Terminus

http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~cscallah/questionMap.swf

Scavenger Hunt Cop Out

Uhm...scavenger hunt. I know there's a crapload of New Media going on around, but...I'm pressed for time. SO...here's my favorite example in Indy.

http://o2ed.com/

Why is it my fav? Because I work there! Okay, it might not be my FAVORITE...but...just...roll with it?

We deliver online training to mainly machine workers in the container of Flash. Basically it's an interactive way to give information. We design, animate, program, etc. the courses to reflect the actual functions of giant multi-million dollar machines! It also gives the worker an opportunity to see a machine up close (or at least a representation of it) and experiment with it without having to actually be near a machine.

So, umm...yeah. Peace out!

Class 04/20

'nuff said

Quantum Hoohah

http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~cscallah/experiments/quantum.swf

I was experimenting with some Flash stuff, and decided to try and whip this up. It's not a true representation of quantum mechanics, but I think the connection can be made.

Basically, we're given all sorts of choices (infinite, or so I've heard) but each choice we makes influences our next one. And so on and so on...

Vat Ist Nu Meeeeeedia?

So, today we discussed a bit about what New Media is. It seems to mean different things to different people, but there are a few constants. For one, the terms "digital" and "creative" seem to pop up often.

My best attempt at trying to describe what New Media is taking what Computer Science uses to do what Herron does. That's definitely oversimplifying, but I'm trying to say that we create SOMETHING for some purpose with an artist's eye, but with a technology-based approach. This can take a million different forms - for example, using Photoshop to create a digital image (even one that appears to have been created from traditional art means). But where I find New Media to REALLY flourish is when you use what makes digital technology such a wonderful tool to its fullest. Personally, I've been messing around a lot with using Flash to generate some...well, it's better to just show. Here are a few examples of my recent experimentations...

http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~cscallah/experiments/fireWorx05_mouse.swf

http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~cscallah/experiments/painter03.swf

I would say that it pulls on the art side of New Media since...well, it sort of just exists for its own sake (and yeah, there are a few deeper concepts about enjoying the moment, appreciating what we have since it's very fleeting, etc. etc.), but it doesn't really have a practical purpose. And we've got the digital side of it, since it's...digital (all Flash, by the way).

On a side note, I almost always get frustrated with classes like today. Discussing something that has tons of possible variations, interpretations, and so on just tends to wind up a jumbled mess in a class this size.

Guh...brain just got gunked up. I might expand on these thoughts later, but don't count on it. I seem to be runnin' out of mental energy...

Bleepin' Bleep

Alright, so What the #$* Do We Know? was definitely an interesting watch...one that I'm glad I've seen.

HOWEVER, I can't say that I buy it. Much of it borders on just...guessing and frankly, making things up. I would liken it to a wonderful thought exercise - it really can exercise the mind to attempt to wrap your brain around the concepts presented, but ultimately, does it really help anybody? Perhaps somebody can get a positive message out of it (say, "change in the world starts with my thoughts" or something), and that's not too bad a thing. I just question the true value of all of this. Especially if this is something that's literally beyond our capacity to understand, why try to understand it? In fact, saying that it's not really possible for our minds to truly grasp it seems to be a bit of a cop out - if we can't grasp it, how can we really disprove it?

Anywho, like I said, I'm glad I saw this. I do really dig some of the concepts (especially the idea of infinite possibilities and splintering into alternate realities), and the idea that we never really truly TOUCH anything is pretty nifty. The movie was put together well, with nice transitions between documentary and narrative styles.

For anyone who's open-minded, I definitely recommend seeing this movie to see an alternate theory of how reality works. I just can't say that there's anything too practical about seeing the movie. Sometimes, I just think that trying to understand the WHY of absolutely everything is a lost cause - as that trio from Toronto once said "Why are we here? Because we're here - roll the bones. Why does it happen? Because it happens - roll the bones."

fin.

My contribution...

This was my task in our comic to Mary Ellen - the inking of the comic. I also did a diiirrrrty version:

No, not THAT kind of dirty...

Anyway, I hope the comic pleases her! Seeing as she is one that definitely respects creativity, I would imagine most creative endeavors would bring about some happiness. The absurdity of our comic (along with the Jitterbug and computer trouble references) should hopefully be that little sumthin' sumthin' that makes this work shine!

Classy Classy WOOOOOOOP!

