global warming slideshow

MSN.com puts together some fairly powerful slideshows of images captured from across the globe. I came across "Taking Aim on Global Warming" which especially features images from the largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen.

For more images follow this link.

world leaders apologize

I stumbled across this group of GREENPEACE advertisements. They are currently displayed in the Copenhagen airport. A number of world leaders, including Obama, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, are depicted sending words of remorse eleven years down the road. These advertisements were created in order to enforce world leaders to, "secure a fair, ambitious and binding deal at the Copenhagen Climate Summit."

you're invited..

AN EVENING WITH FRED WISEMAN AND LA DANSE

where: the brattle theatre, cambridge, ma

when: friday, december 11, 7:00pm

who: Fred Wiseman, of course.

how: TICKETS

"Frederick Wiseman is one of the world’s great documentary filmmakers. Eschewing voice-over narration, talking head interviews and onscreen bluster, Wiseman stands back and lets his subjects speak for themselves for as long as it takes to tell their stories. This technique has resulted in some of the most powerful documentaries of the past 50 years. From Titicut Follies to High School to Domestic Violence, Wiseman is well-known for tackling thorny social issues, but he is equally adept at capturing the creative process in films such as La Comédie-Française, Ballet, and his latest work, LA DANSE. The Brattle is excited to be hosting the hometown theatrical premiere of this remarkable new film."

:)

Yes, we're all guilty of using them. When we're happy, sad, mad, bashful, feeling cheeky or when there are no other words that can describe what we're feeling. The smiley face began a revolution of the computer-geek shorthand, emoticons. After stumbling across this image I began wondering--how did this all begin? My research has produced some interesting results..

While the excact date and inventor is still undetermined--there are a couple of guys which claim to be the "first":

1979 Kevin Mackenzie

He used this symbol -) which meant "tounge in cheek", although his technique didn't seem to catch on.

September 19, 1982 Scott E. Fahlman

He supports his claim --->here, a website dedicated to his story. He also includes the exact message from the original bboard thread where he first used the smiley --->here

And thus began the growing phenomenon of the emoticon. They can depict basic emotions, actions, items, descriptions..even celebrities. They vary according to language and culture. Creating images and symbols from typography has taken over the world of new media.

desperate housewives

The Salahis. Their name has been bombarding the cover of the tabloids. Desperate for reality television stardom? Watch out balloon boy, these two have upped the ante. Dubbed the "White House Crashers", Tareq and Michaele Salah were seen rubbing elbows with President Obama, his cabinet, celebs and diplomats during Obama's first White House state dinner. With dreams of making it onto The Real Housewives of D.C., these two certainly got much more than they bargained for..a rather public unravelling of their financial woes, at least 16 different civil suits, federal bankruptcy, claims of impersonating a Red Skins cheerleader... Well, they're certainly in the limelight, but for all the wrong reasons. My goodness, it hardly seems worth it.

'tis the season

Well, it's that time of year again. Now that the turkey has been stuffed, it's time to start thinking about trimming the tree, baking cookies and wrapping gifts. Perhaps one of my favorite traditions that comes around this time of year is the plethora of festive films that frequent the television...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, Frosty the Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas

There are a lot of these films that you will watch over and over again, and it doesn't matter if you have screened them a hundred different times. When you sit down to celebrate the holidays, you find yourself tuning into the same movies every December, without fail.

What will you be watching this year?

march 5, 2010

Mark your calendars. Spectacular art direction (Stefan Dechant--the creative genius behind Where the Wild Things Are), costume and set design, the mad hatter, the cheshire cat, tweedledee and tweedledum..it's all expected. Tim Burton's really done it this time, or so we can only hope. I'm sure many of you have already come across these images.. a little sneak peak into the upcoming film Alice in Wonderland.

silhouette masterpiece theatre

Oh these get me every time!

http://silhouettemasterpiecetheatre.com/

POV | Documentaries

I just stumbled across this website and I've decided to spend my afternoon previewing a few of these films. During the summer and fall seasons, PBS airs POV independent documentaries. This website offers a slew of information..from the bios of the filmmakers to even a few full length films. You can search for documentaries based on their topics and then check the broadcasting schedule to find out the next screening.

