Tag: art

An analogy using photography that illuminates human interpersonal communication

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image source

I mean no offense to anyone, not even the photographer, but this is an example of how bad normal photos were in the pre-cellphone camera days. It can serve as an analogy for how people communicate interpersonally before FIML. Before FIML, our communication will be restricted, unsophisticated, clunky, and though it may be expressive as in this photo, probably not what we meant or deeply wanted to say. You can see the people in this photo definitely do not do FIML: 1) because the technique had not been invented in 1970; and 2) because you can. It is my firm belief that when millions of people do FIML we will enter an age of really good communication, much better than today. Just as most people now having a good camera on them all the time has yielded a massive improvements in photography, so FIML will deeply improve the ways we speak and listen and feel about doing that. Cellphone cameras give us many opportunities to shoot good photos and lots of practice in how to make a good photo. FIML is not quite like a camera, but it is a kind of cerebral technology that results in partners communicating much better. When we understand the FIML technique and use it often, our communication will improve at least as much as photography has improved due to widespread use of cellphone cameras. ABN

Why motorcyclists weave

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The other reasons you might se a motorcyclist weaving is to buff the sides of their tires or just to have some fun. A rider weaving almost never is asking you to get out of the way. It’s fun to do, helps cars see you, and is good for the sides of the tires for several reasons (cold, mud, distribute wear more evenly). ABN

The tragedy of Superman’s original Lois Lane, the Hollywood star who ended up homeless, eating out of trash cans with a life in turmoil

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She flew into the hearts of global audiences and the annals of cinematic history as her nightgown-clad heroine soared over the skyline of metropolis alongside Christopher Reeve when Superman hit theaters in 1978.

Actress Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane – a mixture of journalistic feistiness and besotted comic book-girlfriend vulnerability – became instantly iconic and recognizable. She starred in four of the franchise’s blockbusters, gracing the covers of countless magazines and making shoeless appearances for TV interviews as the world couldn’t seem to get enough of the ethereal Canadian star.

As legions of fans envied her aerial on-screen escapades with one of Hollywood’s then-hottest heartthrobs, however, Kidder was grappling with a lifetime of what she called ‘mind flights.’

Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve played Lois Lane and Superman in 1978 film Superman

She would only come to accept a bipolar diagnosis later in life, but Kidder, from childhood, was plagued by mental struggles that would at one point in the 1990s leave her homeless and near toothless in California, committed to psychiatric care th and rummaging through garbage for food.

…In the early days of her international stardom, in the wake of the Superman box office behemoth, she described to Rolling Stone ‘a constant sense of conflict: if I think about what I believe is important, I’ll be crazy; and if I don’t think about it, I find myself denying, denying, denying in order to be normal.’

…‘The reality of my life has been grand and wonderful, punctuated by these odd blips and burps of madness.’.

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How Jimmy Swaggart Changed American Christianity

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The disgraced televangelist built his career on an undeniable talent. His downfall contributed to a major shift in how Americans viewed religious leaders.

THE DEATH THIS WEEK OF JIMMY SWAGGART at the age of 90 brings to an end one of the most controversial and remarkable careers in recent American religious life. For younger Americans, Swaggart’s name might not mean anything; others might recall blurry footage of a weeping preacher confessing, “I have sinned.” And sin he did, but in a time when Americans have become accustomed to seeing headlines about sex scandals involving religious leaders, it’s hard to convey just how consequential his indiscretions seemed when they were first reported.

The story broke in 1988 and caused an immediate media earthquake. The ground shook because Swaggart had fallen from a great height: He was, for a time, one of the most powerful religious voices in America, commanding a global television ministry, shaping conservative politics, and presenting himself as a moral compass to millions.

One of the challenges when it comes to properly evaluating Swaggart as a public figure is that nowadays we are not inclined to imagine a televangelist as a figure inherently worthy of any real respect. But the man’s own scandals are one of the reasons for that. When Swaggart’s resonant voice first started being heard in living rooms across the country, TV preachers occupied a very different place in the American imagination than they do today.

Swaggart emerged from the rural Pentecostal world of midcentury Louisiana, where fervent faith and musical flair often went hand in hand. His family background offered intimations of his later path: His cousins, rock-and-roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis and country singer Mickey Gilley, both had the signature family blend of raw talent and unruly impulse. But while they chased fame across beer-soaked honky-tonk stages, Swaggart was drawn to a different kind of spectacle: revivals.

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Minnesota legalizes motorcycle lane-splitting

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Beginning on Tuesday, motorcyclists in Minnesota will be able to get through traffic jams a little quicker.

Both “lane splitting” and “lane filtering” are about to become legal in Minnesota, at least under certain circumstances. 

Lane splitting for motorcyclists will be allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction. It allows a motorcycle to pass another vehicle going in the same direction, and in the same lane, but at no more than 25 mph.

Motorcyclists are also not allowed to travel more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic while in relevant traffic lanes, according to public safety officials.

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This is something that really is ‘safe and effective’. Lane-splitting allows bikes to get away from traffic while also reducing congestion for everyone. Been the law in California for a long time. Another good motorcycle law is allowing bikes to use high beams in the day. This has also been law in CA and is recommended for rider safety. In countries with lots of motorcycles, bikes are typically encouraged to move to the front of traffic waiting at stoplights so they can get out in front, thus reducing accidents and delays for everyone. ABN

After releasing pro-Hitler song, Ye will perform in Slovakia

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“Hip-hop visionary, cultural icon and controversial genius YE will perform July 20, 2025 exclusively at the Rubicon Festival in Bratislava. It will be his only confirmed live performance in Europe in 2025 — and ever first show in Slovakia in history,” organizers confirmed on the event’s website on Monday. “Rubicon Festival is raising the bar for European festivals to a whole new level.”

His participation in the festival has sparked anger. More than 3,000 people have already signed a petition asking the festival to cancel the performance of the rapper, who is formerly known as Kanye West.

The authors of the petition point out that Ye has in recent years repeatedly and openly adopted the symbolism and ideology associated with Nazi Germany, having written, for example, “I am a Nazi” and “I love Hitler” on social media platforms.

“He trivializes the crimes of the totalitarian dictatorial regime and the war atrocities that also affected the Slovak population,” the petition reads.

The petition refers to Ye’s latest track, “Heil Hitler,” which was released on May 8 — the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The song references the Nazi salute which was used while Adolf Hitler was in power. The single’s artwork resembles a swastika, and the song ends with a lengthy sample from a Hitler speech.

As the petition also mentions, the song is banned in Germany.

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Antisemitism = Believing what your ancestors told you about Jews and not believing what Jews are telling you about your ancestors. ABN