Sunday, November 11, 2012
So much.
America Via Erica: Speech: Below is the video and transcript of the Coxsackie-Athens HS Class of 2010 valedictory speech that went viral on the web, thus proclaiming m...
Friday, November 9, 2012
Dreamscapes
It seems like with the fantastical immersion resulting from such films as Avatar and Lord of the Rings has come the resurgence of dreamscape advertising. L'Odyssee de Cartier is one of the most amazing commercials ever produced. It is described as a journey between dream and reality. Does it work? Especially with the high associated cost?
In this case, yes it does. Any short that can bring a gem leopard to life, bust through the snow, race an a timeless carriage drawn by white horses in a wintery magical St. Petersburg, hop through the precious hoops, face off with the floating dragon that becomes the great wall of China, walk into an ancient Taj Mahal-esque temple that is riding on the back of an elephant (metaphors anyone?) hitch a ride with Alberto Santos-Dumont back to ye old Paris to get pet by a mystical nymph is well worth imaging. Respect.
In this case, yes it does. Any short that can bring a gem leopard to life, bust through the snow, race an a timeless carriage drawn by white horses in a wintery magical St. Petersburg, hop through the precious hoops, face off with the floating dragon that becomes the great wall of China, walk into an ancient Taj Mahal-esque temple that is riding on the back of an elephant (metaphors anyone?) hitch a ride with Alberto Santos-Dumont back to ye old Paris to get pet by a mystical nymph is well worth imaging. Respect.
Monday, October 29, 2012
My eyes!
Oh, good. I usually forget these things anyway so I am excited that people are focusing on creating a more lasting impression. BMW has been working on an ad campaign that burns a BMW logo into your eyes, so to speak, so that when you close them, instead of the fuzzy blackness, you get a beamer reminder. Oh, good.
http://theweek.com/article/index/210537/bmw-burning-its-logo-into-your-brain
http://theweek.com/article/index/210537/bmw-burning-its-logo-into-your-brain
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Vibrations
I've been doing some thinking. And I think that certain messages, if delivered with certain sounds, intrinsically are easier to remember. Wait, that's not quite it. The messages automatically become logged and I find I have an immensely high recall of technical facts years later if I hear those sounds. This is one of them. Tibetan meditation (low range) bowls are another.
I would probably be interested in making a hang drum someday because they are so supa sweet.
I would probably be interested in making a hang drum someday because they are so supa sweet.
Athene's Theory of Everything.
Uh. Ya, had to watch it twice. Still didn't get all of it. Kind of a funny presentation but the messages- obvious, subtle and distilled, are brilliant.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Amber is the Color of your energy
Ah, forgot to add this bit. Good on you Wikipedia!
The English word amber derives from the Arabic anbar, via Medieval Latin ambar and Old French ambre.
Amber is discussed by Theophrastus, possibly the first historical mention of the material, in the 4th century BC. The Greek name for amber was ἤλεκτρον (elektron), "formed by the sun", and it was connected to the sun god (Helios), one of whose titles was Elector or the Awakener. According to the myth, when Helios' son Phaëton was killed, his mourning sisters became poplars, and their tears became the origin of elektron, amber.
Another early reference to Amber was Pytheas (330 BC) whose work "On the Ocean" is lost, but was referenced by Pliny. According to The Natural History" by Pliny the Elder:
While amber is not actually named, it is called the concreti maris purgamentum, "the leavings of the frozen sea" after the spring melt. Diodorus uses ēlektron, the Greek word for amber, the object that gave its name to electricity through its ability to acquire a charge. Pliny is presenting an archaic view, as in his time amber was a precious stone brought from the Baltic at great expense, but the Germans, he says, use it for firewood, according to Pytheas.
Heating amber will soften it and eventually it will burn, which is why in some Germanic languages the word for amber is a literal translation of burn-stone. Heated above 200 °C, amber suffers decomposition, yielding an "oil of amber", and leaving a black residue which is known as "amber colophony", or "amber pitch"; when dissolved in oil of turpentine or in linseed oil this forms "amber varnish" or "amber lac".
Amber from the Baltic Sea has been extensively traded along the Amber Road since antiquity; and in the mainland, from where amber was traded 2000 years ago, the natives called it glaes (referring to its see-through quality similar to glass).
In ancient times, well-established trade routes for amber originated from the Baltic countries (where amber was plentiful along the coast) that went to virtually every corner of Europe. Early in the nineteenth century, the first reports of amber from North America came from discoveries in New Jersey along Crosswicks Creek near Trenton, at Camden, and near Woodbury.
The English word amber derives from the Arabic anbar, via Medieval Latin ambar and Old French ambre.
Amber is discussed by Theophrastus, possibly the first historical mention of the material, in the 4th century BC. The Greek name for amber was ἤλεκτρον (elektron), "formed by the sun", and it was connected to the sun god (Helios), one of whose titles was Elector or the Awakener. According to the myth, when Helios' son Phaëton was killed, his mourning sisters became poplars, and their tears became the origin of elektron, amber.
Another early reference to Amber was Pytheas (330 BC) whose work "On the Ocean" is lost, but was referenced by Pliny. According to The Natural History" by Pliny the Elder:
While amber is not actually named, it is called the concreti maris purgamentum, "the leavings of the frozen sea" after the spring melt. Diodorus uses ēlektron, the Greek word for amber, the object that gave its name to electricity through its ability to acquire a charge. Pliny is presenting an archaic view, as in his time amber was a precious stone brought from the Baltic at great expense, but the Germans, he says, use it for firewood, according to Pytheas.
Heating amber will soften it and eventually it will burn, which is why in some Germanic languages the word for amber is a literal translation of burn-stone. Heated above 200 °C, amber suffers decomposition, yielding an "oil of amber", and leaving a black residue which is known as "amber colophony", or "amber pitch"; when dissolved in oil of turpentine or in linseed oil this forms "amber varnish" or "amber lac".
Amber from the Baltic Sea has been extensively traded along the Amber Road since antiquity; and in the mainland, from where amber was traded 2000 years ago, the natives called it glaes (referring to its see-through quality similar to glass).
In ancient times, well-established trade routes for amber originated from the Baltic countries (where amber was plentiful along the coast) that went to virtually every corner of Europe. Early in the nineteenth century, the first reports of amber from North America came from discoveries in New Jersey along Crosswicks Creek near Trenton, at Camden, and near Woodbury.
Янтарная комната Yantarnaya komnata
Or otherwise known as the Amber Room. This is very fascinating to me. It is a room built in the 17th century, taking a decade to complete (+/-), made entirely of amber and gold. Yowza. Huge panels of amber inlay were the walls, the floor, over 6 tons of amber. This is incredible. Amber is a very interesting stone because it its actually a resin from the sap of ancient trees. Therefore, not really a stone but a fossil, if you will. (see on amber below). It was built in Russia and that makes sense they needed a sunny sun room to brighten up their serious faces. But lo! Here comes ze Germans.... during WWII the Germans looted this room and tried to relocate it back to headquarters. In the meantime, the castle they were storing it in got blown up. No more amber room. It was called the 8th wonder of the world. But good on the Russians- they rebuilt it in 2003. So its there, but its not from the 17th century. This is truly the stuff of legend.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Nothingness
Sunday, September 9, 2012
what a boss.
"rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools" -Douglas Bader
Boom. This guy! So there he is just chilling, right?! That is a pretty sweet guy you might say, strong! Really good at almost everything that is good: rugby, hockey, cricket, you name it he does it- really well. Then he takes up flying and is good at that too (duh) but he's 21 showing off, does some acrobatics, digs in a wingtip, and ends up having both legs amputated. Dang it! Wanna know what he had to say? "Crashed slow-rolling near ground. Bad show." Ha! Awesome, soooooo my legs just got whacked, but I'm really upset you folks didn't get to see the full loop!!
Does that hamper progress........ let me think. Smokes pipe in aircraft while holding stick straight with prosthetic legs and hopes the gas fumes don't get him! Leads a RAF squadron in WWII and kills it (literally) becoming Britain's 5 highest ACE for number of kills. Gets his tail shot off by a Bf 109 and while plummeting to the ground (400 mph give or take) his prosthetic gets stuck, but breaks off, he parachutes out, and gets captured. and THEN!!!
"'scuse me, mr. german, um, may i borrow your pen?!"
(writing)
"dear britain,
i am writing for a favor. i seem to have lost my prosthetic leg somewhere over france, would you mind sending me a spare? thank you, all the best. -bader"
Wanna know who ok'd the op to parachute drop that little replacement off? Herman Goring. ha. but the brits obliged the airpost after they did a bomb run. Two birds with one stone, no kidding. Smart.
From historical records: "over the next few years, Bader was a thorn in the Germans side." Pretty much the prime example of goonbaiting; cause as much ruckus as possible to tie up as many resources and personnel as possible. Made the germans so mad they took his legs away, but then felt so bad they gave him them back and then he escaped again then next day.... again, what a boss.
"rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools" -Douglas Bader
Boom. This guy! So there he is just chilling, right?! That is a pretty sweet guy you might say, strong! Really good at almost everything that is good: rugby, hockey, cricket, you name it he does it- really well. Then he takes up flying and is good at that too (duh) but he's 21 showing off, does some acrobatics, digs in a wingtip, and ends up having both legs amputated. Dang it! Wanna know what he had to say? "Crashed slow-rolling near ground. Bad show." Ha! Awesome, soooooo my legs just got whacked, but I'm really upset you folks didn't get to see the full loop!!
Does that hamper progress........ let me think. Smokes pipe in aircraft while holding stick straight with prosthetic legs and hopes the gas fumes don't get him! Leads a RAF squadron in WWII and kills it (literally) becoming Britain's 5 highest ACE for number of kills. Gets his tail shot off by a Bf 109 and while plummeting to the ground (400 mph give or take) his prosthetic gets stuck, but breaks off, he parachutes out, and gets captured. and THEN!!!
"'scuse me, mr. german, um, may i borrow your pen?!"
(writing)
"dear britain,
i am writing for a favor. i seem to have lost my prosthetic leg somewhere over france, would you mind sending me a spare? thank you, all the best. -bader"
Wanna know who ok'd the op to parachute drop that little replacement off? Herman Goring. ha. but the brits obliged the airpost after they did a bomb run. Two birds with one stone, no kidding. Smart.
From historical records: "over the next few years, Bader was a thorn in the Germans side." Pretty much the prime example of goonbaiting; cause as much ruckus as possible to tie up as many resources and personnel as possible. Made the germans so mad they took his legs away, but then felt so bad they gave him them back and then he escaped again then next day.... again, what a boss.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Anamnesis
always learning....
today's (thursday= science) lesson: cognitive dissonance
In 1957, Leon Festinger, a social psychologist at Stanford, Published The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, one of the most influential papers on human behavior even written. It defines our personal ideas, thoughts, theories, beliefs and values as cognitions. Whatever they may be. And when they are preferences and unrelated to one another, we don't really care. But when they are related we do care and they need to be consistent.
"Contradictions result in a state of dissonance that the mind cannot tolerate."
Oh, dear. What a state!
today's (thursday= science) lesson: cognitive dissonance
In 1957, Leon Festinger, a social psychologist at Stanford, Published The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, one of the most influential papers on human behavior even written. It defines our personal ideas, thoughts, theories, beliefs and values as cognitions. Whatever they may be. And when they are preferences and unrelated to one another, we don't really care. But when they are related we do care and they need to be consistent.
"Contradictions result in a state of dissonance that the mind cannot tolerate."
Oh, dear. What a state!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Anamnesis
oh, ello again. Time for the weekly memorization. Everyone should know a bit of obscure poetry from some dead bloke that everyone forgot. Indeed. This week comes from Percy Bysshe Shelley (who apparently did not have the nicest parents, ha! The naming clearly had a drastic impact on the poor lad for he wrote sonnets. If you happen to also write sonnets, don't tell anybody, this is embarrassing) This sonnet came out quite nicely, however, and made it to this prominent place of display:
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
Anamnesis
Oy! Chesta here:
What? Nah, can't remember, sorry there. Mo is always saying this, which sounds absolutely ridiculous to anyone listening and serves to imply that she could be a chocolate teapot, which is not an optimal ideal to be represented by (a chocolate teapot is a general comparative standard for the failure of an object to perform in accordance with its intended function, for all the ones who were having a moment with that one)
Therefore to help the poor girl out, I have imposed a strict regimen of obtaining three things weekly and securing them in the memory ducts. They include:
- A story, myth, or extraneous account of an event
- A memorized piece of literature (an expansive vocabulary is super saucy)
- A bit about the western cannon (the 102 ideals that comprise the pillars of culture in the western civilization) Science, music, religion, mathematics, oh you know what I'm talking about, seriously.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Hello. My name is Chester Hunnyhucker and all I like is candy!
No, no. Just kidding. Because my better half would say I'm sweet enough! Well, they would if there was one, in this case I, Chester, am taking on the proverbial "other half" of a lovely girl who is a bit too plain and boring so I am the spice and life to make this blog interesting.
Well, good on you! Glad we got introduced and looking forward to another chat. Ta!
Parting thought: a giraffe and a lion walk into a bar and the giraffe falls asleep. The bartender says, "what's that lyin there?!" and the lion says "it's not a lion it's a giraffe!". Oh, boy. This is gonna get good....
No, no. Just kidding. Because my better half would say I'm sweet enough! Well, they would if there was one, in this case I, Chester, am taking on the proverbial "other half" of a lovely girl who is a bit too plain and boring so I am the spice and life to make this blog interesting.
Well, good on you! Glad we got introduced and looking forward to another chat. Ta!
Parting thought: a giraffe and a lion walk into a bar and the giraffe falls asleep. The bartender says, "what's that lyin there?!" and the lion says "it's not a lion it's a giraffe!". Oh, boy. This is gonna get good....
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