Chris’s Digital Detritus

Then as it was, then again it will be
An’ though the course may change sometimes
Rivers always reach the sea
Blind stars of fortune, each have several rays
On the wings of maybe, down in birds of prey
Kind of makes me feel sometimes, didn’t have to grow
But as the eagle leaves the nest, it’s got so far to go

Changes fill my time, baby, that’s alright with me
In the midst I think of you, and how it used to be

How long does it take to form a habit? PsyBlog summarizes a paper (sadly behind a paywall) that researches habit formation. In short, it depends on how simple the habit is and your own personality. While some tasks became habitual after three weeks, others took months. Notably, some people seemed resistant to habit formation, taking significantly longer to form habits.

Some artistic inspiration from unorthodox sources:

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn’t the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I’ve posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Music made with Logic.
Video made with After Effects.

The newspaper story about my work (O Estado de São Paulo): http://tinyurl.com/l4qdbg

I can only aspire to shooting and editing something this good.

Another Cloud Reel… from Delrious on Vimeo.

Footage shot over the summer of 2009 mostly in the San Francisco bay area.

A whimsical visualization of insomnia.

Sleep Agony vs Sleep Bliss

Then: The Gospel of Matthew
Now: 40 Days and a Mule: How One Man Quit His Job and Became the Boss

More then and now book titles at kottke, some good stuff. Originally from your monkey called via waxy. Do you have any good ones?

How about:
Then: The Book of Jonah
Now: Prophecy, Pity, and Survival via Passive Aggression

You’ve seen two piano players at one keyboard, how about two guitar players sharing one guitar?

Now does anyone else find four arms on a guitar quite disconcerting? Or is it just because I play guitar and am quite used to seeing one hand picking and one hand on the fretboard?

This is a lovely bit of storytelling in a somewhat unique medium.