Self-Portrait in Light Box

mostly I am returning here to review my early sustainability work.

hevent posted in ages, mostly I have been spending time with my Kid while they get ready for college. The new puppy has given the old dog a new lease on life. Like most people I have been enjoying the intensely social atmosphere on fb even as I am increasing frustrated at their insistence on shifting the very nature of that social utility.

And I miss blogging.

Lately I have been writing some, and most notably reading a lot which is new since the head injury 3 years ago. For a couple of years reading made me so sleepy it was barely possible with books, online somehow the stimulation of the presence of others would keep me more awake. Now I can read really tough material again, and I am most notable reading "The Evolution of Childhood". Its an incredible overview of development from a more physical and genetic viewpoint rather than psychological. very interesting to evaluate nurological process from a very rational studied view. It has always seemed retarded not to study the evolution of non-sexually mature humans since that is where the mechanism of becoming sexually successful takes place.

First off I learned we are called Hominins now, and secondly I have been pondering Altricality.

I am working on a Blender 3D suite textbook, and I am in the neat home stretch. Basically my most pressing obstacle is out of my way. Once it is done I will post some of the primary tutorial materials online, and this in turn will make me an official "Blender 3D educator".

Building a book is different than I thought it would be. Essentially you have to make a lot of decisions about how each individual page is going to look.

Blender is super powerful and I will be lucky if I can get really in depth in any way. Its tempting to teach it the way it developed: start with basic design and modeling, then move to animation and effects and so forth. The problem with that method is that you are teaching strange habits from the start, as if it was a medium that it is not. The idea is to utilize the unique capabilities of a digital medium while retaining a strong artistic vision and practice. Thats probably what will cause my work to stand out in any way.

Its been awhile since I posted here and I am not sure who is still around. Since the Superstruct game I must say things have been a bit of a whirlwind and quite a lot of my energy has gione into creating and managing my social network which is itself an online teahouse. Of sorts. Basically I have been reuniting the original ensemble that create the first Rennaisance Pleasure Faires and so far it has pretty much been brought about.

My attentions lately are on Architechture for Humanity and the work of Cameron Sinclair. Baasically he completely caught my attention as a like minded thinker when I heard him say the work "leapback", here is his TED talk maybe you can see why:

Soo far the best part of the superstruct game is the "21st century ideas". These are sort of like the guides and there are lots of clues there. Exreme scale collaboration is one of my very favorite, and probably the concept that I have already been exposed to and already understand.

"• Finally, the basic principles of extreme-scale engagement are beginning to emerge from the fields of game design and social network research where fun economists and fun engineers are laying out new rules of thumb for 21st Century organization. Here the drivers appear to be less economic and more concerned with the pleasures of accomplishment and feeling capable. The desire to do a good thing and the opportunity to do meaningful work are key motivations, and the best reward is often a positive emotional payoff. Perhaps most important is working the participation pyramid: not everyone will participate equally but everyone has something to offer."

OK so now I want to get my PHD in fun engineering. I really think that I have been a fun engineer since I was about fourteen.

POST-NEWTONIAN GOVERNANCE is the one that has me stumped.

Meanwhile I have just dreamed up a new project. Its called "The ten percent solution". The idea is to implore people to find a way to give ten pervent og their time to helping the small children who are the most vulnerable members of our system. The system itself is only as healthy as the weakest members, and it makes sense that the weakest members could get some aid and care from societies strongest members.

So one very cool thing in superstruct is the award badges, which are given out by a bunch of very cool it types and thinkers and which represent some excellence in the game. I am up for nomination for my Microeducation Think Tank on ning from one of my heroes Chris Anderson at Google. Please join there to continue the conversation about the ten percent solution.

join me in 2019

also I made a microeducation think tank.
It would be magnificent if you would join me there:
microeducation think tank on ning

these ideas extend beyond the gameplay.

