Once again Kevin Kelly has a great post on a neat idea: using mushrooms to save the world. The book he's referring to is called "Mycelium Running." Basically, a bunch of uses for mushrooms and their parts that you might have never considered. For instance, how about putting spores in the lubricant oil for chainsaws? Once they trap the oil, they release it later, keeping the chain lubricated longer.
I've been an armchair mycologist for years (dirty secret: I tried growing psychedelic mushrooms in my dorm room -- spectacular failure). They are eco-friendly, relatively easy to grow yourself, and there are more varieties than you'd ever imagine walking down the grocery aisle. Perfect for the part-time gardener (you just set them up and watch them go) or backyard scientist.
We've got so much more to discover about nature, I hate to call this "repurposing" of mushrooms. Let's call it "growing discovery."
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Make losing weight a game
There's a great post on WIRED about Weight Watchers being a "game." A big smile crossed my face as I saw that headline and I immediately thought back to the talk Jane McGonigal gave at SXSW called "Alternate Realities." In part, she argued, why not make life more joyful by designing fun into it? (Note: WIRED also cites Jane's talk)
Look at what happens when you stand in line at a Disney theme park. They work very hard to entertain you for something that in any other context would be irritating. From pre-shows to decorations to simply setting the mood, the experience is designed for fun.
So, too, can be weight loss. Weight Watchers lately released some cool tools on the web (and I hear iPhone very soon!) that allow you to keep track of your points, weight, etc. As a Nike+iPod user, I can attest to the power of feedback. As in game design, feedback gives a "player" the ability to know where they've come from, improve that score and gives incentives for doing better. Just last night I proudly showed my wife the longest run I'd ever run in a nifty chart on the Nike site. Yay, I've leveled up!
Folks designing systems should follow the model of game design and look for a risk/reward balance that challenges the "player" but also rewards them when they succeed. Not everyone has the inner drive and fire in their belly like Da Vinci had. Most of us are mere mortals.
Look at what happens when you stand in line at a Disney theme park. They work very hard to entertain you for something that in any other context would be irritating. From pre-shows to decorations to simply setting the mood, the experience is designed for fun.
So, too, can be weight loss. Weight Watchers lately released some cool tools on the web (and I hear iPhone very soon!) that allow you to keep track of your points, weight, etc. As a Nike+iPod user, I can attest to the power of feedback. As in game design, feedback gives a "player" the ability to know where they've come from, improve that score and gives incentives for doing better. Just last night I proudly showed my wife the longest run I'd ever run in a nifty chart on the Nike site. Yay, I've leveled up!
Folks designing systems should follow the model of game design and look for a risk/reward balance that challenges the "player" but also rewards them when they succeed. Not everyone has the inner drive and fire in their belly like Da Vinci had. Most of us are mere mortals.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Mashups, and the honesty of the creative mind
There are those who say "there's nothing new under the sun." And that is true, to an extent (you may notice that claim is nearly always followed by the qualifier I attached). So while some creative folks bang their heads looking for "original" ideas, the on-the-ground reality is that most creative work is a work of appropriation.
The first iMacs to have G4 processors were modeled after a sunflower, or so goes the story. Browse the posts at Core77 and you come away with the inspiration of the inspirations behind those designs. Our inspirations aren't drawn from the vacuum or a synaptic blank page-- we take what we need and reform it, refine it, re-engineer it to make it our own.
So earlier this year I had a great discussion with a friend of mine who is a fabulous musician in New York. When she asked what I was listening to, I somewhat sheepishly responded, "lots of mashups." She was a little put-off, I think, because real musicians pride themselves on originality. Amy certainly does, and there's no mistaking the originality of her current project: Koko Dozo.
But mashups are intensely creative. They are often juxtapositions of dissimilar songs, but ones with similar beat structures. Even better is when they take phrases, not musical phrases, but the lyrics, and put them together, like some crazy Mad Libs set to a psychotic waltz.
The act of mashing up music may seem "easy," but it isn't. You have to have a good ear, patience and an understanding of music. Much like Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans," they take extant material and re-purpose it into something new. Derivative? Perhaps, but it still keeps my toe tapping and a smile on my face in the unique combinations!
