the worst had happened ..

completely unexpected yet true ..

then witnessed a miracle ..

its all good now ..

but there was a big loss and that remains ..

memories still remain and would always remain ..

A self-taught artist, he began his career in the early 90s by aggressively blanketing New York City’s streets and doorways with strips of brightly colored wheat-pasted posters. More at Phil Frost: Staking his Claim.

Phil Frost

Phil Frost

Lou Romano’s artwork for Pixar’s UP, is integral to the story.

Lou Romano. Ellie's Mural. 2005-2008. Gouache.

Lou Romano. Tepui Study. 2005-2008. Gouache.

Lou Romano’s artwork for Pixar’s UP, is integral to the story.

Lou Romano. Ellie's Mural. 2005-2008. Gouache.

Lou Romano. Tepui Study. 2005-2008. Gouache.

This was the day ..

when the status changed to ‘committed’ from ’single’ ..

most memorable year ..

Básicamente eso: el tumblr es otro sitio gratuito de microblogging, donde uno puede publicar textos, imágenes, citas de autor, links, videos, y audio a través de lo que vendría a ser el tumblelog (una variante menos estructurada que el blog). Cada cosa, en teoría, tiene un status inferior a lo publicado tradicionalmente en un blog, y eso en principio nos atrajo bastante.

En nuestro caso sobre todo, /revistaliyo (el tumblr) es como una especie de back up de cosas perdidas en nuestros rígidos, no mucho más, pero que en conjunto, una cosa al lado de la otra, va formando una serie discontinua (por decirlo de alguna manera) con un sentido global que difícilmente tuvieran por separado esas cosas en nuestros discos rígidos. La edición, supimos siempre, es plena construcción de sentido.

Jason Kottke, uno de los pioneros en el mundo de los blogs, describe al tumblr de esta manera:
“Un tumblelog es un flujo de conciencia improvisado, un poco al estilo de las listas de enlaces de los linklog pero con más cosas además de enlaces. Me recuerdan a un antiguo estilo de blogs, en la época en que la gente los hacía a mano, antes de que Movable Type obligara a poner los títulos de los posteos, las entradas de los blogs se convirtieran en pequeños artículos de revistas, y los posteos pertenecieran a una conversación distribuida a través de toda la blogosfera. Robot Wisdom y Bifurcated Rivets son dos weblogs de un estilo más antiguo, que se parecen mucho a estos tumblelogs con mínimos comentarios, muy poca charla entre blogs, el mínimo suspiro de un algo terminado y publicado, casi pura edición…realmente sólo una forma de publicar rápidamente las “cosas” con las que te encuentras cada día en la web.”

Abrimos el tumblr básicamente porque mirábamos algunos desde afuera y nos costaba entender su dinámica, nos daba curiosidad el oculto funcionamiento interior de estos sitios. Una vez adentro entendimos bastante más, ya que hay, como en twitter, una especie de home donde ves las publicaciones de los usuarios a los que seguís. La dinámica es la misma y las posibilidades de navegación por los demás tumblelogs se amplía considerablemente. La otra razón fundamental por la cual lo abrimos es el diseño: las vistas desde arriba de los archivos generan ese sentido conjunto a través de cosas que en un principio aisladas morirían en sí mismas. REVISTALIYO se llama el nuestro y estos son los dos primeros archivos y el sitio propiamente dicho:

ARCHIVO OCTUBRE DE REVISTALIYO HACIENDO CLICK ACÁ

ARCHIVO NOVIEMBRE DE REVISTALIYO HACIÉNDO CLICK ACÁ

REVISTALIYO (EL TUMBLR) PROPIAMENTE DICHO HACIÉNDO CLICK ACÁ

I got a tumblelog. Domain wise it’s part of my static site at Basu::shr. Behind the scenes it’s a basic Tumblr weblog with a nice looking theme and little else. I already have a proper weblog (this one) and a static website. I also have Twitter and Identi.ca accounts and I have a Friendfeed which pulls in updates from lots of different services that I use. So why yet another weblog?

The answer is that the web, especially the so-called Web 2.0 has been becoming more UNIX-like as time goes on. There are lots of different webapps out there, and the best ones focus on doing one thing and doing it well. It’s up to others to pull these webapps together via their APIs in a manner similar to the way UNIX shell scripts work. While this is in general a good thing, it can be a hassle for someone like me who would like to keep together all his/her online activity.

For a while I really wished there was One Great Webapp to Rule Them All. It would be this one great system into which I could put all my status updates, my pictures, videos, links, conversations and it would automatically send them out to whichever specific webapp they needed to go to. And much to my delight I found one just like that: Posterous. You send an email to Posterous containing whatever you want to post and Posterous can be setup to direct to a number of different webapps. This is a really cool thing, using email as a web equivalent of UNIX pipes. I tried it for a few days, and while I was happy for to start with, I came to realize some interesting things.

The first thing that I realized was email for all it’s flexibility and usefulness, it can be a bit tedious for some activities. If all you want to do is send out a 140 character update or post a video, it’s just a bit too much to switch to a mail client, copy/paste a link or type a message, select a recipient and then hit ‘Send’. Secondly, for conversation oriented media like Twitter, sending out your message is only half the problem and it makes no sense to use one tool to send out a message (email) and another to see incoming messages (another app or webapp). Add in the fact there are lots of small applications or browser extensions that do a really good job of putting on an easy-to-use layer on top of web services and email starts to lose its silver lining.

However, the greater realization I had was I that I didn’t necessarily wanted all my online activity pulled into one place. For example, this blog is about technology and my experiences with it and it’s not something that my liberal arts friends particularly care about. On the other hand, readers coming to this site to read about my adventures with programming languages probably don’t want to know all that much about what how the dining hall food is today or how tired I am after my creative writing class (things that go into my Twitter stream). I wouldn’t want to mix those two because the result would simply be a mess. I also don’t want to add things like cool videos, art or articles I find to either of these two unless I do want to blog about it (in which case I will write a post about it) or I really want my friends to know about it (in which case I’ll twitter it). By yesterday morning I decided that I still wanted to have an online, accessible record of stuff I found interesting (if anyone else really wanted to see) but I didn’t want to just dump it into the other streams.

Thus came about the tumblelog. I could have just stuck to my Posterous but I like Tumblr better, in part because of the gorgeous themes (which I hear can be used with Posterous, but I couldn’t find an easy way to do it) but also because it seems that Tumblr, especially the bookmarklet, processes excerpts from websites in a smarter way than Posterous. And I already had a Tumblr account that I started a few months ago, but I really didn’t use till now.

The way things stand now, here is how I currently use my multiple web services:

• The ByteBaker for long-form tech-oriented articles
• Twitter and Identi.ca for really short observations, ideas and messages
• Basu::Shr::Weblog as a tumblelog for recording interesting things I find online, mostly videos and images
• Diigo for interesting links that I want to keep a record of, but don’t care to actively share
• Friendfeed to pull together everything about (plus a few others) for anyone who’s interested

Considering that this isn’t the first time that I’ve done this dance, I won’t be too surprised if I changed this setup again soon. At the current moment, the services and the tools around seem stable and useful and I’ve been able to use them with very little mental overhead (which is very important for me). Only time will tell if this works out, but I hope it does. On a related note, I’ve also started decoupling Facebook from my online presence because I’m growing increasingly uncomfortable with their “Walled Garden” approach, but that’s a matter for another article.

Jamini Roy (1887 – 1972) was one of the first painters whose work I absolutely loved (and do). He is from my home state of West Bengal, and rebelled against the traditional western influences “realism” of the time, and found inspiration in the folk art of Bengal instead – the Kalighat pot painting in particular. The Kalighat pot painting tradition is identified by its flat earthy colors, bold graphic forms with minor embellishment, and is apparent in his work.

He is also one of the first and rare painters who believed art shouldn’t belong only in museums and the elite, but also the common folk. To this end, he sold his works very cheaply.

Jamini Roy. Mother and Child. Gouache on fabric mounted on board. 16 5/8 x 11 in. (42.4 x 28 cm.).

Jamini Roy. Crucifixion. Tempera on canvas. 28 x 38 in.

Jamini Roy (1887 – 1972) was one of the first painters whose work I absolutely loved (and do). He is from my home state of West Bengal, and rebelled against the traditional western influences “realism” of the time, and found inspiration in the folk art of Bengal instead – the Kalighat pot painting in particular. The Kalighat pot painting tradition is identified by its flat earthy colors, bold graphic forms with minor embellishment, and is apparent in his work.

He is also one of the first and rare painters who believed art shouldn’t belong only in museums and the elite, but also the common folk. To this end, he sold his works very cheaply.

Jamini Roy. Mother and Child. Gouache on fabric mounted on board. 16 5/8 x 11 in. (42.4 x 28 cm.).

Jamini Roy. Crucifixion. Tempera on canvas. 28 x 38 in.

Camille Rose Garcia was born in 1970 in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the generic suburbs of Orange County, visiting Disneyland and going to punk shows with the other dissenchanted youth of that era. Her paintings of creepy cartoon children living in wasteland fairy tales are critical commentaries on the failures of capitalist utopias. (From her website)

Camille Rose Garcia. Subterranean Orphans. 2004. Giclee prints on Canvas.

Created in 2004 for BLAB! Magazine, this 3 part print tells the story of animals that retreat underground to escape the ultraviolence of humans.

Camille Rose Garcia. Pharmaceuticool. 2003. Giclee prints on archival watercolor paper.

Created in 2003 for BLAB! Magazine, this 4 part print examines the highs and lows of pill popping and depression in America.

Camille Rose Garcia. Who's Afraid of the Peppermint Man. 2003.

Created in 2002 for BLAB! magazine’s New and Used Collection, published by Fantagraphics Books, this 6 page story chronicles the creepy factory shenanigans of The Peppermint Man.

Check out her other book The Magic Bottle. I love it.

This is my first take on wordpress vs. tumblr based on my experience, so far…

1. Customization – Installing extra plugins was never easier on tumblr, not at all possible in WordPress.com - I could install google analytics so easily on tumblr, I can’t do it on WordPress.com blog and do I miss it!!!

2. Popularity Hits – WordPress is a more popular platform, I get more hits on my page with zero marketing work than I ever got on my tumblr pages

3.  Widgets  – A lot of add-on widgets come for free and are quick install in wordpress, all of which get my started up with zero effort. While on tumblr, I have to know about these widgets to begin with and then search it & install them on tumblr (but the good news is, if I have enough patience, I can install anything on tumblr which is not the case with my wordpress.com) or go looking for the widgets as and when I need them, I guess…

4. Tumblr: twitter-like – The common space on tumblr, people seem to be using like Twitter, very few people write genuinely good articles out there – most people are posting links, photos and music – which is what it was intended for, to begin with

5.  Comments – This is the part I’m still struggling with. I installed Disqus on my tumblelog and attempted to port my comments to wordpress when I moved my blogs – but alas! it is not possible on my wordpress.com blog. If I self-host, I get all these features, but not until then.

So, this is what I have as of now…shall keep you posted as I go along and discover more…

This is all I got for now..I shall be coming back with more! Do post if you have your stories…

Mary Blair (1911-1978), born Mary Robinson, was an American artist, and  best known for work she did for Watt Disney movies such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Mary Blair. Alice in Wonderland (The Tea Party). 1951. Gouache.

Mary Blair. Tomorrowland. 1967. Tile Mural.

Mary Blair (1911-1978), born Mary Robinson, was an American artist, and  best known for work she did for Watt Disney movies such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Mary Blair. Alice in Wonderland (The Tea Party). 1951. Gouache.

Mary Blair. Tomorrowland. 1967. Tile Mural.

Chris Raschka is a writer, illustrator and trained violist. I particularly love his Thingy Things series.

Chris Rashcka. John Coltrane Giant Steps. 2002.

Chris Rashcka. Sluggy Slug. 2000.

Chris Rashcka. Whaley Whale. 2000.

Jim Flora. The Day the Cow Sneezed. 1957.

Jim Flora. My Friend Charlie. 1964.

More on Jim Flora

]]> http://lunablogs.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/jim-flora/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:15:47 +0000 aditi raychoudhury http://lunablogs.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/jim-flora/

Jim Flora. The Day the Cow Sneezed. 1957.

Jim Flora. My Friend Charlie. 1964.

More on Jim Flora

]]> http://rinashah.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/bliss/ Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:28:54 +0000 rina http://rinashah.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/bliss/

Two Months to be precise

life has changed …

PS: If you’ve come in late, check this and this.

Take a look at the DME Medical Supplies Blogspot Blog if you don’t believe me.  As of the moment, that particular link contains chating about Arm Slings, Crypton Gold, Hydrogel Wound Dressings, Mettler TENS units, Heavy Duty Pen Lights, Feather Lite Scalpel Blades and more!

Feather Lite Scalpel Blades as Sold By DME Medical Supplies.

So, check out that blog. Or my Tumblr blog.  Laterz, my peeps.

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’m changing the way I do some things around here (for the better!).  One change is that I’ll be posting EduLinks and making short comments of note to a new Tumblelog for TheUniversityBlog.

Take a look and see.  Whether it’s about making slow decisions, creating sexy brands, or smelling fear , I hope to let you know about all sorts.  If you want to see any particular type of links featured, let me know.

That means today will be the final old-skool set of EduLinks posted here.  But fear not!  I will still compile a regular “Best of…” post here to cover what I’ve been adding to the Tumblelog (http://universityboy.tumblr.com).

Now, on with the last EduLinks of this kind.  Enjoy!

Economist – Encouraging Competitiveness – Researchers have found that people compete better in smaller groups.  Completing a test with 10 people makes average test scores higher than those completing a test with 100 people.  So next time you’re up against 10,000 people, imagine you’re up against 10 to try getting a bit more out of yourself!

EduChoices – 20 Twitter Tips for New Grads and Entrepreneurs – Twitter is apparently being used most by those in their late 20s and older at the moment.  Whether or not the balance changes considerably in the near future, Melissa Kahney has produced some quality suggestions to help recent graduates find new opportunities and network effectively.  Now is the time to strike!

Digital Ethnography – Toward a New Future of “Whatever” – The ever-brilliant Michael Wesch talks of “Meh” and “Generation Me” to describe why education currently brings in many bored faces, while “American Idol” auditions bring in passionate outbursts.  Professor Wesch hopes the colourful history of the word “Whatever” can add a new definition of hope.  Whatever it takes…

Chronicle Wired Campus – Students May Not Be as Software Savvy as They Think, Study Says – An American university has found that students tend to overestimate their skill level when it comes to Microsoft Office applications.  How accomplished do you think you are?

Britannica Blog – Neuroeconomics: Studying How We Make Decisions – This post explains how we sometimes offload the burden of making decisions onto others.  We might think all our decisions are our own, but the brain seems to suggest otherwise.

BBC – Using speech-writing techniques to win – This article from the BBC News Magazine asks, “Can speech-writing teach us skills for dealing with tricky situations in everyday life?”  It is a great piece for help on writing speeches and generally understanding how to get a good reaction.  Tried and tested techniques abound.

Psychology Today – Wandering Into the Innovation Economy – Worried about the recession?  Not sure what’s going to happen after you graduate?  Just let your mind wander and take control of the ideas that come to you.  One of those ideas may be what you need to change the world and find massive success while you’re at it.

Academic Productivity – 10 tips to harness the hidden potential of Wolfram Alpha – Now the hype has started to die down, Wolfram Alpha has emerged as a great tool for specific uses and functions.  It is not a ‘Google-killer’ because it serves a very different purpose.  Wolfram Alpha is definitely a site to remember, and Academic Productivity some of the wonderful ways you can use the powerful computational data on offer.

iSnapshotter is live.

It’s a really simple Tumblr-based site with a custom domain name. I intend to use the Tumblr app on the iPhone to post my more interesting snapshots there… typically these get edited on the phone using Photogene, CameraBag and Autostitch.

I wanted to keep iPhone shots largely separate from Flickr, and the new capabilities in the 3GS make it much nicer for taking snapshots on the road. It was pretty trivial to create… add a new tumblelog on my existing Tumblr account, snap up a custom domain via UK2.net, choose a nice photo-centric theme, download the Tumblr iPhone app, and I’m good to go. Now all I’d like is the ability to queue posts from the iPhone so I can spread them out a bit more.

Dopo essere passato per facebook, twitter e friendfeed il Rock house podcast approda anche a Tumblr!

E’ chiaro che non potro’ seguire tutti questi social insieme ed in modo adeguato…diciamo che ci provero’…ma era giusto immergersi un po’ in queste novita’ (novita’ almeno per me…).

Mi stupisce che ci sia molta gente che invece riesce ad essere onnipresente su tutte le piattaforme…per citare una blogger a caso…CATEPOL (che saluto) presente praticamente in ogni dove…mi chiedo come faccia a vivere anche nella vita reale e dai suoi post si capisce che lo fa! Sono ammirato e stupefatto di come si possono portare all’estremo le capacita’ organizzative

…io mi perdo quando devo fare due cose contemporeaneamente anche solo leggere ed ascoltare…ma si sa…e’ anche una questione cromosomica….

Appena ne trovo il verso vi faro’ una piccola recensione sul servizio di microblogging di Tumblr, per ora devo ancora capirlo bene…venitemi a trovare e aumentate la mia tumblrarity! In Irlanda dopo 2 giorni sono nei primi 100 Tumblr su 120…

Per ora posso dirvi che mi sembra carino…ma nulla di eccezionalmente innovativo…credo che forse si potrebbe realizzare una cosa simile con qualsiasi altra piattaforma di blogging…ma parlo da neofita..quindi vedremo…