This is a beautiful representation of exploration in one of its truest forms. Having spent hours staring up at the Magellanic Clouds crossing through the Southern Ocean I could not help but wonder at what it would be like to in essence sail to them. It is amazing to look at the depictions and realize how little we actually know and how much more could be out there.
Posted in Places to go.
– January 21, 2010
I will get back to more serious posts in the future, but for now I would be remiss if I did not share one of the better renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody I have ever seen. I particularly like the amount of screen time given to Animal. Mama?
Posted in Not so Serious.
– December 12, 2009
One of the benefits of having a sister who must keep her foot elevated for a few weeks is that I am constantly introduced to the bounty that exists at the random corners of the internet (does the internet have corners?). Make me Mighty is one such amazing site. I highly suggest a visit.
Posted in Not so Serious.
– November 29, 2009
I almost regret being given an amazing pair of cyclocross boots with multiple attachments. Almost.
Posted in Not so Serious.
– November 29, 2009
I am all for innovations that make one’s day more beautiful, fun, and surprising. In fact, that would be an ideal job, one that pertains easily to public health as a whole for happy active people are generally healthier. That the following video of public interactive art also encourages people to take the stairs further illustrates this.
That it is sponsored by Volkswagen does not diminish it too much for me, and reminds me of the T-Mobile flash mob dance in Liverpool St Station while I was in the UK. Yes, it is a publicity stunt, but at the same time how many people will remember the company that paid for it versus the amount of people who will remember the fun of the event itself. I would hazard the latter number is greater, and I hope things like this keep coming.
Posted in Environment, Not so Serious.
– October 13, 2009
Okay, I need to post more, and there is more to come. But not now. Making multiple loaves of banana bread to find which recipe I like best. That certainly is worth a post when I decide. For now, enjoy my new favorite song by River by Akron Family.
Posted in Not so Serious.
– October 5, 2009
Perhaps the only thing missing from this video is a voice-over by David Attenborough, though how he would make the whole situation any less absurd is beyond me. I was particularly struck by the smile that appears on the parrots face. Who knew that parrots could smile. You learn something new every day.
Posted in Serious.
– October 1, 2009
Conveying environmental conservation messages to the general public cannot be an easy task, especially when facing the troubling NIMBY (not in my back yard) mindset. Certainly Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth was a noble attempt, but the audience was fairly self-selective as one had to pay to see the film, likely already possessing a certain mindset on the issue.
For water, although there is valid and widely accepted evidence that freshwater supplies are dwindling, how do you express a message of conservation to a population that is able to simply turn a tap and have all the water they want? Further, how do you indoctrinate this, or any, population into taking simple actions to reduce their consumption. One answer may be in the following Brazilian advertisement:
Posted in Environment, Not so Serious.
– September 15, 2009
When I saw Garrison Keillor for the first time I was astounded, as the man on stage presenting Prairie Home Companion certainly had the voice that weekly came through the radio, but he looked nothing like the image I had created in my mind over the years. I often find a similar feeling occurs when a book I have read and enjoyed is made into a movie where the actor or actress looks nothing like the character the words described. I bring this up as I was recently shown a video of The Newbeats singing their 1964 ‘Bread and Butter.’ Nothing about the singers seems to fit with the song (for maximum effect I suggest starting the video and closing your eyes for one run through) especially around the 20 second spot when the lead singer comes in. Wow.
Posted in Not so Serious.
– September 15, 2009
Having just moved from a flat with a washing machine into one without I have found myself pondering (perhaps too deeply) my morals as they pertain to my dirty laundry. One of the many virtues my New York City dwelling friends often highlighted about their city was how cheap, easy, and accessible laundromats were that would not only do the wash for you but return your clothing nicely folded the same day. Further, they would say, it means that you do not have to sit around watching the wash cycle or fretting that someone would steal your drawers. While this certainly sounds wonderful, I have been hesitant to fully give in as I try to be fairly eco-conscious especially when forced to engage with potentially carcinogenic chemicals that will directly touch my skin. It is precisely for this reason that I have always been hesitant to use dry cleaning services as the most commonly used chemical, perchloroethylene, is noted by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen with a long list of adverse effects.
None of the cleaners in my neighborhood use ‘eco friendly’ detergents, and a google search for “eco cleaners” “green cleaners” and the like for New York City has come up surprisingly short considering what I would assume would be a potentially large customer base (if anyone knows of a good site that lists such places please let me know). The question thus becomes one of how far I am literally willing to travel for an eco friendly washing service, or how much I value my time versus my reticence to use conventional products. The answer for now is that I have not decided, though there is a good chance that tomorrow I can be found staring into the window of a washing machine sometime in the evening.
Posted in Serious.
– September 3, 2009
