How to Disagree

Here is a graph called the Pyramid of Disagrement:

A more in-depth analysis can be found here.

I found this at Accelerating Future.

Gotham Knights Art Direction

One thing I have always admired about Japanese media (in animation, at least) is their incredible art direction. This is no more demonstrated then in Gotham Knights, an American produced, Japanese made, animated film chronicling some of Batman’s night life.

Just look at these:

Phoenix Lands on Mars

I am happy to say that the new Mars probe, the Phoenix, has successfully landed on the Northern Planes of Mars. A unique feature of this probe is that it incorporates a digging element to its explorations (something only touched on in previous missions.) The Phoenix will attempt to explore several inches below the Martian service for further clues to its nature and past.

Read about it here.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican independence from Spain; it doesn’t. Independence from Spain is on the 16th of September, while Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the battle of Pueblo.

Read about it here.

“The Battle of Puebla was not an isolated incident: there is a long and complicated history that led up to it. In 1857, the “Reform War” broke out in Mexico. It was a civil war and it pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state and freedom of religion) against the Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Roman Catholic Church and the Mexican State.)”

Essentially, this reform war left Mexico bankrupt, and in debt to several countries; particularly France.

“This angered Great Britain, Spain and France, countries which were owed a great deal of money. The three nations agreed to work together to force Mexico to pay.”

“In December 1861 armed forces of the three nations arrived off the coast of Veracruz and landed a month later, in January 1862. Desperate last-minute diplomatic efforts by the Juarez administration persuaded Britain and Spain that a war that would further devastate the Mexican economy was in no one’s interest, and Spanish and British forces left with promise of future payment. France, however, was unconvinced and French forces remained on Mexican soil.”

To make a long story short, the French campaign into Mexico was unsuccessful; which eventually led to the celebration of Cinco de Mayo (if you prefer a slightly longer version of the story, follow the link above.)

Burn Notice: Review

The show is about Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), an American spy who doesn’t work for any one agency. At the beginning of the first episode, in the middle of an under-the-table payoff to a local Nigerian terrorist group, Michael learns that he has been “Burned”; which is the spy equivalent of being fired. Unfortunately, this comes up in the middle of a deal, and trouble ensues. To make a long story short, Michael ends up passed out in his hometown of Miami. [Previews Here and Here and Here]

To be “Burned” means that a spy is completely cut off from everything and everybody; no agency will talk to him, his financial resources are nonexistent, and his name is red-flagged (which prevents him from traveling.)

Naturally, the first thing Michael wants to do is to figure out why he was ‘burned’ in the first place. This is hard to do, since Michael has next to no resources at his disposal. Also, he quickly learns that he is under surveillance.

What he does have is a bitter gun-nut ex-girlfriend Fiona (whose accent disappears after episode 1, which was explained away with a single line); a retired spy buddy named Sam (played by the always entertaining Bruce Campbell); a small group of illicit contacts; and a nagging, chain-smoking, hypochondriac mother. It is through his mother that he gets his first ‘job.’

To support himself, Michael becomes an unofficial private-investigator and problem solver. What’s fun abut this show is how Michael solves these problems (with the help of his two sidekicks, Sam and Fiona.) As Michael says (who also does the voice-over), “Guns make you stupid. Better to fight your wars with duct tape. Duck tape makes you smart", not that he doesn’t use guns when appropriate, he just prefers more creative solutions (think MacGyver.)

Weather its running out a local drug lord, saving a kidnapped family, uncovering a minor conspiracy, helping a kid deal with bullies, or making a bomb; Michael has a clever solution to everything (get a small taste of that here.) Michael employs psychological manipulation (“People are more likely to believe a piece of information if they have to work a little bit for it”), technical skills, fast-thinking, and good-old-fashion combat.

So, each episode there are two or more stories going on, Michael trying to find out why he was ‘burned’ (each episode the mystery deepens, he soon discovers it is about much more then just him), and a new ‘case’ for Michael to solve.

But I am not even mentioning the relationship between the characters; Fiona and Michael have a tense romance brewing, which works quite well, Sam is always enjoyable (as well as his relationship with Fiona), and the relationship between Michael and his mother is hilarious (a spy who can deal with third-world dictators, but has a hard time dealing with his own mother.) The chemistry in this show is great.

