A surprise ending...

Start watching at around 03:00 in, and then read the article.

See-Through, Light-Transmitting Concrete

A pretty cool article about concrete embedded with optic fiber that allows light to be transmitted through it all. From dornob.com:

Concrete has a sometimes-bad reputation as a harsh, rigid, cold-to-the-touch and straight-edged material. Litracon is doing a great deal to change that image of concrete through a score of creative and sustainable applications for their patented light-transmitting concrete.

Filled with optical fibers that run from one end of a poured piece of concrete to the other, these prefabricated blocks and panels effectively transmit light from one side to the other. Colors and light remain remarkably consistent from end to end, but with a natural variation from the pouring process that actually softens the effects considerably.

The fibers can transmit light to over 50 feet and, as they occupy only a small percentage of the total concrete block or panel, they do not significantly effect the structural capabilities of the poured pieces.

One could imagine all kinds of artistic as well as functional applications for this new-and-improved form of concrete. Daylighting possibilities abound and all with potentially much lower heat loss and cost and with greater durability.

Perhaps best of all it puts another broad-ranging, highly versatile material choice in an architect’s or builder’s structural tool kit – what designers do with this solid-but-see-through substance ultimately will probably surprise us all.

The Ultimate Convertible

A Russian pilot flying a jet without a glass canopy for a film (I wonder which one!). CRAZY! From English Russia:

Those photos are real and were made during the filming of the Russian movie involving jet fighter stunts. In one episode they had to film the jet without a canopy, so rather to film it on the ground they decided to hire a high-class pilot to make a real flight without that glass thing. He had to take off a few times on such plane in order to film enough material to be included in the final footage.

“The maximum speed I achieved on the jet plane without a canopy glass was around two times greater than speed of sound. While on this speed I even managed to pull out my fingers in glove for an inch or two outside - it became heated very fast because of immense friction force plane undergoes with the air.“, writes the pilot.

“Usually such tests were conducted in winter time, so it was deadly cold without a canopy and I was pretty glad when this heating began, counting minutes before the plane would reach enough speed/velocity so that the air around becomes hot enough. But it wasn’t the main problem for me. In my personal rating of the dangers connected with such tests one of the most bad sides was the extreme roar. Because of this extreme roaring you couldn’t hear the radio so you were flying in deaf mode, you were afraid to pull throttle harder just because going faster was meaning going louder.“, he continues.

Harry Potter in Russia

Harry Potter's populartiy has sprung a lot of brazen imitators in Russia, as can be seen from this post from English Russia:

In Russia Harry Potter is popular too, in fact it was way too popular so some book publishing companies came up with their Harry Potter clones, trying to make it sound close to original even in naming the characters, so the most two popular ones were (and still are) the Porry Gatter with its first book “Porry Gatter and the Stoned Philosopher” - you can see it’s cover above, and the girlish series “Tanya Grotter” - like if Harry Potter was a girl (on the photo below).

Each series got a few sequels and got appreciated greatly by the readers.

Russian Helicopter Stunt

If this is real footage, then the chopper pilot has real brass balls. Saw the original video at English Russia, but there aren't any other details there either.

Car Handstand Fail

A guy tries to do a handstand on the trunk of his car after a running start.

Forrest Gump

in one minute and in one take:

via Cynical-C.

Eccentricity

Someone at work called me "eccentric" the other day, so I guess this is what lies in my future.



The weird thing is -- I actually DO think this is kind of awesome, LOL.

Stephen Barnett’s Photographic Sculpture

Stephen Barnett is showing his work at Papouli's (9 Hyatt Street) through until September 30, 2009. Stephen is an artist and a friend from Staten Island, so if you have some time, go show some love! Here is an example of his work, and the related press release:

25 Years: Photography and Sculpture Alike

Staten Island, New York: August 3, 2009 -Papouli’s, (9 Hyatt Street), is pleased to present Stephen Barnett’s quarter-century culminated thesis works of, Photographic Sculpture; which are manifestations of the symbiotic relationship between realism and formalism. These works play with the three-dimensional quality of a two-dimensional world. The exhibition will continue through until September 30, 2009.

This commemorative hallmark of Mr. Barnett’s work as an artist honors his perseverance in forging a new syntax into the language of visual art. These exhibited works represent his interpretation regarding, “the art of symbiosis; with nature and humanity both holding the familiarity that ultimately grounds the work,” said Mr. Barnett. “I begin with traditional Black and White film, processing, and printing of Silver-Gelatin Prints, which are the realist elements of the relationship. I then juxtapose the mounted and framed images with gestures of lattice-cut Poplar wood, then usually incorporate found objects, such as: rusted nails, bent wire, and hairpins. Occasionally, I will include a touch of color to draw a line or to highlight. These, ‘added materials,’ are the formalist elements, which spark a harmonized relationship between themselves and the traditional photographed images,” said Mr. Barnett. As a result, his work reminds us of the sentiment within the symbiotic relationship between Yin and Yang.

The project is made possible in part by a Staten Island Creative Communities Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, and with public funding from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Some Tusk Art

A collection of art carved from various types of tusks from an article in Magazine 13:

Great Creations Of Bento Food Art

Pictures of Bento Boxes that have had their food more artistically arranged. From an article in Magazine 13:

Death of a Spider

Opportunities for Art in Stalled Sites

With many buildings slowed down or outright canceled by the economic downturn, there are a lot of vacant lots. Rather than leave these as scars in an urban context, some people have been proposing that they be used for interim art installations. One of these is a Sebastapol artist Ned Kahn who wants to turn an empty construction site at 535 Mission St. in San Francisco (one of the hardest hit markets for construction and development), now covered by gravel, into what he calls "Memory of Water" -- a lake bed of sorts, created by shimmering metal discs.



Kahn glimpsed the 535 Mission parcel, "the white field reminded me of Mono Lake ... what a cool opportunity to squander the better part of a city block on something useless but glimmering, for reasons of beauty and aesthetics."

This impulse translated into a scheme that would take the concave concrete seal on the excavated site and use it as the frame for what Kahn likens to "a trampoline for the wind, a soft and compliant surface."

Hooks along the perimeter of the cap would support a taut net of thin steel cables; that delicate grid in turn would brace a field of grainy metal discs that move independent of one another, the shimmer from a passing breeze likely to ripple across the rectangular lot.

The concept is distilled yet alive, one that if constructed would offer an ethereal counterpoint to the financial district swirl. And not just for pedestrians: "It'd be very entertaining for all the people in the buildings that look down" on the site, Kahn said. "There are a lot of eyes up there."

John Pugh's Trompe l'oeil Murals

Some of these murals definitely fooled me! I particularly like the quote in the article that said firemen rushed to save the children from the wave before realizing it was a painting. That is verisimilitude! Taken from an article in The Daily Mail.
----------
At first glance, it looks as if some natural disaster has shaken away the walls of these buildings to reveal architecture hidden for thousands of years.
And at second and third glance, it looks like that too.
But these spectacular images are not the unexpected result of an earthquake.

Treasure trove: An Egyptian style mural adorns a wall in Los Gatos, California. Pugh paints people into the mural to heighten the 3D effect

Greek tragedy: But the Doric-style columns apparently exposed in this university hall are nothing but paint.

The incredibly lifelike scenes are actually huge works of art, painted on the side of perfectly intact buildings. Even that woman peering into the ruin above is not real.

The paintings, which have fooled many, were created by John Pugh, who specializes in trompe l'oeil - or 'trick of the eye' - art. He uses his skills to delude the viewer into seeing 3D scenes painted on flat surfaces. The Californian-born artist said: 'It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked.'

His works can been seen all over the world, including in the artist's home state. The 'earthquake' work shown here is located on Main Street in the town of Los Gatos and was created following a genuine earthquake in 1989. The temple-like interior apparently exposed features jaguar gods, regarded as the creators of earthquakes by the Mayans.

Wonder wave: John Pugh's Mana Nalu mural in Honolulu. Fire crews rushed to save the children from the mighty wave - before realizing it was an optical illusion

Blurring the lines: A mural entitled Art Imitating Life Imitating Art Imitating Life, at the Cafe Trompe L'oeil, in San Jose, California

Another picture is of Taylor Hall at the California State University, Chico, where Pugh studied. The mural features Doric-style Greek columns behind the seemingly shattered wall and is called Academe.

Another work, featuring a colossal wave about to crash on to a pavement in Honolulu, Hawaii, took two months of studio work to plan and a further six months to execute with the help of 11 other artists. Queen Lili'uokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands with Duke Kahanamoku - the ultimate father of surf. The scene is so realistic that just as it was near completion, it attracted the attention of the fire brigade, which stopped its truck in the middle of traffic. Mr Pugh said: ''They jumped out to rescue the children in the mural. They got about 15 feet away and then doubled over laughing when they realized what it was.'

