Perpetual Anticipation

2011 Blogging in Review

2012-01-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

It's still January. Not too late to post the annual review of my blog.

The most popular post of 2011 was not even a contest, with 4 times more page views than second place. I am quite satisfied with this, because the content of the post was also one of the defining moments of the year for me. Tree of Life: Nature vs. Grace was a reflection after watching the trailer 6 months before the movie was released.
The Church is a Whore but She's my Mother has consistently driven traffic over the years. In fact, it easily took the crown for the most page views of the last decade.
Third most popular post was from a series I began in 2010; an analysis of Mumford and Sons album Sigh No More. It quickly rose the ranks in page views for 2010 , and has continued to consistently drive traffic a year later. The most popular song analysis in the series is I Gave You All ("I gave you all meaning" is the single most common search phrase driving traffic to my blog)
It was closely followed by another Mumford and Sons analysis, The Cave (Any landing I have in the series has a below average bounce rate. Translation: They drive a lot of traffic to each other.)
My reflection after seeing Tree of Life.
Still glad I found this tool two years ago, and still glad to help others find it!
Amygdala and Aha Moments was one of the more stimulating blog posts for me to write in 2011 because it involved a lot of introspection about the way that I learn.
10 Principles of Good Design by Dieter Ram. Ponder these points and it will add a whole new layer of meaning, appreciation, and maybe dissatisfaction with objects in the world around you.

and 10. Two more Mumford and Sons posts round out the top 10; Sigh No More and Timshel. As a whole, the series easily takes second, but still doesn't come close to hits for Tree of Life, which goes to show just how much traffic was driven by that one post.

While it is rewarding to see some of my most meaningful blog posts driving so much traffic, I definitely don't write this blog for satisfaction in stats (or I would have stopped years ago).

I have a few personal favorites that only ever see a trickle of traffic, but were extremely rewarding to write (which really gets at why I do write this blog):

Reflection on Haroun and the Sea of Stories. This was one of my favorite books (a children's book!) that I read in 2011. It is an amazing metaphor of our time.
2011 was a busy year for us, but we were able to sneak in a very satisfying vacation to attend the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland OR. Equally satisfying was writing my reflection on Julius Ceasar (and discovering Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare).
My series on the Cost of Freedom was a mental exercise to solidify my understanding of intangible philosophical concept.
Obviously, In Time was not my favorite movie of 2011, it didn't even come close. But I had a blast deconstructing the story and contrasting it with Gattaca, one of my all time favorite movies by the same writer/director.

Irenaeus on The Tree of Life

2012-01-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

It was January 2011 when the trailer for Tree of Life crashed in to my life. I couldn't stop pondering the meaning of the line "Nature vs Grace".

I anxiously waited 6 long months until June, when we were finally able to see the movie. I began the long and rewarding journey of processing the films meaning.

The film continued to resound within me as I processed deeper. I began to understand it's meaning with greater clarity.

It is now 2012 and this film has not ceased changing me.

Last week I was at a gathering with Roger Newell. When he read the following Irenaeus quote the total weight of The Tree of Life hit me:

"Wherefore also He drove him out of Paradise, and removed him far from the tree of life, not because he envied him the tree of life, as some venture to assert, but because He pitied him, [and did not desire] that he should continue a sinner forever, nor that the sin which surrounded him should be immortal, and evil interminable and irremediable. But he set a bound to his state of sin, by interposing death, and thus causing sin to cease, putting an end to it by the dissolution of the flesh, which should take place in the earth so that man, ceasing at length to live to sin, and dying to it, might begin to live to God. " - Irenaeus (Against Heresies; Book 3, Chapter 23, Paragraph 6)

There you have it. The meaning of the film The Tree of Life in just two, though quite heavy, sentences.

Writing on the Window - Citizen Kane and The Social Network

2012-01-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Social Network and Citizen Kane both follow the whirl-wind ascent of two driven individuals.

Both Kane and Zuckerberg see the potential of their respective media (print and digital), innovate existing technology, creating new ways for people to connect, and manage to make a fortune along the way.

As much as the films are about creating and making, the stories are also about breaking and losing. Both films explore the hero's brokenness and frailty. Both start their ascent with a close network of friends, but their rapid power and pride wrecks havoc on their relationships.

For me, the following shots were the catalyst to connect the two films. At the foundation of their ascent...

Citizen Kane - Writing the "Declaration of Principles" on the window:

The Social Network - Writing the "Elo Rating System" algorithm on the window:

There is significant symbolism of the window scene at that particular moment in both films. What is written on the window acts as the catalyst for the protagonist and the viewer. Simply put, it's the window into the protagonist's future success.

But the Social Network puts an interesting spin on the scene. Having Eduardo write the equation foreshadows the main tension of the story. That is, Zuckerbergs repeated use of Eduardo (his network and money) as the means to achieve his own future success.

The Whimsical History of The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life

2011-12-22T22:43:00.000-08:00

I have embarked on a crash course in film history, which entails a stack of 8 textbooks from the library and making the most of my housemates Netflix.

One of the most surprising revelations involves It's a Wonderful Life and The Wizard of Oz.

If you would have asked me a week ago when these movies were made I would have botched my best attempt at an educated guess.

Wrong Decades.

Wrong Order.

For the record, The Wizard of Oz was originally released in 1939, followed by It's a Wonderful Life in 1946.

I also would have assumed the release of these films were landmark events, unanimously adored by moviegoers and critics alike.

Wrong again.

Both of these movies faced harsh criticism and bombed at the box office. In the case of The Wizard of Oz, MGM was an extremely profitable studio and could shrug off a ~$1 million loss. However, the failure of It's a Wonderful Life drove the production company Frank Capra had started, only a year prior, into bankruptcy.

Based on the lasting legacy of these films in my lifetime I never would have guessed they were so poorly received. That's Common Denominator 1.

Common Denominator 2: Both of these were "discovered" when they were re-released on television in the 1970's.

It's a Wonderful Life found its way to television first in 1973 (when the networks found the copyright had lapsed) followed by The Wizard of Oz in 1976. It was this 1970's audience, three decades after their initial release, that so favorably received and passed down these films as enduring classics.

While the dynamics of the industry, audience, and technological innovation have changed since these events, it still makes one wonder what contemporary films are passing under the radar only to possibly be adored as a classic three decades from now.

I nominate Gattaca. What's your nomination?

My source for this post was A History of American Movies: A Film-by-Film Look at the Art, Craft, and Business of Cinema. Wizard of Oz Pg 63-65; It's a Wonderful Life Pg 101-103.

Area 51 (Book Review)

2011-12-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

As a child I was always entranced by secrets about advanced research and unknown realities about the world around us. My imagination swam deep into the galaxies of science fiction shows (Star Trek), movies (Star Wars), and games (Master of Orion).

It may not have been my first exposure to Area 51, but Independence Day was surely the most definitive. My childhood imagination was captured by this real physical location steeped in fantastical secrets - the stuff that dreams are made of (especially for an 8 year old boy). If only I could see with my own eyes what went on in the day to day lives of the lucky few who worked within its confines.

Naturally, when I was browsing the new release shelf at the library my eyes latched on to the bold title "Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base".

Once I picked it up and saw it had pictures I knew I had to take it home; at the very least to stimulate some of that nostalgic childhood curiosity. By the time I finished the introduction, I knew I had to read it from cover to cover.

Annie Jacobsen's approach in writing the book was to step back and ask what can we know, without a doubt, are the verifiable truths about Area 51. She does so by methodically sifting through recently declassified documents, news leaks, and firsthand accounts. But most importantly, she stays an arms length from the event horizon of the metaphorical black hole that is the infinite unknowable conspiracy theories.

Instead, she traces a timeline that is both historically, biographically, and scientifically enlightening.

Topically the book could be divided into two main sections. The first section traces the roots of the modern clandestine government projects, beginning with the Manhattan Project, taking you from Los Alamos, the Nevada Test Site, and the Marshall Islands. The second section, is truly the birth of Area 51 with the CIA's aerial reconnaissance spy efforts under the cover of the Nevada Test Site, beginning with the U2 spy plane. Both of these intertwined narratives are anchored in geopolitical world events between WWII and the modern day.

I kept telling myself I read the book simply to stoke my imagination, but in the weeks that have followed I learned how much substance was in the book.

As I watched the Iran drone situation unfold, it was as if I was merely seeing the next point on the timeline spelled out by Jacobsen in her book. It begins with the CIA's original development of the the U2, followed by the A12 (gorgeous plane, pictured here undergoing radar testing at Area 51), and finally spy drones. Drones which, interestingly enough, trace their roots to aerial reconnaissance through the mushroom clouds of early nuclear tests.

Just yesterday I came across a BBC special on the life of Richard Feynman (a must watch for any science geek), one of the many influential characters from the scientific community whose biography overlaps the web of Area 51. There is a segment beginning at 9:56 that speaks directly to his involvement with the Manhattan Project. His references to the party scene at Los Alamos is a page right out of Annie Jacobsen's portrayal of Area 51.

And an extra bonus for anyone who has played Portal; learning the history of Skunk Works and EG&G is like reading the real life history of Aperture Science.

"Revenge of the Nerds" Homages

2011-12-06T11:41:00.001-08:00

Having only recently watched Revenge of the Nerds for the first time, we never realized how defining this movie was for popular culture.

In the spirit of one of my favorite blogs, Homages, Ripoffs, and Coincidences, I'll share two elements that struck me.

Arnold Poindexter, the tall awkward nerd, is the archetypal character that defines Napoleon Dynamite. You can seen the similarity in the images below, but seeing them on screen (speech patterns, humor, attire) is even more revealing.

Arnold Poindexter from Revenge of the Nerds:

Napoleon Dynamite:

The other iconic scene is the rock show the nerd do for the Greek Games at the end of the movie. From the moment the scene began I felt a strong sense of deja vu; as if Jack Black closely studied this scene as source material for School of Rock. It's not just the rock show finale, but many persona's of the cast seem to draw heavily from characters defined by Revenge of the Nerds.

Revenge of the Nerds:

School of Rock:

Ghettos in Gattaca and In Time

2011-11-15T14:29:00.001-08:00

While I initially saw many common threads in the characters of Gattaca and In Time, the setting of the stories were clearly exploring different issues.

Both worlds seem to be a world not too different than our own in the not too distant future, only with a twist that zero's in on a relevant topic.

In 1998 Gattaca premiered to a world that was close to unraveling the human genome. Decoding the basic building blocks of what determines an individual's potential raises many uneasy questions about ones sense of agency in the world. The biological twist in Gattaca imagines a world in which ones life potential is determined at birth based on genetic makeup. If you (or more importantly, your parents) lack the important genes, you're out of luck.

In Time speaks to a world where the population is rapidly growing in an increasingly unstable global economy. In Time has an economic twist that literally makes the hours of ones life the global economic currency. Everyone is given one year of life when you reach the age of 25; After this you must earn minutes faster than they are spent. Once you're out of credits, it's game over.

A biological issue vs. an economical issue.

Then I stumbled across this bombshell when reading The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World:

"There is another big difference between nature and finance. Whereas evolution in biology takes place in the natural environment, where change is essentially random (hence Richard Dawkins's image of the blind watchmaker), evolution in financial services occurs within a regulatory framework where - to borrow a phrase from anti-Darwinian creationists - 'intelligent design' plays a part." - Niall Ferguson Pg. 356

I sat up and reread this paragraph as the setting for both movies were pulled into alignment.

Notice that the "big difference between nature and finance" has been eliminated in Gattaca. The random selection of genes has been reduced to a precise (read: constricting) regulatory framework.

On the surface the difference is biological vs. economical, but when you reduce the setting in both movies to the fundamental mechanics at work, they share the same common denominator.

Both movies are exploring the self-determining nature of humanity through the use of regulatory frameworks (for better or for worse). To elaborate, Niccols seems to be exploring:

How humanity self regulates, manipulating social frameworks in order to ensure and control their destinies. (Genetic/Economic)
The systematic injustices of the framework instituted by those playing God, even trying to become God. (Perfection/Immortality)
Parents who chose to give birth to a child knowing they will be on the wrong side of the regulatory framework and are destined for a mediocre life of limited potential. (Often time the social frameworks determines your potential at birth, eliminating self-agency)
Children born into the wrong disposition have severely limited mobility. (Born with ghettoed genes or into a ghettoed neighborhood/"Time Zone").
How those who benefit from the framework think they are succeeding in their pursuit of perfection but are really losing their humanity (Embodied in the films by the disillusioned member from the elite who supports the protagonist and eventually commits suicide)
The cost is paid by those who don't benefit from the framework, consequently having their humanity crushed (Embodied by the plight of the protagonist)
How these new rules and regulations in the framework are disadvantageous to previously good traits (Intangible attributes, such as determination, fortitude, courage loose value in a rigid social framework)

In both cases we see clearly how this regulatory framework creates ghettos.

While in Gattaca the genetic walls are intangible; they are just as real as the quite tangible "Time Zone" walls of In Time. In both cases a suffocating ghetto is created - a ghetto in which the protagonist is determined to break out of.

Commonalities between "Gattaca" and "In Time"

2011-11-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

UPDATE (11/15/11) - Since writing this post I had a big breakthrough that should be read first. I was able to zero in on the common denominator that links the social backdrop in both films.

This past weekend I saw In Time. This was one of the few movies I had been anticipating in 2011. The anticipation was on the sole basis of it being written and directed by Andrew Niccol.

Andrew Niccols Freshman film was also one of my favorites; Gattaca.

Gattaca first captured my imagination after watching it in my high school biology class. I have seen it a few times since, with increasing enjoyment and appreciation every time.

In Time isn't Oscar material (I already have my pick), but it was an enjoyable movie if for no other reason then that Niccol closely followed his original recipe used in Gattaca.

Spoilers are present in the following analysis (for both movies, especially if you have seen one and plan to watch the other).

This "recipe" implies that both films share an overarching theme and also specific plot elements.

Common Synopsis:

A man dreams of a life with greater significance than what the constrictive privilege based society he is born in to allows.

But this shared synopsis is only scratching the surface. There are far more specific commonalities between these two movies.

Commonalities in Plot

The young adult male protagonist finds himself doing mundane work at the bottom wrung of a heavy handed privilege based society.
However he dreams of reaching the stars (both metaphorically and quite literally in Gattaca).
His reach is limited, through no fault of his own, but simply because of the unprivileged disposition that he was born in to.
He meets a disillusioned individual from the privileged class who becomes his champion, equipping him with the necessary resource to break through the barriers (both metaphorically and quite literally in In Time) between the masses and the privileged.
After providing the necessary resource to the protagonist, the champion commits suicide.
There is an individual who shares a common root with the protagonist, but has entered the privileged ranks. Ironically he ends up enforcing the divide in the social system.
This enforcer of the status quo is quickly on the case of our aspiring protagonist who is challenging the system.
The protagonist's passion and drive catches the attention of a woman who is well established in the privileged class.
The protagonist acquires a retro futuristic convertible (In general the preferable mode of transportation in these societies are black or silver retro-futuristic electric cars) which he will drive to a lavish dinner party where truths about his previous identity causes the gathering to be disrupted by the enforcer.
The enamored woman eventually discovers his true place in the social order. After wrestling through this truth she loves him despite, or even because of it. She becomes a co-conspirator in his effort to disrupt the system.
He is eventually successful in reaching the stars through a combination of luck, perseverance, wit, and most importantly through the assistance of his champion.