Note that I haven't linked to any particular mashups. That's because the recording industry seeks to kill off this genre because they are obsessed with copyright and have no clue how to implement alternative revenue streams. Those heavy-handed tactics are in direct opposition with the art of the mashup, but that's a post for another day.
The first iMacs to have G4 processors were modeled after a sunflower, or so goes the story. Browse the posts at Core77 and you come away with the inspiration of the inspirations behind those designs. Our inspirations aren't drawn from the vacuum or a synaptic blank page-- we take what we need and reform it, refine it, re-engineer it to make it our own.
So earlier this year I had a great discussion with a friend of mine who is a fabulous musician in New York. When she asked what I was listening to, I somewhat sheepishly responded, "lots of mashups." She was a little put-off, I think, because real musicians pride themselves on originality. Amy certainly does, and there's no mistaking the originality of her current project: Koko Dozo.
But mashups are intensely creative. They are often juxtapositions of dissimilar songs, but ones with similar beat structures. Even better is when they take phrases, not musical phrases, but the lyrics, and put them together, like some crazy Mad Libs set to a psychotic waltz.
The act of mashing up music may seem "easy," but it isn't. You have to have a good ear, patience and an understanding of music. Much like Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans," they take extant material and re-purpose it into something new. Derivative? Perhaps, but it still keeps my toe tapping and a smile on my face in the unique combinations!
Note that I haven't linked to any particular mashups. That's because the recording industry seeks to kill off this genre because they are obsessed with copyright and have no clue how to implement alternative revenue streams. Those heavy-handed tactics are in direct opposition with the art of the mashup, but that's a post for another day.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Solar roads?
Imagine turning all our roads into giant solar energy collectors. Makes sense, right? As always, the devil is in the details. Luckily, some smart guys are working on the details.
The link goes to Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends blog, something I highly recommend for anyone in the tech biz or anyone interested in cutting-edge tech (not yet productized) and how humans turn problems into solutions. Just like Da Vinci!
The link goes to Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends blog, something I highly recommend for anyone in the tech biz or anyone interested in cutting-edge tech (not yet productized) and how humans turn problems into solutions. Just like Da Vinci!
Let's start with some practical uses of psychology
I notice a lot of college grads wind up psychology majors, like a catch-all for folks who don't know what to do with their lives. Given that, you'd think we'd be more chilled out and happy as a population, but we're not. If anything, we're more frantic and irritated than ever (guilty as charged).
So it's cool to see how we can learn something from psychology: practical uses for psychological studies and models. Some great tips for virtual workers like myself.
via Guy Kawasaki
So it's cool to see how we can learn something from psychology: practical uses for psychological studies and models. Some great tips for virtual workers like myself.
via Guy Kawasaki
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, November 14, 2005
Da Vinci's genius for real?
According to the young man who wrote this post, Leo's genius has been tested:
Da Vinci the inventor
Pretty cool if true...
Da Vinci the inventor
Pretty cool if true...
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Rationalize this!
Tattered Coat is closing down for a while as the author finishes his dissertation. So there. I just rationalized my decision to quit the podcasting thing. Between that and what might appear to be the end of my appearances on the TUAW podcast, there are now officially a mere two recordings of my voice available online. Whoop-dee-doo.
So what? Well, rationalization is such a natural human endeavor. My friend Jesse Perry came up with a great idea (among his many) for "Rationalize it, the Musical!" It would have been a hit. We all rationalize stuff. Could I make time? No, that's impossible. We all get the same number of hours in a day.
Richard Florida talks a lot about this in his work. Of course, my task is to carve out more hours via efficiency and creativity. So between now and the beginning of 2006 I'm going to work to streamline my workflow, and tune my efforts in order to free up more time. The goal is to provide the time with my family (as much as I do now, BTW), but also make time for the other projects:
1. teaching multimedia
The challenge here is pretty steep. I am required to be on-site 40hrs. per week. Within that time frame I am allowed some flexibility. A lot of my research for work spills over into my blogging. I need to further streamline that aspect. Also, interactions with students and co-workers further expands my knowledge of technology. A big hurdle will be the introduction of a new game design class. I had all but given up on getting this class, but it now looks like I have a few scant weeks to prepare... However, I'm going to really throw myself in to the class, and hope that the new learning and interaction (it's a bachelor's class) will act as an accelerant to my work.
