Posts Tagged "video"

The Art of the Marbler

Though it’s dated, I found this old documentary about creating marbled paper to be really fascinating (and really soothing to boot). It’s surprising that such simple tools (colors, liquid, and rakes) can produce such interesting designs and patterns.

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Jacob Tonski: Balance from Within

But then I noticed a small cord, that seemed to be attached to the base of the sofa, extending back to a small, white box. I won’t spoil the video, but seeing how Tonski made the sofa “balance” is pretty damn impressive. And I love that he built-in a failsafe, in the event that the sofa topples over.

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The Innovation of Loneliness

In the early years of this blog, I would find myself taking photos at parties in a frantic attempt to document the event. Over time, I realized I was taking myself out of the very thing I was wanting to remember. I want to think I’ve gotten better about such things, but it’s difficult to avoid the pull of social media – wanting to tell everyone Hey, look at what a great time I’m having!.

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Blackfish: Trailer

This looks to be a really fascinating documentary, though it also looks like it would be really tough to sit through. I still haven’t gotten up the courage to watch The Cove yet, and some portions of the trailer strike me as being difficult to watch.

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Kusama: Princess of Polka Dots

About halfway through, I realized I had mentioned Kusama’s work before on here – as she was the artist behind the amazing Obliteration Room. Having just seen her most recent work in 2012, I’d be curious to know more about what she was making at the start of her career, some 50+ years ago.

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The Last of Us: Five Quick Strategy Tips

I bought my copy of The Last of Us near the end of June, and shortly thereafter… blew through the game over the extended July 4th weekend. The gameplay is fun, but the storyline kind of keeps pulling you on to the next and the next. Similar to what happened when I played Uncharted, Liz (who is someone not normally into video games) got sucked in. She was mostly working in the other room, but every time she heard the cinematics/interstitials kick in… she’d run over and watch.

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A Glimpse of Life: One Second of Video, Every Day, for a Year

A majority of the videos were pretty mundane: reading, watching TV, a laundry-basket full of socks. But somehow, these details made the whole thing seem that much more intimate. And they also provided a contrast to some of the more surprising moments: like a fireman walking down an apartment hallway, shown with little to no explanation (though I loved that the video to follow was of a friend, smoking).

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Six Months at Sea in the Merchant Marine

His film documents his six-month journey aboard a container ship, travelling between New York and Singapore via the Suze Canal. Combining both still image and video, the documentary covers a wide range of topics: the various jobs on board the ship, the precautions taken for fear of pirates in the Gulf of Aden, and the constant comfort/problem of monotony.

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Workplace Coffee Etiquette and Remembering Terry Tate, Office Linebacker

So at work, there are two large coffee carafes – one containing Starbucks coffee, and one containing Folgers. Both taste terrible, partly due to the fact that the grounds are all pre-packaged and partly due to the fact that the containers likely haven’t been cleaned between each use. But hey, it’s hot. And it’s free. And I’m trying to save money. And somewhere, beyond the awful burnt taste is a modicum of caffeine.

As it is in most offices across the world, the bane of the shared kitchen is the person who taps the coffee and leaves refilling it to the next guy. Large or small, all companies have these guys.

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The Complicated Chinese Family Tree

Was just reminded of this the other day. Here’s a very good (and very detailed) look at the complex Chinese family tree – with specific names for each relation. The term “grandma” doesn’t quite cut it for us, as we have specific names for your mom’s mom vs. your dad’s mom. In fact, there’s a lot of differentiation happening based on one side of the family versus another. Age is also another point of delineation, as different names apply based on whether someone is older or younger than you.

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