After reflecting on all the commonalities, that which makes the two movies unique becomes more apparent. There is a key difference in the plot between Gattaca and In Time, and it comes down to how the protagonist chooses to resist his predetermined lot in life.

Difference between Protagonists:

Gattaca - He studies, infiltrates, and subverts the system from the inside, providing a model of inspiration for others who feel trapped. He is mature, thoughtful, responsible, methodical.
In Time - He initiates a direct affront to the powers that be, mainly using brute force, resulting in instability and chaos en-masse. He is reckless, naive, confused, and short sighted.

But our protagonist is not an isolated variable in the social system. In fact, he would be nothing but a drop in the river of the unprivileged masses if it were not for the influence of his champion.

When we see the divergent character of the protagonist in both films we must consider the cause and effect of the divergent character of his champion. When we do so it would seem the the crux of the story is the manner in which the champion supports the protagonist on his journey.

In both cases our champion equips the hero with the resource needed to break through the privileged barrier. However the relationship in which this occurs couldn't be more different.

Difference between Champions:

Gattaca - He is present and sacrificial. A coach/mentor who takes the time to teach the protagonist along the way. In the lowest moments of the protagonist's journey he is there to encourage him to stay in the fight and keep going.
In Time - He is hopeless, surrendered, distant, and after equipping him with the necessary resource to break through he is never present.

Juxtaposing the two champions clearly explains the unique difference we see in each protagonist who is set in such a similar plot.

The Lowly Thermostat Receives Apple Makeover

2011-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

We just installed a new furnace. The bidding process was rather painless. The winner was based on efficiency, cost, and expertise. I only had one reservation.

The thermostat.

He tried to sell it to me as a "sexy gadget". "Color touchscreen with SD Slot to load custom wallpapers." Yes, I grimaced. And yes, I actually did ask for a simpler model.

I wanted something simple and functional. You know, something like this:

A timeless design over half a century old.

Instead I'm stuck with an unresponsive chintzy piece of plastic like this:

But I won't have this monstrosity on my wall for too long.

Enter Nest:

Functional, clean, intelligent, simple, connected. A lustworthy thermostat.

It's not designed by Apple, but Apple is in the DNA (The 2 founders of Nest were responsible for the iPod).

More importantly, this product is symbolic of the trickle down effect of Apple ideals:

"Design at the intersection of technology and liberal arts."

Icons Change

2011-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Another submission to Little Bit Details.

On OSX Lion, large icons selected on desktop:

Become small icons when dragged to folder:

Footnotes

2011-09-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

I love footnotes.

I'm a footnote fiend. As soon as my eye catches a glimpse of that superscript, my heart rate quickens, my eyes refocus, my mind is fueled with a renewed clarity as I dissect the sentences leading to the magic key that will unlock the treasure at the bottom of the page.

Maybe it's because of the occasional anecdotes. Or maybe it's because footnotes tend to appeal to my love for spider webbing; other sources and ideas that tangent to the main idea of the text. Footnotes also offer a personal connection to the author, making it feel more conversational, more human.

I love footnotes... in books.

I hate footnotes on websites. The internet ruined footnotes. The hyperlink jump, the scrolling, it's all jarring to a smooth flow of thought. By the time I get back to the text I am disorientated; the excitement is deflated.

I used to hate foot notes on websites. I found my rescue in the form of a browser extension. Footnotes on websites will never be the same.

It should be said first that I am a man of few browser extensions.

When I was a teenager, Firefox was all the rage. In my youthful naivety I experimented with extensions... fanatically. The allure of customization and new features (for free!) that would revolutionize the internet was overpowering for this teenage geek.

Over time I found that more often than not, "customization" only added clutter, "new features" (that I rarely used) flunked my user experience, and the whole process consumed a lot of time just to manage. Rarely did I find an extension that actually rose above novelty to enhance my online experience.

Instead, the browser became bloated. So for years now, I have kept my browsers on a stricter diet. There must be a very compelling case for me to install an extension.

Enter "Footnotify".

A simple and elegant solution to footnotes online.

I discovered Footnotify via DaringFireball; an excellent well curated blog on technology, design, and Apple (I ignore the occasional post on baseball).

What Do You Know About Ron Paul?

2011-08-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

My first post on Ron Paul was enthusiastically written in October of 2007 (with regular updates in the following years).

Four years later and I am still inspired by the man's integrity, transparency, and dedication.

Have you ever been compelled to use these words to describe a politician? Than you probably have never known a congressman to run his office so efficiently that he willing returns $100,000 out of his budget to the Treasury.

Give the guy a chance and do your own research. I think you'll find it to be a refreshing experience

Even if you don't agree with his policies, we need to demand politicians with this caliber of character. Enough pandering, we need politicians with genuine convictions.

Excuse My Absence

2011-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Elena and I have been in the process of moving in to our first house (another piece of exciting news on the heels of the house; Elena recieved a position to lead after school program at the middle school 1 mile from our house!)

There are projects galore to keep us busy around the house. Much of which needs to be done sooner than later, so we have been at full throttle since we got the keys. But now, we are just about ready to shift gears to a more reasonable pace.

That means more time and energy to do the things I love: read, run, think, write, and of course, blog (I've had a few exciting ideas bouncing around for awhile).

I'll be sure to post some before and after pictures of the house too. As soon as there are "afters" to photograph.

Little Big Details

2011-07-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is another of my top blog discoveries of 2011. Tagline: "Your daily dose of UI inspiration".

A couple weeks ago I submitted a little big detail that caught my eye. See for yourself.

Every post reminds me of the truth in the statement; "The details are not details, they make the product".

What Does "Community" Mean to You?

2011-07-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

A thought provoking video about the yearnings we have for community.

(Via Brainpickings)

This is an excellent conversation starter for your local neighborhood to start thinking in terms of community building, as opposed to community indifference (also known as community decay).

What does community mean to you?
What's your dream community?
What would you be willing to do to help make a part of that dream a reality?

This video stirred memories of the joy and beauty of community that I experienced 6 months in to our Barberrian Adventure. A year later I posted about the bountiful fruit that had grown out of the soil we had been tilling.

Why The Tree of "Life"?

2011-06-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found myself pondering why the movie is called The Tree of Life.

The movie opens with Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”". If I hoped to find the meaning of the title, it seemed logical to revisit the Garden of Eden narrative in Genesis.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve freely ate of the Tree of Life giving eternal life.
They were only instructed to not eat of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Once they had eaten of the forbidden tree, they were banished from the garden and consequently could no longer eat of the the Tree of Life.

Humanity, in their rebellion with the Knowledge of Good and Evil, was no longer fit to continue eating of the Tree of Life.

The universal question of choosing the path of nature or of grace is the result of the friction created by the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Which means the movie is not so much about the Tree of Life as it is the absence of the Tree of Life.

And the movie is also about time; as in all time, from creation at the foundation of time until the redemption and resurrection of humanity at the end of time. Again, this transitory conception of time is the result of the absence of the Tree of Life.

And honestly, "The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil" is just a mouth full. "The Tree of Life" was definitely a better title.

----
UPDATE January 6th 2012 - Just stumbled across an excellent Tree of Life quote from Irenaeus, I think he would have enjoyd this film as well.

The Tree of Life

2011-06-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

I rate the quality of most movies by how deeply I am mentally and emotionally moved. If the experience is deep enough, it will draw tears.

These are normally not tears of sorrow; but of joy, revelation, and beauty in life (e.g. Pixars's Up or Bollywood's 3 Idiots). I find this quite convenient because I am able to easily quantify my rating of movies. This is much more effective than trying to ascertain some ambiguous amount of stars after the fact.

The Tree of Life has set the bar mighty high for 2011.

This movie achieved tears on 6 separate occasions. To top it off, Elena and I had a long conversation after words which had us in tears again. And these were tears of the most powerful variety, tears of self-revelation.

Yes, The Tree of Life is beautiful, thoughtful, powerful, and moving.

But my one warning:

In the first half of the movie I guarantee you will experience a sense of being confused and lost. Be thoughtfully engaged, but be patient, letting the imagery wash over you. It's okay that nothing is "happening". The first half of the movie is a cleansing; washing away all of the baggage and distractions that you brought with you into the theater.

Trust that the first half of the movie is preparing the palate of your mind and soul; as would crackers and cheese prepare the palate of your mouth before tasting a fine wine.

When I go to see a Hollywood blockbuster I expect to be propelled from scene to scene at a breathtaking pace, constantly stimulated by the action, enraptured by the drama, distracted by the comedy, without an idle moment to be left with your own thoughts.

This is not a Hollywood blockbuster.

Go in to the theater with an attitude more akin to how you would enjoy an art exhibit or a symphony, but with all the sensory fullness of cinema.

So, without spoilers, what's the movie about?

The movie is all about understanding our relationship with our Creator God as something very broken/jaded while yearning for redemption. But it uses the most mundane of settings as a canvas - a family in 1950's small town USA.

Tangibly, the story is about the eldest son of three boys and how he is moulded by the attitudes and actions of his mother and father. (The son is played by Hunter McCracken. This kid is going places!)

The trailer (a work of art in and of itself) clearly alludes to this tension between father and mother.

"Mother, Father, always you wrestle inside of me. Always you will."

...Metaphorically representing nature and grace.

"There are two ways through life. The way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you will follow."

But this tension between nature and grace can be interpreted in many ways. I was reminded of a quote from Francis Schaeffer after first watching the trailer. It's short and worth the read. Now having seen the movie, I believe that definition is indeed consistent with the message of the movie.

I also find myself thinking of the movie as snapshots of defining childhood moments. This is where the powerful self-revelation comes in for me.

These snapshots are moments that relate to spirituality, understanding and questioning God, the realized loss of innocence, the raging evil of nature around us and within us while yearning for goodness. Other themes are shame, forgiveness, hypocrisy, compassion, regret, grace.

Anyone up for some Terrence Malick movie nights in the near future?

Next up... my reflection on why is the title The Tree of Life?

"Get Rid of The Crappy Stuff"

2011-06-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

There are few people in the world who, with integrity, can tell a company as successful as Nike to "get rid of the crappy stuff." This isn't just talk, this is the way Steve Jobs has walked since returning to Apple in the late 90's.

I came across another quote that elaborates on this principle. According to Steve Jobs:

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.” (Forbes.com)

Recently I have been struck by how much this seems to be a universal principle.

Whether it is Dieter Ram, whose tenth and final principles of design is:

"Good design is as little design as possible"

Or Mark Twain on writing:

"A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it"

The great minds that have positively driven how we see and experience culture seem to agree; greatness is decided as much by what is done, as by everything else that is not.

How do you apply this to disciplines in your life?

Google Commits Cardinal Sin of Design with Chromebook

2011-06-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

"...How well does Google’s newfangled concept hold up in the real world?

Unfortunately, not very well.

The first assumption is that you’re online everywhere you go. That’s rather critical, because when it’s not online, a Chromebook can’t do much of anything. You can’t peruse your e-mail, read documents or books or listen to music. With very few exceptions, when the Chromebook isn’t online, it’s a 3.3-pound paperweight." (NYTimes via DaringFireball)

The industrial design guru Dieter Rams has some brutal words for just such a product:

"Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the one and only cardinal sin in design." (The quote was seen in As Little Design as Possible via TheRussiansUsedaPencil.com)

The NYTimes review concludes their thrashing of the Chromebook with a compliment I'm sure Dieter would find utterly misplaced.

"Truth is, considering how stripped-down the Samsung is, you have to wonder why it’s as big, heavy and expensive as it is. You can find plenty of full-blown Windows laptops with the same price, weight and size.

Maybe the Chromebook concept would fly if it cost $180 instead of $500. Maybe it makes more sense if you rent it (students and corporations can lease Chromebooks for $20 to $30 a month). Maybe it will fly once this country gets free coast-to-coast 4G cellular Internet, which should be just after hell freezes over.

For now, though, you should praise Google for its noble experiment..."

Why praise Google for a half-baked product that is severely overpriced and wasn't designed for the reality in which people live? And don't forget Samsung shares culpability in this sin by choosing to manufacture the hardware.

The Statue of Responsibility

2011-06-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

In Part 3 of The Cost of Freedom, I quoted Viktor Frankl's vision of a Statue of Responsibility to be constructed on the West Coast to be a bookend for the Statue of Liberty on the East Cost.

Liberty is not functional apart from Responsibility.

Right after I posted Part 3, I thought to query what else is happening on the world wide web concerning the "Statue of Responsibility".

I was thrilled to find that this project is well on it's way to becoming a reality. The Statue of Responsibility Foundation is a non-profit with a mission to construct the monument in California:

While something as important as this would always have been better sooner than later, I believe the timing is perfect at this point in history.

As a nation we stand at a breaking point. We are breaking free from paradigms and value systems that shaped our reality for the last century. These paradigms and values are at worst broken, and at best insufficient.

We are ready for a fresh start.

Something as iconic as this monument is functions as a physical catalyst in the psyche of the nation. It's something tangible that we can point to as a turning point in history.

What do you think?

Is it time for our nation to have a new iconic monument? Is this the right one at the right time?

The Cost of Freedom (Part 3)

2011-06-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

In this series on Freedom, I have sought to establish a link between Responsibility and Freedom. As I understand it, the link is:

The Suffering experienced through Responsibility is the necessary cost to know the Value of our Freedom.

Suffering is required for growth in the human experience. This is a topic I've often pondered and have appreciated the insight of Viktor Frankl's; suffering being a central theme in his work Man's Search for Meaning. One would expect then, that he would speak to Freedom as well.

Drawing from his personal experience as a Jew in Nazi concentration camps, he discusses Freedom, especially the inner Freedom that even a prisoner at Auschwitz has access to. Valuing this Freedom "determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstances".

"...Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness [sic]. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibilities. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast." (Pg 134 Mans Search for Meaning)

I am struck by the symbolic wisdom of this proposal. I often ponder what imagery would be evoked by this statue, and wonder about the poem that would be graven on the tablet within the pedestal on which the Statue of Responsibility stands.

Each of us knows our Freedoms are something to be valued, yet how infrequently we the weight in our soul. Nothing short of an external tragedy seems to stir us. However, understanding the cost of Freedom gives us a path to initiate change.

Thinking long and hard about our own Responsibilities is the first step; acting accordingly the second. We know this is a willing choice that will invite suffering. Only then can we taste delight in the Freedoms of life.

Reversely, to have Freedom without valuing it (i.e. to continue on refusing to pay the cost with Responsibility) is to defile Freedom.

I will run through some consequences of decoupling Responsibility from Freedom, using the examples of Freedoms mentioned in Part 1:

Journalist disconnected from responsibility results in the press being pitted of constructive value to the society it is supposed to serve.
Teenager who takes for granted his privileges will fail to mature as a human being; becoming unruly, demanding, self-centered, ignorant, bitter, spiteful, abusive...
Citizen in a democracy who does not value her right to vote will be flippant with this power entrusted to her; if compelled to vote at all it will be in ignorance and driven by selfish motives.
Prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp (as with all humans in any situation) who does not value his own inner freedom defies responsibility to his very life; ceasing to acknowledge his own humanity and losing a will to live.

In all of these cases, failing to pay the cost of Freedom through Responsibility is both self destructive and socially destructive.

But why is this such a struggle for us?

The concept of freedom seems to be a paradox when you ask why it does not come freely. But the paradox unravels when you understand the cost of freedom is responsibility. Freedom does not come freely to humanity, because humans are not innately responsible.

Here lies the tragedy of the human experience:

If complete fulfillment of Responsibility hangs out of our reach, than fully realized Freedom is forever out of our grasp - apart from Grace...

Star Tours - The Adventures Continue

2011-06-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

I was crushed that Star Tours was closed for renovation when Elena and I did our SoCal road trip last summer.

That regret doesn't squelch my excitement for the grand opening of "Star Tours - The Adventures Continue". LA Weekly has an excellent review that will fuel your anticipation.

Via swtorstrategies.com

Crash Course in Mid-Century Modern Design

2011-06-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is a must watch for any designer, artist, history buff, or fan of the Mid-Century Modern (MCM) design aesthetic.

In the 50's and 60's, Chevrolet/General Motors influenced the design language of American culture in a way that is comparable to Apple's influence today. It makes sense then, that Chevrolet would have been commissioned to create a film celebrating the "American Look":

Via Brainpickings.org

Apple Introduced iCloud

2011-06-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

How did I do in my prediction a few months ago?

I formalized my prediction in the post titled What's So Great About the Cloud.

And for point of reference, there's a solid summary of the iCloud introduction at MacRumors.

In my opinion, the connection I failed to make explicit is how iPod in 2001 related to iTunes as it's hub for digital media.

iTunes was the hub of the last decade for the iPod. This hub was dependent on the traditional PC, but radically increased the mobility, convenience, functionality, and simplicity of how we handle our digital media.

However, these mobile devices became increasingly sophisticated (ie. the iPhone) and the iTunes hub became cumbersome and constricted further growth.

10 years later...

iCloud is the new hub for all aspects of our digital lives. This hub liberates our digital information (if you so choose) from dependence on any one particular device (ie. the traditional PC). This increases mobility, convenience, functionality, and simplicity of how we handle all of our digital information on any number of devices depending on your specific needs.

10 years from now, what will our lives look like?

Strange and Beautiful Photos from Around the World

2011-06-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Be mesmerized by images of Serendipity. Beauty. Humanity. Perversity. Hilarity. Fortuity.

All captured through the 9 Eye's of Google (Aka, the 9 lens panoramic camera that Google mounts on their Street View cars).

Here are a few to get you started:

...And many many more at 9-eyes.com

The Cost of Freedom (Part 2)

2011-05-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

We can't hope to value our freedom if we don't pay the cost.

First lets establish a working definition of terms. Freedom is the ability to choose or act without constraint; in other words, to have certain authority over ones own self. This is the thread that weaves together "Freedom" and "Authority"; they are facets of the same jewel.

But, what is the cost that one must pay to have and value our freedom?

The Thomas Pain quote in Part 1 was used by Robert Heinlein as an introduction to Chapter 6 in Starship Troopers. In this chapter we saw an exchange between a professor and his student Mr. Rico; exploring in general terms how the human experiences defines the cost and value of things in life.

Later in Chapter 12, I believe Heinlein gives an answer to the cost of freedom specifically. The following is an exchange between the same professor and student looking back at the "failed democracies" of the past, which would be our present.

The professor begins:

"...This universe consists of paired dualities. What is the converse of authority? Mr. Rico."

He had picked one I could answer. "Responsibility, sir."

"Applause. Both for practical reasons and for mathematically verifiable moral reasons, authority and responsibility must be equal - else a balancing takes place as surely as current flows between points of unequal potential. To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy. The unlimited democracies were unstable because their citizens were not responsible for the fashion in which they exerted their sovereign authority... other than through the tragic logic of history... No attempt was made to determine whether a voter was socially responsible to the extent of his literally unlimited authority. If he voted the impossible, the disastrous possible happened instead - and responsibility was then forced on him willy-nilly and destroyed both him and his foundationless temple. (Pg 183, my emphasis)

The cost of freedom/authority is clearly responsibility.

Responsibility is a supreme cost because it demands nothing short of self imposed hardship/discomfort/suffering; that is...

Integrity
Discipline
Self-control
Sacrifice
Humility in acknowledging and...
...Submission to a higher authority than oneself.

Responsibility is the process/action required to value/actualize freedom in life.

This makes sense of the premise I proposed in an earlier post; "the best things in life are attained through agony, sweat, and devotion".

Conclusion: To learn to value freedom in your life, you must pay the cost by being responsible with the time, energy, resources, and opportunities you are given.

What happens when we have freedom/authority, but don't value it (i.e. pay the cost with responsibility)? In Part 3 I'll explore this question and applications to specific types of freedom stated in Part 1.

The Cost of Freedom (Part 1)

2011-05-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated." -Thomas Paine

I find this to be a rather cryptic phenomenon in the human experience.

In simpler terms, Thomas Paine seems to propose that if we have freedom without cost, we won't value the freedoms in our life. Even further, I propose that to not value ones freedom is to never have tasted freedom in the first place.

Certainly, whether we value it or not, we all live in the reality of some level of freedom:

Visible first amendment rights of all U.S. citizens
Privileges given to a teenager by their parents
Tangible ability to cast a vote for a citizen of a democracy
Invisible inner freedom that even a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz has access to.

But what cost must we pay to truly value, to actualize, freedom in our lives?

Another Thomas (Jefferson), and contemporary freedom-fighter of Paine, seems to give an answer to this question when he said:

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

I understand this sacrifical blood of a patriot to be a manifested cost of freedom; a specific cost paid for a specific type of freedom. It is a sign post pointing to a more universal and foundational truth about the cost of freedom, which undergirds the entire human experience.

I will attempt to continue exploring this foundational truth in future posts.

Until then, I encourage you to read a previous post exploring how the human experience defines cost and value of things in life - The Best Things in Life Are Free. Also, the first article in "The Crisis" series by Thomas Paine (the source of the opening quote) is an elegant piece of writing and equally fascinating glimpse into history.

It has some good laughs too. Totally off topic, I got a kick out of this line in particular:

"'Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. All nations and ages have been subject to them. Britain has trembled like an ague at the report of a French fleet of flat-bottomed boats; and in the fourteenth [fifteenth] century the whole English army, after ravaging the kingdom of France, was driven back like men petrified with fear; and this brave exploit was performed by a few broken forces collected and headed by a woman, Joan of Arc. Would that heaven might inspire some Jersey maid to spirit up her countrymen, and save her fair fellow sufferers from ravage and ravishment!"

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

2011-05-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Chinese prisoners do physical labour by day and digital labour by night.

The unusual part is that the digital labour is more lucrative than the physical labour:

"Liu says he was one of scores of prisoners forced to play online games to build up credits that prison guards would then trade for real money. The 54-year-old ... reckons the operation was even more lucrative than the physical labour that prisoners were also forced to do.

"Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labour," Liu told the Guardian. "There were 300 prisoners forced to play games. We worked 12-hour shifts in the camp. I heard them say they could earn 5,000-6,000rmb [£470-570] a day. We didn't see any of the money. The computers were never turned off." (The Guardian via Charlies Diary)

This skewing between reality and digital reality blows my mind.

Real slave labour to produce digital goods in a digital world which are sold for real money. The international "Gold Farming*" industry in online gaming is fascinating

It reminds me of people buying digital goods with real money for a digital farm on which you do digital work in order to support real needs. Which makes me wonder why anyone would ever give away real money (in a world with limited physical resources) for any cause if they aren't getting some sort of incentive in their digital life (a digital reality with unlimited digital resources).

This is the kind of stuff that is really going to mess with the way we think in the next decade.

*It's interesting to note that the stats mentioned in the Guardian's article were exact numbers mentioned in the Wikipedia article, only with no reference to the source or date of the studies. tsk-tsk

Building the Seed Cathedral

2011-05-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Since I shared a picture of the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo last year, I had to share this great TED talk by Thomas Heatherwick:

via i09

I was thrilled to see that his studio was behind another design that caught my eye in 2010 - the new London "Routemaster" Bus:

We Used to Wait

2011-05-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Until our most recent blip on the timeline, distances separated us farther and communication was drastically slower.

This slowness meant waiting.

Waiting gave hope.

Waiting gave time for healing, when hopes are left unfulfilled.

"It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what's stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive"

"Ooooo we used to wait
Sometimes it never came
Ooooo we used to wait
Still moving through the pain"

In the digital age there is no waiting.

There is no hopeful anticipation.

There is no reflection.

There is no time for healing.

There is no process.

"Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last"

It's enough to put the modern man in a state of psychosis.

"Now we're screaming"

Is what we are running towards worth the sacrifices of what we're leaving behind?

The quotations are from "We Used to Wait" by the Arcade Fire. The Suburbs was easily my favorite album of 2010. I have listened to the entire album no fewer then 40 times in the last year (according to my iTunes).

The video is an interactive film that you can experience yourself at www.TheWildernessDowntown.com

"It's Gonna Take Awhile"

2011-05-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you.

A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work.

Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one [work]. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through." (my emphasis) - Ira Glass

Inspiring words for anyone struggling to refine a skill, craft, or are committed to creative work.

Via NPR. It's an excerpt from a series you can watch on Youtube.

- UPDATE -

After reading this post a friend shared a line he was told when beginning woodworking:

"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly"

This is a much more quotable wedge to open up the same conversation.

Bill Gate's School of the Future

2011-05-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about the education paradigm we inherited from Henry Ford's "School of the Future".

Henry Ford was a man of his time, to be sure. He perceived "man" as a mass produced machine, engineered for efficiency, maximizing output, and necessitating and obsession with standards to ensure quality control.

But, oh, how mans relation to the machine has changed since the industrial revolution.

The metaphor might have worked when machines were rudimentary and we were it's master; but with the evolution of the machine the metaphor has become an impossible yoke to bear (I believe this to be the source of much frustration, detachment, and apathy in the psyche of the modern man).

Times have changed and our paradigms for education (how one learns and for what end) need to evolve as well.

In the same way that Henry Ford embodied the industrial revolution, Bill Gates embodies the digital revolution of our time.

With significant investments in education being made from the Gates Foundation, one has to wonder if Bill Gates is driving a new education paradigm; a School of the Future for the 21st century.

"...the Gates Foundation announced $20 million in grants for digital learning with an emphasis on instructive video games."(Fast Company)

If Gates is driving a new paradigm, will it be holistic and dynamic enough to evolve over time? Or will we look back on this paradigm with as much revulsion as we do today with the legacy of Henry Ford? Or is it inevitable to be trapped by our age, continuing to pass down antiqued paradigms?

History can be quite hard on pioneers whose legacy lingers too long.

My Amateur Shakespeare Library is Complete

2011-05-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I had a serendipitous moment at The Coolidge House, during our stay in Ashland to see Julius Caesar. The house had a decent library, with an expected bias towards Shakespeare (The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is Ashland's economy).

I perked up to one book in particular titled "Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare". I was a shocked to see the name Asimov, who I always knew as the quintessential sci-fi author, attached to the epitome of English Renaissance theater. Honestly, I assumed it was a coincidence and only picked up the book to scratch my itching curiosity and confirm that it was indeed a different Asimov.

I was wrong.

After flipping through the book, I was hooked, and scrambled through his analysis of Julius Caesar in the days leading up to the play. This guide is exploding with historical, mythological, geographical, and legendary context to Shakespeares plays.

In the introduction, Isaac Asimov ponders how the works of Geoffrey Chaucer (late 14th century) had become unreadably archaic only 200 years after they were written because of the rapid evolution of the English language. Asimov then proposes:

"It is almost as though the English language dare not change so much as to render Shakespeare incomprehensible. That would be an unacceptable price to pay for change"

It's hard to resist Shakespeare, or this guide for that matter, after reading such a bold and arousing claim.

A few antique books shops in Ashland had copies, but they were going for the steep price of $60. I did a price match on eBay and realized this wasn't just "tourist trap pricing".

After seeing Julius Caesar, feeling supremely enlightened by Asimov's scrupulous research, I had committed to put down the $60 as a worthy investment. Last minute, I thought to check Powell's online database (one of the many great reason to live in Portland). They had a clean copy for $15!

Together with the 1853 Complete Works of Shakespeare I picked up a few weeks ago, my amateur Shakespeare library is now complete for a grand-total of $21.

Julius Caesar Impressions

2011-05-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Seeing only a couple plays annually, I consider myself an amateur theatergoer. That being said, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival appeared on our radar because of the buzz surrounding To Kill a Mockingbird. By the the time we heard the buzz and tried to buy tickets, it was sold out.

All the same, we had become enamored with the idea of a long weekend at a Bed and Breakfast in Ashland, and decided Julius Caesar would be a safe bet.

The following are my impressions (I dare not call it a review) of the 2011 Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Julius Caesar in Ashland Oregon:

The Prelude

The experience begins outside as you approach the theater. The courtyard is lined with banners of political leaders who have been assassinated; priming you mentally and emotionally for the central tension of the play.

For example, one banner defiantly proclaims Abraham Lincoln as "Tyrant". But as you walk past each banners you see that, just as with the story of Julius Caesar, there are two perspectives to every political action taken. On the other side Lincolns banner, he is celebrated as the "Emancipator".

The two sided banners challenge deeply seated notions, bringing in to question the motives and consequences of ones political action, and anticipating the prophetic line that Cassius will speak; "...How many ages hence, Shall this our lofty scene be acted over; In states unborn and accents yet unknown!" (Act II Scene I Line 110-113).
The Culture of the Cast

A small anecdotal observation before the play began encapsulates the caliber of the cast.

Prior to the show the cast was out mingling with the audience. As I was observing the personalities of different cast members I curiously noticed their affections being poured over one actress in particular. A steady stream of cast members found her, embracing and kissing her, lavishing her in praise.

This clicked for me after it was announced at the beginning that she was filling in for another actor.

In the time leading up to the show, when apprehension would be at it's peak, she never had a moment alone in her thoughts to dwell on the pressure of being thrown in as a substitute. The cast tangibly communicated that they appreciated her, they trusted her, and couldn't be more happy to be performing with her.

I haven't spent much time in theater circles, so I'm not sure how commonplace this behavior is. But this strikes me as very healthy culture amongst the cast. Maybe it's the fruit of a very capable director?

The Surprise in the Cast

I'll just get it in the open now so we can move on - Julius Caesar is a women.

Not just played by a women, but the actually character in the play was changed to a female role / lead. And you can stop rolling your eyes.... now. Though I can relate because when I first heard this I was concerned the production was going to be a radical reinterpretation of the original work. This is not the case. It is only one of a few modifications (more of which I will touch on later).

I don't believe Shakespeare's intention was to accurately portray a historical event, and if it was, he failed miserably. More importantly he is telling a timeless tale about pride, power, and politics.

In retrospect this modification felt minor. It helps that she is a phenomenal actress. In fact, now it's hard to imagine a better Julius Caesar than Vilma Silva.

The Start

I've never put much thought into how a play begins. I don't mean the first line of the play or the story telling method that is used to pull the audience into the narrative. I'm talking about when the lights dim, the audience quiets, the curtain rises to reveal the stage; that precise moment that stands between "before the play" and "the play" itself.

As I mentioned before, the cast was out mingling with the audience. As the start time approached a few announcements were made and invitation was given for audience participation. This amounted to going rabid whenever Caesar lifted her hands. We practiced once, erupting into cheers, whoops, chants, applause, stomping. Spurred on further by the cast we practiced a second time - the atmosphere became absolutely electric.

Right at the height of the second "practice", shouts erupted on stage and the play broke in to action.

This was one of the best theater experiences of my life. The line that marks the start of the play was totally blurred in the ecstatic cheers. At an unidentifiable moment, we as the audience merely practicing our cheers, had evolved into actors in the play, which had already begun.

Fantastic.

The Stage

This type of an opening complemented the unique nature of the stage. The play was performed in the New Theater (Which is actually the name. Makes one wonder if the name of the theater will evolve over time).

It is a 360 degree stage, with the audience in true stadium seating looking down at the stage in the center.

This got me geeking out on the science of a stage. In contrast to a typical stage, which is largely a two-dimensional canvas on and X and Y axis (up/down and left/right) with entrances to the stage on either side. The New Theater is in a sense a true 3-dimensional stage, adding a Z axis (forward and backward) with entrances now on the left and right (X axis) and the front and back (Y axis).

This changes everything when it comes to choreography.

The first time I described to someone the natural question was "did you spend half the play looking at everyones butt?". I was perplexed, because this seems like it should be the case. The fact that this thought never crossed my mind during the play must be a supreme compliment to the choreography of the production.

In this picture of Ashland, the New Theater is just behind the open air Shakespearean Theater in the foreground.

The Costumes and Props

The wardrobe was superb. While the rendition of the play was true to the period of the text, the clothing was more contemporary/modern/industrial. Think jeans, boots, messenger bags, canvas, utilikilt. In less words; bad ass.

I can imagine this not working for some people, but it totally worked for me. The clothes looked good by modern design aesthetics, making it less of a distractions and allowed me to more fully enjoy the content of the play.

The whole play was knives and swords, that is until Octavius pulled out a gun. In the moment, this was great for the intensity factor, but for me it kind of blew the consistency of the period. If people have guns why did everyone waste their time with knives and swords until this point? This bothered me more then Julius Caesar being a women. That's not to say it was a big deal, but goes to show how minor both of them are. Elena wasn't bothered by this at all though. So maybe I'm being anal.

The Story

In high school, I was convinced Julius Caesar was the bad guy. Brutus and Cassius were noble martyrs. This conclusion makes sense as a modern day interpretation coming from an American worldview. "Freedom, liberty, and death of the tyrant" is something any good American can get behind.

But freedom and liberty for who? And what is really motivating the political action and for who's benefit?

All the details of this production couldn't have made the tension of the play more palpable.

The Most Memorable Scenes

Caesars dream scene sent shivers across ever inch of my body.

Cinna the Poets murder tied my stomach in knots.

Mark Antony's eulogy for Caesar was a riot

Conclusion

I don't fancy myself a theater snob, so I fear it's hard to be critical. As an amateur theater-goer I was blown away by this production. I never imagined I could have so much to say about a play. Personally, just that it was able to stir thought and reflection on so many levels demonstrates the quality of the production.

After this very positive experience we're looking into a subscription to the Portland Center Stage. They give sizable discounts on tickets and subscription packages for anyone under the age of 30. I have my eye on Anna Karenina coming next April.

Till then, Think of the World!

2011-05-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we made the most of our first really sunny day in Portland with a lazy stroll around downtown all afternoon.

We hit some of the favorites like South Park Block on PSU's campus, Pioneer Square, and the Central Library. The fountain in the picture is from the Standard Building plaza.

On this stellar day in Portland we also scored an equally beautiful 1853 publishing of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

The timing couldn't have been better.

We are going to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this weekend. I had been wanting to revisit Julius Caesar before we see the play. I only vaguely remember reading it in high school.

It has been refreshing to read Shakespeare again. You don't encounter this kind of elegance in writing very often. The words are not content to merely be read. They stir your tongue; begging to roll off your lips; begging to be spoken.

One obscure line in particular grabbed me. Cassius's farewell to Brutus at the end of Act 1 Scene 2:

"...till then, think of the world!"

At first this phrase was... odd. What does it mean to "think of the world"? The first answer that came to mind was, of course, another question.

In Cassius' historical context, how would one understand the concept of "the world"?

This lit up my brain with all kinds of awesome. But why stop there...

What was "the world" to Cassius in 44 BC?
What was the world when the play was written by Shakespeare in 1600 AD?
What was the world when this edition was published in 1853?
And how different the world is today in 2011?

What do you think are the major paradigm shifts through the centuries that have changed the way humanity understands "the world"?

I haven't formulated a satisfying answer to this question. But in conclusion, I will say, I don't think Cassius was intending his farewell to be taken literally by Brutus; I don't think he was literally suggesting that Brutus ponder the concept of "the world".

A general summary of the scene as it relates to the farewell: Cassius has been berating Caesar, simultaneously inflating Brutus' pride. So it strikes me as an inspirational, if not grandiose, farewell. In modern terms, maybe analogous to: "I'll see you later; and don't be discouraged, you can do anything that you set your mind to!"

Do correct me if I'm wrong. I don't fancy myself a Shakespeare expert.

The Best Things in Life are Free

2011-05-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Agree or Disagree?

I see two valid interpretations of this statement.

The first is hyperbole:

We all love free stuff - it's nearly impossible to resist. But it's hyperbole, because we don't really believe these free things are the best of life. We feel getting something free is better than paying for it because then we have more money to spend on something else.

The second is wordplay:

The best things of life are in fact free, because they simply cannot be bought with money. They can not be bought as tangible commodities, they are, dare I say, "priceless" (Mastercard has been airing a "Public Service Announcement" along these lines since 1997).

Though, there are some caveats to both of these interpretations:

Do we really value something that is free more than the same thing if we paid for?
Even further, are these "best things of life" which can't be bought with money, truly free?
Do they really not have any cost?
And would these things still be valuable if they didn't require a cost?

How we answer this last question decides whether the value of things are inherent or relative.

This topic was sparked by the following excerpt, which is a fictional exchange between a teacher and student concerning how the value of things in life are defined. I encourage you to read it to further process this topic.

Mr Dubois, the teacher, begins with a short lecture and then engages in some role play with one of the students:

"This very personal relationship, 'value', has two factors for a human being: first, what he can do with a thing, its use to him... and second, what he must do to get it, its cost to him. There is an old song which asserts 'the best things in life are free.' Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted... and get it, without toil, without sweat, without tears.

"Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain." He had been still looking at me and added, "If you boys and girls had to sweat for your toys the way a newly born baby has to struggle to live you would be happier... and much richer. As it is, with some of you, I pity the poverty of your wealth. You! I've just awarded you the prize for the hundred-meter dash. Does it make you happy?"

"Uh, I suppose it would."

"No dodging, please. You have the prize - here, I'll write it out: "Grand prize for the championship, one hundred-meter sprint.' "

He had actually come back to my seat and pinned it on my chest.

"There! Are you happy? You value it - or don't you?"

I was sore. First that dirty crack about rich kids - a typical sneer of those who haven't got (money) - and now this farce. I ripped it off and chucked it at him.

Mr Dubois had looked surprised. "It doesn't make you happy?"

"You know darn well I placed fourth!"

"Exactly! The prize for first place is worthless to you... because you haven't earned it. But you enjoy a modest satisfaction in placing forth; you earned it. I trust that some of the somnambulists here understand this little morality play. I fancy that the poet who wrote that song meant to imply that the best things in life must be purchased other than with money - which is true - just as the literal meaning of his words is false. The best things in life are beyond money; their price is agony and sweat and devotion... and the price demanded for the most precious of all things in life is life itself - ultimate cost for perfect value." (-Robert Heinlein)

The excerpt is from Chapter 6 (Page 93) of Starship Troopers. It's probably apparent why I didn't state that at the beginning - I wanted you to actually read it.

I've never seen the movie, and I don't have any desire to see it. The book is brilliant. It first lit up on my radar when a friend told me it was his favorite book because of the political and philosophical content. I was intrigued and subsequently delighted to snag a copy at a book swap.

Back on topic and in conclusion, I propose a more literal statement concerning the human experience to be "The best things in life are attained through agony, sweat, and devotion".

Googles "Dear Sophia" Ad is Creepy After All

2011-05-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

While I was getting all misty eyed from this video, Elena was appalled that Google would imply that you should aggregate all the information about your child's life in gmail (instead of a photo album or scrap book).

Another blogger contrasts Apples latest ad with Googles latest ad:

Think about how each company makes money and what they have to sell to make that money. Apple makes almost all their money selling hardware products — selling to you. Google makes almost all their money selling advertising — selling you. (Or in this case, your child. Seriously — yikes!) (tipb.com)

I guess Google just can't stop freaking people after all.

I don't mean to sensationalize this. On the contrary, this is a great opportunity to stop and take inventory of technology's role in our life.

We freak out because it's a change; we are entering into the unknown. How much information do we want someone, like Google, to have about our lives?

Yes it's new/weird/different/unsettling that Google is aggregating all the minutia of our personal lives (still anonymously of course) for the purpose of selling us to companies that want to sell to us. But keep in mind this is not totally unfamiliar territory (besides the fact that Google has already been doing this for the last decade). This trick is the dirty little secret of the magazine industry for the last century. Their profits don't come from selling you a subscription, rather selling you on their list of subscribers to marketers. But that didn't keep anyone from subscribing to magazines.

The fundamental shift is in the detail, accuracy, and scope of information about you being made available to marketers in the digital age. We now have to ask if this is too much information, and if so, why.

I find this to be a fascinating turning point in the consumer market.

Historically, there has been a vast chasm between buyers and sellers. To cross this chasm is to enter into a vast labyrinth, shrouded in grey fog, hiding many dangers, pitfalls, and dead ends.

In bygone days, it was the job of the marketer to lead expeditions into this chasm; exploring and mapping this labyrinth. Advertisements were the sign posts and trail markers that were constructed, pointing buyers on their path to the seller.

But in this dangerous land, even the signs couldn't always be trusted. They could be confusing, often misleading, and sometimes flat out lies. When possible, it was often easier to ignore the signs altogether and trust the guidance of a friend who had already navigated the path first hand.

Much time, energy, and resources are exhausted just trying to get from one side of the chasm to the other.

Well, that is until Google built a bridge straight over it - a direct link between buyer and seller.

Google is transforming the mystery of marketing into a science - cold hard facts - who you are, what drives you, what excites you. The details are meticulously logged and calculated to connect consumers to their needs and wants.

In fact, (and this might be the scariest part) we are entering an age where Google might even understand these things about you better then you do. To me, this is far more unsettling, and that's not necessarily Google's fault either. Unless this mystery about ourselves is a valuable part of the human experience?

Is it bad to be connected to exactly what you need and want when you need and want it? This is efficiency in the marketplace. Achieving the highest level of satisfaction for the least amount of money at the least amount of effort.

Are we losing anything if we continue down this path?

We lose frustration, dissatisfaction, buyers remorse, confusion, indecisiveness, wasted time... we lose mystery...we lose risk.

Risk-management through system efficiency.

Isn't that one of the main drivers of our modern age? Is that Good? Bad? You tell me.

Google Just Made Me Want to Have a Baby

2011-05-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

with their Dear Sophia ad:

Via DaringFireball

This is a refreshingly human side to Google after spending the last year trying to freak me out about technology along with Sony.

Insight Into Where Osama Bin Laden Spent His Final Days

2011-05-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

"The compound is just a few hundred metres from the Pakistan Military Academy - the country's equivalent of Sandhurst or West Point." (BBC)

"The Pakistani authorities are under growing pressure to explain how the al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, could have lived just minutes away from a military facility without being discovered." (BBC

How could the worlds most wanted terrorist have been living in a mansion within an affluent government city, a few hundred meters from a military academy?

It's a valid question.

While this seems unbelievable to the outside observer, the answer is quite obvious once you read the novel Shame. Once read, the location of Osama Bin Ladens compound will seem to be the most likely of events.

A good friend in India recommended this novel by Salman Rushdie a month ago. For me to read Shame in the weeks leading up to this event in Pakistan couldn't have been better timing. The novel is a fascinating exploration of the psyche and history of Pakistan (something I knew nothing about prior to reading) with some magnificent magical realism bringing it to life off the pages.

Personally, I would have expected Osama Bin Laden to have built a compound a little more like this monolithic safe house in Poland (make sure you check the link to see it in full "safe mode"):

As opposed to this:

Guess life is hard for terrorists these days too. Lets hope it stays that way.

What's So Great About The "Cloud"?

2011-04-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

The cloud is what will pull our PC's in to the Post-PC Age*; giving seamless integration to all our data in our our increasingly mobile centric lifestyles across multiple forms of devices (e.g. Desktop, Phone, Tablet, Automobile, TV).

In a previous post about the Post-PC age, I was reflecting on the prophetic foresight of Apple. In retrospect we can clearly see Apple set out on their current path at least as far back as the first iPod in 2001. Apple saw the technology in the pipeline and build a vision for a mobile future. The last decade has been patient and incremental steps, heralding in the increasingly mobile landscape that we live in today.

Now that Apple has established their iOS mobile platform, they are leveraging it ...as a lifeline to pull the Mac into the post-PC age. This is what Apple means when they say OSX Lion is "The Power of Mac OSX, the Magic of iPad".

This "lifeline" which links the two platforms now has a name: iCloud

This will be cloud computing demystified for the average user. In typical Apple fashion, it will "just work", seamlessly pooling all of your digital content together across devices.

We can already see the usefulness of the cloud manifesting itself on a micro level on Apples platforms:

AirPlay is a relatively new feature for iOS. It is a way to "throw" media content from any mobile device to a nearby video/audio output devices.
AirDrop is a newly announced feature coming on OSX Lion. The feature will be a seamless file sharing method, "throwing" any content between nearby devices.

We are on the verge revolutionary leap into seamless integration between mobile iOS 5 and OSX Lion, but on a macro level that will not be limited by proximity (enabled by that massive data center Apple has been building).

Overtime, iCloud will expand in scale, scope, and capability.

On a closely related tangent, I also believe Lion will be the last iteration of "OSX". Lion is a stop gap, before the full unveiling of unified platform for our modern mobile age.

As a new mobile and integrated future dawns, OSX as a traditional immobile and autonomous platform (surrounded by fragmented devices) of the PC Age will fade into the anneals of history.

By the next major OS release, all of Apples devices are going to be rolled into one seamless experience. That's not to say iDevices and Mac's will perform the same functions. On the contrary, they will still perform vital and differentiated roles in our lives, but the paradigm division between the two will be invisible.

Today it is a common routine to bounce back and forth between PC's and mobile devices (sometimes juggling both at the same time), they are often seen as two different platforms, not complementary platforms.

Tomorrow this transition between devices will be intuitive and seamless, not only in the ability to access all your data, but just as importantly in how you access you data.

And it all began with the elegant and intuitive liberation of 1,000 songs from your computer so you could put them "in your pocket".

*Post-PC does not mean Sans-PC.

Like Stars on Earth

2011-04-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is the English title of one of our favorite movies. Taare Zameen Par is the original Hindi title.

Yes, that means it's Bollywood. And no, stop cringing. Yes, you absolutely must give it a chance.

This movie will have you laughing so hard you will cry, then in tears of heartbreak, quickly followed by the variety produced out of joy, only to be repeat the cycle before your eye ever have a chance to dry.

By the end of the movie your heart is so immersed in the story you won't even care why you are crying anymore (These simultaneous tears of joy and heartbreak seems to be a trademark of Aamir Khan, as this is exactly I describe his more recent movie 3 Idiots).

The story of Like Stars on Earth explores the life of eight year old Ishaan, as he struggles through dyslexia to meet the standards that his family and society expect of him (Yet another similarity to 3 Idiots, in which we see this basic formula applied to young adults in college).

Even now as I write this post, after watching the trailer I confessed to Elena my surprise at tears forming even though we have watched the movie 5 times. She laughed from the couch, quickly followed by "me too!"

If you are a teacher, a social worker, a mentor, a parent, work with children in any capacity, ever happen to just be around children, or were ever a child yourself - you must watch Like Stars on Earth. At the very least it will break your heart with a deeper understanding and compassion for the children in your life. It might even give new insight on struggles from your own childhood.

I was reminded of this movie after reading an essay titled "The Uniqueness of Individual Perception" by Roger Whitehouse. It is another brilliant essay from the Information Design anthology. A lot of thought provoking insight into the vast spectrum of human perception, with a eye on vision in particular.

There is a quote from Whitehouse's conclusion in the vein of my recent series on education, especially in regard to the "Henry Ford School of the Future" model which dominates most of our schools today.

"It is tragic when dyslexic children are made to feel stupid, defective, and inferior just because we are uncomfortable with the idea of allowing our "standards" of performance to be bent enough to include them" (Information Design Pg 128).

It's one thing to understand this statement in your head, but a whole other to feel the tragedy in your heart. Watching Like Stars on Earth will break your heart under the weight of this tragedy.

I can count on one hand the movies I would recommend to one of any age, race, gender, culture, religion, or socio-economic status. Like Stars on Earth is one of them, placing it proudly among the best of Pixar.

Ever Want to be a Computer Hacker?

2011-04-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

Do you, as I do, answer that question with a resounding "YES!...only, like, everyday since I was 8!"

Now all you have to do is follow this link, click "Hack!", and start mashing your keyboard (Via i09).

You'll be the envy of all your nerdy friends.

Not a day passes when I don't dream of opening the command-line terminal on a computer and start hacking.

If only I was still in college. I would sit in the front row of class, bust out my laptop with this on fullscreen, and pound away.

Henry Fords School of the Future

2011-04-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

...is now our schools of today. Spoiler - That's not a good thing.

I have been geeking out on Information Design - how humans effectively understand and relate to the information around them. This has stimulated a lot of my thoughts on learning.

One of the more stimulating and intriguing voices I have found on Information Design is Mike Cooley (I even tracked down an old copy of the only book he ever published back in 1980; "Architect or Bee? The Human/Technology Relationship")

In an essay he wrote more recently titled Human Centered Design, Cooley looks at the impact of the industrial revolution in shaping how we understand ourselves and our modern paradigm on education.

...the educational system in general - and universities in particular - still seem determined to pursue teaching forms based on factory models. When Henry Ford donated a hundred million dollars to an institution he called the School of the Future, he said, "I have manufactured cars long enough to the point where I have got the desire to manufacture people. The catchword of the day is standardization"...

Even Ford's use of the word "standardization" is prophetic of our current fiasco with standardized testing in the public education system.

Cooley further deconstruct the factory model quagmire:

...More recently, I have described methods of organizing universities as factories within which the students are referred to as commodities, the examinations as quality control procedures, graduation as delivery, and the professors as operators. They have a Frank Worlf algorithm (computer-based) to work out the rate at which professors are "producing". The factory model is now all-pervasive. It conditions and distorts every aspect of life in the technologically advanced nations. I am not sure if it was every true in the Shakespearean sense that all the world's a stage, but it is certainly true that at the close of the 20th century all the word's a factory - and all of nature that surrounds us is inert material for it's remorseless production line. (Information Design Pg 72; my emphasis)

Chilling.

It's fascinating to think that less than a century ago, when "the machine" was still in a very rudimentary form, we were content, even proud, to think of ourselves as highly advanced machines (something along the lines of "machines might do manual labor better then us, but we still have the brains of the show"). Now that machines out class both our brawn and now in many ways our brains; it seems ludicrous, even scary, to think of ourselves as being machine-like.

The fact that the school and workplace are largely shaped by this paradigm is a huge source of many of our feelings of inadequacy and frustration (we are expected to be something that we feel utterly incapable of being).

It only seems natural that we would be disgusted by that antiqued "factory model" analogy, rejecting the idea that humans are machine-like; which leads to a reliance on standardized testing to ensure quality control in our schools and the relentless demand for efficiency in the workplace.

While the "human as machine" and "school as factory" analogy might have threads of truth, it has not aged well alongside the rapid advancements we have seen in the machine the last half a century. Now more than ever it impresses on the individual an impossible mold (to be consistent with the analogy by using manufacturing imagery).

It's high time to work our way into a new paradigm that more accurately understands the human condition.

Why You Must Listen to Mumford & Sons

2011-04-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Reason #9 - Thistle and Weeds

By now, the songs more or less interpret themselves because we have enough context from the previous tracks. I'll provide some lite commentary on the lyrics below, giving context from other songs in the album which speak to similiar themes.

Thistle and Weeds

By Mumford and Sons

In the opening 2 versus we see a very common theme from the album - a raw confrontation with the realities of pain, doubt, confusion, despair, and isolation in life.

Spare me your judgements and spare me your dreams,

Cause recently mine have been tearing my seams,

I sit alone in this winter clarity which clouds my mind,

Alone in the wind and the rain you left me,

It's getting dark darling, too dark to see,

And I'm on my knees, and your faith in shreds, it seems.

Corrupted by the simple sniff of riches blown,

I know you have felt much more love than you've shown,

And I'm on my knees and the water creeps to my chest.

In the next verse one gets the sense that, to some extent, all of this suffering is a result of ones own choices - on chooses to wander in the thistle and weeds of life. In contrast, there is choice of good seed - a design or an alignment to life, a good and right way humanity was made to live (From the title track Sight No More).

Also, make special note of the call to "look over your hill". Generally speaking it's an encouragement to look past the current hardship and suffering to a future where things are better. We will be given much deeper context to this in the remaining tracks on the album.

But plant your hope with good seeds,

Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds,

Rain down, rain down on me,

Look over your hills and be still,

The sky above us shoots to kill,

Rain down, rain down on me.

Now we arrive at the most chilling part of the song. It is a cry of defiance, a resistance to succumbing to the thistle and weeds of this world. This battle cry is very evocative of the refrain in The Cave.

But I will hold on

I will hold on hope

There's more to life than the physical. A wholeness to life springs forth when one chooses to submits to Truth and abides in the Order of creation.

I begged you to hear me, there's more than flesh and bones,

Let the dead bury their dead, they will come out in droves,

But take the spade from my hands and fill in the holes, you've made.

But plant your hope with good seeds,

Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds,

Rain down, rain down on me.

Explore the others Reasons Why You Must Listen to Mumford and Sons:

Reason #1: Sigh No More
Reason #2: The Cave
Reason #3: Winter Winds
Reason #4: Roll Away Your Stone
Reason #5: White Blank Page
Reason #6: I Gave You All
Reason #7: Little Lion Man
Reason #8: Timshel

Changing Education Paradigms

2011-04-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been asking a lot of questions about learning lately. This has led to my own crackpot theories and reflections on research studies.

Learning inevitably leads to the lightening rod issue of education.

Much of the dissonance in this discussion is the result of ambiguous definitions on a foundational level of what it even means to learn. That's leaves us a long way from general consensus on how learning occurs and why it's important for our society - and yet we argue endlessly about how the education system should work and how to test it's effectiveness.

I can't help but return to an animated video that I saw last year.

Sir Ken Robinson first sets the stage, by making sense of how our modern education system assumed it's current form. He continues to with some very provocative (in its presentation and it's ideas) critiques on why we need to, and suggestions on how we can, move forward:

I was pleased to see there is a whole series of these video up now, furnished to all netizens by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce...

"...a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress. Our approach is multi-disciplinary, politically independent and combines cutting edge research and policy development with practical action. " (TheRSA.org)

This is one organization from across the pond I will be following quite closely, might even rival Top Gear.

Book Swap Bounty

2011-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

I participated in my first book swap last night. A marvelous occasion.

Can you spot any trends in the demographics that were present at the book swap based on the stack I brought home?

There was a huge Douglas Coupland fan present. My wife and I grabbed two of the three that he brought. Coupland is a new discovery for us, and we both can't wait to dive in.

There was also a father and son who appealed much to my sci-fi disposition. I have been wanting to read Starship Troopers for the last year (ever since I heard the book is completely different then the movie). All the better, I scored two Heinlein novels.

I had brought my extra copy of Dostoevky's short stories. Someone else brought The Gambler. Apparently anyone who actually reads Dostoevsky have an unspoken magnetism. As soon as the Swap began, the first two books picked up were each others Dostoevky's.

The other two books in the stack are Dickens A Christmas Carol and Jesus in the Margins.

Now I just have to cancel all my holds at the library.

Why do a Book Swap?

Despite how psyched I am about the books I scored, the best part of the group was seeing everyone open up and share their interests and opinions. It's a great way to begin new friendships, build deeper relationships with long time acquaintances, and discover shared interest and new insight about those closest to you.

The fact that everyone walks away with a handful of new books and great recommendations is icing on the cake.

Who to invite to a Book Swap?

Think of a few friends that you have geeked out on literature with. That friend who shares your interest in some obscure genre of fiction, the history buff, the life long student, or the the pop-fiction-ophile. And then tell each of them to bring a friend or two.

5-15 people is a good range to achieve breadth is selection of books while still keeping the intimacy high.

How to organize a Book Swap?

1) What to Bring: A snack to share and at least 3 books to swap. Preferably these are books that you have read and can recommend, but they should at least be relatively good books in good condition.

2) Prelude: When guests arrive - books remain in bags/boxes out of sight. Begin with some socializing (don't talk about the books brought) and snacking (15-30 minutes)

3) Introduction: Go around the group giving each person a chance to introduce and explain the books they brought (What is the hook, Why you liked it, How it impacted you... occasionally some history on When you read it makes things interesting.)

4) Swap: Spread out all the books on a table (or floor) and proceed to pick as many books as you brought. There doesn't need to be structure to this, but it doesn't hurt to remind people to be respectful and keeps things slow*.

5) Conclusion: Hang around to eat and talk some more. The spontaneous conversations that follow are an exhilarating rush of favorite authors, influential works, and great recommendations.

*Some basic etiquette would be to pick up one book at a time, once your committed to keeping it, look around to see what others are picking up and chat with those around you before picking up your next book.

"Worn Out"

2011-04-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

An eerie fast-forward deterioration of objects in a stop-motion video:

Worn Out from Ryan Kothe on Vimeo.

Via Core77

Perfect accompaniment to my first post on this blog almost 5 years ago:

"I challenge you to name one thing in our world that provides true, pure, lasting happiness.

I cannot imagine a life where everything I love and put my hope in is of this world. It is only a matter of time before it is broken, before disappointment settles in, before it is outdated, before it gets old, scratched, devastated, ruined, shattered, or dies.

Where does that leave you?"

Raw Resources of the Mind

2011-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

We intuitively know there is something entirely different between memorizing vocab words and researching a persuasive essay. But does it make sense to vaguely refer to both of these processes as "learning"?

As I've wrestled to answer this question I came up with the following analogy to better understand the holistic role of learning in the human experience:

Knowledge is the sum total of raw resources that exist in the system. Much of it is growing on the surface, or rushing through the rivers, even more is buried under the mountainsides.
Comprehending is the gathering, excavation, and mining of the raw resources - the process of perception and acquisition of the raw resources by an individual.
Learning is a discovery process of the resource's properties, it's relationship to other resources, and imagining its potential. It is the refinement, processing, and synthesis of the raw resource towards being something more useful.
Wisdom is attained as a result of the repeated mining and refining processes; the finished product is a relevant and useful contribution to the system.

As I developed this analogy I found it extremely valuable to distinguish between comprehending and learning as two different processes. Previously, my own common usage of the word "learning" lumped the two processes indistinguishably together. But defining processes clearly allows us to talk about and understand them better; it allows us to be more precise and purposeful in our actions.

Let's get back to the example in my introduction. I Initially found myself wanting to describe memorizing vocab words as a "lower form of learning", while researching a persuasive essay is a "higher form of learning". I find this to be unsatisfying at best and severely misleading at worst - it implies that eventually one does, or should graduate from the lower level to the higher level of learning. However, that does not accurately understand the human experience.

One needs the perception and acquisition process of comprehending as much as one needs the refining and synthesising process of learning. They are cyclical, if not simultaneous, processes that requires attention to both.

Are the terms I used in the analogy correct? I'm definitely not confident enough to call it perfect.

For what it's worth, here are some explanations, opinions, and apprehensions I have with the analogy...

On my epistemological assumption concerning Knowledge:

Before I go any further, you should know I barely even know how to pronounce the word epistemological, but I've been dieing for a chance to use it. Now, back to the point...

I'm defining knowledge as being something that someone has (it's internal) or does not have (it's external); concerning truth, information, experiences, and concepts. The sum total of knowledge exists whether one has it or not - it is something to be perceived and acquired.

On the many synonyms of Comprehension:

The verbs comprehending, knowing, and understanding all seem very synonymous. So my choice of comprehending was based largely on what "feels" right, not on well researched logic.
To reiterate the point, the process of knowing/comprehending/understanding through sensory perception is the internalizing of the knowledge that exists externally (or in the analogy, "the acquisition of the raw resources"). I chose comprehension out of those three simply because I thought it sounds best.

