Summer

I'm so ready for winter to be over. So ready. Please, summer, please come fast.

Wrote this after my mother commented on the weather, saying, "It almost gives an illusion that summer's here, long evenings and all." I was "struck by a passion" then, the lyrics to a poem almost sprang into my head at that moment and I had to write it down. It's not fantastic. But it's something.

Summer

Summer is gentle,

romantic, sensual,

long pleasant evenings

the gentle glow of candlelit dinners,

unrushed strolls around the neighborhood,

hand in hand with your other.

Summer is exciting,

surprising, fleeting,

water balloon fights,

the rush of amusements,

sleepovers and bonding time,

smiling with your buddies.

Summer is relaxing,

paced, drawn-out,

streams of sunlight and lazy mornings,

quiet time all by yourself,

time to collect your thoughts.

Summer is exhilarating,

passionate, overwhelming,

feeling the wind on your face,

walks along the beach,

feeling the sea spray sprinkle your face.

Summer is everything.

Animator vs. Animation I, II, and III

Animations galore! I really really really have a thing for 'em. Here are three in a series, by Alan Becker, you can follow him on deviantART: ~alanbecker. The previews look bad quality, but the videos are better. I promise! Once again, enjoy.

Animator vs. Animation



Animator vs. Animation II



Animator vs. Animation III

The Crazy Evolution of Man

Again, another animation. I love how the artist interacts with the drawing. Some people have so much talent!



Credit goes to boolab, a production house dedicated to motion graphics. Hope you enjoy it!

Many Answers

I came across this story yesterday and thought it was pretty interesting.
  
   "Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question:

"SHOW HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A TALL BUILDING WITH THE AID OF A BAROMETER."

     The student had answered, "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring the rope up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."
     The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and to certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this.
     I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on.
     In the next minute, he dashed off his answer which read: "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^^2, calculate the height of the building."
     At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.
     "Well," said the student, "there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building."
     "Fine," I said, "and others?"
     "Yes," said the student, "there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units."
     "A very direct method."
     "Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated."
     "On this same tact, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession."
     "Finally," he concluded, "there are many other ways of solving the problem. Probably the best," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: 'Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer."
     At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think."
    
The student was Niels Bohr and the arbiter was Ernest Rutherford.

Paperman

Just wanted to say, I have always been a big fan of animation. I love animated short--the old Mickey Mouse ones, the newer ones--all of them. I found this one while on StumbleUpon (great site, by the way, check it out), and it was so cute!

Hope you enjoy it.

What?

What Makes Up A Good Photo?

Well, what is it?  A lot of people assume that to take good photos, you have to be a professional photographer. Or take a photography class. The answer is that you need neither. To take a good "people" photo, all you need is knowledge of the four traits that make up a fantastic photo.

Expression is so important in every photo. The scene could be fantastic, but without expression your photo lacks reality. It isn't interesting without expression.

Color is pleasing to the eye. When anyone sees something colorful, they are attracted to it.

Motion captures the moment. You should be able to hear the froth of the waves, see them crashing onto shore.

A noisy photo is never a good one. Where is the subject? The background? The subject of your photo deserves attention, and the only way they'll get it is if the photo is simple and powerful.

What are your tips for taking good photos?

Live Like There's No Tomorrow

The Graveyard Ghost

Inspiration strikes at the oddest times. I had a sudden inspiration to write while doing my Geometry homework. What can I say? Poetry is so much more interesting than proofs.

The Graveyard Ghost

Have you heard of the graveyard ghost?

Alone and brooding, he haunts the tombstones,

Waiting. Waiting and watching,

Wondering. Wondering who will venture first,

Scorning the rumors and abandoning sense,

Driven merely by foolish pride.

Have you heard of the graveyard ghost?

Stormy and insane, he has no mercy,

Killing. Killing and enjoying,

Smiling. Smiling his manic smile,

Delighting in the intruder’s scream,

Savoring every moment.

Have you heard of the graveyard ghost?

Scarred and terrified, he is not happy,

Thinking. Thinking and wandering,

Remembering. Remembering times long ago,

When he was a boy, and she was a girl,

Head-over-heels in love.

Have you heard of the graveyard ghost?

Jumpy and frightened, he is cautious,

Staring. Staring through everything,

Regretting. Regretting a crime he once committed,

Horrified at the sight of her blood,

Stained across her chest.

Have you heard of the graveyard ghost?

What's the weirdest time inspiration has struck YOU?

On Cutting Off Hair

Sometimes I feel like the littlest things, the littlest changes, have great significance. For instance, I cut off a lot of my hair yesterday. Many girls don't like cutting off their hair, because they feel hair is a sign of beauty, etc. 

SO WHAT? Hair can still be pretty if it's short! I find it significant because...well, for me, it signified freedom. Sort of. See, I was studying like mad for the TJ test until yesterday, so I cut it off as a sign of change and...well, you know...freedom from studying! I never study otherwise. (Shh, don't tell anyone.)

