Cosmigraphics by Michael Benson
4000 Years of picturing Space, Cosmigraphics is a collection of images that reflect not only our understanding of space and the universe but society as well. Imagine how our silly our illustrations and understandings will appear to those who follow us in 4000 years...
This, for it's abstract qualities...
And this, because, well, just look at it...the caption beneath: (Latin inscription from Ecclesiastes): 'The number of fools is infinite.'.
Brilliant. More images below, buy Michael Bensons book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1419713876/
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- Category: Ideas & Questions
Mole, Mole (with invisible accent over the e)
She was a bit odd. I was open, naive, and would meet with anyone who wanted to meet. See my first date.
Average, in that 10 years ago average sort of way, she met me at my apartment and we went out to go to a play. "Famous Puppet Death Scenes", but it was sold out, she was disappointed, and so we went for dinner at the Auburn Saloon, ate nachos, she was funny. She ate quickly, practically, small hands digging into the nachos, shoveling them into her mouth, she has a small child, works in a call center, talks about her online dating experiences, there was one guy, and I probe gently, encourage, lead her, and she begins to cry...
Clearly she's not ready to be dating.
She sees me watching her eating, gorging herself on the nachos, and she says to me: "You're looking at my mole, aren't you?"
I hadn't noticed the mole before, but it's like in Austin Powers, now that she's drawn my attention to it I can't take my eyes off of it, it's speaking to me, think Austin Powers "Mole mole mole mole mole", accent over the e...
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- Category: Dating
1st Internet Date
This was my first internet date ever. Way back in the days when LavaLife was the place to be, and I (and nobody else) had heard of Plenty of Fish.
Shortly on the site, the chat function, getting messages from a user without a profile picture. I'm new, I'm gullible, I don't care. She assures me that she's beautiful, and I don't doubt it, who lies about this stuff?
We arrange a meeting at Ming, bar downtown on 17th Avenue. Never been before, never been since. A classic blind date, I have no idea who I'm looking for. Fortunately the bar is deserted, a snowy winter's eve, she finds me.
And we chat. About nothing and everything, she's just out of a bad marriage, her and her husband own an oilfield services company, she's a figure in the industry and doesn't want her picture to be seen....
She is beautiful, long curly blonde hair, a fit, but curvy figure...
This will forever taint my online dating experience, and I will forever believe people when they describe themselves to me. My gullibility is the proof of my good nature and intentions...
The bar closes and I drive her home. In my beat up dodge charger, her house, a 6 bedroom home...sorry, castle in Mount Royal. And we kiss a bit in the car and I've a feeling I should be seeing her to the door, safely inside, but ... well, I work in Tech support, and have to be up at 4:00 AM, and there's the feeling - not just the beauty, but the house, the money - that I'm out of my league.
It's a good date, a great date, not a get-lucky story, and in hindsight I almost don't wonder if she was a plant by the WWW to ensure that people continued to meet through the interwebs and not in real life...
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- Category: Dating
The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness
With Valentines approaching I thought I'd post some links of relevant interest.
#1 - NY Times - To Fall In Love With Anyone, Do This
#2 - Building Epic Relationships in 1 Hour (Via Superhero Experiments)
#3 - The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness - A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings (Dr. Aron & Ass) (Original Experiment Paper)
To sum it up briefly, an accelerated program to build intimacy, which relies on the participants TRUTHFULLY asking and answering a series of questions of one another. The original study resulted in the 2 strangers/participants getting married, the NY Times article takes a similar slant. I've taken the liberty of pasting the questions below, should any of the links above die...
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?
4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?
7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
11. Take four minutes and tell you partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?
13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
14. Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
16. What do you value most in a friendship?
17. What is your most treasured memory?
18. What is your most terrible memory?
19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
20. What does friendship mean to you?
21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?
24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
25. Make three true "we" statements each. For instance, "we are both in this room feeling…"
26. Complete this sentence "I wish I had someone with whom I could share…"
27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
28. Tell your partner what you like about them: be honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met.
29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why
36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
Variations
37. If you could choose the sex and physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?
38. Would you be willing to have horrible nightmares for a year if you would be rewarded with extraordinary wealth?
39. While on a trip to another city, your spouse/lover meets and spends a night with an exciting stranger. Given they will never meet again, and you will not otherwise learn of the incident, would you want your partner to tell you about it?
Note: While the questions are an excellent springboard towards building intimacy, don't forget that 90% of communication is non-verbal and be sure to choose your targets wisely...you could end up living with them the rest of your ilfe!
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