Steve E. Wonders

Treasure

2011-11-10T15:33:00.012-05:00

I found some treasures in the one dollar boxes at the Atlanta Comic Convention on Sunday. There are not many things that are cooler than these covers:

Water Dogs

2011-10-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

I shot this on October 1, 2011 at the swimming pool in Piedmont Park.
There were dogs.

10th @ Piedmont

2011-03-20T18:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I saw this neat blend of signs on 10th St. at Piedmont Ave.

Meet the Elements! They Might Be Giants

2010-10-01T15:54:00.003-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs!
"Every living being is mostly made of four elements..."

DragonCon 2010!

2010-08-30T19:28:00.001-04:00

DragonCon is this weekend in Atlanta!

Daphne

2010-08-25T12:44:00.006-04:00

Daphne passed away this afternoon. She was 17 and the boss until the end. Who will protect us from cats?!

Symphony of Science

2010-07-11T16:24:00.004-04:00

John Boswell has created some very cool mashup videos with his Symphony of Science project. Here is one of my favorites. "We Are All Connected" features Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye.

Gyrastacus! Cryptozoology in Cabbagetown!

2010-06-28T18:00:00.008-04:00

Here are a a few clips from the "See the Gyrastacus" performance last night in Cabbagetown on the BeltLine.

Drum Circle at the Lake Claire Community Land Trust

2010-06-20T08:36:00.006-04:00

Last night there was a fantastic drum circle at the Lake Claire Community Land Trust.
Here is some video I shot with my iPod Nano. I'm always surprised at how well the iPod records since it is so tiny. Even though the camera was pointed directly at the light source, the picture isn't blown out. The lens and microphone are in the upper left corner in the little gray oval in the picture below.

The Buzz

2010-02-10T17:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Google unveiled the new Google Buzz product. It is a social networking tool integrated into Gmail. Buzz appears to be a competitor to Facebook.
Wow, I didn't think it was possible for Google to host another aspect of our lives on the web.
This blog is on Google's Blogger platform. I use Google Maps to plan trips. Google's Gmail is my primary email. I use Google Scholar to research legal cases. I watch videos on Google's YouTube. I read documents in Google Docs. I see Google AdWords everywhere. Google is my search engine of choice. Google Wave allows online collaboration. Google Chrome is their new browser. The Google Chrome OS will be released later this year.
This morning Google announced their plan to build a high-speed broadband network in the U.S.
I do love Google, but I think we should pay attention to Siva Vaidhyanathan's blog, The Googlization of Everything, where he discusses "Why We Should Worry."
Google can potentially provide our access to the net and host all of the content that we access. It makes me laugh when I remember the Microsoft antitrust case from 1998.
There is a great discussion every week over on the TWiT network on This Week In Google.
I won't even bother to mention the Google v. China issue in this post. Or Nexus One. Or Google Books. Or Picasa. Or Google Earth.

Don't be evil.

2010-01-12T20:16:00.007-05:00

I was pleased to see that Google was taking a firm stance against human rights abuses in China. The Official Google Blog today announced a "new approach."
Last month Google was the subject of cyber attacks originating in China. The Gmail accounts of human rights activists were a focus. Other accounts around the world have been the subject of surveillance.
They have announced that they will no longer censor search results in China. It is about time! They are considering the possibility of closing Google.cn.
This afternoon the announcement has become a huge news story and a Twitter trending topic. Rep. Anna Eshoo, member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement today in support of Google.
It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully global support for Google's stance will continue to emerge.
Don't be evil!

What?!

2010-01-06T22:25:00.003-05:00

While watching Avatar I couldn't help but think, "The new Sherlock Holmes movie was fantastic!" Maybe it wasn't fair to watch Avatar on the heels of such a fun movie.
Ignoring the criticism that I'd heard, I thought that all I would need are great images to entertain me. It wouldn't matter if the story wasn't good. I was wrong.
After hearing about Avatar for so many years, I was expecting an experience like watching Blade Runner for the first time. The visuals should have had an impact like seeing Toy Story and Jurassic Park in the theater.
Avatar's plot is a common colonialist story about the noble savage. One of "us" has to go and help "them" survive. Along the way we learn from "them" about our connection to nature. The story could have been so much more. Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Ridley Scott, or even Tarantino could have given Cameron a lesson.
The CGI in Avatar is phenomenal. The environment and characters look believable. It is too bad the rest of the film detracts from the visuals. An unnecessary narration, a Disney-esque score, and tired plot kept me from being immersed in the new world.
50 years from now, Blade Runner will still be a cool movie. Avatar will be dated. It will be interesting to see if a fan-edited version emerges that lets the imagery tell a compelling story.

Elementary!