Michael’s narrative of the show also works well; he doesn’t explain the story as much as fills in some “spy-factoids”; such as “in the field, communicating silently is a must”, or "A good trap doesn't scare people, it makes them curious.” More then anything, Michael’s narrative helps pull the various elements of the show together.

There are some annoying aspects of this show; sometimes clunky dialogue, stylistic choices that felt thrown in (rap-music to shots of Miami), and I didn’t think the relationship between Michael and his loser brother worked very well.

Still, what makes this show fun is the sexy and lovable characters, the mystery, the action, and the comedy, and how the show pulls all of this together for a very enjoyable experience. But especially, it’s fun to see highly competent, and mostly moral characters fight a variety of bad guys.

While I don’t think ‘burn notice’ will win any Emmy’s, it’s a great summer show; which I am glad was picked up for a second season, if only to figure out what happens after the cliffhanger at the end of the first.

Nuttin But Stringz

Ever wonder how classical violin would sound if it was fused with Hip-Hop? So have I. Well now we don’t have to wonder, check this out (by the way, they prefer to call it pop classical):

Also check out these videos:

Meet the Brothers (not really a song)

Suka 4 Her

Man vs. Wild: Review

Bear Grylls served in the British Special Forces; at the time he climbed Everest, he broke the world record as the youngest ever to do so; he parasailed the same mountain (really, he had an oxygen tank and a special parasail); he is an avid rockclimber, mountaineer, and adventurer; needless to say, Bear Grylls is a pretty cool guy.

That’s why Man vs. Wild, a show dedicated to survival, tends to fixate on him; but this isn’t a bad thing. The show is only partly instructional; if person wants some real lessons in survival, they need more then just Man vs. Wild.

A review of the show is not complete without mentioning its scenery. Filmed in HD, this show has some great shots of the world’s most foreboding wildernesses; wide angle shots are fantastically directed (even if it takes always from the sincerity of the “survival” situation.) and Bear always needs to get into a place in an interesting way; weather it’s hangliding, parachuting, jumping out of a helicopter, or some other stunt; these scenes, while a bit contrived, are incredibly fun to watch.

There is a gross-out factor to this show, and the editors know it. Bear often has to find food, lacking options, like a fire, he must sometimes eat some disgusting things raw, which is shown in a little too much detail. But even this has a point; it does show what a person must go through in order to survive. Despair, I have heard, is the number one killer; keeping a positive, survivalist attitude is the most important factor.

It’s also worth noting that the show doesn’t shy away form some of the crueler aspects of life; Bear must sometimes hunt, and kill medium sized animals (sometimes cute ones); it shows the complete process, from capture to preparation to eating. For this the show has taken some heat from environmentalists (I believe there is a petition to get it off the air.) Bear Grylls clearly has a reverence for the beauty of nature, but he is not deluded as to what nature is; he’s no environmentalist (at least not by their standards.)

Bear Grylls also took some heat awhile ago for supposedly not being authentic; that he was actually much safer then he said he was. I tend to put such accusations under the same category as the people who where shocked to learn that Ashley Simpson was lip-synching. Of course it’s not completely real, the fact that he has a camera crew with him tells you something; the wide angle shots have to be planned, and I’m sure the crew is not scrounging for food like Bear. Still, Bear really jumps into crocodile and leech infested swamps, really boulders that steep rock-face, and really does all the things impossible to fake. There are also times when Bear is clearly nervous, like when a good sized shark was circling his small raft in the pacific.

This might sound cruel of me; but I enjoy watching this show from the safety of my own home; watching Bear Grylls have to ring water out of his own socks; or walk through is water; or futilely try to start a fire in the rainforest; makes me feel cozy.

People don’t seem to realize how big this world is, this is only occasionally demonstrated in the media; when a rich adventure’s plane went down, the largest single man-hunt in history couldn’t find him; and that was in America! This show gives a clear sense of the scale of our planet, and how little of it we actually occupy.

I like this show because it’s only star – Bear Grylls- is a clearly confident, competent, and strong individual. It also perfectly demonstrates, implicitly, the importance of technology in our lives, by showing what life is when a person is (mostly) detached from it.