2. blogging
Between TUAW and Download Squad it is a monumental effort to keep abreast of technology. So I need to sort of map things out. I was in a kind of coma during the mid-to-late 90's. I got back into tech around 98-99 when I moved back to Knoxville. I had always done stuff. I mean, it's in my blood. But I got more into filmmaking while in film school (logically). While at macworld this coming year I'm going to figure this one out...
3. llamapod
My little family business is about to start. I designed all the products, and really love doing it. The nuts and bolts of a business aren't so appealing to me any more, although I do want to start others. So now I'm going to be shipping and designing stuff for a bit on top of #1 and #2. Who knows where this will go? This is an unknown vector. However, this holiday season will be an indicator, and I hope to have some great feedback from it...
The first stage of generating any solution is to get the facts. I'm going to begin logging my hours, and getting a handle on things in the next 2 1/2 months. Optimizing along the way, I hope to "make" more time. Neat.
So what? Well, rationalization is such a natural human endeavor. My friend Jesse Perry came up with a great idea (among his many) for "Rationalize it, the Musical!" It would have been a hit. We all rationalize stuff. Could I make time? No, that's impossible. We all get the same number of hours in a day.
Richard Florida talks a lot about this in his work. Of course, my task is to carve out more hours via efficiency and creativity. So between now and the beginning of 2006 I'm going to work to streamline my workflow, and tune my efforts in order to free up more time. The goal is to provide the time with my family (as much as I do now, BTW), but also make time for the other projects:
1. teaching multimedia
The challenge here is pretty steep. I am required to be on-site 40hrs. per week. Within that time frame I am allowed some flexibility. A lot of my research for work spills over into my blogging. I need to further streamline that aspect. Also, interactions with students and co-workers further expands my knowledge of technology. A big hurdle will be the introduction of a new game design class. I had all but given up on getting this class, but it now looks like I have a few scant weeks to prepare... However, I'm going to really throw myself in to the class, and hope that the new learning and interaction (it's a bachelor's class) will act as an accelerant to my work.
2. blogging
Between TUAW and Download Squad it is a monumental effort to keep abreast of technology. So I need to sort of map things out. I was in a kind of coma during the mid-to-late 90's. I got back into tech around 98-99 when I moved back to Knoxville. I had always done stuff. I mean, it's in my blood. But I got more into filmmaking while in film school (logically). While at macworld this coming year I'm going to figure this one out...
3. llamapod
My little family business is about to start. I designed all the products, and really love doing it. The nuts and bolts of a business aren't so appealing to me any more, although I do want to start others. So now I'm going to be shipping and designing stuff for a bit on top of #1 and #2. Who knows where this will go? This is an unknown vector. However, this holiday season will be an indicator, and I hope to have some great feedback from it...
The first stage of generating any solution is to get the facts. I'm going to begin logging my hours, and getting a handle on things in the next 2 1/2 months. Optimizing along the way, I hope to "make" more time. Neat.
Monday, October 31, 2005
XPLANE blog
Here's another goody:
Communication Nation is the blog for XPLANE, a visual communications company. Actually, a visual thinking company. Anyone who's heard of mind-mapping will know the power of visualiztion for ideas. Well this blog has a ton of ideas on how to communicate visually.
Let's face it, you may have great ideas, but if no one can understand them they will not get any traction. Unless you're a millionaire. If you are, email me! :)
Actually, I always had a problem voicing my opinions in meetings. When I would, often people in the room didn't "get it." I come from a history of speech and debate, and it bothered me that folks didn't listen to my ideas. This changed once I learned how to frame and communicate my ideas... I think Communication Nation will help you frame your message better as well. Pay close note of all the PowerPoint notes on there...
Communication Nation is the blog for XPLANE, a visual communications company. Actually, a visual thinking company. Anyone who's heard of mind-mapping will know the power of visualiztion for ideas. Well this blog has a ton of ideas on how to communicate visually.