Having a cow: Valentine's Day, a mural unveiled during the Global Mural Conference in Twentynine Palms, California

Trick of the eye: John inserts a passer-by into the mural painted in Santa Cruz, California, entitled Bay in a Bottle, who is watching the ocean scene

Take a pew: This looks like a nice spot to rest your weary feet on a sidewalk in Sarasota County Health Center, Florida

Artist's impression: John Pugh hard at work. He is currently working on murals for a police station in California and a recreation centre in Calgary, Canada.

This is the desired effect and Pugh enjoys the community-bonding properties of his public works. He works on a large scale in public and residential areas and his paintings can be seen all over the world from New Zealand to Hawaii - with many telling a story of the area where they are positioned.

Pugh is used to people's amazed reactions when they pass his murals. He said: 'They say "wow did you see that. I thought that was real."

'Public art can link people together and stimulate a sense of pride within the community. These life-size illusions allow me to communicate with a very large audience. It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked.'

Pugh is currently working on a mural for a police station in California and also one for a recreation centre in Calgary, Canada.

Typography for Lawyers

I have always enjoyed typography, and am a closet collector, and some times even a designer, of fonts. Typography for Lawyers is a great introduction to typography for those who have never really thought about how they construct their documents and how to improve relaying your message to your audience through something as simple as font choice and proper typography. It covers such personal pet peeves things as why no one should double space after periods anymore, why typing in all caps is bad and making that bold is worse, and many more. Highly recommended site for everyone, not just lawyers.

A Wedding Processional

A video of a fun wedding processional (Chris and Jullie, take note!).

And the Award for Best Opening Page of a Novel

goes to:



via Cynical-C and The Best Article Every Day.

A Home Cooked Meal for the Family

Until now, my blog hasn't shown much of my deep interest in cooking. Those who know me, know that I love to eat as well as cook, and I wanted to share the menu, and some pictures of the meal I made for my family this past Sunday. I hope also to post more of my eating and cooking adventures here in the future.

Having traveled widely, and being fortunate enough to live in New York, I have experienced a great deal of good food, and from that I became interested in cooking early on. A few times a year, though less frequently in the last few years because I haven't had the facilities to do so, I come up with a gourmet meal that pushes my abilities to cook, plate and serve a meal that aims to come as close to a high end restaurant meal as possible.

In the past, these meals have ranged from parties with as many as 16 diners with lots of "flair" (custom hand made invites and menus, floral arrangements, specialized place settings, etc.) to something far more intimate like the one this past Sunday with just my nuclear New York family where the other restaurant trappings are discarded and the focus is solely on the food.

We started off with three small dishes, really each an hors d’oeuvres / amuse bouche. The first was a variation of a dish created by José Andrés of Zaytinya in Washington, DC called "Pinchitos de tomate con sandia 'Ferran Adria'” or "Tomato and Watermelon Skewers 'Ferran Adria'."

As the name of the recipe states, the dish was itself inspired by Andrés' mentor, Ferran Adria, the chef at El Bulli in Spain and a pioneer in the world of molecular gastronomy. I put the dressing for these skewers in plastic pipettes, so that my diners could squeeze it into their mouths after first getting an uninterupted taste of the watermelon and tomato "filets" (the gelatinous seed packets that were bursting with tomato flavor).

The skewers were followed by Panko Crusted Meatballs Stuffed with Foie Gras.

These tasty mouthfuls were quite a crowd pleaser, though they did not quite meet my standards in terms of execution and presentation. in the future, I need to increase the heat during frying so that less of the foie gras dissolves before it is cooked, and I might consider dipping the meatball into a second coat of panko. I would also prefer these be served on a skewer for easier handling. For a first try though, they turned out well enough.

The last of the amuse bouche was a dish called Bacon and Eggs, which is a surprisingly simple dish from Thomas Keller's French Laundry.

The dish is a simple mouthful of just a soft poached quail egg, some bacon, and a little brunoise (a micro-dice of carrots, turnips and leeks) all arranged on a spoon, and yet the taste is quite magical.

Another celebrity chef in the world of molecular gastronomy is Grant Achatz of the Chicago restaurant Alinea. I had the good fortune of dining there a couple of years ago, and it is a truly amazing experience which challenges a diner's very concept of how and what to eat to the edge. A more luxurious version of this soup, called Hot Potato Cold Potato, is served at Alinea where they have the ability to make the soup with a base of black truffle stock, and serve with a bit of black truffle, all arranged and served on custom made serving pieces.

I was unable to find fresh black truffle at several of the gourmet stores I went to when shopping for this meal (it's the Great Recession, stupid!), so I substituted a fresh Morel mushroom from Oregon instead. What is not clear from the picture is that the cold soup, a truffled mushroom and potato cream, is served with a hunk of black truffle butter which is under the cube of Parmasean cheese at the center of the photo. The hot potato spheres provide a surprising contrast in temperature for the diner.

Somewhat unusually, I chose to stick fairly closely to published recipes for this meal rather than come up with original recipes, in part because I had a limited amount of time to come up with my menu. However, the next course was something that I put together myself after refining the recipe from a dinner for my mother's friends in St. Petersburg, FL. This dish, Diver scallops with caramelized banana, bacon, thyme, smoked sea salt and grapefruit, is seen here before the final presentation was put together.

I have had a healthy interest in smoking things over the last few years, and one of the new toys that I came across recently is called The Smoking Gun made by a company called PolyScience. The compact handheld unit allows you to create a good quantity of smoke to apply directly to foods. I used the unit to add a bit of extra smokiness to this dish as well as a good deal of drama and diner interaction by pumping smoke into a glass dome (a.k.a. an inverted wine glass) that covered the scallop before serving.

I like the fact that the diner is presented with a dish that is at first shielded from full view by the shroud of smoke under the glass, then is treated to a burst of smoke for the senses when the uncover the dish to reveal what is inside, and finally gets to taste the flavor of the smoke as a part of the dish. As a personal recipe, the dish still requires a good deal more refining, but it was definitely coming closer to what I wanted. My uncle mentioned that this was like a genie in a bottle, which is an interesting idea for a name for the dish.

The next course was a Roulade of Duck Breast with Creamed White Sweet Corn and Morel Mushroom Sauce, another French Laundry recipe, which I very much enjoyed. The photo shows the dish just before it was finished with a glaze and some black Hawai'ian sea salt.

The dish was simple in its ingredients, pleasing to the eye, and tasted fantastic, with lots of good contrast in flavors.

For the next course, I made a small portion of Seared Salmon with Salmon Skin Chicharon that was based on something I had tried well over a decade or more ago from Chef Michael Trama.

At this point, dinner was to continue with the final course, Porcini Encrusted Lamb, but even with the far smaller portions that I had prepared compared to what I would prepare for other parties, my diners were already quite satiated, so I skipped this course (more for me over the next few days!). It is interesting to note that our family, a family known for its great appetites, has matured and continues to winnow down portion sizes as we all are increasingly conscious of our health.

No meal would be complete without a salad, but rather than the normal leafy greens, I wanted to use it as a palate cleanser between the main course and dessert.

To that end I presented my guests with this frozen salad of spinach, romaine lettuce, and arugula with a sherry and walnut vinaigrette. This tart entre'act definitely cleansed the palate quickly, but also challenges everything you know and expect from a salad from its ice cold temperature, to it crunchy crystal texture.

To bring the meal to a close I served a Chocolate meringue cake with Rose Cream andRose Granitas.

In terms of presentation, this was the dish I was least happy with. The flavors in the dessert were astounding, but to me the dish needs some serious revamping to make it as pleasing to the eye as it was to the palate. In making the dish however, I did gain quite a bit of knowledge about what is possible with and how to handle chocolate couveture.

In making dessert I also encountered an interesting thing: Heavy Cream that fails to whip into whipped cream. After searching around the internet a little, apparently this is something that happens. There seems to be no real idea why this occasionally happens, though some posit that it happens more with ultra-pasteurized heavy cream. I checked the carton yesterday, and sure enough it was ultra-pasteurized, though that is not enough to convince me that that is the issue. The brand, Tuscan, is one I haven't used before for heavy cream, but it didn't look like there should have been an issue.

My guests enjoyed the meal, both in terms of taste, and in terms of being entertained by the novelty of many of the dishes. Watching them be entertained by the final preparation of the dishes in the kitchen and then enjoying the results at the table was a great reward for me, and made all the hard work definitely worth the while!