breakfast: "
Breakfast | Another fascinating photography project by Jon Huck.
(Via swissmiss.)
[Edvard Munch's Scream (1893), National Gallery, Oslo]
Have you felt so affected by a musical performance that you uncontrollably started to punch a person sitting next to you (Vanilla Ice concerts that you may have been forced to attend with your neice doesn't count). Here's a fascinating story about how primal we can be about sound.RadioLab brings a gripping segment about how a concert hall full of people just went crazy over a new Stravinsky performance that perhaps the brains in 1913 couldn't process. You gotta listen to believe.
Click on the link below and fast forward to 7:39 (the segment before this is very interesting, too: how cultures around the world use the same melodic intonations when they say their versions of "goochie-goochie-goo" to their babies)
[from WNYC's website:] Science reporter Jonah Lehrer takes us on a tour through the ear as we try to understand how the brain makes sense of soundwaves and what happens when it can't. Which brings us to one particularly riotous example: the 1913 debut performance of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." Jonah suggests that the brain's attempt to tackle disonant sounds resulted in old ladies tackling each other. Disney might even show up for the brawl.
» Time Magazine profile on Stravinsky, by Philip Glass
» More on the "Rite of Spring" riot
» Articles by Jonah Lehrer for Seed Magazine
Listen to the entire show, it's one of my favorite shows out there.
We shot this commercial in June but finally, it's on air. The gorgeous winter wonderland of New Zealand, standing in for America was beautifully shot by Phil Brown. Also kudos for Fred Raimondi and Ron Herbst for their visual magic. Click on the movie after the still below.
more photos of New Zealand by Phil Brown
[ with Jason Savage, Creative Director: Bertrand Garbassi, Producer: Brantley Aufill, Agency: Publicis, Director: Phil Brown, Visual Effects: Digital Domain, Music: Anathallo ]
more photos of New Zealand by Phil Brown
A great photographer that seem to be channeling William Eggleston's intuition. Check out all of his wonderful photographs here.The control mechanism of this futuristic car sounds a lot like that of the Segway. It's interesting how they were thinking way ahead of their time back then. Too bad their innovative thinking didn't come to fruition.
On another note, the graphic design for their brochure is fantastic.
[from Paleo Future:]
GM Car of the Future (1962): "
The advertisement below ran in the Official Souvenir Program for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The ad proclaims that General Motors is, 'setting a course for the future' by showcasing the 'fully functional Firebird III space-age car.' The full text of the ad is transcribed below.
Mobility - the easiest, fastest, surest kind possible - turns your world of tomorrow into an accessible and amicable place. The fret is removed from traffic and it is fun, not frustrating, to take short jaunts on vehicles which float along on a pad of air or to Sunday-drive down automatic highways.
The General Motors Corporation exhibit in the Coliseum presents a preview of the fascinating changes coming in the automobile industry. You see now the full-size, experimental Firebird III. This pace-setter for the car of the future, proven in road tests, is thrust with a turbine engine. Its simple control stick accelerates, brakes and turns. Push the control forward and the Firebird III moves ahead; swing it left or right and the wheels turn; pull back and it brakes. The electronic guide system can rush it over an automatic highway while the driver relaxes.
Although the Firebird II stands as the center attraction in the exhibit, you see other displays of the future. There is a model of the automatic highway, prototype of a stretch of experimental roadway which was built in New Jersey to demonstrate how electronics can steer cars and even stop them. This quarter-mile stretch of road has been received enthusiastically by officials, who predict that electronic mechanisms in the future can eliminate routine driving chores and make long distance highway travel safer and easier.
The General Motors exhibit includes solar energy demonstrations and you may test your skill with sun-powered guns which activate parts of the display. Yet another exhibit reveals the principles of ground effect machinery, where objects are moved along a flat surface on a cushion of air. In the next century, more people will be going more places in fascinating new vehicles . . . and they'll go safely.
See also:
Magic Highway, U.S.A. (1958)
Seattle World's Fair Official Souvenir Program (1962)
Century 21: Space Needle Designs (1962)
The Future World of Transportation"
(Via Paleo-Future.)
MadMen is my favorite show at the moment. Most obviously, it's about advertising and seeing the golden age of Madison Avenue is a real treat. But the real grab is the sharp writing and noir-like plot twists. Hard boiled protagonist Donald Draper exudes the "strong silent type" character and the way everyone else revolves around him is fascinating to watch. Not to mention the shocking amount of smoking, drinking, infidelity, racism and sexism depicted. Too bad it's not coming back til next summer.
[Note: This isn't really a blog entry but more a forum for those running with me at nikeplus,com]
Welcome to the 60 miles/month September Challenge! As mentioned in the invite, this challenge is for those who run about 1-3 miles a day or 5-12 miles a week.
Feel free to comment or introduce yourselves in the "post a comment" field below, and be sure to check back to see what other runners are saying, too.
Happy running!
Our run, LIVE!!
Our running mascot "Domokun" Chocolate Marshmallow?
Heard on KCRW's wonderful all about food show Good Food (if you haven't done so already, you have to listen to the podcast):
"Most Americans are familiar only with Punjabi cuisine from the north of India. Culinary historian and Bengali food expert Chitrita Banerji, who has traveled throughout India, introduces us to that country's many other regional cuisines in Eating India. Chitrita says that many different cultures have impacted Indian cuisine. The Muslims introduced more meats and various ways of preparing it.
"Most Americans are familiar only with Punjabi cuisine from the north of India. Culinary historian and Bengali food expert Chitrita Banerji, who has traveled throughout India, introduces us to that country's many other regional cuisines in Eating India. Chitrita says that many different cultures have impacted Indian cuisine. The Muslims introduced more meats and various ways of preparing it.
The Portuguese made the greatest impact in the 15th century because they brought the chili pepper. Before their arrival, all the heat in Indian cuisine derived from ginger and black pepper."
Fascinating. Her book Eating India: An Odyssey into the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices is definitely going on my wishlist.
Flew to Cincinnati yesterday. Took forever from the gate to the runway at LaGuardia. Perhaps this is the way to alleviate the congestion?
taking off. : "
I would love this as a huge giant print over my bed.
(Via swissmiss.)
Deep Lake Water Cooling System: "
Surely this can be applied here in Chicago, right?
Enwave and the City of Toronto have created an innovative cooling system that brings an alternative to conventional air conditioning to cool Toronto's downtown core — one that is clean, price competitive and energy efficient. A permanent layer of icy-cold (4°C) water 83 meters below the surface of Lake Ontario provides naturally cold water. This water is the renewable source of energy that Enwave's leading-edge technology uses to cool office towers, sports & entertainment complexes and proposed waterfront developments.The system has been in operation since 2004.
A similar form of air condition is being used in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At Purdy's Wharf, we read here, it ‘provides all the cooling for the building for 10 1/2 of the year. During the remaining six weeks, the buildings use conventional chillers, but the seawater is used to cool the condensers. The system was paid off in two years, and saves the complex more than $100,000 annually in electricity and maintenance costs.’
In the U.S., Cornell University is implementing its own deep lake water cooling system.
Wikipedia has an entry, of course.
(Via Pruned.)
Saw a gem of a film the other day Umoregi. A 2006 Japanese film directed by Kôhei Oguri who has all the grace of Yasujiro Ozu and comes recommended by the master of portraying the Japanese soul, Yoji Yamada. The film feels more like portraits of various lives in one small town but it does so with such fantastic imagery. They are nostalgic snapshots of places and lives yet it's a world that feels original in the way Hayao Miyazaki films create nostalgic worlds with a bit of magic.
Here are some more shots of the Queenstown area of New Zealand. Masterfully shot by Phil Brown, the director of our Vicks spot.
Few places live up to the hopeful names of a place - Los Angeles, Eden Falls, Bloomfield...
But Paradise, New Zealand is a place that doesn't feel like an exaggeration. The rolling hills, gentle forests, spectacular views of Dart River and the surrounding mountains were stunningly beautiful. It's hard to describe the thrill and it's best experienced with all your senses but here are some pictures I took on a trip this weekend:
The horseback ride itself was a joy, despite the fact that I haven't ridden in almost 30 years, thanks to the great guide Pear and his gentle horses. Check out Dart Stable's Ride of the Rings Tour. Not being a dedicated Lord of the Rings fan, his detailed explanations of each scenes shot in Paradise didn't quite register. But the stories of Peter Jackson's challenges of shooting a massive blockbuster were fascinating non the less.
But Paradise, New Zealand is a place that doesn't feel like an exaggeration. The rolling hills, gentle forests, spectacular views of Dart River and the surrounding mountains were stunningly beautiful. It's hard to describe the thrill and it's best experienced with all your senses but here are some pictures I took on a trip this weekend:
The horseback ride itself was a joy, despite the fact that I haven't ridden in almost 30 years, thanks to the great guide Pear and his gentle horses. Check out Dart Stable's Ride of the Rings Tour. Not being a dedicated Lord of the Rings fan, his detailed explanations of each scenes shot in Paradise didn't quite register. But the stories of Peter Jackson's challenges of shooting a massive blockbuster were fascinating non the less.
Technorati Tags:
Paradise, New Zealand, horseback riding, horse, forest, Lord of the Rings, LOTR, Peter Jackson, The Misty Mountains, Lothlórien, Amon Hen, Dart Stables, Methedras, Wizard's Vale, Isengard.
Interesting article from New York Times.
“Prada Marfa” (2005), by Elmgreen & Dragset, at the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Excerpt from article: "The team known as Elmgreen & Dragset approach the question of art value differently. They made a sculpture in the form of a fake and empty Prada outlet and installed it in the middle of a Texas desert. Looking spiffy but forlorn in photographs in the show, the piece prompts Zen-like queries: What’s a brand name’s worth if there are no shoppers? What’s art worth in the middle of nowhere, without an audience?
Actually, the Prada store wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, and it did have an audience. It was installed near Marfa, Tex., home of the Donald Judd Foundation, and a much-favored art-world mecca. Even so, it makes a shrewd point about the arbitrariness of value, which is one of the points of the Graduate Center show."
“Prada Marfa” (2005), by Elmgreen & Dragset, at the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Excerpt from article: "The team known as Elmgreen & Dragset approach the question of art value differently. They made a sculpture in the form of a fake and empty Prada outlet and installed it in the middle of a Texas desert. Looking spiffy but forlorn in photographs in the show, the piece prompts Zen-like queries: What’s a brand name’s worth if there are no shoppers? What’s art worth in the middle of nowhere, without an audience?
Actually, the Prada store wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, and it did have an audience. It was installed near Marfa, Tex., home of the Donald Judd Foundation, and a much-favored art-world mecca. Even so, it makes a shrewd point about the arbitrariness of value, which is one of the points of the Graduate Center show."
Technorati Tags:
art, prada, Donald Judd Foundation, Marfa, Elmgreen & Dragset, consumerism
Those smart little things.
Source: LiveScience
Image: Young Einstein / Flickr
Tags: Ant | Steps | Legs | Pedometer"
[from Spluch]When ants go marching, they count their steps: "
Here’s something you might not know. Ants actually count the number of steps they take to find their way home without getting sidetracked.
Scientists trained desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, to walk along a straight path from their nest entrance to a feeder 30 feet away. If the nest or feeder was moved, the ants would break from their straight path after reaching the anticipated spot and search for their goal.
Next, the researchers performed a little cosmetic surgery.
They glued stilt-like extensions to the legs of some ants to lengthen stride. The researchers shortened other ants' stride length by cutting off the critters' feet and lower legs, reducing their legs to stumps.
The ants on stilts took the right number of steps, but because of their increased stride length, marched past their goal. Stump-legged ants, meanwhile, fell short of the goal.
After getting used to their new legs, the ants were able to adjust their pedometer and zero in on home more precisely, suggesting that stride length serves as an ant pedometer.
Source: LiveScience
Image: Young Einstein / Flickr
Tags: Ant | Steps | Legs | Pedometer"
(Via Spluch.)
What a wonderful idea. 
The PlayPump water system works like so:
Not surprisingly trying to assess the design and application of the PlayPump system took us on an emotional roller coaster ride. One minute we were giddy with enthusiasm (‘Fucking brilliant!’), but the next minute, completely raving with skepticism (how long do the children have to twirl and twirl around to fill the tank; and is the water any safer?), only to return back to unbridled enthusiasm (well, it's not as if the goal is to provide communities with daily showers, car washes, and indoor toilet flushes; and surely groundwater is reliably safer than the surface water sources to which the PlayPump offers an alternative).
Back and forth.
Convinced how cool the whole thing is, we soon found yet more reasons to doubt the viability of this earnest endeavor: aren't there better options, such as these? Well, of course. The PlayPump isn't meant to be the singular solution for every possible situation. Aggregation is a good strategy.
Counterproductive as we sometimes are with our privileged misanthrope and ironic asides, we asked ourselves: don't you find the ads a bit troubling, even comical? (Advertising in economically depressed areas? Is this like Colors by Benetton or something?) To which we replied: Yes, we are indeed privileged.
Back and so forth.
But before we reverted back to our usual default position of enthusiastic interest, we asked one last question: wouldn't it be better to just give a sizable chunk of what we in the United States spend on public water services -- to recreate, for instance, some sort of Edenic fantasies in the desert Southwest with water diverted from severely depleted sources -- to sub-Saharan African nations where the money will be used to improve their hydrological infrastructure, and we are the ones who get to install the PlayPumps in our school grounds and playgrounds where a growing population of obese, diabetic, allergic children, the ones inured to the hardship of suburban domesticity, are forced to trim a little bit of the fat, reduce susceptibility to diabetes, and prevent future addictions to Allegra® and Claritin® while teaching them about the incredibly, wonderfully awesome subject of hydrology, imparting a life long commitment to water conservation?
Yes.
(All images courtesy of PlayPumps International.)
"
[from Pruned]The Hydrological Playground: "
The PlayPump water system works like so:
While children have fun spinning on the PlayPump merry-go-round (1), clean water is pumped (2) from underground (3) into a 2,500-liter tank (4), standing seven meters above the ground.
A simple tap (5) makes it easy for women and children to draw water. Excess water is diverted from the storage tank back down into the borehole (6).
The water storage tank (7) provides a rare opportunity to advertise in outlaying communities. All four sides of the tank are leased as billboards, with two sides for consumer advertising and the other two sides for health and educational messages. The revenue generated by this unique model pays for pump maintenance.
Not surprisingly trying to assess the design and application of the PlayPump system took us on an emotional roller coaster ride. One minute we were giddy with enthusiasm (‘Fucking brilliant!’), but the next minute, completely raving with skepticism (how long do the children have to twirl and twirl around to fill the tank; and is the water any safer?), only to return back to unbridled enthusiasm (well, it's not as if the goal is to provide communities with daily showers, car washes, and indoor toilet flushes; and surely groundwater is reliably safer than the surface water sources to which the PlayPump offers an alternative).
Back and forth.
Convinced how cool the whole thing is, we soon found yet more reasons to doubt the viability of this earnest endeavor: aren't there better options, such as these? Well, of course. The PlayPump isn't meant to be the singular solution for every possible situation. Aggregation is a good strategy.
Counterproductive as we sometimes are with our privileged misanthrope and ironic asides, we asked ourselves: don't you find the ads a bit troubling, even comical? (Advertising in economically depressed areas? Is this like Colors by Benetton or something?) To which we replied: Yes, we are indeed privileged.
Back and so forth.
But before we reverted back to our usual default position of enthusiastic interest, we asked one last question: wouldn't it be better to just give a sizable chunk of what we in the United States spend on public water services -- to recreate, for instance, some sort of Edenic fantasies in the desert Southwest with water diverted from severely depleted sources -- to sub-Saharan African nations where the money will be used to improve their hydrological infrastructure, and we are the ones who get to install the PlayPumps in our school grounds and playgrounds where a growing population of obese, diabetic, allergic children, the ones inured to the hardship of suburban domesticity, are forced to trim a little bit of the fat, reduce susceptibility to diabetes, and prevent future addictions to Allegra® and Claritin® while teaching them about the incredibly, wonderfully awesome subject of hydrology, imparting a life long commitment to water conservation?
Yes.
(All images courtesy of PlayPumps International.)
"
(Via Pruned.)
A neat feature on your Google Maps. Although when I tried various locations in New York City, it didn't work... Let me know if it works in your area. 
A Closer View of Google Maps.: "
Google Maps has a hidden feature that allows anyone to zoom in extremely close on some satellite pictures. This screenshot shows the closest zoom available for a location in the Sahara desert. Using this hidden feature, you can zoom in a little closer in almost any Metropolitan area, and MUCH closer in select areas.
Here’s Google Blogoscoped’s instructions on utilizing this feature:
1. Select a location and switch to satellite view
2. Zoom in as far as you can, and click ‘link to this page’ at the top right
3. Now replace the ‘z’ parameter in the URL with a higher value, e.g. 20, 22, or 23, and wait. Some locations will now show more detailed imagery
Since people are good at identifying faces at low resolutions, someone should be able to identify the guy looking skyward in the upper right. My vote is that he’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, in hiding.
Click on the Link [Google Maps] to navigate the rest of this location. Via Google Blogoscoped
(Via Neatorama.)
Only in Japan....
"
[from kilian-nakamura.com]Japanese beer for children - Kodomo no nomimono: "
Can you imagine these products being marketed overseas? With so much concern about ‘the children’ these days we doubt that fake beer for kids would make it past the pitch stage at any beverage company. Well, almost any company. Sure, there’s the sparkling grape juice that kids sometimes get on New Years Eve in lieu of champagne, but to have it specifically marketed to kids is a different matter. While Americans would likely overreact and freak out, we haven’t seen any such reaction here in Japan and these drinks have been out for a couple of years now.
Sangaria started their line of fake alcoholic drinks for kids with Kodomo no nomimono (Children’s drink), and has been successful enough to offer it in bottles, cans, and even six-packs. They also expanded the product line to include children’s versions of wine, champagne, and cocktails. The beer, flavored like apple juice, even foams at the top when poured into a glass!
Doesn’t the kid with the onigiri look alot surlier with a beer in front of him?
The differences between the West and Japan are often highlighted the most in the little things in life, and this is definitely one of them. Japan is well known for its group drinking culture, and this is actually a great way to include the kids during family celebrations. These are even sold at restaurants, which is ideal since most parties in Japan are done outside of the home. Of course, if find your four-year-old passed out in front of the TV with a pile of empty fake beer cans around him, it might be time for a kodomo no intervention.
Posted by Michael Keferl
Pictures of children via Sangaria
"
(Via Trends in Japan - Tokyo Blog.)
Technorati Tags:
japan, food culture, humor, children, drinks, beer
I was blown away with this demo by Blaise Aguera y Arcas, an architect at Microsoft Live Labs. It's a demo on how we'll read things on the web, share our pictures and how we'll do virtual tours of the world in the very near future (I hope). Check it out, it's really fascinating.
Thanks Brantley.
Technorati Tags:
flickr, photography, sharing, web
What's the site I keep hitting the refresh button all day long? Ironically, it's the one place that's helped me spend more time off-line. Nikeplus.com (and the hardware you need to enjoy it, Nike + iPod Sports Kit) is - in a nutshell - a pedometer that tracks your running speed and distance and a site to upload that data. But the site is so much more. It's shining feature is the part that uses your running data and lets you compete virtually with others who also own the sports kit. It's become a great motivational tool for my runs and upped my mileage over the last few months. Here's their site to explain how it works (link).These virtual races you have with others are really addictive. It's a quickly growing community and I've managed to organize a few monthly challenges myself. With each challenge, you get instant updates on how you're doing against others (here I am in the first few days of a new race and already no. 6!)