Let's face it, you may have great ideas, but if no one can understand them they will not get any traction. Unless you're a millionaire. If you are, email me! :)
Actually, I always had a problem voicing my opinions in meetings. When I would, often people in the room didn't "get it." I come from a history of speech and debate, and it bothered me that folks didn't listen to my ideas. This changed once I learned how to frame and communicate my ideas... I think Communication Nation will help you frame your message better as well. Pay close note of all the PowerPoint notes on there...
Monday, October 17, 2005
No soup for you!
I hate to be a podcast nazi, but it looks like there will be no podcasts... Not for a couple of years anyway. Keep reading for a solution in the interim.
First, why?
1. I'm starting a business (llamapod.com, launching soon)
2. Still have kids (but my oldest just started preschool)
3. I have a paid blogging job that earns more duckets
4. Others are doing a MUCH better job than I
You can still hear me on the TUAW podcast. It's even in the iTunes Music Store now!
Yeah, TUAW and Download Squad are eating up any "free" time I had left over. What can I say? More clicks on ads here might have led to an incentive, but I doubt it. This site gets maybe a dozen hits a week, TUAW and DLS get tens of thousands a day. It's called management. Of my time and career.
However, whenever a creative thing I find does come along, I will try to post it up here.
Also, keeping in mind I don't want Jason Calacanis to think I'm trying to start a blog network. Honest Jason, I'm not. This is a sideline for me, not a busines. Nor will it ever be. Yes, I do have some other blogs. Yes, I have like one other guy blogging "for" me, and might add one or two more-- but only for the Knoxville blog, and only because I believe it's important to have fresh angles on local events. Everything else is my own creation, and just a way to get info out there. Heck, I hardly ever touch my Apple Rant blog anymore, not because Apple doesn't tick me off from time to time, but because WIN is too important to me.
Besides, it's not like I'm making any money off this stuff. By the end of the year I'll maybe have $12 to show for all of this, and that's including my iTunes, Amazon, and Google dough. Whoopideedoo!
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. There is one creativity 'cast that shall go unmentioned that is just silly. A lot of "you can do it!" kinda motivational talk. I don't get into those things. Despite what it might seem to readers here, I am pretty damned motivated. Hell, I sleep about 4 hours a night to cram in all the crap that I do, and still manage to have a big revolving To Do list (and yeah, I know about GTD... I do a modified form, OK?). Oh, and if Jason does read this, I totally need to be on the "Lost" podcast, as a wrap-up of sites with theories... Sorry to say this Ryan & C.K., but I'm not "into" listening to a non-funny MST3K-style podcast of my favorite show. I don't watch it three times a week to hear the vision-disabled version. Anyway...
So here's your creative fix in the meanwhile:
There are some great creativity podcasts out there. So a big part of my decision really came down to the fact that, if they make a great phone book, why create an inferior phone book? Just to say, "hey look at me?" I might have an ego, but it ain't that big. I get my ego fix on WIN, and even that's a crushing blow (as I see I'm not even on the charts when it comes to blogger searches)...
So here are a couple of podcasts everyone should check out for their educational value and impeccable content.
Icon-o-Cast by Lunar Design is great. It's got a bent towards the product, ad, marketing, and design crowd, but good for everyone. Why? Well, thinking about the stuff around us, how it came to be, how it could be better, and how it can really suck-- those are all important things! You have to be aware of the world around you, and Lunar, because of their position in the industry, gets some fantastic interviews...
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney. I gotta call and leave a message for Phil. He's a man of the world with a great sense of what needs to be done, and what can be done by people. He has a way of motivating without talking down to the smart folks. Probably one of the best podcasts I've ever heard (and I've heard WAY too many). All about creativity, ideas, and innovation. Phil has some kind of dream job, and a lot of experience in the world of thought... So trust him. Check it out, definitely worth the time. His podcasts are not only brilliant, but many are timeless in their information. That is sorely lacking in the podcast world...
That's it for now. Be pissed if you want. Better yet, yell at me in the comments! (You anonymous weiners)
First, why?
1. I'm starting a business (llamapod.com, launching soon)
2. Still have kids (but my oldest just started preschool)
3. I have a paid blogging job that earns more duckets
4. Others are doing a MUCH better job than I
You can still hear me on the TUAW podcast. It's even in the iTunes Music Store now!
Yeah, TUAW and Download Squad are eating up any "free" time I had left over. What can I say? More clicks on ads here might have led to an incentive, but I doubt it. This site gets maybe a dozen hits a week, TUAW and DLS get tens of thousands a day. It's called management. Of my time and career.
However, whenever a creative thing I find does come along, I will try to post it up here.
Also, keeping in mind I don't want Jason Calacanis to think I'm trying to start a blog network. Honest Jason, I'm not. This is a sideline for me, not a busines. Nor will it ever be. Yes, I do have some other blogs. Yes, I have like one other guy blogging "for" me, and might add one or two more-- but only for the Knoxville blog, and only because I believe it's important to have fresh angles on local events. Everything else is my own creation, and just a way to get info out there. Heck, I hardly ever touch my Apple Rant blog anymore, not because Apple doesn't tick me off from time to time, but because WIN is too important to me.
Besides, it's not like I'm making any money off this stuff. By the end of the year I'll maybe have $12 to show for all of this, and that's including my iTunes, Amazon, and Google dough. Whoopideedoo!
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. There is one creativity 'cast that shall go unmentioned that is just silly. A lot of "you can do it!" kinda motivational talk. I don't get into those things. Despite what it might seem to readers here, I am pretty damned motivated. Hell, I sleep about 4 hours a night to cram in all the crap that I do, and still manage to have a big revolving To Do list (and yeah, I know about GTD... I do a modified form, OK?). Oh, and if Jason does read this, I totally need to be on the "Lost" podcast, as a wrap-up of sites with theories... Sorry to say this Ryan & C.K., but I'm not "into" listening to a non-funny MST3K-style podcast of my favorite show. I don't watch it three times a week to hear the vision-disabled version. Anyway...
So here's your creative fix in the meanwhile:
There are some great creativity podcasts out there. So a big part of my decision really came down to the fact that, if they make a great phone book, why create an inferior phone book? Just to say, "hey look at me?" I might have an ego, but it ain't that big. I get my ego fix on WIN, and even that's a crushing blow (as I see I'm not even on the charts when it comes to blogger searches)...
So here are a couple of podcasts everyone should check out for their educational value and impeccable content.
Icon-o-Cast by Lunar Design is great. It's got a bent towards the product, ad, marketing, and design crowd, but good for everyone. Why? Well, thinking about the stuff around us, how it came to be, how it could be better, and how it can really suck-- those are all important things! You have to be aware of the world around you, and Lunar, because of their position in the industry, gets some fantastic interviews...
Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney. I gotta call and leave a message for Phil. He's a man of the world with a great sense of what needs to be done, and what can be done by people. He has a way of motivating without talking down to the smart folks. Probably one of the best podcasts I've ever heard (and I've heard WAY too many). All about creativity, ideas, and innovation. Phil has some kind of dream job, and a lot of experience in the world of thought... So trust him. Check it out, definitely worth the time. His podcasts are not only brilliant, but many are timeless in their information. That is sorely lacking in the podcast world...
That's it for now. Be pissed if you want. Better yet, yell at me in the comments! (You anonymous weiners)
Saturday, August 27, 2005
How curiosity yields great (if odd) results
Worried about the math and science abilities of the next generation? Let's get back their curiosity. While I loved the new "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the mark of our age is on it: sarcasm. Don't get me wrong, I'm a snarky commenter extraordinaire, but sarcasm is killing the "mystery" of the universe. We lose our wide-eyed wonder all too soon in this modern world.
So I'm relieved when I see people doing this:
Making a hamster-tracking system.
He had a simple question: how much time does my hamster spend on his treadmill? And in the true Da Vincian spirit he set up a methodology, and created whatever technology he needed to answer the puzzle.
Here are some sites to provoke thought, or...
Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia
The Straight Dope, fixing ignorance since 1973
listen to a different perspective
try some social software
build something cool
find out how much is inside
Podcast coming before too long folks!
So I'm relieved when I see people doing this:
Making a hamster-tracking system.
He had a simple question: how much time does my hamster spend on his treadmill? And in the true Da Vincian spirit he set up a methodology, and created whatever technology he needed to answer the puzzle.
Here are some sites to provoke thought, or...
Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia
The Straight Dope, fixing ignorance since 1973
listen to a different perspective
try some social software
build something cool
find out how much is inside
Podcast coming before too long folks!
Saturday, August 20, 2005
A little more about me before we continue...
OK, why would you keep reading/listening? Believe me, I'm no real "expert," just a curious dude exploring the universe. Gentleman scientist, armchair director, and general commentator... Do I create?
Hell yes! Here's my story in a nutshell:
I had the great fortune to see a college university growing up, because they were both finishing up graduate degrees while I was young. Around my 6th birthday my parents had steady jobs working in the chemical industry. This was a pretty good town too, as the BIG company paid lotsa taxes, so we had an excellent public school system. I grew up with summer camps in the woods, Space Camp a couple of times (won the Right Stuff award once), debate, theater, science, foreign language, the whole nine yards. I took a correspondence school class in Electronic Music Technology, and pioneered the use of the computer for publishing our annual. Very techy, but I also liked to draw, play music, and have fun with my friends...
In college I kinda did the "tune in, turn on, drop out" thing, although I never dropped out of school. I went from computer engineering to journalism to english. Forgive my grammar. I went to a very large university, and was exposed to several lifetimes worth of experiences. I also travelled a bit, to Europe and South America, where I have relatives. Good times, great oldies. It was working in the music library where I discovered the creation of the World Wide Web. In fact, I began using Mosaic when it was only a month old! I had used the internet in middle school and high school, but the web was a bold new frontier (duh).
Continuing my stint as a Renaissance Man, I went to film school after getting my B.A. in English (creative writing). My freshman film was the most ambitious fx-based movie ever done at the time. It was also pretty silly (sort of Ed Wood meets the X-Files). By the time I'd gradutated from film school I had a passion for animation (3d and 2d), writing, cinematography, graphic design, and something more... I kept up with technology, but didn't stay ahead. The best thing was that I got started working with video on the web, which led me to my move back to my old college town (well, that an my future wife).
When I came back to my old stomping ground I realized pretty quickly that film production here is nill, and the video waters are just sorta mind-numbing. Don't get me wrong, I worked with some amazing people-- but they were drinking a different kool-aid. No one seemed to get the tech angle I was proposing. Some of the elbows I rubbed could have done what Mark Cuban did, they just lacked the "vision" thing. Oh well, that can wait.
So I tired of the video production scene, and moved on to new challenges. For a brief while I worked on everything from construction crews to websites to databases. Then I landed my "dream job" teaching. I make good money, have a decent environment, and great hours. It keeps me and my family sane and well-fed. Mission accomplished. I only wish I had this training when I went off to film school!
Now that I've hit that famous plataeu, I feel like it's time to move on to other challenges. Thus, I turn inward. Time to improve my little monkey brain! Thus, the Da Vinci Notebooks. And the other blogs... No, I don't make movies any more, and what I did do aren't worth revisiting (same with the TV shows). I'm most proud of my latest accomplishments: teaching, writing, and raising 2 amazing kids.
Enough about me. Let's get on with it!
Hell yes! Here's my story in a nutshell:
I had the great fortune to see a college university growing up, because they were both finishing up graduate degrees while I was young. Around my 6th birthday my parents had steady jobs working in the chemical industry. This was a pretty good town too, as the BIG company paid lotsa taxes, so we had an excellent public school system. I grew up with summer camps in the woods, Space Camp a couple of times (won the Right Stuff award once), debate, theater, science, foreign language, the whole nine yards. I took a correspondence school class in Electronic Music Technology, and pioneered the use of the computer for publishing our annual. Very techy, but I also liked to draw, play music, and have fun with my friends...
In college I kinda did the "tune in, turn on, drop out" thing, although I never dropped out of school. I went from computer engineering to journalism to english. Forgive my grammar. I went to a very large university, and was exposed to several lifetimes worth of experiences. I also travelled a bit, to Europe and South America, where I have relatives. Good times, great oldies. It was working in the music library where I discovered the creation of the World Wide Web. In fact, I began using Mosaic when it was only a month old! I had used the internet in middle school and high school, but the web was a bold new frontier (duh).
Continuing my stint as a Renaissance Man, I went to film school after getting my B.A. in English (creative writing). My freshman film was the most ambitious fx-based movie ever done at the time. It was also pretty silly (sort of Ed Wood meets the X-Files). By the time I'd gradutated from film school I had a passion for animation (3d and 2d), writing, cinematography, graphic design, and something more... I kept up with technology, but didn't stay ahead. The best thing was that I got started working with video on the web, which led me to my move back to my old college town (well, that an my future wife).
When I came back to my old stomping ground I realized pretty quickly that film production here is nill, and the video waters are just sorta mind-numbing. Don't get me wrong, I worked with some amazing people-- but they were drinking a different kool-aid. No one seemed to get the tech angle I was proposing. Some of the elbows I rubbed could have done what Mark Cuban did, they just lacked the "vision" thing. Oh well, that can wait.
So I tired of the video production scene, and moved on to new challenges. For a brief while I worked on everything from construction crews to websites to databases. Then I landed my "dream job" teaching. I make good money, have a decent environment, and great hours. It keeps me and my family sane and well-fed. Mission accomplished. I only wish I had this training when I went off to film school!
Now that I've hit that famous plataeu, I feel like it's time to move on to other challenges. Thus, I turn inward. Time to improve my little monkey brain! Thus, the Da Vinci Notebooks. And the other blogs... No, I don't make movies any more, and what I did do aren't worth revisiting (same with the TV shows). I'm most proud of my latest accomplishments: teaching, writing, and raising 2 amazing kids.
Enough about me. Let's get on with it!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Hi Everybody! plus, a quick tip
Well, I had no idea anyone was still around... Thanks for the comments. Seriously, those things drive me to blog more (and leave my family in the dust... just kidding honey!).
So my time's loss is your gain. I am going to try and get even more goodies on this blog. Creative toys, techniques, tips, tricks, honest & useful workflows, the whole shebango...
And there might even be a podcast coming! By popular request I will be resuming podcasting, even if it is on a sporadic basis. The good thing is, I'll make sure to try and get it in iTunes, so it'll be that much easier to get updates... More news as this develops.
Now for the quick tip:
Over at the Design Weblog David Chartier has a great little post about a cool design blog & series called Be Aware (link goes to number 2 in the 3 parts available).
And thanks for your support.
So my time's loss is your gain. I am going to try and get even more goodies on this blog. Creative toys, techniques, tips, tricks, honest & useful workflows, the whole shebango...
And there might even be a podcast coming! By popular request I will be resuming podcasting, even if it is on a sporadic basis. The good thing is, I'll make sure to try and get it in iTunes, so it'll be that much easier to get updates... More news as this develops.
Now for the quick tip:
Over at the Design Weblog David Chartier has a great little post about a cool design blog & series called Be Aware (link goes to number 2 in the 3 parts available).
And thanks for your support.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
The root cause of creativity?
I believe it's curiosity. Nuture it, encourage it in children. Without it, you're just another worker bee.
Now, to develop your creative chops, check this site out for dozens of different creative techniques (brainstorming is on there):
Creativity Techniques
Hats off to Darren Chan over at the Design Weblog for finding this one.
Now, to develop your creative chops, check this site out for dozens of different creative techniques (brainstorming is on there):
Creativity Techniques
Hats off to Darren Chan over at the Design Weblog for finding this one.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Live8 Insider
Live8 Insider
We can eliminate world hunger. Isn't that an amazing thing?
Live8 is calling attention to the fact that we CAN...
Live8insider is backstage in Philly...
We can eliminate world hunger. Isn't that an amazing thing?
Live8 is calling attention to the fact that we CAN...
Live8insider is backstage in Philly...
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, May 02, 2005
What a short, quaint trip it was
Well, time to put this thing to bed after all. I do not know if there will be another podcast. There are two reasons
1) Family matters
2) Format
1) I've been doing a lot of just enjoying time with the kids lately. As a matter of fact, I'm very lucky in that due to my particular situation I'm able to spend a LOT of time with family. And I'm going to enjoy it while the kids are here tugging at my sleeve-- as opposed to when I'm trying to track them down (as teenagers).
2) Ultimately I have to ask the question, is what I'm doing the best way to do it? While podcasting seems to gain momentum I feel like there is definitely a place for my podcast. However, much of what I'd planned over the next few months could just as easily be put into blog entries. And who reads those anyway?
Considering the time and energy put into it, a podcast at this point just isn't worth it. I do plan to keep blogging on here and with no pressure of a podcast looming I might be pretty frequent about it...
As they say, "so long and thanks for all the fish."
1) Family matters
2) Format
1) I've been doing a lot of just enjoying time with the kids lately. As a matter of fact, I'm very lucky in that due to my particular situation I'm able to spend a LOT of time with family. And I'm going to enjoy it while the kids are here tugging at my sleeve-- as opposed to when I'm trying to track them down (as teenagers).
2) Ultimately I have to ask the question, is what I'm doing the best way to do it? While podcasting seems to gain momentum I feel like there is definitely a place for my podcast. However, much of what I'd planned over the next few months could just as easily be put into blog entries. And who reads those anyway?
Considering the time and energy put into it, a podcast at this point just isn't worth it. I do plan to keep blogging on here and with no pressure of a podcast looming I might be pretty frequent about it...
As they say, "so long and thanks for all the fish."
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Good News / Bad News
First, the bad news: still no podcast!
Now, the good news: it's coming.
Here's the deal. All of a sudden I'm involved in a whole bunch of really amazing things. Can't talk about most of them right now (you know, business stuff), and I thought about canceling the podcast altogether.
BUT, I think I'll just get back to basics. Ditching the format, getting looser, more like a podcast typically is-- more like jazz than classical.
There will be direction, some structure, and most importantly good content. Also, there will not be a schedule. Just tune your iPodder software to the feedburner link up in the right corner there to automagically get the latest show.
Hooray!
Stay tuned.
Now, the good news: it's coming.
Here's the deal. All of a sudden I'm involved in a whole bunch of really amazing things. Can't talk about most of them right now (you know, business stuff), and I thought about canceling the podcast altogether.
BUT, I think I'll just get back to basics. Ditching the format, getting looser, more like a podcast typically is-- more like jazz than classical.
There will be direction, some structure, and most importantly good content. Also, there will not be a schedule. Just tune your iPodder software to the feedburner link up in the right corner there to automagically get the latest show.
Hooray!
Stay tuned.
Friday, March 25, 2005
*cough*
I'm quite sick now. There WILL be a March podcast. But unless you want to hear coughing and sniffling it'll be sometime between today and middle of next week. Sorry folks.
In the spirit of keeping your neurons firing however, I give you a link from my personal stash:
Personal media
As opposed to "mass media." What I saw of the PSP's my students brought in this week only confirms Miyagawa's concepts.
Food for thought. I'm going to bed to get well...
In the spirit of keeping your neurons firing however, I give you a link from my personal stash:
Personal media
As opposed to "mass media." What I saw of the PSP's my students brought in this week only confirms Miyagawa's concepts.
Food for thought. I'm going to bed to get well...
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Rain delay...
Looks like this month's show will be a couple of days late. But I'd rather be late than lousy, so I expect the show to be ready by the 23rd. In the meanwhile, I highly suggest checking this out:
Onomy Labs
Imagine if all your training, education, even entertainment were fashioned in such a manner. Just a hint of what's to come this Wednesday. Stay tuned!
Once again, for those of you who don't know what podcasting is, please check out ipodder.org
Onomy Labs
Imagine if all your training, education, even entertainment were fashioned in such a manner. Just a hint of what's to come this Wednesday. Stay tuned!
Once again, for those of you who don't know what podcasting is, please check out ipodder.org
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