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On 23 June 2007, Blank Space & Foto Baryo will feature the collaborative work of students and teachers in a photography exhibit entitled, “Natural Lang” at the Blank Space Gallery in Paranaque. This is the climax of an intensive five-month workshop conducted by Emily Schiffer, a Fulbright scholar and New York native. Inspired by a one-day Polaroid workshop organized by Fernando Afable in February 2006, Emily came to the Philippines to facilitate six different photography workshops in six weeks. It was the young students of one class that stood out: smart, eager, and articulate, they produced stunning images for a beginner class. The way they saw their subjects and photographed them was exactly what she and Fernando hoped for – they saw beauty in unimaginable places.
The students come from different communities in the Paranaque area, one of which is the Tropical Palace community. Once a luxury resort, the Tropical Palace was razed by fire in the late 70s. Until its rehabilitation five years ago, the area was a den for crime and drugs. The church was instrumental in the transformation of the area to a safe and peaceful community. It serves as a strong spiritual guide and community center to the families living there. Health classes and parenting workshops facilitate growth and development, while an education fund ensures the futures of young residents. Passion and a strong sense of community now characterize Tropical Palace, and this change is most evident in the children. Emily was awarded a Fulbright scholarship that enabled her to return to the Philippines and mentor the group of youth leaders. Tropical Palace was selected as the project site. Five months of intensive photography classes guided the students through basic and advanced photography, and through them, a deeper appreciation of life at Tropical Palace.
“Natural Lang” celebrates the honesty of introspections and interactions at Tropical Palace. The project captures the natural ability of children to embrace love, fear, pain, and joy, unimpeded by mental and emotional boundaries that adults set. It also parallels the experiences of the students as they learned photography and immersed themselves within the community, that the audience may share their clarity of vision. “For us, the images are not about poverty; that would be superficial,” shares Emily. “They’re about these children as individuals. We hope that people will appreciate the complexity of their situation, and the elements that come into play in their lives.” The dynamics between all participants provided the project its wings. The quality of interaction allowed a natural and intimate engagement in community life. Young children constantly surrounded and played with the artists and students as they photographed. Residents proudly display black-and-white prints on the walls of their homes. They have also become comfortable enough to acknowledge their emotions in the presence of the group. The teacher-student relationship evolved to co-photographer/colleague, as the group shared experiences and perspectives with one another. The entire spectrum of vision is captured by the project, with each participant contributing his or her unique set of values and level of understanding. Students who consider Tropical Palace home provided insiders’ perspectives, while the others were encouraged to invest five months of time and effort to gain trust and acceptance from the community.
Further, Emily’s view is defined by her connection with her students, and shaped by her growing awareness of the culture as a foreigner. The students’ perspectives are influenced by their character, as by individual backgrounds. The variety of perspectives featured in the exhibit – individual in their nuances yet singular in vision – is the strength of the project. It is the long-term vision of the Foto Baryo Paranaque Project, however, that further distinguishes it from the other endeavors of the school. In preparation for her departure, Emily has mentored her students to assume her role as teacher to future students in the community. The group hopes that the images produced by this set of students and the students after them will enable the school to track the effects of the program on the community. Without a doubt, the celebration of renewed perspective has empowered the students to create art and forge better futures for themselves and others.
“Natural Lang” will run from 16 June to 11 August 2007 at the Blank Space Gallery, 0431 Quirino Ave. Paranaque.
This is an interesting video made by a college professor explaining US Copyright Law, Fair Use and Intellectual Property. The twist is he made it using clips from Disney animated movies. :)
Synopsis: Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University provides this humorous, yet informative, review of copyright principles delivered through the words of the very folks we can thank for nearly endless copyright terms.
Back in the day, everyone was enthralled by a Japanese game show called "Takeshi's Castle". It was basically a wacky obstacle course with mazes, rubber-suit monsters, and ingenious traps designed to eliminate hundreds of contestants. Eventually, the contestants would be whittled down to a handful who would storm Takeshi's Castle for the grand prize.
