Mar 13 th Sat
fuckyeahghosttowns:
Isla de Las Muñecas / Island of the Dolls near Xochimilico in Mexico.
(via flickr)
Known as “Isla de Las Muñecas”, by the Spanish, The Island of the Dolls is perhaps the creepiest tourist attraction in Mexico. Located within an extensive network of canals, south of Mexico City, the island is a place of mystery and superstition. Almost every tree growing on the island is decorated with old, mutilated dolls that give anyone the feeling that they’re constantly being watched.
The legend that explains who and why the dolls were placed on the island goes like this:
On a small island on Teshuilo Lake, between Xochimilco and Mexico City, three young girls were playing in the area when one drowned. Of course the area become known as a haunted spot and few trespassed on the land.
A loner by the name of Julian Santana chose the place to live and honored the spirit child, said to haunt the area, with dolls. Often, Santana would find old discarded dolls to bring to the island as an offering. The dolls, tied to trees, in addition to a special alter he constructed for the child, became known by locals.
What was also learned was that Santana had a wonderful garden of fresh produce. Locals began bringing old dolls in trade for fresh vegetables. The trade increased the collection so much that the island now has an amazing collection of thousands of dolls in various stages of disintegration. Ironically, in 2001 Don Julian Santana was found dead by his nephew, in the same canal that he said the little girl drowned in.
While creepy and even morbid may be the initial reaction, there is an amazing and uplifting sense that comes from this type of legend. The island became an alter that is still being visited and decorated today. Santana’s respect for the spirit child became a way for locals to honor her as well.Some tourists who visited this place claim the dolls whisper and you must offer them a gift upon setting foot on the island, to appease their spirits.
Submission by Nieng. More photographs of this place can be found on flickr. Take a look here to view some touristic information about it.
Mar 12 th Fri
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Aphex Twin. Grass.
from selected ambient works 2.
ander inspired me give this one a re-listen. i haven’t always agreed with mr. james on his choices, but i always had a respect. he never really pigeonholed himself. something always drew me back, i’m just not sure what. that’s probably his charm. tongue-and-cheek meets easy listening meets a haunted house. creepy and relaxing. who else can say that?
Mar 10 th Wed
Having worked in retail for so long, and observing middle america at it's most truthful...
i've come to the conclusion that i've made the right choices in my life.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
My Bloody Valentine. Don’t Ask Why.
Mar 9 th Tue
I really enjoyed walker percy's the moviegoer.
most of all because of how much i related to binx bolling's worldview. i never read a book before where i felt such a kinship with the protagonist. binx doesn't seem to be easily swayed by the values of others. there's a part in the book where his aunt asks him if he feels the need to "make a contribution." he replies, "no."
i hear all these grandiose pop songs with their sunny dispositions and it makes me nauseous. pessimism and optimism are equally delusional. they seem to say:
"don't forget to live your life!" i AM living my life. i have no desire to jump from aeroplanes or win the nobel prize.
it is amusing to me that these people, who supposedly "have it all", are so filled with yearning. so... it turns out that quest for approval got you nowhere, eh?
that says it all for me.
charlatans.
go sell your shampoo
to someone else.
Mar 2 nd Tue
I am always amused by a quote from proverbs that is displayed on a parkbench as an advertisement for a church. it reads:
"the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom" haha. i have nothing against the beliefs of christians, i just think if you're looking to convert someone you have to assume that they don't already believe.
Feb 27 th Sat
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Luc Ferrari. Etude aux sons tendus.
Cy Twombly. Untitled. (1990)
Feb 26 th Fri
I just don't get this pop culture jazz. why are people so preoccupied with people they'll never know or a conversation with? i guess the same could be said of me. except my interest is in what they do, rather than their personal lives. i
don't have a personal relationship with those people, nor do i want to... it seems so empty when we could be sharing our lives with each other instead.
Feb 21 st Sun
No one expects a seagull to be anything other than a seagull. it is beyond our rules, our qualifications. i see a flock flying through the air and i realize i am gazing on perfection. no expects a seagull to build a civilization. being a seagull is simply enough and by definition, a measure of its perfection. we are dwelling in a landscape of ghosts. of dreams. our perfection is beyond our being. another place, another time. i smile at the seagulls, they have it figured out.
