Don't Let Israel Drag US Into War With Iran

The author is very concerned with the recent escalation of events around the Iranian nuclear program. It's been hard to miss, as the rhetoric ratchets-up and saber rattling intensifies. Make no mistake about it. War with Iran would be a serious mistake, a strategic miscalculation that looks to plunge the Middle East into regional conflagration. Not a good idea from any point-of-view. Here's an interview with Britain's Defense Minister on the subject conducted by The Economist. If you share this concern, consider contacting your federal legislators and letting them know. We don't need this war now, not when we've just wound-up a disastrous campaign in Iraq and are bogged-down in an increasingly unwinnable war in Afghanistan. Not when our own economy is reeling. This is not worth American blood or treasure.

The Farmer Who Beat Monsanto

I rarely include audio programs as part of this blog, but I'm making an exception for this one. It's worth a listen to hear the story of the only farmer who has actually prevailed over mega agri-giant Monsanto in a court of law.

Listen to internet radio with The Organic View on Blog Talk Radio

SAAB Automobiles RIP | 1950 - 2011

Famously born from jet fighter planes, one of the quirkiest, most geeky car companies ever gave it up today. And it was a sad thing.

Sweden's SAAB Automobiles was not, after much time and effort, capable of sustaining its business model nor putting together the kind of deal to keep the company afloat in hard times. Management was in talks with potential Chinese white knights until the last possible moment. Then it all collapsed and the world lost a great and storied auto maker.

The author adored the 1976, red turbo 99 that graced more than one driveway for almost a decade. That was one wonderful car, one of the first to deploy a turbocharger, and a joy to drive and to look at.

So sure-footed on any kind of terrain. So nimble in the turns. So freaking much fun to drive. I can't tell you how many times that car got me out of nasty, slushy snow; or how it could virtually ford small streams. When on a skiing trip to Vail, Colorado, it was not surprising to find the local constabulary equipped with SAAB police cruisers. Uh-huh. That's right.

The best SAAB memory that remains with me these many years later, is driving all day through the southern Oregon forest and finding ourselves at dusk on an unmarked timber road.  But hey, we had the SAAB. No problem.

Celtic Classics

This is the music of my ancestors. Celtic Song. From my personal Youtube channel, this playlist represents my favorites from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the USA.

The very best place to hear true, roots Celtic music in the Western Hemisphere is at the annual Celtic Colours festival held every Oct. on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island.

A previous series of posts, here and here, document the author's last visit to the festival. The opening video of this playlist features the Beaton Sisters, from a legendary, Cape Breton Island family. It's families like the Beaton's the Rankin's, the MacMasters and the MacGillivray's that are keeping the sound alive and updated.

The Beaton Sisters' Celtic Colours performance below was conducted sometime after midnight on the stage of the Nova Scotia's Gaelic College - the only Gaelic-language college in the Western Hemisphere. It is traditional for most of the musicians who've performed on any day of the week-long festival to cap-off the day with a rousing late-night appearance at the College.  The second video features the very exciting 13 year old Kathleen Gorey-MacSorley. Natalie MacMaster, also from Cape Breton Island, better watch out!




In addition to selections from Celtic Colours, this extensive playlist features a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional Celtic music artists. Young Scot, Julie Fowlis and Irish diva Cara Dillion get special attention and a number of videos each - as they are personal favorites.  But traditionalists won't be disappointed with the likes of Paul Brady, Dougie MacLean, Sean Keane and others. There is no shortage of Jigs, Reels, Strathpeys and waltzes in this, 70-clip playlist. So if you love fiddle, strings, pipes and Sharon Shannon's Concertina, this is the place for you. Comments are encouraged.

Just What Is SteamPunk?

The author's latest passion is for all things "steampunk." Movies, animations, books, music and fashion - all now have steampunk sub-genres. If you love science fiction, brass, leather, fine-wood and all things mechanical, it's like being a kid in a candy store.

There have been a number of attempts to properly define the movement, and many have fallen short. Just what is steampunk?  And where did it come from?   What's up with the whole "Victorian" thing? The video below is one of the best explanations to date.


So Steampunk is a movement loosely organized around retro-science fiction and fantasy expressed through the style, materials and craftsmanship of the Victorian era. Nowhere has that fantasy world been better captured than in the radical MASKS associated with the genre.

 

Ukrainian artist Bob Basset is the most celebrated.  The author's favorite blog, Boing Boing, has done a fine job of covering Basset's work here and here.

Steampunk has definitely had an impact on fashion. The melding of fantasy Victorian with modern-day technologies - as the Victorians would have implemented them - creates an irresistible science fiction palate that is well-exploited by contemporary fashionistas.

 

 

One of the best media for Steampunk themed storytelling is animation. And the seminal animated short film in that regard (author's opinion) is "The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello." A personal favorite, included below.

"A Gentleman's Duel" is another, outstanding animation - recently voted to the YouTube "recommended" list.

Finallly, Steampunk has had a profound affect on music that we're likely to see more of as this movement continues to catch on. Abney Park is the Author's personal favorite Steampunk band. They're the whole package.

When I was a boy, my father was a devoted deep-sea fisherman. He had an all-wood construction fishing boat that slept four. Among his collection of nautical instruments, he had one of those great metal and glass compasses in a wooden box with metal screws. It was mounted inside on it's own cool frame and the top of the box was lined with purple silk inscribed in gold thread. It made quiet an impression on me. He also had one of those bulky but very cool wrist compasses, with a weathered, leather strap. Steampunk makes me feel like I did then, handling his mechanical treasures. Just like I did the first time I saw Captain Nemo's fantastic ship in the early 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea film; or, watched the original Dune.

Diddly - The Ultimate Trivia Game

Trilobyte Games is pleased to present Diddly, the ultimate digital trivia game for dedicated trivia buffs (triviots). We've been wanting to make this game for a long-time, and Apple's iOS devices are the perfect platform for our vision. The crew at Trilobyte is thrilled to be working on this project.

We're bringing it to our friends, colleagues & fans so you can decide whether it is worthy of your support. This time, we're not involving the VC or Angel investor communities in funding the development of a serious & cool new title.  We're counting on new (and unannounced) collaboration agreements with exciting partners to bring this title to market.

Development of Diddly from Trilobyte Games is already underway. Not just another trivia game, Diddly will fill the void in the mobile applications market for a high quality, smart and well produced trivia challenge. We believe that the key to a successful trivia game is extremely clever and witty questions - presented in an attractive, simple and user friendly way – that are challenging, yet remain accessible by all demographic groups. A trivia game for “real” trivia buffs who enjoy wrapping their minds around double entendre, sub-text and subtlety. If that’s you, Diddly is your game.  By pledging today, you’ll help make this game a reality; and, you’ll join with other, literate triviots in a new community designed specifically for you.  That’s how we roll at Trilobyte Games.  For example:

Diddly can be played solo, face to face, or remotely via the Internet. Players play a common game with the iPad used for the main display and each using his or her own iPhone or iPad. Those with an Apple TV can use the television as the main display and their own mobile devices for individual input. We call this, Party Mode.

Trivia packs will be sold in-app or via iTunes. Regular, new packs will be thematically based by general categories, age levels and special interests. All will feature Diddly’s signature wit & subtlety.

Diddly's cool features:

●     Multiplayer capability: up to 4 players, either face-to-face or via the Internet

●     Use of individual iPhones as input controls (Bluetooth buzzers)

●     The game is hosted by the “Host.” He reads all the questions, explains the answers, prompts the Players and guides them through the game - adding personality and pressure

●     Special visual and audio trivia to enhance the gaming experience

●     Wagering and Categories with “virtual” currency

●     Bonus lightning round to win extra money and achievement points

●     Diddly will be distributed free, or at $1 price point combined with...

●     In-app purchase of thematic trivia packs (Movies, Sports, The 60s, and many more)

●     Trivia packs also available by difficulty levels (Kids, Family, Smarty Pants, Mensa)

Gameplay

The iPad is used for main game board display. Display can be directed to television via Apple TV.

Players

Up to 4 can play. Play is either face to face or via the Internet.

The Host
The game is hosted by a TV-style “Host.” He reads all the questions, explains the answers, prompts the Players and guides them through the game. 

Regular Round
One game consists of a round of nine trivia questions. The winner of the round moves on to play the Boner Round.

Each question is assigned a money value, from $500 to $1,000 for the first question, with each subsequent question increasing the value by a factor of .5. Money values are determined by subjective difficulty level rating by authors and editors.