2010-01-01T00:32:00.006-05:00

Guy Ritchie's new interpretation of Sherlock Holmes is fabulous. I had concerns that it would be a hip, cool version full of fast cuts that was unfaithful to the source material. However, this is by far my favorite interpretation.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Holmes rivals that of Jeremy Brett. Jude Law is just right as Watson.
Although the story is new, it doesn't feel like a modern plot forced into a period piece. There are surprising elements from Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. I won't give anything away.
London is beautifully ugly and brutal. You can smell the streets. It is quite a contrast from Basil Rathbone's clean, orderly Victorian England.
I gotta see it again.

Google Scholar

2009-12-16T11:47:00.005-05:00

I really love Google Scholar. Google has made it easy to search academic journals.
I've been using the new feature that allows users to search legal opinions. While the results don't have all of the useful commentary of a Westlaw or Lexis/Nexis entry, it is a great way to quickly find citations. For those who do have access to the commercial legal sites, it seems like it is a good first stop before performing searches for which you have to pay.

Obama poster and fair use

2009-12-03T13:28:00.004-05:00

The above poster has been the subject of a great deal of discussion about the concept of "fair use." Artist Shepard Fairey created the work basing it on a photo taken by AP photographer Mannie Garcia.

The AP claims that Fairey violated their copyright on the image. Fairey claims that his work is covered under fair use. A copyrighted work may be used in some ways for some purposes under fair use.

Fairey claimed that the photo he used was one of Obama sitting next to George Clooney in 2006. Much of the discussion of the issue centered around how much of the original image was used in the poster. Many comparisons of the two images have been made. Elements of composition and shading have been examined.

In October, Fairey admitted that he lied about which photograph he used as source material and deleted information to cover his tracks. He lied to his attorneys.

Although the poster may remain an important source of discussion around copyright issues, Fairey's case has been badly damaged. His attorneys from Stanford's Fair Use Project have withdrawn from the case.

It will be interesting to see how the case proceeds. By persisting in lying to his attorneys for months, Fairey proved that he is not a friend to artists nor a champion of fair use.

2009-12-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

Legal Opinions on Google Scholar

2009-11-23T18:47:00.004-05:00

Last week Google announced that searchers can now find the full text of legal opinions on Google Scholar.
Choose the "legal opinions and journals" option after entering your search terms. Federal & state district, appellate, & supreme court opinions are all available.
The searches are free. This won't take the place of pay services like Westlaw and Lexis Nexis, but it is a nice free option available to everyone.

Web Site Changes

2009-11-22T17:26:00.004-05:00

I've taken down my main website while I decide what to do with it. I will probably create something new with a Blogger or WordPress template.
For now, traffic from www.SteveEberhardt.com will be directed to this "Steve E. Wonders" blog page.
My paintings can be found on my flickr page and on this page under the "Photos & Paintings" button.

Lake Claire Drum Circle

2009-10-03T23:15:00.006-04:00

This is video of tonight's Lake Claire drum circle in Atlanta. It was a great session. The moon was full.
I shot this with my iPod Nano. I am surprised at how good the audio is!

New iPod Nano

2009-09-16T18:34:00.005-04:00

Above is video that I just shot with the new iPod Nano. Apple released the new model right as my old iPod stopped working. I picked up 16 GB model. The new model has a video camera, FM tuner, voice recorder, pedometer, external speaker, and a larger screen (as well as the amazing music player).
The new interface is great. Video looks good on the screen. I have a feeling that I may not be able to record classroom lectures, but the voice memo function is good for notes.
Apple's new iPod Touch has wi-fi capabilities and a web browser, but no camera. That is an interesting omission. You'll have to buy both to get all of the features.
It was raining when I filmed in Piedmont Park today, so I'll need to film again on a sunny day.
The video quality is pretty remarkable considering the size of the Nano. It will take a bit of practice to hold such a small camera still.
It is a good thing.

DragonCon!

2009-09-02T18:56:00.009-04:00

It is time for DragonCon in Atlanta! It is happening Sept. 4-9, 2009 at the Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Sheraton.
This year Alan Dean Foster, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Anthony Daniels, Mike Mignola, George Perez, Eric Powell, and a whole bunch of other people will be there. Terry Gilliam's panel will be interesting. Friday night, the folks from MST3K will be doing a 4 hr. presentation. I haven't had a chance to look at the entire 17-page schedule grid.
It is a significant cultural happening! The EFF, Science, Podcasting, Skeptic, Space, and Comic fan tracks are all having great panel sessions. The Skeptrack will be broadcasting live during the con.
There will be crowds.

three monitors

2009-09-01T17:52:00.009-04:00

I just started using 3 monitors on my desktop. It creates a very cool workflow. Plus, it looks nifty.