long live the book

The Amazon Kindle. So, I know I'm two years behind here, but I thought I would shed some insight into my feelings on the subject. A six inch display screen that can hold around 200 pieces of literature for $299. Well, they've since trumped that with the Kindle 2 (1500 titles) and the Kindle DX (nine inch display screen, 3000 titles). I'm a bit hesitant at the idea of an e-book. Sure, they make reading while travelling more convenient. Is this just a direct audience target to the most tech savvy of customers--im sure it sits quite nicely next to your iphone, ipod, mini notebook, cellphone, pager, garage door opener, etc. But, doesn't this seem to rob us of that tactile pleasure of reading? The touch of the hardcover binding, the smell of the pages, the aesthetic appeal of the typography and page layout. Their is something romantic, something nostalgic about curling up to a good book. You are both mentally and physically wrapped up in the material between the covers ..and how different it must feel to replace that with a piece of plastic. The Kindle stands for something so much greater than a technological "marvel", it further isolates the readers.

Uber-Geeks

Need to improve your typing skills? Have an extra $130 sitting around?
Introducing the..
"Best keyboard on the plant. Period."



Das Keyboard
With no inscriptions on the keys, this keyboard will improve your typing skills while adding "productivity and comfort" to your work days.
Reviews:
I view the Das Keyboard Professional like a pair of expensive jeans that look like any other pair of jeans, but you wear them everyday because they fit you perfectly.
-Sean Fallon, Gizmodo
By far the best keyboard I have used since I built my own 20 years ago.
- Bill Jensen, Professional

Well, doesn't this just sound too good to be true.

Google

I found the first half of this video quite relevant to Chapter 10 of our text. It delves into the history and power of Google. However, halfway through, the clip jumps into a conspiracy theory--one that I'm still unconvinced about. Sure, Google has a significant amount of control. I'm sure they collect user-data in a number of ways, but to say that this was their "master plan" and their intent all along is a bit far fetched. The internet is certainly not the most private place.

nightmare on bora bora way

"The body of Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed, 75, an apparent suicide, sat decomposing on his Marina del Rey balcony for days because neighbors thought the lifeless figure was a dummy and didn't call police." -LA Times

I came across this rather chilling article posted in the LA Times. Mostafa's body lay decomposing over a chair on the balcony of his third floor apartment on Bora Bora Way in Marina Del Ray. His body sat there for three days from a gun shot wound to the eye. Local cameraman, Austin Raishbrook noted, "the body was in plain view of the entire apartment complex and they all didn't do anything. It's very strange. It did look unreal, to be honest". What an eerie start to the Halloween holiday season.

"i'll eat you up, i love you so"

Where was I at twelve am last night? Sitting in a movie theatre watching the release of Spike Jonze's much anticipated film, Where the Wild Things Are. Based off the classic childhood story, this movie takes everyone, young and old, off to a world of imagination and adventure. Movies are always more apt to be at the forefront of scrutiny when they are adaptations of literature. We are so quick to judge, we instinctively draw comparisons and pick out flaws. This film didn't skip a beat, it maintained a vintage mood to an already beautiful and classic story. The puppeteering of Max's Wild Things, added an overwhelming sense of greatness. This film keeps you thinking about it long after you've left the cinema. There is something truly magnificent about it.

television guidelines

We've all come across that little black box posted at the top left hand corner of the screen, with a [TV-Y7] or [TV-PG], although at our age we don't pay much attention to it.Television guidelines enable parents to screen appropriate shows for their children. This filtering system is designed by producers and television networks. But what does it all mean? Well I've found the answer at, of course, http://www.tvguidelines.org/. It goes into detail over each rating, breaking that little black square into two segments: audience and content label. The content label seems like common sense, I sort of assumed Y7 was in reference to children seven years of age and older. But what I didn't realize was exactly what elements in a [Y7] show set it apart from a television show rated [Y]...

"It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy violence or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of seven."

This is the difference between Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob Square Pants.

creative advertising

I envy the creative genius behind a rare sum of advertising campaigns. You know those ones you seldom come across. They aren't obnoxious or boisterous. They are subtle and clever. In many ways it's a sigh of relief. You don't feel cheated or abused. You're drawn in to a product that seems valuable and worth your time. Yves Bahr once said, "advertising is a price companies pay for being unoriginal." Isn't this the truth! I'm always coming across advertisements that are such a waste of time and money on products that are so unnecessary.. (Snuggie™).

I present to you, a breath of fresh air..

movie-a-minute

Lately, it seems that the one thing we are running out of is time. We strive for efficiency in everything we do. Cooking, cleaning, working, entertaining... with almost all of our routine tasks we struggle to save time. We assume that the more we can fit in during one day, the better our lives will be. I recently came across a website that is allowing even the simplest of pleasures to take us a mere minute! Welcome to Movie-A-Minute. That's right. For those of you who hate sitting in front of your television or driving all the way to the theatre to catch a two hour flick--you're problems have been solved.

Yes, of course, this website is a farce. I found it delightful and I love the way it pokes fun at some of my favorite films. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate films for what they are. But, I can't help but to laugh at the fact that we've become a society obsessed with cramming it all in.

Btws, I particularly enjoyed their minute synopsis on Reservoir Dogs, Notting Hill, Lost in Translation, Speed and Erin Brockovich.

"Burn Some Fat, Not Yo' Brain"

In March of this year, the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence found that the average American spends 8.5 hours in front of video media per day..this includes, computers, television, cell phones and other gadgets. 142.50 minutes of this time is spent on the computer alone.

With all this time spent on the computer..browsing the web, updating our facebook status, watching those weekly episodes of our favorite television show we may have missed, possibly writing that ten page paper? With new media we socialize now more than ever through the vast network of tubes connecting us all over the world. The information age may have started in the late 80s but it's growing faster than ever. Is it pushing us farther away from everyday physical human interaction? Has technology made us lazy? Dumb? Even less responsible?

We may not have those answers just yet but we can certainly take some initative.
I direct you to the "New (Media) Workout Plan".

Break a sweat!

save karyn?!

More often than not my mindless online searches lead me to websites I'm more disappointed than happy with. I recall watching a television segment which featured a woman who made a website dedicated to donations for her credit card debt after she lost her job. (http://www.savekaryn-originalsite.com/) Believe it or not--she actually received money. I'm filled with curiosity, anger and straight up confusion! Why would anyone send money to a total stranger for their own financial problems? Needless to say, this cry for help turned into a money making scheme--she has since published two books and a movie about her story is in the works.

"TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You see, I'm done with my frivolous ways. I've stopped buying designer clothes. I've stopped using department store products. I decided that I really DO like Oil of Olay. It really DOES work just as well. And Old Navy is actually kind of cool. I've done my part, now I need you to do yours. I believe that this world is a good place, and if someone needs help, then they should ask for it." -SaveKaryn.com

UN-BE-LIEVABLE!

My Rushmore

I just finished screening Rushmore, for the COMM 225 course I'm taking this semester, and I must say, I was awfully impressed. The film reminded me of a 90's version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, particularly, the image of a witty high school student causing havoc in all the right ways. Embedded in the humor and strong personalities is a story of love and friendship—both old and young. One of my favorite parts of the film was the soundtrack, I really enjoyed the way the songs spoke volumes during certain scenes, one of which I've included below. I was impressed with Jason Schwartzman’s acting. I’ve previously seen him in Shopgirl and The Darjeeling Limited. I suppose my only disappointment was that Schwartzman’s character Max looked much older than fifteen, but by the middle of the film I was able to overlook that. I highly recommend this film!

the view from above

Eating dinner with your feet on the ground is so passe. That's right. Imagine eating a four course meal hanging from a crane, 150 feet above the ground. Dinners, events, meetings even weddings are occuring high in the sky, with Dinner in the Sky. Australia, Hungary, Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania are only a few out of twenty-five countries that participate in this adventure. So next time you're in Las Vegas or Florida be sure to join the "Mile High Club" and stop by one the most unusual restaurants on this side of the atmosphere.

like music to my ears

Catch Me If You Can, Frida, The Perfect Storm, A Beautiful Mind, 300, Mississippi Burning, A League of Their Own

What do all of these movies have in common? These are all based on actual events, people and/or stories--and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Now, whether or not they are accurately depicted is another side of the coin. Nevertheless, I've been captivated and moved by these films--I've found myself running to the library to pick up books related to these stories. I’ve spent endless hours reading articles and biographies on the internet. Just over the weekend, I watched The Soloist, a movie based on the Los Angeles Times journalist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a homeless, gifted street musician, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx). Their friendship results in an utter transformation and greater understanding of both characters. After watching the movie I found myself, once again, sitting on my computer researching. I came across this video—which includes Mr. Ayers, himself, doing what he does best, playing music.

red red wine

Every now and again I'll shoot around the web in search of the some informative, positive news to uplift my spirit. As I am sure we've all realized, the media loves to focus on negative stories, so I find it only appropriate to share my findings with you.

Some drink to forget..but should we actually be drinking to remember? Researchers from UCLA believe that red wine may in fact reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease, a form of degenerative brain disease. David Teplow a Professor of Neurology at UCLA working on this research claims that, "no disease-modifying treatments of Alzheimer's now exist, and initial clinical trials of a number of different candidate drugs have been disappointing.” Thus, their findings of polyphenols, which block the production of proteins that destroy brain cells, could potentially be a colossal breakthrough. Researchers experimented with mice, treating the proteins that killed their nerve cells with grape seeds. This could ultimately lead to a huge advancement in the work of Alzheimer’s research, they plan on performing human clinical trials soon. Grab a glass and drink up!

i've been stumbling

Nineteen point two billion web pages were indexed by Yahoo! in August of 2005. Four years later--it's safe to say that number has probably doubled. It's no wonder we spend hours upon hours surfing through the infinite abyss that is the World Wide Web. It's entirely too easy to get lost in cyber space. So, one day, the heavenly gods from above graced us with the wonder of the Stumble button. This enables you to literally stumble through web pages of your desire. After setting up an account you are prompted to set up a profile and choose your interests..sports, music/movies, media, commerce, health-hobbies, etc...which are then, subcategorized into more specific interests..weddings? birds? poker? vintage cars? dating tips? marine biology? UFO's!? The button, like magic, will appear on your web browser's tool bar and may you forever enjoy endless hours of stumbling..

My recent stumbles:

• http://www.beautifullife.info/urban-design/living-in-a-shell-nautilus-house/
• http://yawoot.com/post/3380
• http://vimeo.com/1635766
• http://www.thetourshow.com/

The Beginning of the End

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 will forever remain a milestone in my life. Compared to other achievements, the traditional birthdays, weddings and graduations that we habitually celebrate, it marked the beginning of the end.

We tend to gauge the passing of time by our accomplishing of goals that society sets as the norm. We anticipate turning sixteen, then eighteen and perhaps the most celebrated of them all, twenty-one. These are all ages signified by attainment of more rights—driving, voting, drinking, etc. September 2nd was a day unlike that. It was a day characterized by epiphany, melancholy, uneasiness and much beyond all of this, a sudden feeling of astonishment. It was the first day of my last year of college.

Over the past three years college has defined me. My daily routines worked around my class schedule. My social life was constructed around my colleagues. My education was concentrated on my chosen major. The communication tools I utilized, such as the internet, facebook, instant messenger and e-mail enabled me to stay connected to the social web that formed around me. My college career was everything I expected it to be and more. September 2nd only reinforced the notion that college, like many things in life is but a fleeting moment.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t take back even a second of the past three years. I would be running around in circles if I wasn’t able to move forward. I'll dive in head first and I won't hesitate to explore and discover. So, I refer to a card my parents gave me when I graduated from high school in 2006. A quote from novelist John Updike reads,

"You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it."