My Past Professions, Present Passions and Possible Future Explorations Mirror the World of Mushrooms

 

INTRODUCTION

It is amazing how mushrooms mirror past professions. In other words, my past professions, my current passionate pursuits, my hobbies and possible future explorations, all mirror the world of mushrooms. This is illustrated by the diagram below.
mushrooms-mirror-past-professions
My past professions mirror the qualities of mushrooms and their most important conclusion, consciousness.

 

FIRST PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: DECORATIVE ART & DESIGN
Their design is the first category where mushrooms mirror past professions. The intricacies of the designs of these fungi are unique while displaying a myriad of potential conversions into human structures. Enjoy this YouTube video showing the splendid morphology of mushroom. One wonders how much indigenous architecture is instinctively based on structure in the world of mushrooms.


This is a video clip from Fantastic Fungi directed by Louie Schwartzberg.

 

DESIGN
Their structural wonder is also clearly shown by the anatomy of a mushroom illustration below from the group, NY Mushroom Hunters.
mushrooms-mirror-past-professions
An illustration of the anatomy of a mushroom

 

SECOND PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FOOD | BEVERAGES | INDOOR FARMING
FOOD
The category that practically screams how mushrooms mirror past professions is next. This is because of my involvement with these qualities. We love to eat them. An art of cooking and eating them abounds in all its culinary splendor.
mushrooms-mirror-past-professions
A Virtual Cookbook as part of Fantastic Fungi

 

INDOOR FARMING aka GROW AT HOME
There are numerous companies and a myriad of mushrooms to choose from to grow your own mushrooms at home. In fact, this is the safest and simplest way for beginners to grow their own mushrooms.
mushrooms-mirror-past-professions
These mushrooms were grown with a kit from AwakenMyco.com. It includes spore impregnated growing medium tightly packed in plastic. Cut holes in it, water and watch them grow.

 

THIRD PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FINANCE & SURVIVAL

In the movie, Fantastic Fungi, it is made clear that we could not exist, even that the earth could not exist without fungi. In fact, the processes of destruction and creation are intrinsic to the world of mushrooms and to our existence.

 

FOURTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: HEALTH & HEALING

Mushrooms that are safe to eat are filled with vitamin D3. It has been said that they are essential for vegetarians and vegans. Two mushrooms a day are said to be healthful. In addition, there is research documenting how certain mushroom can be healing physically and mentally. The above video goes into some detail about these qualities of mushrooms.

 

FIFTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: FUN & EDUCATION
As long as we stay open to the flow of intelligence available in the universe, we will learn, grow and enjoy the fruits of this labor.

 

SIXTH PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY: DIGITAL WORLD
The digital world is a reflection of the network of mycelia that connect under the earth. Mycelia are like the roots that bear fruit. Mushrooms are that fruit that appear above ground. As nature, the universes brain creates connection, man’s brain has created the internet.

 

SEVENTH EXPLORATORY CATEGORY: CONSCIOUSNESS
One can not help wondering about the intelligence that flowed through my past professions as they mirrored the qualities of mushrooms. Was it a coincidence or the level of consciousness that flows through us as we connect with nature’s nature. Continued study and exploration will reveal more about how mushrooms mirror past professions as well as future explorations.
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Actor Pablo Schreiber, the Nice Guy Who So Often Plays the Bad Guy

 

Pablo Schreiber the actor
Actor Pablo Schreiber, photo from his Facebook-Official Page

Pablo Schreiber, The Actor

Actor Pablo Schreiber often portrays the bad guy role on TV and in film. Sometimes I was not even able to watch an entire TV episode of Law & Order SVU because his acting was so believable as a very bad guy. In spite of that, I sensed that underneath his terrifying character portrayal there is a real-life nice guy. The following quote by Schreiber, explains it best in his own words and tends to confirm my gut feeling about him as a person and his outstanding acting ability.

