Slowing time: seeing past the beliveable

In my usual browsing the many fascinating site available on the web, I was drawn to the concept of fast frame rate capture of events. We often say that we will believe things when we see them, however how often to we really see everything that happens around us. To illustrate this point let me share with you a few videos I found online that demonstrate this point.

The first is a rather fun video of a flamethrower vs. a fire extinguisher... and No, no one is getting BBQ'd but its fun nonetheless.

The next is of lightning. I have seen real cool long exposures of lightning that freeze the event and capture the burst in all its glory. This clip shows lightning that was filmed at 9000 frames a second slowed down to a normal frame rate. And even at this speed many of the flashes appear to happen in real time which to the lay person equate to be a very fast flash.

The third and last video to share is of a bouncing water drop. Yes, water really does bounce, but you can only see it if you slow time down like these folks have done.

So there you go. The world is a place so much more intricate than what we can just see. So the next time you are tempted to say that you will believe it when you see it, just remember that there is so much more happening that you are just not capable of seeing and thus it might be better to just believe... or at least try to figure out if technology will give you a boost in seeing the unbelievable.

Being productive

It is an interesting concept how certain things are easier to accomplish. Why is it that you can be very productive at any given moment doing some things and not others? Today has been such a day, at least so far. Edited and uploaded images to the respective sites, caught up with e-mails and other messages, in general sitting in front of the computer and "working" on things that yesterday I did not have the motivation for. However on the same note what I did yesterday I don't have the motivation to accomplish today.

A quick search online directed me to a couple interesting sites that seem to, at least in theory give an explanation for the motivation or lack thereof that we feel at any give time. The first and often more commonly accessed source of Wikipedia had a long page that I am sure many contributed to and gives quite an overarching view of the theories out there. The second site was a more refined article with a number of theories and brief descriptions of what they meant. Although this is designed for the introduction of the subject of psychology to students and therefore refined to accomplish that task.

None-the-less the lesson to be learned is that being productive and sometimes even unproductive has its place. As one might note if they take the time to read the second article to the end, as Maslow puts it, when we become so productive and motivated that we reach self actualization, a state that normally no one reaches even though they come close; if we reach it we cease to live. The argument is, what more is there to live for if all is known and everything is already felt. And while I am very tempted to take this to a theological realm and continue to ask the question of then why does the concept of God prevail as one who is omni everything? Wont God cease to exist if there is nothing more to gain? I am not feeling motivated enough or particularly productive to answer that. Maybe you will and can. Great, I guess your level of productivity is greater than mine and you are closer to reaching self actualization... just remember that if you do I'll just live longer than you.

Another day on the coast

In a reverse of style the weather gods decided to start off the day with sun and then bring in the clouds and wind. Overall however the mild weather is nice to be in. I wish I could say the same for the fishing this morning. It could be that I have yet to get dialed in to the location and how to best fish here but a few bull-head sculpin does not a good morning of fishing make. On a more positive note, lunch was yummy and filling. Sloppy joes and a crunchy dill pickel. Maybe the afternoon will bring more luck in the fishing department, but either way its sure to be an adventure.

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morning on the Oregon coast.

morning came like a retreating ghost, leaving behind a wet overcast dew-soaked landscape. this however was not going to dampen our spirits as we cooked up a breakfast of pancakes and syrup. the sky is starting to get brighter and bluer as the sun burns off the mist and low clouds. there is more activity around us as well as neighbours start to rouse up and start campfire's, kids start to find toys that were left out to the dark last night, the rabbits that seem to be wild but camp mascots come around looking for handout. just another morning on the coast.

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Catching up with technology

It's been a while since I got around to posting here, not because I have lost the gift of gab... if I had it to start... more so that I have been taking this rollercoaster of a ride called life. Now armed with a new toy and finally fully intergrating myself into the 21st century I am going to try to be more diligent about keeping things upto date.

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The first post of the new year

Its 3:40 in the morning and in a little more than a handful of hours I will once again be sitting in a classroom trying to look interested in a subject that takes a half hour to be delivered and two minuets to go out of my head. I am not sure if it is the subject or myself that makes the melding of the two like trying to mix water and oil but so far my mind does not seem to want to incorporate these ideas and concepts within its self.

I have however spent some time crawling the web for inspiration. The following links have caught my attention and held them quite firmly. The first, the blank snowman, I find to be a good way to kill time and at the same time revert to a simpler time when a box of crayons and a line drawn picture held the imagination and the minds fascination with color combinations.

The second caught my attention on a more intellectual level. In our day and age when media is such a prominent and driving force in our lives, the messages that are being put forth have a strong impact on many people including our selves. However we cannot always pass the buck to others and be absolved of the duty to be conscientious of actions and words. This clip very humorously demonstrates and in-fact challenges each of us to be purposeful in words and actions.

Busy busy busy.

Fall is in the air and with it the start of another session of classes. This last week however has been quite a busy one. In the past 7 days alone I have managed to rack up about 80+ hours of work between a couple jobs. Which might explain why I seem to be developing a slight cold. Immune system is getting one heck of a beating.

But life is still good. Hey its got to be when we let a clown go into space ;-) But don't let the advances in technology fool you. Floor mats are revolting, not satisfied with getting trampled on they have now taken to putting the pedal to the metal with some sad results.

In other interesting notes a new Wave of ideas are rolling off the production line. Leading the way Googles own Wave interface. For 'hunt and peckers' like me the end might be looming where I might have to finally learn how to use my pinkie to type. Imagine having a conversation in real time over a text based platform. People who can type the fastest are going to loath us slow pokes and it might seem like a shouting match except its just a type faster match and he or she who types the fastest get to do all the talking.

As I have blathered on about in the past, have we really got to the point where we are looking for new ways to actually avoid making contact with other humans. With e-mails and texting and online chatting soon we will all be shut up in our own perfect boxes and have minimal if any contact with each other. I am not saying that this technology is bad or that it will be the down fall of the human race. Not at all. More so a warning that we might want to take a minuet and see if all this hard work is getting us any benefit other than more time in which we have more tasks that we need to do.

Sometimes we just need to slow down and smell the roses. While I cant say I know everything about living a slow life... hey I just worked 80+ hours remember... an interesting site I found seems to advocate a slower pace of life. Maybe this is the inspiration or push you might need to get a little less hectic... will see... maybe I'll read a bit more of what they have to say on the matter.

From a custom table to Ray guns... when the creative juices flow

Spent most of the day in Tri Cities trying to decide or more accurately trying to find a suitable work/computer table to finish the process of setting up my living room. And although many shops were visited not one yielded results. So I guess I am going to be building my own over the next couple days. I drew it out on paper and I think that it is going to be quite nice. At least I like what is on the paper and it is somewhat customized to my needs which is a huge leg up from what I could expect to get had I gone with a prefabbed design.

In other news I came across some real cool Youtube videos that kept the creative juices flowing. The first was for a simple electric motor. A rather cool device, and as the name states simple... almost too simple. Next I was drawn to a more elaborate version of this same concept. Neat huh! Well I could not stop there... I was hooked... line and sinker.

Then there was the Magnetic Gun... had to see that. Which led me to a Gatling Potato gun... And there was the Ray Gun...

And thats my cue to get to bed because its 2:15 am and I need to get up early tomorrow...

And the results are...

It was a cool dark night in the city of College Place. A new moon gave an opportunity for the faintest of stars to shine through the veil of night. The air still held the heat of the day, a warm dry taste. And I come back from a walk with several good images to edit and upload.

The strong orange glow from the sodium vapor street lights gave the images a very dated look. However it was fun, shooting at ISO 3200 with my 50mm f/1.2 lens. All hand held.

Impulse...

For the last couple hours I have been catching up on the blogs I follow, looking at images that have been posted and the like. I guess in a word I have been inspired to be impulsive. Well the last straw that broke this camels back was Diana asking me if I want to go for a walk. Its 2330 at night... but sure... as long as I get to bring out the camera. Lets see what images I can make. Be back in an hour or so....

Wally World...

Being back in the land of the sweet onion seems to have put me into a bit of a time warp. It seems that the spirit of the place keeps things from moving very fast. Its like living in a vat of molasses. While sweet as all get, you never seem to get very far.

