https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/xtvddsqz
The larger than life statue stands on the grounds of Fortaleza Ozama along the banks of the river from which it takes its name. There is an aura of contained power about the cloaked figure with a plaque at the base that reads: GONZALO FERNANDEZ DE OVIEDO.

His head is half turned, as if something on the horizon has caught his attention, oblivious to the signs of weathering on his head and shoulders, his sense of mission evident in his firm and poised demeanor.

Cronista de Indias. Alcalde de la Fortaleza de Santo Domingo desde 1533 hasta su muerte. Capital y procurador de esta ciuidad y autor de la historia general y natural de las indias escrita en este recinto

Historiador etnologo antropologo y naturalista

English translation

Chronicler of the Indies. Mayor of the Fortress of Santo Domingo from 1533 until his death. Capital and attorney of this city and author of the general and natural history of the Indies written in this enclosure

Historian, ethnologist, anthropologist, and naturalist

I stood there watching the statue. When I think about the colonization of America, images of armored sword-wielding conquistadors come to mind, not austere quill-wielding intellectuals. Yet, here was this imposing figure, a man of letters and ideas, standing tall and proud like a general. His scientific credentials further lauded by mention of how he sent emissaries far and wide to record the contents of the new world.

I made a mental note to look him up when I got back home.

“Estas Indias son tan apartadas y diferentes de todas las otras partes del mundo, que requieren diferente historia y nueva manera de escribir.”

“These Indies are so remote and different from all other parts of the world that they require a different history and a new way of writing.”

Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, Historia general y natural de las Indias, Book 2

Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés was born in Madrid in the 15th century and was educated at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, serving as a page to their son, and basically enjoying all the perks that came with being a member of the upper class with royal ties. He traveled to the Americas soon after its European discovery by Columbus in 1492. He worked as supervisor of gold smelting in Santo Domingo, and upon his return to Spain, he was appointed historian of the West Indies.

As I read further, I realized I was in the presence of a unique figure. After his return to Spain, he continued traveling to the Americas and was put in charge of the Fortaleza Ozama.

He wrote several literary works such as the magnum opus “Historia general y natural de las Indias”, which chronicles the colonization period, reporting on its people and natural wonders across fifty volumes. These were great contributions to the natural sciences and culture in general by introducing concepts such as the hammock, pineapple, tobacco, and barbecue.

“La piña es de las frutas más hermosas y de mejor sabor que hay en estas Indias, y su figura es tan gentil que parece obra de arte más que de naturaleza.”

“The pineapple is one of the most beautiful and best-tasting fruits in these Indies, and its form is so elegant that it seems more a work of art than of nature.”

Historia general y natural de las Indias, Book 7

The General history of the Indies included descriptions of plants and animals unknown to Europeans, and some of which later went extinct and only their descriptions in the general chronicles remained. Additionally, the volume discussed the people found in the region and could be considered a pioneering work in anthropology and ethnology.

During his stay in Santo Domingo, he wrote a chivalric romance entitled Libro del muy esforzado e invencible caballero de la Fortuna propiamente llamado Don Claribalte (Book of the very valiant and invincible knight of Fortune, properly named Don Claribalte). It was the first literary work written in the Americas. From what I understand, there is something odd about the book, which was written in two parts. These two parts show differences in composition with the second part introducing magic swords, giants, and supernatural phenomena missing from the first part altogether. In a sense, it was like a romantic ghost story, and descriptions of the plot vaguely remind me of magical realism.

During the tour of the Fortaleza, I entered a room where there was an animation being shown. I noticed that there was a key recessed on the wall (or perhaps creating the illusion of hanging in mid-air), and from time to time the animation would go dark and the key would shine. I had arrived in the middle of the animation, so I wasn’t sure what was going on, especially as there appeared to be ghosts involved in the story.

I noticed a poster nearby that had as title: The Key

On the night of June 26, 1557, Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo died inside the Keep, clutching the keys to the stronghold in his hands. They say his ghost still roams this fortress where he served as the commander until his death.

Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo was more than a politician ahead of his time, he was a scientist and researcher who understood that the wealth of the New World lay in its plants, its animals, and its people. Through his book ‘The General and Natural History of the Indies,’ which he wrote within these walls, he unveiled to Spain and Europe the richness of the new discovered lands.

Listen to his story, one that deserves to be remembered.

I don't know the truth about this legend, but I wholly agree with this last sentiment. The more I learned about Don Gonzalo, the more I realized I was in the presence of a (slightly mad) genius who lived once upon a time in colonial America, and whose futuristic ideas and methodical observations had far-reaching influence (just don’t mention it to his contemporary Las Casas who apparently was not a fan of Don Gonzalo). With his courtly soldierly training, he used the intellectual tools of his age to shine a bright light on the turbulent new world of the Americas (while telling a few intriguing yarns along the way).

“La grandeza destas tierras y la diversidad de sus cosas es tal que no se puede comprehender sin verlo, y aun viéndolo, parece sueño.”

“The greatness of these lands and the diversity of their things is such that it cannot be comprehended without seeing it, and even seeing it, it seems like a dream.”

Historia general y natural de las Indias, Book 6

Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo Wikipedia page.

Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo: Research Project

Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo. Historia general y natural de las Indias

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/iliegfqghh

I was walking down the trail when I heard a thudding sound above me. I spotted a bird pecking at a tree and doing good work of it too. It was really committed to the task as bits of bark flew everywhere. I took the following video of the pecking action.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/iliegfqghh

I don't know what specific species this bird belongs to, but looking at my trusty copy of Pocket Birds of Canada (Bird, 2016), this might be a Pileated Woodpecker, which can be found through the Southeastern US and the southern areas of Canada, including the west coast.

These birds dig cavities in trees to create nest or look for insect treats. They lay 3-5 eggs once per breeding season. They are the largest woodpecker in North America with wingspans between 26-30 inches (Bird, 2016).

David M. Bird (Ed). 2016. Pocket Birds of Canada

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/amzulezu
The 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, or Snowbirds as they are more commonly called, are the aerobatic military wing of the Royal Canadian Air Force. They are based in Saskatchewan but travel all over Canada to demonstrate their aerobatic power and skills in a number of events throughout the year.

They have performed a number of shows recently in the west coast, and this particular one was part of the Fireworks extravaganza taking place on the waters of English Bay. Prior to the fireworks, the Snowbirds showed up to wow the attendees with their skillful and well-coordinated maneuvering.

While the squadron was formed in 1978, its roots can be traced back to world war 2 when Canada was part of the force that helped defeat the Nazi threat. I used UDIO AI music generator to create a song with 1940s swinging sounds. I worked with the song in multiple iterative steps beginning with a middle then extending that with an intro, longer middle section, and ending. I put images and sound together in MS Clipchamp then clicked a lot of buttons like a chimp and voila.

The squadron made several passes above the crowds of onlookers who cheered as the snowbirds soared into the air and criss-crossed from different directions. These are some of the images that I shot during the show and which I used for the video. Enjoy!

Thank you for flying along!

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/nkaebrqq

All around lie the remnants of that ancient forgotten empire- Vijayanagar. Here was a place of ancient voices and faces, as far back as the 7th century, swirling in a turbulent history of prosperity and decline, an empire that shaped the course of history in the region and the world. Yet for long it has remained but a distant forgotten land.

The royal Hampe temple, a cathedral- so the old historians and travelers referred to the complexes of this fabled land. The spiritual center of the Vijayanagar empire. Rulers lived and died. Festival filled the nights. Invasions. Wars. And all that comes when people come together to make a last stand.

The Virupaksha temple should probably be called the Virupaksha and Pampadevi temple, for Virupaksha is a manifestation of none other than Lord Shiva and his consort Parvatti, who takes the form of Pampadevi in the temple. Pampa was an old name for the nearby Tungabhadra River on whose banks, bouldered with granite, the majestic city was built.

Histories, rituals, events, commemorations, and much more decorated every inch of the palaces, temples, and gateways that had withstood the test of man's wrath, and the ravages of time. Before its destruction, its grandeur was much higher. It was a vast realm of granite filled with merchants, warriors, nobility, priests, temple girls, and so on.

I felt dizzy thinking about the city in its heyday, when crowds filled the squares and streets on this alien world of stone.

The temples are dedicated to forces represented in the form of gods and divine beings. Destruction and transformation. The end of ignorance, restoration of cosmic balance, spiritual liberation, strength, obstacle removal, blessings, fertility... to walk among Indian temples is to enter a world of sensory delights. Voluptuous shapes caress your eyeballs wherever you look. Everything is an invitation to inspect, appreciate, visually caress, and feel the thrilling current of electric spiritual energy transmitted trough architectural forms and motifs. A sensual zap! Shiva-Parvati dancing eternally the ecstatic dance of life and death.

The structures used to be painted at the height of their splendour, and from time to time I would notice the old faded paint in some images. I marveled at this, imagining all the motifs that I had come across painted with bright vivid colours. Flowers. Abstract shapes. Anthropomorphic sinuous curves. Dancing bodies. How stunning! An entire empire built to turn on the senses through symbols and art.

The temple complexes were extensive, and the grounds stretched along the rocky dry terrain. The stone temples and other structures like elephant stables had been built with material from local quarries. One can see jagged rocks and large boulders surrounding the ruins. Some rocks even had carved figures, begun and abandoned by the ancient artist.

I had the opportunity to take many photographs of the beautiful structures but most important the art and design motifs adorning the beautiful and majestic temples. I could see that there was a common theme in the forms decorating the temples. What did it all mean? Scenes of daily life, festivals, political events, godly frolics, and so forth. Everywhere I looked, I saw the beauty of the human body aroused to glorified exaltation like a rising Shiva linga firmly placed upon Parvati's embracing pedestal. All carved in granite.

I created the music with UDIO generative music software. I sought to create a tune with ambient rhythm that would accompany this highly exotic part of the world. The song is created with a prompt through a series of iterative steps to create a score with an intro, middle, and end. I worked with a song entitled Whispers of the Sitar.

I put audio and images together in MS Clipchamp, giving them a little bit of depth.

Visiting this temple was a unique experience. It aroused my aesthetic curiosity because it was filled with so much art and symbolism. It was striking how much they focused on beauty, though I think I also spotted some scenes of war. The history of this land is mind blowing, and I hope this post has aroused your artistic curiosity as well.

Sewell, Robert, Fernão Nunes, and Domingos Paes. 2000. A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India. Asian Educational Services.

Vijayanagara Empire wikipedia page

The Virupaksha temple on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virupaksha_Temple,_Hampi

Dive into another section:

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6-8, 9, 10, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/vrquxhak
I recently came across Rendora, an AI tool that can be used for video production with a variety of avatars, studios, gestures, tools, and so on. The software uses a combination of traditional and AI-enhanced functions. For this particular story, I decided to use an art gallery as the studio in which to showcase a series of photographs that I took in San Juan. I used the avatar that I call Garret.

The store is located in the old historic center of San Juan, which is a great place in and of itself. This is one of the oldest cities established in the Americas, so its history is deep.

To make the video, I had to work on various pieces for the content and 3D presentation. The content included the script and the images. I wrote the script then edited it several times in order to make it work with the voice, gestures, timing, and other aspects of the 3D render. The software provides control over the flow of events that include placement of the images in the timeline. So, in this sense, it works as more traditional software.

The presentation includes control of camera angles. You can see in the video that the camera switches to different positions. There was a wide selection of angles, distances, and so forth, so the production value can be quite high. In the video, you see the avatar wave and give a thumbs up. These gestures can be sprinkled throughout the script for correct timing.

I could've just written a post in a few minutes instead of the hours that I've spent on it with the software, but I wanted to explore its capabilities with a simple topic. Although it is marketed as an AI product, I like that it doesn't really feel like I was working with AI. Instead of taking over the creative process, the AI components play a supporting role in the production.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/yqgvaujc
The AI tools are appearing fast and furious. I was attracted by one called Rendora because it uses a mix of traditional digital and novel AI tools to create a 3D show based on your script (or that written by an AI).

First you choose an avatar and modify it the way you would in a video game. You can choose the look like hair style, facial features, clothing, and so on. There's a number of options for voice and tone. Once the avatar is all set up, you can choose a background studio from a number of templates available.

The magic happens when you add your script to the AI editor, either written by you or with the help of the software's AI. I chose to write it myself, but I was impressed by the AI tools available to refine the script. At this point of script drafting, one can add hand gestures commonly seen during presentations, tv shows, video podcasts, and forth. These gestures are reflected in the avatar presentation, so you can time them exactly withing the script.

In addition, you can add your own images (or stickers to use their term). As you can see in the video, I was able to position my personal shots in the desired location. I also resized some of them. The number of tools available is growing. You can add video, text, audio, effects, and so forth. The power of media at your fingertips. There’s a free and paid version, which among other features, also gets rid of the animated watermark you can see in the free version of the video.

