I love reinterpretations of music on unconventional instruments. Here's one from china.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Video: Intoxicating Weather
The weather is sooooo booring that you must be intoxicated to report it.
Look he's a snowflake!
.. Or a flower?
Now he makes fun of an ambulance!
This is highly unconventional
Look he's a snowflake!
.. Or a flower?
Now he makes fun of an ambulance!
This is highly unconventional
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Video: Backwards Song
This Guy is singing a song backwards... it's quite impressive!
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2007/12/26
http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2007/12/26
Thursday, December 27, 2007
History: The History Of Christmas
From the WSJ, editorial page.
COMMENTARY
A Brief History of Christmas
By JOHN STEELE GORDON
December 21, 2007; Page A19
Christmas famously "comes but once a year." In fact, however, it comes twice. The Christmas of the Nativity, the manger and Christ child, the wise men and the star of Bethlehem, "Silent Night" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is one holiday. The Christmas of parties, Santa Claus, evergreens, presents, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells" is quite another.
But because both celebrations fall on Dec. 25, the two are constantly confused. Religious Christians condemn taking "the Christ out of Christmas," while First Amendment absolutists see a threat to the separation of church and state in every poinsettia on public property and school dramatization of "A Christmas Carol."
A little history can clear things up.
The Christmas of parties and presents is far older than the Nativity. Most ancient cultures celebrated the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its lowest point and begins to climb once more in the sky. In ancient Rome, this festival was called the Saturnalia and ran from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24. During that week, no work was done, and the time was spent in parties, games, gift giving and decorating the houses with evergreens. (Sound familiar?) It was, needless to say, a very popular holiday.
[Illo]
In its earliest days, Christianity did not celebrate the Nativity at all. Only two of the four Gospels even mention it. Instead, the Church calendar was centered on Easter, still by far the most important day in the Christian year. The Last Supper was a Seder, celebrating Passover, which falls on the day of the full moon in the first month of spring in the Hebrew calendar. So in A.D. 325, the Council of Nicea decided that Easter should fall on the Sunday following the first full moon of spring. That's why Easter and its associated days, such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, are "moveable feasts," moving about the calendar at the whim of the moon.
It is a mark of how late Christmas came to the Christian calendar that it is not a moveable feast, but a fixed one, determined by the solar calendar established by Julius Caesar and still in use today (although slightly tweaked in the 16th century).
By the time of the Council of Nicea, the Christian Church was making converts by the thousands and, in hopes of still more converts, in 354 Pope Liberius decided to add the Nativity to the church calendar. He also decided to celebrate it on Dec. 25. It was, frankly, a marketing ploy with a little political savvy thrown in.
History does not tell us exactly when in the year Christ was born, but according to the Gospel of St. Luke, "shepherds were abiding in the field and keeping watch over their flocks by night." This would imply a date in the spring or summer when the flocks were up in the hills and needed to be guarded. In winter they were kept safely in corrals.
So Dec. 25 must have been chosen for other reasons. It is hard to escape the idea that by making Christmas fall immediately after the Saturnalia, the Pope invited converts to still enjoy the fun and games of the ancient holiday and just call it Christmas. Also, Dec. 25 was the day of the sun god, Sol Invictus, associated with the emperor. By using that date, the church tied itself to the imperial system.
By the high Middle Ages, Christmas was a rowdy, bawdy time, often inside the church as well as outside it. In France, many parishes celebrated the Feast of the Ass, supposedly honoring the donkey that had brought Mary to Bethlehem. Donkeys were brought into the church and the mass ended with priests and parishioners alike making donkey noises. In the so-called Feast of Fools, the lower clergy would elect a "bishop of fools" to temporarily run the diocese and make fun of church ceremonial and discipline. With this sort of thing going on inside the church to celebrate the Nativity, one can easily imagine the drunken and sexual revelries going on outside it to celebrate what was in all but name the Saturnalia.
With the Reformation, Protestants tried to rid the church of practices unknown in its earliest days and get back to Christian roots. Most Protestant sects abolished priestly celibacy (and often the priesthood itself), the cult of the Virgin Mary, relics, confession and . . . Christmas.
In the English-speaking world, Christmas was abolished in Scotland in 1563 and in England after the Puritans took power in the 1640s. It returned with the Restoration in 1660, but the celebrations never regained their medieval and Elizabethan abandon.
There was still no Christmas in Puritan New England, where Dec. 25 was just another working day. In the South, where the Church of England predominated, Christmas was celebrated as in England. In the middle colonies, matters were mixed. In polyglot New York, the Dutch Reformed Church did not celebrate Christmas. The Anglicans and Catholics did.
It was New York and its early 19th century literary establishment that created the modern American form of the old Saturnalia. It was a much more family -- and especially child -- centered holiday than the community-wide celebrations of earlier times.
St. Nicolas is the patron saint of New York (the first church built in the city was named for him), and Washington Irving wrote in his "Diedrich Knickerbocker's History of New York" how Sinterklaes, soon anglicized to Santa Claus, rode through the sky in a horse and wagon and went down chimneys to deliver presents to children.
The writer George Pintard added the idea that only good children got presents, and a book dating to 1821 changed the horse and wagon to reindeer and sleigh. Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 made the number of reindeer eight and gave them their names. Moore's famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," is entirely secular. It is about "visions of sugar plums" with nary a wise man or a Christ child in sight. In 1828, the American Ambassador Joel Roberts Poinsett, brought the poinsettia back from Mexico. It became associated with Christmas because that's the time of year when it blooms.
In the 1840s, Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol," which does not even mention the religious holiday (the word church appears in the story just twice, in passing, the word Nativity never). Prince Albert introduced the German custom of the Christmas tree to the English-speaking world.
In the 1860s, the great American cartoonist Thomas Nast set the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly, bearded fat man in a fur-trimmed cap. (The color red became standard only in the 20th century, thanks to Coca-Cola ads showing Santa Claus that way.)
Merchants began to emphasize Christmas, decorating stores and pushing the idea of Christmas presents for reasons having nothing whatever to do with religion, except, perhaps, the worship of mammon.
With the increased mobility provided by railroads and increasing immigration from Europe, people who celebrated Christmas began settling near those who did not. It was not long before the children of the latter began putting pressure on their parents to celebrate Christmas as well. "The O'Reilly kids down the street are getting presents, why aren't we?!" is not an argument parents have much defense against.
By the middle of the 19th century, most Protestant churches were, once again, celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday. The reason, again, had more to do with marketing than theology: They were afraid of losing congregants to other Christmas-celebrating denominations.
In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a bill making the secular Christmas a civil holiday because its celebration had become universal in this country. It is now celebrated in countries all over the world, including many where Christians are few, such as Japan.
So for those worried about the First Amendment, there's a very easy way to distinguish between the two Christmases. If it isn't mentioned in the Gospels of Luke and Mark, then it is not part of the Christian holiday. Or we could just change the name of the secular holiday back to what it was 2000 years ago.
Merry Saturnalia, everyone!
Mr. Gordon is the author of "An Empire of Wealth"
COMMENTARY
A Brief History of Christmas
By JOHN STEELE GORDON
December 21, 2007; Page A19
Christmas famously "comes but once a year." In fact, however, it comes twice. The Christmas of the Nativity, the manger and Christ child, the wise men and the star of Bethlehem, "Silent Night" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is one holiday. The Christmas of parties, Santa Claus, evergreens, presents, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells" is quite another.
But because both celebrations fall on Dec. 25, the two are constantly confused. Religious Christians condemn taking "the Christ out of Christmas," while First Amendment absolutists see a threat to the separation of church and state in every poinsettia on public property and school dramatization of "A Christmas Carol."
A little history can clear things up.
The Christmas of parties and presents is far older than the Nativity. Most ancient cultures celebrated the winter solstice, when the sun reaches its lowest point and begins to climb once more in the sky. In ancient Rome, this festival was called the Saturnalia and ran from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24. During that week, no work was done, and the time was spent in parties, games, gift giving and decorating the houses with evergreens. (Sound familiar?) It was, needless to say, a very popular holiday.
[Illo]
In its earliest days, Christianity did not celebrate the Nativity at all. Only two of the four Gospels even mention it. Instead, the Church calendar was centered on Easter, still by far the most important day in the Christian year. The Last Supper was a Seder, celebrating Passover, which falls on the day of the full moon in the first month of spring in the Hebrew calendar. So in A.D. 325, the Council of Nicea decided that Easter should fall on the Sunday following the first full moon of spring. That's why Easter and its associated days, such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, are "moveable feasts," moving about the calendar at the whim of the moon.
It is a mark of how late Christmas came to the Christian calendar that it is not a moveable feast, but a fixed one, determined by the solar calendar established by Julius Caesar and still in use today (although slightly tweaked in the 16th century).
By the time of the Council of Nicea, the Christian Church was making converts by the thousands and, in hopes of still more converts, in 354 Pope Liberius decided to add the Nativity to the church calendar. He also decided to celebrate it on Dec. 25. It was, frankly, a marketing ploy with a little political savvy thrown in.
History does not tell us exactly when in the year Christ was born, but according to the Gospel of St. Luke, "shepherds were abiding in the field and keeping watch over their flocks by night." This would imply a date in the spring or summer when the flocks were up in the hills and needed to be guarded. In winter they were kept safely in corrals.
So Dec. 25 must have been chosen for other reasons. It is hard to escape the idea that by making Christmas fall immediately after the Saturnalia, the Pope invited converts to still enjoy the fun and games of the ancient holiday and just call it Christmas. Also, Dec. 25 was the day of the sun god, Sol Invictus, associated with the emperor. By using that date, the church tied itself to the imperial system.
By the high Middle Ages, Christmas was a rowdy, bawdy time, often inside the church as well as outside it. In France, many parishes celebrated the Feast of the Ass, supposedly honoring the donkey that had brought Mary to Bethlehem. Donkeys were brought into the church and the mass ended with priests and parishioners alike making donkey noises. In the so-called Feast of Fools, the lower clergy would elect a "bishop of fools" to temporarily run the diocese and make fun of church ceremonial and discipline. With this sort of thing going on inside the church to celebrate the Nativity, one can easily imagine the drunken and sexual revelries going on outside it to celebrate what was in all but name the Saturnalia.
With the Reformation, Protestants tried to rid the church of practices unknown in its earliest days and get back to Christian roots. Most Protestant sects abolished priestly celibacy (and often the priesthood itself), the cult of the Virgin Mary, relics, confession and . . . Christmas.
In the English-speaking world, Christmas was abolished in Scotland in 1563 and in England after the Puritans took power in the 1640s. It returned with the Restoration in 1660, but the celebrations never regained their medieval and Elizabethan abandon.
There was still no Christmas in Puritan New England, where Dec. 25 was just another working day. In the South, where the Church of England predominated, Christmas was celebrated as in England. In the middle colonies, matters were mixed. In polyglot New York, the Dutch Reformed Church did not celebrate Christmas. The Anglicans and Catholics did.
It was New York and its early 19th century literary establishment that created the modern American form of the old Saturnalia. It was a much more family -- and especially child -- centered holiday than the community-wide celebrations of earlier times.
St. Nicolas is the patron saint of New York (the first church built in the city was named for him), and Washington Irving wrote in his "Diedrich Knickerbocker's History of New York" how Sinterklaes, soon anglicized to Santa Claus, rode through the sky in a horse and wagon and went down chimneys to deliver presents to children.
The writer George Pintard added the idea that only good children got presents, and a book dating to 1821 changed the horse and wagon to reindeer and sleigh. Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 made the number of reindeer eight and gave them their names. Moore's famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," is entirely secular. It is about "visions of sugar plums" with nary a wise man or a Christ child in sight. In 1828, the American Ambassador Joel Roberts Poinsett, brought the poinsettia back from Mexico. It became associated with Christmas because that's the time of year when it blooms.
In the 1840s, Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol," which does not even mention the religious holiday (the word church appears in the story just twice, in passing, the word Nativity never). Prince Albert introduced the German custom of the Christmas tree to the English-speaking world.
In the 1860s, the great American cartoonist Thomas Nast set the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly, bearded fat man in a fur-trimmed cap. (The color red became standard only in the 20th century, thanks to Coca-Cola ads showing Santa Claus that way.)
Merchants began to emphasize Christmas, decorating stores and pushing the idea of Christmas presents for reasons having nothing whatever to do with religion, except, perhaps, the worship of mammon.
With the increased mobility provided by railroads and increasing immigration from Europe, people who celebrated Christmas began settling near those who did not. It was not long before the children of the latter began putting pressure on their parents to celebrate Christmas as well. "The O'Reilly kids down the street are getting presents, why aren't we?!" is not an argument parents have much defense against.
By the middle of the 19th century, most Protestant churches were, once again, celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday. The reason, again, had more to do with marketing than theology: They were afraid of losing congregants to other Christmas-celebrating denominations.
In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a bill making the secular Christmas a civil holiday because its celebration had become universal in this country. It is now celebrated in countries all over the world, including many where Christians are few, such as Japan.
So for those worried about the First Amendment, there's a very easy way to distinguish between the two Christmases. If it isn't mentioned in the Gospels of Luke and Mark, then it is not part of the Christian holiday. Or we could just change the name of the secular holiday back to what it was 2000 years ago.
Merry Saturnalia, everyone!
Mr. Gordon is the author of "An Empire of Wealth"
Monday, December 24, 2007
Video: Sears Portrait Studio
Last year the Seattle boys went to Sears and got their holiday portraits done, this year, it was the SF and Seattle girls...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Music: Kid Beyond feat on NPR
A nice piece on Kid Beyond. America's finest beatboxer.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5683802
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5683802
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Artist: Red Nose Studio
I found this studio from an illustration I'd seen in the "American Way" magazine, while traveling recently. The images are simply magical puppetry. Be sure to see their little movies too!
Visit Red Nose Studio's Website
Review a broader portfolio at their artist rep
The article in American Way
Friday, November 02, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Game: Chain Reaction Dots
Really wonderful flash game. Very intuitive.
Try to capture dots in a chain reaction.
http://www.k2xl.com/games/boomshine/
Try to capture dots in a chain reaction.
http://www.k2xl.com/games/boomshine/
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Art: Nimis and Arx
I found this by accident while traveling around on the internet.
In 1980 the artist and arthistorian Lars Vilks started to work on Nimis, a construction of driftwood and rests from the cutting areas.
http://www.ladonia.net/nimis_arx/index.html
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Definition of Globalization
Finally, a good definition of globalization.
Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer: Princess
Diana's death.
Question: How come?
Answer:
An English princess with
an Egyptian boyfriend
crashes in a French
tunnel, driving a
German car
with a Dutch engine,
driven by a Belgian
who was drunk
on Scottish whisky,
(check the bottle before you change the spelling),
followed closely by
Italian Paparazzi,
on Japanese motorcycles;
treated by an American doctor, using
Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by
a Texan,
using Steve Jobs' technology,
and you're probably reading this on your computer,
that uses Taiwanese
chips, and a
Korean monitor,
assembled by
Bangladeshi workers
in a Singapore plant,
transported by Indian
lorry-drivers,
hijacked by Indonesians,
unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,
and trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....
That, my friends, is Globalization
Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer: Princess
Diana's death.
Question: How come?
Answer:
An English princess with
an Egyptian boyfriend
crashes in a French
tunnel, driving a
German car
with a Dutch engine,
driven by a Belgian
who was drunk
on Scottish whisky,
(check the bottle before you change the spelling),
followed closely by
Italian Paparazzi,
on Japanese motorcycles;
treated by an American doctor, using
Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by
a Texan,
using Steve Jobs' technology,
and you're probably reading this on your computer,
that uses Taiwanese
chips, and a
Korean monitor,
assembled by
Bangladeshi workers
in a Singapore plant,
transported by Indian
lorry-drivers,
hijacked by Indonesians,
unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,
and trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....
That, my friends, is Globalization
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Vide: Daft Hands Harder Faster
This is super boring until the :51 seconds into it. then it gets pretty rad.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Artist: Theo Jansen - Kinetic Sculptures
This guy makes sculptures that are powered by the wind. They're quite remarkable.
His website: http://www.strandbeest.com/
Wiki article on him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Jansen
Movie of his stuff:
http://www.glumbert.com/embed/kineticsculpture
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Video: Happiness Factory
This is a really adorable movie short created by Coco-cola. It's worth watching a couple times to see all the details.
http://www.coca-cola.com/HF/index.jsp
http://www.coca-cola.com/HF/index.jsp
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The State: 43rd Annual All Star Halloween Special
In Part One be sure to watch the "Manzelle" clip.
Part One
Part Two
John Stewart appears in this clip
Part Three
Part Four
Part One
Part Two
John Stewart appears in this clip
Part Three
Part Four
The State: $240 worth of pudding
I remember this being one of my favorite episodes of MTV's sketch comedy, The State.
Mad TV : iRack
Be sure to watch this one through to the end. Clip from Madtv season 12 episode 16.
apple I-rack spoof
apple I-rack spoof
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Book: The Devil in the White City by Eric Lawson
I recently finished the Book "Devil in the White City", written by the same author as "Isaac's Storm". The book was fantastic. A book review to come shortly.
Visit the official Book Site
Book: Ishmael:An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
I recently read the Book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Full review to come shortly.
Go to the Ishmael website
Friday, June 29, 2007
Zebra + horse = zorse
From the New Zealand Herald June 29, 2007
Eclyse the zorse is striking proof of how an offspring inherits genes from both parents - which in her case was a male zebra and a female horse. The result is shown in her amazing coat which looks like a zebra's that has been partly covered in white paint.
Read The Article
Flight of the Conchords - Business Time
New Zealand's fourth most popular pop folk parody duo.
Business Time. Hilarious!
The First Rap Song Ever!
Business Time. Hilarious!
The First Rap Song Ever!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Artist: Souther Salazar
Souther Salazar's work first began to circulate in the early '90s, in the form of photocopied cut-and-paste micro-comics and zines he made in his bedroom as a young teenager in rural Oakdale, California. After graduating from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, he moved to LA. Salazar exhibits his collages, paintings, drawings, and sculptures in dense and frenzied installations that encourage exploration and participation by the viewer. His work has appeared in galleries nationwide, and in publications such as Kramers Ergot, Swindle, and the Drama, as well as a recent cover feature in Giant Robot.
http://www.southersalazar.net/
Iraq Museum
There are so many tragedies to speak of in Iraq since the US invasion. Among the many is the near total loss of historical and cultural artifacts from it's extensive history. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago has created a database of Iraq's lost treasures. It's well worth checking out.
Unlike the hording by Germany in WWII of cultural and artistic artifacts (see my post on Rape Of Europa), it seems highly unlikely that their cultural assets will ever be recovered.
Unlike the hording by Germany in WWII of cultural and artistic artifacts (see my post on Rape Of Europa), it seems highly unlikely that their cultural assets will ever be recovered.
Musical Instruments: Acordians Rule!
Smythe's Accordian Center - If you're into accordians, then this is the place for you in the Bay Area. Accordian repair, workshops and classes.
smythesaccordiancenter.com
smythesaccordiancenter.com
Artist: Eva Martin - Jewelry
Our friend's Bradly and Felicity had their wedding ring created by Eva (see pic to the left). What makes her works so amazing is that she weaves a story into each piece of jewelry she creates.
www.evamartin.com
Artist: Natasha Dikareva
I found Natasha's work during an Open Studios night in the Mission, SF. What I particularly liked about her work was the installation, and this melding of materials, periods - clay and metal, old and new. Visit Natasha's Site
Monday, June 25, 2007
Documentary: Rape Of Europa
I saw this film at the San Francisco International Film Festival and would recommend it to anyone!
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, this documentary tells the story of systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich and the Second World War.
It's incredibly well told and illustrated with lots of film footage and pictures from that time.
http://www.therapeofeuropa.com/
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, this documentary tells the story of systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich and the Second World War.
It's incredibly well told and illustrated with lots of film footage and pictures from that time.
http://www.therapeofeuropa.com/
Friday, June 22, 2007
Planet Unicorn Heyyy
Even if you don't watch the entire thing, watch the intro for this. Unicorn Planet, planet Unicorn, heyyy!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Educational Video: Julius Sumner Miller!
Talk about a nutty professor. In this episode he teaches you the Drama of Very Cold Things.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Color photos from 1910s
Apparently the Tsar’s official photographer figured that if he took 3 black and white photos of the same thing with red blue and green filter, eventually the technology would come along to re-combine them into actual color photographs. Well, he was right. And now you get to see color photographs of life in Russia in 1910. Absolutely remarkable.
What fascinates me the most about this is that I’ve come to expect people dressed in clothing from the turn of the century to be in black and white. And when I see them in color, it doesn’t feel as distant to me. It gives them more of a human, rather than historical appearance.
See the site!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Artist: Josh Heilaman
A mixed-media artist from Oklahoma whose palette and sensibility are continually evolving. He uses acrylic paints and just about any other medium he can put hands on to create environments heavy with seas, forests and cities — all populated by creatures of whimsy. Heilaman's work has been featured in publications and exhibitions throughout North America.
I found this artist at Flavor Pill.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Maker Faire 2007
Jaime Zollars Really wonderful illustrator. I purchased the silkscreen featured in this post. She introduced me to a place where I could get good prints (postcards, etc) done. Her postcards were pretty cool. The place is Overnightprints.com.
The Paper Source - A guy managing the Papersource in San Francisco taught people the art of Goco Printing. He even demonstrated how one could use Brownie Camera flash bulbs to create a print.
Craftgym Here's a great place if you don't want to invest to heavily in crafting supplies, or crafting space in your own home. For a fee, you can print on their Gocco printer, user their paper marbleing vats, etc. There's also a ton of classes that look like alot of fun!
Metallurge Casting - This gal made some pretty rad dinnerware.
Lulu.com - Looking to make your own books, cds, dvds? Lulu will do this with their really great selection of binding types and high quality printing.
The Neverwas Haul made an appearance. Inspired by the sci fi of jules Verne, the Neverwas Haul is a self-propelled 3 story victorian house on wheels. The haus is home to The Travelling Acadamy of UnNatural Science. A collaborative group of artists and adventurers.
Pod Pod Post Gallery/Store of Mail Art.
Craft Mafia - resource / coop for crafters
The Stereo Club of California Has a bunch of info on their site related to 3d imaging.
Mrs Grossmans is a sticker making company located here in the bay area. They even give tours.
Martin Hsu - Awesome Illustrator / Artist
This artist captured humans in bottles
Monday, May 21, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
David Blaine Mock - u -mentary
David Blaine Mock - u -mentary
http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f7e2336b27310f0b9e
http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=c3f7e2336b27310f0b9e
Sunday, April 29, 2007
New Taekwondo Gym in Martinez
Our pal Jordan has *just* opened his new Taekwondo gym.
http://www.bay-ata.com/instructors.php
http://www.bay-ata.com/instructors.php
Thursday, March 15, 2007
1848: When America Came of Age - from Time Magazine
I love the way in which you can backtrack through time and find remarkable parallels in the way people thought about themselves. Kurt Anderson recently wrote about the parallels between the year 1848 and the present in the 3.18.07 issue of Time Magazine.
A snippet: "Miraculous new communications technologies have suddenly appeared, transforming everyday life. Everything is moving discombobulatingly fast. Globalization accelerates. Wall Street booms. Outside San Francisco, astounding fortunes are made overnight, out of nothing, by plucky nobodies. The new media are scurrilous and partisan. Marketing spin and advertising extend their influence as never before. A fresh urban-youth subculture has emerged, rude and vibrant, entertainment-fixated and violence-glorifying. Christian conservatives are furiously battling cultural decadence, and one popular sect insists that the end days are nigh. Ferocious anti-immigration sentiment is on the rise. Both major American political parties seem pathetically unable to deal with the looming, urgent issue of the day. Insurgents practicing asymmetrical warfare have, practically overnight, threatened to bring down the political order of Western civilization. And the President has tapped into patriotic rage to invade a poor desert country, having dubiously claimed that the enemy nation represents a clear and present military danger to America."
To read more of this article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1597503,00.html
A snippet: "Miraculous new communications technologies have suddenly appeared, transforming everyday life. Everything is moving discombobulatingly fast. Globalization accelerates. Wall Street booms. Outside San Francisco, astounding fortunes are made overnight, out of nothing, by plucky nobodies. The new media are scurrilous and partisan. Marketing spin and advertising extend their influence as never before. A fresh urban-youth subculture has emerged, rude and vibrant, entertainment-fixated and violence-glorifying. Christian conservatives are furiously battling cultural decadence, and one popular sect insists that the end days are nigh. Ferocious anti-immigration sentiment is on the rise. Both major American political parties seem pathetically unable to deal with the looming, urgent issue of the day. Insurgents practicing asymmetrical warfare have, practically overnight, threatened to bring down the political order of Western civilization. And the President has tapped into patriotic rage to invade a poor desert country, having dubiously claimed that the enemy nation represents a clear and present military danger to America."
To read more of this article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1597503,00.html
Monday, March 05, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Swarm of Starlings
You need to play through about a minute to get to the meat of this, but this is more like a swarm of birds rather than a flock of them!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Awesome Artist - Chris Haughton
Chris Haughton is a London-based illustrator and animator. After studying design in Ireland for four years, he travelled throughout China, India and Southeast Asia. His wanderlust brought him to Hong Kong where he worked on freelance design and illustration projects for a year before moving to London. Haughton illustrates for Time, The Guardian, The Independent and The South China Morning Post. His colourful illustrations and designs can be seen on his site :
http://www.vegetablefriedrice.com/
Found on FlavorPill
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
A Cappella group sings Dr Dre
DeCadence (an A Cappella group at UC Berkeley) sings Ben Folds version of Dr Dre's, Bitches Ain't Shit.
Monday, February 12, 2007
With New Technology Comes a Help Desk
Every good company needs a 'help desk' for those times when new technology is introduced.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Organic Metalwork Sculptures
Beautiful organic shapped kinetic metal sculptures.
See great sculptures!
See great sculptures!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Learn to dance with Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite takes us through some impressive dance moves.
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/napoleon
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/napoleon
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
Lounn Brizendine is a Neuro-Psychiatrist and founder of the Womens Brain Center at UCSF based in San Francisco. She's spent the past 20 years researching the differences between the male and female brain. This book collates the research done between her and her collegues into an extremely readable, fascinating and entertaining book.
This book doesn't go deeply into the science, but rather summerizes what is happening in a female brain at various points throughout her life, from inutero to menopause. As it turns out it's structures and neurochemicals are ever changing "like the weather"(unlike the male brain, which remains somewhat unchanged except in 2 key moments in their life).
Some fun did you know's I got from this book:
- During pregnancy, you will loose 8% of your brain mass while your brain restructures itself. The mass will return 6 months post pregnancy, but your brain will be far more adept at mapping and locating things than it was prior to pregnancy.
- A female's brain is uniquely structured to read minute changes in people faces and appearance
http://louannbrizendine.com/
Listen to an interview with Louann Brizendine on KQED's Forum
Buy the book on Amazon
Monday, December 18, 2006
John appears in a Samsung commercial
John appears in a Samsung commercial which features a laptop that is small enough for a St.Bernard to wear it around his neck on an airplane.
Go to view videos and click on "Economy Class".
http://samcanhelp.samsungusa.com/samcanhelp/index.jsp
Go to view videos and click on "Economy Class".
http://samcanhelp.samsungusa.com/samcanhelp/index.jsp
Thursday, December 14, 2006
17 Pairs of Contradictory Proverbs
1. Look before you leap
He who hesitates is lost
2. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again
Don't beat your head against a brick wall
3. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Out of sight, out of mind
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Don't cross the bridge until you come to it
5. Two heads are better than one
Paddle your own canoe
6. More haste less speed
Time waits for no man
7. You're never too old to learn
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
8. A word to the wise is sufficient
Talk is cheap
9. It's better to be safe than sorry
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
10. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
11. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
Nice guys finish last
12. Hitch your wagon to a star
Don't bite off more than you can chew
13. Many hands make light work
Too many cooks spoil the broth
14. Don't judge a book by its cover
Clothes make the man
15. The squeaking wheel gets the grease
Silence is golden
16. Birds of a feather flock together
Opposites attract
17. The pen is mightier than the sword
Actions speak louder than words
He who hesitates is lost
2. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again
Don't beat your head against a brick wall
3. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Out of sight, out of mind
4. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Don't cross the bridge until you come to it
5. Two heads are better than one
Paddle your own canoe
6. More haste less speed
Time waits for no man
7. You're never too old to learn
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
8. A word to the wise is sufficient
Talk is cheap
9. It's better to be safe than sorry
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
10. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
11. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
Nice guys finish last
12. Hitch your wagon to a star
Don't bite off more than you can chew
13. Many hands make light work
Too many cooks spoil the broth
14. Don't judge a book by its cover
Clothes make the man
15. The squeaking wheel gets the grease
Silence is golden
16. Birds of a feather flock together
Opposites attract
17. The pen is mightier than the sword
Actions speak louder than words
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
Minilogue/hitchikiers choice - Stop motion animating sketchbook
There seem to be alot of innovative homemade stop motion videos out there! This one is a music video that uses a sketchbook to create frames for the movie. I like the addition of the hand drawing the pictures.
Tony vs. Paul - two friends fight in stop motion
This is one of the best homemade stop motion endeavors I've seen in a long time! Well, with the exception of seeing the stop motion drums and piano, which I posted about earlier. In this video, Tony and Paul, best friends, have a fantastical fight.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Great Shopping in Seattle
I intend to continue adding to this list, but for now, here's a great place to shop in Seattle (if you're into Curiosities that is).
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
1001 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Wa. 98104
(206) 682-5844
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
1001 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Wa. 98104
(206) 682-5844
Monday, November 27, 2006
Wanna make 3d things?
If you want to make slides for Viewmasters, or Lenticular images that move back and forth, it would be worth looking at this company, which specializes in both.
Image 3d
Image 3d
This is your brain on music
While I haven't yet read this particular book, the interviews I've heard with the author, might make it a facinating read about my favorite things: music + the brain.
Interestingly, I found this book on the shelf at a bookstore about a month ago, before I'd read or heard anything about it. Now it appears that there is quite a bit of hype surrounding it.
The author, David Levitin, is a neurobiologist who came from the music industry. He attempts to explain the way that the brain percieves music, why music sticks in your head, why you like the music you do, and how it truly is a universal language.
Some interesting reading on the subject:
The official site
David Levitin's official personal site
KQED
SanFrancisco's, Forum, explores the perception of music in the human brain with psychologist Daniel J. Levitin, author of "This is Your Brain on Music."
Host: Michael Krasny
http://www.kqed.org/programs/program-landing.jsp?progID=RD19
To The Best of Our Knowledge program "Mind, Music & Math" (aired October 2006)
In this interview, he tells us how composers and performers play with our expectations to keep the brain interested in music.
http://www.wpr.org/book/061022a.html
Wired article from August 23, 2006
Read the article
You can buy the book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525949690/bookstorenow600-20
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Rockin' Online Shopping!
Tis the season for shopping for pals! Check out these sites to find that perfect gift for me!!
Fun gift shopping
http://www.shopexit9.com/
I heart guts
Fabulous tees, stickers, etc, with the cutest guts!
TangoLand
Those super cute cat icons have an artist, and he has a website... and a store!
http://www.tangoland.com/
Fun Random Gifty gifts
http://www.fly-bird.net/
Drop In Science
Purchase those old filmstrips you remember from your youth, botanical and zoological educational posters, art, etc
http://www.droppinscience.net/index.html
Very cute artist
http://www.dalekart.com/main.htm
Vintage Fabrics
Repro Depot Fabrics
Keep the Faye
Fun products for home, auto, clothing, etc
My favorite product is their demerit badges
http://keepthefaye.com/
Mew Gallery
As of this posting, their shop has not yet opened... but, if their wares are as adorable as their site design, it promises to be good!
http://www.mewgallery.org/
(Their super cute webdesign was created by Nested Group)
Wallwords
For the decorator who would like to have words all over their wall. Alot of thsi looks super cheese, but with the right word combos... it could be fun!
http://wallwords.com/index.htm
Fun gift shopping
http://www.shopexit9.com/
I heart guts
Fabulous tees, stickers, etc, with the cutest guts!