The show was undoubtedly Japanese, and that tradition apparently still continues today. "Ninja Warrior" basically pits hundreds of contestants to overcome obstacles that a ninja would supposedly do. But whereas Takeshi's Castle was open to anyone, Ninja Warrior requires contestants be physically fit with a great sense of balance for the extreme challenges.
This video highlights Nagano Makoto, one of only 2 people to finish the entire Ninja Warrior course. Watching him move is like watching a live video game, like "Prince of Persia".
This will now bring up the question: who's more angas -- a ninja or a Spartan?
Ok, I admit, I have a soft spot for these incredibly geeky things that people do with their spare time.
By now, most people have heard of the Nintendo Wii, which comes with the Wii Sports game that includes a simple bowling game. LEGO Mindstorms, on the other hand, is a toy line from LEGO that is targetted at teenagers and young adults. Basically, it allows you to make simple robots using LEGO bricks, some motors, and software to program your robot with. It has a good following around the world, especially with burgeoning robotic enthusiasts.
So some guy recently gets a Nintendo Wii, and being a Mindstorms builder, decides to make a Wii Bowling robot. He gets it to automatically bowl a perfect game...
Another little interesting tidbit from the Internet.
Nintendo held a live concert a few years ago, with strings and percussion, and did the Super Mario Bros. theme with a Latin-style arrangement. But to add a little extra oomph, they had someone sing some lyrics to accompany the music.
While this clip doesn't have any subtitles, the translation can be found below.
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running Go save Princess Peach! Go! Today, full of energy, Mario runs Today, full of energy, jumping! Today, full of energy, searching for coins Today, keep going, Mario!
Get a mushroom - it's Super Mario! Get a flower - it's Fire Mario!
Goomba! Troopa! Buzzy Beetle! Beat them all! Mario is always full of energy and strong!
[Spoken] The only one who can reverse the spell that has captured the Mushroom People is Princess Peach. But Princess Peach is hidden underground, in a far-off castle. Ah, the days of peace... if we could once more return to those days... to save Princess Peach and bring peace back to the Mushroom Kingdom, that is why Mario is on his journey today.
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running Go and beat the Koopa tribe, go! Today, full of energy, Mario runs Today, full of energy, jumping! Today, full of energy, searching for coins Today, keep going, Mario!
Get a star - become invincible! Quickly, go save Princess Peach!
Lakitu! Blooper! Cheep Cheep! Beat them all! Mario is always full of energy and strong!
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running He's made it to the castle and gets fireworks! Lightly sidestepping the Hammer Bros. Show the last of your power, Mario! It's been a long journey but it's nearly at an end You've done it, you've done it! You've defeated Bowser!
Princess Peach says "Thank you" Mario's got a great big heart!
Mario's adventure is over for now, but Mario's dream lives forever...
Something that appeals to the sloth in all of us...
A software engineer decides that he doesn't quite want to let go of his college lifestyle, so in his spare time comes up with a modification to a mini-fridge that launches a can of beer (or any other beverage) to his spot on the couch.
The launcher has a payload of 10 cans, plus is even activated by remote control. I know of several guys who would be genuinely interested in this...
I got this from Jj last week, and forwarded it to some guys who I know would appreciate it. Sure enough, it spurred a flurry of enthusiastic emails that only geeks who grew up watching Mazinger Z make!
So now presenting, a short clip of the Go Nagai family of robots... :)
Another Internet gem I stumbled upon. Greg Patillo is a street performer in New York who specializes in mixing beat boxing and flute playing. 'Nuff said.
Check out his renditions of the Super Mario theme, Sesame Street theme, and a funky mix of Inspector Gadget/Axel F.
With all the hype of the new video game consoles that have come out over the past year, it's easy to forget that what matters most are the games, not the hardware.
Video games have been around for over 30 years, and a number of genres have evolved over time. One of the first video game genres established was the shooter. The concept and gameplay is simple -- you are a lone hero that has to destroy multiple targets, all the while avoiding being destroyed yourself. The earliest example of this (that I can think of) is the classic "Space Invaders".
A few years after "Space Invaders", another other classic game, "Phoenix", introduced a new concept that was become a staple in the genre -- the end of stage "Boss" that you had to defeat to progress to the next level.
From those humble beginnings, and over 30 years of evolution, with these tried and tested gameplay mechanics, a Japanese company has released a game called "Mushihimesama Futari" (don't worry, I have a hard time pronouncing that, too) for the Playstation 2. It's claim to fame: the hardest video game "Bosses" ever! You need a combination of lightning relexes and a savant-like ability to recognize patterns to defeat these bosses.
If you're a movie buff and a Star Wars fan, but can't afford to have a Death Star Home Theater, this is a more affordable alternative. And just as geeky.
Recently unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, the R2D2 Mobile Entertainment System is made by Nikko Home Electronics. It features:
a projector for screens up to 80" big
built-in DVD system
a dock for your iPod to listen to music and project video
lights & sounds of R2D2 so it seems like the droid is really in the room
fully motorized so you can move it from room to room
a Millenium Falcon remote control
Star Wars fans, get your geek on now!
Check out a couple of write-ups about it here and here.
The Transformers is dear to anyone who grew up in the 80's. So you can imagine the excitement when a live-action Transformers movie was announced this year.
However, I do have a concern. The movie is being directed by Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor). I'm not exactly a fan of his. But on the other hand, it's executive produced by Steven Spielberg, so who knows?
With Christmas a little over 2 weeks away, I thought I'd try and get everyone into a holiday mood.
The Mythbusters is one of the most popular shows on the Discovery Channel. Each episode is dedicated to proving or disproving any type of myth using the scientific method. I love this show, because it's just a big excuse to play around and prove/disprove (mostly) useless things.
In this clip, they decide to forgo the usual myth debunking, and decide to make a Christmas-themed Rube Goldberg device. For those unfamiliar with Rube Goldberg devices, they are "exceedingly complex devices that perform simple tasks in very indirect and convoluted ways" (taken from a Wikipedia entry).
So enjoy this clip from the Mythbusters, and happy holidays! :)
At the start of the year, I blogged about the Nerf N-Strike Unity Power System -- basically a toy that launches foam missles across the room. Just watching the commercial, I knew I wanted one.
While I never actually got around to buying one (let's face it, it's totally basura, so paying bills takes priority), I came across another Nerf product I want!
So aside from the foam missle launcher, this time around, we get a foam sniper rifle! Introducing the Nerf N-Strike Longshot CS-6. Enjoy the video!
If you're the type of person who is very praning about your valuables and/or privacy, don't watch the video below.
The "bump key" was highlighted a few months ago in a European news report, and was the first time for most of the general public to hear about it (me included). The "bump key" is the preferred lockpicking tool of burglars and ne'er-do-wells.
What makes the bump key a popular (and frankly, scary) tool isn't just how effective it is, but rather how easy it is to make, and what little skill is needed to use it. Almost anyone can easily use it, without any prior experience in lockpicking. The use of a bump key to illegaly bypass a lock is virtually undetectable -- hence the growing headache for police forces, and insurance companies, and average citizens.
"Improv Everywhere" is a group that specializes in pulling off pranks on a somewhat massive scale. The heads plan out the prank, ask for volunteers from the general public (fans travel from other states to be in on the joke), and video tape the entire thing.
Inspired by several Star Trek episodes on time travel, they decide to produce their own "temporal anomalies". The victim/venue: a local branch of Home Depot.
Gathering over 200 volunteers, they troop off to Home Depot. The first part of their prank is to appear to shop normally, then at a predetermined time, everyone proceeds to move in slow motion for 5 minutes, then return back to normal speed. The second part of their prank is for everyone to freeze in place for 5 minutes, then return back to normal speed, and discreetly leave the store.
It took some time for the Home Depot employees and innocent shoppers to notice that anything was amiss, and when they do, they're just stumped, not knowing what to do.
A cool video using stop-animation of a combination of clay, food, and common household items. The animator recreates the classic gameplay of Centipede, Frogger, Asteroids, and Space Invaders. Enjoy!
For all you "Legend of Zelda" and/or Nintendo fans out there...
Seeming like a counter-point to the string quartet playing the Zelda medley, we have a guy playing another medley on his ukulele. The funny thing is, it makes it seem more medieval... like listening to a bard's mandolin. :)