Overall, I liked using this tool. It was straight forward and has enough features to do some cool stuff.

This is my first post in this new community, Invisible Horizons. This video depicts an alternate imagined world that is half real and half digital. So, I thought I would share it here. Please let me know if it doesn't fit with the community's objectives.

I almost felt like I was there in the studio with Garret, and although limited by some presets, I was impressed with the amount of control and features available this early in the software's development cycle. I never thought I would ever do a video show like this, so this opens up exciting possibilities.

Thank you for viewing!

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/eigaejwj
This video project was inspired by the recent topic for the June Psychedelic Challenge, which is a collaboration between Alien Art Hive and NFTShowroom. I’m not formally entering the challenge, however, but I wanted to acknowledge the inspiration.

I created the video in honour of Maria Sabina, one of history’s most enigmatic psychedelic heroes. During the 1960s, youth began to experiment with mind altering botanicals, which led to a host of social changes (good and bad) in various regions of the western world. The beginnings of that psychedelic revolution had some of their roots in a remote region of Mexico, where a wise old lady conducted pseudo-shamanic rites for clients in need of spiritual guidance.

Maria was visited by ethnomycologist Robert Gordon Wasson and his wife Valentina, who learned about the techniques of the veladas, as Dona Sabina's rituals were called. Wasson wrote about these techniques, including the use of special mushrooms, and the rest is psychedelic lore.

History was not kind to this amiable and noble lady. For her troubles of bringing eternal wisdom to the world, her community shunned her, her house was burned, and her son was killed. She died in poverty and obscurity. Yet, she is without question one of the most influential personages of the 20th century and beyond.

This video project is composed of three main parts: the images, the audio, and the video.

I generated the images using AI, prompting for Maria Sabina by name with a few added descriptions to try to get a younger version of her. Most what we see of Maria is from her older years, but I wanted to elucidate the fact that she had been young once and had lived an entire lifetime. I generated multiple versions of the images to use in the video.

I used UDIO generative music software to create the music score and voiceover. I conducted research on the life of Maria Sabina and incorporated some of the key elements in the lyrics, which I wrote by hand.

Invisible wise mother,

Generations awakened in a mycological dream,

“Beautiful love

I copied these lyrics into Udio and prompted it to generate a spoken word song using the lyrics. I added descriptions to try to get a slow tempo ambient song with ethnic meseoamerican sounds. I created the song in pieces, first creating several 30-second snippet, then extending the chosen one to add an intro and an ending.

I brought these media artifacts together in MS Clipchamp. I tried to create a psychedelic effect with the variety of effects and filters available.

Thank you for viewing!

Good night, Maria. Wherever you are in spacetime.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/jcodqtns
Hello lads and lasses, I bring you my latest musical offering made possible by the goodness (or deviousness) of AI. This time, I was inspired to generate a song with Celtic New Age flavour.

🍀

I wrote the lyrics to the song the old fashioned way of smoking weed and getting down to business with my fingers. Then using UDIO AI music software, I prompted a New Age celtic song with a haunting female singer. I first created 30 seconds songs and through a process of iteration, I increased the length of the one I liked to one minute and added some variations to the lyrics because of this increase in time.

Across the vale,

Hear the whisper of the wind,

See the world glow,

Across the vale,

Following the druidic tradition, the lyrics are about beauty and the wonders of the natural world. That's it. No hidden agenda or political message. Just good old fashioned nature paganism.

I took the images during a hike last fall along the coastal area of British Columbia. This environment inspires with its wonderful scenery.

I put the video together in MS Clipchamp and added the lyrics because I think it's very impressive how the AI handle them. They could be better, but I didn't have enough UDIO credits to mess around too much with them. I hope you enjoyed the video. Thank you for visiting.

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/bdejpyyy
Black holes are astrophysical entities hypothesized in Einsteinian physics and corroborated by modern scientific instrumentation. They are intriguing because our current physics is unable to penetrate their mysteries. This is an astonishing admission that basically our physics is somewhat wrong.

According to current findings, every galaxy appears to have a massive black hole in the centre. Our own galaxy has a hole in Sagittarius A*, which is four million times the mass of the sun. There are some black holes out there, so massive that it's best not to think about it too much. ;)

I used AI to generate illustrations of a Black Hole singularity goddess. There are many weird ideas surrounding black holes. For example, it is possible that our universe exists inside a black hole from another universe, as recent space telescope findings suggest. Others posit that our universe is created when black holes "observe" it, thus collapsing multiple realities into one. There is also the idea of a singularity existing within its center, a point of infinite density. So, I asked myself, what if the black hole was itself a conscious being? What would that look like?

I created these images in 2024, but it wasn't until recently, when I saw the Beyond Human contest, that I was inspired to get off my butt and share them with you all. This week's theme is Create-A-Creature, so I thought that my singularity goddess was a perfect candidate.

I like the ethereal nature of the images, and I knew I wanted to make some music to go along with them. When you look at these type of images, you might hear the sound of angelic voices, ambient rhapsodies, or Wagnerian overtures.

What about reggaeton?

I asked myself.

I've been itching to try my hand at writing a reggaeton song. For those of you who don't know, reggaeton is a style of music from the Caribbean that mixes rap, Afro-Caribbean sounds, Hispano-Latin spice, and so on, which creates a unique electronic beat. To be honest, this type of music is an acquired taste, as it is considered low-brow street music. It's not everybody's cup of tea. For me, it's a highly creative mosaic of fused sounds and words that is expressive, futuristic, and experimental.

I wrote the song lyrics by hand with pencil using a few reggaeton cliches. The theme of the song was about the Black Hole goddess emerging from the singularity. I avoided the use of too much science because I didn't want to turn it into a lecture and focused on themes of love. These type of songs use a lot of word play for surprising effects. They usually have a sense of humour as well. After transcribing the lyrics, I copied them into UDIO, which I prompted to generate a reggaeton tune using the following words.

(Male vocals in Spanish):

Ella sale sola de ese hoyo

(Female vocals in Spanish):

Así es la cosa, bebe...

This is a lose English Translation that I made without the aid of translator because it is basically impossible to translate accurately. Reggaeton music uses words like the beats of an instrument sometimes, and for some reason, the Spanish language is well suited for it.

She emerges alone from that hole

That's how things are, baby

The song is 2:11 minutes long. If you speak Spanish, you may have noticed that the UDIO system split the lyrics between male and female singers as instructed in my command but switched them in the final song. It split the words and sprinkled the lyrics throughout the song using a variety of rhythms, singers, and effects. Strangely, it put what sounds to me like gibberish words in the middle of the song, but it could be some language/dialect used in this genre of music. I'm not familiar with it enough to know for certain. If it's just gibberish, then I think it will be an interesting AI artifact for posterity.

The software generated different versions of the song. Some of them were catchy, and some were just horrendous. Nevertheless, I was impressed that it could actually sing in SPANISH!

I put all images and audio together in Microsoft Clipchamp. I didn't hold back with the filters. I had a lot of images, so for each image I randomly clicked any of the filters in a wild frenzy that was fun and invigorating, then I calmly reviewed and edited the results carefully and repeatedly until I was happy with the product.

I hope you liked the beat and enjoyed the groove. Thank you!

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=litguru/jchzrdep
The production of this video began on a sandy tropical beach, where I took off my sandals, put down my satchel, and with camera in hand walked into the sea.

I had no intention of going for a swim that day because I was feeling under the weather and staying close to the airport had not been a great idea. The nearby beach was popular, however, so it was nice to go for a walk.

The waves looked inviting, and the way the light diffused through them reminded me of the European masters who tried to capture their beauty and mystery in brush strokes.

The Olympus Tough camera is a jack of all trades that is waterproof and even functions underwater. It was safely tucked in my satchel. I had carried it for miles, so I figured it was time to put it to work.

The waves were somewhat strong that day, and many of the beaches in the San Juan area (Puerto Rico) are too dangerous for swimming because of riptides. So, I didn't do anything too crazy. My procedure consisted of watching the waves with camera in different modes, then as they approached, I jumped in front or beside them while snapping the photos.

I generated the ambient track using Udio generative music service. I first generated a couple of 30-second clips and chose the best one. Then I 'extended' that video to one minute, generating two new versions. I chose the version that I liked the best, and extended it by 30 seconds, creating two new versions, then I repeated the procedure one last time until this final version was generated. I also edited the initial prompt with each generation, refining the sounds. I put the final video together in MS Clipchamp.

Thank you for diving in.