The Types of Chatters

I have a lot of different types of friends, and as I chatted with them, I couldn't help noticing that they all have different styles. I also noticed a bit of a correlation between time spent online and chatting style.

• The Smiler: This person adds an emoticon onto everything. Everything. Even when it doesn't make sense. 
• "how are you? :)"
• "is she bothering you? :)"
• "aww, i'm so sorry :)"
• The Txtr: This person leaves out as many letters as they can. Their words are virtually illegible. 
• "wht r u up 2?"
• "is lf ok rt nw?"
• "thts so wrd!!"
• The Queen of Hearts: Just like the Smiler, the Queen of Hearts tags on a heart to every line. 
• "i'm reading harry potter <3"
• "i like to eat <3"
• "i'm going to the bathroom <3"
• The Novelist: This person writes paragraphs. All the time. I confess, I do this a lot. It's not all that bad because it's usually not boring. But still. Most of these examples are quite dramatic, so I shall refrain from providing an example.
• The Newsperson: This person provides you with updates, accurate to the very second, on what they are doing. Hooray! Free news!
• "i'm drinking water now"
• "doing my homework"
• "i have to pee!"
• The Lol-er: Either this person says "lol" in awkward situations, or they actually think everything is funny. 
• "i saw a pig on the way home lol"
• "i have to eat dinner sorry lol"
• "i failed my math test lol"
• The Ghetto Speaker: This person talks in ghetto language. It's actually kind of funny. They emphasize every accent and syllable.
• "naw, dat ain't no right answer!"
• "das dayum weyurd!"
• "yo dawg, how's the man?"
• The Random Typer: Whenever there's an awkward pause, this person decides to break the tension by smashing their hands onto the keyboard and pressing enter. It's not very effective.
• "asdfghjkl;"
• "asilhvjanerjerlhvjalnvwuoeghuergbe"
• "$*#&(*$)HNWHD"

Comics

Comics are a great medium to express ideas and thoughts without scaring off a reader. Often, people don't like to see long paragraphs, and they tend to form the wrong impression about the text. But comics don't face that problem at all. They're colourful, hilarious, and very enjoyable to read. Here are a couple of my favourites.

Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin, a first-grade nightmare, explores the ups and downs of school and the adventures in his own backyard with his tiger, Hobbes, who is calmer and somehow more sensible. It's amazing how Bill Watterson expresses his own thoughts through a six-year-old boy and his tiger. The comic's great because Watterson makes fun of pretty much everything in a non-offensive but satirical way. One of the reasons I like it so much is because I remember reading it as a child merely to look at the pictures. I "rediscovered" it a year back, and read the books all over again, and I discovered the cleverly hidden meanings behind each comic. I kind of had that "AHA" moment, and it was a good feeling. I read The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book a while ago, and it's a very good read by Bill Watterson himself. Very interesting.

Peanuts. The "Peanuts" gang, comprising Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally, Rerun, and of course, Snoopy are around five to six years as well; the strip focuses mainly on Charlie Brown, and he goes through a rather bleak, humourously depressing life, at least from his point of view. The illustrations are not, perhaps, as lavishly detailed and coloured as other comics, but attention is drawn to the dialogue and the style simply adds to the mood of "my life isn't going so great". Charlie Brown is a normal sort of kid, like the others, going through friends and crushes, but the way he interprets each situation is hilarious. Charles Schulz, the writer of this comic, said that Charlie developed from some of the more painful aspects of his own life.

An Ode to Technology

I was just sitting here, when all of a sudden this idea came to me. Of course, I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but that's way more boring than writing a poem.

An Ode to Technology

Oh technology, oh technology, how wonderful are thee,

Thy usefulness and convenience are so pleasing to me.

Oh technology, oh technology, so shiny, clean and sleek,

Thy keyboard and thy monitor are perfect for a geek.

Oh technology, oh technology, thou will be in my heart,

Thou can save just anything, thou always are so smart.

Oh technology, oh technology, thy programs are so neat,

Google Chrome and Internet just cannot be beat.

Oh technology, oh technology, something’s going wrong,

Thy apps are slowing down too much, five seconds is too long.

Oh technology, oh technology, thy files are much too deep,

I’m spending long hours on thou, I’m wasting all my sleep.

Oh technology, oh technology, my eyes are now burning,

My brain has turned to mush, the gears have stopped turning.

Oh technology, oh technology, how terrible are thee,

My sleep and good eyesight are gone, what has thou done to me?

How To Annoy People...A Lot

I really need to try some of these.

1. Insist that your drive-through order is TO GO.
2. Go to a restaurant and throw a bunch of ketchup packets on the ground. Stamp on them.
3. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
4. Staple papers in the middle of the page.
5. Wave randomly at strangers. If they ask you about it, say, "I saw you at ___'s house!" Insist that it's true.
6. Walk into a restaurant and refuse to be seated. Just stuff all their mints into your pockets and walk out.
7. Yell, "Do you hear that?!". When they respond, reply with, "Never mind, it's gone."
8. Ask people what gender they are.
9. Attend a poetry recital. Then ask why the poems don't rhyme.
10. Ask people random questions and write down their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "mental health".