Google Books

2009-09-01T15:14:00.001-04:00

The Internet Archive is at the head of a coalition opposing the "Google Books" project settlement. The agreement allows Google to use the digital copies of books it has scanned while sharing ad revenue with rights holders. The groups in opposition claim that the settlement will give Google an unlawful monopoly on public domain works.
It has been fascinating to see the members of the coalition come together. Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon, and the Special Library Association are members. The American Library Association and the Association of Research Libraries are opposing the ruling separately.
I think it is important that these players are discussing these issues openly right now. Whether or not Google proceeds with the project, there should be a public discussion of issues of intellectual property in the digital world. Good things will come from all of these players, public and private, engaging one another in a discourse that defines the issues at stake.
There is a Wall Street Journal article on the story and one from Information Today.

Google Terms of Service

2009-08-29T20:57:00.002-04:00

Google's Terms of Service:

By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.

wow.

Painted Shoes

2009-08-27T21:23:00.004-04:00

My collection of painted shoes.

Bing Search Engine

2009-08-26T11:48:00.004-04:00

I've done a little exploration around Microsoft's search engine "Bing" (formerly Live Search). It isn't much of a threat to Google, but it is interesting to see the Microsoft influence on the search results.

When searching for "click jacking" the first result is the Wikipedia entry, of course, but to the right of this result is an area called "example". This example just happens to point out a fault with a competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Firefox. The example says "Mozilla Firefox has no native protection against Clickjacking..." Is is wild to hear Microsoft criticize others for having security issues.

When searching for "Google" in Bing, Google.com is the first result. To the right of the Google result is a category called "Similar To This" listing: Bing, Yahoo, MySpace, YouTube. This is interesting as Bing is referring users back to itself, Yahoo (which uses the Bing search engine), and MySpace (which uses the MS Silverlight platform).

Despite my fears of Google becoming Big Brother, it still be my search engine of choice.

Comics in Piedmont Park

2009-08-23T16:59:00.003-04:00

Read comic books and played my guitar in Piedmont Park today.

Google Reveals the Identity of a Blogger

2009-08-20T11:35:00.004-04:00

In a recent slander case, Google revealed the identity of a blogger to a court under order of a judge. Google has said that they will continue to do this when ordered.
I understand the merits of the case and know that freedom of speech doesn't mean that you can say anything anytime, but I do question Google's policy to cooperate with court orders. Anonymity is not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and activity on the internet is certainly not anonymous.
While the current court case is clearly unlawful slander, Google's policy means that they will cooperate even in cases that are not so clear-cut.
I have to believe that this will have a chilling effect on whistle-blowers and those that might hold unpopular opinions. Governments and corporations will see this as a way to quiet voices.
A brief CNN story about this case is at: http://ow.ly/kD3j

Open Street Map

2009-08-05T17:34:00.004-04:00

The Open Street Map project is a great online user-generated map of the world. Volunteers are able to contribute maps of their local areas. It has generated accurate maps of some areas that have not been mapped before.
The interface is easy to use. I really like it a lot.
Atlanta is well represented, but the coverage of the maps is limited to certain parts of the globe and major urban areas. It is something to see. What a great idea!
It is free to use. Check it out. http://www.openstreetmap.org/

New Painting of Roxie

2009-08-03T20:58:00.004-04:00

Just finished this painting of Roxie!

2009-07-30T17:54:00.002-04:00

I have been confusing soccer and basketball since the '60s.

Haircut

2009-06-13T22:45:00.003-04:00

Well, I got my hair cut off today.
I had forgotten what this feels like.

Terminator: Salvation movie review

2009-05-24T17:19:00.003-04:00

I just saw McG's new Terminator: Salvation movie. I went into it without any expectations and was thoroughly pleased. The film has a gritty post-apocalyptic feel enhanced by a bleached out look and spare color palette.
Christian Bale plays John Connor who has a growing following as a leader of the resistance against Skynet's machines. Skynet created an artificial intelligence that gained self-awareness and launched a war against the humans.
The movie is very different than the earlier Terminators. Some fans may not like the differences, but I found the environment to be immersive and fascinating. The robots are a joy to watch. There is one scene where a giant robot grabs up handfuls of human captives much in the way H.G. Wells' Martian tripods did.
There are a few annoying elements, such as Helena Bonham Carter's needless exposition. But, overall, I think if you turn your brain off at times and just and enjoy it as sci-fi adventure, you will also be pleased.
I do admit that I can enjoy crazy fantasy adventure movies such as Van Helsing & League of Extraordinary Gent. if I don't take myself too seriously.
I don't know if "Salvation" will become a beloved classic like the first two Terminator movies, but I will watch it more often.
Steve E. Wonders

To Boldly Go...

