Place and Time

Crashing thunder striking the mother
Tears fall from the heavens above
Clouds fritter away to the Red Sea
Beaming round through the wholes in the net

Out of Darkness comes light
A sliver piercing the atmosphere
Far and wide in time
The hour of neither here nor there



Out of light comes the darkness
Black as the whole in space
Trapping all that crosses its path
Struggle with feet kicking



Earth is a blueberry underneath a microscope
Time and space seem endless
Light from last year there
Can be seen clear here



Now Sound becomes dull
Time becomes slow under the magnifying glass
Fear makes the world stand still
But the sun will continue to rise

Subliminal Messaging In Movies

Subliminal messages have always been an uncanny phenomenon and often subject to scientific and public debate. A subliminal message is a signal in the form of a picture or sound that is designed to pass the normal limits of perception, which means that people perceive it with their subconscious while not perceiving it consciously. However, it is difficult to prove whether images are meant to be subliminal and whether they trigger the sought-after effect. Concurrently, they also give good way for nice conspiracy theories and spooky stories. Nevertheless, the deliberate use of suggestive images meant to evoke a secondary hidden effect could be at least considered dubious and unethical.

The most famous story about subliminal manipulation is that of the infamous experiment held in 1957 at a movie theatre in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Here it was believed that ultra-fast editing of images of popcorn and Coke throughout the movie Picnic would lead to a significant increase in refreshment sales during the intermission. The experiment was soon after ruled as a hoax after the experimenter James Vicary admitted that he tampered with the results. I believe his James Vicary made up the tampering story to cover up the true affect his subliminal messages had on the refreshment sales.

In cinema subliminal messaging has been used a lot. One of the most famous examples were the gruesome images used in The Exorcist; subliminal images were edited in to increase the fear of the audience. This might explain why the movie induced such strong reactions of terror with so many people. The subliminal images were cut out of the movie only to be reinstated in the 2000 Director’s Cut. Another film was Oliver Stone’s award winning movie JFK is ridden with subliminal messages, sending out a message that the Kennedy slaying was tied to Masonic or secret societies. More recently, subliminal messages were openly used in David Fincher’s Fight Club, turning the spotting of Tyler Durden almost into a game.

Also, Fight Club contains notable inserts mimicking an activity attributed to one of the lead characters an insomniac (Tyler Durden) played by Brad Pitt. At night, whilst unable to sleep, he holds down a job as a movie projectionist. As an act of rebellion he splices frames of pornographic material into the movies he shows, similar to the 1957 experiment with popcorn and Coke. Director David Fincher did likewise, presumably for artistic reasons. However, if you wish to be cynical, it could have been simply to add a bit of 'spice' to the movie or generate some street buzz to complement advertising hype. Given the erotic nature of the nude inserts their presence may also have increased interest or arousal levels at crucial points in the film. Whatever the justification offered for the inclusion of these 'subliminal' frames in Fight Club, their use should help lead viewers, whether closely attending to the content of the movie or not, to conclude this is a 'sexy' movie.

There were several examples of perceived subliminal messaging in three well know animated Disney films. In the movie Aladdin, some have heard a whispered message saying, “Good teenagers, take off your clothes.” In The Lion King, the word “sex” seems to form in the clouds above Simba’s head after he watches his father die. And of course how could anybody forget the Priest with a boner during the wedding ceremony at the end of The Little Mermaid. These images and messages have been argued about for years. In one hand, you have those followers who believe that these messages were made and implemented on purpose, and in the other you have the people that argue against that notion.

Subliminal messaging has been supposedly outlawed for more than 50 years, but there have been numerous accusations, as well as hypothesis about subliminal messaging continuing to be used in cinema and advertising. The subliminal message is perceived by the sub-conscious mind, therefore why do some people believe these messages are real? I think it is because many people choose to believe only what they see, but if there have been numerous people admitting to seeing the same image, it must be real! Right?

Product Placement in TV and Film

When you are watching a movie or your favorite TV show and you see a consumer product in the background or foreground, many people wouldn't think twice about it. Or how in the most recent episode of the USA network's hit series Burn Notice that aired on June 16, a character talked about using Facebook to make contact with a friend, many people wouldn't realize that there was a plug made. Arranged product placement and advertising plugs have been used since the early 1980's in TV, as well as film, but has become the most subliminal way to advertise to consumers in recent years.

Have you ever watched a TV show or a movie and felt like you were watching a really long commercial? Then consider yourself a victim of bad product placement. There's definitely a line that can be crossed when presenting brand-name items or services as props within the context of a movie or TV show. Clever marketing professionals never try to cross that line, because they want their products to be visible within a scene, but not the focus. As I said earlier, the product placed in the foreground or background needs to fit, almost seamlessly into the shot and context of the scene. You may ask yourself, how does product placement get worked into a movie or TV show.