Today was a nice class day. For once, many people seemed HAPPY to be there. Maybe it was the refreshment Spring Break provided? Who knows? Anyway, it was good times and I was happy to see the other random projects (especially the woodchuck, He who knows all).

As you can see from the post over at Aaron Thalmann's post, our collaboration resulted in us removing one Mathew Powers' nametag from his office door. We replaced it with the much snazzier Wooper version.

And here it is!

We even left his title! How sweet!

Anyway, good times today...methinks I should get to work on my question box...

I got rhythm...who can ask for anything more?

http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~cscallah/DDRsource03.swf

Enjoi.

Credits to the tutorials of Mr. Sun.

THE idea...

You want another post? Okay, I can dig...here's my "favorite idea"...

As was told in the good book, "Checking the Cake"...and so, he who hath lost his source of power, rode upon the Internets. And he spake thusly...

"OR...a matching game. A matching game made for kids, but the obviously "right" answers will only generate a "WRONG!" response. The doctor doesn't go with the shot. Obviously, the doctor goes with the marmoset. Makes me think of that song "Everything You Know is Wrong". But then, is it really WRONG? Yes, we would think that a doctor and a marmoset don't go together...however, in the context of my "game" the two are a perfect pair. So...does that make it any more false...?"

The Ideas

Okay, so I approached this assignment in a SLIGHTLY different manner as I wasn't consistently at home. So, I jotted down ideas from time to time as they came to me as I thought about the word, which was cohesive.

Day 1 (3/16)
I actually didn't come up with any IDEAS on this day, but I did use "cohesive" as a sort of springboard in a stream of random thoughts. Most were negligible or wound up being the same thought I had had earlier in a different, shinier wrapping. But...here's a summation of the thoughts at the end of day 1:

Kept thinking of "bonding" between two things. Like, hands on the wall are cohesive. Image of Spider-Man's hands (the little hooks) kept popping into my head.

Two magnetic chunks coming together JUST enough to stick together. That feeling you when the magnets JUST attract each other is so otherworldly and wonderful.

Walking on the ceiling. (not dancing) Imagining the room upside-down and walking on the ceiling as if it were a floor.

Day 2 (3/17)
Once again, concrete ideas were a little sparse this day. I kept going back to the original thoughts, but did think about these for a bit:

We're really a bunch of floating atoms tethered by some force - but we're still just a bunch of cohesive atoms, which led to...

People exploding into atoms and reconfiguring.

(My cat has her head firmly shoved into my shoe, sleeping)

An inkling of an actual project did manifest this day. It wasn't overly out of my area, as I stuck to my experience in Flash, but it might be a little crazy code-wise. Basically, I thought of creating something that, when clicked, would explode into random shards that flew off in random directions. The chunks would either stick to the walls, or bounce off and eventually reform.

I felt high most of today (I was not).

Day 3 (3/18)
Another blankish sort of day. At this point I began to really think about the assignment, and I began to question the value of INTENTLY pulling inspiration from a random word. Sure, it could definitely work. In fact, it's happened to me before (investigating Jell-O turned me on to the idea of thixotropy, which served as a basis for the mechanics behind my capstone project). But for every random thing that inspires, there are millions more that don't really spark anything. Though I succeeded in keeping "cohesive" in my mind often through these days, it didn't really lead anywhere for me.

I removed the source of my power this evening.

BRAIN FLASH
Okay, right as I finished typing the above, I started thinking a little more. Cohesive expanded into coherent (can have similar meanings). From there, I went to INCOHERENT. And then I began to think that having an incoherent jumble of items attaching to other would somehow be sort of cool. I love the juxtaposition. Things that don't go together literally sticking together. A Catholic priest's collar on a puppy. M&M's hot-glued to a Porsche. And then those two amalgamations combined. A puppy wearing a priest's collar getting sick from eating the M&M's attached to the Porsche.

Now this could take many forms. Literally combining the objects with some adhesive, such as glue or tape...or maybe doing it in a form I'm used to - Flash. Perhaps create a Flash app that lets the user just stick stuff together. OR...a matching game. A matching game made for kids, but the obviously "right" answers will only generate a "WRONG!" response. The doctor doesn't go with the shot. Obviously, the doctor goes with the marmoset. Makes me think of that song "Everything You Know is Wrong". But then, is it really WRONG? Yes, we would think that a doctor and a marmoset don't go together...however, in the context of my "game" the two are a perfect pair. So...does that make it any more false...?

