the interpretation of a thousandth of a second
Hotel Chevalier
Jason reminds us that “the short film by Wes Anderson that takes place before the action in The Darjeeling Limited, is available at the iTunes Music Store for free.”
The Year of Living Biblically
How to Read the Bible
So, how to read the Bible? Kugel proposes two different ways. First, he shows us the Bible as it was read by the “ancient interpreters,” writers who lived in the period a couple of hundred years before and after the birth of Jesus, even as the Bible itself was being codified. Their way of reading the Bible — their assumption of its inerrancy, their belief that scripture teaches moral lessons, and their faith in divine authorship — is the way many of us still read it today. Second, Kugel leads us through the Bible as it’s understood by modern scholars, who for the past 150 years have used archaeology, linguistics, history, anthropology and all the other tools of science to excavate the truth about the Good Book. Kugel seems to have begun “How to Read the Bible” with the notion of giving equal weight to his two methods, but he soon sidelines the ancient interpreters and focuses on the exceedingly provocative modern scholarship. Though Kugel surely did not intend this, in its own way, his book proves as devastating to the godly cause as any of the pro-atheism books that have been dominating the best-seller lists in recent months.
Direct Instruction
Contrary to what you might think, the data also show that DI does not impede creativity or self-esteem. The education establishment, however, hates DI because it is a threat to the power and prestige of teaching, they prefer the model of teacher as hero. As Ayres says “The education establishment is wedded to its pet theories regardless of what the evidence says.” As a result they have fought it tooth and nail so that “Direct Instruction, the oldest and most validated program, has captured only a little more than 1 percent of the grade-school market.”
Moral Footprint
Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic, suggests that as a result of our irresponsibility we may have left no room for ourselves on this planet–such is our “moral footprint.”
Maybe we should start considering our sojourn on earth as a loan. There can be no doubt that for the past hundred years at least, Europe and the United States have been running up a debt, and now other parts of the world are following their example. Nature is issuing warnings that we must not only stop the debt from growing but start to pay it back. There is little point in asking whether we have borrowed too much or what would happen if we postponed the repayments. Anyone with a mortgage or a bank loan can easily imagine the answer.
Monks March On Courthouse, Phil Spector Goes Free
It’s better to be lucky than good
Los Angeles, CA — Embattled has-been record producer Phil Spector went free Wednesday after nearly 5,000 Burmese monks marched on a Los Angeles courthouse, triggering a mistrial. Facing charges for allegedly persuading B-movie actress Lana Clarkson to inexplicably shoot herself in the mouth while she was a guest in his home, Spector was released thanks to the mass protest of scarlet-robed Buddhist monks who had rushed to California on his behalf.
“Sure, we chant a lot,” said senior spokesmonk Duou Li Yin, “but we love the oldies and sing them every chance we get. There’s nothing like a little ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ or ‘Be My Baby’ to look forward to after evening meditations.”
The future of clusterflock (initial concepts)
Back in May we started gathering thoughts for a redesign of Clusterflock. Months later (apologies on that—where did summer go?), it’s time to take a look at some initial concepts and throw in your 2 cents.
A couple things to consider: These comps are done in Photoshop. It’s a quick way to visualize an idea, so what you’re seeing is a big image. It will load slowly.
Also, I’ve just tackled the top of the page. If you’re missing content (like recent comments or obligatory buttons and links), those will likely resurface at the bottom of the page (footer).
Here are 3+ variations to get this conversation started back up.
Drop a comment with what bits you like, what bits you don’t, and help us refine what to explore for Round 2.
anti-telemarketing EGBG counterscript
The Direct Marketing sector regards the telephone as one of its most successful tools. Consumers experience telemarketing from a completely different point of view: more than 92% perceive commercial telephone calls as a violation of privacy.
Telemarketers make use of a telescript – a guideline for a telephone conversation. This script creates an imbalance in the conversation between the marketer and the consumer. It is this imbalance, most of all, that makes telemarketing successful. The EGBG Counterscript attempts to redress that balance.
Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia
The therapeutic power of music hit me dramatically in 1966, when I started working with the Awakenings patients at Beth Abraham in the Bronx. I saw post-encephalitics who seemed frozen, transfixed, unable to take a step. But with music to give them a flow, they could sing, dance, and be active again. For Parkinsonian patients, the ability to perform actions in sequence is impaired. They need temporal structure and organization, and the rhythm of music can be crucial. For people with Alzheimer’s, music incites recall, bringing the past back like nothing else.
Let me play something for you. This is Woody Geist, who I describe in my new book. He’s had Alzheimer’s for 40 years, and is profoundly disabled in almost every way, but is a member of an a cappella group called the Grunyons. After I’d written about him, he sang professionally again, and it was beautiful, though people were afraid he’d be lost before the performance. Ten seconds afterwards, he had no memory of it.
*
The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, its owner said Wednesday.
Heineken World Bottle
WOBO (WOrld BOttle)
I mentioned this in class yesterday to a group of students who are considering ground up PET bottles as a source material. I think I really prefer upcycling to recycling. Herr Heineken’s idea was a little early for its time but a great idea nonetheless. According to Wikipedia,
As the story goes, Alfred Heineken had an epiphany while on a world tour of Heineken factories. When Heineken was on the Caribbean island of Curacao in 1960 he saw many bottles littering the beach due to the fact that the island had no economic means of returning the bottles to the bottling plants from which they had come. He was also concerned with the lack of affordable building materials and the inadequate living conditions plaguing Curacao’s lower-class. Envisioning a solution for these problems, he found a dutch architect John Habraken to design what he called “a brick that holds beer.”
More on bottle building
Pasteurized Process Swiss-Flavored Travel Log: Heidi experience-path
Heidi experience-path for large and small.
12 experiences in seizable size let the story of Heidi revive also in reference to the location.
House Renovation Update
For the past few weeks I’ve been back full swing working on finishing the restoration of the house. I had set everything aside for a while while I worked on a re-edit of the documentary and now it feels good to shift gears again and make some progress.
I got the island, its counter, and cooktop installed, which required a lot of time under the house running gas and electrical, as well as the ductwork for our cooktop. I already had the form for the counter made so pouring was easy and this one turned out the best so far.
This week, I bought three or four types of cleaners and went over the older counters, found the cleaners that worked for various stains, and sealed them yesterday.
They look gorgeous. I poured a bone colored concrete and the texture with the sealer on it is difficult to describe. Almost the luxury of an orange peal, but firmer, obviously. It feels great.
I’m halfway through filling any voids in the surface with a mix of silicon and dry concrete and tomorrow, once that’s done, will apply a final coat of sealer before a finishing coat of beeswax.
The sink is in and working. Ditto the dishwasher. We’re getting down to finishing touches on the cabinets, cabinet doors and a pantry. I can’t wait till we’re finished.
How would you prepare it?
The Zodiac Pizza: I am not sure what it would look like but each slice would have toppings which are equivalent to the astrological signs. What are the appropriate toppings When it is served should it only have the signs visible that time of year in the particular region? Should you prepare each slice with the other traditionally complimentary sign?
Dear Architects
Have you heard of Rem Koolhaas? He is a famous architect. I know this because you tell me he is a famous architect. I hear that Rem Koolhaas is always sleeping. He is, I presume, sleeping right now. And I hear he gets shit done. And I also hear that in a stunning move, he is making a building that looks not like a glass cock, but like a concrete vagina. When you sleep more, you get vagina. You can all take a lesson from Rem Koolhaas.
“In a faraway place called Wisconsin”
Couple nights back, I dreamed that a friend and I were pursuing a gang of kidnappers whom we’d determined were holed up at Old World Wisconsin.
Parallel Universes
Parallel universes really do exist, according to a mathematical discovery by Oxford scientists described by one expert as “one of the most important developments in the history of science”. The parallel universe theory, first proposed in 1950 by the US physicist Hugh Everett, helps explain mysteries of quantum mechanics that have baffled scientists for decades, it is claimed.
wall and panels
I imagine that some of these metal boxes have to do with the electrical supply to the building, which houses a mini strip mall on Centre Avenue in Shadyside, but what are the tall pipes which look vaguely like elongated steamer funnels?
Pasteurized Process Swiss-Flavored Travel Log: Sexy Swiss Miss
This sexy Adult Swiss Miss Costume includes the white ruffled peasant top, skirt, and lace-up waist cincher with beautiful trim details. Matching Ruffle Shorts (for modesty’s sake!), Petticoat (shown, to add fullness to the skirt), and stockings are available as accessories, and a wide variety of matching Shoes and False Eyelashes are available to complete your Swiss Miss costume!
All this and more from Pin Up Girl!
Pretty Cool
I met Darren Woodson tonight.
A Conversation with Stephen Shore
If an artist doesn’t work with conscious intentionality, sometimes no amount of editing helps.
Sept. 24, 1947: MJ-12
If the secret committee known as the Majestic 12 ever really existed, this is the day that the group was allegedly created by a memorandum from President Harry Truman.
If real, this shadowy coven of scientists, military brass and government officials came together in response to the Army’s recovery of an alien spacecraft that crashed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, in July 1947. Their purpose: to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Roswell incident and to maintain vigilance against further alien incursions.
See-Through Frog
A research team led by professor Masayuki Sumida at Hiroshima University’s Institute for Amphibian Biology has created a type of transparent frog whose internal organs are visible through its skin. The researchers say the see-through frogs can help in the study of diseases and in the development of medical treatments by allowing laboratory scientists to check the status of internal organs and blood vessels while the frogs are alive and without having to dissect them.
Iran President Ahmadinejad: Our BBQ Is Peaceful
President Ahmadinejad says the #1 ingredient is love
New York, NY — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad screwed up already tense U.S. relations by announcing plans to visit “Ground Zero” in New York City and insisting the 9/11 attacks had never occurred.
Leaked details of President Ahmadinejad’s speech scheduled for delivery Tuesday to the United Nations General assembly confirmed his country had developed its own secret recipe barbecue sauce, but that Iran’s plans for the deployment and use of barbecue sauce were not “for military purposes”.
“Our sauce is smoky-sweet with just the right amount of kick,” declared the manic leader. “The proud Iranian people have proven once again their ability to succeed without the help of corrupt Western powers, and to blend carefully the right combination of vinegar and brown sugar. Our sauce enhances the meat’s flavor instead of hiding it.”
