Let me introduce you: Chris, welcome to Los Angeles

Jun 21, 2025 | cgk.ink writes:, travel

Howdy! I’ve been living here for a decade or so and I’ve picked up a lot of new info. I’m a slow learner. I’m feeling kinda friendly, so I’m gonna share:

Metro

Not “THE Metro,” it’s just “METRO.” It rhymes with “assault” and “dead-fentanyl-addict.” And “urine.” It is also fairly efficient considering the area it has to cover. But not for everyone.

You can take it to Universal Studios from anywhere. And at Universal Studios, they had a ride-through “event” based on the Earthquake movie (starring Charlton Heston and a shit ton of other celebs.

So, some sick fucks thought that “having fun” on top of an active fault was OK. I was terrified at age 11 (thanks, Dad).

les Natural Disasters

Wherein, Kylie Minogue Dies a Horrible Death, The (ex)Standard Hotel Falls Apart Quicker than it Actually Did and Our Heroine Almost Perishes and is asked “Are you OK?”

We all know the drill: drink-and-lounge, duck-and-fuck, buckle-up, ride-er-out, save-the-booze-bottle. Hi, CVS? Emergency refill of my standing benzo Rx.

Doesn’t really matter. We’re fucked. I personally ran to a liquor store during the latest one and they were open (love BUZZ)! I had to walk up eight motherfucking stories of stairs because the elevator was a fucking pansy and automatically cut off. Fucking gay elevator. MAN UP! Bitch.

OH. MY. GAWD. Kylie? NOT KYLIE! Also please notice how none of the liquor bottles at the bar move.

I am not the first to bring this up, but I AM the first to personally aver that we had a (weak-ish) 5.3 WHILE having a HURRICANE. Not many places can lay claim to that. Nope, sorry Texas, Florida and North Carolina, you suck. And that was without fracking (staring at you, Oklahoma). Talk to me about fear, I EAT earthquakes! I did back-to-back 6.7s. ON JULY 4TH! Fuck you, Florida and “OathKeeper” Assholes. God Bless America. Also, shit I’ve lived through here during my residency:

dam burst
methane leaks
toxic battery spills into a daycare center
plane crashes
firestorms
santa ana winds + firestorms
mudslides
hail
tsunamis

Downtown

I live in DTLA and am damn proud of it. Like a survivor of a war battle. I really don’t need to add much, so I’ll just present: KABC Eyewitness News. When News Break, They Jus’ Be Runnin’

Multiculturalisms

LA loves to say that it’s one of the most diverse cities in the world. It’s not. That award goes to Toronto, ONT (heyo to our buds the T.O. to the North n’ shit)

LA: it is insanely segregated. Koreatown? Holy shit. Compton (don’t mix the two). Burbank or Beverly Hills? “Beverly Adjacent?” What about Thaitown? No one lives there except by being vetted by genealogy. Compton, South Central? No one lives there based on skin color. Downtown? Nope… it’s a collection of cordoned off camps. Disagree? Try boarding a bus and see how far you get based on your skin color and accent.

Education

…

NIghtlife / Fun Shit

Just $1K. An hour. We accept cash. That’s it. U$D only.

Wanna live here?

IKR! Sun and cute boys and awmigawd it SO perfect! It’s like Barbie and Oppenheimer had a baby and I’m the car! But I really want to produce/direct/fuck/escape/5150/get wasted, um, I’m sorry, do I know you?

Soulless and vacuous, just like the housing market and its mechanizations:

Let’s Go!

I have a spare futon and hot water.

the POWER of the MANDALA

Jun 20, 2025 | mandala, the ART of INDIA, travel

The word mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit and is the name given to geometric patterns that Buddhists have used in the practice of meditation for centuries.

Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, had a deep fascination with mandalas. He considered them to be powerful symbols of wholeness and individuation, representing the integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the self.

According to Jung, mandalas can be seen as archetypal images that emerge from the collective unconscious, reflecting the universal patterns of human experience.

For Jung, mandalas served as a tool for self-exploration and self-transformation. He often encouraged his patients to create mandalas as a means of accessing and expressing the unconscious. By engaging in the process of creating a mandala, individuals could gain insight into their own psyche, discover hidden aspects of themselves, and achieve a sense of harmony and balance.

Jung believed that the circular and symmetrical design of mandalas had a calming and stabilizing effect on the psyche. They represented a microcosm of the universe and symbolized the unity of all things. Mandalas can be found across different cultures and religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Native American traditions, each with their own unique interpretations and spiritual significance.

Today, mandalas continue to be used as tools for meditation, self-reflection, and personal growth. Creating or coloring mandalas can be a therapeutic practice, allowing individuals to relax, focus their attention, and tap into their inner wisdom. Whether you appreciate them for their rich symbolism, artistic beauty, or meditative qualities, mandalas offer a profound way to connect with the deeper aspects of ourselves and the universe we inhabit.

Examples of mandala can be found in all the ancient cultures. We find it in Christianity under the form of frescos with animal images representing apostles (and the zodiac). The astrological zodiac and its versions are examples of mandala. Also, in the Indian spiritual practices we find fascinating examples of mandala, with symbols of the local pantheon.

