currents

Gratification

Try this! ...particularly meditative internet based activity.

http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf

I Google, Therefore I Am (or they think I am)

Oh, I just spent some time customizing my iGoogle page. Wow, it does not take much to psychoanalyze me--- National Geographic pic of the day, a virtual aquarium, NYC weather, current news, a Michael Graves theme (although I have not really committed). AND I can remember what day it is...amazing.

The Beauty of the Cartwheel Galaxy

Not a new discovery, but new to me...the "Cartwheel" galaxy is shown on NASA's site in a series of false composite colors--true or false the image is stunning. From NASA's site: "This false-color composite image shows the Cartwheel galaxy. Although astronomers have not identified exactly which galaxy collided with the Cartwheel, two of three candidate galaxies can be seen in this image to the bottom left of the ring, one as a neon blob and the other as a green spiral. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech" http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03296

Art Education Blogs

This week, some undergraduate students at Kutztown are blogging to express ideas in art ed. I will post the URL's as I receive them.

http://contemporaryissuesrelatedtoarted.blogspot.com/

http://openupyoureyes-lizzy.blogspot.com/

http://technologyinartclassrooms.blogspot.com

http://fiberadvocacy.blogspot.com/

Leonardo at Close Digital Range

Take a look at Leonardo's Last Supper on this site which uses 16 billion pixels (!)...you can zoom in at such an amazing level of detail!

http://www.haltadefinizione.com/en/cenacolo/look.asp

Money for Blogging?

In contemporary life, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between private voice and space and advertising space. Take a look at Mashable's list of how to make money through blogging.
http://mashable.com/2007/07/30/make-money-online/  Decide if typing an "opinion" for cash is good for the blogosphere or not so good. Since I recently heard about companies paying kids to infiltrate chat rooms to promote products....sigh

The Orb

This week, Wired and NPR's On the Media reported on the new technology, The Orb. The invention changes color as energy consumption increases or decreases....kinda like monitoring the electric meter through color.  Writer Clive Thompson explains that the orb's ambient information proves how successful subtlety can be. read the full story on Wired online: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/15-08/st_thompson

Summer of Tech

Intel offers free tutorials and technology tools to teachers. Take a look at the site and experiment with the Visual Ranking Tool. As the world becomes (supposedly) more visual, a command of visual communication includes a comfort with tech tools like what Intel offers.

http://educate.intel.com/en/ThinkingTools/VisualRanking

iPhone Line? Geez.

On this sweltering NYC summer day, there are people in line for Friday's release of the iPhone. CRAZY. Crazy and six hundred bucks!

Lovelines= Programmer as Artist

Take a look at Lovelines..."Through large scale blog analysis, Lovelines illuminates         the topography of the emotional landscape between love and hate, as experienced         by countless normal humans keeping personal online journals." Two programmers are gathering data and calling it art. The interface is interesting and the technology is beyond the layperson's comprehension. Try the site and enjoy a blog sampling and data collection turned into bare, peeling poetry. http://www.love-lines.com