Skull Whistles

Howard Kistler of Tabula Retina Studio is "a glass and clay crafter who has recently started making ceramic whistles. The skull whistles have been warmly received, and are a lot of fun to make. Here is a photo of the latest batch, a trio affectionately named Manet, Meau, and Jacques (The Ded Boys).

These skull whistles remind me of the death whistles I read about recently. They were used by various Central America tribes, but the reason for them has been lost. Perhaps they were for some type of death ritual, or possibly buried with bodies in case the people were not truly dead. In Victorian times, many bodies were buried with a bell's string tied to them, or a horn added to the coffin, because they were incapable of determining the difference between dead and comatose. The buried people, if they were actually alive, could ring the bell or blow into the horn to alert the graveyard keeper that they needed to dig up the person. Which ever way these type of instruments are used, the melody is sure to be eerie.

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win a SATURNS EP Prizepack

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, April 26, 2013 to make an entry comment to win a EP Prizepack from SATURNS. The Prizepack includes a copy of their EP, a t-shirt, buttons, and stickers. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

Take a listen to their EP here.

NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

[CONTEST REMINDER] Win a SATURNS EP Prizepack

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, April 26, 2013 to make an entry comment to win a EP Prizepack from SATURNS. The Prizepack includes a copy of their EP, a t-shirt, buttons, and stickers. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

Take a listen to their EP here.

NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

[CONTEST] Win a SATURNS EP Prizepack

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! Thanks for participating!

SATURNS is an electro-pop band from Toronto, Canada. They have a 4 track EP featuring their brand of dreamscape music. Their mascot, which travels with them, is a giant pink skull. They want to share their music with the world. We're big fans of great music and skulls here at Skull-A-Day. To help share their music, they are giving away an EP Prizepack to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

The EP

A t-shirt

Buttons and Stickers

"SATURNS is Toronto cousins Lukas Cheung and Bryan Sutherland whose collective creativity emerged spontaneously over a weekend, days before moving out of a cat ridden house. Using two dysfunctional laptops and one broken synthesizer they sculpted beats late into the night and upon playback at sunrise, agreed to pursue the partnership -- both are allergic to cats.

Their melodic debut may disguise them as electro-pop but their lyrics spell a different story. The EP explores themes of dream travel and escapism in a fashion that sculpts a world entirely their own. The opening track DIAMONDE constructs a fantasy palace which lures those who lust after riches to their own demise. "Diamond doorsteps stay the same as the warriors decay, scriptures peeling off the walls, there's no echo in these halls". The Zen-like metaphors may leave some listeners scratching their heads, but the catchy melodies will balance out the experience."

You can find out what the band is up to on their Facebook and Twitter pages. You can hear their music on their Bandcamp, Last FM, and YouTube.

You can also hear the EP here.

PRIZE INFO: A SATURNS EP (enclosed in screen printed Envelope), a T-shirt, stickers, buttons, and poster.

HOW TO ENTER: SATURNS takes their pink skull mascot traveling with them. To enter this contest, leave a comment below telling us what adventure you would have with a large pink skull. For example, I might take mine to a fair because it reminds me of cotton candy and those fortune telling machines.

CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, April 26, 2013.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to all skull lovers around the world.

IF YOU DON'T WIN: You have SECOND CHANCE to win on their Facebook page. If you like their Facebook page, they will randomly select a second winner from the new likes.

Lovely Bones

Malcolm Fisher from Sheffield, England, created this illustration "Lovely Bones" with the words "I Will Follow You Into the Dark".

If you are familiar with the band Death Cab for Cutie, then you will recognize the phrase as the name of a song of theirs. It's actually one of my favorites about love and death. There are stories of couples that die short of each other. It's said the last one to die had a broken heart. While some my die of a broken heart, there are many that live on even if their heart is broken. If you believe in the afterlife, your mate, family, and friends will be there to great you when ever your time is up.

Rocking Skull

Felipe Raveau Drouilly made a poster for his friends in the rock band LA BIG RABIA from Santiago, Chile.

I love the pairing of an anatomical skull with the design overlaps and radiating eye design. The combination definitely draws me in, which is fantastic for a band poster. The band's music is rather good and deserving of a skull poster! You're lucky to have a talented friend to create this great poster for you all!

Things I Like

My summer vacation trip to Wanderlust CA is coming up at the end of July, so in preparation I've got a few things on my mind: Music, Yoga, Sunshine, and Hoopdance. Yay! With that in mind - here's this week's edition of "Things I Like".

MC Yogi Interview & New Album

Exclusion and American Yoga

Gaia Pranam Hoopdance DVD

Make Your Own Hula Hoop Tutorial

PRANAM DVD Trailer from Gaia Pranam on Vimeo.