The question is read aloud by the “Host.” When the reading is complete, the possible answers are revealed and the timer starts. Players have 12 seconds to answer the question by simply tapping one of four possible answers at the bottom of the screen. If a Player answers correctly, he/she wins the money and that question is complete. If a Player answers incorrectly, the money value of the question is deducted from Player's total score and that answer is removed from the screen. The remaining Players have the opportunity to answer.

After each question, an explanation of the answer is given by the “Host.” 

Timer
Players have 12 seconds to answer a question. Adding a visual prompt, and a sense of urgency…an answer timer bar (Tempus Fuggit) starts off as green and decreases in length, letter by letter, while turning to yellow/orange and then to red. 

Pause
Between questions, players may pause the game by pressing the Pause/Play toggle button. 

Audio & Visual Trivia

In each Regular Round, there will be a Visual Question, and an Audio Question.

Bet Your Bippy

The last question of each Regular Round will allow the Players to wager game money on their answer. This is similar to Final Jeopardy. This will give Players a chance to increase their lead, or take the lead if they are behind so that they can play the Boner Round. First, the category is given and Players who have money are eligible to play. They may bet any amount - up to the amount of the Player with the most money. If they guess correctly, they win the amount of money they have wagered. If they guess incorrectly, they lose the amount of their wager. There is no reward for being first to answer. All participating Players have the full 20 seconds to choose their answer after the question is read.

Boner Round

The Player with the most money at the end of a Regular Round wins that round and moves on to play a Boner lightning round in order to win more money.

A Boner Round consists of 10 questions for which there are only two possible answers. (Therefore,Yes/No questions are one form that can be used here) Boner questions are a little more Straightforward and presented very quickly.

Presentation is a little different. Questions come out at you and fade away, accompanied by pulse pounding music. Player has 5 seconds to answer each one.

Each question is worth 10% of Player’s final Regular Round winnings. A correct answer adds to Player's total score from the Regular Round. Money values are deducted from Player's total for
incorrect answers. (Therefore it is possible to lose money playing the Boner Round).
The completion of the Boner Round ends the game.

What features make Diddly different from other trivia apps on the market?

• Multiplayer capability: up to 4 players, either face-to-face or via the Internet
• Use of individual iPhones/iPods as buzzer and game controller
• Use iPad or HDTV as main game display board
• Special visual and audio trivia for added multi-media fun


Wagering with “virtual” Diddly currency for strategic gambling
Bonus lightning round to win extra money and achievement points
• Diddly will be distributed free, or at $1 price point combined with...
• Ttrivia packs available separately by category (Movies, Sports, The 60s, etc.) and/or by skill level (Kids, Family, Smarty Pants, Mensa)

RIP Steve Jobs

Trilobyte's RUMI Project

The Poetry of

Jalaluddin Rumi

An appBooktm

from

Trilobyte Games, LLC

Introduction

September 30 is the anniversary of the birth of Rumi, one of the great spiritual poets of all history and the best selling poet in the United States. Born in what is modern-day Afghanistan, Rumi fled through Persia to Turkey ahead of the Mongol hoards that later conquered all of Central Asia. Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi is credited as being the greatist dervish of all.

Sufi dervishes use sacred dance and meditation to connect with and to channel the love of God.

 

Recently, Turkey and Central Asia, where Dervishes continue to whirl in meditative dance to the sacred music of the region, declared 2007 the "Year of Rumi." (image: Rumi's Tomb, Turkey) But most of us know Rumi from his poems, which often focus on love and always reflect insight and an appreciation for great beauty.  This proposed appBook from Trilobyte Games will be our homage to the great poet, to nature, and to love itself. 

go my friend
bestow your love
even on your enemies
if you touch their hearts
what do you think will happen?

Ghazal 838

appBook design notes....

Since Rumi is the best selling poet in the US market virtually every year, there is no shortage of print volumes of his work. Thus, this iDevice appBook will enhance the user experience by combining stunning design; rich media including audio, video & animation; and, technology-driven tools like bookmarks, narration on demand, search and annotation as indicated and appropriate.  For a look at what we have in mind, check out this demo of the "Annotated Alice in Wonderland" that our team developed for W. W. Norton Publishing.