TangoLand
Those super cute cat icons have an artist, and he has a website... and a store!
http://www.tangoland.com/
Fun Random Gifty gifts
http://www.fly-bird.net/
Drop In Science
Purchase those old filmstrips you remember from your youth, botanical and zoological educational posters, art, etc
http://www.droppinscience.net/index.html
Very cute artist
http://www.dalekart.com/main.htm
Vintage Fabrics
Repro Depot Fabrics
Keep the Faye
Fun products for home, auto, clothing, etc
My favorite product is their demerit badges
http://keepthefaye.com/
Mew Gallery
As of this posting, their shop has not yet opened... but, if their wares are as adorable as their site design, it promises to be good!
http://www.mewgallery.org/
(Their super cute webdesign was created by Nested Group)
Wallwords
For the decorator who would like to have words all over their wall. Alot of thsi looks super cheese, but with the right word combos... it could be fun!
http://wallwords.com/index.htm
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
"Space Wiggle" makes images 3d on the web
This method of presenting stereo images uses animated .gifs to rapidly switch between left and right images. For most of us the brain will impose a crude sense of dimensionality on a wildly wiggling scene.
Examples here
Examples here
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Looking for a word? Know the definition?
Here's a great site for all those times when you've known how to describe the word, but you can't seem to find it! It's a reverse dictionary. Type in the word(s), or slight definition and wha-la!
http://onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
http://onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Jesus Spotted on a Dogs Ass
Jesus spotted on a dogs ass... Remarkably, it really does look like Jesus! More so than those pitas and stuff that people think look like Mary or something.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Stop Motion Drums and Piano Music
The wonders of video / audio editing can prove to make a musician out of anyone!
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=20529
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=20529
Monday, November 06, 2006
VanityFair Article: Now they tell us - NeoCons blame incompetent Bush Administration
As Iraq slips further into chaos, the war's neoconservative boosters have turned sharply on the Bush administration, charging that their grand designs have been undermined by White House incompetence. In a series of exclusive interviews, Richard Perle, Kenneth Adelman, David Frum, and others play the blame game with shocking frankness. Target No. 1: the president himself.
Read the Printable version of this Article at Vanity Fair
Read the Printable version of this Article at Vanity Fair
Whales whales whales ... and Wholphins!
Dolphin reveals extra set of fins (legs)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15581204/
Study links whales and hippos
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6863348/
Narwhale (unicorn whale) Tusk acts as giant sensor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10456798/
Wholphins really do exist! Wholphin mother has a baby - and it's gi-normous!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7508288/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15581204/
Study links whales and hippos
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6863348/
Narwhale (unicorn whale) Tusk acts as giant sensor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10456798/
Wholphins really do exist! Wholphin mother has a baby - and it's gi-normous!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7508288/
Draw furniture out of thin air!
Basically, two of the Swedish firm, Front Design, principals use motion-capture technology to record exceedingly rough sketches, in 3-D space, of a chair, table, and lamp. The sketches are then converted into actual objects using rapid prototyping technology, in which lasers fuse layers of liquid plastic together. Voilà: nearly instant furniture.
www.frontdesign.se
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Are you a bubblewrap junky like me?
Then this is a must-have for you!
Try 'manic mode'.
http://fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf
"Must have more"
Try 'manic mode'.
http://fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf
"Must have more"
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Dominos are "in" apparently
There seems to be a motif Dominos in advertising and film lately.
Champion Sound - Fatboy Slim
House hold items as dominos makes for a somewhat interesting video experience.
http://www.nothing-to-see-here.com/champion-sound.php
Miller Beer Ad - People as Dominos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIp-wLyV2k
Champion Sound - Fatboy Slim
House hold items as dominos makes for a somewhat interesting video experience.
http://www.nothing-to-see-here.com/champion-sound.php
Miller Beer Ad - People as Dominos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKIp-wLyV2k
Friday, October 20, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
How movies should have ended...
Sometimes films to end how we think the should have... This site sets out to correct them. Some of them are pretty funny!
http://www.howitshouldhaveended.com/index.html
http://www.howitshouldhaveended.com/index.html
Friday, October 06, 2006
Image Labeler Game
As a clever way to improve the image search function Google made the following game:
http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/
You and someone else on the internet and randomly paired and are given the same image. You enter as many different words to describe that image as you can. If your words and a word from your partner match then you "win" and move on. In the process they'll use all the winning words as keywords for the images when using the search function.
http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/
You and someone else on the internet and randomly paired and are given the same image. You enter as many different words to describe that image as you can. If your words and a word from your partner match then you "win" and move on. In the process they'll use all the winning words as keywords for the images when using the search function.
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