I love taking macro photography, because I can capture detail that is too detailed for the human eye to see clearly- and there is SO much detail in every aspect of the world beyond our level of perception.
Last weekend, I visited a local historical landmark that I knew little about, but ended up learning a great deal about it during my visit.
For my photo booth business, Fantasy Photos, I have been hired again this year to provide entertainment for "Founder's Day" in Vineland, NJ. This year, the event will be held at The Palace of Depression, so I was invited to take a tour of the site and take photos to use as backdrops for my photo booth. I ended up taking a lot of pictures and I've uploaded them into this album:
This unique site was originally built by George Daynor, an Alaskan gold miner who lost his fortune in the Wall St. Crash of 1929. After traveling across the country, Daynor ended up in Vineland, NJ with only $4. He used the last of his money to buy a plot of land without even seeing the property. It turned out to be a junkyard in the middle of a swamp, much to his dismay.
Defeated and broke, Daynor climbed into an old truck body and fell asleep. That night he had a dream in which angels appeared to him and instructed him to build a "Fantastic Castle," which was the original name of the site. He worked day in & day out for years, gradually draining the swamp, dragging out the trash, and building the eclectic structure made of random masonry and junk. Eventually, he turned it into a tourist attraction and gained nationwide fame. It even appeared in a short reel before movies, in which the narrator referred to it as "The Depression Palace". Daynor began to use this name instead, probably due to the level of publicity associated with it.
Unfortunately, Dayor perpetrated a hoax in which he claimed he had information on a couple that was being sought out by the FBI for kidnapping. After the hoax was revealed, George Daynor spent about a year in prison, during which the property was ransacked and fell into a dilapidated state. When he got out, he was too old and mentally feeble to restore the "Palace". The good thing that came out of this situation is the numerous photographs and aerial surveys that the FBI recorded as part of their investigation. These would prove invaluable to the later reconstruction efforts.
After the death of George Daynor in 1964, the site eventually fell into total disuse, and was torn down by the city of Vineland in 1969. The man who I met with on Saturday, and received a personal tour from, is Kevin J. Kirchner. He is the President of The Palace of Depression Restoration Association, and is responsible for rebuilding this local landmark to it's former glory. Kevin told me about visiting the original site as a child and being frightened by the larger-than-life George Daynor.
This has become a personal mission for him, and I was truly impressed and amazed at the effort he and other volunteers have put into restoring the structure and the grounds. They had nothing to go on except photos and excavations to uncover the original foundations of the building. It really is a fascinating place with an extraordinary story.
There are so many cool details that one can only appreciate by visiting the place and seeing in person with a guided tour.
The album I uploaded has a lot of photos that I took of the many interesting features of the site:
One aspect of the animal kingdom that I've discussed many times on this blog is the idea that animals who share our sensory organs & inputs would likely experience reality in basically the same way that we humans do.
Our use of language & existence of an inner dialogue obviously sets us apart, but when it comes to experiencing the world, I don't think there is much difference between us and other creatures, especially other mammals & primates.
I think this video of a chimpanzee scrolling through social media on a smartphone, looking at and closing photos, shows just how alike we really are...
After my recent solo show at the Grand Theatre gallery, Paul Micarelli "Mindscapes" I was referred to another gallery in Millville that is ran by artist Tania Pomales:
The theme of the show is "The Resurrection" and Tania accepted a couple pieces of my digital artwork in to the show, which will be up for two months. To see more of my graphic design & fine art, visit my website: www.PaulMicarelliDesign.com
Here is the photo gallery from the show's opening reception:
As I've talked about on this blog many times over the years, Star Wars is by far my favorite movie series and is a story that I have enjoyed since I was a kid.
It's amazing that this legendary work of fiction has endured over the years and evolved while still staying (mostly) coherent. Although I have many criticisms of the details in the movies, and most recently explained my problems with Episode 8: The Last Jedi, it remains an epic fictional world that has enthralled millions of people. Star Wars has sparked the imaginations of countless children and adults, and has been a continual influence on pop culture.
Being the final episode in the trilogy of trilogies, with a vast fictional landscape full of memorable characters, the burden to wrap up this series in a satisfying way is an immense one. Especially after the divided reactions and fan criticisms of The Last Jedi, the pressure to end the Skywalker saga effectively is the tallest order in movie history.
The immediate speculation after the teaser trailer was released included questions about the title. Who is the "Skywalker" that is being referred to? Is is Luke (whose voice is heard in the trailer) coming back as a Force ghost? Will a redeemed (or divided) apparition of Anakin be making an appearance? Is Rey going to be revealed as a Skywalker, or adopted by Leia?
