I found this while doing a little research for Rashomon. It's not too long and really quite interesting. Do you think I should pay more attention to Japanese color associations or American, when using color in Rashomon? Do you think I should play to my audience (Americans) or keep in the mode of Japanese genre and adhere to the tradition Japanese associations?
Mr. Asher Woodworth...
Do you now, or have ever, associated with individuals from the above link?
No purpose to the site execpt to show these people off... so strange.
I happen to catch the end of this incredible Chris Walken movie on TV a few seconds ago. In
Brainstorm Walken developes a computer to record a complete moment in a person's memory. An entire experience in digital information. Along the lines of "
Altered States"...
Tsunami information links and photos.
In the transhumanism train of thought.
This will be a very interesting resource. I'll come back to it later.
Jake-
You'll never believe how fascinating these toes are. Some are compleatly hairless. Now can you imagine having no hair on your toes?
Rate it baby.
Ash
This may be my first high quality pure web find. I gotta get this up on Metafilter or something. Is it real!?
"Freedom of Love
During a recent shoot for Vanity Fair, Nick Knight created a number of on-set scenarios for intriguing visual and aural actions for subject Brad Pitt to perform, so as to engage the actor in 'pique' performance. 'Freedom of Love' is a short film which captures Pitt in action during the shoot, energetically painting onto a huge blow up of his own face, and adding caption, and contemplatively reading surrealist poetry. Pitt reads from André Breton's poem 'Freedom of Love', a one stanza, sixty-line homage to his wife. The poem cites a beautiful litany of comparisons for her physical attributes, deftly playing with language that eludes any commonplace romantic imaging, instead presenting uncanny metaphors. Breton was the provocative, passionate leader of the avant-garde literary and artistic movement Surrealism, who believed in 'revolution of the mind', and in the 'marvellous' - dazzling combinations of words or visual images, spontaneously created by automatic processes of the mind."
I found a link to this Gallery on Presstube. I can't believe this!
Just some humor to go along with your last post Jake.
By the way, would you... if you could?
While I understand very little of Cliff Pickover's math/freaky religion world. I was digging around this page, and I really dug this idea...
"
From: ollyhardy
I think Cliff's Pi idea is extremely interesting. If we put aside the goal of immortality for a second, we might consider other, more mundane uses for pi. A pi based algorithm might alllow for some unbelievably efficent data compression. Think about it. You want to copy the Encyclopedia Britannica, or a photo of your aunt, or the latest Scorcese flick? Just jump to the appropriate strings in pi. Of course, exactly how we would be able to recognize and any given string in pi as the blue print for something we know in th ereal world is easier said than done. Imagining sheerly speculative, sci fi type technology, I can envision a machine which scans objects, digitizes them and then searches for those strings in pi. It then stores the "addresses" or locations in pi where the information for any given object can be found. Once the machine knows "the address" or adresses in pi of any real world object, it can retrieve the information or build a copy as needed. Even more intersting, imagine getting creative with pi machine. Imagine a brain interfaced with a "Pi Machine" such that it could translate your thoughts into pi digits and then make your fantasies a reality? That'd be worth at least 50 bucks. "
Also from Cliff's Reality Carnival is
The Zymoglyphic Museum. I pretty much really like everything there....
-JAKE
Great basic outline of transhumanism. A concept which is distinctly Kurzweilian. While I clearly support Transarchitecture and general design issues in terms of our relationship with technology, I have some big problems with "Transhumanism." The whole thing reeks of disturbing misplaced escapism. Transhumanism argues that construction of certain physiologically enhancing technology brings us to a new destined "Post-human" state. To me, I would expect the improvement would be superficial. While it seems sort of religious.... I would expect we have certain human defenses built in which force us to reject such prosthetic improvement. The costs would be payed in emotional and physical damage. Not to say we are incapable of creating such identity changing devices. While the Transhumanist link points to medical and physical rigging of our brains for total mood and intelligence controls. I would say that the side effects and complications of today's mental health pharmaceuticals prove that our bodies will disagree. I don't think it is just incomplete design that dissatisfies patients of these drugs. I think it may be our intincts for simplification and enlightenment which counteract transhuman growth. Also Transhumanism is seems to be mistakenly individualistic in it's view of our future. I hope to find themes of technologies and designs which seek to improve these instincts of simplification, enlightenment and satisfying community. While being equally future looking and technology aware... Only reaching toward and allowing us to search and understand these conflicts. It all becomes issues of individual object and idea ethics... I support "X," I disagree with "Y." We have to allow both X and Y to be developed before we make such decisions, which is a strange and difficult position to be trapped in. We just have to be hyper aware, and regain cartiledge strong philosophical guidelines. Firm but reshapeable.