"Knowing knowledge" is clunky.

Understanding seems too "blah".

Purely artistic liberty.

On the generic usage of the word Learning:

I'd be open to an argument that the general process (from knowledge to wisdom) is learning. If you want me to agree, you will have to provide me with an equally satisfying word to replace "learning" in the 3rd bullet point.

On Wisdom:

I'll be honest, I think I nailed the 4th bullet. I haven't even touched the phrasing since I first brainstormed the analogy last week.

Amygdala and Aha! Moments

2011-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Practicing to Learn was a reflective response to the following study I read on the amygdala.

The amygdala in the brain is not commonly associated with learning, rather it's primary role has been understood as the center of processing and memory of emotions.

However, a study done at New York University revealed otherwise. It appears that the amygdala plays a profound role in the metaphorical light bulb which shines in the moment of sudden "Aha!" insight.

"'Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the amygdala is important for creating long-term memories - not only when the information learned is explicitly emotional, but also when there is a sudden reorganization of information in our brain, for example, involving a sudden shift in perception,' says Ludmer. 'It might somehow evaluate the event, 'deciding' whether it is significant and therefore worthy of preservation.'" (via Physorg)

This understanding of Aha! moments, being a sudden reorganization of information in the brain that effectively creates long-term memories, resonates with how I understand my own growth in learning. After that pivotal event, school became less about rote memorization of facts and more about a steady stream of Aha! moments.

That's not to say each and every class, every single day becomes a euphoric experience of joyful learning. The human condition is far too complicated and messy for it to be that simple. Though I did notice the craft of a good teacher became more apparent and appreciated. And inversely, my predisposed interest in a subject became much less important to how much value I found in a class.

The following is my big take away from this study:

If new information doesn't reorganize existing information, it won't have a place.
If new information doesn't have a place, it won't be remembered.
And if new information isn't remembered, it will never have potential to be applied.

Going forward, I'll be thinking a lot about how to create opportunities for Aha! moments with children.

If we can equip an individual to pursue Aha! moments within the context of life, school becomes simultaneously meaningful and peripheral (not a means to an end, but a meaningful, appreciated, and valuable opportunity for growth in and of itself).

In Search of a Holistic Definition of Learning

2011-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

The simplest of terms seem to be the hardest to define. I have been searching for a holistic definition of what it means to learn. "Holistic" being how the term relates to other elements of the human experience (e.g knowledge, comprehension, wisdom).

The scent is not an easy one to follow; common dictionary definitions are useless.

I've spent the last week sifting through the many analogous and ambiguous terms that have all been baked indistinguishably into a mushy casserole.

Here are some of the paradoxical questions I have been wrestling through:

What is the difference between comprehending, understanding, and learning? I'd say the first two are synonyms, but the 3rd is something altogether different.
You can't learn without thinking, but can you think without learning? Yes, only if you agree with my definition of what it means to think. But I don't even know if I agree with my definition.
Is knowing, comprehending, and learning different? You can have knowledge, understanding, or even wisdom, but you can't have "learning".
We know you can't have wisdom without knowledge, and you can have knowledge without wisdom, but can you have knowledge without learning? I think so.
You can know how to learn, but can you learn how to know? Still not sure on that one.
Is teaching someone knowledge or a skill different than teaching someone to learn? Absolutely

Am I asking the wrong questions? You have better answers? I'd love to hear your perspective.

Practicing to Learn

2011-04-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

Persistant pattering of rain, ambient roar of the heater, the constant grey gloomy glow struggles to pentrate inside the window panes. A typical classroom environment in high school - high school in Portland Oregon.

It was my junior year at Sam Barlow High School. I knew the routine well after a few months of AP U.S. History; write like mad to capture every name and date that rapidly fired from the teachers mouth. Then pray that 80% of the notes I was able to scribble (75% was legible, of which hopefully half would stick in my short term memory) would be the right data to pass the next test.

Stressful. Mind-numbing. Passive. Boring. Meaningless.

But a conversation triggered an epiphany.

I don't remember the exact circumstances of the conversation; just that it was outside of an academic setting and I wasn't able to recall the significance of historical events that I knew had been covered in class. I do vividly remember this created a deep sense of personal frustration. I was investing so much time and energy in school but had so little to show for it in application. Whatever I had been doing surely wasn't learning, even if I was getting A's.

This was the catalyst.

On this day I showed up to class and found the lone left handed chair. Instead of picking up my pencil and hunkering down for a session of frantic dictation, I laid down my pencil and sat back with my arms crossed and a grin on my face.

This was an act of defiance.

But I wasn't giving up on the class. I was defying the premise that I was a mere machine being programmed with data which I was expected to recall on a test to demonstrate I in fact a functional machine. Instead, I committed to actively synthesis the information as it was given to me. I was going to actively listen, think, connect the dots of cause and effect, and question answers.

Everything was transformed.

The fact that I didn't get cramps in my hand anymore was only the beginning of my new found enjoyment of the class. The cause and effect began to make sense. Eventually I began to anticipate outcomes based on differing values and theories about the human system, affirming my reasoning when I was right and sharping it when I was wrong. The exhilarating "Ah Ha!" moments became more frequent, even addicting.

Relaxing. Stimulating. Active. Exciting. Meaningful.

The fruit was twofold. Outside of the classroom the information became increasingly relevant and applicable to the world around me. Inside the classroom I was no longer as stressed for exams, and studying was no longer "anxious cramming". I would show up the day of the test confident because I had a deeper understanding of the subject matter, not just superficial comprehension and memorization of the material.

I was for the first time practicing to learn - something all together different than acquiring knowledge through comprehension and memorization. It didn't take long for this to pour over into all of my coursework (math, english, science) and eventually every aspect of my life.

School became simultaneously meaningful yet peripheral - not solely a means to an end, but a valuable opportunity for growth in and of itself.

This post was sponsored by Christian Degrees:

If you want to serve others, and are interested in a degree that will help you learn how, check out Christian Degrees.

Complete History Of The Soviet Union

2011-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Video Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris:

While this is a great chronology of events, I am particularly fascinated by the use of Tetris as a lens to understand the timeline philosophically.

It should be noted that Tetris was originally created by a Russian, Alexey Pajitnov, in 1984 when he was working for the Soviety Union (to be exact, Soviet Academy of Sciences at their Computer Center in Moscow).

Now, notice the lyrics from the song at 3:53:

"I work so hard in arranging the block,
but each night I go home to my wife in tears.
Whats the point of it all when your building a wall
and in front of your eyes it disappears.
Pointless work for mindless pay, this is one game I shall not play."

I can't help but think that Alexey's own creative potential when designing Tetris was unleashed by his place on the timeline. Get's me thinking about how other games are reflective of their time and place in history.

The Microchip Story

2011-03-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

If your interested in Technology, History, or William Shatner you'll love this video (all the better, if like me, your a fan of all 3):

"They looked to nature for the answer. When they understood what nature was doing, they could control it." -William Shatner

Far out!

Unfortunately, the technology of today has proven to be much creepier. We saw last week from Sony that it's only a matter of time before Google's Android starts harvesting our thumbs.

Apparently, once Android has opposable thumbs, nothing will stop it and Samsung predicts it will take over the world (or at least South Korea).

Why are people advertising technology like this? Why do people think this is a good thing!?

Things begin to spiral out of control at about 26 seconds:

Via Engadget.

Why You Must Listen to Mumford & Sons

2011-03-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

Reason #8 - Timshel

Complete with an allusion to Steinbeck's East of Eden, Timshel revisits the themes first introduced in the title track Sigh No More and the full narrative of the album which is unveiled in The Cave.

Many of the tracks use metaphors and allusions to speak broadly about life. In contrast, Timshel is about a women in a very specific situation. We will get to that shortly.
To understand the meaning of Timshel, you must first read the following excerpt from John Steinbeck's East of Eden:

Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. “Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation [of the Bible] orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

“Yes, I see. I do see. But you do not believe this is divine law. Why do you feel its importance?”

“Ah!” said Lee. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time. I even anticipated your questions and I am well prepared. Any writing which has influenced the thinking and the lives of innumerable people is important. Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.” Lee’s voice was a chant of triumph.

Adam said, “Do you believe that, Lee?”

“Yes, I do. Yes, I do. It is easy out of laziness, out of weakness, to throw oneself into the lap of deity, saying, ‘I couldn’t help it; the way was set.’ But think of the glory of the choice! That makes a man a man. A cat has no choice, a bee must make honey. There’s no godliness there.

This understanding of Timshel provides an excellent lens to understand the womans situation, which is brought to light in the second verse:

And you are the mother,
The mother of your baby child
The one to whom you gave life
And you have your choices

We see a mother is in the midst of a significant Sigh of Life. The coldness and loss of innocence gives context to her desperate and painful situation. She is confronted with the choice to have an abortion (or possibly to put her child up for adoption). This is a Timshel moment, a life choice of paramount proportions.

As we in East of Eden, choices in life are not a legalistic "Do thou", or a predetermined "Thou Shalt", rather the glorious "Thou mayest". The choice to choose Love, Truth, and the way of the Maker.

But the allusion to East of Eden goes even deeper. In regard to these life choices, the end of the second verse ("And these are what make man great; His ladder to the stars") are the thinly veiled words of Steinbeck himself ("Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods").

The refrain brings us back to one of the major hopeful themes of the album - the fellowship of brotherly love first seen in the refrain of The Cave (But I will hold on hope; And I won't let you choke; On the noose around your neck). She would be choking on the weight of her circumstances, but she is not alone. She is in community with those who love her - the only way we can hope to weather the Sighs of Life.

Timshel

by Mumford and Sons

Cold is the water

It freezes your already cold mind

Already cold, cold mind

And death is at your doorstep

And it will steal your innocence

But it will not steal your substance

But you are not alone in this

And you are not alone in this

As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand

Hold your hand

And you are the mother

The mother of your baby child

The one to whom you gave life

And you have your choices

And these are what make man great

His ladder to the stars

But you are not alone in this

And you are not alone in this

As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand

Hold your hand

But I will tell the night

And Whisper, "Lose your sight"

But I can't move the mountains for you

Don't forget to check out all the reasons to listen to Mumford & Sons:

Reason #1: Sigh No More
Reason #2: The Cave
Reason #3: Winter Winds
Reason #4: Roll Away Your Stone
Reason #5: White Blank Page
Reason #6: I Gave You All
Reason #7: Little Lion Man
Reason #8: Timshel

The Anti-Facebook

2011-03-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Would you willingly add a dose of accountability to your digital identity?

Color is a new mobile social networking app with one big catch; you don't totally control the content. It intelligently pulls pictures, video, and text that are uploaded by everyone around you, creating a timeline/diary of your life.

In a mashup between a wonderful childrens story and a fascinating study on the effects of Facebook on your self-esteem I explored how our digital persona's have the potential to be dangerously uncoupled from reality.

Color offers a striking alternative:

"As for Facebook, Nguyen says he's started to lose his interest in the service. "It's become: Look at how amazing my vacation is, or look what great shape I'm in!" he says. "To me, it's way pithy. It's just become a highlight reel--and not real life anymore."

Real-life is exactly what Color hopes to deliver, with a hint of accountability. On other social networks, no one is held accountable for any photo uploaded--one can simply keep albums private or create a fake identity" (via FastCompany)

Everything is a Remix (Video)

2011-03-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

On the use of remixing in culture, specifically music. Brilliant:

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

How Much Radiation You Absorb Doing Everyday Tasks (Infographic)

2011-03-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

It took me a good 10 minutes to wrap my brain around the information in this chart, but it really puts the danger of radiation exposure into perspective.

Spoiler:

Relatively we receive a lot of radiation naturally
Beyond that, the most significant exposure to radiation is from medical scans
Finally, you would have to live nearby (~50k) the site of a perpetual nuclear catastrophe at it's worst (such as Fukushima) for at least half a year straight to receive severe radiation poisoning.

That's not to put the harm of radiation poisoning lightly, but relatively, the potential threat of radiation poisoning is significantly less then what I imagined.

Full size image. via io9

Optimism vs. Pessimism

2011-03-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Atomic energy is a timely application of being uneasily hopeful about technology.

But this thought was first conceived in my post about the role of social media in the Egyptian revolution. I concluded by expressing my "uneasy hopefulness" about the opportunities that digital technology offers for societal change.

I began toying with the merits of embracing a psychological state that is pinned between the tension of optimism (hopefulness) and pessimism (uneasiness).

If one is overly pessimistic, they will choke out the positive redemptive potential in themselves and others through judgement and a lack of grace.
If one is overly optimistic, they will unleash the negative destructive potential in themselves and others with a lack of accountability and discernment.

It seems one must simultaneously hold an optimistic and pessimistic view in order to advance the cause of redemption.

I somewhat related topic (though I'm not quite sure how) this is why I appreciate Trent Reznors music. The moments of cacophony, of utter disorder, compliment and even amplify the moments of order and beauty. This simultaneous order and disorder stimulates and stretches both parts of my brain allowing a deeper/fuller enjoyment that would not be possible otherwise.

Maybe it's a stretch to apply this to music, but maybe not. In many areas of life I'm seeing this model of necessary stretching, or discomfort, in order to grow and experience fullness.

Where have you experienced this in your own life?

Rescue in the Rubble

2011-03-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are in a half delirious state; trapped, injured and stunned from the building that collapsed around you.

The earthquake hit without warning. It's hard to say how long you were unconscious, but once you came to, you spent the first hour screaming for help. After no response, you struggle in vain with your one free arm to writhe yourself from the debris that has you pinned.

Time passes eternally as you fall in and out of consciousness.

A small amount of light passes through the rubble piled around you. You hear something moving nearby, but your mind can only fear the worst. Is it an aftershock? No, the noise is to small and localized. Is the structure going to collapse further? No, the noise persists too consistently. "Is someone there?", you shout. No answer.

It's getting closer.

Your eyes strain in the darkness trying to see into the crevice where the sound is originating.

The sound is even closer now.

You see some debris moving, and then, you scream in horror as THIS slithers through the crack:

The robotic snake swings it's head in your direction as it senses your frantic struggles in the debris and freezes it's gaze on you in recognition of your screams....

Now tell me, how do you feel in this moment? Is this a rescue, or a nightmare?

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather be found sooner than later. But what good is being found if you die from a heart attack.

After I wrote this I found an excellent Q&A with researchers who are wrestling with exactly this kind of situation. Unfortunately, their solution introduces a host of even more terrifying scenarios - teaching robots to be deceptive (which is horribly ironic because of the already strong association with snakes and deception).

March Movie Madness (Poll)

2011-03-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

64 of the greatest Science Fiction movies duke it out based on your votes, First Round is TODAY at io9.

I'm suprised Wall-E is beating Gattaca, otherwise (if your curious) my votes for round 1 are matching the current leaders (as of typing).
TODAY March 15 and Friday, March 18: First Round
Monday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 23: Second Round
Friday, March 25: Sweet Sixteen
Monday, March 28: Elite Eight
Wednesday, March 30: Final Four
Friday, April 1: Final Four
Monday, April 4: Championship

I can't imagine any moving having enough mass appeal to beat out Star Wars.