I'd like to think that the term possibly refers to a new lineage of Force users who take on the legendary name of the Skywalker family. Maybe this new breed of Force sensitive individuals finds the balance that eluded previous orders & groups. The 3rd movie of the first two series ended with "Jedi" and "Sith", so maybe this new title resolves the conflict between the two ideologies.
When George Lucas created this world, he used the term "Skywalker" intentionally because of it's connotations in the shamanic tradition. The skywalker is the shaman who bridges the physical world & the spirit world, sometimes flying through the sky to retrieve the souls of those who are sick or possessed.
The heroine Rey seems to be the one who is carrying on Luke's final teachings about finding balance in the Force and resolving the dichotomy of the Light and Dark. Although I think there's been a lot in the sequels that have been executed very badly, I also think there's a lot that has been really profound.
In one of the trailers for the previous movies, and in the beginnings of Luke's lessons to Rey, he gets into the same fundamentals as real life- "Breathe, just.... breathe..." The breath is the focus of all meditative traditions, and the trailers for the sequels have opened with the focus on the characters' breath.
In this one, we hear Rey's heavy breathing as it's revealed she's standing in the desert as a T.I.E., presumably being piloted by Kylo Ren, approaches.
As it is about to overtake her, she flips with lightsaber ignited before the scene is cut. Is it a real encounter or is it a dream or vision of some sort?
There is a lot of speculation that Rey & Ben Solo (aka Kylo Ren) will finally join together to create the new order of Skywalker. However, by the way that the Supreme Leader is smashing people with his lightsaber surrounded by stormtroopers, it is far from apparent from the teaser.
His helmet is being repaired and held together by hairy hands (Ughnauts?) with a material that is glowing a Sith red. I have seen people symbolizing this as trying to put the narrative pieces back together after the deconstruction & "subverted expectations" of Episode 8.
Appearances by Leia and Lando bridge the history of the saga to the new era, and the non-human characters Chewbacca and C-3PO are seen right in the midst of the new band of heroes, Rey, Poe Dameron, Finn, as they look out onto a rough sea. In this body of water is revealed the ruins of one of the Death Stars.
As the screen fades to black, we hear the unmistakable cackle of the greatest villain in cinema history- Emperor Palpatine, the Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious. This is the detail that threw everyone on the Internet though a loop. Although referencing Palpatine bridges the previous trilogies, how exactly is his character going to be utilized? One theory I saw that I like is that his spirit is bound to the 2nd Death Star where he was killed. When the heroes go to its ruins for some yet unrevealed purpose, the apparition of The Emperor haunts or antagonizes them in a way that is almost a horror movie. I think that would be a cool thematic feel that is different than anything that has been in Star Wars, but it might scare the crap out of little kids. Another possibility is that Palpatine appears through a Sith holocron or a recording.
However they use him, I think the more they can connect the overarching story of the 9 movies, the better. Thankfully, this sounds like what they are trying to do.
The one character who cannot be overlooked is Anakin Skywalker. They have to bring Anakin into this movie somehow. We already know that he is a Force ghost, so why he hasn't been incorporated somehow already into the last 2 movies is a mystery. We only get his grandson pleading for him to appear again in "The Force Awakens", but we have no way of knowing if it was really Anakin who he was communing with.
The saga was really about Anakin's redemption, and I think this and the prophecy surrounding him has to be resolved in this series. I think the perfect way to do it would be to make the new teaching of The Force be carried on by those who honor the "Skywalker" name. This way, Anakin's story is still relevant, while leaving open the possibility of future tales and evolution of the Star Wars universe.
My fantasy ending would be a cut to R2-D2 and C-3PO telling & showing the Skywalker story to future generations of Force users, or something showing that the whole saga was taken from the Journal of the Whills.
We will just have to wait & see if Disney and the team making this movie live up to the impossibly high expectations that are awaiting the conclusion of this 40+ years-in-the-making storyline. It is one I have waited all my life to see play out, and it is awesome to witness it happening.
I've posted before about one of my favorite fictional characters, The Silver Surfer.
I came across these awesome illustrations of the wielder of the Power Cosmic by artist John Gallagher. This image really gives a sense of this power that gives him the ability to travel throughout the Universe at faster-than-light speeds.
These images are from his DeviantArt page. I'm telling you, look through his whole gallery- it is absolutely amazing:
I put together a collection of digital art, traditional media, sculpture, photography, and made a version of the board game I created, "Da Vinci's Challenge," just for the show.
The reception was great and I was humbled to be able to experience it. My family and friends came out to see my work, support me, and enjoy food & drinks.
It was awesome to seem my name in lights on the theater marquee, and it was very fulfilling to have both my parents be able to share it with me, as well as my siblings and other people I care about.
My wife Loretta is my biggest supporter, and I've some of the wonderful people who were there I've met through her. She has brought so much into my life, and I feel like we push each other to new heights all the time. Every day I meditate and give thanks for her and all the blessings in my life, as well as the strength & wisdom to overcome the challenges that inevitably arise.
This video shows a chimpanzee popping balloons in virtual reality. It's obvious that a primate, with sensory organs and a nervous system so similar to ours, could become immersed in VR as easily as humans.
Virtual reality devices are basically just ways to trick our brain using visual & audio stimuli. As long as a living creature has similar senses, there's no reason why it wouldn't affect them, too.
Although my profession is a graphic artist, through Paul Micarelli Design, I also create fine art that I have frequently shared on this blog.
The exhibit features prints of my digital artwork, fractal designs, photography, mixed media sculpture, traditional fine art, and a custom-made Da Vinci's Challenge board game that I created.
If you live in the area, I would be happy to see you at the reception. Below are some examples of the art that will be in the show:
• ...and now, the folding touchscreen device is coming to the market (Galaxy Fold, Huawei Mate X)
Here is the description that accompanied my product design:
_____________________________
Omega Interactive Display
"Interactive: Omega Interactive Display is a flatscreen,
touch-sensitive LCD monitor that allows you to write, choose items,
draw, and navigate directly using the Omega stylus. Input devices such
as the mouse and drawing tablets are unnecessary with our easy to use
interface.
Compact: Our 17" display is 95% viewing area, with almost
no surrounding casing to take up space. You get a combination of sight
and sound in one compact unit with the stereo speakers embedded behind
the screen. The display also folds in half for easy transportation or
storage.
Wireless: Since the Interactive Display is powered by our
wireless electricity transmission and also has a wireless data
connection to the Omega Computer unit, there are no cords or batteries
to deal with. This means you can use it anywhere- on the sofa, in the
kitchen, or outside! If you want to stay in the office, you can attach
it back to its stand for a space-saving work area.
Multi-media: Our Interactive Display contains high-quality
6"x9" flat stereo speakers to complete the Omega multimedia experience.
Watch video, enjoy lifelike gaming, or hear crystal clear music while
computing without the burden of seperate speaker hookups!"
_____________________________
There are many technologies that I envisioned for this project that are only now being released or still under development. I'm still kind of surprised at how inventive "past me" was!
The next leap was 10 years ago, when I came up with a concept for an Apple branded brain-computer implant, which is nowhere near being available as a commercial product:
As another birthday approaches in my life's timeline, I am in ever-increasing awe of the miracle of both my existence and that of the Universe as a whole.
The older I get, and the more I learn... the less sense anything makes! As my mind opens up to the infinite nature of reality, the explanations of the world's phenomena pale in comparison to the mysteries whose surface they barely scratch.
In traveling up and down the World Tree through all levels of existence, there are wonders at every scale of dimensionality. Contemplating the processes going on at the microscopic and quantum levels really cause my mind to short-circuit.
Visualizations through computer-generated graphics have allowed us to access secrets of the Universe in ways that were previously unimaginable. Especially in the realm of molecular biology, we are now able to model details of our own anatomy on the tiniest scales that give us deeper insights into the amazing circumstances that form our being.
This video by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research give us a mind-expanding glimpse into the continuous activity of DNA that is going on in every one of us, trillions of times throughout all our cells, at every moment. It's completely crazy, and the complexity of it all is incomprehensible in its totality.
Here is another high-definition animation by the institute, with more footage, but no narration. All I can say is WTF! How can you watch this and not have your jaw drop in astonishment?
As a side note, I totally believe that the accounts of crystalline, scintillating light serpents by shamans in trance states are their experiences with their consciousness being transferred down to the level of DNA. They are interfacing with their own genetic code on a molecular and perhaps sub-atomic level.
As a graphic designer and Photoshop expert, I am very skeptical of any kind of imagery that I see from outside sources. I know how easily and convincingly photos can be altered.
Advancements in technology are making the ability to discern what's real vs. what's not extremely difficult, if not impossible, to the casual observer.
This website (with a succinctly descriptive name) generates composites of human faces that look authentic, but are completely fabricated from databases of existing people's facial features.
This is the type of tool that could be used for any type of purpose, positive or negative. However, regardless of whether these types of AI-generated images are used, they will undoubtedly affect the social & cultural landscape in a major way.
People will begin to trust their eyes even less than they already do, especially when it comes to digital images that people are viewing online.
Here is a technical explanation of the A.I. systems used to generate these kind of images:
The crazy thing is that this is only the beginning of the field of computer-generated imagery of this type. The results of future advancements will be the source of deceptive creations like the "Deep Fake Videos" shown below, which could lead to all types of disruptive or fraudulent creations:
