Crazy MacGuffin

Doesn't it seem unlikely that a coke bottle could survive a drop of several thousand feet?


Even though I haven't participated in DS106 in a long time, I still follow it part time. The MacGuffins got me hooked last night. I hadn't heard of MacGuffin before, so I spent a good half-hour reading examples in a Google search.

I also don't watch much TV nor movies, so I miss the punchline of many of these fine plot-line sabotages. I appreciated the youtube link the Bava posted with his "gangas/badges" alternative. So here's the link for anyone who hasn't seen "The gods must be crazy" - start at 8:15 if you're in a hurry. Broken Coke bottle, courtesy http://www.thimic.net/3d/

The Joy of Reconciliation

Who could have guessed that reconciling credit card statements 6 months later could be so much fun. I'm just going through matching carefully filed slips with the July & August statements. What Memories!

Renovating a closet at Dave & Jen's, Seafood dinner with Jon, Backyard Barbecues and inflatable swimming pool, Trips to DQ with Maryn.

Shopping, shopping, shopping, delightful shopping trips with Jen & Lois.

Maryn's first trip without Mom & Dad - going to 3-Hills with Grampa & Gramma.

This is almost better than looking at a photo album.

And this post has absolutely nothing to do with MOOC - well I guess it tells me a story so I'll tag it ds106 as well.

Try Again

OK: 6 frames, subtle message, minimal movement. Missed it with the music box, too enraptured with exploring the technique. I think I got closer this time.

Many have declared the pod racing from the Phantom Menace to be the only good thing about the whole Star Wars series. The whine of the engines, the speed, the spectacular explosions: enough to thrill any little or big boy’s heart. In lap two of the Boonta Eve Classic, Subalba the Dug casually chucks a (wrench?) into his opponent, Mars Guo’s engine. That’s my favourite minimal-action sequence from the pod race scene. This sequence doesn’t lend itself well to looping, so I threw in a fade and held the last frame for a few seconds.
(Anyone know how to make the animated gif - not the whole page - reload on a click or mouseover?)




The two children, only one of them human, give each other high-fives, celebrating Anakim’s win. This scene is so brief, you have to watch the victory sequences several times before you realize how subtly this little scene comments on racism.




Dick Van Dyke’s clown character does an apparently clumsy dance number for the Baron 's court in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before discovering the girl on the music box. I like the way the “fall” recovery lets us in on just how much agility and coordination was required.




I got intrigued with digital storytelling before I realized ds106 was so seriously artsy. I don’t know diddly about art or music. The only way I can do either is “paint by numbers”. Numbers are digital, so it’s the tools and techniques (and the connections) that hold me for now. I’ve got students with lots of stories to tell, but limited writing ability. ds106 looks like it’s going to seriously stretch what I’ve been able to imagine about techniques of communication.

Bring it on!

My Favourite Music Box

Sally Ann Howes - Truly she's Scrumptious, and never needs to be wound by a key



Animated GIF captured from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBMLpyyZHik