3/31/07
Extreme Breastfeeding
My brother's ex-fiance, Jessice, once said that if your kid is old enough to make their own snack it's probably time to stop breastfeeding. The woman in this video has the same philosophy, she just replaces "make their own snack" with "study algebra".
Universcale
Universcale is a flash based application that essentially allows you to hold a nanoparticle in your left hand and the Orion Nebula in your right hand.
Super cool. It's a flash app, so yeah, you need the flash plug-in.
Super cool. It's a flash app, so yeah, you need the flash plug-in.
3/28/07
best idea ever. One doesn't really need to sneak around with apple juice and milk, so I wouldn't have much use for them, but I'm still impressed.
3/27/07
Mean ol' Chevy
The glorious digg.com sent me to this list of celebrities banned from hosting or appearing on SNL.
3/20/07
3/19/07
3/14/07
3/13/07
Spiderman vs. Venom
I'm looking forward to watching Spidey take on Venom in Spiderman 3. But the hoopla surrounding this photo may be a bit presumptuous. I think it's a fake. Or at the very least, it's not a screen capture from the insanely talented fellas at Sony. Spidey looks just fine, my issues are with Venom. He's rendered with an odd combination of Photoshop Blur Filter (which has to be the most used filter with the casual amateur Photoshoping crowd) and straight up simple brush strokes to clean up any washed out highlights. Also, the area surrounding Venom's head looks "off". Not only does it look like it was hand manipulated, but it looks like it is more blurred than his feet. The top of his head is the major offender. Is that some kind of smudge brush or something? Doesn't appear to be a clean composite from a professional. Tisk tisk.
I'm not buying it. Something is very wrong. Photo-realism isn't my strength, but I'm positive that, at the very least, you will not see this exact frame in theaters.
I'm not buying it. Something is very wrong. Photo-realism isn't my strength, but I'm positive that, at the very least, you will not see this exact frame in theaters.
Speak of the Devil
Too bad today isn't Thursday, I could have written "Hey, today is turning into Not-So-Theistic Thursday!"
OK then.
The timing of this news with my religious tangent post below is noteworthy.
excerpt:
"Only 45 percent of Americans said they would vote for a "generally well-qualified" atheist, according to a February Gallup Poll, ranking them lowest on a list that included Mormons (72 percent), candidates on their third marriage (67 percent) and homosexuals (55 percent).
The Washington-based coalition, which lobbies on behalf of atheists, humanists and other nontheists, said that "few if any elected officials, even at the lowest level, would self-identify as a nontheist" in response to its survey. The coalition eventually offered $1,000 to the person who could identify the highest-level atheist, agnostic, humanist "or any other kind of nontheist" in public office."
OK then.
The timing of this news with my religious tangent post below is noteworthy.
excerpt:
"Only 45 percent of Americans said they would vote for a "generally well-qualified" atheist, according to a February Gallup Poll, ranking them lowest on a list that included Mormons (72 percent), candidates on their third marriage (67 percent) and homosexuals (55 percent).
The Washington-based coalition, which lobbies on behalf of atheists, humanists and other nontheists, said that "few if any elected officials, even at the lowest level, would self-identify as a nontheist" in response to its survey. The coalition eventually offered $1,000 to the person who could identify the highest-level atheist, agnostic, humanist "or any other kind of nontheist" in public office."
Truth
found this at Boing.
"NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft was about a million miles from Earth last month when it photographed the Moon passing in front of the sun."
Isn't this wild? It has been color-corrected and what not, but wow. And it may even be completely fake, who knows.
Either way, while watching this video, I was reminded that I know very little about my own being. Everything that exists is essentially undiscovered territory.
That's an exciting concept, no? It is accompanied by thousands of delicious questions. If I could shrink inward to infinity plus one, where would I be? If I could travel to the end of space as we know it and then traveled 100 billion trillion zillion times even farther, would I end up back where I started? Is there really curvature in space and time? Who knows. I certainly don't, but I'm not a big fan of space/time curvature. Playing with time or any nonlinear temporal tampering is so beyond my comprehension that I can't enjoy it at all...even superficially at the science NON-fictional level. Time travel...ugh.
Back to being in awe of massive concepts. I can barely wrestle with the scale of our existence and the space we share. The numbers are staggering. Like our existence on Earth. If you hold your arms out to your side as if to say "I love you this much", the distance between your left and right middle fingertips represent the current theoretical lifespan of Earth. If you take a fingernail file and run it over your middle fingernail just once, you will wipe out the entire existence of mankind. I love that example. It's my favorite out of the many.
When the questions and numbers become overwhelming, I'm reminded of my Christian upbringing. As a kid, I LOVED church. It was a great time. I loved the friendships, atmosphere and activities at my church, and I enjoyed the comfortable feeling I got from believing in the love of a god/Jesus. But as I got older, the desire to ask questions and seek truth in myself, my world and my beliefs caused my body to swell. The walls of the religious room in which I was living didn't budge. I continued to expand and I could see I would soon reach the walls. Then what? Would I stop expanding to fit within my container?
Over and over, answers became all too similar. Regardless of who I asked:
"There's no point in thinking about that kind of thing, only God knows the answer to that"
"That's a question designed by the devil...he wants you to think about those things"
"You really aren't asking these questions in search of an answer"
Eventually I chose to get rid of the walls. Ultimately it had very little to do with the lack of sustainable answers and the whole "don't look behind the curtain" issue. If I needed answers, I certainly wouldn't turn to science, science has few answers. I don't need answers. I just need truth and the sincerity of raw examination. At the very least, the scientific process strives for truth. Magic just doesn't do it for me anymore.
Those walls were crumbling anyway, all I needed was to experience NYC/Chicago, to get perspective outside the Bible Belt and hang out with people not affiliated with the compound. If it weren't for my years away, I may have floated in the grey waters that a few of my friends like to swim. Insert The River Denial joke here. Either way, I'm thankful I did a little rehabin' because that room was crampin' my style, yo. Now I've got a pretty good view of things and I'm able to enjoy every single day. Life is short, delicate and quite finite.
Then again, I know very little. So who knows, maybe there is a personal god that listens to and answers prayers and somehow participates in our lives. Maybe there is a heaven and hell where the fortunate are happy and the unfortunate are on fire FOREVER (echo echo echo).
I must admit that if such things do exist, that sucks for the majority of folks born into non-Christian countries. It's much easier to make it into heaven if you're born in America and The Bible Belt compared to, let's say, northern China or North Korea or the Middle East. I wasted a great seat, in a way.
Who knows. I know very little, but I do know that this video is pretty cool. Stupid religious tangent. It's too late now, but I want to get back on the science topic. Hopefully soon.
"NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft was about a million miles from Earth last month when it photographed the Moon passing in front of the sun."
Isn't this wild? It has been color-corrected and what not, but wow. And it may even be completely fake, who knows.
Either way, while watching this video, I was reminded that I know very little about my own being. Everything that exists is essentially undiscovered territory.
That's an exciting concept, no? It is accompanied by thousands of delicious questions. If I could shrink inward to infinity plus one, where would I be? If I could travel to the end of space as we know it and then traveled 100 billion trillion zillion times even farther, would I end up back where I started? Is there really curvature in space and time? Who knows. I certainly don't, but I'm not a big fan of space/time curvature. Playing with time or any nonlinear temporal tampering is so beyond my comprehension that I can't enjoy it at all...even superficially at the science NON-fictional level. Time travel...ugh.
Back to being in awe of massive concepts. I can barely wrestle with the scale of our existence and the space we share. The numbers are staggering. Like our existence on Earth. If you hold your arms out to your side as if to say "I love you this much", the distance between your left and right middle fingertips represent the current theoretical lifespan of Earth. If you take a fingernail file and run it over your middle fingernail just once, you will wipe out the entire existence of mankind. I love that example. It's my favorite out of the many.
When the questions and numbers become overwhelming, I'm reminded of my Christian upbringing. As a kid, I LOVED church. It was a great time. I loved the friendships, atmosphere and activities at my church, and I enjoyed the comfortable feeling I got from believing in the love of a god/Jesus. But as I got older, the desire to ask questions and seek truth in myself, my world and my beliefs caused my body to swell. The walls of the religious room in which I was living didn't budge. I continued to expand and I could see I would soon reach the walls. Then what? Would I stop expanding to fit within my container?
Over and over, answers became all too similar. Regardless of who I asked:
"There's no point in thinking about that kind of thing, only God knows the answer to that"
"That's a question designed by the devil...he wants you to think about those things"
"You really aren't asking these questions in search of an answer"
Eventually I chose to get rid of the walls. Ultimately it had very little to do with the lack of sustainable answers and the whole "don't look behind the curtain" issue. If I needed answers, I certainly wouldn't turn to science, science has few answers. I don't need answers. I just need truth and the sincerity of raw examination. At the very least, the scientific process strives for truth. Magic just doesn't do it for me anymore.
Those walls were crumbling anyway, all I needed was to experience NYC/Chicago, to get perspective outside the Bible Belt and hang out with people not affiliated with the compound. If it weren't for my years away, I may have floated in the grey waters that a few of my friends like to swim. Insert The River Denial joke here. Either way, I'm thankful I did a little rehabin' because that room was crampin' my style, yo. Now I've got a pretty good view of things and I'm able to enjoy every single day. Life is short, delicate and quite finite.
Then again, I know very little. So who knows, maybe there is a personal god that listens to and answers prayers and somehow participates in our lives. Maybe there is a heaven and hell where the fortunate are happy and the unfortunate are on fire FOREVER (echo echo echo).
I must admit that if such things do exist, that sucks for the majority of folks born into non-Christian countries. It's much easier to make it into heaven if you're born in America and The Bible Belt compared to, let's say, northern China or North Korea or the Middle East. I wasted a great seat, in a way.
Who knows. I know very little, but I do know that this video is pretty cool. Stupid religious tangent. It's too late now, but I want to get back on the science topic. Hopefully soon.
3/10/07
TED2007-Ted Sargent
I have a very basic yet genuine interest in nanotechnology. It's hard not to get excited about something that is so obviously a major leap forward in the progression of homosapien tools.
One of the major players in the nano world is Ted Sargent. I guess you could say he's a big fish in a very very very very very very very tiny little pond. hahahahaha! Man, that's an awesome joke.
Congratulations Ted Sargent, you made my list of influential TED2007 participants.
One of the major players in the nano world is Ted Sargent. I guess you could say he's a big fish in a very very very very very very very tiny little pond. hahahahaha! Man, that's an awesome joke.
Congratulations Ted Sargent, you made my list of influential TED2007 participants.
3/9/07
3/8/07
John Maeda
In honor of TED, I'm going to highlight a few of the participants that have influenced me in the past few years. I'll start with:
John Maeda
Pure designer/artist. When I create art or design something, I'm using tools that were designed by someone else. I know a little scripting, but even scripts within compositing and 3D programs are limited in the same way GUI interaction is limited. It all operates in a world built by other people. Similar to me playing in a sandbox. I may be able to build the coolest sand castle ever, but I'm limited to the walls of the sandbox and the sand that is in the sandbox.
John Maeda and his crew at MIT create sandboxes and the sand that goes in them. THEN they play.
It's the purest form of next-gen creativity.
John Maeda
Pure designer/artist. When I create art or design something, I'm using tools that were designed by someone else. I know a little scripting, but even scripts within compositing and 3D programs are limited in the same way GUI interaction is limited. It all operates in a world built by other people. Similar to me playing in a sandbox. I may be able to build the coolest sand castle ever, but I'm limited to the walls of the sandbox and the sand that is in the sandbox.
John Maeda and his crew at MIT create sandboxes and the sand that goes in them. THEN they play.
