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Sunday, July 31, 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Origami Zoo Informal Review
Joel Stern and Tuttle Publishing have done it again, producing a handsome origami kit that comes complete with 40 patterned origami paper, 95 stickers, a foldout zoo map (with coloring possibilities for the backside), and a pamphlet of clear instructions for 15 projects. Origami purists can appreciate Joel's talent in designing conceptual animal models that are recognizable and simple enough to complete in around 21 steps or less. Non-purists and novice folders will appreciate the challenge of folding models that are from beginning level to intermediate level; and are not restricted to the limitations of strict folding, but are enhanced by the stickers (for eyes and animal faces), which kids always love, patterned paper, and the zoo map for play. What happens if you run out of stickers and paper? Option 1 would be to resupply with another kit purchase. Option 2 is exercise creativity: Any paper will work and the stickers are a bonus, not a neccessity- kids love to draw and color and will have no qualms about drawing their own animal patterns, eyes, and faces onto paper they fold.
This fun kit makes for a wonderful gift to anyone who is a fan of zoo animals; and/or love kids craft and paperfolding.
Sunday Funnies
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| Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee |
Another friend of mine along the same weekend posted on FB photos of her at the Japanese-American National Museum and shopping in a supermarket with George Takei and his husband (got his opinion on the whole gay Sulu thing- publicly known about).
I'm not a big fan of the Abram's reimagined Star Trek universe (enjoyable on their own terms); but have any of you ever bothered to check out the fan-made Star Trek Continues? Absolutely impressive and amazing at how well they have captured the heart and spirit, the look and feel, of the Original Series. It's like discovering lost episodes. They are that good!
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Paper Glider Scene from the Original Planet of the Apes
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| The movie "Planet of the Apes", directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Seen here, Roddy McDowall as Cornelius holding a paper airplane folded by Taylor. |
In one of my favorite classic sci-fi films, Taylor attempts to communicate how he got there:
Following this scene,
Okay....maybe some of this didn't actually occur in this way, in that movie. But Dr. Zaius did crumble up Taylor's origami artwork as evidence of Taylor's intellect.
Dr. Zaius: What is this?Dr. Zaius picks up the paper airplane that Taylor made earlier...
Zira: A toy. It floats on the air.Cornelius: Zira!Zira: Try it!Dr. Zaius: Nonsense!Dr. Zaius wads up the paper airplane and drops it to the floor. He then turns and starts to exit the room along with Dr. Minimus and the two gorilla guards...Cornelius: (clears throat): Um... Dr. Zaius?Dr. Zaius turns around to face Cornelius...Dr. Zaius: Yes, Cornelius?Cornelius: Aren't you forgetting something...?Dr. Zaius: I don't believe so. Why?Cornelius: I hope it was an innocent accident...Dr. Zaius: What are you talking about?Cornelius: You know damn well what I'm talking about. You wadded up that piece of paper and just dropped into the floor, walked off and left it there... a foot away from the wastebasket. What's that all about?Dr. Zaius: Oh, that. Yes...that was for dramatic effect... to make my point about the foolish impossibility of flight. Worked rather well, wouldn't you say?
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Monday, July 04, 2016
Not free. Not independent.
After our monthly meeting at Marti's, I swung by Marukai in Gardena for some food. Saw the following origami sightings:
Pam called me from the healthcare center where she and Joy were visiting Yami and said Yami wanted bacon fried rice. So picked some of that up.
I worry that Yami is losing purpose and meaning. He is cordial enough; but there's a certain disengagement. I'm not the only one who notices this in attempts at conversing with him. Maybe it's just that he's tired or not in the mood for company. My own sense of it, though, is that he's in a kind of limbo without freedom, independence, or control over his life and his current environment. Instead of taking command over the things that are within his realm of control, he appears to me as though resigned to his lot; and giving in to boredom. He doesn't read, he doesn't fold, he doesn't walk around (only 30 minutes a day of forced exercise- and I'd be curious to see what that entails); he cannot figure out his phone (and embarrassingly, I can't figure out how to work it, either). He's a victim of uncontrolled visitations (hard to warn him ahead of time when you're coming for a visit when he doesn't pick up his phone). All he has is the television whose channels are controlled by his roommate (seems to be his roommate's sole stimuli as well).
Yami hasn't received a lot of mail, from what I could tell. But he has received some. But even these things seem to be of little interest to him. I almost get a sense that these, along with any origami visitors leave him, are just material burdens to him.
I'm sorry of this blogpost comes across as depressing news. I'm just a bit frustrated in not knowing how to help him. It's hard to communicate with him. But I feel like the next time I see him, I need to have a tough love talk with him to pull him out of his malaise. To get him to shake himself out of this mental and spiritual rut of whatever it is he may be experiencing.
1st Sunday 3rd of July
Not an entirely bad turnout, post-Convention (Andrew Ting, Marti Reis, Pam Miike, and Carol Stevens attended).
Photos here.
Happy Fireworks!
Sure I sacrifice a bit for neatness by utilizing this method (stacking sheets together); but much of the beauty of action models is in their functionality and by speed-folding and taking "short-cuts", it allows me the luxury of efficiency and time-saving to make lots of these to give away to my many gymnasts:
Sunday, July 03, 2016
Saturday, July 02, 2016
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Visits Increase After President Obama's Visit
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U.S. President Barack Obama presents two of his hand-folded origami cranes to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward on May 27. The photograph, provided by the Foreign Ministry, will be displayed at the museum through the end of August. |
HIROSHIMA--A photograph of U.S. President Barack Obama and origami cranes he made to mark his historic visit to this city in May went on display June 30 at the atomic bomb museum here.
Museum officials said visitor numbers have soared since the president's visit to the city.
The photo was exhibited at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum after it was provided by the Foreign Ministry at the request of the city government.
Am still curious to know the back story on who helped him fold these.
Hat tip: The Paper Tree