My prediction: Star Wars will beat Star Trek II: Wraith of Khan in the championship.

But it will be a lot of fun to see how the others fall a long the way!

Creepy Sony Commercial

2011-03-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you weren't already afraid of the impending apocalypse at the hands of sentient machines:

Well, we can rest assured that our harvested body parts will live on in the form of robotic hybrids.

At least we have the Dodge Charger, "leader of the human resistance":

That's an example of a commercial that understands my fears and doesn't twist them in to a nightmare. As a result I have a more positive opinion of the brand.

But this isn't really new for Sony, they already scarred me for life with this one:

And then there is always this classy ad.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Sony doesn't quite understand American culture yet.

Novellus Donates $1 Million to Japan Relief Effort

2011-03-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Inspirational kind of stuff that makes you proud to work for your company.
From the press release:

"Without Japan, the semiconductor industry could not have achieved the technological breakthroughs that have improved the quality of life for so many throughout the world," said Richard S. Hill, chairman and chief executive officer of Novellus Systems. "Furthermore, the success Novellus Systems enjoys today is directly related to the support Japanese companies have given Novellus over the last 20 years. There is no way we can turn a blind eye to such massive devastation. While money will never replace the souls lost in this disaster, it is our hope this donation can help the people of Japan know that they are not alone in their time of need. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people of Japan for their catastrophic loss."

Also, check out this eye opening before/after photo set of the devastation inflicted by the tsunuami.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

2011-03-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

I have introduced you to Chupwala's and Guppies; using the metaphorical imagery as a social critique of the trappings of Facebook (which in itself is not a problem, but is merely representative of our modern lives).

The Chupwala's, living in darkness, are polluting the sea of stories at it's Source/Wellspring while the Guppies live lavishly in a controlled state of perpetual light, taking the Stories for granted, even defiling them by rewriting themselves into the center of every story.

In one of my favorite excerpts; Iff, a Guppie, has a shocking revelation of the damage that has been done to the Sea of Stories:

Iff broke in. "Look down at the Ocean".The thick, dark poison was everywhere now, obliterating the colours of the Streams of Story, which Haroun could no longer tell apart. A cold, clammy feeling rose up from the water, which was near freezing point, 'as cold as death', Haroun found himself thinking. Iff's grief began to overflow. It's our own fault,' he wept. 'We are the Guardians of the Ocean, and we didn't guard it. Look at the Ocean, look at it! The oldest stories ever made, and look at them now. We let them rot, we abandoned them, long before this poisoning. We lost touch with our beginnings, with our roots, our Wellspring, our Source. Boring, we said, not in demand, surplus to requirements. And now, look, just look! No colour, no life, no nothing. Spoilt! (Page 146)

I can't help but think Salman Rushdie is pointing to an ever growing crack in our foundation. We've lost touch with our roots, distracted by an endless pursuit for lavish comfort, making the Story all about us.

This is one childrens story every adult should read.

Mac Poster Trilogy

2011-03-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Here's some Mac trivia (and art) for you Apple geeks.

This story begins with a piece of art. I was quite fond of "Exploded 128" by Garry Booth:

So Elena got me the whole trilogy for Christmas.

The 2nd piece is Macronaut by Ray Frenden:

But the trivia comes in with the third poster. I was having a conversation tonight with Rob about "Mac Ghosts" by Gary Gao, and we were trying to figure out exactly what system is on the right:

Well, after a good half hour of pouring over Apple products from the last 3 1/2 decades I have conclusive results.

Left is the late 1999 2nd gen iMac (with slot loading CD-R/DVD as opposed to the disc tray on the 1st Gen).

Center is, of course, the momentous 1984 Macintosh 128.

And the mystery system on the right is... drum roll... 1978 Apple II Plus with a black and white Sanyo VM 4209 monitor and two Apple Disk II 5.25" floppy disk readers (I owe the exact details to an old eBay bid):

At first I thought it was Lisa because I remembered the two 5.25" floppy drives:

It's Not About Us

2011-03-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, from the childrens story Haroun and The Sea of Stories, I mentioned the Chupwala's who live in darkness allowing their shadows to act independently of their true self. This is poignant metaphor for our digital identity which may not be rooted in the light/reality of our true self expressed in genuine community.

Well, on the other side of the planet live the Guppies. The Chupwalas live in darkness percisely because the Guppies used the P2C2E (Process Too Complicated To Explain) machine to lock the planets rotation in place so that they could live in perpetual sunshine.

Guppies? Maybe it's Yuppies.

But another interesting aspect of the Guppies is that their Prince Bolo and Princess Batcheat are equally reponsible for polluting the Stories, not by plugging up the renewing Well-Spring, but by distorting the existing stories to be all about them. Famous stories are rewritten, displacing the central characters with their own name.

Again, I'm going to direct the aim squarely at Facebook. To quote one of my favorite bloggers:

It’s not about us. The blogosphere, the Twitterverse, the Facebook generation has made everything so much about us... But I think scripture is clear that there are at least two things we should view as more important than ourselves: God, and other people [Matthew 22]. We should humble ourselves and think less of our own [opinions]... They have a place, to be sure, but it must all be grounded in a deep, Christ-like humility. (Brett McCraken)

We must keep the narrative of the story intact; not defile it by making the story all about us.

I'm just scratching the surface of the depth and beauty in Haroun. This is one childrens story every adult should read.

Your Brain on Facebook

2011-03-09T17:31:00.000-08:00

Or should I say the "Shadow of the Person, or Self, or Substance" on Facebook. I can see your quizzical look already. Let me explain...

There was a study by researchers at Cornell concerning the effects of Facebook on your brain. Students were placed in 1 of the following 3 situations:

A) 3 minutes in front of a blank computer screen (the control)
B) 3 minutes in front of a blank computer screen with a mirror nearby
C) 3 minutes browsing their Facebook profile.

Following this each student was given a questionnaire to gauge their self-esteem. Groups A and B saw no effect. Group C saw a positive spike in the self-esteem of participants.

"Unlike a mirror, which reminds us of who we really are and may have a negative effect on self-esteem if that image does not match with our ideal, Facebook can show a positive version of ourselves. We're not saying that it's a deceptive version of self, but it's a positive one." (Cornell Chronicle)

You might have expected these results, but is a self-created positive version of self really not a deceptive version of self? Some of those terms would have to be qualified for me to agree with that statement. But I digress.

Now, what am I getting at with this business about Facebook being a "Shadow of the Person, or Self, or Substance"?

Well, I recently read a children's story.

But this is not just any children's story, this is magical realism at it's best. A masterpiece by Salman Rushdie called Haroun and the Sea of Stories. And Salman knows as well as anyone that a children's story can contain powerful ideas - there have been attempts to take his life because of ideas in another of his children's books.

In one particular scene of Haroun, a central character named Rashid comes across an individual known as a Chupwala. Chupwalas are a society that live in darkness and are accused of committing a great wrong; polluting the Well-Spring that refreshes the waters of the Sea of Stories.

Also, you should know Chupwalas have taken an oath with their Cultmaster leader to never speak. So Rashid is translating an ancient form of sign language spoken by both the Chupwala and the Chupwalas shadow. Yes, the shadow speaks as its own entity. As you will see, in this land of darkness the shadows of a Chupwala can act independently of the Chupwalas themselves.

Now it was the Shadow's turn to 'speak'. 'You must understand that in the Land of Chup, Shadows are considered the equals of the people to whom they are joined,' it began (with Rashid translating again). 'Chupwalas live in the dark, you know, and in the dark a Shadow doesn't have to be one single shape all the time. Some Shadows - such as my good-self - learn how to change ourselves, simply by wishing to do so. Imagine the advantages! If a Shadow doesn't care for the clothes sense or hairstyle of the person whom it's attached, it can simply choose a style for itself. A Chupwala's Shadow can begraceful as a dancer even if its owner is clumsy as an oaf. You comprehend? What's more: in the Land of Chup, a Shadow very often has a stronger personality than the Person, or Self, or Substance to whom or to which it is join! So often the Shadow leads, and it is the Person or Self or Substance that follows. And of course there can be quarrels between the Shadow and the Substance or Self or Person; they can pull in opposite directions - how often have I witnessed that! - but just as often there is a true partnership, and mutual respect. - Pg 132 Haroun and the Sea of Stories

As I will discuss further in a future post, the Chupwala's live in darkness as the result of a machine simply known as P2C2E (Process Too Complicated To Explain).

Even though this book was written 21 years ago, it would seem the P2C2E is a fairly accurate analogy to our digital existence which allows our shadows to exist independently of our self.

"So Much Pain!"

2011-03-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Shelly (who I consider to be my art guru) wrote an excellent blog post on the Isenheim altarpiece.

I have always LOVED the Isenheim altarpiece because it shows us something really wonderful (and true) that the artist understood about Christ. Jesus' skin is all marked up in this painting for a very special reason. The monastery in Isenheim was run by the Brothers of St. Anthony, and served as a hospital. The Brothers of St. Anthony were especially skilled at taking care of people with some really painful skin diseases. The people who came to the hospital sometimes looked a lot like Jesus did here - big sores all over their bodies.

So, imagine being a patient at this monastery and walking into the chapel to pray. You feel miserable and you look up and see this picture of Jesus. Not only do you see a reminder of how he suffered to save you, but you notice his skin looks like yours. You see that Jesus is someone who knows what it's like to be you! He knows what your pain feels like, and like the Bible says he is always "interceding" for us when we don't even know how to describe what we feel...

After showing one of her classmates, "The first thing she said when she saw it was, "So much pain!" Yes. Exactly. I replied, "That's why I love it. It shows Jesus as someone who knows our pain."

This reminds me of another facet of the Crucifixion story - Christ Body in the Tomb.

Only instead of pain it's "So Much Death!"

I first came across Christ Body in the Tomb after reading about it in The Idiot by Dostoevsky; whom it had a significant impact on.

And if you are wondering why Christs body looks so similar in both works (particularly the hands), they were done by contemporary Germany painters in the first half of the 16th century. The altarpiece is by Matthias Grünewald and the tomb by Hans Holbein the Younger.

The Loss of Penmanship

2011-03-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Speaking of the ancient technology of pencil and paper, I've had a lot of conversations recently about the loss of penmanship (in this digital age of the keyboard).

I regularly find myself scrawling something on a post it note, only to have the first word come out as a incomprehensible traffic jam of characters. I've decided this is simply because my brain is trying to communicate through my hands too fast. Based on how smashed the first word is, I'm guesstimating that I type at least 4 times as fast as I write.

This also reminds me of a funny thing I saw a child do recently. We all know the ubiquitous sideways smiley that litters our casual digital communication, an obvious evolution of the right side up smiley that our teachers scrippled on our homework in grade school.

I saw a child hand write a side ways smiley face at the end of their sentance.

I suppose if that's all a child has ever known in the digital age, as far as they know, a smiley face is supposed to be sideways.

Whenever I discuss the loss of penmanship, there is always a sense of fear mixed with a sense of nostalgia. When literacy became commonplace, I'm sure many feared (or maybe not) we would loose our verbal story telling skills and memory capacity.

Maybe they were right.

But when we step back at look at it, this is a much smaller and insignificant step (physical script to digital script) then transitions from oral communication to written communication.

So lets loose the fear, and laugh about the quirks. :)

The Post-PC Age

2011-03-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Apple spent the last half a decade distinguishing between Mac & PC - so that they can champion the "post-PC age".

You can hear this repeatedly in yesterdays presentation.

If I understand correctly, Steve Jobs was brewing up the iPhone/iPad revolution in early 2000's before the Mac vs PC ad campaign began. I have a hunch they had a clear vision for ushering in the post-PC age.

We see here how strategic Apple is, especially in light of the "Back to Mac" renewal of the Mac platform. They are leveraging the iOS platform as a lifeline to pull the Mac into the post-PC age. This is what Apple means when they say OSX Lion is "The Power of Mac OSX, the Magic of iPad".

Apple is not leaving Mac behind in the dieing PC-age.

And I'm not speaking functionally (though there is plenty of truth in that too) so much as I am talking consumer perception of what is antiquated and what is the cutting edge.

Juxtaposition of Two Realities of Death

2011-02-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

That Zac and his wife Mandy can confront death so bravely is inspiring.

I was reminded again of these videos as I continue reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer explored the meaning of death after four fellow German pastors died on the eastern front in WWII.

In a letter following this event Bonhoeffer wrote:

"In the face of death we cannot simply speak in some fatalistic way, "God wills it"; but we must juxtapose it with the other reality, "God does not will it." Death reveals that the world is not as it should be but that it stands in need of redemption. Christ alone is the conquering of death. Here the sharp antithesis between "God wills it" and "God does not will it" comes to a head and also finds its resolution. God accedes to that which God does not will, and from now on death itself must therefore serve God. From now on, the "God wills it" encompasses even the "God does not will it." God wills the conquering of death through the death of Jesus Christ. Only in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ has death been drawn into God's powers, and it must now serve God's own aims. It is not some fatalistic surrender but rather a living faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us, that is able to cope profoundly with death. (Pg 384)

Name This Style of Art

2011-02-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

I need your help!

Elena and I watched Father of Bride II (we are rediscovering the Steve Martin classics) and I was struck by a piece of art hanging over the mantel in their daughters house (~46 minutes in).

While the subject is fairly mundane, I think it is beautiful. The problem is I lack the vocabulary to describe in words what moves me through my eyes. As far as I can tell I am drawn to the vivid lighting; with the harsh shadows cast across the bold colors.

Could any help name what style of art this is? I'd like to explore more like it and eventually try and find something for my own home.

Tears of Hope (Video)

2011-02-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

A young families story as they struggle through their fathers battle with cancer.

I posted The Story of Zac Smith (from the fathers perspective) almost a year ago. Please watch it before reading on.

Just this month a follow up video was released from his wife's perspective:

A Story | Tears of Hope from Adam Kring on Vimeo.

These video's remind me of the profound perspective on suffering and death in Man's Search for Meaning.

To quote further from Viktor Frankl's book:

"...But not only creativeness and enjoyment are meaningful. If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete." (Pg 76)

I have a great respect for these videos because they confront suffering unabashedly, understanding it as a reality of the human experience.

As Viktor recalls from his experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp:

Suffering had become a task on which we did not want to turn our backs. We had realized its hidden opportunities for achievements, the opportunities which cause the poet Rilke to write, "Wie viel ist augzuleiden!" (How much suffering there is to get through!) Rilke spoke of "getting through suffering" as others would talk of "getting through work." There was plenty of suffering for us to get through. Therefore, it was necessary to face up to the full amount of suffering, trying to keep moment of weakness and furtive tears to a minimum. But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the great of courage, the courage to suffer. (Pg 86)

3 Favorite Kickstarter Projects of 2010

2011-02-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Together raised over $1/2 million. Read about their journeys in crowd-sourcing creative projects:

Art Space Tokyo: Community fundraising and publishing in the digital age / $24,000
The Glif: iPhone tripod mount and versatile stand / $137,000
Blue Like Jazz the Movie: Grass roots funding for a movie that Hollywood doesn't think is worth it / $345,000

Beautiful Picture from the Egyptian Revolution

2011-02-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

In followup to my post on the role of social media in the revolution...

