Slo-mo bullet porn. Videos like this are only quasi-illuminating, but they are certainly hypnotic. I love the way that the bullets appear to behave like a liquid-- presumably the energy of the impact does actually melt them. The world certainly looks very interesting at very high, and very low speeds.
For more slow-motion impacts, see this previous post.
...has always been an entertaining thing to observe. I recommend Stopping Time a book of Harold Edgerton photographs (he was the guy who invented super-high-speed photography and took those iconic shots of milk drops and bullets going through apples). This gallery of things shattering is not quite as good, but it's still interesting. And this melodramatic video of food executions is even better.
Dear Unfortunately Advertised Sign Company,
When you think about it, at the very least you've got to manufacture one decent sign -- to put on you own building. After that, you can probably get away with some lousy broken ones. That will be all.
Sincerely,
Topography of Ignorance, Ironic Photo Division
Last year I took a ton of photos at my town's 'nation's oldest' 4th of July parade (on steroids). This year? Not so much. In addition to the tuckered out revolutionary above I didn't get too much. Just this outstanding tricycle with speakers, and remarkably unnecessary open tent exit sign. The parade was pretty standard but included a few oddities. Usually all the major office-holders march together in the parade, but this year we had the Governor, Senators, one Congressman, and then about 15 minutes later the other one, Congressman Patches, all by himself. Without a beanie, he just looks wrong. But my favorite was a float where they seemed to have soldiers dressed in the uniforms of different eras, WWII, WWI, Civil War, Revolutionary, and then, inexplicably thrown in there, a pirate.
Amusement parks are great places to take pictures. There is gaudy, interesting signage everywhere, and brightly colored inhuman machines full of screaming children. Unfortunately, since I was with somebody and spent most of my time there in various lines, I wasn't able to wander the place aimlessly looking for things to photograph.
A dramatically positioned, rickety roller-coaster.
Some ridiculous guitar-playing balloon.
What is that? Some kind of industrial hydraulic pump?
No! It is part of a gigantic flyswatter!
Twisty, orange ride.
The sun setting somewhere in relation to this roller-coaster.
As Vermont slowly emerges from underneath the wintery hellscape we've all been sleepwalking through for the last 4 months, I would like to take a moment to commemorate the finest nature-related moment of this time-period: the discovery of a turkey neighborhood on a winding shortcut road thereafter named "The Turkey Run" (by me). And as anyone who has spotted this rare and beautiful creature in the wild knows, he is a glorious sight to behold. Audacious and proud, but never haughty, just as many of us see the U.S. (ideally at least).For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country*...
I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.
If nothing else, he should at least be the national bird of Turkey.
[*Note that the author is here referring to Americans acting in the manner of Cincinnatus, the early Roman consul and dictator, and not the city named in his honor. This is what an education in the classics gets you, writing worthless footnotes to entries about turkeys.]
Edgerton photos are glorious. I recommend Stopping Time, a compilation, in particular.
Also amazing is this video of things being shot in slow motion. I am however, left to wonder: what do these people have against fruit? Apple, banana, egg, bottled water, canned beverages. Was this movie made to tease starving children in 3rd World countries?
I recently saw this excellent clip from Penn & Teller's incisive program Bullshit wherein a woman with a clipboard is able to easily get many signers for a petition to ban the chemical compound "dihydrogen monoxide" at an environmental rally. Apparently, this campaign originated back in 1989 and has a pretty large following online. Here is an excerpt from their wacky propaganda:Dihydrogen Monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year...Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting, and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Dihydrogen Monoxide:
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the Midwest, and recently, California.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation". In fact, the Navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.
It's not too late!
I'm not exactly surprised that people are gullible and scientifically-illiterate, just that they are able to take this ignorance far enough to get other people to be surprised about it. Like the middle schooler who was able to win a statewide science fair by convincing so many people to sign on to the above petition. Or the even better instance of a California city council introducing an ordinance to actually ban the deadly substance a few years ago.
A related sentiment is even more common: my mom is always telling me about how she avoids eating certain foods because they have chemicals in them. These environmentalists are such ninnyhammers, if they ever succeeded what would I put in my cocoa?
If I posted about every single episode of This American Life that I found arresting, this blog wouldn't have some stupid non-sequitur title, it would have an even stupider title more like "Glass-haus." But this story from "Should I Stay or Should I go" concerning two Apple programmers who continued to work on their project, in secret, after being fired, is definitely in the same spirit as a scientific obsession. Two guys had spent a few years trying, with limited success, to develop an elegant graphing calculator at the time they were laid off. But they were unwilling to leave the program they had to devoted those years to undone, so they simply continued to go to work. Every day they sneaked in to use unoccupied machines, lie to inquisitive employees, and work 12 hour days for no money and no recognition on a project that did not exist.
The software ended up on over 20 million computers and became the watershed program of the soon-released Power PC. I was surprised to find out that this is the same program, NuCalc, that I occasionally use for simple graphs. You can listen to the story here at the TAL site for free (skip ahead to minute 27), or read the less-audibly pleasing first-hand account.
When the flute kicks in--that killed me.
To the left of the photo there is a sign that says "No one allowed on Dam." I don't think there is much risk of that anytime soon.
evidentally, in addition to the "motivator" there are many other productivity-enhancing tools. what a boon for my mediocre photography skills!
some people make new years resolutions, i make 4th of july resolutions. this year i resolved to get some decent photos of "the country's oldest 4th of july parade"--something my town of bristol, ri, takes an immodest amount of pride in.
the weirdos never miss a chance to come out in full force. just walking down the parade route before everything starts is an feast of people-watching. going into town you walk through a number of different phases. first there is the area of the people who show up late and didn't get good seats. then there are the houses who have set up those portable bleacher seats and invite a hundred people to their house. then, my favorite, the motorcycle/trailor people--they claim the 1/8th mile region of parking lots on the way into town. and if we are very lucky, set up inflatable pools on the sidewalk, perfect for drinking in public if you are an easily-amused overweight middle-aged guy with no sense of decency. despite the popular theory that they choose this area for the high concentration of portable restrooms, i get the impression that the pool folks aren't taking advantage of them.
from thereon the crowds get ritzier and therefore less interesting. the one thing they have going for them is that their behavior in previous years has caused bristol to pass ordinances prohibiting anyone from setting up chairs or blankets before 5 am. 5 am! the parade route is lousy with signs explaining this and the police enforce the rule with an iron fist. more important though is the obvious implication of this: a certain type of person will be there at 5:01. you can spot them yawning and lying down to "rest their eyes" in the early afternoon. my friend's mother was one such individual and awoke us rudely at 4:55 one year for the task--something for which i have never forgiven her.
unlike years past the sky neither unleashed gallons of rain nor cooked us from above and i got some decent shots.
one of the many aforementioned signs. the day before the parade.
it feels good to be on the right side of the civil war.
morning of the 4th. some tractors along the way.
ooo, look at my sensitive artistic perspective. what a keen eye i have.
longview of the bovine herd. note the red-white-and-blue center line. there are signs next to the road indicating that the line divides "two-way traffic" anyone who couldn't have figured that out on their own shouldn't be allowed to drive.
a strange sight. tribute to lafayette et al. perhaps?
this fellow doesn't seem very happy about my picture-taking. too bad, guy, this is america.
yours truly wishing i was a you-know-what.
guess who was up at 5:01?
here's a judgement for you: you're not as clever as you think you are.
i should have just set staked-out this guy's house all day.
members of an umbrella-based cult.
this man is a hero.
the boat people.
en garde!
"finally, a chance to wear my tricorner hat in public!"
a sad, tired, man.
every year one of the last floats is the rocky horror group. i have no idea why they are in the parade. after 2 hours of applauding firemen, marching bands, miss rhode islands, and aged war veterans the crowd isn't quite sure what to do with a flatbed full of scantily-clad weirdos.
there is no question on whether or not to applaud a cup like this.
the remains of the day in balloon and non-balloon form.
my photography career has finally taken off. back in january i submitted some pictures to the prestigious (?) college art journal on a whim. surprisingly, they actually took one, and far more surprisingly, they put it on the cover. not bad for someone who has almost no interest in anything remotely artistic and hasn't participated in any sort of creative group or class at this school. i would consider it more of an accomplishment if it didn't seem like they passed over work that was actually the result of many long hours (by people who are actually, you know, trying) to stick a photo from a talentless sham like myself on the front.
the picture was from a series i took back in september. i even had to write them an "artist's statement" about the "inspiration, influence, meaning, process, etc." just a paragraph? but i have so many phony explainations to give them! here is what i made up:after consuming an immodest quantity of french fries, i found myself nauseous and miserable at connecticut's fabled "woodstock fair." while my girlfriend happily flitted about the rides i looked for things to photograph... the fact that you cannot see the expressions of the ride-goers makes this apparatus, designed for unthinking glee, seem somewhat mechanical and contrived, which was the way i tend to view overblown fairs like this one when i get sick on their greasy food.
oh, what profundity.