Ugh...mindblow!

Alright. I'm done ranting and raving. For the record, I did not tape anything to the mirror. But don't worry - the word was easily visible in the bathroom, AND...I put it on a sticky note on my computer. So...same game, different field, right?

Cohesive

More What If?s

- What if I decided to definitely create a question mark box from Mario?
- What if I made the box out of metal? Would that be doable?
- What if I made the box actually USEABLE for storage?
- What if instead of recreating the box, I modified it into my own design?
- What if there were additional items within the box?
- What if I actually displayed the box somewhere?
- What if I have enough time to create additional boxes or items?
- What if I could rig the box to actually shoot out an item?
- What if I lack the tools to create this box?
- What if I just decide to make the box out of wood?
- What if I could repurpose something existing into the box?
- What if I gifted somebody with the box randomly?
- What if that random person doesn’t get what it is?
- What if I experimented with LEDs or something to jazz it up?
- What if I could incorporate sound into this somehow?
- What if I created other objects that interacted with the box?
- What if I DID decide to go back to the monitor idea?
- What if I made the box miniature? What if I made it lifesize?
- What if the box had swappable sides (as in, removable images on the outside of the box?
- What if the box had a scrolling image of a question mark around it?
- What if I felt the project was good enough to send the results in to a video game-based fan site?
- What if the box became a prop in a video project?
- What if I sealed the box completely and forced someone to break it open to claim an object from inside?
- What if I didn’t tell the person what the object within was?
- What if I found a way to mount the box onto a wall or suspend it in the air in some other manner?
- What if I made a multitude of question mark boxes and hid them around campus?
- What if the boxes were made of a bouncy material so I could hurl the boxes across Michigan St.?
- What if I make the box from the video game realistic, with actual rivets and metal sheets?
- What if, every so often, I created a new object and eventually created enough of a collection to mock up a scene from Super Mario Bros?
- What if I could convince someone in class to hit their head against the bottom of the box to see if something will pop up (easy)?
- What if I made a bizarro question box – all cruddy and with an upside-down question mark?
- What if I took the basic design of the box and shifted it to other containers (a treasure chest, a crate, a bubble capsule thingy)?
- What if I WORE the box (feel the box, BE the box)?
- What if I made a Jack-in-the-Box out of this…?
- What if the box was meant to hold old Nintendo games?
- What if I converted this box into a shell for an old Nintendo?

On Second Thought...

First off, I'm not sure if I'm on that list of uninspired final projects. Just in case, let me attempt to clarify why I want to do what I do.

First off, I spend almost all of my time for school projects creating something digitally. I very rarely get to interact with physically building something, and I want to take this opportunity to do that. For once, my final project of the semester isn't necessarily going to be boiled down to a bunch of 1's and 0's that can be dropped off on a server somewheres.

Secondly, why video games? I love video games. They have been a source of inspiration on many levels. They have the potential to be a wonderful medium to tell a story. Video game music inspires me to seek alternate avenues of music. And on and on...but one thing about a video game is that (aside from the cartridge or disc), there's really nothing physically to it. I figure if I can be inspired by something that I can't really touch, how will my thoughts on that change if I actually CAN touch a part of it (or at least a representation of that object)?

Someone could argue that there's all sorts of video game-related merch out there, and they'd be right. But that's generally limited to specific character-based objects. You see scores of Pokemon plushies, Mario figures, and Sonic-emblazoned shirts. But what about the little objects you may take for granted in a video game? Have you ever seen a physical representation of a Sonic the Hedgehog item monitor?

Have you seen this? Huh? Have you?

That brings me to another point of concern. The actual object I am going to whip up. Originally I was completely sold on mussing about an actual computer monitor to create the above object. I'd hollow it out, and possibly replace the inside with a spinning platform showing off an item representing the goodie inside. HOWEVER, I've been doing some research. Apparently CRTs are vacuum-sealed (or possibly pressurized with gas in some cases) and a slight error in dismantling one could cause it to explode and leak all sorts wonderfully poisonous vapors into the air. As an added bonus, capacitors within a monitor can hold a charge for months and months after being unplugged. Contact with one of these bits can result in a discharge that can severely hurt you or possibly cause instant death. So, I'm thinking the monitor (at least the originally conceived route) is out. I still want to go ahead with this project using a different video game object, but I'm willing to scrap the idea if I can't think of another good item to create.

SO...anybody have anything they'd love to see?

That Plato Show

I sat myself down to take in book VII of Plato's Republic last night. Deciding to give myself a night of sleep to soak it in, I waited until today to comment on it.

First off, I kept getting a visual of Socrates and Glaucon sitting around a table in a basement, heavy smoke filling the air. We see only one at a time, and the camera spins quickly as they trade responses. Basically "That '70s Show".

Anywho, this was a bit of a beast to read. I found myself constantly rereading short sections, as the syntax is a but confusing to someone who's used to reading more modern texts. From what I gathered though, there are two MAIN bits to this book. First, the shadow cave which represents pursuit of truth and how it changes someone. Second, they (they being Socrates and Glaucon) begin to discuss the merits of teaching certain subjects and in what way they should be taught.

Unless I miss my mark, the bit about the cave seems very logical. Much like the prisoners in the cave who can see only shadows, we assume that what we initially observe is truth. That there may be more to what we see or experience usually escapes us initially. The part that really stood out to me most is the discomfort experienced as one learns to look past the observable, physical world. The majority of people DON'T see past what's presented to them, and that's a fact easy to forget for those of us in higher education (not saying everyone who goes to university is automatically HIGHER than anybody, but the likelihood is greater that a college student, especially one in New Media, has different view on the world). You have to be prepared to take a lot of crap from others for your views if they deviate from the norm. But we can't lose heart and just give up, accepting everything as it is, for that's doing a great disservice to our true selves.

Man, this post is getting a bit heavy. But moving on...

I couldn't quite get into the next section of the reading. Summed up, it seemed to say that it's more important to teach WHY something is, rather than simply THAT it is. This is sort of a practical application of the above cave story. It eerily mirrors what I find to be one of the failings of our New Media program at IUPUI, which is that often the teaching is limited to a piece of software rather than the concepts more essential to our creations (which then leads a student neutered as they're faced with a dead end of sorts) . This isn't always the case, but it's a dangerous pitfall that could easily overtake a student. Plato seemed to understand that a student should focus on the bigger picture of the world rather than just simply take what's handed to them at face value.

Finally, Plato suggests that the best method of trying to approach truth is through the dialectic method of education. Socrates was famous for this, using debate and conversation as a means to uncover fallacies and truth. I agree that it's useful, but I don't think it is the one single ultimate teaching method. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to do - jump in there, push all the buttons, turn all the levers, kick things, etc. etc. until you get to know whatever it is you're figuring out.

For all I know I've butchered the intended meaning of the reading. Even if I have misinterpreted something though, I feel that I've bettered myself by just reading this and attempting to latch on to some new ways to think about things.

Ode to the Red Jelly Thing on my Desk

Oh red, jelly thing
Though your body is not completely solid,
you help make my ideas more concrete
Though your body is not completely liquid,
you help me reach into the endless aether

Anywho. Class. I dig the whole open discussion that class turned into, but I couldn't help but feel that the time given was excessive for most people in the class. But hey, it seems that a lot of people got ideas hammered out. I'm interested in seeing what people produce (especially the tank), and I really dig the idea of making some mish-mash out of all of our projects. God knows what would happen.

As for my own project, I'm pretty set on what I'm going to do - I just need to do it. Also, I need to decide what SPECIFICALLY I'm going to make - a video game object, sure...but there are so many to choose from...ah, we shall see...we shall see.

DD4E (Dick Devils Forever)

PS: I found this silly when trying to post a comment on another blog:

By the way, the correct word was NOT "Loading..."

Final Project

Oh yeah, nearly forgot - my final project. Y'know, I really am not sure...without a theme, it's tough to decide on what to go on.

BUT...I've had this idea rolling around in my head a while - I want to take something video-gamey...and make it real. What I mean is, you know all those wonderful little item boxes/powerups/whatever you see in video games? Well, I LOVE to see real-world representations of those. Perhaps that is what I will do. I will recreate something from the video game world in the real physical world. Potential ideas include: a Mario Bros. "?" box, a Sonic the Hedgehog item monitor, a Mega Man e-tank...we shall see. We shall see.

Wise Fwom Your Gwave

Ah, bliss...it's just so...blissful!

It's true, I often neglect taking time for myself. It seems that if I'm not on campus, I'm either working or trying to hammer out something in Flash. Don't get me wrong - I dig my job, and Flash is a wonderful playground to toy around in. But I often forget how wonderfully refreshing it is to just do something for the sheer enjoyment of it. And so, last Tuesday I set aside some time for myself. Well to be honest, I did it Monday, too - but for just about an hour or so.

Monday, after learning of the change in class arrangements, I found myself at home alone. I worked on some Flash stuff, yadda yadda...and then I decided I was going to treat myself to a grilled cheese. And I did (one was Muenster, the other a nice provolone/tomato/basil). I also figured, what the heck - I'll have a beer, too. Okay, more like 2 or 3. Okay, 3. So...armed with some booze, grilled cheese, and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations I enjoyed an hour or so of bliss.

BUT...it didn't end there. Oh no. Tuesday night, I once again found myself a little bored with copious amounts of work looming on the horizon. Shoving thoughts of work aside (begrudgingly...I kept wanting to just touch up something here and there), I sat myself down in front of an old friend - video games. You see, I love (REALLY LOVE) video games. Everything about them - the thrill of finding a new Kirby power, the satisfaction of scoring that elusive 102% on Donkey Kong Country 2, the nerd-boner that results from whipping up a soldier equipped with both an Excalibur AND Chaos Blade in Final Fantasy Tactics...err...where was I? Oh yeah. Video games. Love 'em. In fact, I credit video games for a lot of things - improving my ability to read at an early age, expanding my knowledge on all sorts of topics from the basics of city planning (thank you SimCity) to how fucking scary it is to be chased by a lava flow (Sonic the Hedgehog's Marble Zone), and overall letting me escape when times got rough.

Unfortunately, life seems to get busier the longer it goes on. I don't find myself in front of a video game system nearly as often as I'd like to. Mega Man and Sonic, once close companions, are now more like that distant travelin' hippie cousin - rarely seen, but when he IS in town, you can bet on a night of heightened perceptions. Anyway, I did it - I sat down in front of Sega's new Ultimate Genesis Collection. And for a few hours, reliving memories of days far gone, I found a small dose of bliss.

The Class that was not Here (or There)

Ugh...wish I would have seen the announcement that we were not meeting on campus BEFORE getting there. Ahhhh well.

When some big change comes along (as in, my usual Monday routine shifts), I tend to feel off. I've fought it, and I don't feel quite as off these days as I used to, but I still feel DIFFERENT. But, as I often do when I feel a little less than usual, I sat myself down in front of a video game. And my oh my...I just picked up the Ultimate Genesis Collection on the good ol' Xbox 360 - ah, memories of that 16-bit era!

When it comes to life (and Jeet Kune Do, coincidentally) we must be like water. Able to adjust ourselves to match whatever comes to us, while still retaining enough of what we ARE.

It was actually nice to hang out at the IT building for a little bit before heading home and just talking to some people in the class. Talking is good - even when there's nothing major discussed.

I'm only now noticing how fractured and random this post is. Eh, it happens. Just goes to show my wandering thoughts.

Swishpunphweet Sweetie

Alright, so I feel that my experience with the plastic bag may have deviated somewhat from the initial intended goal, buuut...you know what? I'm fine with that.

Inspired somewhat by Evelyn Glennie, I started thinking about the various sounds of a bag. There's a potential for limitless sounds in a bag - I'm willing to bet someone could even perfect the playing of a bag into a legitimate instrument. Anyway, I decided to document a very short time with the bag using audio. As I've had experience with Flash (but not with audio), I used Flash as my tool for this experiment.

First, I used Garageband to record a minute or two of me toying around with the bag. I swiped it through the air, flicked it, punched it, twisted it, and overall mutilated the thing. I ended with forming an air pocket and popping the bag.

With my raw audio, I then sliced the clip into nine 1-2 second snippets using Audacity. Then, in Flash I formed a line of columns. As you roll from the left to the right, you hear the various sounds condensed into a sort of snapshot timeline. Though the user can always scroll to any button, you always have a general idea of WHEN the sound occurred. You know the sound in the 4th bar happened after the 3rd sound, but before the 5th.

The .swf can be found here.

On a side note, I had a parallel project running alongside the bag experiment. As I learned more about sound in Flash, and after toying with various iterations of what to do with the bag's audio, I put this together. I rather like this (probably more than I like the bag experiment), and might expand it sometime in the future.