I am not sure what I mean... But I hope to be able to represent these conflicts in actual blog link examples and with my life choices.
Is this how everyone
gets when they stay
up till 4:00 in the
morning?
-JAKE
ps. Everyone should see the
new queen of "videoblogging," Dylan Verdi
jake-
I just wanted you to laugh with me on this one. click on the animated girl named "jenny"
can you guess which facial charecteristic reminds me of the jenny we know?
If anyone hasn't seen Gaping Void they should definitely check this out and see why I enjoy it so much. For the first sections of the book it outlines Hugh's professional, creative, and personal life. It makes for this amazing American epic of angst. Hugh is all about dealing with disgust and aspiration. While the book eventually collapses in advertising and brand philosophy, the first section is pretty compelling. Not to underplay Hugh's ideas, cause I really support them. Often they feel like a cry to be hired though. Hugh's descriptions of life in the creative business world explain a culture that was a mystery to me and many people. He is really coming from a special place. Check it out.
I found this link to "
Nathan Shedroff's World" hanging out around the
"Interaction Design" forums on Core77. There is something really scary about the comprehensiveness of Nathan's site. Nathan is what he calls an "Experience Designer." And by the breadth and success of this guy's career he can call himself whatever he wants. He has written multiple books on the subject and been working the digital design field for years. With some digging around you find out he was the primary force for the creation of Nike's website to say the least.
Nathan is incredibly passionate about Interaction Design and the website is a shrine to it in all forms. There is even a glossary of "Experience design" terms, and many writings on what experience design. Nathan's examples archive has neat links from Sesame Street, to some really out there hypertext works. His personal projects section is the most intimidating. He has some really incredible stuff. I happen to really like his
sustainable energy labels, a pretty simple suggested solution to some huge problems.
To touch the site off, Nathan has "
Other Nathans..." listing. A HUGE listing of email addresses of other people and institutions named "Nathan."
I could go on forever with this guy. I highly suggest everyone spend some time with him.
I thought this was worth posting. A matter of interest for all of us. The site is just packed with information about the politics of the internet. Jake, you should sign yourself up.
The least you'll get out of it, is a pretty extensive history.
-Asher
While I don't always like the content of their clients. SOFAKE is doing some really incredible website design. Click on the second box and scroll through some of their sites. Granted, you have to be on a fast computer. Every site has a really natural flow that is pretty uncommon. Yet the mystery of allowing the user to click and explore is always there. Check out
www.billyharveymusic.com. Pretty different. -Jake
I found this on the site for the publishing company
Red Ink like Blood. Its a "Primer on xerography[copy machines], silkscreening, and offset printing. Awesome idea. I wish there was a bit more. Perhaps there are similiar guides out there that are more comprehensive. The "Line art" section was pretty interesting, explains a process to get those "Lichtenstein" dots on your own drawings(at least I think). -Jake
"Seen in more than 100 countries Nova is the most watched science telvision series in the world and the most watched documentary series on PBS. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over"
Tonight I happened to catch "The Elegant Universe" on Maryland Public Television. It explains some of the basics of string theory, the "Big Bang," and how research like atom smashers are relevant in defending these theories. I was reminded by the fact that Asher told me(or verbally blogged, if you prefer) this episode, and other NOVA shows were free online.
