The Anatomy of a Nap
Everybody has a routine that they follow when they get home. Mr. Rogers would change his shoes and put on a nice sweater and then proceed to talk to a trolley. More often than not, I'll get a glass of water and head to the couch, flip on MSNBC and fall into a quick 20 minute nap. Every once in a while, I wake up two- to three- hours later. I kinda look like this:
In "How to Nap," the Boston Globe tells us everything we've always wanted to know about napping. It notes that midday napping can boost alertness, creativity, and mood. In fact, a British study found that knowing a nap is coming was enough to lower blood pressure.
The graphic helps us define the optimal time to have a siesta (around 3 for me), how long your siesta should be, and what you need to do to prepare.
The only fact I don't completely buy is the ability for a nap to improve my mood. I am the grumpiest person alive when someone wakes me up mid-nap.
I was part of a cause…
Alright everybody, together now, "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start." I grew up with a Famicom (the original version of the NES) and will forever have that code burned into my memory.
I shudder to think of how many hours I spent hunting ducks, eating mushrooms to grow, or protecting some eagle symbol with my tank.
However, to help me cope, I think about how gaming technologies are going to revolutionize the world. Turns out Hospitals are looking to the gaming industry to increase the precision of surgeries.
Cardiac surgeons have borrowed a 3-D stereoscopic imaging technology from the video-game industry to help them guide their tools during intricate beating-heart surgeries. In tests of the new imaging device, a surgeon was able to more accurately navigate into pigs' hearts and then to more quickly repair the hearts' torn walls....
Recent advances in image-processing technology have allowed game designers to simulate 3-D environments--complete with depth perception--using stereoscopic vision displays. "To address structural heart disease, you need a three-dimensional map with depth perception," says Marc Gillinov, chief experience officer at Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute. "And that's what the stereoscopic glasses give you."
You can read the entire article here.
Street Art Globalization
Emerging Artists showcased in Chicago
I went back to Atropolis yesterday to get another high-impact dosage of art. Yesterday, I spent most of my time checking out NEXT, the emerging artist show.
One of the must-see's at the NEXT show is Jonathan Schipper's installation "The Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle." Over the course of four days, two American muscle cars slowly collide into each other. K remarked that halfway through the day, there was a thunderous explosion as the glass from the cars shattered under the stress. It definitely drew in a ton of people. I love the use of red, white, and blue colors.
Rory Donaldson's Sqelemental also made a lasting impression. From afar, the piece a mod-like quality.
But I realized as I zoomed into the center of the picture, what it represented. Rory's piece seemed took a casual scene put through a space and time warp. Here's the closeup:
You've still got 2 hours left before it closes down for the year!
Early video games are retro cool
I know I just posted earlier today about the Atari print ads, but I've just come across Pontiac's twist on an old NES videogame. In "Spy Hunter," a G8 GT replaces the original car. As the video deftly shows the cars performance in dodging oil spills and spiked-assassin cars, a wave of nostalgia overcame me.
And no doubt, anybody within my age group will remember the add. A perfect ad that pre-selects its audience.
Take a trip down memory lane:
So retro, it’s cool (atari print ads)
Atari has a series of print ads that pays homage to its 8-bit style. They have one for tennis and golf. Check out full prints on advertolog.
Behind the big door lies a big monster
K and I were walking home last week when we came happened to come across a mysterious cartoonish door. Actually, the door was so big it was hard to miss. I rubbed my eyes once or twice (I had just come from a "summer" party and had my fill of hotdogs and jello shots) just to make sure I saw what I saw.
Looming behind the door was a monster not much different from Sully from Monsters Inc. Turns out, its the front door to Big Monster Toys, LLC. The workshop creates, engineers and develops the products from inception to finished working prototypes. You can read about more about them in a wikipedia entry here.
You gotta give 'em props for their creativity.
Big Monster Toys
21 S Racine Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
Black and Gold Falls Flat
Sam Sparro's black and gold was one of my favorite songs in December of last year. And it looks like he's created a video to go with the music. While the song is still one of my faves, the music video is.. well... underwhelming.
It's stuck between a cliché and a disappointment. With a song this good, the video tarnishes the song black and blue.