2009-05-08T16:23:00.005-04:00

J.J. Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise is a great blend of the old series that we love with a modern sensibility. The movie opens with that familiar "pinging" and goes right into a spectacular Romulan attack. Red shirts, Capt. Pike, and warp drives are all here.
Abrams has done a great job of reviving the original crew: Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, McCoy, Chekov, Scotty,... The roles have been cast actors just right for the roles.
The villain is a renegade Romulan named Nero. His pursuit of Spock gives the story a brilliant plot device that makes this movie fit right in with the earlier movies and series.
Leonard Nimoy is a bonus.
The images in the closing credits are stunning.
I've gotta see this one again.

Passwords, passwords, & passwords, oh my!

2009-05-03T17:27:00.002-04:00

KeePass and other services have created a cool way to manage your passwords. You can create one master password to access all of your passwords. I found that I have created so many complex alpha-numeric combinations that I can't keep up with them. I've gotta find a simple solution for my simple brain.

What's the Harm Video w/ Penn Jillette

2009-03-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

From Crackle: What’s the Harm?

Ronald Reagan in 1970 MAD Magazine

2009-03-17T23:24:00.007-04:00

The other day I found this page in an issue of MAD Magazine from March 1970. It shows a photo of Ronald Reagan dreaming about the White House with the label "Dreams That Went Up In Smoke." Wow. Yesterday I saw some of an episode of Laugh-In circa 1970 with about the same joke.

Snow Day

2009-03-01T19:57:00.004-05:00

I took a few photos out in the snow today.

Facebook Account

2009-02-26T15:53:00.003-05:00

I just set up a FaceBook account. It seemed like it was about time. It looks like the account is only visible to members. I need to figure out how to make it public.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Steve-Eberhardt/1096843572

Whole World Theatre in Atlanta

2009-02-18T23:10:00.004-05:00

I started taking a comedy imrov class at the Whole World Theatre in Atlanta a few weeks ago. It is great. A room full of smart actors.
I went to the weekly jam session tonight and worked without a director. This will really keep my on my toes! I'm hoping this will jar my brain so I can produce some writing at a steady pace.

painted my guitar

2009-02-17T13:25:00.014-05:00

I painted my guitar. Didn't like the default look. Had to hack it. I think it will be a constantly evolving project.

Family Guy "songs named after women"

2009-02-15T21:11:00.002-05:00

Tonight's Family Guy had a great list of around 32 songs named after women. Hopefully the clip will be on YouTube tomorrow.

Blog, Website updates

2009-02-15T14:20:00.004-05:00

I've been working on ways to unify my website, blog, and Twitter feeds. I just figured out how to modify the background in this blogger page to make it similar to my main web page and Twitter page. It only required editing one line of HTML in the template, defining the background to be a file on the web.

Website Updates

2009-02-14T16:03:00.004-05:00

I've been becoming re-acquainted with Dreamweaver as I start to give my website a new look. The CSS still needs some work as I installed my Twitter feed. The default color of hypertext is blue, which doesn't look well on the page. It is very "HTML-y".

We are headed to the Whole World Improv Theatre in Atlanta tonight for their Valentine show. It should be a good one!

New Logo

2009-02-13T08:04:00.004-05:00

I created a new logo using InDesign for a class project. I used a photo of bushes in the backyard for the green areas:

Tim and Eric's Awesome Show tour bus

2009-02-06T12:10:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos of Adult Swim's Tim & Eric Show tour bus parked at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. The show was great. Very "meta" and web2.0/3.0 savvy. The crowed skewed very young and was quite "tech" gadget obsessed (digital devices out & in-use everywhere during the show.) These guys have taken a project that gained an online following and successfully translated it onto a major network. It is encouraging to see folks find a way to monetize an internet property like this. What must rural America think when the bus passes through town?!

Life on Mars "Aries Project" folder

2009-02-04T23:01:00.003-05:00

At the end of tonight's Life on Mars episode, there is seen a folder with "Aries Projet" on the front. It appeared to be connected with someone who was a part of the secret behind the show. Maybe Hiro will pop in and take him back to his time.

Stephen Fry's Elevator "Happening"

2009-02-04T12:37:00.005-05:00

Yesterday there was a fascinating "happening" on the internet. After speaking at Apple in London, Stephen Fry's elevator was briefly stuck on the 26th floor of Centre Point.
He began using Twitter to post messages and photographs on the web giving an account of their plight. Folks following Fry began to correspond with him and others in the Twitter community about what was happening. Leo Laporte was broadcasting TWIT Live and spoke about the event while people in his TWIT chatroom discussed it.
While it was a minor event involving a celebrity, it was an amazing demonstration of the power of the internet and the speed at which information can be broadcast. From the confines of an elevator, Fry was able to directly communicate with thousands who were actively listening and looking. I assume that folks in other social networks around the globe were aware and monitoring the events as they happened.
I am reminded of that very strange military coup in the Soviet Union in 1991 where information was broadcast through the internet when all of the official media was closed down.
Records of Fry's brief elevator adventure are archived in networks all over the globe. Just do a Google search for "Stephen Fry"+elevator. This post itself will be a record. Very "meta." Amazing.
Stephen Fry has become a Mac evangelist in the way the late Douglas Adams was. I am sure that Adams would have been delighted with Twitter, TWIT, and Fry's mini global "happening."
I often ask myself WWDAD? (What Would Douglas Adams Do?) I wonder if anyone Twittered "Don't Panic" to Fry while he was trapped.

