These powerful images speak volumes about the true spirit of Christmas...
Finally, the greatest Christmas image ever - Santa Claus taking hold of the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The World's Best Christmas Images
I have scoured the Intertubes far & wide for the most profound Christmas imagery ever known to man.
These powerful images speak volumes about the true spirit of Christmas...
Finally, the greatest Christmas image ever - Santa Claus taking hold of the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet:
These powerful images speak volumes about the true spirit of Christmas...
Finally, the greatest Christmas image ever - Santa Claus taking hold of the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet:
Classic Christmas Clips
Here are some of my favorite video Christmas moments that I remember from my childhood.
First, the legendary Pee-Wee Herman. When we were kids, me & my siblings found him endlessly amusing. We still bring up bits from his insanely funny movie & completely ridiculous TV show. This is the opening to his Christmas Special:
Another holiday special my family loved was The California Raisins claymation special. One of the best parts was the funky camels singing "We Three Kings":
Finally, this was a great SNL clip showing a 'lost' ending to It's a Wonderful Life. I only saw this movie for the first time a couple weeks ago, but I thought this was funny anyway when I saw it on SNL:
First, the legendary Pee-Wee Herman. When we were kids, me & my siblings found him endlessly amusing. We still bring up bits from his insanely funny movie & completely ridiculous TV show. This is the opening to his Christmas Special:
Another holiday special my family loved was The California Raisins claymation special. One of the best parts was the funky camels singing "We Three Kings":
Finally, this was a great SNL clip showing a 'lost' ending to It's a Wonderful Life. I only saw this movie for the first time a couple weeks ago, but I thought this was funny anyway when I saw it on SNL:
Monday, December 22, 2008
Patent for Magnetohydrodynamic (UFO) Propulsion
I saw a story on Posthuman Blues that a patent is being reviewed - for what is basically flying saucer propulsion!
The inventor is Subrata Roy, an associate engineering professor specializing in Computational Plasma Dynamics. Here is his faculty page with links to news stories about his research.
The limit of the human mind's creative potential is limitless. All that is needed is a collection of brilliant minds like Subrata Roy's to manipulate ideas into reality. Having completed a few semesters of mech. engineering & also being a US patent holder (for a much less technical invention!), I definitely appreciate the overwhelming amount of time and research that goes into mind-boggling work like this-
The idea of UFO's & alien life have always interested me ever since I was a kid.
I've posted before about theories of how 'alien' propulsion actually worked. Of course, it's a mystery to the masses whether flying saucers are actually from other planets, or if they are even from this time-space continuum.
There is most likely "Life" throughout the universe, but the totality of life that has spanned time & space is probably incomprehensible.
The fact that such seemingly 'magic' technology is being realized in front of our eyes is truly amazing.
The inventor is Subrata Roy, an associate engineering professor specializing in Computational Plasma Dynamics. Here is his faculty page with links to news stories about his research.
The limit of the human mind's creative potential is limitless. All that is needed is a collection of brilliant minds like Subrata Roy's to manipulate ideas into reality. Having completed a few semesters of mech. engineering & also being a US patent holder (for a much less technical invention!), I definitely appreciate the overwhelming amount of time and research that goes into mind-boggling work like this-
Scientific American:
"The World's First Flying Saucer:
Made Right Here on Earth"
"The World's First Flying Saucer:
Made Right Here on Earth"
The idea of UFO's & alien life have always interested me ever since I was a kid.
I've posted before about theories of how 'alien' propulsion actually worked. Of course, it's a mystery to the masses whether flying saucers are actually from other planets, or if they are even from this time-space continuum.
There is most likely "Life" throughout the universe, but the totality of life that has spanned time & space is probably incomprehensible.
The fact that such seemingly 'magic' technology is being realized in front of our eyes is truly amazing.
Could this be Human spacecraft in the future?...
Observing History
I caught a bit of Keith Olbermann replaying the crowd's reaction at Obama's election victory for his "Best Person 2008". It's a fresh reminder how horrible Bush's reign of terror has been & how powerful American society can be when it's inspired to positive action...
The election was only about a month ago, but it's already history.
Just like this post.
The election was only about a month ago, but it's already history.
Just like this post.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Humanzees vs. Robosapiens
My family was sitting around after Sunday dinner at my parents' house watching TV. We got sucked into 2 shows on the Discovery HD channel.
The programs they showed back to back were equally fascinating & disturbing in what they revealed about the nature of the collection of water, cells, & microorganisms known as the human being.
The first program was about the unique chimp that was named Oliver the 'Humanzee'. Unlike every other chimp, Oliver walked upright naturally & related to humans more closely than other primates. Strangely, the novel creature was first brought to Blackwood, NJ which is where my Dad grew up, less than a 1/2 hour from where I live now. This evolutionary anomaly illustrates the hiccups of nature that could produce major physiological differences in one lifetime.
Right after that intriguing look into the effects of biological processes on how life functions, Discover aired "Rise of the Cyborgs". This show focused on the tech that is driving cybernetic body augmentation. This is an even more drastic source of immediate change, as far as the human experience is concerned.
With such enhancements as robotic arms, bionic vision, and neural-computer interfacing advancing quickly, the future is looking much more complex than the mysteries of a bipedal chimp.
Beyond the physical connections involved, scientists are also taking the initial steps to interpreting the internal experiences that result from a person's brain activity.
Just the logistics of creating programs that can directly interface with the human mind will probably make many theories of organizing information obsolete.
The programs they showed back to back were equally fascinating & disturbing in what they revealed about the nature of the collection of water, cells, & microorganisms known as the human being.
The first program was about the unique chimp that was named Oliver the 'Humanzee'. Unlike every other chimp, Oliver walked upright naturally & related to humans more closely than other primates. Strangely, the novel creature was first brought to Blackwood, NJ which is where my Dad grew up, less than a 1/2 hour from where I live now. This evolutionary anomaly illustrates the hiccups of nature that could produce major physiological differences in one lifetime.
Right after that intriguing look into the effects of biological processes on how life functions, Discover aired "Rise of the Cyborgs". This show focused on the tech that is driving cybernetic body augmentation. This is an even more drastic source of immediate change, as far as the human experience is concerned.
With such enhancements as robotic arms, bionic vision, and neural-computer interfacing advancing quickly, the future is looking much more complex than the mysteries of a bipedal chimp.
Beyond the physical connections involved, scientists are also taking the initial steps to interpreting the internal experiences that result from a person's brain activity.
Just the logistics of creating programs that can directly interface with the human mind will probably make many theories of organizing information obsolete.
Reinventing Humanity
The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence
The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence
Sunbeam Poem Projector
Saw this on ffffound! then looked around for some more info.
An engaging statement on the transient nature of both art and life...
An engaging statement on the transient nature of both art and life...
Click here to see time-lapse video.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Funny Tee Designs by Glenn Jones
I saw a few humorous Star Wars Tees linked on Geekologie.com.
More fun designs by the artist Glenn Jones can be found here:
More fun designs by the artist Glenn Jones can be found here:
Monday, December 15, 2008
Dodging Shoes: Bush's Only Skill
After a week of not posting anything due to procrastination & a weekend of crappiness due to a cold/fever, leave it to Dubya to give me something worth commenting on.
A reporter threw his shoes at George W. during a press conference in Iraq & called him a "dog".
Unable to admit how bad both he & everything that he represents completely sucks, Dubya afterward exclaimed that such actions were proof of the freedom of Democracy™!
In my opinion this was an understated gesture, if anything. It's really surprising this sort of thing doesn't happen constantly! I also can't believe Bush's brain reacted quick enough to dodge the incoming footwear. The guy is a horrible speaker & leader, but he'd make a champion dodgeball player.
A reporter threw his shoes at George W. during a press conference in Iraq & called him a "dog".
Unable to admit how bad both he & everything that he represents completely sucks, Dubya afterward exclaimed that such actions were proof of the freedom of Democracy™!
In my opinion this was an understated gesture, if anything. It's really surprising this sort of thing doesn't happen constantly! I also can't believe Bush's brain reacted quick enough to dodge the incoming footwear. The guy is a horrible speaker & leader, but he'd make a champion dodgeball player.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Solar Distiller Design
There is alot of hope for the incoming Obama administration's potential to kick off a new age in American productivity.
This must be done through domestic investment in all forms of education, but also research & development for new tech other than new ways to create a bomb.
One of the exciting things about living in The Age of Novelty is the potential to effectively solve pervasive problems in an innovative way.
For instance, one of humanity's biggest problems is the lack of fresh water.
Methods of obtaining freshwater through methods like desalination have been around for centuries, but people are still finding ways to improve the process.
On a simpler scale, the process of evaporation can be used to collect water in a Condensation Trap. Here's a video of how to make one using household items.