Before a product can be used in a movie or TV show, the producers need permission from the brand to use their product and draw up a contract which states the guidelines of the deal. Arranged product placement deals are split into two categories:

1. Trade-off of integration or placement for a supply of product

For example: If I were a rep for Redbull, we sign a contract to send the CW network 100 cases of the energy drink to be used as fuel during production, in return for the product to be placed in three new pilot episodes airing in the fall.

2. Financial compensation for placement or integration

For example: The CW network would be compensated with a sum if the network agreed to place or integrate Redbull into three new pilot episodes set to air in the fall.

I have a very strong love for watching TV shows and movies, but I sometimes catch myself analyzing what I am viewing in a professional manner by noticing the product placement and hearing the plugs. I break down the scene in my head and can literally pick out over a half dozen products placed in many of the TV shows and movies I watch including Burn Notice, Gossip Girl, The Breakfast Club, Wayne's World, Iron Man, and Tropic Thunder.

Other well known product placement deals have included:

Risky Business - Ray-Ban sunglasses
Back to the Future - Pepsi products
Demolition Man - Taco Bell (In the future, everything is Taco Bell...)
You've Got Mail - America On-Line (AOL), Apple, IBM and Starbucks
Austin Powers - Pepsi and Starbucks
Cast Away - FedEx and Wilson

Men in Black II - Ray-Ban sunglasses, Mercedes Benz, Sprint, Burger King

I hope that after reading this blog post that you will have a different perspective on advertising and product placement and be able to see how it is now incorporated into almost all movies and TV shows. Next time you watch your favorite show keep an eye out for that product that looks to fit in the scene quite casually, but in reality the product was placed in that spot under contract.

Spinal Cord and The Sense of Touch: What's the Connection?

Human beings have Touch receptors located in varying densities over our bodies. In the hand, touch receptors are most densely located in our fingertips, which is why our fingers are more sensitive to touch than our palms. There are two pathways that touch takes to the brain. The spinalthalamic pathway is the slower of the two pathways, however, it is the route from the spinal cord to the brain which carries most of the information regarding skin temperature and pain. That is why when we become ill and have a fever, it is not necessarily detected right away. Or if we burn ourselves on the stove, the pain might increase a day or so after the initial incident. The pain takes time to travel.

On the other hand, the dorsal-column-medial-lemniscal (DCML) pathway is the route from the spinal cord to the brain which carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons and joints. This is due to wider-diameter axons and fewer synapses which, therefore conveys messages and information more quickly to the brain. For example, my right knee gives me a lot of pain on a fairly consistent basis. When I hear my right knee crack or pop, I know that I will feel a significant amount of pain shortly after. Since the pain is in the joints or tendons of my knee, I feel it quickly. The spinal cord is the most important piece of the nervous system. It can be life-changing to have spinal cord damage, especially the higher up the injury is. For instance, Superman Christopher Reeve suffered fractures to the top two vertebrae, which is considered the most serious of cervical injuries, which also damaged his spinal cord. He could not move anything below his neck, and he was barely able to turn his head if at all. He was unable to feel any part of his body below his neck and was hooked up to a respirator for the 10 years following his injury ultimately resulting in his passing. The lesson here is to be very careful when dealing with a spinal cord injury. If there is a chance for you to lose feeling below the waste, the activity is probably not worth the time.

Ross

Perception of Film

A persistent image from Sony Pictures 2008 motion-picture
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

With respect to the perception of realism when viewing motion pictures, persistent images prevent us from seeing that motion-picture screens are dark when the projector moves from one frame to the next. Persistent images last an average of approximately one quarter second after the stimulus has been removed. Perception occurs with short exposure time because the persistent image keeps the image available to the viewer slightly longer than the actual presentation time.

Persistent images are crucial to the perception of realistic motion-picture and television pictures. When motion picture films are projected, it is mandatory to darken the screen with a rotating shutter when the film is being moved from one frame to the next. In other words, the persistent image prevents the viewer from seeing the dark intervals which would appear as a flicker in the theater.

Earlier motion-pictures were nicknamed flicks because of they were made with 16 frames per second and the flicker was obvious to the naked eye. Because images are constructed sequentially with an electron beam, the persistent images are necessary for the viewers to see a complete picture. The duration of a persistent image may vary depending on several factors including the image's luminance level and whether the removal of stimulus is followed by another image or darkness.

A Typical Day at Wrigley

Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd, buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks, I don't care if I ever get back, for its root root root for the Cubbies...