Hm, quite a lot of these. If I get enough, maybe I'll make a separate page of things you need to do. Haha. You know what, if I actually do one of these, I'll post a video of it. Sound good?

Doodles

Just a couple doodles I finally got around to uploading.

I like to draw people. I like to saw I draw realistically, but that's not really true. I tend to make things prettier than they really are, which results in slightly non-proportionate features etc.

Ah well.

Poem

I'd like to share a poem I wrote for English class. The original's been marked up by my teacher, or I'd scan it. The words are mostly cut out of magazines, with a few words added in by me. It's not the full effect on here...but ah well.

Comments?

By the beautiful sea
I walk for miles in the sparkling morning sunshine
The sand stretches on, and no end in sight
Surrounded by gravity-defying waves
Crashing mercilessly against the jagged rocks
Feeling impulsive
The water slaps at my sides as I venture in
A colourful blend of blues and greens, the salty sea spray
It is magical, this island getaway.

More Book Art

Gosh, I would definitely do this if I weren't so protective of my books.

Maybe with a really boring book.

Nah, all books should be treated and appreciated equally. I'm rambling, aren't I? Well, books have feelings too. I know that for a fact. Don't ask.

Coolest Interactive Tools Ever

So I was browsing around when I stumbled upon some really cool interactive things. I made a list.
Note: I use Google Chrome and I haven't tested these on other browsers. They work best on Chrome.

• Ball Droppings. All right, that's a weird name, but it's incredibly cool. There are lots of tiny little balls dropping from this tube off the screen. You can draw lines with your mouse. The balls bounce off these lines and create sounds while doing so. With the right lines, you can make a tune! http://balldroppings.com/js/
• Sound Matrix. This one deals with sounds as well. There's a huge grid of squares and you can click on a bunch of them to start a tune. http://www.sneakytime.com/sound/
• Silk. This one is graphic. It's really pretty. You can drag your mouse around and it'll create this silky, smoky, colourful mist that's easy on the eyes. It does create sound as well; based on what you draw. The sounds are relaxing and soothing. http://new.weavesilk.com/?ika/
• Google Gravity. This one's nice; it's basically Google, except everything falls down and crashes. Results come crashing down from the top. Fun to play around with. This guy has a blog, too. And there's other cool stuff on his website. This one, Google Gravity, just happens to be my favourite. http://mrdoob.com/92/google_gravity
• Touch Effects. This one's by Microsoft, but don't get scared away. It's pure eye candy. Click, and the dots follow your mouse. http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Graphics/TouchEffects/

Have fun! And don't get distracted!

Things You Should Definitely Do

Here's a list of things you should DEFINITELY do, to make life a little more interesting. Note: I don't take responsibility for any trouble you may get in. :P

1. Hire two private investigators. Get them to follow each other.
2. Wear a shirt that says "Life". Hand out lemons on the street.
3. Get into a crowded elevator and say "I bet you're all wondering why I gathered you here today."
4. Get a Ph.D. Change your last name to "acula".
5. Get a parrot, and teach it to say, "Help! _____ turned me into a parrot!"
6. Run up to someone and say, "You're one of THEM!". Run away as fast as you can. Pretend to trip and fall down. Get back up and keep running.
7. Look into the glass wall of a store, and if someone else is on the other side looking back, yell, "Oh my god! I'm hideous!"
8. Go to McDonald's and ask for directions to Burger King.
9. When you're tardy to class, tell the teacher your pet rock had a seizure.
10. Go up to people at the mall, show them a picture of yourself and say, "Have you seen this person?"
11. Throw a ball at someone and say, "Stupid Pokemon! Get back into your Pokeball!"
12. Follow a stranger around in a store and spray everything they touch with disinfectant.
13. Hide in a broom closet and when someone walks in, say, "Ah, young one, welcome to Narnia."
14. Buy a packet of birdseed and ask how long it will take for the birds to grow. VARIATION: cheerios and donuts.
15. Go into a dressing room, wait 5 minutes, then say, "Hey, there's no toilet paper in here!"
16. Go hug a tree and then say to a stranger, "Sorry, I was having a moment."
17. Get into a taxi, point to a car and yell, "FOLLOW THAT CAR!"
18. Hide in the clothes rack at a store and when people look through the clothes, say, "Pick me! Pick me!"
19. Buy a HUGE diaper, then go up to a stranger and say, "You dropped this."
20. Go up to a lady with a daughter and say, "Your son is adorable."

Hehehehehehe. Hope you like it...and please, please don't try the majority of these.

5 Creative Anti-Smoking Ads

These anti-smoking ads are both creative and effective. Ugh. Imagine brushing your teeth with cigarettes.