“. . . . If there is a reason I’m able to make unsympathetic characters human, it’s because it’s my desire to find what drives the unsympathetic behavior. Almost always at the bottom of it is some deep insecurity. Putting your finger on what each individual’s particular insecurity is goes a long way to fleshing that person out.” Quote by Pablo Schreiber from IMBd
 

 

 

Pablo Schreiber Acting Projects

I have by no means seen all of Pablo Schreiber’s work. For an extensive list of his theatrical, TV and film acting, go to IMBd-Pablo Schreiber . To keep it simple, I will focus on two of his projects, one a TV series of several episodes that Schreiber is a guest actor in and the other, a recent film.
 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Seven Episodes in Season 14 and 15

First is the series of Law & Order SVU episodes based upon a man, William Lewis who was a “serial rapist, serial killer, serial kidnapper, and sadist (later a spree rapist and spree killer)”. Quote from Law & Order

actor Pablo Schreiber
Pablo Schreiber in his terrifying role as William Lewis on Law & Order SVU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Den of Thieves, 2018

Here I will explore Pablo Schreiber’s role in the intricate, keep-um-guessing, cops and robbers film, Den of Thieves with Gerald Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr. son of Ice Cube and Jordan Bridges, son of Beau Bridges.

Schreiber is the organizer of a recently gathered crime gang composed of military buddies and athletic pals. The story is about a heist planned by a seemingly insignificant character, Donnie Wilson played by O’Shea Jackson Jr. Their target is the Federal Reserve Bank in Los Angeles. The theme and precision timing action make for on-the-edge-of-your-seat entertainment.

actor Pablo schreiber
Pablo Schreiber as Merriman,organizer of the gang, Den of Thieves in the movie by the same name, 2018

The story pits this gang against the Los Angeles Sherriff’s office, the bad guys versus the good guys. But the movie juxtaposes their leaders, ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien played by Gerald Butler, and Merriman, played by Pablo Schreiber to illustrate that there is little difference between them. Both are violent, adrenaline junkie action seekers festooned with beards and plenty of tattoos. They will stop at nothing.

actor Pablo Schreiber
Gerald Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien of the LA County Sheriff’s office in Den of Thieves, 2018

 

What’s Next?

“A psychotic oil matriarch leaves the whole industry exposed when she attempts to outfight a bullish farmer whose water has been poisoned.” Quote from IMDb description of the movie
Director: Edward James Olmos
Writer: Robert McEveety
Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Pablo Schreiber, Alfred Molina

actor Pablo Schreiber
The Devil Has A Name, coming in 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who do you think will play the “bullish farmer”? Will Pablo Schreiber be the hero or the villain? We will just have to wait until the movie comes out. I can hardly wait. How about you?

 

Sources and Resources

Wikipedia-Pablo Schreiber

IMDb-Pablo Schreiber Bio

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: ‘Psycho/Therapist’ Photo Preview

Den of Thieves

The Devil Has a Name

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Dunkin’ Donuts Rebrands Itself, Again

 

INTRODUCTION TO DUNKIN’ DONUTS BRANDING

In this blog post, I explore recent parts of the Dunkin’ Donuts rebranding programs. Specifically, when they started their new look of hot pink and orange bold lettering.

dunkin donuts rebranding program
The Dunkin’ Donuts® brand going back to the 1950’s from ‘Evolution of the Dunkin’ Donuts Logo’, a blog post written by Erin Wallace as a student at Virginia Commonwealth University

 

AMERICA RUNS ON DUNKIN’

Then a new slogan, ‘America Runs on Dunkin’® emerges. Along with it is a Work Progress Administration (WPA) like mural in matching vibrant colors to emphasize the slogan. Here is a blog post I wrote with accompanying video about this initial transformation. This is the blog post. Dunkin’ Donuts

 

DUNKIN’ DONUTS BECOMES DUNKIN’

Towards the end of 2018, Dunkin Donuts announces a dramatic rebrand to just Dunkin’. The word ‘donuts’ was to be eliminated. Here is a blog post I wrote describing this change and some visual that demonstrate what it would look like.

rebranding dunkin donuts
Examples of new packaging for Dunkin’

 

DUNKIN DOES NAILS

The latest branding program is a bold move. It is the collaboration with Lauren B. Beauty for a Signature Nail Polish collection of eight colors. Quoted from the Dunkin’ Donuts News article of May 15, 2019, Polish Off Your Signature Look with Dunkin’s First-Ever Nail Polish Collection is the following:

The Signature Collection of Eight Nail Polishes

The polishes colors are “Cocoa Mocha, Caramel Craze and Blueberry Crisp, inspired by Dunkin’s new Signature Lattes, as well as Butter Pecan, Pistachio Almond Fudge and Banana Split in honor of our seasonal Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Flavored Coffees. Or, fans can rep our iconic orange and pink colors with the vibrant Slam Dunkin’ and Pretty in Dunkin’“. These vegan-friendly polishes are available only in select salons across the country. In other words, they cannot be purchased at retail locations, to the disappointment of many. But with Dunkin’ Donuts, I mean Dunkin’ who knows what will come next.

