Illustration compilation at lulu press. Here's the link: http://ar.gy/3UB9
Here lies the residue of "The Animating Apothecary," a source of obscure ephemera and thought, while nibbling at the crustier extremes of an overbaked society. Instagram? see - https://www.instagram.com/animating_apothecary/ also check out asifa.org and asifa.net - content (c) 2006-2025 Jim Middleton
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday, May 06, 2012
The Not Quite Wright House - Galesburg, Michigan
Southeast of Galesburg, Michigan, is a collection of five homes on a little side street called Hawthorne. The Woods entryway is distinctive, and moreso when it is revealed that the little area was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Four of the homes bear the direct Wright design - and one other, nudged off on a side spur, was by Taliesin Schoole fellow Francis Will Willsey. Its 1442 square feet are up for grabs, and its asking price of $99K, amid the surrounding designs, seems like a bargain, but this is a case where possession could be 100% of the loss.
The poor place has been empty over three years, and even before that, the reclusive first-owner seemed to struggle with maintenance. It's possible to see how things may have been, but the damage by neglect is substantial.
What was striking on just driving up to the property was the smell - a damp, moldy smell of an overmoist basement.
And once around the curve of the driveway, the open carport reveals plywood storage doors, their laminant warped...
The entryway exhibits the Wright style of low ceilings that open into a 'great space' (here, the combined living and dining room), but the damage is there as well.
The main living area has been worked on to repair ceiling leaks, but any woodwork has fallen victim to the effects of moisture.
The vaulted ceiling continues to link this area to the kitchen, which has had some recent repairs and renovations - new appliances and countertops...
And off the living area is a long hallway, with a bathroom and two bedrooms on the right and a row of storage cabinets on the left. All of the cabinet doors are damaged, one is missing....
The unfinished cinderblock construction, even on the inside, almost gives the impression of being in a bunker. The partially submerged design reinforces the feeling. Nevertheless, it's in such a sweet natural location with serious history nearby that someone with the money for the home, and an additional $99K for renovations, would be in constant contact with mother nature.
(Not much to do with animation, or apothecary even, but it was an interesting roadtrip this Sunday afternoon!)
The poor place has been empty over three years, and even before that, the reclusive first-owner seemed to struggle with maintenance. It's possible to see how things may have been, but the damage by neglect is substantial.
What was striking on just driving up to the property was the smell - a damp, moldy smell of an overmoist basement.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Mary Poppins at the Devos Theatre in Grand Rapids - More Treacle than Brimstone
Perhaps it was the $50 nosebleed second balcony seats, or the cast figuring it's just those 'hicks from Grand Rapids,' but whatever it was being performed last weekend under the name of 'Mary Poppins' appeared so over-rehearsed and depersonalized as to be a sterile, mechanical experience with most of the performances being phoned in.
The 'updated' story has the somewhat scattered suffragette Mrs Banks becoming a frustrated former stage actress, the oblivious Mr Banks becoming a physically cruel father with a lewd eye towards the new nanny, and Mary Poppins becoming less of a magical governess and more of a 'good witch'. In fact, the added musical bridges, insipid songs, and sung dialog had more to do with 'Wicked', 'Les Miz', and even 'Sweeney Todd' than it did with the Disney original.
Obviously, the animated sequences would have been a challenge for a stage setting, but the substitution of naked statuary sans genitalia for the dancing penguins or singing lambs was just - well, creepy. And the conversion of the "Supercalifragilisticespialidocious" song into a Richard Simmons-esque variation on a theme of "YMCA" was more sweaty than choreographed. In fact, most of the choreography was pretty dreadful. The "Step in Time" number was saved only by the character Bert's walk on the proscenium.
The sets were good, with lots of Germanic-cinema expressionism in the bank staging and some interesting forced perspective in the kitchen sequence. In fact, given the Saturday afternoon experience with the musical, an hour or so of explanation of the operation of the set and how it worked would have been a far more entertaining outing.
In short, if you love the original movie, there is nothing added to this staged musical to make it worth your while. Save your money and do as we did afterwards -- visit No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane on DVD and get all singy, sniffy, and sentimental.
AFTERTHOUGHT:
I'm wondering now if the same 'creative group' will go after the filmed musical "My Fair Lady" and make an 'updated' stage version of it!? Imagine - Freddy marries Eliza this time, Col Pickering hooks up with the head housekeeper, and Eliza can have a duet with her phonograph complaining about being tools of Henry Higgins....and they can sing all the dialog, since that's what MUST be done in any musical onstage these days!