I cant say that I have been completely unproductive. But on the other hand I must confess to not being the most productive. If good intentions were pennies I'd be the richest man alive. But I guess I am just going to have to bite the bullet and be more productive. On the plus side of the matter I have made contact with several old friends. And maybe made a few new ones as well. So the wading continues and sooner or later I will reach the edge of this sticky mess and be able to move at a faster pace.

Words written, words said, words heard and words read.

It is sometimes very interesting the power of words. It has the ability to build up and break down, it can leave you feeling like your mind just opened up a new city complex with added parking and at other times you are lost in a jungle of unknown things closing in on you sapping the very glimmer of that known space you hold on to. Words, nothing but little squiggles on paper or in this digital age on the screen. How is it that these almost insignificant parts of our very existence can have such a great impact on us?

Words like Love, Hate, Loneliness, Passion have such strong emotional ties with the human race that sometimes the very words themselves become unable to describe. Take the word "Love". What does this really mean? We say that we love someone from the 'bottom of our hearts', but all you are going to find there is blood and guts.

What is love anyway? There are actions that we associate with love. But are the actions what the word describes? We say its a feeling. A way of describing how a person feels toward someone or something. But then what is this "feeling"that we are describing? Are we just using one word to replace the other.

What is a 'feeling'? To quote the wikipedia article on this "Feeling is the nominalization of "to feel" ". How does a word encapsulate what a feeling is? We often use words to describe feelings that in the first place we cannot themselves describe. Words are often seen as symbols that carry a message. When you understand the meaning you are rewarded with a bit of information that may or may not both lead you to the retrieval of the information stored in the next set of squiggly symbols and sometimes to a message that is greater than the sum of all the parts.

Words such funny things. They say so much but at the same time so little. A word in context can convey information and out of context simply be another squiggle or sound that passes along with time like water under a bridge.

Just another day

Finally got my printer set up and have most of my gear stored away. I have been looking through some of the images I made over the past couple weeks and I think there are a few that have potential. And now that I have things setup I should be doing a bit more printing than what I have been doing.

Its amazing sometimes how time flies. Its july already and the summer is rolling on its way. Sometimes I feel like I get much accomplished and at other times it amazes me how little gets done even though I am staying busy. I have been wanting to sit out in the sun and read a book for the past couple days but so far have not found the time for it.

But not all time is spent in work. I spent the evening driving the boat and tending it while several of my colleagues went diving this afternoon. Not the most difficult of tasks and I always enjoy time spent on the water. Well, the evening draws on and I still need to finish reading and preparing for tomorrow. A few more hours till I get to rest my head.

Summer escapades

Its been a while since I last published anything and now that I have some time I feel compelled to do so. Summer on the coast, being out here has been a opportunity to relax and also spend time in refection of things scientific and philosophical.

Over the last week or so I have had the opportunity to experience some of the best that the Washington coast has to offer. Warm sunny days, clear cool nights, days filled with exploration and discovery. Looking out over the Puget sound the sight and sounds of waves crashing on the beach while in the background songs of sparrows echo over the sounds of the wind whistling in the pines do give a feeling a relaxation and solitude.

I also have been quite privileged to visit some extraordinary places. Yesterday my class went out to Protection Island. This is a National Wildlife Refuge which however is closed to the general public. I had the opportunity to go on the island and take part in an annual census counting the nest sites for the Glaucous winged gull. It was quite the interesting experience walking among the colony counting the nest sites. I was able to see a number of nests with eggs, a few with chicks already hatched and a few with the eggs just in the process of hatching.

And while there were many upsides to this event there was the downside as well. Gulls tend to fly above you as you walk through the colony and as they do sometimes you become the recipient of white or greenish grey - depending on the gulls diet - substances that in the warm sun does dry relatively fast. However the experience as a whole was more valuable and fun that this distraction did not mar the overall enjoyment.

Once again this afternoon I am expecting to head out on a boat to do some additional counting as part of the class. Not a bad way to spend the summer.

Aggrandizing automobile acquisition...

I have been on the look for a Jeep Grand Cherokee for the last couple days. Not that this was a spur of the moment decision to own one but one that I have had for quite some time. Several years ago I was bitten with the Jeep bug and since then and after the loss of my last Jeep I have been always keeping one eye at each one that passed me. 

Well having spent the last week doing much reading online about the pro's and con's of each model, year, and other relevant information in addition to spending countless hours looking at the ads online I located a 2000 JGC Laredo. Well I contacted the seller who lived about a two hour drive away and after some juggling of schedules figured out a time to meet. 

This morning, after kidnapping a friend who I shanghaied into helping me in return for dinner at Olive Garden we did the two hour trek. During the course of the drive up we had a couple rescheduling events of the location... not a big deal since we were going in that general direction anyway. And after a disappointing discovery that on a day that was sunny and hot Mc Donald's was out of ice-cream we met the bungling seller. He was a nice enough guy, things were not all roses and bunny rabbits for him, but he rolled with the punches. 

Common sense dictates that if you post your vehicle as being for sale then certain protocol is followed when you meet a prospective buyer. To put this in a more readable format let us list the following...

1. Give the vehicle a wash - yes we know that that is not the general state of things that speed down the highway squashing the unsuspecting bug but at least spray the outside off. 

2a. Take your crap out of the back seat and trunk - So you like to go fishing... cool so do I... but I am not here to meet you to go fishing.

2b. Have you heard of a marvelous invention called a vacuum... yeah....

3. Bring the paperwork with you - generally if someone says that they are coming to buy something they don't want to have to follow you back to your house and then stand around for another half an hour till you clean your car.... 

4. Have your papers in order - it is quite acceptable in this day and age to be a co-owner of things that may need a second person to sign off on... but get the other person to sign off on something you are going to sell so that we don't have to track them down where they work and disrupt their day so that we can get a signature that could have been easily taken care of over the dinner table the night before.

5. Once the transaction is finalized and its time to hand over the keys don't do the Oops-by-the-way-I-lost-the-spare-so-here-is-some-money-back-to-take-care-of-it. Thats just ghetto! 

All in all quite a interesting afternoon. But I cant complain. I did get my Jeep. I spent less that the average price which is nice because this might herald the acquisition of a new camera lens... fingers crossed...

5 AM Tuesday Morning

You have been studying all night. Looking out the window you see the first pink and yellow streaks of the dawning day. The birds are starting to call out in melodious notes. In the distance you hear the crow of a rooster, an unusual sound in suburbia but only very slightly. Its 5 AM, you have an exam in about 7 hours. 

This morning as I contemplated the events that were unfolding before me I was left with a single choice. A choice so clear that to not choose it would be unthinkable. What do you do at 5 am once the studying is done. You go fishing. Yes that soothing pastime where your mind and body connect with nature as your sprit is lifted like the rising sun. 

I cant say that I had any luck in the catching department but I did spend a good hour chatting with Sam. A retired gentleman who was also at the lake casting a line. Sam was an interesting chap. A Native American from the montana area who has been living in this area for the last couple decades. He has had an interesting life. Battling the corporate giants for his rights. The proud bearer of multiple scars from operations undergone for various injuries. At times pleading, then cursing and even encouraging the fish to take his offered morsels so that he might reel them in and have them for lunch. 

Its now 7:45 AM on a tuesday morning. The exam is still a few more hours away. What should I do next...

The running of the...

One of the most famous of all runs is The Running of the Bulls. This event which takes place in several countries, Spain being the most famous of the lot, has spawned off many similar and varied events and sometimes sub cultures. And even though the Walla Walla Valley may not be the center of the Universe it too has its own "run" that is more than a passing fad. 

On Saturday the 16th of May, under blue skies and warming weather the 12th annual running of the ducks also known as the Ducky Derby took place. Organized by the Exchange Club of Walla Walla this event raises funds to promote a safe and secure environment for children of the area.

                                                              

This event was well attended and with over $20,000 in prizes to be won, it was a nail biter. The ducks, 16000 strong took to the water like they were made for it. Overcoming the swirling rapids of Mill Creek, still swelled from the high water coming down from the snow packs high up in the Blue Mountains, the ducks bravely sallied forth. Along the way there were more obstacles; rocks, reeds and twigs, reached out from the banks to snag the unsuspecting ducks. It was a perilous affair.

