Seeing Sideways: The New Media Eye

Fishbowl

2012-01-23T17:00:00.002-05:00

(from notes on the board in class today)

too many choices = dissatisfaction with choice because you could have chosen something better = "I am not creative" because it did not turn out as well as another choice might have = you play it safe next time = always playing it safe leads to burnout = burnout breeds apathy = apathy can become pervasive and lead to dissatisfaction with everything

If you employ the "fishbowl" technique you can use limitations and parameters to cut down the choices and help you better achieve goals that lead to personal satisfaction.

Fishbowling is an iterative process that includes permutations of the following ideas (in no particular order:)

experiment
look for connections and familiarity
define a goal
procrastinate
doodle around until you find an idea
look for interesting ways to achieve goal
have a due date
make a statement
get a reaction
time limit on project
safety
research
know yourself and how you work
necessity
solve a problem
if Beth lets us do it or not!
limitations

Freedom or slavery?

2012-01-23T03:44:00.000-05:00

Does a tree make a sound?

2012-01-20T10:38:00.002-05:00

Yes it does!!!

http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/years-modified-turntable-plays-a-trees-inner-rings-like-a-record/

The science of creativity!

2012-01-19T16:22:00.002-05:00

http://thescienceofcreativity.blogspot.com/

This blog is the work of Jacob Deon, former (and always) sidester.

Stealing isn't always bad...

2011-12-09T15:54:00.001-05:00

http://www.austinkleon.com/2011/03/30/how-to-steal-like-an-artist-and-9-other-things-nobody-told-me/

Identity in the digital age

2011-11-21T14:50:00.001-05:00

http://www.xtranormal.com/

http://www2.uregina.ca/yourblog/?p=3375

Makerbot

2011-09-20T10:00:00.002-04:00

Where was this when I was doing my grad work in digital sculpture! http://www.makerbot.com/#

Breaking the usual Photoshop rules

2011-09-19T22:43:00.000-04:00

8-bit in the real world

2011-09-19T00:41:00.001-04:00

Thanks Charles Yu for sharing this with me!

Webby webby

2011-08-22T12:46:00.002-04:00

http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/scribblertoo/

Made this with the link above...

I could live here

2011-08-22T12:40:00.002-04:00

Animated tattoo

2011-08-22T12:34:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3qv2dSXQXk

So how would you answer this???

2011-06-15T12:54:00.001-04:00

It really makes you consider who you are and what you really want to do on this planet...

http://candychang.com/before-i-die-in-nola/

A simple idea

2011-06-15T12:45:00.003-04:00

With stunning results...

http://owni.eu/2010/12/15/still-life-bent-objects/

Identity, at least for one woman...

2011-06-13T14:07:00.001-04:00

I think this blog is worth reading. Some people actually have the luck to find themselves. http://authenticsentiments-ef.blogspot.com/2011/01/okay-40-im-ready.html

Stars!

2011-06-07T09:41:00.002-04:00

At least I don't do this...

2011-03-27T20:10:00.001-04:00

Check out how this guy uses fear to help people.

http://www.radiolab.org/2011/mar/08/fear-me/

Seeing is believing?

2011-03-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

http://www.mensjournal.com/the-blind-man-who-taught-himself-to-see/

Like I said, repercussions

2011-02-23T13:17:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110222/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_billboard_flap_jonestown_3

Inspiration from Ted.com

2011-02-21T10:52:00.001-05:00

Check out Golan Levin http://www.ted.com/speakers/golan_levin.html

Then watch this video

Now this is cool!

2011-01-10T14:44:00.001-05:00

Hehehehe

2011-01-10T14:37:00.003-05:00

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/02/livingstones_pillows_that_look.php

An oldie goldie

2011-01-09T19:03:00.001-05:00

By Adam Beuoy.

Coolest website!

2010-12-04T22:55:00.001-05:00

http://www.blublu.org/sito/video/muto.htm

And from this inspiration...