Click on the link to see all the growing features nike and apple are adding (google maps to share your running routes, running events, discussion boards) After some runs I can rise a few notches up, then if I can't run for a few days, I'll find myself falling behind to the bottom. It becomes a good motivational tool to tell myself on the run "just 1/2 a mile more and I can be in the top 5!) Running has always been a solitary affair for me as I've never quite found friends who would run at the same pace or at the same time. With the virtual race with runners all around the country it doesn't matter where and what time you run. And they're a good bunch of folks on the site, too (you can write quick text messages where the site tells us to "talk trash" but it's been nothing but nice words in my running group). And the biggest motivation of all? The sense that the running steps I am taking are part of the grand new direction in melding sports and virtual social networking (!!)... well, maybe not (one small step for me, one giant step for internet history!) Anyway, as you might be able to tell, running has taken on a whole new level of excitement for me. I sure hope other products will follow the lead of Nike and Apple's success and come up with socially networkable bikes, tennis rackets, basketballs and even dance shoes (with of course, social networking sites of equal elegance and simplicity). I understand there's a closed networked driving range with RIFD tagged golf balls and scoring systems near Washington DC. It's a great step but being able to compete with anyone in the world will be its true potential.
Click on the link to see all the growing features nike and apple are adding (google maps to share your running routes, running events, discussion boards) After some runs I can rise a few notches up, then if I can't run for a few days, I'll find myself falling behind to the bottom. It becomes a good motivational tool to tell myself on the run "just 1/2 a mile more and I can be in the top 5!) Running has always been a solitary affair for me as I've never quite found friends who would run at the same pace or at the same time. With the virtual race with runners all around the country it doesn't matter where and what time you run. And they're a good bunch of folks on the site, too (you can write quick text messages where the site tells us to "talk trash" but it's been nothing but nice words in my running group). And the biggest motivation of all? The sense that the running steps I am taking are part of the grand new direction in melding sports and virtual social networking (!!)... well, maybe not (one small step for me, one giant step for internet history!) Anyway, as you might be able to tell, running has taken on a whole new level of excitement for me. I sure hope other products will follow the lead of Nike and Apple's success and come up with socially networkable bikes, tennis rackets, basketballs and even dance shoes (with of course, social networking sites of equal elegance and simplicity). I understand there's a closed networked driving range with RIFD tagged golf balls and scoring systems near Washington DC. It's a great step but being able to compete with anyone in the world will be its true potential.
Technorati Tags:
nike, iPod, nike+, running, pedometer, social networking, sports technology
They just need a tunnel between the Russian mainland, Sakhalin (Saharin) Island and Hokkaido and I can drive home to Tokyo!
[from Spluch]
World's longest tunnel to make a permanent connection between 2 continents: "
Russia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.
A 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) transport corridor from Siberia into the U.S. will feed into the tunnel, which at 64 miles (103 km) will be more than twice as long as the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel between the U.K. and France, according to the plan. The tunnel would run in three sections to link the two islands in the Bering Strait between Russia and the U.S.
The planned undersea tunnel would contain a high-speed railway, highway and pipelines, as well as power and fiber-optic cables, according to TKM-World Link.
The project, which Russia is coordinating with the U.S. and Canada, would take 10 to 15 years to complete.
Source: Bloomberg
Tags: Tunnel | Berling Strait | Longest"
(Via Spluch.)
A really fun short film using real life objects to pay tribute to video games of our youth. Check out their site for more cool stop motion films and spots. They seem to have a ton of fun making these.
Hit the play button below
Credits
"Game Over" 1:30 by PES Produced by Sarah Phelps & PES Special Thanks: Megan O'Neill, AtomEntertainment
Hit the play button below
Credits
"Game Over" 1:30 by PES Produced by Sarah Phelps & PES Special Thanks: Megan O'Neill, AtomEntertainment
Technorati Tags:
video games, pes, stop motion, pacman, invaders, frogger, retro video games
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