And yet the winning duck, the brave warrior, unencumbered by the thought of 15,999 others chasing close on its tail, navigated the pools, eddies and tumbling water to arrive triumphantly at the finish tube.

As I was looking back at this event I was compelled to muse on other runners. As mentioned earlier the Bulls may be famous, however when it come to Just Plain Wacky... well, events like The Running of the Santa's, The Running of the Brides and even The Running of the Nudes take the cake. Well you be the judge... and next time go running your self. Who knows it might become a fad in your neighborhood.

Midnight madness

It has become almost a tradition, if one is able to create a tradition in just one month. Thursday nights at the movies. May it would seem is the month for the grand releases. Starting off with the movie Wolverine, Star-trek, Angels and Demons among others to come the movie industry seems to be getting all the pieces right. 

Last night was somewhat of an exception. Not in the fact that I did not attend, but in the fact that not many other people did. It may be that in this time of economic hardship viewers have to choose between watching a movie or putting bread on the table. In any case opening night, midnight showing of Angels and Demons found me with prime seating and no jostling in lines. 

Well that just leave another 6 more days before the next one comes out which from the previews is going to be an epic continuation of the saga. Too bad the governator could not make a comeback.

An inspiring outlet for creativity

Have you had an awesome idea, a flash of understanding, a creative "ah ha" moment when the cosmic objects align and the perfect idea materializes out of the random firings of your neurons? What do you do with it? Write it down on paper? Tell it to your best friend? Or do you go out and just do it? This evening I came across a group of individuals who after having an idea went out and made it happen. If you are a fan of the LOTR then this is good news for you. 

With the culmination of the trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, fans all around the world could hardly wait for more epic productions. The next movie scheduled to be produced and currently being worked on is The Hobbit ( Sometime in 2012) which tells of the prequel to the trilogy. However in this world there are some very astute individuals, one of them being Chris Bouchard. An up and coming film maker Chris noticed that when reading the appendices in J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy that there was another story between the stories that had gone untold. As a fan he took on this challenge to bring to light this chapter in the great saga and to raise the bar of independent films at the same time. Impossible you say, well judge for your self. 

With permission from the Tolkien estate to produce the story Chris, along with a host of other talented individuals from around the world donated time effort and many other things too numerous to account for and produced the "The Hunt for Gollum". As a fan of the LOTR trilogy, this has been one of the best, if not THE best fan made film that has transcended mere copying to bring to the audience another chapter in the quality that the cinematic productions had. Yet all this was accomplished with a budget of 3000 pounds which is under 4500 US dollars. If you have not yet seen it this is one movie that must be seen.

 And the best part of it all its online and free. Thats right, welcome to the digital revolution. A little inspiration, some elbow grease and good will from many individuals and fans like us can enjoy these creative works. 

Dawn to dusk, a narrative

Color, molded into spherical skins with a single odd shaped tetrahedron thrown in for variety. The cold crisp air of the Walla Walla valley, the blue sky of the late spring and a slight breeze for interest kicked of this mornings balloon launch. As it has been for the past 34 years this year once the balloons took to the morning sky laying claim to the 35th annual Balloon Festival. 

Over the three days balloonist will be launching their crafts sometimes a couple times each day to float gently over the farms, fields and people who look up in awe. To think of ballooning as a form of flying is like to think of floating down a river in a inner tube boating. Yet flying it is.

The blue sky this morning was made more spectacular with the bright colors and patterns of the balloons. And as the day wore on other aspects of the festival each in turn caught the eyes and ears of all those who attended. A classic car show, horse races, and the ever popular booths with both trinkets and food that made ones mouth water and stomach growl even if you had just finished eating lunch. 

The evening concluded with the Night Glow. Balloonist tethered the balloons to the grounds and as the sky took on the shade of a rich deep blue color the glow from the flame lit up the balloons. In addition to the balloons the sky was also lit by the flashing of fireworks. Rockets screamed into the air blossoming into petals of glowing embers that rained back to earth. As the night grew darker and the starts peaked out so did the moon, bright and fully illumination to show the way home to all the weary people who had spent the day frolicking in the sun and enjoying the festivities.