Jose

Yep, drained that handle of Jose. Sebu is insane and someone passed out 2 seconds after commanding their girlfriend to take a shower.

Japanese Garden Presentation

Today I gave a presentation on Japanese Rock Gardens. My thesis was that they should not be called "Zen Gardens" because they aren't actually the direct product of Zen philosophy. The full set of slides is on flickr.

Red Door

I see this red door every day on my way to and from school. I am always captivated by it. I imagine what might be behind it. I have seen this door literally hundreds of times; I have been thinking about it for months. Today I finally snapped a photo of it.

バカプル (Annoying Exhibitionist Couple)

Today I sat outside the library for awhile after class (like usual) talking with Justin, Sebu, Trevor, and probably more people who will take it personally that I forgot to mention them. Whatever. Anyways, these two are fucking always making out or groping each other in public. I'm sure every single UHH student has seen them at some time. I felt it was worth capturing... for eternity.

今日、図書館の前でJustinとSebuとTrevorと喋った。その時、バカプル見て写真取った。ヒロ大学の皆はこのバカプル見たことがあるでしょう。

Kodama Presentation

Daytime: I presented on Sachiko Kodama to my Japanese art history class. Kodama uses ferrofluid to make interactive sculptures that flow and evolve in real time. It's simple, yet mesmerizing. I've included a video of her work.

I also did my research paper on her. I explored her connections with several art movements and a specific artist from those movements. The movements are: Monoha, German Expressionism, Digital Imaging, and Interactive Art. The artists are: Takamasa Kuniyasu, F.W. Murnau, Yoichiro Kawaguchi, and Victoria Vesna. Maybe I'll do a post on her later.

Evening: I spent a long time wading through CSS trying to get the blog formatted aesthetically. During this, I conversed via text message about some tasty mitten treats. Now my eyes hurt and I didn't do the laundry I promised myself I would do. Mainly because laundry costs $1.75 in quarters; I only have 3 quarters.

Goodnight,

Steve

Project 365 :: My Personal Framework

Project 365

I really like the concept behind Project365; take a photo every day for a year. I initially read about it on Photojojo. Since then, I've really wanted to do it. But I always fail.

Why I Fail

I don't fail because...

• I'm lazy; lazy people can take photos too. Plus, I'm not lazy ;)
• I don't have time; a photo technically take less than one second.

I do fail because...

• I forget.
• I concentrate on the goal (a photo every day), rather than the process and meaning.
• I am a perfectionist; I think every photo must be perfect and unique.

It goes like this...

1. I get all excited about the idea.
2. I take a photo every day for a week or two.
3. One of two things happen.
   • I run out of easy ideas; I start spending 20+ minutes per photo. A voice screams "This is too time consuming!"
   • I forget a day (or a week). The same voice says: "You have failed. What's the point anymore?"
4. I give up.

My Solution

First, develop a conceptual goal. I asked myself "Why I am doing this?" This provides a backbone for the project.

My Goal: I want to create a visual crumb-trail into my memories and share my day-to-day life with the world.

Second, design an automated reminder system. Since my phone is always with me, I use its recurring alarm tool. I also set up Google to send my cell a text message on the first of the month reminding me to take a photo of myself.

Third, I re-defined the rules of based on my personal goal.

• Any image will provoke memories, not just photos. (i.e. screenshots are ok)
• Any image will provoke memories, regardless of quality. (i.e. cellphone photos are ok)
• Any image will provoke memories, regardless of uniqueness or artistic quality. (i.e. point, shoot, move on)

The Result

I have already started the project. We'll see what happens in the long run.

I'm not sure if I want to post the images individually every day or if I want to post 7 at a time once per week. We'll see what works.

Ciao,

Steve

Two Fireflies :: This Blog

This blog...

...ties together all the online sites and "stuff" I am connected to; an anchor.

...shares ideas, thoughts, memories, and clips from my life with the world; a journal.

...connects me with friends, family, and strangers from all over the world; a node.


...teaches me about the blogosphere.

...simplifies the task of stalking me.

Down to Business

Layout/Theme: I know it's cheesy as fuck, an eyesore, and makes your eyes want to vomit. I'll change it once finals are over. I still gotta get my style sheet hashed out.

Updates: I'll be posting at least a couple times per week, but nothing huge, just little snips. Mostly photos. Again, I have presentations, term papers, finals, and drinking to worry about.



Cheers,

Steve