The Chicago Spire

One bit of construction I am very exited about is America’s new skyscraper, the Chicago Spire. At over 150 floors tall, it will be the largest skyscraper in the U.S..

But it’s not just its size that makes it inspired, it’s the design; it is simple design, but eloquent and colorful; it will certainty provide strong contrast to Chicago’s now dominant Sears Tower.

Supposedly, the building is going to be almost 100 percent residential; in a city already known for its high-rise-apartments (unlike the New York, in which rent control and other policies have stunted the city’s height and quality) this building will fit right in. I also like the fact that it’s a completely private venture.

I expect, once completed, this building will become the symbol of the city: the same way the Space Needle is to Seattle; the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco; and how the trade towers used to be to New York.

I can’t wait for it to be finished.

Some Random Good News Snippets

Study says global warming not worsening hurricanes

Russian supply ship docks to space station

Da Vinci to be honored by small helicopter flight

China allows bloggers, others to spread quake news

Researchers teach 'Second Life' avatar to think

Cable companies to ramp up Web, HD, mobile service

Simon's Cat

These are just so gosh darn cute!



And this one:



OK, maybe you need to understand cats to really get the humor

Satoshi Kon Short

This is a short piece by Japanese animator Satoshi Kon; known for his unique -and many times bizarre- visuals:



Also look at the opining scene of his feature film, Paprika: Here. Same animation quality, though you won’t understand what’s going on if you haven’t seen the film.

Wall-E's Real!

Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.

Return of Jet-Man

Awhile ago I posted about Jet Man; well, I’m glad to say that he’s still flying, but he now goes by the name of “FusionMan."

“Swiss professional pilot Yves Rossy, the world's first man to fly with fitted jet fuel powered wings strapped to his back, flies during his first official demonstration above Bex over the Swiss Alps on Wednesday. Rossy, who calls himself 'FusionMan,' was realeased from a plane at an altitude of 8,000 feet, before he completed several loops.”

On Burma

This makes me unbelievably mad:

Burma Killed by Tyranny

I don’t know what’s worse, those who try to exploit Burma for their own gain; the leadership and oppressive statism that led to so many being hurt and killed, or the Americans who fail to recognize the blatantly obvious: that free nations never experience such loss of life from natural disasters.

Like Making? Watch Iron Man.

Sure, Iron Man is sometimes at odds with Newtonian physics, but any Maker can still enjoy watching Tony Stark put together the Mach 1:

Fake Making is a time-tested, enjoyable movie experience; I cite the treehouse form Earnest Scared Stupid, the Plane in Radio Flyer, the other Plane in The Flight of the Phoenix, the even better Treehouse in The Swiss Family Robinson; and dozens of others.

There are some very good engineers in the movie world (though they do cheat, being fictional and all.)

Digital Human Analogue

Right now, before a bridge or a building or an aircraft is built, it goes through a rigorous series of computer tests, that simulate stress in a thousand different ways. This simulation technology has not only resulted in vastly safer engineering in all aspects of life; but has sped up the process from pre-production to completion. So why not start applying this same technology to the human body?

A fully analogue digital human would have literally tens-of-thousands of applications; most notably, it would speed up medical testing, treatments, and pharmaceutical research. That means more drugs that are much safer in less time. A digital human could test a new drugs effectiveness, as well as long term effects, all within a matter of minutes. The digital human could be programmed to be giving random assortments of drugs, millions every second (while the computer reads its effects); new drugs can be developed, not by careful research, but by billions of simulations and trial and error (all of which happens, of course, in a small amount of time) until it reaches a desired outcome; it’s a somewhat un-eloquent solution to health problems, but it might prove effective.

This is not all it could be used for. Medical students can get advanced training without having to meet real patients; safety of new vehicles can be tested with a lot more accuracy; forensic science (which is now investing in animation) can improve greatly; even video games will benefit. The applications are endless.

But this technology has major roadblocks ahead of it: most notably, the lack of knowledge*. Complicated computer simulations are only as good as the knowledge one has of what it is simulating; for years now, scientists and programmers have attempted to create a digital analogue for climate; but none have shown any real success in predicting real whether; the variables are too great and our understanding too small. Quite simple, we don’t understand enough to create a digital analogue of the human body.

