Observations at the Humanities and Technology Crossroads
Life on Gran Canaria
Surprising aspects of life on an island from a mainlander’s point of view. What is a shortage? Making do. What goes around comes around.
Surfing on Las Canteras (La Cicer)
Feb 25th
This is one of the best surfing videos I’ve ever seen, and it was shot right here on our beloved Canteras Beach in the area known as “La Cicer”.
This is one of the best waves on the beach…
This can also be an excellent (huge) wave, but it doesn’t come in very often:
Teletubbies Mystery
Jan 8th
We’ve been watching a lot of Teletubbies lately. I’m fascinated by the set and how they manage to almost always get direct sunlight right smack dab in the middle of England. So, I decided to do a little research and find out where Teletubbies is filmed.
- Google Earth .kmz file claiming to pinpoint the location of the outdoor studio
- Google maps link to same location above
What I find rather fascinating is that in the first link (viewing via Google Earth), it seems the area in question is only available at a lower resolution, so much lower that you can’t really make out whether it really is the filming location or not.
The second link shows the same area at a much higher resolution, but the details definitely aren’t the Teletubbies set.
If they really stopped filming Teletubbies in 2001, why is the Google Earth data so old? Also, did the producers really submit a request to minimize resolution on the studio and if so, for what possible reason?
Carland
Dec 18th
We’ve been in the U.S. for nearly a month now catching up with family and putting some time in at the office. Long trips such as this are usually emotionally charged due to the extended exposure to family and friends, and this trip has been no exception, but I’m writing these few words just to remind myself (and hopefully the reader) that such trips are always worth the effort as evidenced by my son’s first birthday family picture.
The title of this post is in reference to my impression of the U.S. every time I return: you are lost without a car, especially if you have children. I may regret leaving the U.S. from time to time (and usually for very superficial reasons) but one thing I don’t miss is the utter dependence on automobiles and how far everything is. My family must think I’m nuts but after nearly 5 years of walking nearly everywhere for daily needs (food, clothes, bank, government offices, etc.) my tolerance for driving half an hour to buy some milk or fresh vegetables is nearly zero.
If there is one wish I could have come true for the U.S. in 2009 it would be for more, and better, public transportation, especially in places like Phoenix, AZ.
Cross-cultural Beliefs
Nov 4th
I found this image on the internet, while reading up on some song lyrics. While many people world-wide try to isolate their cultures from external influences in an attempt to “protect their futures” images such as this show how difficult that is (and suggest how futile it is as well). Diversity, just as in financial portfolios as in society, is what makes us stronger, not weaker.
How many cultures do you see represented in this image?