Popular Persian (based in Toronto) band, Niyaz, has agreed to compose original music for the appBook. Fronted by the educated, young & multilingual Azam Ali, Niyaz is very popular on the “worldbeat” scene, as well as with key target audiences for this title/product.  As with many poets (Scottish bard Bobby Burns comes to mind), Rumi’s work has been used as song lyrics for centuries. The addition of Niyaz (Wikipedia) to the equation will make this appBook really pop. It will be a real differentiator, and will drive sales on its own merit.

Other “enhancements” include the presentation of representative pieces of historic, “silk road” artists....some of which are depicted in this document. There is a wealth of fabulous, public domain art available to producers in that regard.

We are currently reaching out to two, highly credentialed academics who specialize in the poetry of Rumi. One in the USA, one in Turkey. We intend to evaluate the value added by collaborating with these recognized experts, and the potential to have them narrate and interpret the material for our users. Both are capable of narrating in at least two languages.

 

You who are not kept anxiously awake for love's sake, sleep on.
 

In restless search for that river, we hurry along;
  you whose heart such anxiety has not disturbed, sleep on.
 

Love's place is out beyond the many separate sects;
  since you love choosing and excluding, sleep on.
 

Love's dawn cup is our sunrise, his dusk our supper;
  you whose longing is for sweets and whose passion
 is for supper, sleep on.
 

In search of the philosopher's stone, we are melting like copper;
  you whose philosopher's stone is cushion and pillow, sleep on.
 

I have abandoned hope for my brain and head; you who wish for
  a clear head and fresh brain, sleep on.
 

I have torn speech like a tattered robe and let words go;
  you who are still dressed in your clothes, sleep on.     

Ghazal 314
Translated by Jack Marshall

Coffeehouse Press, October 1986

If I was not so pitifully in love

                       

I wouldn't then be standing at your door.

                       

Don't say, "Go away, don't stand at my door!"

                       

I wouldn't exist, my dear, if I didn't stand here.

#1923

God forbid I'd compare the moon to your face

                       

Or the tall cypress to your stature and grace.

                       

Where in the moon are ruby sweet lips to be found?

                       

What cypress sways with the luminous grace of your ways?

#1845

Ah, what was there in the light-giving candle that it set fire to the heart; and snatched the heart away?

You who have set fire to my heart, I am consumed, O friend; come quickly, quickly!

The form of the heart is not a created form, for the beauty of God manifested itself from the cheek of the heart.

I have no succour save in his  sugar, I have no profit save in his lips.

Remember him who one dawn released the heart of mine from the chain of your trees.

My soul, the first time I saw you my soul heard something from your soul.

When my heart drank water from your fountain it drowned in you, and the torrent snatched me away.

World Cup of Tango

Wait. What?? There's a "World Cup" of Tango? How totally awesome and unexpected is that?



Here's my personal "Tango" playlist from the Pop Impulse YouTube Channel. You knew we had a YouTube channel, right?

Growth of Social Media Infographic

There's been a lot of talk about the growth and significance of social networking. The new, technology-driven communications and connectivity platforms are indeed very powerful phenomenon that changes culture from the bottom up. It is impossible to argue with the rapid growth and utilization of Facebook, Google+, Linked-In, Twitter and other related online services.  I personally love Infographics. Here's a good one that explains where we at with the growth and expansion of SOCIAL NETWORKS.  (Apologies, nothing is wrong with your eyes. Readers will need to click on the image to read it.)



Source: The Growth of Social Media: An Infographic

Trilobyte Games Update

Living with a high-tech startup is like having a rambunctious toddler around. 24/7. Insanely crazy. While Summer sales have suffered from vacations & distracted consumers, the Trilobyte Games' crew has been busy getting our traveling dog-and-pony show ready for Portland and then the "bigs" on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park (see previous post). We've also been hard at work planning new games; working on an appBook (tm) publishing plan; and, talking to authors, illustrators, artists and other content developers about collaboration. I'll have some news in that regard in just a few weeks. But back to our current, late-Summer efforts....

We've added Portland to our road-trip, because it is emerging as the minor-league farm club for a lot of well known venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. We're considering a stop in Rose City at Weiden Kennedy, a full-service digital ad agency that is hosting a newly constituted business incubator. And we'll likely get Caroline Cummings of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network involved if she's in town.  I'm making appointments this week for meetings over the next couple of weeks. After Labor Day, we're planning to finally get down to Menlo Park.


As a function of our search, we've joined AngelList. It appears to be a wonderful, online resource for startups in our position, though that remains to be seen. I'll be reporting on our activities in this space over the next few weeks.



#business #TrilobyteGames #CarolineCummings #WeidenKennedy #gaming #games

Start Up Challenges & The Road to Menlo Park

As many of my readers know, I am a co-founder and the C.O.O. of Trilobyte Games, LLC. Trilobyte develops and publishes digital, entertainment software (games, movies & appBooks) for Apple's hand-held mobile devices. With over 500 million iPhones, iPod Touch devices and iPads in the market, there is no shortage of potential customers. That's why we're there. But I can tell you that operating in Apple's eco-system is a challenge, and starting up as a bootstrapped, self-funded venture is even more challenging. 

In 1992, Trilobyte introduced one of the first two PC games that pioneered full-motion-video: "The 7th Guest." 2 million copies sold at $79.95, grossing approximately  $150 million. After that launch, which drove CD-ROM hardware sales, Trilobyte introduced a sequel: the "11th Hour."The company was dissolved by the two co-founders to pursue other projects. 

Co-founder Rob Landeros went on to produce the industry's first interactive film, Tender Loving Care (TLC) starring John Hurt, with Aftermath Media in 1995.

Last year, Landeros invited me and my colleague John Fricker to join him and re-organize Trilobyte Games, LLC; to bring "The 7th Guest" (T7G), the 11th Hour and other properties to hand-held devices. He proposed we build the content development/production studio of the future.

We self-funded and launched T7G in Dec. 2010, followed-up by the launch of "The 7th Guest: Infection," built from the ground-up for iOS, this Spring. Now we're ready to develop and release "The 7th Guest III: The Collector," a 13-episode prequel that ties the story of Stauf, the mansion and our brand all together. It will feature video, audio, an original score and a stunning environment, along with the mind-bending puzzles we're known for.

We've learned a few things since our Dec. launch. Like how to survive in the Apple eco-system. We've also discovered that we have a strong brand and a loyal fan-base who are anxious for us to succeed. We've updated our web site; built a Facebook page with over 1,000 likes; a branded YouTube channel; and, we've got five Twitter accounts. With resources and networks in place, we're ready to scale our venture up to execute our ambitious content development and market penetration plans.

We've also learned that entertainment software is about more than games; it's about interactive, multimedia content designed to play across the entire spectrum of available devices.  In that regard, we've inked an agreement with Aftermath to port TLC to the iPad and other tablets; and we've got more interactive movies in our queue. We're also talking to a variety of authors, including graphic novel creators, about co-developing what we're calling appBookstm - literature & entertainment 2.0.  Our intent is to offer a comprehensive product line featuring titles in each of these categories: digital games, interactive movies and books.

We are looking to raise $1.5 million to fund our vision.  That figure covers the development of our new games, the port of TLC to the iPad and our first few appBook offerings.  So we're on our way to Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, the home of Silicon Valley's largest cluster of Venture Capitalists, Angels and investment bankers.  I'll be posting progress notes here from time-to-time.

Uncontacted Uncontaminated

This video really touched me on so many levels. Did you see Avatar? We can go to the movies and cheer for the pure, indigenous natives while at the same time our own real-world drama is unfolding in the Brazilian rain forest. What you'll see, if you chose to watch, is important in the overall scheme of things. I'm confident that you'll see that too, in spite of all the noise from the pop culture world. Via Jenn at Sealegs. Thanks, Jenn... for posting this video.

A Mix of Art and Technology

What do you get when you mashup art, technology, and a room full of geeks? Some mind-boggling eye-candy for starters. Participants in these visual and musical flights of fancy come from the computer art subculture. They spend their days producing demos, writing CGI scripts, laying out design; and generally playing with sound, image and page layout.  When they get really creative, at all-night parties on the fifth floor of the annual Notacon show, this is the result.


Critical Glitch Artware Category .doc[umentary] from Nick Briz on Vimeo.

AfroPop is Awesome

I'm going to plug my personal YouTube Channel, also called Pop Impulse, with this AfroPop Playlist. It's one of my biggest, and I'm proud of the variety I've been able to uncover and collect. This is why I love YouTube. The Pop Impulse channel has 16 playlists, and about 450 videos. That number changes as I remove vids that are taken down by DMCA notices and add new favorites. I try to change the "featured" video that graces the channel homepage a couple of times a week, so there's always some variety for users. If you head on by and like what you see & hear, please subscribe and leave me a comment.  A couple of years ago, I wrote an extensive post on African music, tracing the origins of my interest. It's here.

Raising A Yurt

We recently raised a Yurt on our property to house my youngest daughter and her new family. The work was largely carried out by her SO, his family, a few volunteers, and a few paid tradespersons. The Yurt itself was produced by the country's leading manufacturer of these age-old structures: Pacific Yurts of Cottage Grove, Oregon. It's a peach, a totally wonderful space that shows off the fine materials and construction of the product. Here's what "Campground Management" magazine had to say about the manufacturer.

"In the nearly 30 years since Bair founded his company, Pacific Yurts has maintained its status as the world's leading yurt manufacturing company by continuously implementing technical and structural advancements, adding innovative options and remaining committed to unrivaled customer service." 

 Technically, a Yurt is a temporary, above-ground recreational structure. As such, they are normally afforded special treatment by county permitting and assessing professionals. That can be important. The structures have a history dating back to the Mongolian steppes. Due to their creative design, refined over the years, they can withstand virtually any weather short of exceptional storms like tornadoes and hurricanes. They are relatively easy to raise, and can be dismantled when no longer needed.

There are several notable characteristics of our Yurt. The lattice-like framing that adds so much strength. Augmented by high-tech fabrics and highly refined design. We opted for the heavy weather kit, which added some upright 2X4 supports reinforced with a clever cabling scheme and stout fitting.

The windows are zipped up, the top piece of the dome can be raised from inside to facilitate ventilation. The front door is framed and features a quality lock. We highly recommend Yurts to our friends and families. So far, the structure has proved to be even better than anticipated. Yeah. And it looks so cool.

Does Twitter Make Better Writers?

As anyone who reads my blog already understands, I'm in a long-term love relationship with words. So I tend to be a bit self-indulgent and verbose. I struggle daily with my ongoing weaknesses in that regard. As a mind-worker and wordsmith by trade, I even confess to an affection for semi-colons and proper grammar. Old school? Perhaps, but as I tell my daughters: If you know how to write clearly and compellingly you'll never want for a job.

A Twitter power-user (@DonCarlitos), I'm struck with the potential the micro-blogging service has for improving writing skills in general. Twitter requires users to cram meaning into 140 characters. A good thing, and a lesson in concise language and brevity. 

In 1918, William Strunk, a Cornell University English professor, wrote "The Elements of Style." It has become the definitive book on clear and concise writing, used by schools at all levels especially university journalism programs. In 1959, New Yorker Magazine writer E.B. White - a former student of Strunk's - was asked to update "The Little Book" by publishers Macmillian and Company. According to Wikipedia, "Since 1959 the total sales of three editions of the book, in four decades, exceeded ten million copies."  In the book, Strunk provides a number of rules for writers. The most important, by general consensus, being: "Omit needless words."

I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. Twitter enforces brevity, and rewards the concise.  It makes us "omit needless words." In doing so, the popular social networking tool makes an important, new contribution to producing good writers. Now I'm the first to admit that creative contractions, numbers substituted for words, and too many acronyms are also hallmarks of Twitter. But I chose to overlook those and focus on Twitter's positive contributions to written language. Let me know in the comment section if you agree. (Good Writer's Tip Sheet).

Kinetic Sculpture

I have unusual tastes in art. I like art that you can feel; fabrics, hand-woven masterpieces, glass, and a lot of sculpture. Fine art? Not so much. Oh, I've enjoyed the Baroque painters, the great Flemish masters at museums all over Europe. But not as much as stumbling on a fantastic tribal carpet, Indian blanket or blown-glass vase.

Today, my friend and business partner John Fricker suggested I take a look at Kinetic sculpture, and he pointed me to this Make TV video. I was impressed, and I think you will be too.



Ruben Margolin is a Bay Area artist and mechanical engineer who must love math as much as he loves art. I am impressed with his focus on nature, and his fascination with duplicating natural dynamics in his work. He succeeds, which is awesome by itself. His ability to observe natural wave forms and reproduce them is nothing short of genius. Here he is giving a talk at PopTech in 2009.