Friday, January 30, 2009

It's not just another building

Frank Gehry, a master of architecture

His Works:

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain


"Dancing House" in Prague, Czech Republic


The Gehry Tower in Hannover, Germany


Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota


Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California


Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington


Stata Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts




Friday, January 23, 2009

Call It



Heads

Tails

The Coin Spontaneously Disappears

An Atomic Bomb is Dropped on The Exact Location You Are Standing

It Turns Out It Wasn't A Coin at All, It Was A Magic Castle and you've been Delusional the Whole Time

Gravity Does Not Cause the Coin to Fall to the Ground, but Instead the Coin
Continuously Accelerates Upward into Space

You As the Observer Go Completely Blind and Deaf Due to a Solar Flare and You Never See What the Outcome Was

The Coin Lands on Its Side


Monday, January 19, 2009

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Face It

I'd like to propose a toast, to Facebook. This goes out to all the people budding into each other's personal lives, to all the stalkers and talkers, to all those that can't help but show off their moments of social greatness for the rest of their world to laugh in uncomfortable awkwardness at pictures that scream: "I CAN HAVE FUN TOO!!!" and let's not forget those who just can't figure out how to use it: the failed self marketers, the bad profile picture, the desperate plea in a wall post, those that still don't know how to show face. Because that's what it's all about isn't it. Nothing validates one's existence like receiving a message on a cell phone that says, "Jackie responded to your picture comment: 'Thanks, I'll keep that in mind next time.'" Think of all the things we would be doing instead of Facebook, instead of advancing our cause of self affirmation. And for those who have it, more power to you, let the rest of us bask in your glory and popularity because truly you are one of God's blessed creature. We could work hard our whole lives, but never will we know the feeling of being poked by 3 different people every day. What bliss that must be?
Of course we NEED it, how else would we keep in touch with our old friends. People that would otherwise slip our minds. People that we can always reminisce with about the good ol' times.
I don't want to live life, I want to facebook life!!!



Nonsense

Whose to find his way out of the place where he stays?
Don't believe what you hear cause it wasn't clear.
Examine me, prop me up, put your hand up my back.
My lips won't move, no matter the tact.

I've always found ventriloquism to be low brow.
On a stage, can't face the crowd.
It's crazy, isn't it?

Prescribe me the pill if I lack some pep in my step.
No citizen is any good unless they're full...

Of bullshit...

Why democracy, because its the American way?
Vote because I said so.

Buy me, I'm brand new, I'll fix your life.
Put me in your office and just let me sit tight.
How do you do Mr. President?

At the end of the day its all fun and games.
Nobody gets hurt, just their pockets.
And with every good fortune we become just a little weaker.
God's blessing is that we still haven't realized it.


Saturday, January 3, 2009

Written 50 Years Ago, but it's still shockingly true today


The Hidden Persuaders - Vince Packard

"Executive planners changed from being maker-minded to market-minded. The president of National Sales Executives in fact exclaimed: 'Capitalism is dead-consumerism is king!'" (15).

When historians look back 50 years from now, they are going to make the distinction between industrial capitalism and commercial consumerism. Make the distinction yourself, we don't live in a capitalist system, we live in a consumerist system. Firms don't supply demand, they CREATE demand.

The biggest difference between the marketing of the 1950's and the marketing of today is the penetration of the marketers. In 50 years they have perfected their technique and they have over time shaped the moral fabric of our values. We have become more and more superficial, more and more materialistic, and its no accident. According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year. That's about half a million commercials by the time a kid is teenager. Half a million commercials that are designed to subconsciously manipulate the viewer. If that's not brainwashing, what is?