The TED talks are great. This short clip from TED is fabulous. See what you think!
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html
Archive for the ‘Fun Stuff’ Category
TED Technology
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Quote
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009I’m not sure who Clyde Moore is but I liked this quote. Made me smile this week after a snow storm Sunday night.
“There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s.” ~Clyde Moore
Michael Moore in Ann Arbor
Sunday, September 21st, 2008Michael Moore spoke Thursday at the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor. Originally part of the Art and Design (A & D) Distinguish Speaker series sponsored by Penny Stamps, it also became the world premiere of his new movie, “Slacker Uprising”.
To see the schedule for this year’s lecture series go here: http://www.art-design.umich.edu/ev_lectures.php
At times, Moore was funny, other times he was angry, and at other times he cracked himself up (and a good number of us missed the joke – either sports related or policically related). His message is definitely to oust Bush from office and to keep McCain from occupying the oval office. He had a lot of negative things to say about Bush/McCain, the US past, and, at least in the first 50 minutes, nothing to say about Obama. I had a commitment that evening and couldn’t stay until the end. Maybe he was getting to that … although, it was unclear what his point was, other than political. He didn’t talk about art, his movies, or even the movie that was to show at 8 PM after his talk.
The crowd is often heavy on the U of M student side at the A&D lectures. I think some of them are required to be there for class credit and others come as part of some sort of art passport project. I was surprised Moore didn’t gear his talk directly to the 20 something crowd – it seems like his movie is geared towards that. Or, again, maybe he did after I left. It seemed like a good number of the students I could see from my vantage point were more interested in the incoming/outgoing text messages on their phones than what was happening right in front of them.
From what little I know about his movie, I think he’s spoken to the college age demographic group before. “Slacker Uprising” looks like (from the trailer) a series of his talks on college campuses or to groups of 20-somethings. You can get a free download of the entire movie at www.slackeruprising.com this coming week. He’s giving it away free. At least check out the trailer and see what you think.
Too Many TV Crime Dramas
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008I realized the other day … I’ve watched too many Crime Dramas. I love CSI, NCIS, and Bones. I like the mystery, the puzzle, the science, and the pursuit of answers.
Last week I came out of the Westgate branch library. Next to the library is a barber and next to the barber is a Thai restaurant. The restaurant has glass walls, ceiling to floor. It was a couple of hours before lunch and the restaurant was dark – it was closed. A man, heavy set, Asian, and older-than-average sat at one of the tables right next to the front window. He faced out to the world, sat slightly slumped in the chair and it looked like his eyes were closed.
I did a double take. My first thought was that he was sitting at the table at the front of the restaurant for the daylight – perhaps reading or doing the books. But there wasn’t anything on the table in front of him. He wasn’t moving. I continued to my car and thought maybe he was sleeping … or maybe he was dead! A mystery in the making. I went back and forth in my mind: continue to the car or check to see if the guy was alive?
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out a mystery. Walking slowly to the window, I saw his eyes were indeed closed and then observed his chest rising and falling in that slow, easy rhythm of sleep. Mystery solved!
Elvis Tribute Performer
Monday, July 21st, 2008In a Midland mall parking lot Daniel and I spotted the Elvis Tribute Performer van near the Taco Bell. So, we went over and snapped a few pictures of him. Daniel took my picture *with* him. He was quite happy to have the attention and quite happy to chat. He was on his way to a 25 year wedding anniversary party where the couple was planning to renew their vows. I didn’t think to ask him if he was ‘officiating’! There aren’t very many places you run into someone dressed like Elvis … Vegas (regularly) and Ypsilanti, MI during ‘Elvis Fest’ every July. Other than that … it’s a rare sighting.
Here are the pics.
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8BcMWbNu2ZKTCQ
Seven Cycle Day
Thursday, July 17th, 2008It’s been a gorgeous summer in Michigan. We’ve had perfect temps and lots of sunshine. Yesterday was one of those perfect summer days. The kind that make you want to live in Michigan and the kind that make you forget about the cold, dark, long winter. I can always tell which days will (likely) be free of rain. The motorcycle parking area is full when I get to work. Yesterday there were seven motorcycles in the cycle parking spots! I think that’s a record.
Discovery
Thursday, June 5th, 2008Yesterday, I discovered I can whistle and hum at the same time. It makes kind of a weird spooky sound. Try it!
Bread Baking and other smells
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008Thinking about my favorite sounds got me thinking about my favorite smells.
When I was growing up in Fargo there was a bread factory and every time we drove by, we could smell the bread baking. It’s one of my favorite smells.
Today, it’s raining and I love the smell of rain.
Oddly enough, another one of my favorite smells is plastic. I think it reminds me of Christmas as a child … all those plastic Barbie doll toys that were made of plastic.
I especially like this time of year when the plants are blooming: Russian Olives, lilacs, hyacinths, and peonies are some of my favs.
What are your favorite smells?
Train Whistles in the Night
Monday, June 2nd, 2008One of my favorite sounds is a train whistle in the night. Tonight, it is warm and I have the windows open – and a passing train blew its whistle. What are your favorite sounds?
Free Rice
Thursday, April 17th, 2008About three people recommended www.freerice.com to me before I went there to see what all the fuss is about this site. Free Rice is a website where, you, the user, can test/improve your vocabulary at the same time provide rice to hungry people … all for free.
From the site’s “about” page they state it quite simply (see below). What they don’t tell you is how fun (and addictive) it is. Give it a try!
“FreeRice has two goals:
1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.
Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.
Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.”