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December 30, 2005
Namaste
That's the name of a unique elementary charter school in Chicago, IL. What sets this school apart isn't it's curriculum, but it's focus on each student's health, physical and mental well-being thru the teachings of yoga.
Most schools start with the ring of a bell - students tussling down hallways to get to class. At Namaste, participants start by putting their hands together, bowing their heads and saying the school's name pronounced "namastay". It means "my inner light salutes your inner light".
The charter school opened its doors last fall to 90 kindergartners and first graders anxious to learn in an environment much different from your typical public school. Here, physical education has not been cut and in fact, has been expanded to include not only play, but also breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation.
The philosophy is that children do better when they eat well and move around. Recent studies have proven that kids perform better in the classrooms when they're active and eat nutritious foods. You won't find chips, pizza, or tator-tots here.
Namaste students do the same academic work other children do but who says learning requires you to sit still. When learning the alphabet, students not only say the letter but they move their bodies to look like the letters as well.
Aside from the academic and physical education, reports are coming in that students have taken what they've learned and applied it to everyday life. It is not uncommon to hear Namaste parents claim their children actually reject junk food in preference for an apple or orange. Other instances are parents catching their children going to a quiet corner, breathing and stretching when upset.
The results are in the test scores. Namaste students scored nearly 80% higher than the state average. Obesity (which is running rampant now among young children) is nonexistent, and breakouts of fighting and arguing seem only to exist in the newspapers the children read. In fact, the school is so successful, there is a waiting list.
It goes to show that education is really key to growing kids and their development into successful adults. I just hope more schools like this start popping up around the country.
Posted by tranism at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Who Loves A Robot?
After reading an article in The Economist about why the Japanese love their robots so much, it got me to thinking why the perception of robots in the west is so different.
Japan's population is aging while the number of newborns have sharply dropped. In short, the Japanese are learning how to make robots that can do many jobs to compensate for the lack of "young workers" in the future.
In western cultures, robots are often a threat, destined to take over the world if given too much power. In contrast, Japanese culture view robots as friendly and benign. They have always been enamored and portrayed robots in a positive light, ever since they created their first comic about a robot; Tetsuwan Atomu in 1951.
Some could say their position goes as far back as their approach to religious beliefs. Much of their beliefs rely on spiritual context infused with animism. They make no distinction between animate and inanimate objects. it is not uncommon to see Japanese Shamans bless a car, believing that the car is somehow alive and will act "better" if treated with respect.
Ironically, the Japanese aren't as comfortable around other people. It is impossible to embarrass a robot or be embarrassed. It is the robots predictability that the Japanese respond to. They can be sure that they'll never make a huge mistake on a robot.
A great example is the success of Sony's AIBO (robotic entertainment dog). American consumers tend to be tech geeks who have visions of hacking the dogs software programming. The Japanese consumers like AIBO because it's clean, safe, and predictable.
It will be fascinating to see what kind of robots America builds as they catch up to the Japanese robotics industry. I'm sure the geniuses at M.I.T. will come up with something that will make AIBO jealous. The question is will this robot serve to entertain us as AIBO does, or will it eschew entertainment altogether?
Posted by tranism at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 29, 2005
Imaginary Affairs
Bjorn Franke likes to explore basic human emotions by creating tools to elicit them. In his latest work, titled "Traces of an Imaginary Affair", Bjorn explores the emotion of jealousy and how some partners use it as a tool to measure how much they are loved or as a means to boost their self-esteem.
Human relationships are often the battleground for all kinds of psychotic disorders and delusions. One of the strongest feeling between partners is the feeling of jealousy,
"which is born in love and which is produced by the fear that the loved person prefers someone else."
Littré
The kit contains traces of an imaginary affair. These are tools and probes which leave traces on the body such as bite-marks, carpet burns, and kisses.
another picture after the jump
Posted by tranism at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Schwetty Balls
Lets keep it real here. Sometimes even your testicles get sweaty. A LOT (too many) of men choose to ignore it which not only is totally gross but can also lead to fungal and bacterial growth that can then open the flood gates for secondary infections.
