Thursday, July 26, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Scientists make TV remote redundant with a wave of the hand
Barbara McMahon in Sydney
Friday July 20, 2007
Gaurdian Unlimited
A new device that allows viewers to operate the on/off switch or change channels by simple hand gestures may make the remote control lost down the back of the sofa a thing of the past.
Its inventors, two engineers from Wollongong University in Australia, say the new gadget incorporates a camera that recognises hand signals and translates them into electronic commands for the TV and other audiovisual equipment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2131226,00.html
Friday July 20, 2007
Gaurdian Unlimited
A new device that allows viewers to operate the on/off switch or change channels by simple hand gestures may make the remote control lost down the back of the sofa a thing of the past.
Its inventors, two engineers from Wollongong University in Australia, say the new gadget incorporates a camera that recognises hand signals and translates them into electronic commands for the TV and other audiovisual equipment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2131226,00.html
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Weight loss -
Scattered throughout Northern Japan are two dozen mummified Japanese monks known as Sokushinbutsu. Followers of Shugend, an ancient form of Buddhism, the monks died in the ultimate act of self-denial.
For three years the priests would eat a special diet consisting only of nuts and seeds, while taking part in a regimen of rigorous physical activity that stripped them of their body fat. They then ate only bark and roots for another three years and began drinking a poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree, normally used to lacquer bowls. This caused vomiting and a rapid loss of bodily fluids, and most importantly, it killed off any maggots that might cause the body to decay after death. Finally, a self-mummifying monk would lock himself in a stone tomb barely larger than his body, where he would not move from the lotus position. His only connection to the outside world was an air tube and a bell. Each day he rang a bell to let those outside know that he was still alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the tube was removed and the tomb sealed.
Not all monks who attempted self-mummification were successful. When the tombs were finally opened, some bodies were found to have rotted. These monks were resealed in their tombs.
They were respected for their endurance, but they were not worshiped. Those monks who had succeeded in mummifying themselves were raised to the status of Buddha, put on display, and tended to by their followers. The Japanese government outlawed Sokushunbutsu in the late 19th century, though the practice apparently continued into the 20th.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Walter Lindrum
Great Video. Makes it look so easy.
World record break of 4137 in 1932. They changed the rules of billiards after this record break, to try and stop him. Didn't work. Lindrum won the World Professional Billiards Championship in 1933 and held it until his retirement in 1950. He also holds the fastest century break (46 seconds) and 1011 points (in 30 minutes). In a match in 1930 (against Willie Smith) he made 10 breaks over 1000 with a highest of 2419.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Some nice fish
Stefan Seuss (r) and Benjamin Grunder present their 102,8 and 97,4 kilo heavy catfish.The fish were caught in Italy in Bernhard Heiner's "Welcamp on the Po" During the night between 21. and 22. March the two Quantum-testanglers, Stefan Seuss and Benjamin Grunder made history in Italy for the catching "Wels" story. They had been fishing already very successfully in Bernhard and Ute Heiner's "Welscamp" on the River Po the days before. But in this particular night they broke the IGFA-World Record twice. About half-an-hour before midnight Stefan Seuss received a very hard bite. This was followed by a long, tiring battle, during which, because of the fish's long runs, it became apparent it must have enormous dimensions. After about 45 minutes, Stefan tried to hand land the fish, but was pulled into the River Po. In the end he managed to get the monster fish out of the water though. Just after he was back on his feet, and in control of the situation, he saw his fellow fisherman and team-colleague Benjamin Grunder running in the direction of his rod, which was a bit downstream, where the bite-indicator was virtually screaming like crazy. This was followed yet again by a breakneck battle, ending however, with another successful landing. The two fisherman were speechless after the first, quick measuring of the fish. Both of them were well over 2,40 meters long. Absolute madness! After daybreak both fish were measured, in the presence of a notary, seven witnesses and with calibrated, certified scales. This proved that the catfish from Stefan Seuss with a length of 2,48 metres and weighing 102,8 kilos was the larger of the two. But Benjamin Grunder's fish with 2,41 metres and 97,4 kilos also broke the existing World-Record. The catch data from the giant catfish from Stefan Seuss are now submitted to the IGFA so that it will be recorded as the new World-Record. The fish were caught with the following equipment: Rod - Rhino DF Big Fish, 2,85 metres, Reel - Quantum Crypton Big Pit fixed spool reel and as line Quantum Catfish Braid 50 kg. The water temperature at the venue was only 9.2 degrees centigrade due to the long, cold winter. Both anglers had been fishing on a long sandbank for the first days and had caught several extremely good "Wallers" up to 71 kilos - although this became slightly unimportant after this very special night! Most successful baits have been live bream of 1-3 lb size.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
It Might Pay to Follow Your Bliss
It Might Pay to Follow Your Bliss
By M. P. DUNLEAVEY
Published: June 16, 2007
New York Times
REMEMBER the fable about the ant and the grasshopper? The ant works hard all summer, socking away provisions for the winter; the grasshopper frolics away each day. The ant warns the grasshopper that he’s being hedonistic and short-sighted. The grasshopper ignores the ant, and continues on his merry way — only to perish when winter sets in.