On YankoDesign.com I saw some graphics made by Seol-Hee Sohn, Seung-Hyun Yoon & Cheol-Yeon Cho . There doesn't seem to be a website associated with the designers, but they convey the idea clearly & simply. The "Engrish" is barely noticeable & is forgiveable considering how nice the images are:
This must be done through domestic investment in all forms of education, but also research & development for new tech other than new ways to create a bomb.
One of the exciting things about living in The Age of Novelty is the potential to effectively solve pervasive problems in an innovative way.
For instance, one of humanity's biggest problems is the lack of fresh water.
Methods of obtaining freshwater through methods like desalination have been around for centuries, but people are still finding ways to improve the process.
On a simpler scale, the process of evaporation can be used to collect water in a Condensation Trap. Here's a video of how to make one using household items.
On YankoDesign.com I saw some graphics made by Seol-Hee Sohn, Seung-Hyun Yoon & Cheol-Yeon Cho . There doesn't seem to be a website associated with the designers, but they convey the idea clearly & simply. The "Engrish" is barely noticeable & is forgiveable considering how nice the images are:
"What must you need to be rescued on
the bosom of the ocean?"
the bosom of the ocean?"
Monkey Art by Mark Bryan
I'm not sure where I first saw Mark Bryan's art but I thought it was pretty cool.
In the midst of the hopelessly desperate period in the middle of the Bush administration's second term, I posted about his political art. He really captured the depravity and irrationality that has seemed to lead the last 8 years.
However, I clicked on the bookmark I have for his site & was amused to see some monkey art that I haven't seen.
The idea of flying monkeys carrying helpless clowns around a mid-ocean citadel is a truly profound concept.
I also thought that this painting "Last of the Merlot" was crazy & funny.
In the midst of the hopelessly desperate period in the middle of the Bush administration's second term, I posted about his political art. He really captured the depravity and irrationality that has seemed to lead the last 8 years.
However, I clicked on the bookmark I have for his site & was amused to see some monkey art that I haven't seen.
The idea of flying monkeys carrying helpless clowns around a mid-ocean citadel is a truly profound concept.
I also thought that this painting "Last of the Merlot" was crazy & funny.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
360º Cities
Immersive technology is one way that computers are drastically changing the things humans are able to experience.
3D effects & 360º panoramic imaging are only the primitive foundations of digital immersion.
Neatorama had a link to this website of hi-res 360º images of places around the world. It is really awesome.
To be able to choose a place like the Pantheon in Rome or the Karnak Temple in Egypt and look around wherever you want is great. It really gives a greater appreciation of such inspiring places.
Once everyone has an iThink connected to their brain (ha ha), the possibilities for "virtual reality" will be endless. I predict a person will be able to stand in an ancient ruin & have 3D information uploaded directly to their visual cortex. Information from the interplanetary database of the future will create the effect of directly observing any time period with data to simulate that place. You would be able to control the simulated environment being projected into your vision just by thinking about it. It will be the ultimate way to experience the cultures of the past.
...but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Here are some views of the The Temple of Amun at Karnak.
It's hard to look at this place & not imagine the once-roofed halls as they were when this place was new & painted. It was an enclosed building containing awe-inspiring spaces like the gigantic Hypostyle Hall:
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Digital Conversion for Seniors
I saw this relatively ancient (& totally hysterical) video on Gizmondo. It is a tutorial for seniors who have never used a computer, nor a search engine.
Watching this gives me flashbacks of The Dark Ages before the Internet became the information & media tool it is today.
"Youtube: Surfing for Seniors"
My old pal Dan the Man forwarded me an audio clip today that was along the same lines. It's a humorous look at the dilemma for older people facing the coming digital media conversion. I found the video online & the visuals make it even funnier:
Watching this gives me flashbacks of The Dark Ages before the Internet became the information & media tool it is today.
"Youtube: Surfing for Seniors"
My old pal Dan the Man forwarded me an audio clip today that was along the same lines. It's a humorous look at the dilemma for older people facing the coming digital media conversion. I found the video online & the visuals make it even funnier:
Optima Prime
Typography is an area of design that all good designers need to be skilled in to some extent. However, some designers choose to specifically focus on creating new fonts & working with type.
I saw this neat use of letters & numbers to make up the face of Optimus Prime, the leader of the Transformers I used to watch as a kid in the 80's.
The actual typeface used to created the image is called Optima, adding some special design dorkiness into the mix.
I saw this neat use of letters & numbers to make up the face of Optimus Prime, the leader of the Transformers I used to watch as a kid in the 80's.
The actual typeface used to created the image is called Optima, adding some special design dorkiness into the mix.