2010-11-21T15:35:00.000-05:00

...came this:

silent symphony (11-21-10)
sounds pile
one upon another
to create the unheard
layers of my life

when i stop
to eavesdrop
on all this silence
i begin to hear
this other world
of my unnoticed
constant soundtrack

the clack
of the keyboard
in staccato rhythm
as i type
pausing
for each thought
then machine gunning
through the ideas

the trickle of water
from the lap
of the Buddha
nestled in the corner
spouting forth tranquility
while serenely holding
the LED lotus
of enlightenment
from which the cats
constantly sip

the burble and tick
of the pot on the stove
joyously sending
clouds of cinnamon
and cumin scented comfort
throughout the house

the muffled DONK
as the computer
signals another attempt
to communicate
with the outside world
returning from cyberspace
with an empty mail bag

all these sounds
are held steady
by the pulsing rhythm
and soft electrical hum
from the ever turning
hardly noticed fan
that vents poisonous fumes
from under the house
keeping me alive
to ignore another day

enveloped
in this silent symphony
the cough i make
as i clear my throat
seems murderously
loud

Inspiration

2010-11-20T10:35:00.004-05:00

This is what I sent to the students who did not receive an inspiration email from their classmate. Maybe it can provide some inspiration for you!

If you still have not received anything then you can use this: ugly things. I often see beauty where others see only ugliness. I have photos of decaying things that I find to be very inspirational. A decaying old house can be a metaphor for lost dreams or for new beginnings as nature takes it back. Saplings growing in a former living room; the juxtapsotion of the loss of a human home balanced by the hope of the tree is very exciting to me. The spirals of cracking paint become nurseries of fungus and lichens that can now feed on the rotting wood underneath. In fact, the very lumber used to create the house came from a forest somewhere. Is it ugly for something to return to what it originally was? Is the face of an old person, lined with wrinkles and scars, ugly because you are reminded of your own mortalitly, or beautiful because it is a mask of experience and life?

Hopefully that will provide you with some inspiration.

Peace - Beth

If you have not received anything yet, here is an inspiration for you: the beach. It is the point where one world (the sea) blends with another (land.) It reminds me of all edges. When does inside become outside? What does it mean to stand between two worlds? Who decides where one thing ends and another begins? It's really about perspective and perception... Hope that is inspirational.

Peace - Beth

For me the sun is an inspiration. It provides food for plants, which in turn provide food for everything. It is a source of joy and is associated with new beginnings (the dawn.) It is also unimaginably (at least for me) large and I can't even fathom its temperature. The fact that the very thing that gives life to this planet could also destroy it if we were only a little closer moves me in a very profound way. The line between life and death is so thin...

Hope you can find inspiration in that somewhere. :-)

Peace - Beth

OK. Rain inspires me. It is such a miracle to me that water can come from the sky, even though I understand all the scientific reasons why it happens. It has more to do with the mood it sets. During a warm summer rain, it comes as a welcome break to the heat. I can sit on my porch, or even in the rain, and feel the nourishing quench of the rain as it soaks into the dry ground, quenching the plants and me. But in the fall, or even winter, when it is cold, the rain is no longer my friend, but an enemy of 1000 razor blades bent on shredding my face. Cold rain is depressing whereas warm rain is rejuvenating to me. How can the same thing (rain) be such different things to me? What is it about emotions that can have such an impact on our perception of how things are???

I hope that helps.

peace - Beth

So here is a fun inspiration. What is something that sticks out to you where you are right now? What are you aware of? Jot it down and see if you can expand on your first impressions. From there, see if you can build that into something. I got this idea today from Facebook. A folk singer I like posted it on her blog. Here is what she posted and what I replied:
Carrie Newcomer
In my workshops I often ask folks to write a one line specific description of something they really noticed (saw, heard, tasted, touched or smelled) that day. Often when we read them aloud it sounds like a poem or an amazing litany of small moments. What did you notice (really notice) today?
Beth Lykins
As I write this I can hear each sound around me creating the unheard layers of my life. The clack of the keyboard as I type, the trickle of water from the fountain in the corner, the burble and ticking of the stove as the pot of beans I jus...t put on bubbles, the muffled donk as the computer tells me I have yet another email to read, the distant whine of a car accelerating around the curve at the bottom of the drive, a muffled bark from a dog, the gurgle of my stomach as I think of the beans on the stove, all held steady by the pulsing rhythm of the soft hum from the fan that vents poisonous fumes from under the house. Enveloped in this silent symphony, the cough I make as I clear my throat seems murderously loud.

I found this exercise to be extremely inspiring. Hope you do, too!

peace - Beth

As for inspiration, I find inspiration in being told I cannot do something. Case in point, I was told that I cannot throw procelain on the wheel that would be thin enough to be translucent. I have developed a technique where I can do just that. It involved thinking about clay and wheel throwing in a way I had never done before. But I did it, and I am somewhat known for those pieces. It took me much more than a week to perfect, but the ideas and techniques that came from this challenge have lasted me a lifetime. Plus I have the satisfaction of being right! When someone tells me I can't do something, my mind immediately searches for ways to do it. I first look at the problems that are in the way of what I want to do and then I begin to isolate them. For each problem, I ponder ways to achieve the same goals, but using different means. If I need to bend the problem a bit to fit the reality of the solution, I can do that. Once I see a way to do it, I begin to experiment. So try this: You can't design something from nothing. If that seems too daunting, use birds as inspiration.

Peace - Beth

Beautiful story and animation

2010-11-04T20:15:00.001-04:00

What is it????

2010-11-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

Answer

Reason

Twario

2010-10-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2010/10/25/super-twario-turns-twitter-into-a-videogame/

The Johnny Cash Project

2010-10-17T19:36:00.001-04:00

Check this out.

http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/#

Wishes

2010-10-01T00:20:00.001-04:00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m15K1PTZVUCPKA

Textbook

2010-09-30T23:58:00.002-04:00

Remember that weird textbook where the guy writes in sugar, and other stuff? You know. The one with all the separate little books? Check this out (and buy the book - it is worth your time...)

Oh, and the book is http://www.amazon.com/Things-have-learned-life-far/dp/0810995298/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285905654&sr=8-1

Why?

2010-09-13T13:33:00.003-04:00

Why walk backwards?

Why are you angry?

Why are you scared?

Why are you uncomfortable?

Why do you like things the way you like them?

Why are you so worried about what others think?

Why always do things the same way?

Why go on autopilot?

Why do you have to hurry?

Why is the destination more important than the journey?

Why do we not incorporate the journey into part of the destination?

Why do we always want to look forward?

Why walk backwards when everyone is walking forward?

Why walk backwards just because someone asked you to?

Why?

Inspiration Eggs-ample

2010-08-30T13:39:00.004-04:00

I discovered this post: http://kookoonest.blog.com/2010/08/29/home-again-with-an-egg/

And from that, I created this!

AVL info

2010-08-29T20:33:00.001-04:00

http://www.avl.iu.edu/?facilities

The sky's the limit!

2010-08-29T20:23:00.000-04:00

http://www.popsci.com/

Cool cake

2010-08-23T12:04:00.003-04:00

Click the picture to see the blog from whence it came!

Oh, and there's also this!
http://dai.ly/dsxTWh

Simply amazing!

2010-08-02T16:59:00.001-04:00

http://www.greendiary.com/entry/dalton-ghetti-creates-amazing-art-on-the-tips-of-used-pencils/

I think this has potential...

2010-07-23T19:58:00.001-04:00

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

This here rabbit hole ain't big enough... or is it?

2010-06-21T13:12:00.031-04:00

OK, let's start with the theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat
Let's explain the theory a bit more and tie it with the theme from last class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9laTS_8_QHg&feature=related
Let's take a look at some science magic
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_casts_a_spell_with_dna.html
Let's go back to some quantum theory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3_FBisoKD8&feature=related
Let's go a bit further down the rabbit hole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJxx0BNyFM&feature=related
Now let's discuss this a bit...
OK, so now that you have expanded your thoughts a little, what would you do if you suddenly had a great idea but you might not be able to communicate it? At all. Think of the roadblocks I have thrown at you this semester. How do those compare to this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxxbXgo7IVw&feature=related
If you want to watch more you can watch full episodes here: http://www.youtube.com/show?p=htTiID187fI
From one Master of the Universe to another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTL6SCN0qdg&feature=related
Now back to Hawking (and Homer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osiFQzbOQiQ&feature=related
What happens when it all starts to come together?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk&feature=related
And speaking of playing and being connected, isn't this cool? And did you have a chance to see it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D86vW9Kwp3g&feature=pyv&ad=5110006914&kw=
And while we are on the subject of toys
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/caleb_chung_plays_with_pleo.html
When does playing turn to creativity, and creativity turn to innovation? And what the hell is innovation, anyway? (not rhetorical - what is it?)
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/toys_from_the_future.html
Where can you get inspiration for innovation?
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action.html
How can curiosity and a sense of wonder play a role?
http://www.ted.com/talks/nick_veasey_exposing_the_invisible_1.html
Never lose your sense of wonder
http://www.ted.com/talks/pilobolus_perform_symbiosis.html
In case you are curious as to what the title of the dance troupe means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilobolus
Can you really see?
http://www.ted.com/talks/beau_lotto_optical_illusions_show_how_we_see.html
For those who want to think about how queer science can be (not what you might think...)
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_our_queer_universe.html
And if you want your brains to leak out your ears, check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAxwmiKrjgU&feature=related

It's alive!!!!

2010-05-23T19:35:00.001-04:00

Music to the ears

2010-05-23T19:14:00.001-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Keep your elbows off the table!

2010-05-23T19:10:00.001-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Defying gravity?

2010-05-23T19:00:00.001-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Get a job

2010-05-23T18:53:00.003-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Modern spin on Acimboldo

2010-05-13T16:43:00.004-04:00

To see the inspiration for this piece, check this out!

Wow - it's all squirmy!

2010-05-13T16:37:00.002-04:00

It works best if you click on it to see it full size.

Damn interesting

2010-04-26T14:53:00.001-04:00

That it is!

Beads!

2010-04-26T14:49:00.002-04:00

Anticipation

2010-03-22T13:10:00.002-04:00

respect, disrespect, misunderstanding, understanding, revulsion, dogma, mortal thoughts, mockery, indifference, damaged reputation, deepened resentment

Assessing critical thinking

2010-03-22T12:40:00.003-04:00

Here is the rubric I will be using to assess the critical thinking skills of the Seeing Sideways crew this semester...

From a New Media Alum, now Director of Communications at the Indy Humane Society

2010-03-16T20:41:00.001-04:00

Top 10 things...

F.E.A.R.

2010-03-08T12:08:00.000-05:00

The unknown can be the scariest thing.... Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivGy1a7vjF0

365 monsters?

2010-02-26T03:25:00.002-05:00

This seems a worthy pursuit... One monster a day for 365 days!

that's what she said...

2010-02-22T16:02:00.001-05:00

Yeah, right!

stupid Beth tricks

2010-02-22T13:08:00.002-05:00

Predictions

2010-02-22T12:23:00.001-05:00

Mystery meat navigation

2010-02-22T12:15:00.002-05:00

Is this website more than it first appears to be? How about this one? What are your thoughts on these two sites?

What do you think of this opinion?

Symbolism

2010-02-22T12:07:00.002-05:00

Color?

Hidden logos

2010-02-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

Click the logo to see more examples of logos with hidden meanings and content.

Multiple meaning

2010-02-22T11:53:00.002-05:00

Metaphor

2010-02-22T11:50:00.003-05:00

I'm not the only one...

2010-02-21T18:57:00.003-05:00

Apparently others believe that pushing yourself and believing your ideas will work and not judging yourself can lead to good things. Come on! Let's all see sideways together! Um... OK... but this is still a neat video.

Groovy bird...

2010-02-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

Circle question

2010-02-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

Seriously, besides a circle, are there any other perfectly geometrical shapes that occur in nature?

My micro-cam!

2010-02-12T00:26:00.000-05:00

If at first you don't succeed...

2010-02-11T07:11:00.000-05:00

Here is the exact progression of a poem I just wrote...

silent thoughts
thunder through space
between bits and bytes
of cyber junk
drowned in a downpour
of anonymous need

a binary lullaby
in search of
an insomniac junkie
who yearns
for just one more
hit

______________________

binary lullaby

sleep
tantalizes and teases

throbbing light
echoes on the wall

the heartbeat of the machine
beckons

social networks
hang silent
in the predawn light

in the distance
a rooster calls

thoughts click out
great and small

a lonely cybernaut
seeks companionship

emotions hang
on the edge of a comment

i am here
is anyone there

machine and human
have become one

_____________________________

21st century lullaby

social networks
hang silent

cyber chat stalls
in the predawn light

in the distance
a rooster calls

thoughts click out
great and small

seeds of contact
soundlessly planted

will the comment grow
or wither and die

a lonely cybernaut
seeks companionship

emotions hang
on the edge of a comment

i am here
is anyone there

__________________________________

"21st century lullaby"

social networks
hang silent
in the predawn night
pregnant with possibility
yet sterile with blight

viagra and jokes
dance with exotic kings
and promises of riches
spam through new media
rich and ripe
with unlimited tripe

the lumbering giant
sleeps
as the sycophant roars
and dreams flee away
to creep in the night
and blissful repose is a
promise
no more

in the distance
a rooster calls

random thoughts form
into secret code messages
aligning and combining
into a new form
cyber-cryptograms
of human minutia
so trivial yet vital
this chatter has inertia
and for every comment
there is an equal but
opposite thought

seeds of contact
are silently planted
in this vast new garden
of unearthly delights
and someone is wondering
if this time the comment
will grow and be strong
or wither and die
on this twitterpated
masticated tweet-loving vine

why did i say that
(i has regret)
who will respond
(i hope not a troll)
should i delete it
(iWant to be sure)
how much is too much
:-) or ;-) or maybe just :)
oh can this go on

a somnambulant cybernaut
seeks companions
in the lonely hour
where bff's and lmao's
are nothing more
than tantalizing dreams
as elusive as sleep
and real emotions hang
on the edge of a comment

i am here

is anyone there

loading..........

Circles

2010-02-08T13:07:00.007-05:00

Here is a great take on circles: http://www.spamrecycling.com/open.php?reqVersion=8&redirectURL=open.php&senderid=&mode=5

So what is a circle?

Why to they capture our imaginations? Why are crop designs circles? What is the mythology behind a circle? How do you encounter circles on a daily basis? What does a circle mean to you?

How can circles be used in New Media? Have you ever used an iPod? How does it deal with circles?

Interesting group

2010-02-02T12:33:00.004-05:00

I returned to classes yesterday after my medical hiatus only to discover a fabulous group of interesting people in this semester's Seeing Sideways class! I have to admit that discussion meandered quite a bit and there was not exactly a consistent theme it was a good bonding experience. I think this group will be able to discuss some very interesting, very important topics and I feel confident that each person will be able to shape the course to his/her own needs and goals.

While I don't know every person in the class yet, I did make some interesting observations. We have a creative writing major joining us. I think that will add an interesting spice to the group. We also have a person who was not even in the class join us! She was in the inaugural session of Seeing Sideways and although she passed the class with flying colors she just can't seem to stop coming to this class! :-)

All hail the mighty sanguine *new color - woot!* coke can!
Image wantonly stolen from the web...

Let the games begin!

2010-02-01T12:51:00.001-05:00

Second life

2009-12-07T14:15:00.003-05:00

Image from
http://www.bretculp.com/gallery/bwLandscape/content/BretCulp_Sycamore_SM_large.html

If I had a second life and it could be anything, I would be a tree. No kidding. I would want to be one of those sycamores you see along the banks of creeks. In fact, there is a specific sycamore I would want to be. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of the exact tree, but I can recall every detail. It is in the country near where I live. It is majestic and obviously really old. Its roots grasp the bank of the creek and its canopy umbrellas both the road and the creek. Its branches arch gracefully into the sky and creatures live all over her. Squirrels and birds nest in her branches and insects burrow into her bark. Holes in her trunk house owls and foxes. She harbors life and is connected in a most intimate way with the entire cycle of nature. Her arms support life and her roots recycle the dead. The knots and fissures on her body are the map of her existence and she has witnessed generation after generation come and go. She has seen the fury of floods, the agony of drought, and the icy grip of winter. Her branches toss and bend with the current of the wind but she remains rooted; a sentinel of the ages. I would like to be a tree.

Best. Tattoo. Ever.

2009-11-26T11:39:00.002-05:00

Maybe we should be a little less specific...

2009-11-26T10:35:00.003-05:00

http://oddlyspecific.com/

National Inner Child Day

2009-11-23T11:41:00.003-05:00

I hereby proclaim November 23 as National Inner Child Day! To celebrate this illustrious event, I created a goofy (and oddly disturbing) video... What uninhibited (but safe and legal) thing can you do to celebrate this day?

Later I plan to spin in circles with my arms out and see what the world looks like!

New work

2009-11-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

The Talisman (11-2-09)

I washed you away today.
I marched right in there
and gathered your things
(it’s only been seven months
since you left me last spring.)
Like a good girl
I turned every pocket
and searched every cuff
for a stray golden locket
or any small thing
that might go ker-clunk!
I shoved a determined
and boldly unclad hand
into a smelly old pocket
and locked my fingers
not on that locket
but a crusty old tissue.
Oh my GOD – ewwww!
But then… everything stopped.
I was holding you.

You always had this funny way
of using Viva paper towels
instead of a Kleenex,
like everyone else.
My heart raced away
into the past.
How long could this moment
possibly last?
Here was incontrovertible proof
that you really were there!
I clutched my newfound treasure
tightly in my hands
and held it, this sacred talisman
that could fight off
the coldest darkness of night.

Then my logical mind broke
this spell I was under
and said, “Put your faith
in a snot rag? Well geesh,
it’s no wonder!”
I chuckled and went on
with doing my chores
but before I closed the
laundry room door
I found that old snot rag
from down on the floor
and carefully smoothed
it on top of the washer.
Just in case…

My bliss led me to this...

2009-10-05T11:25:00.001-04:00

I decided to break the cardinal rule of Photoshop - NEVER UPSCALE AN IMAGE!

Here is what happened (I am very pleased, FYI!)
http://www.spyroterra.com/evil-ninja-chicken/start.html

Bliss

2009-10-05T11:24:00.001-04:00

For my bliss I sat in a swivel rocker on my porch, basking in the early autumn day, reading a novel and just hanging out with my dogs!

A poem within a poem - layers, baby!

2009-09-23T22:34:00.002-04:00

invasion/Evasion (9/18-21/09)

drilling through
this tiny shield
of mitochondria and hair
my thickened skin
proves utterly defenseless
when blood and bone
are finally laid bare

Again

tentacles spread
and form a dense web
of tangled conversations
and throw away glances
probe and prod
searching inside
until a tiny sucker
finds the perfect spot

I hold tight

wrapping around
and squeezing small
splitting the marrow
and my fabric of being
sucking my life
and slithering inside
the hollow tubes
of my very bones
lying in wait

Just run away

stretching and tearing
I fight this invasion
fleeing this nothing
that’s deep down inside
buried below
in a watery pit
but roiling and turning
catching the light

Drowning within myself

just a deep dark impression
of worlds lit with actions
that collide and splinter
leaving a trail
of chaos and pleasure
painted with pain

My beautiful hidden canvas

this alien presence
devours, consumes,
and concocts worlds
from this dark palette
a delicate faerie land
spun from the sugar
of sweet words
and gentle actions
cracking dry tunnels
with shafts of pure white

Enticed to this light

I watch as my eyes
(blind in this sun)
send out tentative
search parties of their own
tender tentacles
slipping through
paper armor
in a dance as primal
and ancient as stone

I remember

some animals regenerate
if a limb is cut off
it will grow back
with time
as my gaze trails down
to my bloody stumps
with their
stillborn tentacles
dangling limply

Previous assaults

pulsing and throbbing
I still feel the itch
of the amputation blade
severing the ties
between might and is
while this phantom limb
grows heavy in the light

Habitual denial ebbs and flows

as a new tendril sprouts
from a place deep inside
and follows this tenuous
bridge pouring forth
from my eyes
as my bones ache
where the tunnels of other
curious tentacles bore
long forgotten channels
through which emptiness
enters

Into this ill forged fortress

I love to hate
this familiar rampart
trembles with cracks
and just when
my body succumbs
and steps to the rhythm
of twining and touching
I wake screaming
all covered in sweat
only to find
that no one’s there
my bones are still hollow
and my stumps
are still dangling
their aborted attempts
mocking this prison
I’ve built for myself

I don’t understand
How to be what you need

Creative advertising that causes hellfire and brinstone

2009-09-21T14:33:00.000-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_Pizza

The steps of fear...

2009-09-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

Booga, booga, BOO!

2009-09-14T10:59:00.004-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear

I noticed when I found this image that my breathing got shallower and my heart rate increased. This is one scary-ass clown! Me no likey... This image will inspire me to create many more blog entries just so I don't have to look at the damn thing any more! *shiver*

busy bees for chrome

2009-08-31T09:23:00.001-04:00

How can you create a buzz about your new product?

Javascript playground

2009-08-31T09:13:00.000-04:00

http://mrdoob.com/#/45/

Google Chrome

2009-08-31T09:12:00.000-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Chrome

A few legos and the rest of your life...

2009-08-26T10:44:00.003-04:00

Using a webcam, iMovie, and Photoshop together

2009-07-27T02:50:00.001-04:00

Experiment and enjoy!

Wow!

2009-07-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

http://www.legacyofthedivinetarot.com/

A different application of New Media

2009-07-20T22:33:00.001-04:00

Legacy of the Divine Tarot from Ciro Marchetti on Vimeo.

My Etsy store!

2009-07-12T19:39:00.000-04:00

Necklaces!

2009-06-29T23:58:00.001-04:00

http://www.spyroterra.com/necklaces/index.htm

Dream vacation

2009-06-28T15:01:00.001-04:00

View Larger Map

It is interesting being me

2009-06-26T17:35:00.003-04:00

Wild Kingdom
A stranded firefly
lumbers across the carpet
dressed as an alien
marooned in a too big world
sending a chartreuse mayday
to the futile depths of space
in a desperately erratic
Morse code of sputters
splashing across a nylon savanna
guarded by purring lions
with bells on their necks
as this make-believe
tableau from Wild Kingdom
plays out an all too familiar scene
to the sounds of
the eleven o'clock news
and Mutual of Omaha
would never grant a policy
for the life of this wayfaring stranger.

RYAN (Entire Film)

2009-06-18T15:36:00.001-04:00

Watch this. Now! You won't regret it. I hope.

I am so happy I live in the country!

2009-06-17T08:53:00.002-04:00

snapshot (6-17-09)
rivers of light
spill through
cracks
in the canopy
snagging on
the boulder
of a house
eddying
in the woods as
a butterfly flits
a jeweled dance
in and out
between
scarlet leaves
to the rhythm
of cicadas

Cute kitty

2009-06-17T07:20:00.000-04:00

microcosmic drama (6-17-09)
tiny deaths happen
at an alarming rate
in my bedroom
because
a slit in the window
becomes an entry into
an otherworldly realm
of luminescent lust
where yellow eyes
with emerald
rimming black
dart around the room
backed by muscles
frozen in half stride
and a pink nose
sniffs the humid air
while whiskers twitch
in an unseen current
of stimulation from
frantic wing beats that
ply the murky light
in a dance as old
as winged creatures
who search the night
for answers to questions
only they know
more often than not
taking their secrets
to an early grave of glory
in the fiery pyre
of the light they must seek

silently and softy
the killer pounces
and powdery wings
flutter in the lamplight
while collected stones scatter
from the bedside table
in an inconsequential
microcosmic drama
that unfolds
under the magnet
of the artificial sun
meant to dispel
death and misfortune
from the darkness of night
but acting instead
like a siren song
of untold promise
as hunter meets hunted
and this tiny death
isn't so inconsequential
to an egg sac
that will never cling
to the trembling underside
of a tender young leaf
and the sounds of soft purring
whisper innocently in
my bystanding ear
and soft fur well fed
on the wings of moths
presses against
the crease of my neck

Geology?

2009-06-16T22:15:00.004-04:00

Life in geologic time (6-16-09)

Strata one
The waves slap
at my tender toes
insinuating themselves
in the whorls and ridges
of the mountain range
of my skin
feeding the greedy
roots of desire
seeking entry
to grind away
and pry my bones
into tiny
grains of sand
to be washed away
into the order
and chaos
of the universe.

I pull my foot back
and watch the water
drip harmlessly
as I wonder what’s
for dinner and hop
away into the comfort
of home where Mom
awaits and pots sputter
and hiss.

Strata two
Currents ripple
across the surface
unaware of the
riot below
as eddying mountains
flow in counterpoint
to a rush of raindrops
hurtling down
in discordant chaos
gushing wildly
in the eternal
flow of progress
as each tiny
clod of dirt
melts and flows
in a water-laden
ballet of nonchalance
journeying toward
an igneous ending
or a sandstone sunrise.

Uneasy at my core
I turn in bed and
pull a pillow
over my head and
try to agree with myself
not to ponder the meaning
of infinity
as raindrops dance
a haunting tattoo
on the eaves outside.

Strata three
Lives rise and fall
encased in stone monuments
that will eventually
grind themselves
into nothing
yet momentarily
stand sentinel
to the brief flicker of
projected reality
defined by mothers
and fathers,
lovers and daughters
worn down by water
mixed with liberal
libations of love
poured into the ground
until eventually
the soil grows heavy
and threatens to dissolve
leaving a whole
in the quilt through which
all is forgotten
and names wear away
above chiseled dates
that fall off
and run away
to join the circus
of the netherworld
deep inside
the cavern of the past.

Fish dart and twist
disappearing as one
and I swim toward them
dazzled by the ocean’s
warm embrace as I skim
the surface just above
the outstretched arms
of a coral forest
oblivious to the waves
that gently toss me
to and fro
drawing me deeper
out to sea.

Strata four
Blind eyes gaze
upon vast plains
of eroded lives
drifting in dunes
of irrelevant detritus
collected from years
of living and loving
hating and mending
only to be ground
by the forces of life
into meaningless bits
of sparkling dust
that catch in the wind
shimmering with hope
and joining others
in a silent storm of
possibility
as random shapes
take on totemic
forms in the embrace
and quiet comfort
of the lulling breeze
that gathers strength
with each new grain
that swirls and adds
to the muffling blanket
that covers the hills
and sweeps out the old
and in with the new
as the winds of change
inevitably scour clean
the agreed upon reality
of our lives
and all must surrender
to the silence
of the great cycle
that builds up ranges
from individual
grains of sand.

As I sit and watch
the evaporated ocean
fall from thick fat clouds
I see a flash of silver
from the corner of my eye
as remembered fish
jump in the waves
of my mind
and infinity beckons
because it holds
the idea of you
as this world fades down
to a pantomime of grief
but I know the waves
that slap at this shore
will bring about change
and this grain of sand
with all its unique
whorls and swirls
is but a tiny part
of the mountain of humanity
and as surely as
that long ago coral
has eroded into the beach
so will I join you
in the pantheon
of all that is
and all that ever will be
for without each tiny
cube of sand
that changes back
into a mighty stone
the greatest mountain
could never be.

Sounding alike yet???

2009-06-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

tomorrow’s amber (6-11-09)
a mosquito lands
in a sticky thread
thrashing and waving
mired in a thick
rich sap
that runs for millennia
frozen forever
in a snapshot of now

It's time for a drink I seriously think! :-)

2009-06-11T20:23:00.001-04:00

Poison ivy (6-11-09)
old habits cling
to the surface like vines
and when the rains come
they flourish and grow
spreading in cracks
and digging in deep
tight to the wall
of the past and the old
crumbling the foundation
and taking hold
but swing that silver blade
and sever those ties
clear out the past
so the rock can breathe
and sunlight can warm
those cold old crevices
and the water of now
can wash away that “ago”
but don’t be too eager
to dig and to scrub
at the shadows that surface
like the blood of a lamb
for the sacrifice this makes
is part of the plan
and if you dig too deeply
it will stain your hand
in a way that will never leave
what marks out today
will stand out so boldly
but as the days pass
and time erodes
these bloody spots
will wither and age
and begin to seep into the stone
but if they are taken too quickly
too much of the foundation
will fall apart
and isn’t it sweeter
to gaze at a wall
that shows the mark of time
and has some history
the stories they tell are
more than just vines
but only if you are willing
to give it some time

I really am posting these as soon as they come...

2009-06-11T20:05:00.001-04:00

The portent (6-11-09)
What the hell was that?
Could you hear it too?
There. Can’t you feel it?
Its an echo of blue.
A chasm is forming
and I must go to sleep
for it is only in slumber
this world takes me under.
What, you might ask,
is this all about?
We’re entering a world
where no one can shout.
Hush you up now
don’t wrinkle your brow.
A soft crunching munch
starts sounding and pounding
in the back of my mind.
It signals a rounding
and beckons the time
when old thoughts must leave
and new ones are mine.
Open the door
let the waves come on in
a gentle sigh falls
as great a journey begins.

I don't even know what this one means (but it sounds cool!)

2009-06-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

Ancient Invocation (6-11-09)
Of faeries old
and faeries bold
and all the things
I’ve never told
among them all
in this great hall
stands ever gold
along the wall
a perfect likeness
and yet despite this
coming round
and through it all
to your great highness
I will bow.