Stono Slave Rebellion

2009-02-02T12:40:00.002-05:00

I'm reading about the Stono Slave Rebellion over at Google Books. The event happened near Charleston, S.C. in 1739. Over 100 escaped slaves were on their way to freedom in the Spanish territory. They were led by a man named Jemmy who trained others in tactics to prepare for the escape. The group was hunted by a militia for a day and there was a terrible massacre. Some were able to escape into the woods and swamps and were tracked for more than a year.
What an epic in our history. Why was the Boston Massacre in my history books, but not this?

Comic Treasure

2009-02-02T11:26:00.007-05:00

I found this little treasure in a bargain bin at the Atlanta Comic Convention yesterday. It has been used and abused, but it is still a really cool artifact with stories by Gardner Fox and art by Gil Kane. It is cool to see this example of Kane's artwork from 1964 before his work became more stylized in the 70's.

Eat Your Words menu

2009-01-28T14:48:00.004-05:00

I just did an InDesign project where I created a menu for a restaurant serving food made from recycled newspapers.

Jackson Pollack's birthday

2009-01-28T08:40:00.005-05:00

Today is painter Jackson Pollack's birthday. Check out the interactive site over at www.JacksonPollack.org and create your own work of art by dragging and clicking your mouse! Miltos Minetas has built a great site using Flash.

Whole World Theatre

2009-01-20T19:22:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I took an improv class over at the Whole World Theatre in Atlanta. It was great.
There were some folks who were really on their toes.

Snoozing in the sunshine

2009-01-15T14:56:00.004-05:00

Daphne is snoozing in the sunshine this afternoon.
I just listened to a live interview with Neil Gaiman over at www.blogtalkradio.com. I think they will archive the show.
Tonight I may head over to Westwood College for a sketch group. The model is going to do 1-2 minute poses. That'll be a workout!

new Twitter account

2009-01-14T13:03:00.003-05:00

I just opened an account over at Twitter.com so I can follow some of my favorites: Leo Laporte, John Hodgeman, Jonathan Coulton, Neil Gaiman, Robert LLewellyn, Stephen Fry, Paul & Storm... It seems like it is going to be pretty cool to follow them in real-time. Check out the site if you are not familiar with Twitter.

camera on The Story of India

2009-01-14T12:43:00.002-05:00

I just received an email from Maya Vision saying that they used the Sony HDCam 750 for shooting The Story of India. They hired local camera cranes for the sweeping shots. They are spectacular!

PBS Series "The Sory of India"

2009-01-12T21:51:00.003-05:00

PBS is running a series now called "The Story of India." It is beautifully photographed. Some of the camera shots are just spectacular. I don't know how they got them. They have sweeping overhead crane shots over crowds without anyone looking at the camera. The show is made by a production company called MayaVision. It was filmed by Jeremy Jeffs.
Check it out! It is something to behold.

What Makes the iPhone so Magical?

2009-01-09T23:01:00.002-05:00

NASA plays "Across the Universe"

2009-01-08T10:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I saw a story on the NASA Channel about a project where they beamed The Beatles' "Across the Universe" into space toward Polaris.
The project was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the song and the 50th anniversary of NASA. The signal is traveling across space at 186,000 miles per second. Pretty cool.
I'm still expecting the first alien signal that we receive to say "Send more Chuck Berry!"

Stephen Fry's podcast: Language

2009-01-01T17:45:00.007-05:00

Stephen Fry has a wonderful podcast where we get to peak inside his head for a for a few minutes. If you are not familiar with his work, become so. An author as well as an actor, his use of language is delightful to hear. This made his most recent episode (ser2,ep3) on the development and role of language in society especially good. Check it out!

Doll Parts

2009-01-01T15:38:00.003-05:00

I took some photos of discarded porcelain doll parts in the back yard. The photos are straight from my Sony SR11 camera with all of the settings at "auto."

resting in the sunshine

2009-01-01T15:04:00.003-05:00

LibriVox posting

2008-12-31T10:49:00.005-05:00

I've submitted my first recording for LibriVox.org. It is a chapter from a book called The Lincoln Story Book. (The audio file opens automatically in the link and may be loud.)
The coordinator is working to have the entire title available by Lincoln's 200th birthday in Feb. I plan on recording a few more of the chapters this week to help them reach the goal.
The recording will be freely available in the public domain.

Bio-Bak website

2008-12-30T20:06:00.004-05:00

The Bio-Bak website is a very cool creation by Dutch designer Coen Grift. The site is an exploration of the possibilities of using a tool like Flash in an interactive web environment. The surfer is able to navigate through an animated world using a disembodied arm as a cursor. Check it out.! It is a lot of fun. Grift is a very creative guy! (There is a bit of adult language in the site audio.)

Unknown Hinson in Atlanta

2008-12-25T19:18:00.005-05:00

This Sat. night (Dec. 27), Unknown Hinson is playing at the EARL in Atlanta. Hinson is King of the Country Western Troubadors. Kelly and I saw him perform a couple of years ago and it was quite a show.
He sings ballads about drinkin', fightin', wimmen, and gunplay. His show is something to be experienced. Check him out if you can!

LibriVox Audio Books

2008-12-17T18:12:00.005-05:00

There are some cool public domain audio books over at LibriVox.
Their goal is to record works in the public domain and make the files available free to download. Volunteers record and submit volumes chapter-by-chapter. Each person edits their own recording, but there is a layer of reviewers who listen to each track.
It sounds pretty cool. I think I'll submit a test recording and sign up for some poems and short works. This will be a good test for my new MXL990 condenser microphone.

Animation Mentor free resources

2008-12-11T10:37:00.005-05:00

Over at AnimationMentor.com there are some free resources.
One is a free "Tips and Tricks" e-book. It briefly covers the basics of animation such as character design and expression as well as well as a few technical concepts such as key frames and in-betweens.
The site also hosts a great podcast of interviews with animation veterans. I love hearing these guys talk about working with the giants who created the field.
check it out!

D.I.Y. camera equip

2008-12-10T23:52:00.005-05:00

I've recently come across a couple of websites that have cool video camera accessories that you can build yourself. The above is a harness that allows you to mount the camera and have it move with you. It is made mostly from PVC pipe. It looks like a great way to get some smooth moving camera work. The plans are here.
Another site, Softweigh, they have plans for all kinds of accessories you can build inexpensively. There are a variety of mounts, tracks, and stands.
I'm going to try building the PVC shoulder-harness with camera mount.

Archive.org Wayback machine

2008-12-04T22:29:00.006-05:00

There is some great stuff at Archive.org. Among the resources is the "Wayback Machine" archive of websites. In a digital world where pages can disappear from the web with no trace, it is good to know there are projects like this.
It is cool to look back to Apple.com's 1996 webpage promoting the 117MHz PowerBook and that over at Microsoft.com they already had MSN up and going.
Check out the early versions of your favorite sites. Over at StarWars.com, the 1997 site is promoting the filming of Episode 1. Wow, what a huge difference 11 years makes!

Peace on Earth!

2008-12-01T16:48:00.004-05:00

The Simpsons Epidsode "Mypods and Boomsticks"

2008-11-30T20:16:00.005-05:00

Tonight The Simpsons did a wonderful parody of Apple Computers in "Mypods and Boomsticks" when they visited the Mapple store in the Springfield Mall. There were "MyPods" and "MyPhones" and a "MyBill!" Very well done. Steve Mobs is very cool. Of course there were Apple commercials during the breaks. "Think Differently."
For the record, I am writing this on my iMac and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie

2008-11-28T21:17:00.002-05:00

I just watched the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Unnecessary.

2 Gems

2008-11-22T21:55:00.013-05:00

Here are 2 gems that I found in 50 cent bins at the Atlanta Super Con!

Atlanta Super Con

2008-11-21T15:06:00.004-05:00

The Atlanta Super Con is this weekend (Nov. 21-23). It looks like there is a pretty cool line-up of guests from the worlds of comics and animation. I'm looking forward to seeing Adult Swim's Dana Snyder. He'll be a lot of fun.
I'll try to get Herb Trimpe to sign an old Godzilla comic that he drew back in '77.
I'm post some photos and maybe video next week.

Adobe CS4 Software

2008-11-17T15:24:00.005-05:00

Wow! I just got a copy of the newly released Adobe Creative Suite 4 software. These are the premiere programs for designing both for print and digital environments. This Master Collection includes: InDesign, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Contribute, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, OnLocation, Encore, Adobe Bridge,...
It looks like there have been some useful improvements to each of the programs that should improve productivity. I'm particularly eager to see the new Flash features that have simplified some aspects of character animation.
I need to lock myself away for a few weeks and crawl around in CS4.

Scary Doll

2008-11-17T14:46:00.002-05:00

I'm living in a house full of dolls. There's a real scary one.

Computer Arts magazine web site

2008-11-14T16:36:00.003-05:00

Computer Arts is a very cool UK magazine with some great art and instruction. I just discovered that their website is a treasure also. It is full of galleries, templates, and tutorials.
I've seen a couple of tutorials on character creation that I'm going to download. It looks like it is a great resource for those interested in vector graphics.