I love nothing more on a beautiful day, then sitting in the stands at Wrigley Field, watching the Chicago Cubs, and enjoying the various stimulants offered for my enjoyment. It starts as I walk up Clark street toward Addison and I am bombarded with peanut vendors. Of course you have to get a bag of peanuts if you're going to the game. This is just the beginning. Once I'm inside the park, my first order of business in getting a beer. Peanuts and beer go hand in hand, but the intoxicating aroma of grilled onions accompanied by charred brats and dogs is so temping that I have to force myself to find my seat before I can indulge.

Sitting in the stands is what gives Wrigley Field its undeniable power. I sit and I smell beer, hot dogs, onions, nachos, cotton candy, peanuts, fresh cut grass, and I am consumed by Cubs baseball. There is a natural comradery in the stands! You don't have to know people in order to fit in, you just have to participate in the conversations heckling the visiting teams or discussing how the Cubs are sucking it up like usual. When you're a true fan like myself, it is almost second nature to be making fun of the Cubbies, and the next thing you know "POP" the ball is blasted in to the bleachers. The crowd rises from their seats filled with joy that we witnessed a home run by our team and puts an end to our bad mouthing. I begin giving high-5's to my fellow fans surrounding me because we are all in attendance for the experience. Like I said, this is how the natural comradery comes into play. The next thing I know, I hear "Cold beer here!" being yelled by the vendor passing by, so I raise my hand and yell "Two Bud Lights!" And that is how it is done.

As a fan and spectator, you have to be aware of your surroundings in order to take full advantage of the numerous luxuries offered at every game. I use my perception of sight, sound, vision, touch, and taste at every single game I attend, adds to my joyful experiences at Wrigley. After several innings of peanuts and cold beer its time to head to the bathroom that reeks of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and urine to drain my lizard. On my way back I use my nose like a German Shepard to follow the scent of grilled onions and finally get to engorge myself with jumbo charred hot dog with mustard. I make it a point to get my last beer at the park and nachos with extra jalapenos right before the start of the seventh inning, because they stop selling beer after the inning is over.

If the game ends in a victory for Chicago, I participate in singing Go, Cubs Go with my fellow patrons as I proceed out of the park by following the herd. So you see, all five senses are stimulated and come into play when enjoying a beautiful day at Cubs baseball at Wrigley Field!


Ross

Artistic Applications of Taste!

Why does food taste so damn good? Ooh, I have a better question; Why does food that is bad for our health taste so good? Actually, the question I really am dying to have answered is; Why does food that might not look so appetizing, taste so phenomenal that it must be from a different planet? I don't really know the answer, but I do know that even though sushi is now my favorite food, I used to hate it!

When I was about eight I tried sushi for the first time with my family at my brother's birthday dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Hanabi in Buffalo Grove, Illinois and I absolutely dreaded going out for sushi with my family. I couldn't stand the stench of raw fish that filled the restaurant or the fact that there was nothing cooked on the menu. I resorted to making fried rice by combining white rice with soy sauce. The part I hated most was this green condiment known as wasabi. My brother along with both parents would load the wasabi up on each individual piece of sushi. I would always laugh when their faces turned red or when they would use a hand to fan themselves because of the overwhelming curve ball wasabi threw. I was so scarred to taste it because I had seen Ted Danson in the movie Made In America, unknowingly eat an entire ball of wasabi! It was a hilarious scene, but it frightened me for several years.

When I was 13 I went through a phase where I wouldn't consume any type of food without smelling it first. My family went to Hanabi again for my brother's birthday and I had a cold that block my sinuses, therefor, I was unable to smell anything. I decided to try something simple I began eating fake sushi such as California Rolls and Ebi Nigiri with a little bit of wasabi. Anything with shrimp tasted and smelled good to me now. Moments after taking my first bite, I noticed my sinuses opened up and I was able to smell and taste simultaneously. I realized that my taste buds were expanding, because now all of the sudden I like sushi. From that point on, I had no problem going with my family to eat and Hanabi or any other sushi restaurant. As I grew older and wiser, my taste buds expanded even more and I began liking raw fish, and progressively adding more and more wasabi to my sushi. I no longer smell my food before I eat it.

The point I am trying to make is that looks may be deceiving, but you cannot judge a book by its cover. Even though good sushi is prepared moments before consumption, presentation is almost just as important as taste and smell. Artistically speaking, it is possible for a particular food to look delicious, but taste absolutely dreadful! I know there is a connection between smell and taste, and my personal life experience has proven this fact. I cannot smell without my sense of taste and vice verse. The two senses go hand in hand. With regards to taste and sight, It is easy to make the mistake, assuming that food which may look appetizing probably tastes good too. Wrong!!!!

Challenge: Try some type of food that does not look very appetizing and you be the food critic. Perhaps an "F" for presentation and an "A" for taste!

Ross