Two Men I Admire

Steve Jobs died today. My co-workers (me included) teared up and it seemed like everyone took a long pause, stopped working, and started reflecting. The world lost a family member. The world was mourning. And it was raining in Mountain View.

Unable to focus on my work, I watched a couple of Steve's talks, and looked at few of his photos. Looking at him, I felt a strange familiarity. He strongly reminded me of another man I admire. A man that dreams big and is here to change the world, just like Steve. These two men also have one physical treat in common. Can you see it?

I hope the world will be lucky to have more people like Steve. People who will bublibish the humanity. People whose lives are meaningful. Steve, I am thankful you existed and loved your work. The world is a better place as a result. RIP

A Life Well Spent

Every time I notice the yellow paint showing from under a layer of dust on my Vespa, a little guilty voice in me says "ride the damn scooter you lazy bum". Today was the perfect day to do so. But certain someone did not feel like being a scooter passenger and made us take my car instead.

We ventured to Presidio Park, parked by a row of porter potties, and walked around the "Do not step on the new grass until Nov 15" signs towards the Walt Disney Family Museum.

The museum seems pretty boring on the outside. It's in an old military building, in the middle of the era of the past. In fact, visiting the whole Presidio Park feels like a time travel experience. One can not tell what era we live in. The grass is perfectly green, the brick buildings are perfectly aligned and perfectly maintained. It feels like a scene from the "LOST" TV series. You look at the doors on the building and expect to see a Dharma Initiative member in a jump suit come out and jump into an old Volkswagen van.

But inside... inside you find a journey. You follow Walt's life from his childhood until his death in 1966. From the first sketches for his high school magazine, to his first animation attempts, first experiments with video, small successes and failures, bankrupcy, and his American dream coming true in Hollywood.

You will see how years of practice and devotion honed Walt's animation skills. You will watch how technology changed the game and opened amazing opportunities for Walt.

Being a photographer, the multiplane camera was my favorite object in the museum. I'd love to have one of these machines in my home. Our loft ceiling is tall enough for it. All I need is few people (with very good life insurance) to operate it for me.

As expected, the museum devotes multiple rooms to the birth of Mickey Mouse who was the first major hit in Walt's career.

After the first wave of success, Walt worked with large teams of people to produce the various cartoons. One whole room is dedicated to sound production.

After about two hours or mostly reading and watching short videos of Walt explaining his craft, you enter into a room with a miniature model of the first version of Disneyland. Seeing this made that little kid in me jump twenty feet high.

Walt was a great example of someting I strive for -- a life well spent. Go visit the museum and get inspired!

The Man Who Redefined The Word "Photogenic"

This man is the most photogenic creature I have ever shot. And I have shot many very photogenic creatures. Brad recently overtook Fluffy that held this spot for many years. See for yourself. Clearly, no-one can compete with this level of game:

 

Two And A Half Headed Turtle

This turtle lives in a mall. A mall that is built on top of the ruins of Zilina castle. Yes, in Europe, they discover castles while building malls. This castle has been rumored to have existed for a while. It was first mentioned in historic documents from 1318, but no one knew where it once stood. Well, until some heavy machinery started to dig a giant hole for the Mirage Shopping Centre. "Oops... boss, we have a problem. I think I just dug into a castle." -- I imagine machine operator yelling at his/her boss.

You can now see some of the remains of the castle neatly arranged under a glass plate in the center of the mall atrium. There is also a number of cafes and coffee shops surrounding the atrium. One of them is boasting with a three headed turtle. We went to check it out and it turned out to be two and a half headed one. It's still pretty interesting, don't you think so? I wonder which head controls which leg.

One Crafty Googley Hangout

Judging from the attendance of Tessa's birthday party, it seems like Googlers only hang out with Googlers and Google dogs. Or perhaps it just means that Googlers and dogs like to hang out with Tessa? Either way, we hung out, crafted some crafts, and also attended a Google+ hangout with Craig. Too bad Google did not yet figure out how to pipe yummy food through the intertubes. It would be a better hangout if we could pour some of those mango bellinis and the yummy Indian food down the pipes and onto the hangoutees.

 ... and yes, the paper car at the bottom center is the very famous socialist two-stroke Trabant. Did you know that Trabant was the most common vehicle in East Germany? I still remember that rattly sound and distinct stink that thing made. Some people pimp them out and even race them! They were made by Germans wearing mullets and Borat-style moustaches, so they must be cool. Aaah... I'm getting too sentimental... I need to get a tissue...