Roland Micro Cube Guitar Amp

2008-11-13T20:34:00.007-05:00

I picked up a Roland Micro Cube Guitar amp the other day. It is tiny, less than 10 in. wide, but has a BIG sound. It runs on six AA batteries.
The main reason I chose this model was for all of the settings and effects. It covers a wide range of sounds. With the gain and reverb turned way up it makes my cheap little Squire guitar sound nice.

Michael Bay's Transformers movie

2008-11-11T12:53:00.002-05:00

I recently re-watched Michael Bay's Transformers movie, having seen it in the theater last year.
I had forgotten how good the opening scene is where a military base is attacked by a giant robot. It did a great job of portraying the confusion and chaos of battle while grounding the premise in the real world. Unfortunately, the movie fails after this.
There is some amazing CG work throughout the movie. It is worth it to fast forward to the battles and skip over the characters and plot.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2008-10-29T11:53:00.003-04:00

I only today discovered the Nick Jr. show Yo Gabba Gabba ! How'd I miss it? The show has some fantastic design that looks heavily influenced by the urban vinyl toy culture. Their website is one of the best I've seen. It has a fun look and is easy to move around and do some amazing things. It is an elegant use of Flash.

International Animation Day in Atlanta

2008-10-29T11:12:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the High Museum of Art in Atlanta hosted the International Animation Day and showed a collection of shorts. There were a few very creative, smart pieces.
This is a golden age of animation. With tools like Flash available to consumers and shows like Spongebob, Clone Wars, and Chowder all around us, you can't avoid good animation.

illustrator drawing

2008-10-18T14:36:00.004-04:00

I just did an assignment where I drew a robot using Illustrator's shape tools:

Cubase LE 4 Software

2008-10-14T20:58:00.003-04:00

I bought some recording software called "Cubase LE 4" a couple of weeks ago. I think it is a powerful program that should produce some pretty cool sounds. I'm not sure why it was so hard, but it has taken me at least 30 hours of effort to get it set just so that I can produce and record sounds from my guitar. Whew! I sure hope that it gets easier from here. I should be able to add a microphone and record my accordian, violin, and some vocals pretty easily now.

Who Lives in a Pinapple Under the Sea?!

2008-10-13T13:16:00.005-04:00

Recently I had to list my design influences for some courses I'm taking. I honestly had to list SpongeBob Squarepants at the top of my list. His imagery is everywhere. Nickelodeon has licensed his image for EVERYTHING and the show is still well written, very smart, and beautiful to see. I think that he is on the crest of the wave of modern art right now. Here is a clip of a simple walk cycle from the show.

Flash animation

2008-09-27T20:29:00.003-04:00

This weekend I'm taking a class at SCAD Atlanta on using the program Flash to create animation. Wow, Flash is quite impressive. I had originally planned on creating some characters using Illustrator to later animate, but it looks like it will be much easier to do my character designs in Flash. I think that the paintbrush and pencil tools will be able to create the style I want. The images are vector-based so they are quite flexible. The new version in Flash CS4 will enable the creation of "bones" and "joints" in images so that you can animate with more ease and fluidity.

The Clone Wars t.v. series

2008-09-26T20:29:00.004-04:00

The Cartoon Network just showed a "sneak peak" of the Clone Wars series that starts next Friday night. It looks great! I can't wait to have Star Wars on t.v.! It looks like Lucas is taking good advantage of the limits on animation. It seemed distracting in the prequels when actors would be working around a lot of CGI. It all seems perfectly appropriate in this series.

Batman again!

2008-09-25T22:57:00.002-04:00

I just saw Batman:The Dark Night movie again. I liked even better the second time. I blogged about seeing it in IMAX a few weeks ago. The shots that were made for IMAX weren't quite as breathtaking, but all the closer shots with dialogue worked better for me on the smaller screen. It is kind of distracting to have to turn your head to just see someone's face on an IMAX screen.
The film still felt HUGE. Heath Ledger is just amazing. I hope there are plenty of extras on the DVD! I wonder how much more footage there is of The Joker.
Two-Face's CGI work is fantastic. I think that he or the Joker could have easily led their own films. Too bad that neither can happen!

character studies

2008-09-12T12:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I worked on a few character studies for a project I am planning.

cartoon

2008-09-11T16:52:00.000-04:00

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens WIll Happen Today

2008-09-10T21:24:00.003-04:00

David Byrne and Brian Eno have a new album. It sounds really cool. I'll write more about it later. Check it out.

artist Bobby Chiu

2008-09-10T13:34:00.005-04:00

The Sidebar podcast just had an interview with artist Bobby Chiu. I hadn't heard of Chiu before but really enjoyed the show. He teaches art and has a real passion for his work.
Chiu has a studio called Imaginationism that offers what look like great classes. Look up "Bobby Chiu" on YouTube and you'll find great digital painting instructional videos.

