Lytro: A Revolution of Picture

Shoot first, focus later. (Try playing on the picture below)

That's what Lytro, a technology/camera/picture format/convergence of all is all about.
A very sophisticated matrimony of tech and camera indeed,  once the camera out for sale that is.







The theory behinds it is something called Light Field, whatever that is, which will enable you to alter the focus of your digital shot at your disposal. Some other call it plenoptic camera.

Although I don't know what good that is for the professional camera-slingers a.k.a those who can focus their camera alright before they shoot, even under the danger of death, I certainly belief that it will bring much good to me.

As much as I love all products of photography, from digital to ancient black and white; from art to journalistic; from serious to downright silly, I'm not that good at taking picture...or in it as a matter of fact...

The technology and camera is the brainchild of Mr. Ren Ng, a scientist/entrepreneur/a man who can't focus his camera.

Will it be big? Sure! Judging from the greater proportion of people like me, obviously lacking in photography.skills, compared to those who are adept at shooting things with their camera. This one look promising already

Not to mention all that photo-blogging frenzy which will become even frenzier after this product is released for public.

From all the possibilities Lytro can offer, I literally drooling when imagining what impact it will bring to the field of art. If  toy cameras and the pictures they produce, as in recent years, have become such fertile soil for art, what will plenoptic cameras as such bring to photography art scenes and exhibitions. Upon my soul I swear that this will bring a whole horde of new artists and new field of digital art too...

So thanks to the Ren Ng's friend's daughter, whom he couldn't focus his camera on, which then gave him the idea of "shoot first, focus later," we get a gift, which probably is the next big thing after digital photography itself.

Nirvana: Taking Punk To The Masses

Nirvana: Taking Punk To The Masses is the name of exhibition by Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum that will exhibit Nirvana's memorabilia and "rare and unseen pieces from the band, their crews and families".

The exhibition runs from April 16, 2011- April 23, 2013.

As stated in the press release, the exhibition will include, but not limited to:

• Kurt Cobain’s never-before exhibited, high school painting of two aging, Reagan-era punks in the post-apocalypse, informally known as “punk American gothic.”
• The Teac reel-to-reel tape machine owned by Mari Earl, Cobain’s aunt, on which a young Kurt recorded material for his early bands, Organized Confusion and Fecal Matter.
• Cobain’s handwritten lyrics for Nirvana songs including “Spank Thru” and “Floyd the Barber.”
• Numerous instruments, including pieces of the first guitar Cobain destroyed onstage (a Univox Hi-Flyer); Dave Grohl’s Tama Rockstar-Pro drum kit; and Krist Novoselic’s Guild acoustic bass guitar and Buck Owens American acoustic guitar used during the recording of “MTV Unplugged.”
• The yellow cardigan worn often by Cobain between 1991 and 1994.
• The winged angel stage prop featured on Nirvana’s In Utero tour.
• Scores of candid snapshots capturing the band’s early years, from their beginnings in Aberdeen, Washington to the media frenzy that erupted after Nevermind.

As we know, Kurt Cobain died this week, 17 years ago from an alleged suicide, although some people think he was murdered.

You can't separate Kurt from Nirvana and vice versa. Speaking as a die-hard fan, Nirvana had split the world into before and after Nevermind, a status not even U2 or Pearl Jam can achieve (sorry for both band's fans, but that's the truth, man!)

Kurt Cobain. You have to either hate or love this guy. The hair metals, Axl Rose in particular, hated him because he killed their careers with his music. Teenagers love and idolize him to this day for who he was and what he'd done to music. No one would consider your rock band seriously if you don't know Nirvana in some extent and Dave Grohl's drumming in "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is still the most simple-sounded yet most difficult drumming in the history of rock n roll.

Even the most prominent Nirvana haters have to admit that no band with so troubled front man and so short of career span can last these long and  bring so massive a change the world will never be the same again.

Therefore, I guess it is safe to say that Nirvana: Taking Punk To The Masses is a long-awaited homage to Nirvana, to Kurt and to the undying spirit of punk rock and rock n roll.

I'm A Believer By The Monkees

I really like the song and the guy with the tambourine...

Elenin Comet

Sometime also called Elinin (a typo), the comet is a long period comet code-named C/2010 X1 discovered by Leonid Elenin (hence, the name) on December 10, 2010.

It will be most visible from Earth starting on 9th or 10th of September 2011 as it enters its perihelion phase (closest to the Sun) while surfing on its orbit . Recently, Elenin comet has become favorite object of the conspiracy theory lovers.  On numbers of forums, members have sounded their suspicion toward Elenin as "the bringer of disasters and turmoils" of the first trimester of 2011, from the political turmoils in Middle East and North Africa to Japan's 2011 tsunami, including the so called Earth's pole-shifting, whatever that is.