So, this post is Asher, via Jake
Bruce Sterling's speech.
THE 6 SIDED BOX WHICH HOLDS THE FUTURE
1. Interactive chips (label objects with indentity)
2. Local and Global positioning systems
3. Powerful seach engines
4. 3d virtual objects
5. Rapid protype production of objects
6. Design for self recycling objects, zero emissions, new death of objects
"...My suspecion, my theory, is that we are about to give identity to almost everything we make...I call these objects 'Spimes'..." - Bruce Sterling
I am mesmerized by this statement. I agree wholeheartly with everything Bruce says. My questions and ideas are around how we will use spimes beyond the simple evironmental and human responsive solutions, and how we are going to use them to define ourselves. Building spimes to form communities around them.
Freakin out in MD,
JAKE
My New backround
I wanted to share my new backround with Shepherd's Pie readers. I am really happy with it. I wish I could draw in this style. The artist is named Witold Reidel. I encourage everyone to check out his stuff. He makes all kinds of designs like these.
Ahh. Beautiful use of the technology. I remember coming across
Samuel Pepys diary about a year ago. Only Pepys' diary is boring, and this is incredible. Nice to have the blog format for what is really a day by day calander. The difference is the community that can form around the Thoreau journal. If you look carefully on the Thoreau blog, the comments link is renamed "Observations." I hope as the site catches on, people share observations and ideas on the entries. I can't wait to see this one take off!
-Jake
Bruce Sterling
In relation to the idea of TransArchitecture.
Found through my new favorite blog "WorldChanging.com"
Bruce Sterling said this at the 2004 SIGGRAPH conference...
"Having conquered the world made of bits, you need to reform the world made of atoms. Not the simulated image on the screen, but corporeal, physical reality. Not meshes and splines, but big hefty skull-crackingly solid things that you can pick up and throw. That's the world that needs conquering. Because that world can't manage on its own. It is not sustainable, it has no future, and it needs one."
Asher this guy has some classic lines. Artists works in glass and drawing. I could watch this guy all day. I wonder how he got his eyepatch?.... -Jake
I remember seeing some of this guys work a couple years ago. Now I realize how much I truely connect to what he is saying. I think there is a huge amount of weight behind this concept. I believe it is Transarchitecture that will be a major link in succesfully globalizing the devolped world. Beyond our goods and travel, our senses and spaces must also be connected to other people in order to practice the lifestyle matching our outer interconnectivity.
I think I may be over-posting. If Asher is out there? please comment. I am just doing a lot of surfing and can't help myself.
-Jake
The pictures are really funny. Article I found digging around
Ray Kurzweil's essay archives.
Ash, you might like some the stuff there. See articles like "Death is an Outrage," or "
The Cyclic Universe." A lot of this stuff was published in
Edge magazine. Which seems like an amazing magazine.
Ideo is everything I want to be a part of. I just have to find a way to get there. It is scaring me how difficult it may be to get there. Or whether I have the mind and talent anyway. I'm sitting here trying to discover some kind of a path I can slide into. I just may have to machete my way in.
"This jello mold transforms a famously unstable material from a jigglying blob into a soaring structure. " :)
Judge me all you want. I love this.
Via this guy's infamous brilliant
tissue ring -Jake
Steve Mathcaddy's high school essay on the difference between stealing and piracy.
