admitted. He said, “It’s okay, I didn’t know how to answer that either when I was asked.” And began describing what he is also trying to figure out in his own life as a recent college graduate. Apparently, he was currently under a mentorship of a couple who retired at 33 years old, who asked him the same question which made him come to realize his biggest fear: not knowing what his ideal life, his dream, was. They have been teaching him how to manage his income and helping him learn the foundations toward future endeavors to be able to do the same--knowledge of building assets, understanding investments, understanding fiscal responsibility, ultimately to become self-sustainable and financially secure. We shared stories. He offered to introduce me and also become students of them and gain some experience before entering the dreaded workforce under corporate america. We shared contact info. I thought to myself, well shit, my questions may have been answered. This may lead to a possible job or whatever the fuck after. Maybe I’m not shit out of luck after all.

8. After a night spent consumed in studies and metaphysical contemplations, I came home to my roommate and his co-workers hanging about in our living room, hookah smoke in the air and glass bottles on the counter. A few exchanges of good-natured banter and “locker-room” talk amongst all of us, I expected nothing but a night left with shallow humor and laughs. Never have I been so wrong. Iraj, the 47 year-old Iranian electrical engineer, began discussing the processes of energy--neither able to be created nor destroyed--and his understandings/perception of the process of how the universe works due to an epiphany from a weekend spent with mushrooms in his undergraduate days. The simple alteration of our minds and the way we perceived things, he said, is the greatest gift you can give yourself. The way he described to us his experiences and the revelations he experienced through years of meditation and introspective thoughts, stuck to me. He said to us, each of us, to the core, is love. Energy is love. We are not to seek or feel, but to be love. Love as an entity of its own, not to be mistaken with romance, we are it. Everyone is it. Neither able to be created nor destroyed, we as individuals and a collection are energy. We are love. And much much more. Furthering the archive of book recommendations, he threw more titles at us to read. I willfully accepted and thanked. 9. Sitting marinated in those thoughts for a few weeks, I continued to bask in all of these ideologies. I’ve come to understand that the fundamental purpose of life is to understand. To be. The purpose which drives us. The final goal of every conscious being on this planet is simply to be at peace. Monks have been practicing this ideology for ages. 10. Jumpei constantly kept me updated with the times he’d meet with Mike and his wife (I forgot her name), and continue to share what he’s learned from them, on top of his day job as a sales representative. 2/22, I met up with him for some coffee while I study for my next midterm and for him to teach me what he has been learning. It’s a simple change in the way we think as a collective, he stresses. The initial lesson began with asset building with settings of a monopolistic firm, proceeding to multiple firms of different depths and markets following the same constraints of a monopolistic firm basically alluding to multiple sources of income. That’s the key, Mike stresses. The atmosphere shifts and we begin conversing on other topics, again reflecting upon self-fulfillment. I come to find out that this money hungry dude is not just some money obsessed guy. Jumpei has an interesting background being from Japan with its intense societal structures and being raised by his grandparents owning a spiritual healing and crystal business. And that all of these money-making plans is just a game to him to break through and out of the system of capitalist consumerism. This kid in an extremely well-tailored suit and flashy watch admits all of this shit means nothing to him. Once, he was a free roaming, dreaded-haired spirit roaming through Thailand as a yogi doing all he can to align himself with the energies toward enlightenment. The same verses spoken by Iraj, the 47 year old electrical engineer. At this point, my mind was spinning, as I shared the same sentiments. The universe works in some fucking incredible ways. He said, look man, I believe we both run on the same vibrations and the universe has united us as indigo beings to question this threshold and increase these wavelengths to higher heights. He believes it’s not a coincidence I sat by him that day and he felt that. We’re spiritual brothers, he continued. That’s why I want to share these things I’m learning with you. There’s more work to be done outside of this game. I laughed to myself as my chest began to tremble nervously and eagerly simultaneously. As for myself, I’m all for skepticism when it comes to crystal healings and whatnot, but I do believe in spiritual connections and magnetic draws in our vibrations. This path I have set upon, fully allowing the universe to take me toward whichever direction, following the omens as Santiago did, questioning but also trusting in myself as Siddhartha has, has led me to this point. I’m on a spiritual journey, who knows where it is heading toward, but I take it all in. And I’m treading these waters carefully, cautiously, and willfully. The metaphorical tunnel I am leading, what I’ve come to understand as, is no test with a light at the end. But rather an unlit road with myself being my light, only able to see an arm-lengths radius surrounding me, but becoming increasingly brighter as I recruit others and awaken them along the path to join with their respective lights becoming a brighter force and shining further to see more of our perimeter as we continue further. [tl;dr] My trip towards enlightenment [influenced out of my control]: 1. I let go and ended up going on a road trip that i didn't suggest nor plan but pushed me onto a path of spirituality unknowingly. 2. Met Vence and Dean and increased my knowledge and understanding of energy. 3. Revisited The Alchemist that allowed me to reflect internally what I believe my purpose to be 4. Read Siddhartha after multiple recommendations which helped me understand what it means to become enlightened and question myself on what it means to me 5. Allowed myself to be vulnerable with my mother about my inner demons, which she suggested a new read by the Dalai Lama 6. Months later finding out the Dalai Lama will be speaking at our commencement ceremony 7. Met Jumpei, what I perceived at the time to be a business connection 8. Learned from Iraj, a 47 year old electrical engineer who used his understanding of physics and applied them to meta-physics and shared with us his thoughts toward enlightenment 9. Grasped the multiple concepts and marinated in thought introspectively to what it means to me and how it is incorporated into everyday life 10. Met with Jumpei once again on a business meeting and learning he too, has been traveling his spiritual journey for years with a background heavily influenced by yogi and meditation. Indigo Children. Spiritual brothers, is what he refers us to be. Find peace. Seek happiness. Become love. My friends, take it all in. Much love to you all.

[ruthplaysthesims]

*walks up to the mic* Alrighty, good people. You have seen these two beautiful sims grace my blog for a while and I never truly gave them the introduction they so rightfully deserve. So we're going to do that today 😃

Amani Grant Outgoing • Neat • Bookworm

Amani was born in Brindleton Bay. She is an only child to two police officers. She developed a love for true crime and mysteries from the stories and cases her parents would come home with. She began writing her own stories regarding the cases she'd read about. In middle school, She was one of the top writers in her class, the very class she had met her very first crush. She kept her distance for fear of rejection and wrote letters and poems to him every chance she got. She would watch as he read them, and smile as he kept them in his backpack. After eighth grade, she and her family had to relocate to Oasis Springs. She never mustered the courage to confess. Attended Oasis High, where she graduated with an honor roll. Went to Foxbury Institute where she studied Criminal justice, and met her best friend, now roommate, Siddhartha. She plans on writing a book dedicated to her experiences in the Secret Agent field.

Siddhartha Santiago Perfectionist • Generous • Romantic

Siddhartha was born and raised in the high society of Windenburg. The youngest and only daughter in the Santiago household. She was not very welcomed by her mother's side of the family, but her father's side loved and embraced her with open arms as she was the second female born in the Santiago lineage. She grew up, protected and shielded by her three brothers, who treated her as an equal, though to her father, she was his little princess. Her mother wanted her to grow to be a woman that "society would want" which basically entailed, growing up getting married and have babies. When Siddhartha was sixteen, her mother's gift to her was a suitor. This infuriated her father and brothers and Siddhartha had already decided she was going to leave. Her whole life had revolved around trying to pleas her mother and her maternal side of the family, but seeing as all her efforts seemed to be in vain, she was done trying. As soon as she graduated high school, she left home to move to Britechester. Though heartbroken, her father gave her full support and so did her brothers. As far as she was concerned, she didn't know who her mother was anymore. She attended Foxbury and met Amani during a shooting range lesson. They quickly hit it off.

Now, they are celebrating five long years of sisterhood. And here's to an everlasting friendship!

[ruthplaysthesims]

Pt. Fifteen - Amani, come out

Kaori was going to stay the night at Yumi's place, leaving Amani and Siddhartha at the lodging. Amani was already having somewhat of a crisis seeing as her middle school crush is now her senior at work...

[ruthplaysthesims]

At the Mt, Komorebi airport

The field agents are officially done in Mt. Komorebi and are on their way back to Oasis Springs. A lot await for them in the coming weeks leading up to the gala. Siddhartha was ready to be on the plane, though she does feel a little bad for Amani, who had been a drunk mess the night prior because of a certain someone. Amani was shuddering at the mere thought of seeing Tyson again at the field Agent training. Kaori was happy to be leaving, though she did feel sad when she left Yumi's house. She did swing by the Komorebi graveyard to visit her grandfather, and with the little time she had left, bought something for her grandmother and attached a little note with a promise of returning for a visit. As for Kiyoshi, she'd do what she always did.. shove him in the past where he had been for the past three years.

[ruthplaysthesims]

MY WORST SIM NIGHTMARE JUST HAPPENED!

So as I was getting ready to narrate the next part of Kaori's story, I came to the dreadful realization... My screenshots weren't saving! So all I was preparing was for nothing! Well, good thing I am a writer. I'm not gonna leave y'all hanging. Good news is I was able to find the last two shots I took before closing the game. So those two will be used as the cover of this chapter (or part or whatever you want to call it) With that being out of the way, I will go ahead and write the story out for you all.

Part Nine: Face to face

As the girls arrived at the charter, they couldn't help but feel uneasy about the amount of security that was there.

Amani: Whoa. This is a lot of people..

Siddhartha: I know. You'd think the president is coming over. Are the Itos REALLY that wealthy.

Kaori stays silent.

Amani: Oh look, there's agent Morales.

Kaori quickly throws on her shades.

Siddhartha: Amor, don't be ridiculous. I'm sure he'll barely say anything about it. You're fine.

Amani: Who's that chick beside him??

They all look at the brunette standing next to Carlos.

Siddhartha: That's agent Deaton. She's a DDA too.

Kaori : Oh cool.

They showed their badges and headed onward to where the jets were supposed to land. The girls were idly waiting. Kaori couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. She knew Gatsby had sent Carlos to especially watch over her. But would she really be able to hold it in??

Kaori (Come on, Kaori. Pull yourself together!!!)

Morales : Agent Nishidake.

She looked up and saw Carlos looking at her.

Kaori : Agent Morales... A pleasure to meet you.

Carlos: Likewise...

*awkward silence*

Carlos: Gatsby would like to talk to you privately later. Be on the lookout for his phone call.

Kaori : I see.

**AN HOUR LATER**

After what felt like a forever wait, the first plane had landed and everyone began to adjust themselves.

When the doors to the plane opened, Nanami stepped out. She looked around and took a deep breath before descending the steps.

Nanami: Home at long last…

She looked around and smiled politely before Agent Morales walked up to her.

Morales: Welcome back, Ms. Ito. I hope your flight wasn't too much trouble.

Nanami: Hi. Is my brother here yet?

Morales: Your brother will be landing shortly.

Nanami: Can I wait here and see him? I haven’t seen him in forever.

Agent Grant walks up to her.

Grant: Ms. Ito, we are under strict rules to bring you home as soon as you land.

Nanami: But my brother -

Grant: I can assure you you'll see him once he gets home. Your ride is waiting for you. Agent Santiago and I will be riding home with you.

Nanami sighs, disappointed that she doesn't get to see Kiyoshi until he gets home. She reluctantly went into the car. Her luggage was put behind and the driver drove them to the Ito residence.

Kaori watched as she was led away to the car. Nanami looked more proper, was more polite and reserved. She had also grown to be just as beautiful as her mother. Kaori remembered just how much of a kleptomaniac she was when she was a kid. Looking at her now, she was sure she had grown past that phase.

A few minutes had passed and the other plane landed. Kaori could feel her heart racing. When the door opened, there he was… He looked even more handsome than she remembered. He had cut his hair, looked a lot more fit, taller… He walked down the steps of the plane and looked around before sighing..

Kiyoshi: Show off..

Kaori could not bring herself to move. She just stared as he made his way down the stairs. Agent Morales looked at her before nudging her.

Morales: Agent Nishidake.

Kaori looked over at Carlos.

Morales: Are you sure you can do this?

Kaori: I’m not a child. Yes, I can do this.

Agent Morales walked up to Kiyoshi.

Morales: Welcome back to Mt. Komorebi, Mr Ito..

Kiyoshi: Thank you.

Morales: I am Agent Morales. Agent Deaton and I will be escorting you back.

Kiyoshi nodded. He picked up a backpack and threw it over his shoulder. He walked toward the limo, though he noticed Kaori standing there, he couldn't recognize her because she was wearing shades. Kaori entered the Range Rover and at Carlos'signal, all dove to the Ito residence.

[ruthplaysthesims]

📩 Simblr question of the day: Choose as many sims/ocs as you'd like for this question, What's something INCREDIBLY obscure and/or out-of-pocket about your sim/oc? Something that nobody (fellow sims and/or your followers and mutuals) knows 👀 (This could be things about their social skills, physicality and/or birth defects, or it could be something they vaguely remember, a dream they had that actually predicted the future, etc etc... whatever you come up with)

( p.s I'm [the SQOTD anon] planning on starting a separate SQOTD blog for these asks/questions, and I'm open for input on this :) ) ( p.p.s freely share this SQOTD around, anon or not, and use the # SQOTD ~ 💛 )

Anon! first of all I LOVE THESE QUESTIONS and I feel fortunate to be one of the lucky ones to receive questions from you. Let's have a look at my oc's dark secrets

Carlos Morales: He knows where his father is and basically thre8tened him to never be involved in Carla's life as his love for alcohol had put them both in danger. or he was going to do something...

Yumi Matsuzawa: She knows Megumi Ito [Kiyoshi's mom] is having an affair with Kado Akiyama. She spotted them one day when she was teaching a few children to ski. She saw them walking into the bathhouse together, holding hands..

Tyson Blackwell: In high school, there was his particular teacher that made it obvious that she did not like having him in her class. She purposefully failed him, though he was one of the top students in his class. Being the petty boy he was, secretly hacked into his principal's emaail, sent her a fake email saying she was fired. She actually fell for it and was truly fired after not showing up for days.

Amani Grant: She was Tyson's secret admirer in middle school. Never had the guts to confess and though she hadn't seen him since eighth grade (they went to different high schools), she's in for the shock of her life.

Siddhartha Santiago: She may or may not be the reason Amani's college ex is in the hospital...

Bianca Deaton: She has been secretly stalking Carlos' ex, Greta. How she knew about her, you ask? two words; ✨social networking✨

Anon, whomever you may be, I thak you for sending me asks like these! Looking forward for more OC related questions 🤗😄