A handful of men try to do something about it by using talc or baby powder. Both are good but they weren't really designed for that job. Baby powder is too weak since it was designed to be super gentle - thus the "baby" mantra.
What you need is a specialized talc specially designed for clammy sacs. Balla Powder for men is lightly scented and can also be sprinkled between you cheeks, toes, and pits; giving you all day dryness and keeps you fresh.
It's only $15 and it works. Please give it a try.
Posted by tranism at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Mouse Guard
A cool unique online comic by David Petersen called Mouse Guard. In Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper among all of the world's hard conditions and predators - thus the Mouse Guard was formed. The are not simply soldiers that fight off intruders; rather, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden mouse village to another.
It's very well written and the illustrations are so vibrant and full of life. I've never been a comic reader mainly because all comic content was the same to me. This one seems to have a sweet story wrapped around intelligent themes.
To see the first issue, click here.
Posted by tranism at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Zelda The Twilight Princess
It seems almost an eternity before spring of next year, when the delayed next entry in the Zelda series "The Twilight Princess" makes its debut. Reports are that Nintendo wanted to spend more time on the game, to make it the best Zelda game ever; the best game of this console generation period. Although there are video clips of the game, a nice 30 minute long video of actual in-game video footage from this years E3 conference has surfaced. The video isn't new but it is new to most people so I wanted to show it here.
So if the game doesn't come out until spring of next year, and they've been working with a pretty much completed version since spring of this year; what kind of improvements could they possibly make. Nintendo is notorious for its long development periods but nobody in the industry doubts the company's creative team. To date, they still make some of the most beautiful games.
check this footage out
while you're at it, check there two official game trailers here and here.
Posted by tranism at 1:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 28, 2005
plankton Returns To Sverige
My homie, my bud, my blogmate plankton has returned to his native homeland of Sweden. Don't worry, it's just for a visit. He hasn't been back home in a long time so he's super excited to see his family and all his old friends. Please wish him a safe and fun trip. He'll be back soon.
electro misses plankton :(
Posted by tranism at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Sony's Outsider is a Fat Man
Sony Outsider (by mix media artist Tom Sachs), is a life size replica of Fat Man, the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 1945. The "bomb" is covered in a glossy white plexiglas and sports a Sony logo. Inside the capsule, it's even more perplexing. It's a hotel like room with rich materials like white leather and equipped with the hottest gizmos from Japan's premier electronics company (from 1999 that is - which is when this piece was created).
The purpose? Tom Sachs is fascinated by the seductive power of branding. By slapping the Sony logo all over and in the bomb, the device becomes ironic. What was once a destructive force is now nothing more than a toy; a gadget. It brings to mind the fact that YES the bomb crushed the city but Sony had a hand in rebuilding Japan after the war. In a sense, Japan conquered the bomb years later with its tech wizardry and gadgetry power.
Posted by tranism at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 24, 2005
Happy Holiday Wishes from Electro^Plankton!
Posted by at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Damn That's A Nice Looking Factory
Volkswagon may have pulled the ill-fated Phaeton from U.S. shores but the luxury vehicle is still on sale everywhere else. A lucky individual was able to tour the Phaeton factory in Dresden, Germany and it redefines what my idea of a factory looks like. This place looks even better than the Beverly Center (not that any mall is all the great either). Hardwood floors in a factory? It's simple GORGEOUS
Way MORE pictures here
Posted by tranism at 1:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
SketchFighter
I remember when I was a little kid, I would often draw out whole scenes, usually maps with opposing armies on either side. I would detail locale names and environmental features like mountains and rivers. In my mind I would imagine mighty battles. A whole half hour could pass by and the only thing that would break my concentration is my mom walking in with the look of concern on her face, wondering why her son is sitting on the floor staring at a sketch making "ching ching ching" and "ahhhhhh" sounds.
It's a pity really because when I try to do that now, I can't seem to completely escape reality into my fantasy world. I am easily distracted thus breaking my concentration. I now turn to video games and although the trend seems to be towards more realistic graphics, I yearn for the simplicity of moving imagery, allowing my mind to make all the graphical effects.
Now I have a video game that does just that, and its for the Mac!
SketchFighter 4000 Alpha is a 2D shooter with a unique hand drawn graphics style. Players explore the sketched world in their ship, defeating bosses, gathering upgrades, and finding access to new areas. Although I've seen many indie games that employ unique stylized graphics, SketchFighter sets itself apart because its developers plan on a massive game with lots of innovative features.
The game is currently in beta testing but I'll make sure to keep you all updated!
another picture after the jump
Posted by tranism at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 23, 2005
AnyFilms.net
The world appears different from different perspectives and so each event that takes place is just a small node in an ever expanding branch of stories.
Samsung believes the future of visual entertainment lies in that truth; that a viewer must be able to interact with the story, to influence the events that take place and the outcome.
AnyFilms.net is a new kind of entertainment site where you can watch films directed by some of today's up-and-coming filmmakers and interact with the storyline by manipulating a grid. The end result could be any one of the 11,000 outcomes. You create the mystery, you experience, you solve it.
Is this where mobile interactive entertainment is headed? Try it out a few times to really grasp what is happening. It's pretty cool.
Posted by tranism at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 12, 2005
USB Glyphs
There's something beautiful about some of the glyphs we use in electronics to denote different functions. For example the firewire symbol created by Apple(?), or the universal icon that means power on/off. There's elegance in their simplicity but 1000 years from now, if our records or lost to time, what will future sentients see? How will they interpret our iconography.
Furthermore, perhaps our own interpretations of ancient glyphs are completely incorrect. For all of our complex explanations, perhaps it was the simplest one that was correct. Maybe the classic "eye of ra" glyph in ancient Egyptian history literally is just an eye.
Take a lookie at the USB symbol now universally recognized as the symbol of data transfer and power. It is an extension of our electronic devices thereby bridging them together so they can communicate.
BUT, in 1000 years, a human who has no idea what USB means may interpret this as what - an ancient map? Perhaps to lost cities that once scaled the planet in width and height? From different perspectives, it could mean a lot of things.
Posted by tranism at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
December 10, 2005
Merry Christmas America
Since USA invaded Iraq in March 2003 a total of 2142 American soldiers are dead.
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/10/03) 2005
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03) 1675
Since Handover (6/29/04) 1276
Since Election (1/31/05) 704
Iraqi Civilian casualties are estimated to be 30,000
The war in Iraq has cost the american tax payers $225,523,142,304 as of Dec 10th 2005 (View calculator)
Terrorpilot has put together this little symbolic Christmas animation. One next to the other, like Christmas trees, the dead soldiers form a giant forest, recognizable only by their name, rank, (usually) very young age, and personal history.
Posted by at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Hatches Are Hot
One of the selling points of a new vehicle purchase (at least for me) is utility. That combined with fuel economy and a car like ride means only one thing. . . HATCHES. Hatchbacks are hot! They ride like cars, can fit in any compact spot but they offer the utility a man like me needs, whether it be crap from Ikea, or my dog, or groceries. . . hatches are like refined wagons and I love them.
I generally don't like German cars because there's just something about Japanese techness that I don't find in German vehicles, but the resurrected VW Scirocco due in 2008 may just change my mind. Similar to the original, its a sport hatchback but wearing the new corporate VW face. Lookin Japanese from the side and the rear, but its all German in the front and inside. I love it! Make a hybrid version and I'm sooooo there, rippin' up the streets of Burbank!
Posted by tranism at 1:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 1, 2005
Shar Pei Towel
plankton sent me this. I thought it was just too cute.
Posted by tranism at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)