It’s a rather stern lesson about financial prudence, but there is a reason this tale has survived through the ages — and still preoccupies many researchers who study the eccentricities of human economic behavior. Why do the grasshoppers of the world have such a hard time emulating the ants?
The rewards of the ant’s strategy are obvious: by working hard, planning ahead and saving your resources, you end up healthy, wealthy and warm. The pleasures of the grasshopper’s life are short-lived — and ultimately lead to great stress and suffering (if not a dire end).
Yet economic research has demonstrated that most people find it hard to resist the siren song of “seize the day and spend what you have now” — even though a lifestyle based on constant consumption doesn’t enhance anyone’s long-term store of happiness and often puts people on shaky financial ground.
This conundrum also bedevils those who work in the field of personal finance. Why do millions of Americans resist saving for their retirements? Why do so many carry thousands of dollars in credit card debt?
The standard advice for those caught on the treadmill of “getting and spending” could come straight from the mouth of the ant: material kicks don’t pay off in the end, so mend your ways, plan ahead and financial prudence eventually will be its own reward. But this sort of finger-wagging makes few converts in the grasshopper world.
A more compelling approach may be to focus more on what makes you happier — because investing in your own well-being and quality of life may turn out to be more prudent and more profitable than you thought.
Tim Kasser, an associate professor of psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., studied 200 people who embraced Voluntary Simplicity, a movement focused “less on materialistic values — like wanting money and possessions and status — and more on what we called intrinsic values or goals,” Professor Kasser said. The three main intrinsic values were being connected to family and friends, exploring one’s interests or skills and “making the world a better place,” he said.
He conducted the study in 2005 with Kirk Brown, an assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. The researchers compared the attitudes and behaviors of this group with a matched sample of 200 mainstream Americans.
Although the mainstream group’s income was much higher, an average of about $41,000 a year compared with $26,000 for those aiming to live more simply, “we found the people in the Voluntary Simplicity group were much happier and more satisfied with life,” Professor Kasser said.
THAT doesn’t mean frugal people are happier, said Professor Kasser, adding that research findings on this topic are mixed. But the study found that when people invested more in intrinsic values, like relationships and quality of life, and less in consumption, it seemed to increase their happiness. And, the study suggested, there may be a financial gain to doing so. Those in the simplicity group were far more likely than the control group to say that they were careful about their spending, Professor Kasser said.
Christopher K. Hsee, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, has observed a similar pattern. He points out that when people use their purchases as a semaphore of status, there is “no natural stopping point;” there will always be a bigger house, a fancier car, a more expensive watch to go after.
When it comes to more basic needs, like food or sleep or friendship, most people naturally reach a point of satisfaction. “Consequently, people who value these types of goods may be financially better off,” Professor Hsee said.
As someone who struggles against her own grasshopper nature, wishing she had the foresight and impulse control of the ant, I like the idea that there’s another path to fiscal prudence.
Working hard and being practical are ideal skills to have in life, but if those aren’t your bag, investing in a happier way of life may offer the same financial dividend. Too bad the ant didn’t know about that.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/business/16instincts.html?em&ex=1182484800&en=3b8892675557a945&ei=5087%0A
By M. P. DUNLEAVEY
Published: June 16, 2007
New York Times
REMEMBER the fable about the ant and the grasshopper? The ant works hard all summer, socking away provisions for the winter; the grasshopper frolics away each day. The ant warns the grasshopper that he’s being hedonistic and short-sighted. The grasshopper ignores the ant, and continues on his merry way — only to perish when winter sets in.
It’s a rather stern lesson about financial prudence, but there is a reason this tale has survived through the ages — and still preoccupies many researchers who study the eccentricities of human economic behavior. Why do the grasshoppers of the world have such a hard time emulating the ants?
The rewards of the ant’s strategy are obvious: by working hard, planning ahead and saving your resources, you end up healthy, wealthy and warm. The pleasures of the grasshopper’s life are short-lived — and ultimately lead to great stress and suffering (if not a dire end).
