House Inspired by 'UP'

The folks over at National Geographic have successfully created a house propelled by helium balloons, an act inspired by Pixar's Up. Sadly, unlike the movie, it couldn't fly around the world as it only stayed afloat for about an hour or so.

I think this is interesting because one of the messages that Up brings up is that you're never really too old for adventure. There are always more things for you to discover, and maybe you'll have even more time to take on daunting tasks after retirement.

Then these group of scientists, engineers, and even volunteers came together to produce this real life replica of the floating house. And what is exactly is the age range of the group? Probably middle aged individuals, and up is aimed at individuals of all ages. I believe that this demonstrates exactly what the above message of Up entails, and it really is such fun idea as these folks brought a seemingly childish idea to life. You're never too old to have fun or take risks.

Imagine all the possibilities if it managed to stay afloat for days on end!

Toonami Aftermath

Toonami Aftermath is a site that is "dedicated to the golden years of tv programming". The "golden years" refers to generation born in the mid 80s early 90s.

Most of the shows available on Toonami Aftermath are no longer broadcasted on North American television. The online streaming technology of today allows for these 80-90s generation to re-live their childhood. It is also an excellent display of the adolescent culture from the "golden years", in case older or younger generations wish to see what was available at that time.

Perhaps Canadians cannot relate, as Toonami was not available on cable in Canada. But I'm sure that if YTV were to make their old programming available, then it would have the same effect and response.

British artist Jessica Harrison is known for her odd and surreal works of art.

Yet that doesn't stop it from being oddly fascinating.

Below are some examples of her works:




images taken from JESSICAHARRISON.CO.UK

On one hand, you have the classic antiquity of a porcelain doll. On the other, there's this sublime yet sickening display of gore.

There's still something very beautiful about these dolls, regardless of how grotesque they may seem.

Maybe it's because we're drawn to the underlying message that these dolls may hold. We're all seemingly normal people, but what really lies beneath our exterior? Maybe the person sitting next to you, as innocent and naive as they seem, as ulterior motives. They may very well have the desire to maim and murder a certain individual, and there's a chance that that person can be you.

What's in a name?

Two months ago, as written in this article, the Pope supposedly spoke out against parents who did not consult Christian scriptures when naming their children.

Subsequently, Yahoo!UK compiled a list of Illegal Baby Names around the world, some ranging from plausible to downright ridiculous. But the question is, should the law really have any say in what people name their children?

I say no. Let the parent's name their children because they are the ones who created them. And if the child does not like their name, they can always change it in the future. Plus nowadays you've got people naming their children stuff like "Facebook" and "Apple".

It'd be interesting to know someone named "Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116", and with the population eventually increasing, we would eventually need to create new names.

I think it would be absolutely fascinating if everyone in the world had their own unique name. You wouldn't need to turn around anymore upon hearing your name, only to find out that said person wasn't referring to you. Last names may be eliminated (whether that is positive or not will be debated), and maybe the concept of ID cards will be completely changed.

There also are some people who believe that one's name reveals a lot about his/her personality, so if someone were named Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, it would be amusing to see what type of meaning can be derived from it - if any.

Justin Bieber's Nails.

image credit

Justin Bieber's nail polish line was announced a few months ago, and like many, my first response was to sneer at how ridiculous that concept was. I mean, people are already bashing the Beebs for his androgynous looks, but this new nail polish line would only add fuel to the fire.

But in reality, this an ingenious marketing idea.

In this case, these marketers know exactly which audience to target: The pre-teen female audience. Quite cleverly, they took one aspect that would appeal to these girls (nail polish) and mixed it in with an ever larger factor (Justin Bieber) to develop one sure fire way to make large amounts of money.

And sure enough, as evident in the article linked above, Bieber's nail polish line has sold over a million bottles since its release.

This just goes to show how today's society likes to place celebrities up upon a pedestal and how much of an influence media as on it. As soon as a celebrity endorses something, you're sure to get hoards of fans wanting to purchase that item, all for the sole fact that that celebrity is associated with it. It would be interesting to see what possiblities will churn out in the future. Will the influence of media spread so much that we'll all become mindless drones who, without much thought, purchase endorsed items without hesitation? This may be stretching it a bit, but what if a well loved celebrity were to endorse a product that would be hazardous to our health? Would we just accept the fact and purchase the item or will the absurdity be pointed out at some point? It's a interesting thing to ponder.

fast food wedding

I stumbled across this article recently, and I found it to be particularly interesting. A couple in Hong Kong held their engagement party at McDonalds, which had launched a "McWedding" menu earlier this year.This article goes into more depth about McWeddings.

Weddings have traditionally been a sacred event. Whether the ceremony be held at a church, synagogue, or other places of worship, it is an exchange of vows which legally and (hopefully) spiritually bounds you to another for life. I think this is quite funny but it makes a whole lot of sense. Weddings are to be taken seriously, and it's rather humourous to see such sacred events taking place at a location where people can dine for a buck or two. This just goes to show us how embedded fast food has become in our society and culture.

The groom-to-be in the first article stated that, "It is hard to find a place where the grown-ups and the kids can all feel at ease. If we held the party at a hotel or a regular restaurant, it wouldn't have the same effect."

It's an interesting take on the situation. Weddings are a thing to be celebrated by those of all ages, and maybe McDonalds really is a legitamate location for such an occasion.

Perhaps in within the next few decades, given that the influence of McDonalds and other fast food joints spread even more, the McWedding menu will spread to North America.

sidewalk art

I'm not too sure on the origins of this photograph, but I find it to be really neat. It's a form of interactive artwork, and one which the viewer can actually physically participate in.

We may stumble across sidewalk art once in a while, but how many times have we given it a second glance? Sure, it may look nice, but that's all there is to it and it's just your average 2D painting. But this form of sidewalk art actually has depth to it, a 3D effect that let's me take part in the whole experience. It's sure to catch the attention of the majority of onlookers, even if they are not often interested in art.

Perhaps this form of art can inspire others to do the same, and it will expand the interactive experience even more. Wouldn't that be a sight to see, people wandering the sidewalks and roads, not sure if they're really going to fall to their demise or if it's really just a painting?