The 'updated' story has the somewhat scattered suffragette Mrs Banks becoming a frustrated former stage actress, the oblivious Mr Banks becoming a physically cruel father with a lewd eye towards the new nanny, and Mary Poppins becoming less of a magical governess and more of a 'good witch'. In fact, the added musical bridges, insipid songs, and sung dialog had more to do with 'Wicked', 'Les Miz', and even 'Sweeney Todd' than it did with the Disney original.
Obviously, the animated sequences would have been a challenge for a stage setting, but the substitution of naked statuary sans genitalia for the dancing penguins or singing lambs was just - well, creepy. And the conversion of the "Supercalifragilisticespialidocious" song into a Richard Simmons-esque variation on a theme of "YMCA" was more sweaty than choreographed. In fact, most of the choreography was pretty dreadful. The "Step in Time" number was saved only by the character Bert's walk on the proscenium.
The sets were good, with lots of Germanic-cinema expressionism in the bank staging and some interesting forced perspective in the kitchen sequence. In fact, given the Saturday afternoon experience with the musical, an hour or so of explanation of the operation of the set and how it worked would have been a far more entertaining outing.
In short, if you love the original movie, there is nothing added to this staged musical to make it worth your while. Save your money and do as we did afterwards -- visit No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane on DVD and get all singy, sniffy, and sentimental.
AFTERTHOUGHT:
I'm wondering now if the same 'creative group' will go after the filmed musical "My Fair Lady" and make an 'updated' stage version of it!? Imagine - Freddy marries Eliza this time, Col Pickering hooks up with the head housekeeper, and Eliza can have a duet with her phonograph complaining about being tools of Henry Higgins....and they can sing all the dialog, since that's what MUST be done in any musical onstage these days!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Musings on Pharmacy Operating Systems
Having been circulating among pharmacies over the past dozen years, I have come upon several varieties of pharmacy-based operating systems, most of which have been designed by engineers and programmers without the slightest inkling of the primary operations of a pharmacy.
Invariably, these systems are chosen by department managers looking only at the bottom line cost, and rarely, if ever, with consideration for those who have to actually make use of the product. The old canard "oh, there's always a learning curve," is usually invoked, when for the users, it's more of a "learning cliff." And patients, trained for instant gratification and regarding a pharmacy as just a variation on McDonald's, don't give a rat's patootie that workers are gnawing their arms off during a conversion to an 'improved' system.
The software marketers create handsome websites extoling all of the functions of their systems, but - and I find this very interesting - never really show what their system looks like in practice.
Two systems in particular - one called 'Prodigy' (no relation to the old pre-internet online service) and the other called 'RX30' - are classic examples of this mindset.
Prodigy is an odd collection of jumbled screens, originally designed for nursing home 'cycle fills' (a process that quickly becomes a billing nightmare), unmatched fonts, complicated by a nonlinear work flow that has the user moving back and forth in the process of filling a prescription. Its choice is usually by those who want a centralized access for billing, from several off-sites, for which it seems well suited. However, for a user, it serves only to add about 50% to the processing time of a prescription, just in the back and forth of the workscreens. A mouse is required, something that really ruins any workflow. Operating two terminals, two trained and experienced employees, going breakneck, can process a max of 140 prescriptions in 9 hours (that's just processing, not filling, by the way).
RX30 suffers from similar drawbacks. The screens are inconsistent in their layout, with function keys being especially challenging, as each one opens a set of menu options which then change depending on the screen. Changing a spelling error in the prescription label, for example, means F1 > Workflow (the tenth selection in the menu options) > Edit/label > F2 > toggle or mouse to instruction field > make change > F4 set (not just 'enter' - you have to 'set' the change with a function key) > F5 reprint (or is it the other way around? Again, process over outcome). For any clinical tracking, it has a 'comment field' that can be altered or deleted at will or whim (so useful progress notes will have to be kept separately in a word processor document set up on your own). Getting a reprint on a label is another 4-5 step process. The pharmacy being introduced to this system usually does about 200 Rxs per day. The backlog of unprocessed Rxs by 11am was about 50. The POS process with the system is additional software, with a completely different set of menu screens, with lots of mousing and touch screens (and don't we just love the 24 hour virus life cycle on a touch screen device in a healthcare setting), and nearly a doubling of clicking processes. It is obvious that RX30 just bought an existing setup for their POS - there is no integrated workflow with the pharmacy operating system.
It is apparent that these packages, while not inherently evil and possessed of some level of functionality, are at best poor examples of creating a useful or efficient workflow. Neither of them have been developed by programmers who seem to 'get' the purpose of a retail pharmacy setting - to fill new prescriptions and refill existing ones. There is far too much time wasted in twiddling and fiddling, almost as if they were developed by teams trained in algorithms of computer games rather than the stark, dull, workaday need to grind out prescriptions quickly and efficiently. A stark example is that neither filling nor refilling a prescription are among the top choices of their opening menus.
And, it is interesting that it takes a team of trainers several days to 'educate' pharmacists (with 6 years of college) and their certified technicians (again, they are the ones who have to do this all efficiently) on how their systems operate. That is a huge flag right there. Systems can follow an intuitive design and flow. Neither of these do.
When we hear 'oh it's only a few seconds extra time' for each prescription, these programmers need to understand that a few seconds, multiplied by 200, is a considerable amount of time during an already hectic workday. They get paid by the hour - we get paid by the prescription.
Invariably, these systems are chosen by department managers looking only at the bottom line cost, and rarely, if ever, with consideration for those who have to actually make use of the product. The old canard "oh, there's always a learning curve," is usually invoked, when for the users, it's more of a "learning cliff." And patients, trained for instant gratification and regarding a pharmacy as just a variation on McDonald's, don't give a rat's patootie that workers are gnawing their arms off during a conversion to an 'improved' system.
The software marketers create handsome websites extoling all of the functions of their systems, but - and I find this very interesting - never really show what their system looks like in practice.
Two systems in particular - one called 'Prodigy' (no relation to the old pre-internet online service) and the other called 'RX30' - are classic examples of this mindset.
Prodigy is an odd collection of jumbled screens, originally designed for nursing home 'cycle fills' (a process that quickly becomes a billing nightmare), unmatched fonts, complicated by a nonlinear work flow that has the user moving back and forth in the process of filling a prescription. Its choice is usually by those who want a centralized access for billing, from several off-sites, for which it seems well suited. However, for a user, it serves only to add about 50% to the processing time of a prescription, just in the back and forth of the workscreens. A mouse is required, something that really ruins any workflow. Operating two terminals, two trained and experienced employees, going breakneck, can process a max of 140 prescriptions in 9 hours (that's just processing, not filling, by the way).
RX30 suffers from similar drawbacks. The screens are inconsistent in their layout, with function keys being especially challenging, as each one opens a set of menu options which then change depending on the screen. Changing a spelling error in the prescription label, for example, means F1 > Workflow (the tenth selection in the menu options) > Edit/label > F2 > toggle or mouse to instruction field > make change > F4 set (not just 'enter' - you have to 'set' the change with a function key) > F5 reprint (or is it the other way around? Again, process over outcome). For any clinical tracking, it has a 'comment field' that can be altered or deleted at will or whim (so useful progress notes will have to be kept separately in a word processor document set up on your own). Getting a reprint on a label is another 4-5 step process. The pharmacy being introduced to this system usually does about 200 Rxs per day. The backlog of unprocessed Rxs by 11am was about 50. The POS process with the system is additional software, with a completely different set of menu screens, with lots of mousing and touch screens (and don't we just love the 24 hour virus life cycle on a touch screen device in a healthcare setting), and nearly a doubling of clicking processes. It is obvious that RX30 just bought an existing setup for their POS - there is no integrated workflow with the pharmacy operating system.
It is apparent that these packages, while not inherently evil and possessed of some level of functionality, are at best poor examples of creating a useful or efficient workflow. Neither of them have been developed by programmers who seem to 'get' the purpose of a retail pharmacy setting - to fill new prescriptions and refill existing ones. There is far too much time wasted in twiddling and fiddling, almost as if they were developed by teams trained in algorithms of computer games rather than the stark, dull, workaday need to grind out prescriptions quickly and efficiently. A stark example is that neither filling nor refilling a prescription are among the top choices of their opening menus.
And, it is interesting that it takes a team of trainers several days to 'educate' pharmacists (with 6 years of college) and their certified technicians (again, they are the ones who have to do this all efficiently) on how their systems operate. That is a huge flag right there. Systems can follow an intuitive design and flow. Neither of these do.
When we hear 'oh it's only a few seconds extra time' for each prescription, these programmers need to understand that a few seconds, multiplied by 200, is a considerable amount of time during an already hectic workday. They get paid by the hour - we get paid by the prescription.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Experiment with Chroma Keying - ANM 239 at KVCC
The Cinematics/Animatics capstone class wanted to experiment with After Effects for a chroma key exercise. I demonstrated the same work here using simple ol' Sony Vegas. It's the technique, not the technology....so much time is spent learning software instead of massaging the mind...
Monday, January 30, 2012
Meat Puppetry Experiment #2 - KVCC ANIM130 Class
It's supposed to be a class on 3DS, but these guys and gals need their exercise....
Edit and render using Sony Vegas.
Sound from the Walter Camp Daily Dozen, ca 1921....
Edit and render using Sony Vegas.
Sound from the Walter Camp Daily Dozen, ca 1921....
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Deconstructing Griffith - A Girl and Her Trust (1912)
Griffith worked without a script, and editing was an evolving skill. The dramatic closeups are, nonetheless, quite striking, and the use of a railroad engine as a featured player guarantees that the pacing will seem accelerated.
Created as a tutorial for the Cinematics class at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
The re-cut footage (a youtube link to my channel there) : Click here
The original 1912 film, as released (another youtube link): Click here
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sultan of Psychopharmacology - link to UpNorth Broadcast
Bob Fawcett and his guitar summing up how to Feel Better: TAKE A PILL!
Here's the link: UpNorth Broadcast with Bob Fawcett - Sultan of Psychopharmacology
Here's the link: UpNorth Broadcast with Bob Fawcett - Sultan of Psychopharmacology
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Meat Puppetry - Two Versions
Some quick experiments (5 seconds each) of Meat Puppetry, making use of the KVCC ANIM130 class. Edited with Sony Vegas V11, with the second clip being still another experiment with the zoom function in the software.
Version 1:
And Version 2:
Version 1:
And Version 2:
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Phenakistascopery
Students in the Kellogg Community College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College animation programs get an assignment to create the old pre-cinema animation toy called the Phenakistascope. Everyone gets a blank template and two days to clutter up the dozen slices of optical pie! Here are some specimens from the past couple of semesters.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
First film in first session of ANM239 at KVCC
Here's a tribute to Georges Melies from Kalamazoo Valley's ANM239 Class - the first night experiment with "establishing shot" cinematography. Total of 14 minutes to start, cut down to just under two, with a likelihood for more trimming... but it's their first film! (Youtube link below!)
Monday, January 09, 2012
New Year's Resolution - Exercise those Records!
Thanks to the History Detectives broadcast last autumn, I had the good fortune of being interviewed on WNYC;s Soundcheck on January 6, as part of their week-long examination of exercising - one of the more popular New Years' resolutions out there. The archives here includes what is purported to be a more extensive accumulation of early exercise records than can be found at the Library of Congress, which is a rather sad statement of my life in the Surreal City. In any case, they were kind enough to provide me with a link, so I share it below!
Soundcheck Broadcast Friday 6 January 2012 (link now deactivated, alas!)
Now the task is to covert more than these few clips to complete mp3s.... hmmm... using digital technology to retain obsolete information from obscure documentation. Isn't that what the internet is all about?!
Soundcheck Broadcast Friday 6 January 2012 (link now deactivated, alas!)
Now the task is to covert more than these few clips to complete mp3s.... hmmm... using digital technology to retain obsolete information from obscure documentation. Isn't that what the internet is all about?!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Cryptic Holiday Greetings for 2011
Not sure what this means, exactly, but it appeared on the sketchbook during a broadcast of "It Happened on Fifth Avenue." Therefore, it has a holiday theme....
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Playing with Online Translators - Hamlet
English to French, French to German, German to Italian, Italian to Greek, Greek to Japanese, Japanese to English:
Or, or him or that problem is not as follows:
If or of nobleness; Or as for that arm you take Embêtements
and of the sea where those to the guide
and the arrow of indignant good fortune suffer.
The mind for as for those un' you finish. Opposition?
Scale to more there is no death; As for that you sleep?
And as for the sleep which was said you finish -- traurigkeit;
Systematic love and as for trembling mile this meat, there is a successor:
As for tis that it becomes consumption– It is desired;
Enthusiasm. Do they die sleep? Perhaps, depending upon that to sleep,
ay and there' you look at dreams capacity for Friction:
Of which dream can come; For with this sleep of other those death quest
As for last that necessity, those you dying, this it is;
As for that It gives Discontinuance there The point of this in this way,
destroys long life. That rod and What which it supports; When being, of the mistake;
oppressor's man it entrusted? In damage;
What; Love, law and Lag; Haughty attitude Using;
Value of this patient dishonorable acceptance of office and pitch,
time quest As for last that bodkin of the knot and fargli which can be rescue?
Fardels of what kind of underfear something
How and you made knurren life become tired under the sweat;
As for part rear section will of return and perplexity of death
and national thing Bourn traveler on the other hand,
these It is discovered; n' Those of that hasten no one;
The exemption which it should support;
As for us thing It has; It flies those; The knowledge other things which are not?
Therefore, conscience Our ones in this way entirely in pitch characteristic,
the making which is removed; Decision East sicklied?
Appreciation of the hay to the model whose thought is thin
those from large time undertaking,
at this point in time to turn electricity
directly, and It loses Name; Behavior.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
About movies....
So often I watch a movie and find that it just hits me in unexpected ways. Then I wonder if anyone else could be equally affected. Occasionally I force stray family members to partake, but usually the result is the same–a wandering sets in, usually a wandering from the TV. So I’m posting these in case others may want to peer into my passion for films that I do not tire of revisiting.
Silence, Please:
OK, so silent films and the expressive use of pantomime aren’t to everyone’s taste, but when they are done well, and when they are shown correctly, they distill mood to its essence and create a universal, visual language:
Asphalt (1929) - Joe May in Germany tells the story of criminals and law enforcement and how human interaction can blur the distinction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pu4sZtecxI
City Lights (1931) - Chaplin’s next-to-last silent feature, with the most heartbreaking final scene ever filmed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaMdZl0Y8LM
The Crowd (1928) - King Vidor created this astonishingly downbeat story of a promising young man who has his entire life crushed by circumstance and missteps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKsF1cJmNU4
The Kid Brother (1928) - Harold Lloyd is wonderful in this sentimental rural story, beautifully photographed, with a realistic climatic fight on a derelict ship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awDvA-UnRp8
The Last Laugh (1924) - Emil Jannings as a demoted hotel doorman must cover his shame, but does so without a single intertitle in this completely visual tour-de-force. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7yiZM-SlwI
Laugh, Clown, Laugh! (1928) Lon Chaney cannot love Loretta Young, but does... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skq5bkOueAs
Lilac Time (1928) - a WWI love story for which a great song was written, and an equally fine ending where Gary Cooper and Colleen Moore find each other at a hospital - here's a clip from my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko1jmvP5IxE
Children of Paradise (1945) – I’ve actually watched this French 2-parter six times, in addition to the commentary track, and I keep pulling more from it each time.
It’s A Wonderful Life - I’m so conditioned by this I start choking up at the opening credits. Honest. People time me. I’m choking up now.
The Palm Beach Story (1942) - Preston Sturge’s loving and screwy comedy, and how can you ever listen to Rudy Vallee’s singing the same way after this (when he starts his signature song “Goodnight Sweetheart” by screwing it up...I’m off my chair)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - It’s French! It’s sung! It’s beautiful! It’s referenced in an episode of Futurama! What’s not to love? Multiplying time by experience can yield adventure!
Wizard of Oz (1939) - The film that defined my existence on this planet from ages 5 to 13.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko1jmvP5IxE&feature=plcp&context=C21157UDOEgsToPDskL32aNdYlf2HTqXBUXLUIlZ
The Man Who Laughs (1928) - Conrad Veidt is disfigured as a child into a grotesque whose face has been carved into a permanent smile. His girlfriend, of course, must be blind. Paul Leni directed this atmospheric classic with an early recorded Movietone soundtrack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WCUZq6pAY
Pandora’s Box (1929) - Louise Brooks creates Lulu in this astonishingly modern tale, a woman who floats freely through life, seemingly playing and being played by everyone, until she seems to get away with murder... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGHZczuu2Sc
Picadilly (1929) - one of Britain’s few great non-Hitchcock silent classics, this one by E. A. Dupont, features Anna May Wong and the seamier side of exotic theatre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzpcgLPIBFI
Sunrise (1927) - Visual poetry, with another Movietone soundtrack, about a rural couple’s life disrupted by temptation from the city and the ultimate triumph of love. Ahhhhh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NayFytQeBE
The Wind (1928) - Lillian Gish, who defined acting in every one of her films, goes out west and somehow survives the constant onslaught of maddening wind and dust storms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHipr_iPNbA
Classics
Casablanca – Ingrid Bergman’s perfect complexion. Bogart’s incredible delivery. Claude Rain’s wry amusement. Damn! I’m putting this tape in right now!
Children of Paradise (1945) – I’ve actually watched this French 2-parter six times, in addition to the commentary track, and I keep pulling more from it each time.
It’s A Wonderful Life - I’m so conditioned by this I start choking up at the opening credits. Honest. People time me. I’m choking up now.
The Palm Beach Story (1942) - Preston Sturge’s loving and screwy comedy, and how can you ever listen to Rudy Vallee’s singing the same way after this (when he starts his signature song “Goodnight Sweetheart” by screwing it up...I’m off my chair)
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg - It’s French! It’s sung! It’s beautiful! It’s referenced in an episode of Futurama! What’s not to love? Multiplying time by experience can yield adventure!
Wizard of Oz (1939) - The film that defined my existence on this planet from ages 5 to 13.
More recently:
Allegro Non Troppo - the animated parody of Fantasia, in particular the part with Valse Triste...sniff Might one generation reach to enfold another, and with renewed appreciation, embrace life’s discovery and joy.....
Chaplin - Robert Downey Jr becomes the master.
Hair - forget “The Deer Hunter” from the same year–this is how I remember the 60s!
The Lathe of Heaven - the first PBS feature, rescued from shredding and flaking magnetic tape, is an incredible dream, or is it....NOT the remake from 20 years later...so many of the lines in this film still involuntarily pop out of my mouth
The Mask - Amid the special effects animation, there’s actually a plot twist!
Monkeybone - Rose McGowan as a kitty? Can a coma get any better than that?
Paper Moon - This film was the first time I realized how beautiful a movie could look without being made before 1939
They All Laughed - gorgeous women and John Ritter in a wonderful film where everyone keeps their clothes on except Audrey Hepburn!
What Dreams May Come - another beautiful and heartbreaking film where people just try to find each other, not realizing how the universe can actually be in your corner, cheering you on...
What’s Up, Doc? - I watch this and keep saying Cripes! It’s Madeline! Cripes! It’s the guy from Blazing Saddles! Cripes! It’s how I survived high school!
Young Frankenstein - still laugh til I cry
This is just a few of a zillion movies that come to mind, under the category, “Is it just me, or is this a pretty amazing movie?”
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
While we were reading the sports section....
Data from Exchange-rates.org: http://www.exchange-rates.org/history/CAD/USD/G/30
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
And so Albion and Marshall Don't Feel Left Out
Albion – Population 14224 (2010)
Stimulants Vicodin like Oxy-like Methadone
totals 127774 737092 73520 134644
Per Capita 8.98 51.82 5.17 9.47
Marshall - population 14646 (2010)
totals 97505 375008 37238 69785
Per Capita 6.66 25.60 2.54 4.76
Stimulants Vicodin like Oxy-like Methadone
totals 127774 737092 73520 134644
Per Capita 8.98 51.82 5.17 9.47
Marshall - population 14646 (2010)
totals 97505 375008 37238 69785
Per Capita 6.66 25.60 2.54 4.76
Monday, December 05, 2011
Battle Creek - You've Got A Problem!
The Michigan Automatic Prescription Service (MAPS) offers up a lot of information on controlled substance usage as reported from the state's pharmacies. Their website even provides the raw data for the entire year of 2010, broken down by zip code.
After some research, it was possible to track down the populations for those zip code regions, then break the general use down 'per capita.'
The categories chosen for this snapshot of 2010 were 'stimulants' (meaning, all varieties of Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and its chemical relatives), 'hydrocodone' (for all drugs similar to Vicodin), 'oxycodone' (for those like Oxycontin), and 'methadone.'
The 49014 area corresponds to an area near Battle Creek known as "Harper Creek." The 49015 refers to the "Lakeview" region, with 49016 being those who use a PO box as their primary address, 49017 referring to the city's northern side, and 49037 to the general region known as "Urbandale."
I recommend checking out the MAPS program and looking up your particular region and crafting a similar spreadsheet. Battle Creek may look to be problematic, but I'm almost thinking that other regions may have a bigger problem....
Now, contemplate the causes.....
After some research, it was possible to track down the populations for those zip code regions, then break the general use down 'per capita.'
The categories chosen for this snapshot of 2010 were 'stimulants' (meaning, all varieties of Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and its chemical relatives), 'hydrocodone' (for all drugs similar to Vicodin), 'oxycodone' (for those like Oxycontin), and 'methadone.'
The 49014 area corresponds to an area near Battle Creek known as "Harper Creek." The 49015 refers to the "Lakeview" region, with 49016 being those who use a PO box as their primary address, 49017 referring to the city's northern side, and 49037 to the general region known as "Urbandale."
I recommend checking out the MAPS program and looking up your particular region and crafting a similar spreadsheet. Battle Creek may look to be problematic, but I'm almost thinking that other regions may have a bigger problem....
Now, contemplate the causes.....
Following up on the Planetarium files
The use of mpeg format made a substantial difference. However, using a 1320 x 1320 (vs a 1320 x 1200) working field makes a substantial difference in filling the dome.
In addition, a powerful vertigo-inducing effect can be seen by simultaneously running two layers of animation, one moving clockwise, the other counter-clockwise - the title toward the end of the 'second' set of swirling images set some profound middle ear activity into play.
Sony Vegas 9 as a video editing software does not allow for greater than 800x800 resolution, however. For HD 1080 level of clarity, that means going with the next version of Vegas, and a Platinum one at that...so much for budgetary constraints this quarter!
In addition, a powerful vertigo-inducing effect can be seen by simultaneously running two layers of animation, one moving clockwise, the other counter-clockwise - the title toward the end of the 'second' set of swirling images set some profound middle ear activity into play.
Sony Vegas 9 as a video editing software does not allow for greater than 800x800 resolution, however. For HD 1080 level of clarity, that means going with the next version of Vegas, and a Platinum one at that...so much for budgetary constraints this quarter!
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Animation Tests for the Local Planetarium
The Challenge
The intermediate animation class (ANIM235) at Kellogg Community College was given an assignment to determine whether an animation could be developed for use in a planetarium, with the result being a potential entry for the annual Grand Rapids Art Prize festival.
The planetarium in place at Battle Creek’s Kingman museum uses hardware identical to that currently in place at the Chaffee Planetarium inside of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. After making contact with the Battle Creek coordinator, the class was given its initial assignment. If the project can play in Battle Creek, it should work in Grand Rapids.
We initially did a collection of animation samples at different resolutions: (in pixels) 800x800, 1000x1000, 1200x1200. The use of a "square" shape could then be the basis for a circular design that would then fit the format of a planetarium dome.
After some research, we found that the suggested resolution from the manufacturers of the planetarium system (the Evans and Sutherland ‘Digistar 4' projection and computer device) was 1344x1200.
Ultimately, we used the three initial resolutions, then employed the fourth to complete the first test for the project.
As it was only a test, the animations created ran only 10-15 seconds, with the emphasis for the action to be in the center of the screen. The animations were completed in Flash, and then they were saved in *.fla format for archiving, and *.mov format for the projection test and for creating a DVD version.
The First Attempt - November 7, 2011
Upon arrival at the Kingman museum, we discovered that the planetarium coordinator was experienced in the specific system there, but did not have a lot of information about how the projection files were created. Nevertheless, we continued with running our test.
The *.mov files had to be loaded onto two separate computer drives, labeled GP1 and GP2. Audio for the project had to be on a third computer, labeled GP3. Audio files had to be in *.wav format only. As this was not the layout for our project, the initial test was projected in a silent version.
Initial Result
The limitation of the Macintosh network at KCC for *.mov format output from Flash quickly became apparent. The images did project, but the pixellation in the projection made for an unacceptable experience.
Upon further research with the manufacturer, the planetarium coordinator relayed to us that the *.mov files we created would not be acceptable for their hardware system, and that the files had to be in HD format for the images to be fully appreciated by the spectator.
This meant that we would have to create the movies at the KCC lab in *.fla format, then take the raw Flash files to a different system that could then convert the images into HD.
Reworking the Files - the Process
The class then created a new series of short experiments, this time only using a resolution of 1344 x 1200 pixels. The image was further restricted to a circular area based on a 1200 pixel diameter. The sound being used, a public domain recording of "Flight of the Bumblebee" from 1920, was then mastered out as a *.wav file.
Two experiments were created to devise an HD format of the test.
The first took the *.fla files, for CS4 Flash, then rendered them as an uncompressed *.mov format using the Flash software on a different platform (a PC was used for this test). The one minute experiment took approximately 32 gigabytes of hard drive memory.
The second experiment took the raw *.fla files, again for CS4 Flash, and rendered them out as a series of sequential images using the Flash software.
These sequential images were then brought into another program for video editing, Sony Vegas, Version 9. Each image was brought into the software with approximately 2 frames for each, then exported silently as an HD format for Sony, a variety of mpeg4. Overall, using the sequential images as source material was more useful, since it eliminated the troublesome artifacts inherent in creating *.mov files from the Flash environment.
Second Experiment Result
The results for this second series of experiments is pending our being able to schedule another afternoon’s access to the Kingman museum’s planetarium. We expect this to be accomplished before the end of December, 2011. (in actuality, it will be on Monday, 5 December - watch this blog for further results)
Documentation
The following DVD demonstration will show the animation sequences created for each experiment, based on the first and second attempts. These mp4 files are from the Vegas 9 software and were generated for this example; HD files were generated for the planetarium experiment.
The intermediate animation class (ANIM235) at Kellogg Community College was given an assignment to determine whether an animation could be developed for use in a planetarium, with the result being a potential entry for the annual Grand Rapids Art Prize festival.
The planetarium in place at Battle Creek’s Kingman museum uses hardware identical to that currently in place at the Chaffee Planetarium inside of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. After making contact with the Battle Creek coordinator, the class was given its initial assignment. If the project can play in Battle Creek, it should work in Grand Rapids.
We initially did a collection of animation samples at different resolutions: (in pixels) 800x800, 1000x1000, 1200x1200. The use of a "square" shape could then be the basis for a circular design that would then fit the format of a planetarium dome.
After some research, we found that the suggested resolution from the manufacturers of the planetarium system (the Evans and Sutherland ‘Digistar 4' projection and computer device) was 1344x1200.
Ultimately, we used the three initial resolutions, then employed the fourth to complete the first test for the project.
As it was only a test, the animations created ran only 10-15 seconds, with the emphasis for the action to be in the center of the screen. The animations were completed in Flash, and then they were saved in *.fla format for archiving, and *.mov format for the projection test and for creating a DVD version.
The First Attempt - November 7, 2011
Upon arrival at the Kingman museum, we discovered that the planetarium coordinator was experienced in the specific system there, but did not have a lot of information about how the projection files were created. Nevertheless, we continued with running our test.
The *.mov files had to be loaded onto two separate computer drives, labeled GP1 and GP2. Audio for the project had to be on a third computer, labeled GP3. Audio files had to be in *.wav format only. As this was not the layout for our project, the initial test was projected in a silent version.
Initial Result
The limitation of the Macintosh network at KCC for *.mov format output from Flash quickly became apparent. The images did project, but the pixellation in the projection made for an unacceptable experience.
Upon further research with the manufacturer, the planetarium coordinator relayed to us that the *.mov files we created would not be acceptable for their hardware system, and that the files had to be in HD format for the images to be fully appreciated by the spectator.
This meant that we would have to create the movies at the KCC lab in *.fla format, then take the raw Flash files to a different system that could then convert the images into HD.
Reworking the Files - the Process
The class then created a new series of short experiments, this time only using a resolution of 1344 x 1200 pixels. The image was further restricted to a circular area based on a 1200 pixel diameter. The sound being used, a public domain recording of "Flight of the Bumblebee" from 1920, was then mastered out as a *.wav file.
Two experiments were created to devise an HD format of the test.
The first took the *.fla files, for CS4 Flash, then rendered them as an uncompressed *.mov format using the Flash software on a different platform (a PC was used for this test). The one minute experiment took approximately 32 gigabytes of hard drive memory.
The second experiment took the raw *.fla files, again for CS4 Flash, and rendered them out as a series of sequential images using the Flash software.
These sequential images were then brought into another program for video editing, Sony Vegas, Version 9. Each image was brought into the software with approximately 2 frames for each, then exported silently as an HD format for Sony, a variety of mpeg4. Overall, using the sequential images as source material was more useful, since it eliminated the troublesome artifacts inherent in creating *.mov files from the Flash environment.
Second Experiment Result
The results for this second series of experiments is pending our being able to schedule another afternoon’s access to the Kingman museum’s planetarium. We expect this to be accomplished before the end of December, 2011. (in actuality, it will be on Monday, 5 December - watch this blog for further results)
Documentation
The following DVD demonstration will show the animation sequences created for each experiment, based on the first and second attempts. These mp4 files are from the Vegas 9 software and were generated for this example; HD files were generated for the planetarium experiment.
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