It's the purest form of next-gen creativity.
Future Ted
If I could go anywhere in the world right now, I would go hang out with TED.
It's like Woodstock or Bonnaroo, but with smart people. I kid, I'm jealous of Bonnarooians. I would have gone to Bonnaroo a few years ago, but things didn't work out. Another time, another place...another stoned weekend. Ah...
But yes, TED. Badass brains getting together, talking, sharing and making things better. Lateral thinkers, cell biologists, graphic designers, urban planners, politicians, nanotechnologists, musicians, evolutionary biologists/psychologists, architects...goddamnit, people who make things happen.
I'd just love to be in the middle of such progressive thinking and energy.
It's like Woodstock or Bonnaroo, but with smart people. I kid, I'm jealous of Bonnarooians. I would have gone to Bonnaroo a few years ago, but things didn't work out. Another time, another place...another stoned weekend. Ah...
But yes, TED. Badass brains getting together, talking, sharing and making things better. Lateral thinkers, cell biologists, graphic designers, urban planners, politicians, nanotechnologists, musicians, evolutionary biologists/psychologists, architects...goddamnit, people who make things happen.
I'd just love to be in the middle of such progressive thinking and energy.
Mi Casa Picasa
Do you have more than one image file stored on your computer? If so, you must download this program.
It simplifies importing and organizes all your images and video files.
Plus, you get a 1 Gb online web album...free.
Google is unstoppable. It's rumored that next year Google will release a beta version of "Ghesus". Apparently it's going to be, like, 10 times better than the Jesus people have been using for the past 2,000 years.
It simplifies importing and organizes all your images and video files.
Plus, you get a 1 Gb online web album...free.
Google is unstoppable. It's rumored that next year Google will release a beta version of "Ghesus". Apparently it's going to be, like, 10 times better than the Jesus people have been using for the past 2,000 years.
3/6/07
3/5/07
3/4/07
Submission
I started messing around this morning. I used Zamzar to download and convert a youTube video. I took this clip into Windows Movie Maker (I'm going to reinstall my copy of After Effects for future videos), created a few simple slates (text on solid color background), cut it up a little and threw some music on top. Took the experiment to the next level by creating a youTube account and posting this to youTube. This is my best work ever. It's going on the demo reel.
Also, Matt Hughes is a badass.
Also, Matt Hughes is a badass.
3/2/07
Hexic is the New Flour
iVillage is teaming up with game giant EA to go after the growing "casual gamer" market.
This is very good news because the Casual Gamer is quickly becoming the Female Gamer. Why do I care? Because my wife is female. This means she could-possibly-soon-maybe become a...(emotional pause)
Gamer.
Actually, the future may already be here. Lately Christy and I have developed an interest in Hexic HD. With two children asleep upstairs, your party options are limited. Before children, we usually occupied this time by getting high and taste-testing things like raw flour straight from the bag.
Now's it's Hexic and gosh-darnit, it's just as much fun as raw flour. It's satisfying to watch The Office together and then, instead of flipping the channels to some garbage, getting into a TAG TEAM marathon round of Hexic. Helping/annoying each other by pointing out strategies, cheeky high-fives after some daft-cunning bomb demolition and a shared sense of accomplishment when we somehow summon the elusive black pearl. It's true, couples who play together, stay together.
Things aren't perfect yet. Right now, it's impossible to spend even 30 minutes alone with the XBOX 360 without guilt. I feel guilty because I know my wife would be fine if I came home tonight and told her I wanted to return the "white devil". She's not 100% sold on it and the time I spend with it.
I hate this feeling. I feel like I have a mistress. And I'm beginning to feel that my wife thinks of my 360 as exactly that, a homewreckin tramp. But I want peace between the two. Now that I've introduced them to one another, I want my wife to accept my mistress and rid herself of any animosity towards our relationship. I want to turn what appears to be an extramarital affair into a loving, mutual three-way. I want Christy to be comfortable with my mistress living in our house and spending time with our children.