Wacom tablet

2008-09-09T22:15:00.002-04:00

I unpacked my Wacom tablet and have doodled some in Photoshop. The action on this pen is great. I hoped to do this cartoon in Illustrator, but it will take me some time to conquer using vector images.

MST3K => Cinematic Titanic

2008-09-04T20:48:00.005-04:00

The guys who brought us Mystery Science Theater 3000 are back with a new show on DVD. Joel, Trace, Frank, J. Elvis and Mary Jo have a new venture called Cinematic Titanic. The premise is very close to that of MST3K. We see the profiles (this time full silhouettes) of the cast on screen as we all watch horrible movies and hear their "riffs."
They were at DragonCon this year and showed "The Wasp Woman." It was wonderfully terrible as we heard those familiar voices skewering the film.
Only three title are currently available, but hopefully many more are on their way. I wish them the best. It is great to have them back!

Robert Llewellyn

2008-09-03T11:51:00.004-04:00

On Sunday I got to meet Robert Llewllyn who played Kryten on Red Dwarf. He has a great website with some really funny animation and another site called "Llewtube" with video he has made. He is doing some creative things. In September he'll premiere shows that he has been making using several cameras in his car. He drives folks around and films their conversation. What a cool idea. He was on Leo Laporte's TWIT network a few days ago and got to see Leo's studio.

Sidebar Comics Podcast

2008-09-03T11:20:00.002-04:00

This past weekend at DragonCon I got to meet Dwight and Swain from the Sidebar Comics Podcast. They are great guys with a real passion and understanding of comics. I think that they are going to post some of the DragonCon interviews as podcasts. Check them out.

Hurricane Gustav

2008-09-02T12:28:00.003-04:00

I'm glad to hear that Hurricane Gustav was not as dangerous as it could have been. From what I've heard the levees in New Orleans held up and the Mississippi coast wasn't hit too hard.
Last year I worked on a project aiding libraries in their recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The rebuilding efforts have been tremendous, but the areas along the coast are so fragile. Gustav could have made the devastation even worse, so it is good to get news that it didn't reach its full potential. N.O. was still hit pretty hard. They will be without utilities for a long time, but at least the evacuation appears to overall have went well.
Hopefully the evacuees won't face too much devastation when they return home.

CSS Zen Garden

2008-08-27T22:42:00.002-04:00

The CSS Zen Garden site is a great resource with ideas for cascading style sheets. CSS defines the style of fonts, backgrounds, buttons,...on a web page. One CSS file can define the appearance of many web pages, so you only need to make changes in one place to impact an entire site.
The Zen Garden site has the same content displayed with different style sheets applied. You can easily see how the CSS shapes the page and view the code.

MORE TURKEY VULTURES!

2008-08-25T13:44:00.004-04:00

DragonCon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-24T15:45:00.003-04:00

It's time for DragonCon again! I'll get to spend time with 30,000 of my closest friends in Atlanta. I recommend it for everyone. It is a wonderful pageant of sci-fi/fantasy/comics/movies/television/computer geeks. It's a few days of the year where I feel almost normal.
This year I'm going to try to attend sessions in the podcasting, comics, art, skeptic, and Star Wars tracks. It is going to be a busy four days!
Bernie Wrightson is going to be there this year. I hope I get to meet him. His artwork in the early 70's Swamp Thing comic had a huge influence on me.
Some great podcasts are going to record episodes there. I'm to going to try to attend I Should Be Writing and The Skeptics Guide to the Universe.
The whole event has a very "tribal" feel about it. I should probably volunteer some year and experience the whole giant beast. The original cast of MST3K are going to be there with a film Friday night. That should be a very cool experience.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army movie

2008-08-24T15:09:00.006-04:00

I just saw Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy 2 movie. A feast for the eyes! Hellboy is back with the whole Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. del Toro obviously loves the source material, Mike Mignola's comic book. He does a great job of creating the environments and characters with the look and feel of Mignola's pages. A great addition to the cast this time is Dr. Johann Krauss who is made of living ectoplasm and is contained within a very cool steampunk suit. Seth Macfarlane from Family Guy perform's Krauss' voice. Doug Jones provided the voice for Abe Sapien this time, speaking for the character he played.
A lot of the visuals reminded me of del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Many of Hellboy's characters would have been right at home on the other set.
The B.P.R.D. initials were obvious on a lot of their equip., which makes me wonder if they are a set up for spin-offs.
The movie had the same issues that I saw in the Batman movie. del Toro went through a lot of effort to create a magical world with magical characters, but the plots seemed bogged down with everyday-world issues. Why not just go all out and have us be completely immersed in the magical world dealing only with magical, fantastic issues. Mignola has been able to do this in a lot of the comics. It would be great to see a movie try to maintain that level of immersion and intensity.