An Egyptian women tweeted "A pic I took yesterday of Christians protecting Muslims during their prayers".

Also, of all people, Bill Clinton has some interesting thoughts the role of digital technology in society - it's all about the public institutions.

Enjoy the Music of The Social Network?

2011-02-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have some excellent (legally) FREE Music (47 tracks to be exact) recommendations to share with you on my lunch break.

After watching the "making of" documentary I got excited about The Social Network all over again. One of the original hooks for me was learning the soundtrack was done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (FYI, they'll be back together with David Fincher to score The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo). I'd like to introduce you to some of their best work that is avaliable for the best price that exists.

First, if you enjoyed the music in the movie at the very least, you should download the Free 5 Track Sampler EP of the Soundtrack.

The free EP is notably missing some of the best tracks on the the official soundtrack, their cover of In The Hall of the Mountain King (originally by Edvard Grieg) is one of them:

Second, with some very similiar instrumental sounds, is a little known project by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (under the band Nine Inch Nails) called Ghosts. I have recommended this before, but I can't recommend it enough. I have been listening to this album more consistently the last 3 years then any other album. You can download Ghosts, the whole 36 track instrumental album, for free.

Here's one of my favorites, 28 from Ghosts IV:

Lastly, I have one more free 6 track sampler EP for you from Trent Reznors latest project, in collaboration with his wife Mariqueen Maandig and Atticus Ross, under the new band How to Destroy Angels (I posted a teaser video a year ago of his wife working on the project using a mysterious synth.) Can't wait for the full album on July 6th.

A Drowning is my favorite off the EP. Such raw and honest lyrics. This is Trent Reznor at his best:

It's the glare from the reflection
Making patterns in your eyes
It's the looking back in anger
With every second slipping by

Undertow has come to take me
Guided by the blazing sun
Look at everything around us
Look at everything we've done.

Please anyone
I don't think I can, save myself
I'm drowning here please, anyone

There's a tiny little window
Swarms of locusts fill the sky
Maybe I just disappear, If I can
Keep my head above the tide.

Please, anyone
I don't think I can, save myself
I'm drowning here please, anyone

Exactly What Role Did Social Media Play in the Egyptian Revolution?

2011-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

One of the major themes of our time that I'm most intrigued by is the rapid dissemination of information through digital technology. This is changing our society on every level; from our interpersonal relationships, our communities, our churches, our politics and our global human civilization.

As I closely watched the revolution in Tunisia and Egypt unfold, I had a nagging curiosity about the role of social media. When the world watched on as Egypt flipped the Internet switch off, my suspicions were all but confirmed.

Fast Company put together a great analysis of the 3 dimensions (vertically, horizontally, and compounding) that social media contributed to the revolution in Egypt. While a monumental event such as overthrowing a 30 year tyrannical regime can make us hopeful about technology, many of us seem divided on something like Wikileaks.

A lot of the changes happening in our social structures due to digital technology can make us feel uneasy, and rightly so. I used to understand this agitation as digital technology being "unnatural" or "foreign", like foreign bacteria being rejected by our immune system.

Digital technology is no less natural of a tool for social change than the printing press in the last millennium, no less natural to the human condition than even a pencil and paper. What has changed is the degree of complexity. And with greater complexity comes greater risk. But complexity and risk is hardly unnatural to the human condition either (one might even say that complexity and risk defines human nature).

I say all of this because I think we should not shrink away from technology and reject it as unnatural when it makes us uneasy. We are uneasy because we are unsure of how to responsibly wield it, we lack Wisdom individually and as a society.

I believe our technology has outstripped our Wisdom. We need to slow down, open our eyes, and practice self-restraint in wielding new technology. This is easier said than done because there are many very powerful forces at play which compel our society to unwittingly wield now and ask questions later (the central role of consumerism in our society manifested as techno-lust and the demands for efficiency in free-market capitalism).
But I'm not content to submit to this strong current because I believe there's a better way. This motivates me to advocate self-restraint and more responsible adoption of technology today (optimistic) while also seeking to anticipate the changes in technology of tomorrow so we can brace ourselves for the ensuing chaos that is sure to follow (pessimistic).

I am uneasily hopeful when it comes to digital technology - pinned between the tension of optimism and pessimism.

Lesson from the Children's Nursery

2011-02-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

This sappy reflection seems appropriate for Valentines Day.

On Sunday morning I volunteered for the first time in the nursery during Colossae's gathering.

A one year old girl was crying her eyes out because her whole world fell apart - Mommy and Daddy are gone. They'll be back in an hour, but she doesn't know that.

One of the other regular volunteers tried in vain to calm her. She would defiantly squirm and run to the gate at the door, crying out and reaching over with her tiny arm for salvation. She was yearning that someone would take her back to mommy and daddy.

Finally, I was asked to hold her because someone knew that she seems to calm down whenever a guy holds her. At first I was perplexed, but anything that would silent those shrieks, I figured it was worth the shot for the sake of my ears.

As soon as I embraced her in my arms I felt her whole body transform. Her spine relaxed while her tiny arms clung around me. Within a minute she was still and quiet.

It's as if she had an innate sense, as if she was created to trust and have faith that in a mans embrace she would be secure. She could relax, be at peace, knowing that her world was going to be okay.

There is a purity in her trust of mans embrace. A purity that this world won't ever be able to live up to. As she grows in this broken world she will learn the need to "Be wise as serpents—and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16).

All the same, there is a beauty and a great hope expressed in her innate sense of trust. A trust we all seem to yearn for; are even created for.

Man's Search For Meaning

2011-02-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

A Jewish mans reflection on surviving 3 years in Nazi concentration camps (Auschwitz, among others) - so get over the cheesy sounding self-help sounding title because this book is way more important.

After reading his account of entering Auschwitz I felt such a great weight, anchoring me to the ground I stood on.

With his experiences being so far removed from my own life, it is shocking how intimately relevant I find his reflections. It's as if all the noise of life was stripped away in Auschwitz, allowing him to stand face to face with the universal truths and challenges concerning the human experience.

Here's an excerpt from Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl to wet your palette:

And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstances, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate.

It has sold over 10 million copies (to put that it perspective, that puts it somewhere between The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Suess and Dante's Divine Comedy) in 24 languages, and was named one of the ten most influential books in America by the Library of Congress.

Probably worth picking up.

The Social Network just a Movie about Facebook?

2011-02-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

This 8 minute behind the scenes documentary and review will help communicate the art and value of this finely crafted film.

It's definitely worth viewing. Get your hands on it and let me know how it matched up to your expectations (likewise if you had already seen it in theaters).

After watching The Social Network you'll also enjoy Part 2 (Boston), Part 3 (Los Angeles), and Part 4 (The Lot). I have a much deeper appreciation for the craft of film making, especially David Fincher as a director.

Another post will be coming about the soundtrack. Keep an eye out if you like free music.

I'll leave you with this closing thought from Part 4 in the documentary:

"If you have time for that Facebook, you have time to tutor a child"

Meet the Dwarves from The Hobbit!

2011-02-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Video introduction from press conference in Wellington New Zealand.

Principle photography begins in about a month! I have been anticipating this day since September 2006, and I have the blog archive to prove it.

Follow the latest happenings at TheOneRing.net.

Phantastes

2011-02-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

If you like Chronicles of Narnia, this free book is a must read.

C.S. Lewis wrote, concerning his first reading of Phantastes at age sixteen:

"That night my imagination was, in a certain sense, baptized; the rest of me[,] not unnaturally, took longer. I had not the faintest notion what I had let myself in for by buying Phantastes." - Surprised by Joy

Lewis elaborates further in the foreward to an edition of Phantastes:

"It must be more than thirty years ago that I bought - almost unwillingly, for I had looked at the volume on that bookstall and rejected it on a dozen previous occasions - the Everyman edition of Phantastes. A few hours later I knew that I had crossed a great frontier. I had already been waist deep in Romanticism; and likely enough, at any moment, to flounder into its darker and more evil forms, slithering down the steep descent that leads from the love of strangeness to that of eccentricity and thence to that of perversity. Now Phantastes was romantic enough in all conscience; but there was a difference. Nothing was at that time further from my thoughts than Christianity and I therefore had no notion what this difference really was. I was only aware that if this new world was strange, it was also homely and humble; that if this was a dream, it was a dream in which one at least felt strangely vigilant; that the whole book had about it a sort of cool, morning innocence, and also, quite unmistakably, a certain quality of Death, good Death. What it actually did to me was to convert, even to baptise (that was where the Death came in) my imagination. It did nothing to my intellect nor (at that time) to my conscience. Their turn came far later and with the help of many other books and men."

You will quickly see just how much this book influenced Lewis. You will encounter allusions to the Wardrobe from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe as well as metaphors of human nature which will remind you of The Great Divorce.

This is also one of the four brilliant works that put me on the scent for discovering Faust.

If you have an e-reader, you can pick it up for free because the copyright has expired.

Once you've read it, I found an excellent essay written on the structure and conclusion. A beautiful symphony indeed.

Thank God the British have a Spine

2011-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

at least when it comes to their sense of humor.

Richard Hammond, on every ones favorite British automotive television series Top Gear, recently stated:

"Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

To make matters worse, Clarkson joked that the BBC wouldn't receive any complaints from the Mexican ambassador because he would likely be asleep. (autoblog)

Unfortunately the ambassador wasn't asleep, and demanded a formal apology from the BBC.

The following was BBC's response:

Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized. We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centered on national stereotyping are a part of 'Top Gear's' humor.

Well done.

I appreciate this response. In this case bowing to the pressure of being politically correct is a contradiction in itself. The offended is being close minded about how different people understand and relate to the world around them (isn't it the ambassadors job to understand this?).

One of my favorite aspects of British culture is their self-deprecating and severely sarcastic sense of humor

It reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.
It reminds us that we all look like goof balls in some one else's eyes.
It reminds that it's okay to laugh at yourself.

1984

2011-02-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

The commercial that redefined more than just superbowl advertising.

Adweek has a great article tackling the design process, history and myths sorrounding the iconic commerical:

"The real villain was our collective fear of technology, not a corporation either real or imagine."

Guess that makes Google the villain, because they sure seem to be working hard to make us fear technology again.

"The Big Brother of the spot wasn’t IBM—it was any government dedicated to keeping its populace in the dark. We knew that computers and communications could change all that"

This is particularly interesting in our day of Wikileaks, Twitter solving real world problems, and national revolutions being organized on Facebook.

Fairy Doors & Wanderlust

2011-01-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

"It's sad that you never hear anyone say they are dyeing to explore their own town..."

I have gone on a couple exciting far aways journeys in my life. Occasionally I wrestle with the nagging yearning to travel to new and far away places, but the times in my life when I have been most content is when I am able to notice all of the variety and beauty in life that is right here around me.

This video is a great reminder of that.

Green Truck in Tree of Life

2011-01-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

This truck was restored by my uncle before it was used in the film.

My uncle has spent his life locating and restoring classic and antique cars for people all over the country.

The green truck used in Tree of Life is a 1954 1 Ton 5 Window Chevrolet Grain Truck that he found in South Dakota with ~50,000 miles on it.

If your interested, he currently has a number matching split bumper 1971 RS Z28 Chevrolet Camaro:

You can contact him at richard_knepprath@yahoo.com.

The Future According to Google

2011-01-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

They sure know how to make it sound scary.

"...supercomputer powers can give us "senses" we didn't know were possible. "Think of it as augmented humanity" he suggested."

Schmidt, being one of the most influential people in one of the most influential tech companies, sure knows how to freak people out about the future technology.

He's making a habit out of it. I posted this quote a few months ago:

“We don’t need you to type at all. We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about.”

Seriously Scmidt, even if it's true, you don't have to sound like a creeper when you say it.

People Who Inspire Me

2011-01-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

After participating in NaNoWriMo I became self-aware of the need to identify creative wells that I can draw from.

I wanted to share a few of these that stimulate different senses for me. I would broadly categorize these as visual, musical, literary, and intellectual. Though you can see how each easily splashes over into other categories.

Please share who (or what) function as your "creative wells". Any that engage different sense then what I have listed?

Here are four individuals who inspire me, in no particular order:

Dieter Ram (visual) - I am drawn by the thoughtful and funactional simplicity in his design. Sure fire way to light me up is to read over his 10 rules of design, allow my eyes to wander on his designs, and just reflect on the objects in my environment.

Trent Reznor (musical) - More then any other music, his music transports me to another place. I understand his music isn't for everyone, but if you want to give it a shot, I encourage you to download his free instrumental album Ghosts (especially if you enjoyed the soundtrack to The Social Network). Brilliant work of audible art that I have regularly listened to since it was released 3 years ago.

Dostoevsky (literary) - When I read Crime and Punishment my senior year in high school it ignited something inside of me. But so much more then just a passion for literature, it sparked a burning desire to learn, understand, and explore the human experience. Dostoevsky, more then any other author I have read, evokes such raw and vivid human experiences. And it's so much more then reading, it's analysing and studying, piecing together the puzzle pieces of meaning and truth in life.

Radio Lab (intellectual) - This is technically (at least) two people who inspire me. Radio Lab is easily my favorite show on NPR. Each episode is rich in ideas, full of aural textures, and exposes you to different perspective on the whole human experience. I posted about the episode titled Limits. My preferred listening method is the podcast through iTunes.

People Who Changed the Way The World Works

2011-01-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Inspiring video honoring IBMers over the last 100 years:

Love the soundtrack.

While I'm on the topic of inspiring stories, the story of the Glif going from idea to market in 5 months is up there with the best of them.

Link-o-Rama 1/20/11

2011-01-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Links on why I'm "hopefully uneasy" about how technology is shaping our world.

Calling out those in power who are side-stepping their share of the tax burden. Will be interesting to see watch what happens when this one drops in the next few weeks.
The numbers from holiday smartphone sales - Apple and Samsung are the big winners. Is this an indicator of what I wrote earlier about the importance of the philosphical values driving comanpies like Samsung and Apple?
The power of social media in Tunisia's revolution against a corrupt government - shifting the power of frear from the leaders to the people.
Also interesting background on the Stuxnet virus that severaly handicapped Irans nuclear program.
OPB Think Out Loud Discussion on how technology is changing the way students learn.
And just for good measure, It's been awhile since I've posted a link to a nice post-apocoplytic scene from Russian. The remains of Project Buran.

I haven't done a Link-o-Rama since 2009, but I might have to resurrect the habit for 2011. Otherwise, my sanity is undermined by way of overwhelming my browser with tabs.

I'm Reading a Book (Vid)

2011-01-18T21:14:00.000-08:00

Julian Smith just released my theme song: