Less Than One

Math and stats prove that I am very lucky and quite blessed.

Check out http://www.lessthanone.com/

Edison of Kid Without Radio

“Simply put we don’t care about the radio, we make music for the future of music.” –Kid Without Radio

Edison is a musician deeply focused on the future of sound artistry and is an integral part of the record label Kid Without Radio. Kid Without Radio believes, “in creating new music, pushing the envelope of experimentation with electronics…in the power of evolving music and the influence that has on the future.”  The video, directed by Mike Landry and Adam Patch, shows Edison doing what he does best, crating music by laying down beats with a monome. The video was shot in all 1080 using four cameras and two projectors over only one take. The result is amazing. The song in the video, Artemis vs. The City, is off Edison‘s new album People Are Bad Animals. Enjoy!

If you are curious about how Edison creates his music, check out the following video from DJ Techtools, where Edison talks about his process using Ableton and his monome.

kidwithoutradio.com 

edisonsdemo.tumblr.com

Uncontacted Tribes

Uncontacted Tribes, simply put, is a great site. The information contained in the parameters of this website has my mind being stretched in all directions. It is hard to imagine there are still tribes of people living so primitively and unaware of the progressive world. The website has plenty of photos, film footage, and information to help dispel any myths about these tribes one might hold. Check it out, its definitley worth ten minutes of your time. www.uncontactedtribes.org

50th Anniversary of JFK’s Inaugural Address

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. This much we pledge – and more.”

The John F. Kennedy inaugural address was 50 years ago to the day – on Jan. 20, 1961. Kennedy took the oath of office and called for a fresh start with a reminder that “civility is not a sign of weakness.” It is an iconic American speech filled with some of the most quoted lines from any Presidential address. The speech was drafted by Kennedy’s speech writer Ted Sorenson, and draws heavily from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Historians generally rank it as one of the four best US presidential inaugural speeches of all time. Former New York Times columnist and speechwriter for President Nixon, William Safire, included it in a volume he compiled of the greatest speeches delivered in history, writing that it “set the standard by which presidential inaugurals have been judged in the modern era.”  Listen carefully and Enjoy!

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

The Dali Museum: St. Petersburg, Florida

Today marks the first day that the new Dalí Museum will be open in St. Petersburg, Florida. The museum is set to replace the current Dalí Museum and will showcase the largest collection of the artist’s work.The $36 million museum is nearly double the size of the previous museum.  Architect Yann Weymouth, who helped to create the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, designed the exterior with waterproof concrete that can withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Inside there will be a grand ‘double-helix’ staircase in the centre of the museum, which reaches nearly the full height of the 75-foot-high atrium. Celebrations will include a parade from the old museum and a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Salvador Dalí Museum is the permanent home of the world’s most comprehensive collection of the renowned Spanish artist’s work. Compiled by the A. Reynolds Morse and Eleanor Morse over a 45-year period, it is celebrated for its 96 oil paintings. With oils spanning from 1917 through 1970, the collection provides an excellent overview of Dalí’s major themes and symbols. Characterized by its diversity, it includes the Impressionist and Cubist styles of his early period, abstract work from his transition to Surrealism, the famous surrealist canvases for which he is best known, and examples of his preoccupation with religion and science during his classic period. In addition to the 96 oil paintings, the collection includes over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 graphics, photographs, sculptures and objects d’art, and an extensive archival library. The estimated value of all the works is estimated between $500 and $700 million.

More about Dali, the museum, the benefactors, and becoming a member at  http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/

Samuel Whittemore

For over five decades, Samuel Whittemore had served as an officer in the British Army.  He relentlessly fought for the crown during King George’s War and the French and Indian War. How he received the honor of state hero of Massachusetts is quite amazing. Whittemore was an 80 year old farmer in Menotomy, which is known today as Arlington, when he became the oldest known colonial combatant in the American Revolutionary War. On April 19, 1775, British forces were returning to Boston from the Battles of Lexington and Concord, both are considered the opening engagements of the American Revolutionary War. On their march, they were continually shot at by colonial militiamen. Whittemore was on his farm working the fields when he spotted an approaching British relief brigade. The brigade serving under Earl Percy was sent to assist the retreat. Whittemore quickly loaded his musket and ambushed the British from behind a nearby stone wall, killing one soldier. He then drew his dueling pistols and killed a grenadier and mortally wounded a second. He managed to fire five shots before a British detachment reached his position. Whittemore then attacked with a sword. He was shot in the face, bayoneted thirteen times, and left for dead in a pool of blood. He was found alive, trying to load his musket to fight again. He was taken to Dr. Cotton Tufts of Medford, who perceived no hope for his survival. However, Whittemore lived another 18 years until dying of natural causes at the age of 98. In 2005, Samuel Whittemore was proclaimed as the official state hero of Massachusetts. 

Vivian Maier: Nanny & Street Photographer Extroadinaire

Vivian Maier, a street photographer from the 1950s – 1990s, left behind hundreds of thousands of photos and negatives that she captured over the years. Vivian’s work was discovered at an auction in Chicago where she resided for most of her life. Her discovered work includes over 100,000 mostly medium format negatives, thousands of prints, and a ton of undeveloped rolls of film. Approximately 90-95% of the work has been purchased by one man, Mr. John Maloof. Maier’s work will be on display at the Chicago Cultural Center starting January 7th. Below is a roughly ten minute video clip of John Maloof and the discovered work of Vivian Maier, and some of my favorite published shots by Maier. Enjoy!

Liquid Mountaineering

The Original (Jesus Christ)

 

The Replicator (AKA Basiliscus, AKA The Jesus Lizard)

 

The Hoax (Liquid Mountaineering)

 

 

Sir Richard Branson’s 10 life lessons

Sir Richard Branson is a British Industrialist, best known for founding Virgin group, which now spans over 400 companies. He is considered to be the 212th richest person on earth with a net worth of approximately $4 Billion U.S. As well as immense business success, Branson has personally broken a number of world records for high-speed boat and balloon journeys. Branson was knighted in 1999 for “services to entrepreneurship” and presented as a millennium icon.  A few of his newest ventures include Virgin Galactic, Virgin Luxury Hotels, and the first ever subsciption based iPad magazine, Project. Below is a short list of ten life lessons by this iconic entrepreneur.

1. “Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won’t make people enjoy life more.”

2. “I enjoy every single minute of my life.”

3. “But the majority of things that one could get stressed about, they’re not worth getting stressed about.”

4. “You can’t be a good leader unless you generally like people. That is how you bring out the best in them.”

5. “There is no one to follow, there is nothing to copy.”

6. “I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive, then I believe you are better off doing nothing.”

7. “I never had any intention of being an entrepreneur.”

8. “I made and learned from lots of mistakes.”

9. “If you can indulge in your passion, life will be far more interesting than if you’re just working.”

10. “Right now I’m just delighted to be alive and to have had a nice long bath.

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Wingsuits & Proximity

I have always wanted to jump out of a plane and feel the rush that is freefalling. After numerous jumps, someone must have asked the question, “How can we control the fall more?” Thus, wingsuits. Wingsuit flying is the sport of flying the human body through the air using a special jumpsuit, called a wingsuit, which adds surface area to the human body to create lift. The wingsuit creates the surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms. This was all good and fun for so long, until these professionals (mostly base jumpers)got bored, and decided to proximity fly. Below is my absolute favorite youtube video, which also happens to be about base jumping with wingsuits. The commentary by Loic Jean-Albert perfectly summarizes the mindset of the few who partake in this sport.

The below video does not hold a candle to the above video, however, Jokke Sommer soars through the sky perfectly to Ladyhawke’s My Delirium. The first ten seconds of this video exhibit the speed and intensity of proximity flying.  For that reason alone, it is worth the post.