But we don’t need to start by creating a full digital human body; a better approach might be to build up to it. Start by simulating something in a limited environment. For instance, algae cultures; and move on from there.

Or you can start more broadly; computer systems are many times better at larger trends then small interactions, working big, and then becoming smaller might be the best way to go. A working digital liver could be created which replicates the functions (imperfectly) of a real liver, as more knowledge is gained, it can be expanded and become more complex, until it is a reasonable analogue.

It would take a great deal of trail and error; and some hardcore research, to make this technology come to fruition. This technology, once under develop, would need to improve with time (it could actually be developed in conjuncture with research as to how the body works). Though take comfort that this technology is very plausible; in fact, it’s likely, it’s just a matter of when.

I have looked online, and there are few people talking about this technology and even less working on it. I managed to find this paper, which is an outline as to why it is beneficial, though it is un-sourced and not very helpful.

Whoever develops this stands to benefit from it greatly, not just financially, but by living in a world where medical and engineering technology are accelerated. I hope, for the sake of vastly better technologies, some smart people begin to work seriously on this massive undertaking within the foreseeable future.

*Even if you solve the major problem of limited knowledge; there are still many problems one has to overcome. Processing power is too limited right now; even large computer would have a hard time computing the reactions within a single human cell (millions upon millions of replicating DNA building blocks interacting, for instance) In a human body with over a trillion cells, all affecting each other, that’s an indescribable amount of information. Though compute power is increasing rapidly, so this is not a major problem.

Communication between the people developing the digital human and the researchers and doctors might be a problem as well.

It will also be unclear, in the early stages of development, weather one has truly created an analogue; or if it behaves in such a way that the ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ produce the same results in certain ways as the real thing.

But all these problems pale in comparison too the first and biggest one.

Speculations on Identity (Which are More Likely to Confuse Then Inform)

What constitutes Identity?

Science has yet to come up with an answer; but philosophy (and practicality) can’t wait for it to find one. We usually define “identity” as a collection of things: A person’s actions, private thoughts, physical appearance, sense of life, genetics, philosophy, emotions and attitudes, tastes, and a million other things.

But all these are open to change; If I am horribly burned in an car accident (changing my appearance) I don’t cease to become me; in the same sense, if I think the ideas of the Communist partly are persuasive, and radically change my views, I am still me. Our concept of Identity also constitutes change; each element of identity is interchangeable with a different element. I have radically changed from my five-year-old self in nearly every category; but we don’t consider five-year-old Ryan and modern Ryan as different people (though we would if they existed in the same time and space.)

Identity doesn’t even have to be unique; if I was cloned in such a way that the new me was an exact replica of me in every way that I exist right now, it wouldn’t be long before we grant Ryan number two an individual identity.

Perhaps it’s simpler to think of identity as a center of focus. I am me because nobody but me can be experiencing this body, through these eyes, with this mind in the same way at the same time. In this-almost Buddhist- sense; “Identity” and even “Consciousness” are merely the center in which events, sensations, ‘elements’ of identity, and perception swirl. This too has its pitfalls; as it treats something we all experience, the current concept of an ego, as something non-existent, an illusion created by complex interactions of matter and energy.

This raises more questions; most notably: does 'consciousness' require 'identity' (or self-awareness.) The obvious answer is “yes”; a thought requires a thinker; though Buddhist and Materialists say “no.” Of course, if they where right, why would nature create the ‘illusion’ of identity (which, in some part, can be observed even in animals.) Is it some kind of byproduct, or does it serve a purpose? And if it is an illusion, and not needed, why haven’t we encountered and identity-less consciousness (or would we be able to tell if somebody lacked an ego?)

I think, one of the reasons people find the concept of the soul so comforting, is it gives an easy answer to the idea of identity; we are our souls, everything else is window-dressing.

I know I would find somewhat comforting. This question is more personal then most mysteries; we experience ourselves everyday, without knowing what those ‘self’s’ really are; we think, without quite knowing what thought or ‘intelligence’ or ‘consciences’ is; we are using our minds to discover just what the mind is (a tool trying to figure out how it works and what it is.)

These are wonderfully bizarre and brain-twisting questions and conundrums; and, rather then representing a lack of knowledge, are actually a testament to just how much we’ve evolved.

DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a site where anybody can post their work; and sell it if they want. Right now, you can go on this site and post a painting, a doodle, a picture, a poem or short story, or you can post a blank white box and call it “reflections on nothingness.”

Because of this, most of the work on DeviantArt is not great. But there are some great talents working there, like Robert Tracey. Plus, when searching for work it is usually listed by most popular, which usually means the best work comes up first.

A lot of the work is anime and sci-fi inspired; which is not a bad thing, the site just has a certain audience. This site is just plain fun; it’s a great way to look at art, promote yourself, and even make a little money (like Quent Cordair, this will remain on my links list.)

Here are a couple samples:

Catch-Me, by Night-Fate

Ship, by ~Pa-le

Quent Cordair Fine Art

As a person who loves art-and somewhat of an artist myself- I can appreciate the style and work that went into a piece. I enjoy seeing talent, being happily jealous of it. So whenever I need a pick-me-up, I tend to go the talented folks at Quent Cordair Fine Art, which is a gallery devoted to Romantic Realism: which attempts to portray abstract principles through a realistic style.

While I don’t share all of the philosophical underpinnings of the studio; there is some great talent there; in fact, I can barley recall a piece of work on their site I didn't enjoy looking at (for this reason, it will stay permanently on my links to the right.)

I would post some of my favorite works here for you to see, but I don’t know the proper laws and etiquette for doing so. In any case; the site itself is a better place to view images.

The Dos Equis Guy

This is sort of random, but I kind of like these commercials (which is weird, because I’m not a drinker); without further ado, here is The Most Interesting Man in the World:



And here is the Most Interesting Man on:

Mixed Nuts
Packages
and....
Careers

Who was Herodotus?

Herodotus was the world first known Historian, he wrote The Histories, a collection of stories and facts form the ancient world, and some extras.

“In the Histories, he describes the expansion of the Achaemenid empire under its kings Cyrus the Great, Cambyses and Darius the Great, culminating in king Xerxes' expedition in 480 BCE against the Greeks, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at Salamis and the battles at Plataea and Mycale. Herodotus' remarkable book also contains ethnographic descriptions of the peoples that the Persians have conquered, fairy tales, gossip, legends, and a very humanitarian morale.” [Quoted from here]

While much of what he wrote has been confirmed by archeological evidence and other sources; the truth of much of it is still in question. In any case; Herodotus is one of the most important sources of knowledge we have on that time period.

Natural Wonders

here are some impressive photos:

Accelerating Paleontology

I’ve been a big fan of Michael Anissimv’s blog, Accelerating Future, for awhile now. His site (mostly devoted to various futurism issues) is incredibly fascinating. I don’t always agree with what he says, but he’s always interesting. The blog is updated so often, it is practically a news reel for "transhuminist" culture.

Well, he’s created a new blog, Arthropleura, which is dedicated to an interest that we both share: paleontology.

I highly suggest anybody with even passing interest of natural history check it out.

He has also inspired me to create a couple blog about my own specific interests; namely, THE NATURALIST, which is devoted to all things natural history (though I tend to lean more towards an interest in Geology then anything else) and Herodotus Reborn; which is devoted to human history. I already have a couple blogs for Art, Making, and Travel.

China’s #1

China has been out-polluting us for some time now; but here’s a twist, they are actually celebrating that fact.

Check it out: Here.

In America, pollution peaked in the 70’s, and though you would never hear this from an environmentalist; we are doing quite well, and getting better; property rights and prosperity have resulted in a cleaner America.

I’m afraid, that if China stays at its current statist level, that pollution in that region will never go away. Maybe in the future; when the Chinese have created enough wealth to confidently feed their children and light their homes, they will turn their attention toward pollution (as we have.)

Microsoft Surface

This has to be one of the coolest gadgets to come out in recent years; in fact, it looks a lot like the cool table from the sci-fi movie, The Island:

Here’s a video: