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I have no idea what they were doing here, but their briefcase was for sale at the excellent thriftstore downstairs. Some people say that Helsinki used to be the espionage capital of the world… especially during the Cold War. Looks like this case was used for storing some sort of important courier papers. I bought it as a joint gift for a friend who is leaving Helsinki and is having a farawell party tonight. A wine bottle should fit in just fine.
Posted by api at 14:34 - 4 Comments »
I just added a little album of pictures from my trip to Israel. I met a digital artist colleague of mine Susan Hazan in Jerusalem and had a pretty good look around the country. One of the most impressive sites I saw was the mountaintop fortress of Masada. It has a very interesting story which is being told to the flocks of tourists who go there.
The number of men, women, and children atop Masada is placed at 967 (p. 37). Joined by the Sicarii, which were Jewish rebels who used knives for their assassination of Romans and fellow Jews who would not rebel with them, the Zealots and Sicarii discussed their options in the face of the inevitable Roman storming of the fortress. Elazar Ben-Yair made “two fiery speeches to persuade the reluctant people to agree to be killed or to kill themselves. The two speeches succeeded, and the Sicarii killed one another and themselves.” (p.37) Ben-Yehuda terms this action “collective suicide.” (p. 42)
As it turned out, seven survived: five children and two women. The murdering took place on April 15th. When the Romans entered, they found only silence. When the two women heard noises, they came out of hiding and told the Romans what had happened.
But is it really true? Ultimately that doesn’t matter, because the power of myths is not in that they are necessarily true. The question is if you believe in them or not.
TR 2/2003: R. Countess: The Israeli Masada Myth Exposed
“How does one develop a sociological interpretation for an important belief system that turns out to be based on a series of deceptive and very biased (even falsified) claims? Moreover, what should one do when this belief system turns out to be not only an important building block for the development of receptive young minds but also a cornerstone of an entire nation?
The so-called Masada mythical narrative is such a belief system: a fabricated moralistic claim. The startling discovery of its falsehood descended upon me in 1987. However, while the sociological interpretation presented in this book is based on an Israeli experience, it would be a grave mistake to assume that such a mythology and deviant belief system constitutes a cultural idiosyncrasy, typical of Israel only. On the contrary, such myths and deviant beliefs are characteristic of many cultures. Hence, the sociological lesson embedded in this particular tale has wide-ranging ramifications, as we shall see later.”
The myth of Masada brings all Israeli soldiers there every year to vow “Masada shall not fall again.”
Posted by api at 00:17 - 1 Comment »
Tobacco advertising fact sheet
To say that tobacco advertising stimulates tobacco sales may seem a simple and moderate statement. In reality, tobacco control activists often meet serious opposition in defending this fact. Achieving the restriction or banning of tobacco advertising is one of the fiercest battles to face. Tobacco lobbyists usually assert that advertising does not increase the overall quantity of tobacco sold. Rather, the tobacco industry maintains that advertising merely enhances the market share of a particular brand, without recruiting new smokers.
According to statistics a total ban on tobacco advertising cuts smoking by around 7%. I don’t like tobacco smoke at all and I try to avoid any situations where I might be exposed to it. It’s practically impossible in clubs and bars and it used to be difficult with airlines as well. I think that Aeroflot is one of the few airlines that still allows smoking. I’m really happy about all the recent bans on both advertising and smoking in European countries.
Signs of Pleasure, Danger and Warning is a CD-ROM dissertation about tobacco advertising and anti-smoking health education. It was made in 1997 when just about anything published on CD-ROM was novel and exciting. One of the original reasons for publishing it in CD-ROM format were the savings in expenses compared to a thick full color book. Dr. Merja Salo also wanted to add some multimedia elements to it and I helped her a bit with the voice-over audio elements and their recording.
Posted by api at 17:39 - No Comments »
Circlemakers.org has a lot of information and examples of crop circles, rock formations and other extra large scale images. Some of them have been made in sand instead of crop fields. An interesting and very perishable medium. Looks like these guys are making money by doing commissioned work as well.
Signs the movie on finnish TV4 tonight, by the way.
It’s that time of year again, the rape is in full flower, circlemakers around the country are dusting off their stompers and heading for the fields and the 2003 crop circle season is now underway.
Meanwhile we’ve been busy working on our biggest commision to date, we can’t say too much at the moment - but for a big hint - check out our new Big Brother page.
Other perishable art and architectural mediums include ice and snow. There are several full blown snow castle ice hotel complexes operating around the world.
Ice hotels
Posted by api at 12:50 - No Comments »
Oravankolo is one of the many wilderness cabins rentable through Villi Pohjola. It’s a popular spot and it’s difficult to find available dates so I decided to pick two Fridays and go see what it is like. The key to the cabin is given by the bus driver at the end of the line. The bus was filled with a swarm of noisy scouts sipping their Mountain Dew and gossiping about their classmates.
After the bumpy bus ride there is a 4 kilometer walk through a well marked path, but we strayed to the woods in search of a shortcut which turned out to be a detour. I had heard that the cabin is usually left in a mess by previous visitors, so me and my daughter were positively surprised to find it in a rather neat and clean state. The guestbook had quite a few entries from foreign visitors as well.
The trip was well worth the 50 euro rental price plus 6 euros for public transportation. The cabin houses 5 people easily and is well equipped. There is even a small rowing boat and a sauna. The lake water is drinkable after boiling, but for an overnight stay it might be a good idea to bring your own drinking water.
Posted by api at 12:14 - No Comments »
Okami has absolutely amazing art direction and the play mechanics are truly original as well. On a related note, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is a novel which also deals with the idea that gods become more powerful when more people believe in them.
We’re especially intrigued by the system with which Amaterasu will grow in power. Since Amaterasu is a deity, her power is, in part, derived from humans who believe in her. A respectable level of belief can be achieved either by listening to and then acting upon the wishes of the people, or by restoring color and life to the land. The more faith people have in Amaterasu, the more powerful she becomes. The scenes from the trailer show Amaterasu mingling with the common folk and helping them with their troubles–resulting in more power for her. We’re even treated to some footage of the wolfy one tackling some foes and restoring color to the land, which features a pretty slick effect.
… R1 causes the game to pause and turn into a sort of brownscale version, as if the onscreen image were just committed to parchment. Then you can control a calligraphy brush to paint ink onto the screen — symbolizing Amaterasu’s focused powers. In the parts of the game we played, this technique was used to complete constellations missing stars, create a bridge over a magical river, smash open a gate, and finish off opponents with what’s called a power slash. This is probably the most distinctive play mechanic we experienced.
Japan has always been at the cutting edge with novel ideas for computer and video games. Speaking of novel ideas, I almost got addicted to the french Pandaf Golf flash game yesterday, but shook myself out of it at level 24 to continue tedious coding duties.
Posted by api at 09:57 - No Comments »
I wonder if anyone is doing academic studies about these sites that offer a single, simple idea and a forum for people to submit their video or photographic interpretation of it. No muss, no fuss.
They don’t generally give any background or deeper analysis of the idea besides a short slogan. Viewers are simply expected to “get it”.
Sidetalking.com was a pioneering site with this cultural meme.
Posted by api at 12:23 - No Comments »
I spotted this hotrodded touring bike on a nearby street.
I’ve been trying to find a stable and safe bicycle for my father, who recently turned 80. I already got him an old post office cargo bike, but it’s just too heavy for him to handle. I think I’ll sell it at a online auction.
After some digging around I found out that there are several models of adult tricycles available.
Another possibility is a tricycle. Some of the four wheel manufacturers above also have tricycles, including Berg, Brox, Lighfoot, Prime, Rideable Bicycle Replicas, Ultimate-Quadracycle, Wheel Fun Rentals, Worksman, and Zero. They are inherently less stable than a four-wheeler. Some of the low slung recumbent trikes are much more stable and harder to tip over, but you can tip anything over if you go fast enough and try hard enough. If you just want to trundle along at reasonable speeds in your trailer park you may never know the difference. Since they have one less wheel, they may be lighter and faster than a four wheeler. Here are the ones we are aware of:
Especially the Christiania cargo bike looked like it might work for him, but no luck. Too expensive, he says.
Update: Puma has started marketing a unique foldable bike called Biomega with a integrated cable lock. The frame design doesn’t look that sturdy to me, but other than that it’s very cool.
Posted by api at 11:58 - No Comments »
Evacuchute : Building Evacuation Systems
The Evacuchute is a first-of-its-kind personal building parachute. Using breakthrough technology and a patent pending design, Emergency Evacuation Systems created the Evacuchute to provide tenants and rescue workers in high-rise buildings with the individual means to escape safely in the event of a life-threatening emergency-when all other evacuation options have been exhausted.
The Evacuchute has been rigorously tested to safely deploy from heights of 140 feet (approximately 15 floors above ground, which would include any floors dedicated to above ground parking). Evacuees from lower floors can also use the Evacuchute by taking the stairs up to a higher floor, in the event that it is unsafe to go downstairs.
I actually called the local communications regulatory authority and asked if it’s ok to buy a personal locator beacon and use it here in Finland even if the beacon ID is registered in USA. He told me that I need to get a marine radio operator’s license. From their point of view it’s just like a marine emergency beacon.
The personal locator beacons can be carried across country borders in your pocket with ease. When activated, they send a distress signal to a satellite. The more advanced models send GPS location information along with the signal. International rescue centers then forward the information to local authorities based on the location of the beacon. This is the same technology that has been used in boats for years, but now the application has been extended to individual backcountry travellers.
The friendly and very knowledgeable person at the government office stressed to me that it’s essential that these beacons are registered to individual persons, so that they can forward the information to “my team”. Also, they may not be legal to use in all countries.
Well, what if I don’t have a “team”. If I break my leg on some remote South American beach, I want the Puerto Rican Coast Guard, the International Rescue or a helicopter from my insurance company ASAP. Come to think, maybe not the Puerto Rican Coast Guard.
Avalanches are a scary scenario as well. A shovel and some training might be a better investment than a high-tech beacon that nobody knows how to use. Avalung inflatable balloon backpacks probably work well as well, but are even more expensive than beacons. See this enlightening interview with an Avalung user who survived after being buried for 38 minutes.
Surprisingly few people get killed while scuba diving. Running out of air must be one of the most common fears, but it probably isn’t the biggest risk statistically speaking. Getting up to the surface too quickly has relatively bad concequences as well. If you suddenly run out of air while diving, even those 5 meters between you and your dive buddy may seem like an awfully long distance.
What, you don’t have pepper in your kitchen!? That’s almost as bad as walking around without your own pocket sized personal survival kit! My own safety gadget of choice is a credit card sized multi-tool similar to this one. I’d like to add a credit card sized fresnel lense as well, but I haven’t found one for sale at the stores here in Helsinki yet. They should make credit card sized hidden compartments in mobile phones these days.
All in all I’m glad that I live in a country where the essential urban safety gadget isn’t a reliable semi-automatic firearm.
Posted by api at 00:03 - 1 Comment »
Bobby McFerrin has produced a lot of material after “Don’t worry, Be Happy”. He is very talented in many ways and has even conducted several big time orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For a little 80’s retro flashback, check out the multitrack a capella mixer at his site. Drag the red melody track alone to the playback area for a Miles Davis style remix.. that’s the core of the song.
A capella seems to be on it’s way to become a bit trendy again. Of course, the humorous cover versions have always been popular. As a sample of this overly produced genre just listen to Academical Village People’s Maroon 5: This Love cover version. I assume that there are no other musical instruments than human voice on that track.
Lauluyhtye Rajaton is a Finnish a capella band with original compositions which are actually very good. The discography links on their site seem to be broken at the moment, but here’s a direct link to a list of real audio samples as a backup.
Posted by api at 00:01 - No Comments »
I was looking for a web page about a bike trip to the geographical center of earth when I came across this interesting diagram. It wasn’t what I was looking for, but gives yet another interpretation to the phrase “the center of the earth”. It is a bit strange to put “secular” at the top end of the vertical scale and “traditional” at the bottom end. They are not exactly opposites, are they? I wouldn’t pair “secular” with “rational” either. Well, there are four kinds of lies: lies, big lies, statistics and statistical diagrams. My attention span didn’t last to read the entire article tonight, but maybe I’ll do it later.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
One value Inglehart looks at is religiosity. He places the religious
spectrum along the vertical or north-south axis of the map - the farther
“south” a society is, the more traditional; the farther
“north” the more secular or “rational” as Inglehart
terms it.The horizontal, or east-west axis, measures values related to quality of
life. The farther west a society is, the greater its concern for basic
survival - food and shelter. The farther east, the greater the concern
for self-expression and equal rights.
Posted by api at 00:19 - No Comments »
Greenspeed is a typical 21st century high-tech expedition with live media updates from the team. Years of preparation bring you 15 media dispatches of fame and perhaps a grainy webcam video feed on the day you arrive.
Greenspeed goals:
In May 2005, our team will attempt a double crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap, kiting and skiing 1,100 kilometers. As well, we are committed to challenging the following world records:
- The fastest crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap.
- The longest kite-ski distance in a 24 hour period.
The fastest crossing is presently 8 days; completed in 1995 by Sjur Mordre, Norway. Alain Hubert, Belgium, holds the longest kite ski record at 271 kilometers; completed in 1995 on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
There is a portal called Thepoles.com which acts as a sort of a media hub for expeditions like this.
Posted by api at 00:03 - No Comments »
OK, I agree, maybe Feng Shui can’t be applied to everything…
Beijing, China - Fengtek released their first motherboard based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui. Many interior designers use the principles of Feng Shui to arrange furniture in rooms, so the areas have positive energy. Fengtek is the first company to move these principles to motherboard design.
I spotted a Feng Shui consultant’s office here in Helsinki yesterday. It seems like a great tradition to me, but there are also thousands of gold diggers trying to get rich by selling water fountains and other crap to you all under the name of “ancient chinese tradition”. I plan to drop by when they have open doors and see what type of business they are operating. It seemed legitimate enough and she had also been trained as an architect.
Like all modern western societies, Finnish society and culture has been dominated by an engineer/scientist type mindset much more than the superstitious artsy types. That’s great, because the trains leave on time and everything is rather tidy. However, one can’t help thinking that there is a little something missing in architectural planning especially in many newly built public spaces. Compare your mood next time you visit an old library and a new one.
Our environment should also be a source of inspiration instead of a maximally functional, fully optimized, economical collection of walls, windows and doors.
Because Feng Shui involves a multi-disciplinary approach to its practice, we should not look at it only from a Western scientific point of view. Feng Shui is also an art. A large portion of Feng Shui analysis requires a personal and subjective interpretation of the given data. One needs to balance out the subjectivity with the objectivity of a given situation. To the Chinese, the brain is tied to the heart (Xin-Yi), so science and art can exist and should exist as one discipline, instead of two separate entities.
Ultimately, Feng Shui looks at the interaction of the environment with its user. Since the user is a human being and by nature we are a part rational and part irrational being, so Feng Shui has to be part scientific (rational) and part intuitive (irrational/superstitious) as well.
Posted by api at 10:09 - 1 Comment »
I just listened to an excellent program about Joy Division on Flashback Alternatives. It concluded with their last performance in 1980. That year, I was happily living in the utopian garden city of Tapiola. The New Wave, Punk and even Hippie cultures were only distant echoes in faraway lands. I never saw epileptic fits on stage, but a Finnish band called Sielun Veljet came pretty close to it with their hyperactive stage show. I still have two Joy Division albums. Maybe they’ll make perfect picnic music on a portable Vestax Handy Trax vinyl player a few decades from now.
An error resulted in the beginning of Ceremony being cut on the soundboard (Still) tape. The audience tape is complete
Sound quality about 7-8/9
* High Hall, Birmingham University: soundcheck
Songs performed:
01. Ceremony
02. Decades.
Appx duration: 10 mins. Sound quality: 7-/9Joy Division used this concert to debut one of their new songs “Ceremony”.
* Just following his vocal on the first and last performance of “Decades”,
but before the song was finished, Ian stumbled off stage with assistance, and the band played on. He was able,
however, to return for an encore: “Digital”.This was to be Joy Division’s final performance.
Posted by api at 11:15 - No Comments »
I stumbled upon an obscure Tamagotchi style game called Animal Crossing. It has a Gameboy DS version coming up later this year. It is a strange mixture of elements realized in a way that only japanese can. (Mental note: let’s throw in Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku girls in this entry). The game is based on communication and the fact that it is tied to a real-time clock and calendar.
Here’s a blurp from a review of an earlier Gamecube version:
GameCube: Animal Crossing Review
Leave it to Nintendo to take life’s most mundane tasks and turn them into something fun. Best described as a mixture between Harvest Moon, The Sims, and a classic game compilation, Animal Crossing arrives on GameCube with all the trimmings that usually make games flop: an unknown license, so-so graphics, mediocre sound, and game mechanics that sound more like chores than fun. And yet, this game will certainly not be a flop — not if Nintendo’s legions of fans have anything to say about it.
… And nature and communication are at the center of it all. Some animals will not like you because you don’t talk to them much. Your luck can be affected by how you arrange your furniture in your house (yes, you read correctly. The game uses Feng-shui!).
…For example, your village may be limited to cherry trees. Bring back a pear from your friend’s village and plant it to grow pear trees (and later get pears) in your own town. Any fruit not indigenous to your village will fetch a higher market value when sold. But there’s more. Once you talk to the animals in your friend’s village, they will know you and start referring to you. Send them letters while you’re visiting and they may even show your letters to your friend from time to time. And if they like you or they’re not completely happy with the village they live in, they will actually move away from your friend’s village — and into yours.
…In a stroke of genius, Nintendo endowed Animal Crossing with a clock and calendar that mimics the real world. If your GameCube clock and date are set correctly, it will be September 16 in the real world and in the game. This data is used to synch gameplay events to actual goings-on in the real world. Deal with trick-or-treaters on Halloween or get gifts on the non-denominational “Toy Day” on the 23rd of December. An in-game calendar will tell you when all these special events take place, but there’s far more going on in Animal Crossing than just holiday celebrations. Build a snowman in winter, enter a fishing competition in fall, work out at 6:00 AM in the morning (IGNpocket editor Craig Harris has been known to do this to strengthen his thumb muscles after long, sleepless nights…), meet traveling salesmen, catch salmon when they’re spawning, and much more. Certain insects and fish will only appear in certain months, enticing you to replay Animal Crossing again and again. Curious to see what goes on in town after midnight? The game rewards your curiosity more often than not — and the more you play Animal Forest, the more you realize that this game is deeper than you may have thought.
The sample movie is quite charming.
Posted by api at 08:01 - 1 Comment »