"His teacher failed him, saying there was no difference between the two and that he was "splitting hairs". Other teachers who read his essay said that he did well from an organizational and technical standpoint, but because his teacher felt that there was no difference between piracy and stealing, she gave him an 'F' because she disapproved of the content of his essay. "
via
Boing Boing
Yo Ash. We have that dead tree on campus. It's a shame to cut it down. I suggest we try something like this. via
conerstonegardens
I am fascinated by Lovemarks. My instinct is that encouraging consumers and corporations to use our feelings of love and fantasy is by default, evil. Defining ourselves in terms of the objects we buy, and the brands we choose to love, seems to be the cause of the mysterious depression and dissatisfaction that is such a prevalent part of our lives. But what is identity anyway? Who am I anyway? I am my favorite movies. Indian food. Punk rock. Go and read some of the voluntary comments. Could you be caught making a declaration of love to a product? In a world of such gross overproduction, material identification of ourselves is a logical path of life. If we can accept this, than we can control it to our advantage. Our collective consumer love, where we give, and where we don't, can be far more influential than simple purchasing power. Lovemarks may be the fact... Not an advertising option. Whether your lovemark is the Dali Lama or Tom Cruise, the structure of identity stands. It seems in global sense people often choose either "Lovemarks," or cultural fundamentalism. I like the "
Cluetrain option." Even more than I like Cluetrain, I like
Hughtrain Either way
this man may perhaps be the devil.
Your Lovemark,
Jake
Columbia, Maryland is home. In a twisted sort of way this relates to Architecture For Humanity. "Columbia has turned vision into reality. We invite you to join us."
Often I claim to have to have an idea of what I want to do with my life. However, I often have difficulty and embarrasment whenever I try to explain. I claim it is best explained in the examples. This link is a perfect explanation of something I hope to be a part of.
Ah! Jake I think I beat you on this one. This site is, in the words of Stevie Shubart, "A Darnk Score!"
It's all this interactive art made for the internet. You're familiar with the stuff. It's just links after links of the fuckin' nar nar phat shnazzzzzzzz!!!
don't miss out on this.
Sollins. I too have been out of my mind doing all kinds of crazy shnacks for my special gift receiving someone. In case you're interested in a psycho-analysts angle on the blogging scene.
Did you see those crazy comments that were left under the Purto Rican Coffee post? It reads an awful lot like Phelan to me.
What's this nonesense about Canada and Yoseff? Last minute adventure planning?
Stealing this right from Ikastikos (whose work definitly seems mentally unstable). Asher and I have been really busy making gifts, making comics, and studying for papers. If anyone out there is an expert on Savanarola and Florence at the turn on the 15th century... my email is jakesollins@yahoo.com... lets talk.
All the blogs have been covering this, however "Shepherd's Pie" readers may have missed this. One of the most impressive ideas I have ever come across. Someone suggested to me that even better would be if the dectecting plants used their roots to disable the mines. Gives me high hopes for the future of the world. Far superior to the biodegradable cell phone that has sunflower seeds imbedded in it. --- Jake
The island economy of Puerto Rico seems like the most compelling, and comprehensive study group to me. Coffee seems to be the biggest export by far. I would love to get out and visit this place. Really, I hope to get out and speak to some of the people behind the tourist industry, and see what they think of the ideas behind "Vacation."
i guess you found the motherload. here is something a little more specialized. he's from baltimore. (jake's from baltimore too)
the title: "sound mechanic" is pretty cheesy but that's certainly what he is.
you can find a few good mp3s if you look around. the pictures are fun too.
...or, if your in the mood for something more organic:
the first vienna vegetable orchestra.
Found the gallery I was looking for. This place seems to be the prime organized list of crazy motherfucking instruments. The pictures are amazing. The men who build the instruments are pretty impassioned. Definitly akin to Jacob Cohen.
Yo, Ash! Forget electric kazoos. All you need is a bendy straw for some funky sounds.
Found this while looking for that instrument gallery.
reference library of digitized insect sounds.
this is some pretty good stuff. the buzz of many colors
Just some basics...
When I met Jake 2 years ago, I thought I was the man. He was pretty quiet and rather neurotic. I didn't like him one little bit. He wasn't a badass like me.
Jake came to school with a whole CD case full of DVDs... he had all kinds of stuff in there: Bottle Rocket, Titus, Cool Hand Luke... movies I'd seen in the art-house movie theater in my town. Some I hadn't seen.
Jake was interested in things that I didn't admit I was too. I had to be a badass, afterall. He was pretty quiet and rather neurotic. He gave a satisfying jump when you scared him from behind a corner.
Jake was a "pup-culture guy."