Yet economic research has demonstrated that most people find it hard to resist the siren song of “seize the day and spend what you have now” — even though a lifestyle based on constant consumption doesn’t enhance anyone’s long-term store of happiness and often puts people on shaky financial ground.
This conundrum also bedevils those who work in the field of personal finance. Why do millions of Americans resist saving for their retirements? Why do so many carry thousands of dollars in credit card debt?
The standard advice for those caught on the treadmill of “getting and spending” could come straight from the mouth of the ant: material kicks don’t pay off in the end, so mend your ways, plan ahead and financial prudence eventually will be its own reward. But this sort of finger-wagging makes few converts in the grasshopper world.
A more compelling approach may be to focus more on what makes you happier — because investing in your own well-being and quality of life may turn out to be more prudent and more profitable than you thought.
Tim Kasser, an associate professor of psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., studied 200 people who embraced Voluntary Simplicity, a movement focused “less on materialistic values — like wanting money and possessions and status — and more on what we called intrinsic values or goals,” Professor Kasser said. The three main intrinsic values were being connected to family and friends, exploring one’s interests or skills and “making the world a better place,” he said.
He conducted the study in 2005 with Kirk Brown, an assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. The researchers compared the attitudes and behaviors of this group with a matched sample of 200 mainstream Americans.
Although the mainstream group’s income was much higher, an average of about $41,000 a year compared with $26,000 for those aiming to live more simply, “we found the people in the Voluntary Simplicity group were much happier and more satisfied with life,” Professor Kasser said.
THAT doesn’t mean frugal people are happier, said Professor Kasser, adding that research findings on this topic are mixed. But the study found that when people invested more in intrinsic values, like relationships and quality of life, and less in consumption, it seemed to increase their happiness. And, the study suggested, there may be a financial gain to doing so. Those in the simplicity group were far more likely than the control group to say that they were careful about their spending, Professor Kasser said.
Christopher K. Hsee, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, has observed a similar pattern. He points out that when people use their purchases as a semaphore of status, there is “no natural stopping point;” there will always be a bigger house, a fancier car, a more expensive watch to go after.
When it comes to more basic needs, like food or sleep or friendship, most people naturally reach a point of satisfaction. “Consequently, people who value these types of goods may be financially better off,” Professor Hsee said.
As someone who struggles against her own grasshopper nature, wishing she had the foresight and impulse control of the ant, I like the idea that there’s another path to fiscal prudence.
Working hard and being practical are ideal skills to have in life, but if those aren’t your bag, investing in a happier way of life may offer the same financial dividend. Too bad the ant didn’t know about that.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/business/16instincts.html?em&ex=1182484800&en=3b8892675557a945&ei=5087%0A
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Wayne Carey
But it was with the ladies that Wayne Carey had the most problems. The first incident that saw him cop a high-profile guilty plea was back in 1996:
The assault occurred when Carey and a group of friends were walking down King Street after a night out [at 9am].
They approached the woman, who was with a female friend.
Carey grabbed her breast and said, "Why don't you get a bigger set of tits?".
A man, on his way home from work was stuck in traffic which was much worse than usual. Noticing a policeman walking among the stalled cars, he asked, "Officer, what's the holdup?" The policeman says: "Wayne Carey is so depressed about being caught cheating that he's stopped his car and is threatening to douse himself in petrol and set himself on fire. He says his family hates him, fans hate him, his team mates hate him and he now won't have the $1 million from hisfooty contract. I'm walking around taking up a collection for him." "Oh, really?" the man says. "How much have you collected so far?" "So far only 18 litres, but a lot of people are still siphoning."
Q. What's the difference between Skippy and Wayne Carey? A: Skippy can root who he likes and still be a kangaroo!
Q: What's the difference between Wayne Carey and the Titanic? A: Only 1600 people went down on the Titanic.
Q: Why does Wayne Carey wear boxer shorts? A: To keep his ankles warm
Q: What is the first thing Wayne Carey does when he gets out of bed? A: He goes home.
Q. What's the difference between a microwave and Wayne Carey? A: A microwave stops when you open the door !!!
The assault occurred when Carey and a group of friends were walking down King Street after a night out [at 9am].
They approached the woman, who was with a female friend.
Carey grabbed her breast and said, "Why don't you get a bigger set of tits?".
Wayne Carey jokes:
A new poll asked 1,000 women if they would have sex with Wayne Carey. 70% said, "Never again."
A man, on his way home from work was stuck in traffic which was much worse than usual. Noticing a policeman walking among the stalled cars, he asked, "Officer, what's the holdup?" The policeman says: "Wayne Carey is so depressed about being caught cheating that he's stopped his car and is threatening to douse himself in petrol and set himself on fire. He says his family hates him, fans hate him, his team mates hate him and he now won't have the $1 million from hisfooty contract. I'm walking around taking up a collection for him." "Oh, really?" the man says. "How much have you collected so far?" "So far only 18 litres, but a lot of people are still siphoning."
Q. What's the difference between Skippy and Wayne Carey? A: Skippy can root who he likes and still be a kangaroo!
Q: What's the difference between Wayne Carey and the Titanic? A: Only 1600 people went down on the Titanic.
Q: Why does Wayne Carey wear boxer shorts? A: To keep his ankles warm
Q: What is the first thing Wayne Carey does when he gets out of bed? A: He goes home.
Q. What's the difference between a microwave and Wayne Carey? A: A microwave stops when you open the door !!!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Modern Art Movements
As artists began to experiment with new styles and techniques, they gathered in groups to talk about their ideas. rtisits with similar aims sometimes formed a movement (i.e. futurism). Apart from creating a sense of solidarity and confidence, the movements gave them authority; groups of artists tended to be taken more seriously than individuals. Below is a list of various movements associated with modern art:
Abstract Expressionism: Late 1940s-late 50s, USAArtists produced large-scale, dramatic abstract paintings. There were two main types: action painting, and the quieter, colorfield painting, which used broad expanses of color and relied more on color association. This movement was largely responsible for New York displacing Paris as the centre of the art world after WWII.
Bauhaus: 1919-33, GermanyAn influential German art school which was eventually closed down by the Nazis. Each student studied art, architecture and design with the ultimate aim of creating a better living environment for everyone. Its design principles were based on admiration for geometry and the machine.
Conceptual Art: Late 1960s-70s, USA and ItalyConceptual artists emphasized the ideas underlying works of art, often as a protest against the commercialism of the art world. They often used photos, text, etc. to document an action or even, or to express ideas.
Constructivism: 1917-20, RussiaA geometric abstract art movement. Artists were initially influenced by Suprematism, but after the Russian Revolution they tried to help create a new society by applying geometric design principles to all areas of life (architecture, furniture, clothes design, etc.)
Cubism: 1907-early 20s, ParisA style pioneered by Picasso and Braque which drew attention to the contradictions involved in depicting a 3-D scene on a 2-D surface. Analytical Cubism (1907-12) broke down real objects into different parts. Synthetic Cubism (1912-14) built up recognizable images from abstract parts using ready-made materials.
Dada: 1914-20, Germany, Paris and New YorkA movement of irreverent, unbridled protest against the state of western society that led to the First World War. Members saw art as decadent and middle class. They staged events (now often called "Happenings") designed to shock, and created works out of unconventional materials, or based on chance.
Expressionism: 1905-early 20s, Germany and AustriaThe artists' main purpose was to express emotions and/or a sense of deeper reality, through vigorous brushstrokes, and distortion or exaggeration of shapes and colors. There were two main groups: Die Brucke (The Bridge) and Der Balue Reiter (The Blue Rider). Van Gogh and Munch were key influences.
Fauvism: 1905-10, FranceA group of young painters centered around Matisse whose work was characterized by strong color and powerful brush strokes. Their worktended to be joyful.
Futurism: 1909-14, ItalyThis movement was founded by the poet Marinetti. Its members rejected the past and instead celebrated the dynamism of the machine age and city life.
Impressionism: 1874-86The first major avant-garde movement. The name was invented in 1874 by a hostile critic, inspired by a painting by Monet entitled Impression: Sun Rise. The Impressionists' aim was to capture the passing moment, by means of a sketchy technique, strong color and a commitment to outdoor, on-the-spot painting, with as little reworking in the studio as possible.
Kinetic Art: 1960s, InternationalSculpture that actually moves, often using modern technology to achieve this. It contrasts with Op art which just appears to move.
Land Art: 1960s-80s, USA and GBArt that invovles the artist going out into nature (normally in a remote area), and making his or her mark on it. The only record that remains is photographic, sometimes combined with maps, text and so on. More recently, some Land artists have exhibited sculptures made from natural found objects inside galleries.
Minimalism: Late 1960s-70s, USAAn intellectual sort of art which seems to consist of very little, so that the viewer is forced to scrutinize the formal roperties of what is actually there very carefully. The work is usually rigorously geometric and involves the repetition of identical objects. Malevich was among the pioneers of this kind of art.