The US Map showing where salons are that have the Signature Nail Polish

 

SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Evolution of the Dunkin’ Donuts Logo by Erin Wallace

Polish Off Your Signature Look with Dunkin’s First-Ever Nail Polish Collection

Design by Dunkin’: The Dunkin’ Donuts Brand

Branding Part Two: “Just Call Us Dunkin’®”

 

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Handmade Crafts Historical Exploration

My handmade crafts historical exploration started out with the intention of distinguishing two major handmade crafts categories, hard and soft crafts. The distinctions are not absolute. This is because the differences are not always clear cut. In addition to that, these terms have no official documentation or recorded definitions.

In spite of that, these terms may be helpful in clarifying some of today’s complicated, definitive distinctions, Handcrafted vs. Homemade and Art vs. Craft for example. In this blog post (series), which is actually a soft crafts project, I will travel through history to illustrate what are contrasts and comparisons between hard and soft crafts as well as explore other crafts related gems.

HANDMADE CRAFTS HISTORY

Crafts Guilds

An explanation of the term handmade crafts as we ponder it today needs to come way before a distinction between hard and soft crafts can be made. Even before the Industrial Revolution which brought about the Industrial Age, when most things were pretty much made by hand, the term crafts was employed. In fact, there were highly regarded Crafts Guilds.

handmade crafts
Crafts Guilds in the Middle Ages
The Purposes of Crafts Guilds

Crafts Guilds served several important purposes in the Middle Ages lasting even to this day. Most significant is this quote from, The Purpose of Crafts Guilds in the Middle Ages. Gaining Elite Membership in a Guild:
“A man would have to work through three phases to become an elite member of a Medieval Guild during the Middle Ages – apprentice, journeyman, and master.” How similar is that in today’s world of true craftsmanship?

handmade crafts
A Craftsman’s Legacy by Eric Gorges
This soft crafts project was inspired by and is dedicated to a craftsman I greatly admire, Eric Gorges. He is the TV host and writer of A Craftsman’s Legacy. The continuation of this story, a soft crafts project itself, will be more chapters or blog posts about the history of crafts and craftsmanship.

SOURCES AND RESOURCES
Handcrafted vs. Homemade

Art vs. Craft

Decorative Art

Applied Art

Craft Guilds in the Middle Ages

The Purpose of Guilds in the Middle Ages

A Craftsman’s Legacy

 

 

 

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SYNESTHESIA: A Neurological Phenomenon

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Do you know what synesthesia is? Do you know anyone who has it? Are you a synesthete? I have synesthesia. I have had it since childhood. I have always considered it to be a fun game I could play in my mind, seeing numbers in specific colors. I can sometimes still experience a correlation between days of the week with colors and numbers,too. I never told anyone about my ability until recently. I had no idea that it was unusual, had a name or was an actual brain function that some other people experienced as well. At least one in 2,000 people have this neurological phenomenon.

synesthesia
I have synesthesia. These are the colors and numbers that automatically correlate with each other in my mind.

Wikipedia description of synesthesia
“Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia; from the Ancient Greek σύν syn, “together”, and αἴσθησις aisthēsis, “sensation”) is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.[1][2][3][4] People who report a lifelong history of such experiences are known as synesthetes.
In one common form of synesthesia, known as grapheme-color synesthesia or color-graphemic synesthesia, letters or numbers are perceived as inherently colored.[5][6] In spatial-sequence, or number form synesthesia, numbers, months of the year, and/or days of the week elicit precise locations in space (for example, 1980 may be “farther away” than 1990), or may appear as a three-dimensional map (clockwise or counterclockwise).[7][8] Synesthetic associations can occur in any combination and any number of senses or cognitive pathways.[9]

“Little is known about how synesthesia develops. It has been suggested that synesthesia develops during childhood when children are intensively engaged with abstract concepts for the first time.[10] This hypothesis – referred to as semantic vacuum hypothesis – explains why the most common forms of synesthesia are grapheme-color, spatial sequence and number form. These are usually the first abstract concepts that educational systems require children to learn. Only a fraction of types of synesthesia have been evaluated by scientific research.[11] Awareness of synesthetic perceptions varies from person to person.[12]”

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