New Year's Eve: Top Destinations

Objects: Pluto, the Natural Bridge on Mars and the Exoplanets
Mood: Sick

The Cryptical Galaxy suggests three top destinations to spend New Year's Eve. Since every corner of the Earth is either filled with a firework cocktail of terrorist activities, invigorating pollution or pure random boredom, it was inevitable to propose some refreshing places.
So after some thinking, here are this year's hottest planetary picks:

01. Pluto
The ex-ninth planet saw itself dethroned from the circle of the regular Solar System planets to become a dwarf planet.

This has of course upset many astronomers as well as sky gazing amateurs. To make up for what has been a tough year on Pluto, the former planet proposes a concoction of vivid emotions to recreate its history: from its discovery in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh to its demotion in 2006. A newly crafted petition will also be presented to be signed by the attendees in an attempt to let Pluto regain its 9th Planet status.

02. The Natural Lava Bridge on Mars
As part of its efforts to attract humans to preview how life on Mars should be in a couple of centuries, the event organizers are planning to have a splashy New Year on this December-photographed Bridge on the Red Planet. It lies between two hills, and is believed to be the "only remainder of lava tube that once existed in the Tartarus Colles region."

The Party will take place on the actual bridge with, if the meteorological conditions permit it, direct live streams from the Earth as seen from Mars.

03. The Exoplanets
Can you believe there are (until now) more than six billion Jupiter-like exoplanets in the Milky Way only? Kind of like an exoplanet for each human being! Interesting huh? That means each can celebrate New Year not only on the planet of his choice, but also on the constellation he desires, since these exoplanets are found everywhere!

So if you feel like you want a radical change from the whole solar system, there is a place for each and every one of us out there!
(The picture is of the first exoplanet to have been photographed in 2005, which is rotating arounf the brown dwarf 2M1207 in the Hydra constellation.)

Photographs

Object: Hubble Space Telescope
Mood: Thinking
Who takes better images than Hubble? This giant telescope which started to operate in 1990 unveiled many new facets of the cosmos.

Galaxies never looked better!

With Aleksandra (Poland, May 2006)
I met Aleksandra some 8 years ago, a bit less maybe. We were (and still are) pen friends. We used to write those protracted letters to each other from Beirut to Wroclaw, Polska and back. I could eat every letter I get from her in a matter of minutes before dissecting every word. So needless to say, I went to Polska in May, and we finally met, live. Rare were the times in which I was instantly touched: Olii is the real thing live!

With Adlane and Sarra (Tunisia, November 2006)
Here are two lovely people I met in Tunisia. I talked about them in earlier posts. But I could talk about them for ages! We spent 11 wonderful days running from a film to another, sharing wine, tea and stories. Oh and pictures! I never took so many stupid yet tasteful pictures in my life! So here's to Adlane and Sarra, but also to Amel, Belhassane, and all of the wonderful people I met in Tunisia.

With Tania (France, October 2006)

Tania is a fantastic creature. One might never know what she hides inside her unless he gets to know her. She's an elder cousin of mine with whom I share many thoughts and memories. When I went to Paris, she welcomed me in her majestic home. She is an awesome cook and beat me at cards. It was a premiere so it was nice to her. Thank you for the stay!

What I Want from Santa

Trip to Vega*Floating Candles*Buddhist Ritual*Crumpled Eucalyptus Foliage*Smiling Hippocampus*Crossing of the Stars*Hurricane Lantern*Crimson Crepuscule*Bell Snake*Odorizing Somniferous*Legend of the Asters*Preliminary Chinese Sounds*Beautiful Storm*Multihued Orchid*Inside Out World*Royal Camel*Music of the Echoes*Journey in Hell*Extreme Scents*“Green – Nature”*Witty Centaurs*Japanese Dong*Ginger Iguana*Stunning Blue Sun*Unforgivable Bliss*History of Perseus and Andromeda*Mysteries of the Outside World*End of Time*Ocean come and visit*Don’t-look-at-me Easter Islands’ Statues*Cerulean Path to Neptune*Korean Calligraphy*African Tribal Music*Violet Chameleon*Alliance with Kilimanjaro*Hey Medium*Far Away Stare*Internal Noisy Solitude*Awaken External Contact*Nile Crocodile*Touching Highlighted Galaxies*Hoot with Blister*Pyramid – Tornado*Alive Illusions*Incas-in-the-world*The Three Moons System*I and the Io Eclipse*Isis Heal Charisma*Gathering of Hallucinogens*Spiritual Call*Eternal Sem

Nordic Taste

Star: Polaris (From the constellation Ursa Minoris)

Mood: Chilly

Let's hit Scandinavian uncharted territories. And for that, we'll seek the North Pole. Who would guide us better than Polaris itself in this chilly winter?
The yellow supergiant Polaris is the brightest star in its constellation, Ursa Minoris (the Small Bear, known as the Little Dipper). Her main value is that it is seen as the Pole Star since it is very close to the North Celestial Pole.
Polaris takes us on a ride to check the music of the Scandinavian territories. The rhythms, often seen as icy and cold, pierce your heart like no other. Grunge, Jazz, Electronica, Blues, and even Ambiant music... A perfect mixture of things...
Here are some artists and my favorite songs of theirs. Let Polaris roll you in!

01. Enjoy (Bjork) – from the album Post [1995]

With Bjork, it's either a love or a hate affair. I still don't manage to mash her voice in my head. But she sure is a truly unique artist. And when she experiences with electronica, an infusion of sounds emanate from her music. Enjoy was my most-listened-to track in late November - early December. It's a pure sexual call, but the real threat is the music. Electronic beats meet grunge-like rhythm. Pure rawness. The whole album is fantastic actually.

02. Believe (Gus Gus) – from the album Polydistortion [1997]

Next is this this fabulous trip-hop track by Gus Gus. I was introduced to this Icelandic act by my wonderful friend Olli whom I call my Nordic expert in music. This song is a metrical juggernaut. You can't but move with it. The beginning is awesome, with the drum machine kicking in. By the end, it gets menacingly great.

03. Staralfur (Sigur Ros) – from the album Agaetis Byrjun [2001]
World cannot say how much I love Staralfur. Sigur Ros are maybe the most famous group in Iceland (Yes, we're still in Iceland). So much sanguinity, freethoughts and evasion in this track. I don't understand a single word in the sparse chanting, but why would I mind? This track flirts with perfection.

04. Daybreak (Lisa Ekdhal) – from the album Sings Salvatore Poe [2000]
Moving from Iceland to Sweden. Alright, some call this album Jazz, others view is as Bossanova. Daybreak, the album's opener, got stuck in my head for merely a month after I heard it at my cousin's house. It is a perfect blend of emotions. Screw Diana Krall and Norah Jones, get Lisa Ekdhal instead!

05. Portuguese Nights (Ernesto's) – from the EP Portuguese Nights [2003]
If early-December was Bjork's Enjoy time, it switched in mid-December to this track which I can't kick out of my head nor player. I don't want to call this a new hybrid form of blues, yet it is. The perfect bland of the voice of the 24-year old Swedish singer Jonatan Bäckelie with some triply beats make this track look like a lost angel on the new music map. A must hear!

When Death Is Near...

Nebula: Crab Nebula

Mood: Busy

In 1054 AD, a new star was recorded by the Arabs and the Chinese in the Taurus Constellation. Apparently, this star was visible in the night as well as in the middle of the day. It became brighter and brighter, remaining visible for nearly two years to the naked eye.

What truly happened was the birth of the Crab Nebula after the explosion of a supernova. This is the first object recorded to be directly linked to a supernova.

Which brings us to say that everything has to explode and collapse. This is a list of some of the prominent personalities who died this year (or who have been killed for this matter). It's very interesting to notice that many of these were assassinated in the most demeaning manners (Gemayel was shot while driving his car, Politkovskaya was killed to death in the elevator of her building), or even poisoned (like the ongoing case of Litvinenko and the discovery of this mystical plutonium) … Some harsh dictators (Pinochet, Milošević) or rebellious leaders (Zarqawi) died "unjustly" according to some because they didn't get what they deserve, after all the atrocities they have committed to their respective people.

The world has lost two prominent journalists, the widly known anti-fascist Italian Oriana Fallaci, who interviewed many famous world leaders like Yaser Arafat, Indira Ghandi, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Anna Politskovskaya, virulent anti-Lenin journalist who broadly bashed his administration and the Chechnya conflict.

Are you a fan of any of these? Will they leave any trace like the Crab Nebula after their own Supernova death? You tell me.

Slobodan Milošević
Former President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia (August 20, 1941 – March 11, 2006)
(Questionable) Heart Attack

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq (October 20, 1966 – June 7, 2006)
Killed

Oriana Fallaci
Italian journalist (June 29, 1929 – September 15, 2006)
Cancer

Anna Politkovskaya
Russian journalist (August 30, 1958 – October 7, 2006)
Shot to death

Pierre Amin Gemayel
Lebanese Industry Minister (September 24, 1972 – November 21, 2006)
Assassinated

Alexander Litvinenko
Ex-Russian Spy (December 4, 1962 – November 23, 2006)
Poisoned

Augusto Pinochet
Former Chilian Dictator (November 25, 1915 – December 10, 2006)
Heart Complications

Dear Pro and Anti WhateverShitYouAre

To the misanthropic psychopath antfuckers who are not fed up yet with annihilating Lebanon:

This is my favorite song to you:

"Avec le temps, va, tout s'en va
On oublie le visage et l'on oublie la voix

Et l'on se sent floué par les années perdues"

Avec le Temps - Léo Ferré