Recently I started painting again. It has only been a few years, however the last time I stopped painting I sort of gave it up so that I would wean onto the computer somehow. It hasn't been easy for me. The computer is many things however it has never been my first choice as an artists tool. of course my first choice as an artist would be like carving solid wood instruments or something. Technically I have always been a writer and in my own estimation my skills as a visual artist are somewhat rudimentary. Painting is something I was trained to do many years ago now. This recent return is to the very start in that aI am working with watercolors. Mostly actually I am drawing with pencils and neocolorel pastels and then painting them over with water. The effect is pleasing. The work is the start of the sonceptual artwork for a game sequence that I will be using in my blender 3D book.

My trip to University recently revealed the startling fact that its been twelve years since I left on health sabbatacle. hopefully my units will turn into some sort of degree or two. In a way I look forwards to the process however totally messed up I have made it by letting it all slide I will just deal. It was clear that just keeping my own health issues on the med and raising up these kids was all ai could really handle. At this point I have got to take on more and so there you go. It will help if I can quickly move the book project forwards and become a certified Blender Instructor as well as have a nice teaching manual and along with that a decent slide lecture etc.

It feels like I have managed to add another rung or level of goodness to everything when I manage to sketch and paint on top of the physical therapy and yoga and feck. After the injury to my eyes over a year ago I have been undertaking a slow process of healing which has led me right down that path. Both my eyes tend to work together again which is a good thing. Its funny though because the sign that it was righting itself is that when my eyes gettired they both get blurry together. formerly i had one super shaarp eye (which had been badly damaged) and one doubled and or at best blurry eye (the brain hit the pavement side). Svereal times in the last few months while doing my morning swarupa yoga I have felt and heard my skull plates ppop out. With regular training and yoga it is healing bit by bit.

Its all Nuerogenesis. growing the brain.

Part of nuerogenesis is being careful to use some of my cognitive surplus in a way that will help my brain grow and cope with external stimuli. Of xcourse eating a very healthy diet and doing the proper metabolic controls like walking and yoga go a long way to helping keep that cognitive surplus zone a free play territory full of whimsy and a sort of follow-your-bliss momentum. Its amazing to me after all these years what a tremendous effort it takes to just complete the basicsw; physical therapy, darshan(self massage w oil), house yoga,sketching/painting.

In order to really have fulfilled the last category of sketching or painting I made a painting of a coke bottle. The process is meant most of all to train the eye. Importance is placed on attention to detail when drawing. Its natural and it always helps to sharpen the mind. Really the drawings are not the point at all they are simply the exercise or vehicle. If I lived in a civilised place I could get in on a life drawing session without having to drive seventy miles.

Of course its full of barbaric charms here. The crickets provide a pleasurable layered blanket of cound. they really meep along practically all day and once it gets dark they positively sing together in vast number and diverse sound. ON top of the proper sketch of an actual obkect I worked on some sewing crafting on my new raggedy ann steampunk skirt. Essentially i found some halloween costume stuff at thrift and I have been working out a very lush little skirt with lovely little flower prarie layers and polka dots and lots of little lace and trim. Rather than being dour and pale steaminess it has a bright grassy green ruffle sort of jazzing up the serious urban layers. The raggedy ann thing is very next for me (espceially since I have always patched my favorite clothes ), and I must say she was one of my very favorite book characters. I had one or two very well loved books about her and Andy's adventures. Honestly I wonder if my mom Sonia still has them.

This is my cousin Dawn, she has been like another daughter to me her whole life. We danced together at my daughter Appolonia's wedding and I stopped to make this youtube of her. Partially I made it so I could practice the steps later with Rhiannah. Rhi is dancing to the side in the red dress, and Gabrielle is also our cowgirl gypsy dancer. My uncle Sol is playing Cymbalon while Ryan plays fiddle and Bryan plays accordion. Off to the side you can see briefly David and Miko. Appolonia briefly hugs Gabby in the dark blue sweatshirt.

Rage Against The Machine in a heroic move kept singing after being booted from the stage in yet another attempted illegal supression of the expression of free speech. There have been countless here in the US in the last few weeks.

It has like a dozen or more people watching it at any time, a sure sudden of a sudden viral video.
Its very good and very inspiring.
pass it on.

rnc gets pwnd