Let Your Heart Be Known - Steve Gold

Steve Gold - his name may be familiar to you. He is a musician and he's "kind of a big deal" around the yoga community. His music has been played at Wanderlust Festival, Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, KeyArena, BHAKTI FEST SPRING OmMERSION, Bhakti Fest, Hilton Bayfront Hotel, Esalen Institute, Yoga Journal San Francisco Conference, and Varsity Theater.

Gold has supported a variety of charitable organizations including Y.O.G.A. for Youth, City Of Hope, and Surfrider Foundation. He is also an Ambassador for Yoga Energy Activism, a grassroots effort lead by yogini Shiva Rea to inspire mindful use of our natural resources.

“Singing is my mainline to the divine,” says Gold.

His second full-length album, "Let Your Heart Be Known" (2011) includes plenty of soulful yogic tunes, but my favorite has to be So Much Magnificence. It is lovely and quietly introspective.

For a full biography, performance dates, to purchase music, and more - visit Steve Gold Music.

5-Minute Meditation Music

If you're the type that likes a little music to your meditation (it can help with timing and atmosphere) then I have just the video for you. This little gem by kirtan artist Wade Imre Morisette is 6 minutes and 41 seconds long, which I think it just enough time to hit play, get settled, meditate for 5 minutes, and slowly draw yourself back to your day to day.  Also a natural fit on playlists for pranayama and asana practice. Enjoy!

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Music for Balance (Video)

We're almost dead center in Winter and winter weather is such a downer I figure we could all use a little something upbeat. I've been searching high and low for "bippety" music lately to draw me out of my winter blues and into happy dappy dance around the house in your underwear land. I don't generally watch TV or listen to the radio so I'm not generally privy to what's new. So excuse if this song is old news, but either way - it's fun.

Eliza Doolittle
Tags:
Eliza Doolittle, MTV Music

Readers via Email - Click Here to see the video.

A Dave of My Very Own

I was specifically listening to non-Christmas music a couple days ago and these lyrics jumped out at me while listening to my favorite Dave of all time. Dave Matthews Band - love em. Always have - Always will.

"...What I want is what I've not got

But what I need is all around me..." - via the song Jimi Thing.

I thought - how painfully accurate. Isn't this generally the case for most of us? Wanting whatever it is we don't have... while everything we need is right there. I could turn this into a whole yogi-thought post, but I think I'll just leave it there. Something to think on...

On another Dave note - I've always wanted to meet Dave. Instead, my brother met Dave. Turns out his now-ex-wife went to school with him at some point or something. They're apparently on hugging terms. boo... I want to hug Dave Matthews.

See there I go... wanting what I don't have...

photo obviously not mine: whose is it? *shrug*

Christmas Spirit

Maybe you're thinking all this focus on gift giving is getting to be too much. There are certainly many ways to celebrate Christmas and/or winter without focusing on material things. I get really into Christmas. My landlord came by recently and commented on how "someone was ready for Christmas". I love Christmas and I find ways to squeeze my holiday spirit into every nook and cranny of the day. Here are a few ways you can enjoy the season without risking life and limb in a Black Friday stampede.

Drink Hot Chocolate -
Go ahead, add some marshmallows. Drinking hot chocolate certainly doesn't celebrate spring or summer. It's definitely a wintery activity. I don't know anyone other than me that will drink hot chocolate in July when it's 90 degrees.

Play Christmas Music -
There are Christmas songs by almost every single musician out there. I have a collection of music that includes Frank Sinatra, Tenacious D, South Park, and Cheech & Chong to name a few. Music creates a mood, so just play it in the background all day. I have a rule in my house that if I'm doing something Christmassy - Christmas music must be playing.

Sing Along -
"The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." - Buddy the Elf

Make paper snowflakes -
You don't have to be "good" at it. They're fun and easy to make if you don't mind the disapproval of trees. I hang them from the ceiling, tape them to the windows, and add some of them to my gift wrapping. I've been reusing the same snowflakes for at least 5 years because they store well and can just keep being re-hung. Here's a Martha Stewart How-To if you don't remember how to make them.

Watch Christmas Movies -
My favorites are Elf, Love Actually, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated one), The Polar Express, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and right now I'm kinda into Bad Santa. It doesn't have to be all sweet to count - Gremlins is technically a Christmas movie.

Host/Attend a Potluck -
If you've been in the yoga community very long - then you know yogis love a potluck. They're the epitome of gathering and sharing - what's more yogic or Christmas embodied than that?

Bake a Sweet Treat -

Whether for giving away or gobbling immediately - baking is a fun family-friendly way to celebrate. Bonus - it adds even more heat to your home on frosty days. I love to bake, but I usually send my creations to work with my husband for everyone to enjoy.

Practice Kindness -
dandee has been on a journey of 30 Days of Kindness - focusing on one specific act of kindness each day. It's so simple, yet how often do we bother to follow through with small acts that can make someone else smile?

Did I leave out one of your favorite activities? Tell me in the comments!

Photo Source: All of them came from Dos Family - a Swedish blog that I adore year round.