Damn, that turned out to be a really poor choice for a metaphor, but I think I made my point.
This is very good news because the Casual Gamer is quickly becoming the Female Gamer. Why do I care? Because my wife is female. This means she could-possibly-soon-maybe become a...(emotional pause)
Gamer.
Actually, the future may already be here. Lately Christy and I have developed an interest in Hexic HD. With two children asleep upstairs, your party options are limited. Before children, we usually occupied this time by getting high and taste-testing things like raw flour straight from the bag.
Now's it's Hexic and gosh-darnit, it's just as much fun as raw flour. It's satisfying to watch The Office together and then, instead of flipping the channels to some garbage, getting into a TAG TEAM marathon round of Hexic. Helping/annoying each other by pointing out strategies, cheeky high-fives after some daft-cunning bomb demolition and a shared sense of accomplishment when we somehow summon the elusive black pearl. It's true, couples who play together, stay together.
Things aren't perfect yet. Right now, it's impossible to spend even 30 minutes alone with the XBOX 360 without guilt. I feel guilty because I know my wife would be fine if I came home tonight and told her I wanted to return the "white devil". She's not 100% sold on it and the time I spend with it.
I hate this feeling. I feel like I have a mistress. And I'm beginning to feel that my wife thinks of my 360 as exactly that, a homewreckin tramp. But I want peace between the two. Now that I've introduced them to one another, I want my wife to accept my mistress and rid herself of any animosity towards our relationship. I want to turn what appears to be an extramarital affair into a loving, mutual three-way. I want Christy to be comfortable with my mistress living in our house and spending time with our children.
Damn, that turned out to be a really poor choice for a metaphor, but I think I made my point.
Bush's Nuclear Va-Jay-Jay
I hope this is the beginning. I give them tons of credit just for trying this. At least they have an interest in correcting a disturbing trend of lowest common denominator facilitating. The majority of this country wants lots of things, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. Just because your kid wants candy doesn't mean you should give them the candy.
Let the tabloids follow Britney, Bennifer and whoever. I'll admit, there are times (becoming quite rare though) that I have an interest in rolling around in the mud with such things, but I don't want it mixed in with my daily news.
"Bush Kicks The Environment in the Balls"
"North Korea in Talks to 'Un-Nuke' Themselves"
"Britney Shows Va-Jay-Jay Then Shaves Head"
ugh.
Let the tabloids follow Britney, Bennifer and whoever. I'll admit, there are times (becoming quite rare though) that I have an interest in rolling around in the mud with such things, but I don't want it mixed in with my daily news.
"Bush Kicks The Environment in the Balls"
"North Korea in Talks to 'Un-Nuke' Themselves"
"Britney Shows Va-Jay-Jay Then Shaves Head"
ugh.
The Departed Screenplay
Warner Bros. released the screenplay for The Departed.
I just paged through it. I prefer the "screenplay rat" over the "final-cut rat".
I want to see this movie again. I've read it is even better the second time around. This is surprising because I enjoyed the tension in the first and second acts. I didn't know anything about Internal Affairs, the Hong Kong film on which The Departed was based, so I was on edge at each turn. Most mainstream films are ridiculously predictable. Even though this had the exterior of a typical double-cross-undercover-cop movie, it was clear from the first 10 minutes it was doing its own thing.
Good film. Rat included.
I just paged through it. I prefer the "screenplay rat" over the "final-cut rat".
I want to see this movie again. I've read it is even better the second time around. This is surprising because I enjoyed the tension in the first and second acts. I didn't know anything about Internal Affairs, the Hong Kong film on which The Departed was based, so I was on edge at each turn. Most mainstream films are ridiculously predictable. Even though this had the exterior of a typical double-cross-undercover-cop movie, it was clear from the first 10 minutes it was doing its own thing.
Good film. Rat included.
3/1/07
RAd Reebok Tron Shoes
These came up on Digg. Perfect for a sunday light cycle ride or just casually tossing a glowing disc-frisbee in the park.
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