In yoga practices, mandala can be a support for meditation or an image that must be internalized through mental absorption. This image organizes the inner energies and forces of the practitioner and puts them in relationship with his ego-consciousness.

“I sketched every morning in a notebook a small circular drawing … which seemed to correspond to my inner situation at the time. … Only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is: … the Self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well, is harmonious.”

— Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, pp. 195–196.”

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Feb 18, 2025 | cgk.ink writes:, design, textiles, travel

Hawaiian style is all about ease and comfort. It’s also about celebrating the colors and forms of this unique tropical, Pacific location.

As with most creative expression, we always seek out the most profane, bastardized version of whatever we are are admiring.

A few of the worst Hawaiian shirts a short Google Image Search uncovered:

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Though its precise origins are lost to history, the aloha shirt first appeared in Hawaii in the 1920s or ’30s, probably when local Japanese women adapted kimono fabric for use in men’s shirting. The shirts achieved some popularity among tourists to Hawaii and found greater commercial success when they hit the mainland in the mid-1930s. America at the time was riddled with hardship and anxiety, with many men out of work and many others struggling to hold on to their breadwinner status. Perhaps in response, hyper-manliness came into vogue—the popularity of bodybuilding skyrocketed, Superman burst onto the scene. It may seem paradoxical that men embraced a garment with such feminine appeal. “You’d better get two or three because it’s a cinch your daughter, sister, wife or even mother will want this bright-colored shirt as soon as she sees it,” the Los Angeles Times teased in 1936. That didn’t stop men from buying. By 1940, aloha shirts were bringing in more than $11 million annually (in today’s money).

By the 1960s, the shirt had become truly ubiquitous. Aloha Fridays were a fixture of a certain kind of workplace, and everyone—from Elvis to the decidedly unhip Richard Nixon—seemed to have an aloha shirt. Over time, perhaps inevitably, it lapsed into the realm of corny suburban-dad-wear.

Yet in just the past five years, fashion magazines have been heralding a comeback, and high-end labels like Gucci are taking the aloha shirt to new heights, with prints that draw on Japanese designs favored in the garment’s early days. Meanwhile, some shirtmakers from Hawaii’s old guard are still going strong. Kahala, founded in 1936 as one of the first brands producing aloha shirts, has been raiding its vaults to reproduce designs dating back to the 1930s—including some popularized by Duke Kahanamoku. “People are looking to bring some light, some color, some vibrancy into their lives,” says Jason Morgan, Kahala’s general manager. “I think that’s needed now more than ever. If an aloha shirt can help improve somebody’s day, I think that’s pretty powerful.”

Source: Smithonian Magazine May, 2020

Amazon’s a bitch

Sep 9, 2024 | Amazon, cgk.ink writes:, gig economy, retail

It’s presumptuous to say that I know how to run a giga-trillion, global company who outpaced Kuwait’s GDP this year. I do not know how to do that. I also do not know how to launch things into outer space, deliver anything by a drone or how to even hotwire a van. I do know, however, not to bite the hand that feeds me and expect to keep eating.

Amazon is a collective of millions of sellers. We’d like to think of it as one, ginormous factory, but it’s not. Over 60% of its sales are sourced from individuals. They actually fabricate very little. They store and fulfill and market, but they don’t really make stuff.

OPEN and CLOSED

I’m a huge fan of open source anything. But not when it makes one company god-like in their economic power. Which is why I found this recent article in the Financial Times so disturbing. I don’t know what to hate more: Amazon’s arrogance or opportunistic lawyers.

According to the Financial Times, sellers on Amazon’s marketplace account for more than 60% of sales. It received $96bn in commissions and fees paid by sellers in nine months.

During the first half of 2023 in its EU store, Amazon took 274mn “actions” in response to potential policy violations and other suspected problems, which included the removal of content and 4.2mn account suspensions. Amazon revealed the numbers as part of its first European transparency report newly required by EU law.

Financial Times

JUST BAD B-SCHOOL

I don’t think that selling knock-off Chanel bags is a good business model even if profits are insanely high. It’s illegal and you will be caught (perhaps) and forced to pay back that profit (kinda). A lawsuit is defined as “compelling action otherwise incomplete.”

It’s a no-brainer from a corporation’s point of view: we give you the playing field, but we’ll keep changing the rules.

The acceptance of the words “gig economy” make me recoil. It really is just usery. The proposition works like this:

You’re temporary and will be replaced
You have no benefits
You are not an employee
You will depend on us/our platform/our payment descisions.

It is a weird argument to say that Amazon Sellers are “autonomous” or even “independent” since their entire business depends upon Amazon’s platform. Perhaps it’s the goal of independent wealth or the now-past “it’s-too-good-to-be-true” internet goldrush. There are heavy consequences. On average, sellers on Amazon realize less than 40% of potential profit, less when taking into account ancillary services such as advertising and “placements.” This means nothing when the platform simply disappears.

Amazon has a reputation for being an asshole arbiter. It simply suspends accounts that are in “violation.” The problem with this is that “violations” are never explained or defined. Ed. note: to be clear, I’ve never been an Amazon seller.

compelled; compelling
Synonyms of compel

transitive verb
1
: to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly
Hunger compelled him to eat.
The general was compelled to surrender.

2
: to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure.
Public opinion compelled her to sign the bill.

the ART of INDIA

Aug 22, 2024 | cgk.ink writes:, historical, indigenous cultures, the ART of INDIA, travel

the ART of INDIA

The diversity of the world’s largest national population is astounding.

122 languages, including the planet’s oldest language: Hindi. 12 religions. 1.408 billion people (est. 2021). 29 states.

This pluralism nurtures an insane wealth of art and cultural expression. Arguably, this is the creative soul of Earth.

cgk.ink is exploring this rich history. And we’re here to share our very fundamental, simple understanding of its expressions, its forms and what it says to us now in the 21st century.

Below are some of the genres of Indian art that we gleaned from ArtZolo .com:

Madhubani

Madhubani paintings are the most celebrated style of folk painting from India; it is a form of wall art that arises in the Mithila region of Bihar. This eye-catching art style never fails to amaze one by its beautiful illustrations on the exposed interior walls of the houses in Bihar. Madhubani paintings are a perfect example of artistic expression and evocative portrayal of culture and traditions. The designs make perfectly distinctive geometrical patterns, scenes from mythology, and symbolic images. The perfect blend of bright vibrant colours and unique patterns make Madhubani stand out from other painting styles. Katchni, Tantrik, Bharni, Khobar, and Godna are five different styles of Madhubani paintings.

Warli

Warli is a 2,500-year-old traditional painting style from Maharashtra majorly practiced in Thane and Nashik region. Warli paintings illustrate the nature and social rituals of the tribe. Warli paintings also showcase day-to-day life scenarios of the local people of that particular community just like dancing, farming, hunting, praying, etc. The local women used twigs to draw such beautiful lively designs with rice paste on mud walls to convey the celebration vibes of harvests or weddings.

Kalighat

The Kalighat painting was discovered around the mid-19th century at Kali Temple in Calcutta. These paintings and drawings were done on paper by a community known as “patuas”. A Kalighat painting depicts scenes of everyday life and mythological deities in a captivating manner. Kalighat artists use subtle earthy Indian colours like indigo, ochre, Indian red, grey, blue and white.

Phad

Phad is a traditional Rajasthani scroll painting from India, depicting the stories of local deities, heroic figures from battlefields, adventure stories, and legendary romantic stories on horizontal cloth scrolls with the hues of red, yellow, and bright orange. Phad Painting marvellously portrays multiple stories in a single composition and beautifully maintains the aesthetics of artistic expression.

Miniature/Mughal

Miniature painting is Mughal influenced art form; this style was introduced in India during the 16th century and transformed its identity in the history of Indian art. Miniature paintings are a blend of Islamic, Persian, and Indian elements. These paintings are created using all-natural mineral colours, precious stones, conch shells, gold, and silver. Across India, the miniature style painting has developed its own identity into distinct schools of miniature paintings like Kangra, Rajasthan, Malwa, Pahadi, Mughal, Deccan, etc.

Gond

Gond paintings are a series of arranged dots and dashes developed by the Gondi tribe of central India. The tribes used to recreate some famous epic mythological tales of histories to traditional songs and rituals with rich detailing and bright colours. Traditionally, the colours used for gond paintings were derived from natural resources like cow dung, plant sap, charcoal, coloured soil, mud, flowers, leaves, etc. With growing times, the Gond art has moved beyond being a tribal art style.

Gond Painting is a tribal art form practiced by Gond Tribes of Central India. Gond are Dravidian and the largest Adivasi Community in India. They are predominantly found in Madhya Pradesh but can also be traced in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Odisha. Gond believes that everything is inhabited by a spirit and therefore sacred. Their paintings reflect the close connection between man and the nature. Paintings are created out of carefully drawn lines in such a way that they convey a feeling of movement to the still images. Dots and Dashes are added to make the details and create the feeling of movement. Gond Paintings use vivid and bright colours like White, Yellow, Blue and Red which are derived from natural objects.

Coloured soil, charcoal, plant sap, mud, flowers, leaves, cow dung etc. are used in making the required colours. Recently the Gond Paintings can be seen using poster colours and canvas.

Kerala Murals

Kerala mural paintings are the most unique art form and have deep spiritual roots depicting themes of Hindu mythologies, epics of the bye-gone era, classic tales of Krishna, and mystic forms of Shiva and Shakti. These traditional art styles are made up of bold strokes, and vivid colours. White, ochre-red, bluish-green, yellow-ochre, and pure colours are predominantly used in Kerala mural painting.

Picchwai

Picchwai artwork was made as wall hangings behind the main deity in Krishna temples in Nathdwara which narrates the stories related to Lord Krishna. Picchwais are the most colorful and intricate work concealed with symbolism in the artistic motifs. This classified devotional art practice has passed from one generation to another and a fine example of spirituality in art.

Pattachitra

Patachitra or Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. Patachitra artform is known for its intricate details as well as mythological narratives and folktales inscribed in it.