Neo-Expressionism: Late 1970s-80s, InternationalWidespread and much-publicized characteristic of 1980s art.
Op Art: Late 1950s-60s, InternationalThe name is short for Optical art. It refers to a geometric abstract art that manipulates the viewer's visual response and creates the illusion of movement. Artists use theories from the psychology of perception to achieve this effect.
Orphism: 1912-13, FranceA colorful and almost abstract strand of Cubism. One of the earliest attempts to create abstract art.
Performance Art: 1960s-present, InternationalThis art is related to theatrical performance, but usually has no plot or sense of drama. It is often used to make a political point, exploit the idea of endurance, or simply to entertain.
Pointillism: Mid 1880s-90s, FranceThe technique of applying small, regular dabs of unmixed color on to the picture surface, relying on scientific theories (combining complementary colors). Pioneered by Seurat, who used the term "Divisionism."
Pop Art: Late 1950s-60s, USA and GBThe apparent celebration of western consumerism after the auterity and rationing of the war years. The artists' work evokes the brash, colorful world of advertising, commic strips and popular entertainment.
Point Impressionism: 1880s-90s, FranceA blanket term referring to art that both learned from and rejected certain Imressionist principles. Cezanne and Seurat tried to regain a sense of order; Gauguin attempted to express a world of imagination and spirituality; van Gogh, elemental emotions.
Socialist Realism: 1930s-50s, USSRArt promoted by the Stalinist regime in Russia as a propoganda tool. The artists used a realistic, but often melodramatic style to present an idealized vision of Societ society and its leaders.
De Stijl: 1917-early 30s, HollandA movement founded by van Doesburg and Mondrian to promote their use of geometric abstract shapes and primary colors, based on the idea of universal harmony. Their ideas exended to architecture and design as well as paintings. They published a magazine with the same name.
Suprematism: 1913-20s, RussiaMalevich expressed the ideas behind this movement in his book "The Non-Objective World." e wrote of his wish to create a vocabulary of geometric abstract shapes entirely independent of the visible world, and espressing pure artistic feeling. He greatly influenced Constructivist artists.
Surrealism: 1924-40s, ParisA movement that drew on certain ideas of Dada, and on the writings of Freud to create an art which was intended to free the viewer as well as the artist by exploring the world of the unconscious and subconscious mind. some artists used unorthodox techniques such as frottage (random rubblings from different materials).
Symbolism: 1890s, InternationalA literary and artistic movement which, partly in reaction to Realism and Impressionism, emphasized the world of the imagination, of ideas, dreams and emotions. It is a predecessor of Expressionism and Surrealism.
Vorticism: 1910-14, EnglandA group of London-based avant-garde artists inspired by cubism and Futurism. They rejected the gentility of the English art world and celebrated the excitement and beauty of the machine age. They published a magazine called "Blast." The movement did not survive the brutality of WWI.
Source for text:Bohm-Duchen & Cook. "Understanding Modern Art." EDC Publishing: Oklahoma, 1988.
http://www.umfa.utah.edu/?id=MjAx
Abstract Expressionism: Late 1940s-late 50s, USAArtists produced large-scale, dramatic abstract paintings. There were two main types: action painting, and the quieter, colorfield painting, which used broad expanses of color and relied more on color association. This movement was largely responsible for New York displacing Paris as the centre of the art world after WWII.
Bauhaus: 1919-33, GermanyAn influential German art school which was eventually closed down by the Nazis. Each student studied art, architecture and design with the ultimate aim of creating a better living environment for everyone. Its design principles were based on admiration for geometry and the machine.
Conceptual Art: Late 1960s-70s, USA and ItalyConceptual artists emphasized the ideas underlying works of art, often as a protest against the commercialism of the art world. They often used photos, text, etc. to document an action or even, or to express ideas.
Constructivism: 1917-20, RussiaA geometric abstract art movement. Artists were initially influenced by Suprematism, but after the Russian Revolution they tried to help create a new society by applying geometric design principles to all areas of life (architecture, furniture, clothes design, etc.)
Cubism: 1907-early 20s, ParisA style pioneered by Picasso and Braque which drew attention to the contradictions involved in depicting a 3-D scene on a 2-D surface. Analytical Cubism (1907-12) broke down real objects into different parts. Synthetic Cubism (1912-14) built up recognizable images from abstract parts using ready-made materials.
Dada: 1914-20, Germany, Paris and New YorkA movement of irreverent, unbridled protest against the state of western society that led to the First World War. Members saw art as decadent and middle class. They staged events (now often called "Happenings") designed to shock, and created works out of unconventional materials, or based on chance.
Expressionism: 1905-early 20s, Germany and AustriaThe artists' main purpose was to express emotions and/or a sense of deeper reality, through vigorous brushstrokes, and distortion or exaggeration of shapes and colors. There were two main groups: Die Brucke (The Bridge) and Der Balue Reiter (The Blue Rider). Van Gogh and Munch were key influences.
Fauvism: 1905-10, FranceA group of young painters centered around Matisse whose work was characterized by strong color and powerful brush strokes. Their worktended to be joyful.
Futurism: 1909-14, ItalyThis movement was founded by the poet Marinetti. Its members rejected the past and instead celebrated the dynamism of the machine age and city life.
Impressionism: 1874-86The first major avant-garde movement. The name was invented in 1874 by a hostile critic, inspired by a painting by Monet entitled Impression: Sun Rise. The Impressionists' aim was to capture the passing moment, by means of a sketchy technique, strong color and a commitment to outdoor, on-the-spot painting, with as little reworking in the studio as possible.
Kinetic Art: 1960s, InternationalSculpture that actually moves, often using modern technology to achieve this. It contrasts with Op art which just appears to move.
Land Art: 1960s-80s, USA and GBArt that invovles the artist going out into nature (normally in a remote area), and making his or her mark on it. The only record that remains is photographic, sometimes combined with maps, text and so on. More recently, some Land artists have exhibited sculptures made from natural found objects inside galleries.
Minimalism: Late 1960s-70s, USAAn intellectual sort of art which seems to consist of very little, so that the viewer is forced to scrutinize the formal roperties of what is actually there very carefully. The work is usually rigorously geometric and involves the repetition of identical objects. Malevich was among the pioneers of this kind of art.
Neo-Expressionism: Late 1970s-80s, InternationalWidespread and much-publicized characteristic of 1980s art.
Op Art: Late 1950s-60s, InternationalThe name is short for Optical art. It refers to a geometric abstract art that manipulates the viewer's visual response and creates the illusion of movement. Artists use theories from the psychology of perception to achieve this effect.
Orphism: 1912-13, FranceA colorful and almost abstract strand of Cubism. One of the earliest attempts to create abstract art.
Performance Art: 1960s-present, InternationalThis art is related to theatrical performance, but usually has no plot or sense of drama. It is often used to make a political point, exploit the idea of endurance, or simply to entertain.
Pointillism: Mid 1880s-90s, FranceThe technique of applying small, regular dabs of unmixed color on to the picture surface, relying on scientific theories (combining complementary colors). Pioneered by Seurat, who used the term "Divisionism."
Pop Art: Late 1950s-60s, USA and GBThe apparent celebration of western consumerism after the auterity and rationing of the war years. The artists' work evokes the brash, colorful world of advertising, commic strips and popular entertainment.
Point Impressionism: 1880s-90s, FranceA blanket term referring to art that both learned from and rejected certain Imressionist principles. Cezanne and Seurat tried to regain a sense of order; Gauguin attempted to express a world of imagination and spirituality; van Gogh, elemental emotions.
Socialist Realism: 1930s-50s, USSRArt promoted by the Stalinist regime in Russia as a propoganda tool. The artists used a realistic, but often melodramatic style to present an idealized vision of Societ society and its leaders.
De Stijl: 1917-early 30s, HollandA movement founded by van Doesburg and Mondrian to promote their use of geometric abstract shapes and primary colors, based on the idea of universal harmony. Their ideas exended to architecture and design as well as paintings. They published a magazine with the same name.
Suprematism: 1913-20s, RussiaMalevich expressed the ideas behind this movement in his book "The Non-Objective World." e wrote of his wish to create a vocabulary of geometric abstract shapes entirely independent of the visible world, and espressing pure artistic feeling. He greatly influenced Constructivist artists.
Surrealism: 1924-40s, ParisA movement that drew on certain ideas of Dada, and on the writings of Freud to create an art which was intended to free the viewer as well as the artist by exploring the world of the unconscious and subconscious mind. some artists used unorthodox techniques such as frottage (random rubblings from different materials).
Symbolism: 1890s, InternationalA literary and artistic movement which, partly in reaction to Realism and Impressionism, emphasized the world of the imagination, of ideas, dreams and emotions. It is a predecessor of Expressionism and Surrealism.
Vorticism: 1910-14, EnglandA group of London-based avant-garde artists inspired by cubism and Futurism. They rejected the gentility of the English art world and celebrated the excitement and beauty of the machine age. They published a magazine called "Blast." The movement did not survive the brutality of WWI.