For you who interested though, you can try this link on NASA's web. It is a simulation of Elenin's orbit vis a vis Earth's and the Sun's.  Using the button you find there, try to rewind/fast forward it to 15th-18th March 2011 and 28th November 2011, respectively. You'll find that on those dates, Elinin, Earth and The Sun are in a relatively straight line. Curious, huh?

Nevertheless, I'm not an astronomy expert. So I don't really know whether the formation of a straight line between two or more heavenly bodies is a rare or common phenomena in the universe. If those conspiracy theorists are right (that the presence of the approaching Elenin comet  has somewhat triggered Earth and Earthling's condition), then God better saves us during mid-end of October 2011, where the comet is at its closest proximity to Earth.

Blogger's Dynamic View

Blogger recently has implemented major change to the way your blog can be viewed. You can access the  Dynamic View by simply adding "/view/" (without the ") to the end of the blog's URL.

There are currently 5 viewing options offered:

• Flipcard: available at [blogURL]/view/flipcard

• Mosaic: available at [blogURL]/view/mosaic

• Sidebar: available at [blogURL]/view/sidebar

• Snapshot: available at [blogURL]/view/snapshot

• Timeslide: available at [blogURL]/view/timeslide

I really think this is a cool way to enhance your reader's experience (which was also the major purpose of the Dynamic View anyway). Of course, at this state (being beta and all) there are a lot of room for improvements. Nevertheless, every big achievement started with small, simple steps as these. So, I'm looking forward to what extent Blogger and Google really intend to take these changes in time to come.

Here are examples of Dynamic View for my blog Common Copy:
Common Copy Flipcard
Common Copy Mosaic
Common Copy Sidebar
Common Copy Snapshot
Common Copy Timeslide

I really like the Flipcard and Mosaic.Which one you like the most?

The Lost Beatles Photographs

The Lost Beatles Photographs: The Bob Bonis Archive, 1964-1966

A collection of Beatles' photos during their three US tours.

The Full Moon And Uchiha: An Uncomplete Theory

I believe many of Naruto fans out there have heard about the theory (the term hypothesis will be more suffice since it hadn't been proved yet, but I'll still use "theory" for keyword's sake) of the relation between The Full Moon and Uchiha Clan's power.

Basically, the theory said that The Full Moon somehow heighten the Uchihas fighting prowess (either their ninjutsu, genjutsu, or both).

The theory is based on several shots of incidents that marked the Uchiha Clan's destiny specifically and things that marked major happenings in the Naruto Manga's storyline in more general sense.

Chronologically, that would be:

1. First, the Battle between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju (The Future Shodai-Hokage).
2. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's attack on Konoha
3. The Uchiha Clan's Massacre by Uchiha Itachi and Madara.

All happened in Full Moon nights.

There are more shots of minor incidents that further shows Full Moon, one of those is when Sasuke beat  whole lots of Ninja while being supervised by Orochimaru.

Interestingly, the Full Moon seems to affect the Senju clan also, in the same way as, if not more superior than, Uchiha. How come? Well, in cases when these two descendants fight under the full moon, Senju is always the victor, such at these :

• Full Moon was seen in the battle of The Valley Of The End between Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, where the former was the victor.

• Another Full Moon seen in the Kyuubi attack of Konoha. Yondaime (4th Hokage, a Senju) beat Madara.

I guess the most interesting prove of Full Moon effect toward a Senju was Naruto's battle against Pain. Yes, that's a full moon alright.

Kishi yet to explain this to us, but hints are abundant. It even can be traced back to the descendants of the Sage Of the Six Paths (ancestors to both Senju and Uchiha clans). They fought under the full moon in which the younger (ancestor to Senju) became the victor. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Blood Red Shoes

Blood Red Shoes

The White Stripes they ain't, Blood Red Shoes is my most recent favorite band! I mean how can you not knocked head over heels to this Brighton-based two pieces?

Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell formed the Blood Red Shoes, back in 2004 after the break-ups of their previous bands, Lady Muck and Cat On Form, respectively.

They productively released 7" vinyls before they made their first LP, titled Box of Secrets in 2008 and Fire Like This in 2010. By the way, you can read more about the band here

I've gone head over heels after I listened to their "It's Getting Boring By The Sea" which is featured in the OST of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. I know it's kinda lame way to be introduced to a particular band that way (by means of movie's soundtrack), but hey, it's a revelation, nonetheless, and I'm grateful for it.

Being a washed-up drummer like I am, I must admit that Blood Red Shoes is the band I never had. They got both the sound and attitude of the 90's, which they admit as their influence, without having the slightest obligation to really affiliate themselves with the genre.

I won't make any notion about the way they looks (I can imagine how sick and bored they are with the subject by now). Yes she is cute, and yes he is also (I guess... I've never judge a man's looks before) and they both can switch to modelling any day they want, but that's that.

More important to me is the way they made me feel. Listening to them makes me want to write my music again, listening to them have reminded me of dream long forgotten: to be heard, to inspire, to make some damage through music, for which I eternally indebted.