Source for text:Bohm-Duchen & Cook. "Understanding Modern Art." EDC Publishing: Oklahoma, 1988.
http://www.umfa.utah.edu/?id=MjAx
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Funny comment
“A big problem at the club is that the members lick their balls”
Comment made by student during an engineering class on recycled water at University of New South Wales.
He was talking about a golf club.
2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Alive after two mile fall
By Ryan Morrison
BBC
10th May 2007
Jersey skydiver Michael Holmes survived a two mile fall in New Zealand after his parachute failed. Jersey's Michael Holmes was skydiving in New Zealand when his parachute failed and he found himself heading for the ground at 120mph on Tuesday 12 December.
During what would have been a relatively routine jump for a man who's been doing this for seven years, and was the youngest British person ever to qualify as a skydiving instructor, the parachute failed.
Michael's father told us that the main parachute became tangled, which then caused problems for the reserve parachute.
He explained what happened:
"Half of the parachute collapsed. The parachute is attached to a container on the skydivers back with a load of lines and they became tangled. "The tangle went right back down to the container with the result that he couldn't release the pain chute, what they call, cut away the main chute.
"Nor could he deploy the reserve and the reserve couldn't deploy itself either because of the tangle."
However, despite falling 12,000ft Michael survived. He fell into a blackberry bush at around 100 mph and suffered a punctured lung and broken ankle.
Michael was found unconscious by police in a blackberry bush in a conservation area in Five Mile Bay in Taupo on New Zealand's North Island.
A Taupo Fire Brigade spokesman said "Mr Holmes had fallen into dense bushes and the brigade had been called to slash a path through to free him"
Michael Holmes snr told us "It's a one in a million chance it could happen and he was very fortunate he survived."
He was asked how his son felt about falling and told us "Michael is Michael and he will bounce back from it and will be skydiving again in a months time".
Eyewitness John Siddles told New Zealand's Daily Post "One of the skydivers was coming down and going round and round. He looked like he was all tangled up or something. He just came down, straight down".
The accident is being investigated by the New Zealand Parachute Industry Association.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Nine of of ten babies in the US watch TV
May 8, 2007
About 90 per cent of US children under age 2 and as many as 40 per cent of infants under three months are regular watchers of television, DVDs and videos, researchers said on Monday.
They said the number of young kids watching TV was much greater than expected.
"We don't know from the study whether it is good or bad. What we know is that it is big," said Frederick Zimmerman of the University of Washington, whose research appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
A second study suggested excessive TV viewing could lead to attention and learning problems down the road.
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that children in the United States watch about four hours of television every day. They recommend that children under age 2 should not watch any and older children should watch no more than 2 hours a day of quality programming.
But 29 per cent of parents surveyed by Zimmerman and colleagues believed baby-oriented TV and DVD programs offered educational benefits.
"Parents are getting the message loud and clear from marketers of TV and videos that this is good for their kids. That it will help their brain development ... None of this stuff has ever been proven," Zimmerman said in a telephone interview.
For their study, Zimmerman's team conducted random telephone surveys of more than 1000 families with young children in Minnesota and Washington.
They found 90 per cent of children under age 2 and 40 per cent of infants under three months watched TV regularly.
At 3 months, children watched less than an hour per day, but by 24 months, they watched more than 1.5 hours per day.
About half of the shows watched were in the educational category, with the remainder split evenly among noneducational children's content, baby DVDs/videos and adult TV.
In a separate survey of 1051 parents published in the journal Pediatrics, 75 per cent of children aged 0 to 6 were found to watch TV every day, often in their own bedrooms.
"We don't know that it is bad but we don't know that it is harmless," Zimmerman said.
A second study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that teens who watch three to four hours of television a day were more likely to have attention or learning problems and were less likely to get a college degree.
"Even watching more than an hour of TV per day had some adverse consequences, but three hours was much worse than one hour, and two was worse than one," Jeffrey Johnson of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute said in a telephone interview.
Johnson and colleagues studied 678 families in New York state over more than 20 years.
"Kids who watched less than one hour of TV per day were twice as likely to go to college as those who watched three or more hours per day," he said.
Just 12 per cent of the parents whose children watched less than an hour of television a day said their child "hardly ever does homework," compared to 21 per cent of those who watched one to three hours a day and 27 per cent of those who watched more than three hours a day.
Parents said 22 per cent of teens who watched less than an hour a day were often bored at school, compared to 35 per cent of the moderate watchers and 42 per cent of those who watched three hours or more.
The result was the same regardless of socioeconomic status.
Johnson said he believed TV may be shortening teens' attention spans. "Over time, it could really dumb down society," he said.
Reuters
About 90 per cent of US children under age 2 and as many as 40 per cent of infants under three months are regular watchers of television, DVDs and videos, researchers said on Monday.
They said the number of young kids watching TV was much greater than expected.
"We don't know from the study whether it is good or bad. What we know is that it is big," said Frederick Zimmerman of the University of Washington, whose research appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
A second study suggested excessive TV viewing could lead to attention and learning problems down the road.
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that children in the United States watch about four hours of television every day. They recommend that children under age 2 should not watch any and older children should watch no more than 2 hours a day of quality programming.
But 29 per cent of parents surveyed by Zimmerman and colleagues believed baby-oriented TV and DVD programs offered educational benefits.
"Parents are getting the message loud and clear from marketers of TV and videos that this is good for their kids. That it will help their brain development ... None of this stuff has ever been proven," Zimmerman said in a telephone interview.
For their study, Zimmerman's team conducted random telephone surveys of more than 1000 families with young children in Minnesota and Washington.
They found 90 per cent of children under age 2 and 40 per cent of infants under three months watched TV regularly.
At 3 months, children watched less than an hour per day, but by 24 months, they watched more than 1.5 hours per day.
About half of the shows watched were in the educational category, with the remainder split evenly among noneducational children's content, baby DVDs/videos and adult TV.
In a separate survey of 1051 parents published in the journal Pediatrics, 75 per cent of children aged 0 to 6 were found to watch TV every day, often in their own bedrooms.
"We don't know that it is bad but we don't know that it is harmless," Zimmerman said.
A second study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that teens who watch three to four hours of television a day were more likely to have attention or learning problems and were less likely to get a college degree.
"Even watching more than an hour of TV per day had some adverse consequences, but three hours was much worse than one hour, and two was worse than one," Jeffrey Johnson of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the New York State Psychiatric Institute said in a telephone interview.
Johnson and colleagues studied 678 families in New York state over more than 20 years.
"Kids who watched less than one hour of TV per day were twice as likely to go to college as those who watched three or more hours per day," he said.
Just 12 per cent of the parents whose children watched less than an hour of television a day said their child "hardly ever does homework," compared to 21 per cent of those who watched one to three hours a day and 27 per cent of those who watched more than three hours a day.
Parents said 22 per cent of teens who watched less than an hour a day were often bored at school, compared to 35 per cent of the moderate watchers and 42 per cent of those who watched three hours or more.
The result was the same regardless of socioeconomic status.
Johnson said he believed TV may be shortening teens' attention spans. "Over time, it could really dumb down society," he said.
Reuters
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Ben Cousins in shock
Tuesday May 1, 2007
The Guardian
Colombian Navy Finds 27 Tons of Cocaine
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombia's navy made the largest drug seizure in the nation's history when it uncovered about 27 tons of cocaine buried along the Pacific coast, the defense minister said Monday.
The cocaine, with a wholesale value of more than $500 million, was found Sunday buried in 1,000 packages of 55 pounds each near the coastal town of Pizarro, 250 miles west of Bogota, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos told a news conference.
Santos said the seizure was the result of eight months of undercover police work and he called it the ``biggest in the history of Colombia.''
The cocaine was buried near an estuary accessible only by sea, he said.
There were no arrests in the operation, but the drugs were believed to belong to Colombia's biggest drug trafficking organization, the Norte del Valle cartel, which operates near the area.
Colombia is the world's leading cocaine producer, producing annually more than 500 tons of cocaine that represents 90 percent of the drug consumed in the United States.
Most of the cocaine leaves the country by sea, on go-fast boats that transport the drugs up along the Central American coast for their eventual smuggling into the United States overland through Mexico.
Although drug seizures are an everyday affair, they rarely reach such large numbers. Last October, Colombia's navy made headlines when it found 9.3 tons of cocaine on three go-fast boats near the Pacific coastal port city of Buenaventura - its biggest seizure of the year.
President Alvaro Uribe travels to Washington on Tuesday to shore up support on Capitol Hill and the White House for the U.S.-backed Plan Colombia, an anti-narcotics and counterinsurgency program that has cost American taxpayers more than $5 billion since 2000.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Quality of Life
A man and his wife were sitting in the living room and he said to her,"Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."
His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all of his beer.
His wife got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all of his beer.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Mahatma Gandhi quotes
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed”
“The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives”
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
“The most heinous and the most cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives”
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
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