| Vitruvian Mind |
| Life as it should be |
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Posted on August 22nd, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Arts & Literature, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events.
Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to gather the goggles and glitter. Time to clean out the Camel Back and collect the costumes. Time to prepare ourselves for another week or survival camping on the playa. You guessed it - Burning Man.
At this very moment I am in Reno, NV, fresh from visits to Costco, Wal Mart, and Home Depot. About to grab my boxes and bike from the UPS Depot. Tomorrow the RV, final errands, and then its a half-day eastward journey into the middle of nowhere. Take a left turn after cell phone reception drops out, keep going for another couple hours, and then you’re getting close…
There have been myriad posts on this blog about Burning Man, so I’ll save further explanations here, save one - how to find us if you’re going to be out there. We are heading up the Villains & Virgins crew, which is part of Spanky’s Wine Bar, located at 5:00 and Esplanade. Once you get there, ask for the Pink Panther. If that makes any sense to you, then I’ll see you at the Bordello 
-PP
Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Bijan.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Consumer Products, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Coming Events.
“Scientists Set Sights on Invisibility Cloaks”
Such is the title of an article posted on CNN.com last Tuesday. Did you know that? Apparently, scientists from all over the globe have been experimenting with something called a “Superlens” which, essentially, can make things invisible. A superlens has a negative refractive index, meaning that it refracts light that an object projects in the opposite direction, thereby causing the light waves to cancel each other out and, voila! - renders the object invisible. Check it out for yourself.
Yet ironically, since websites like CNN are more concerned with matters such as “Mini Me’s” sex tape and these damn bikini-touting baristas in Seattle (seriously people, its a bikini. GET OVER IT), we oftentimes miss the truly important things that are happening in the world.
But news media debates aside, the scientific community is largely lost in the obscurity of politics, economics and pop culture. Consider the fact that only two decades ago, the idea of an iPhone would have sounded almost as feasible as, well, an invisibility cloak. Websites like the National Science Foundation provide oceans of information regarding the latest scientific discoveries and upcoming scientific research. It is important to note the vast impact even the most minor scientific innovation can have on society as we know it, and, as gradual as these things seem - they aren’t. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself shopping for jetpacks, teleporters and Beryllium Spheres in the near future. Just watch out for shoplifters - always wearing those pesky cloaks…
Posted on June 7th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Sports & Health, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events, Storytelling.
On August 25th, 2008, Burning Man will open its gates. The week that follows will mark the peak of the year for many people, as Black Rock City one again rises like a phoenix from the ashes. For the week that it exists, the Black Rock City (the remote city that is Burning Man) is Nevada’s fourth largest city. Nearly 50,000 inhabitants gather in the middle of a dry lakebed to create something truly unique - a shining jewel on America’s tarnished soul. Once the event is over, the entire city vanishes without a trace, leaving only the memories, friendships, and the promise of things to come.
To some of you reading this, just the mention of the words “Burning Man” is enough to send a happy and mischievous tingle down your spine. To others, he subject is not too clear. If you asked 100 people what they thought Burning Man was all about, I’m sure you’d get a 101 different answers. Some would speak of freedom, personal expression, and universal acceptance. Others would rave about the art, music, and amazing characters they encountered. Many would tell stories of friends made, relationships formed or strengthened, and personal breakthroughs achieved. These are all threads of the same fabric, one that envelopes everyone who sets foot on the playa.
The intention of Burning Man is to generate a society that connects each individual to his or her creative powers, to participation in community, to the larger realm of civic life, and to the even greater world of nature that exists beyond society. BM is radically inclusive, so its meaning is accessible to anyone willing to make the journey. The touchstone of value in its culture will always be immediacy: experience before theory, moral relationships before politics, survival before services, roles before jobs, embodied ritual before symbolism, work before vested interest, participant support before sponsorship.
One way to begin to understand Burning Man is to look at the website: burningman.com, another is to look at its guiding principles:
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
If that sounds like something that interests you, you should learn more - but the clock is ticking. Planning for Burning Man is a year round commitment for many, and jumping into the fray at the last minute is nearly impossible. More so, the preparation and anticipation is a huge part of the experience.
So give it some thought, and if you’re ready to get involved, meet me out in the desert this August, and see for yourself. Dive in, the water is warm and welcoming.
Posted on April 10th, 2008 by Vitruvius.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Coming Events.
Today, we launched Vitruvian World, an ever-evolving list of global events that can be accessed at the top of Vitruvian Mind (or at its own URL). The purpose behind generating a schedule of happenings in culture, music, art, sports, and celebration is pretty obvious. We want this information ourselves. Seriously, if you want to know what’s cool in the world–where you gonna go?? NOWHERE (pls correct me if I’m wrong). Well, as they say, if you want something done right…so we did. VW is something that we have always wanted to create for ourselves, and have recently found the technology (Google) and the manpower (interns) to build and maintain it.
With that said, expect the calendar to be populated with most relevant world-wide events in the next few weeks. Think Running of the Bulls meets Grand Prix meets Ibiza opening parties meets Paris White Party meets the Olympics. THEN it’ll get interesting as we add regional and lesser known parties and festivals. Getting the low hanging fruit will force us to find all the gems that we don’t even know about yet. At the end of the day, it’s YOU who we want to clue us in on what’s happening and when.
Vitruvian World ought to broaden our horizons, get us on out travel game, and remind us that the world is a large and exciting place. As with VM, we have no idea where this will go but what the hell, we’ll have fun doing it.
Special props to Danny for getting this up.
Posted on March 25th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Coming Events.
Break out the glow sticks and comfy shoes, it’s starting again. Yes, Lord have mercy, Winter Music Conference 2008 is now officially underway.
To those of you in and around Miami, I wish you much merriment and good music. Be safe, be smart, and party like a rockstar. For those of you not attending this year’s event, if you like dance music, check out the event website: http://www.wintermusicconference.com/. I specifically recommend checking out “The List”. It’s a breakdown of all the parties happening in Miami that week. The list is around 100 pages long. Some refer to WMC as the ‘World Cup of DJs’, and it’s easy to see why. There is nothing anywhere in the world that compares.
If I make it through alive, I’ll be back to give you my reflections on the event and links to some great new music. This is when all the DJs and producers break out the hits for the coming year, and the crowd is hungry for it. I know I am.
Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Arts & Literature, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events.
Here at VM we are always working to create new and interesting ways to improve our lives and the lives of others. Right now we building Vitruvian World, a site that will be a forum for information and interation related to events around the world. A way for all of us to keep each other informed of amazing happenings and to see who will be where and when.
As a tidbit of some of the many things to come, here is a teaser on some electronic music related events. For those electronic music enthusiasts out there, this calendar of spectacular destinations for the year ahead should be full of familar names. For the unfamiliar, this is not just a list of concerts and music festivals, but rather a specifically chosen catalog of international events that combine intriguing and engaging people, unique and beautiful venues, varied regions of the world, diverse art and culture, environments allowing for individual expression and personal introspection, and of course, the very best electronic music in the world.
This is an admittedly US and Euro-centric list, but hey, those are my homes, and host to most of the world’s best and biggest music-based events. This selection also focuses on the very largest parties in the world, but remember, it’s the people and the music that matter, not the numbers. I encourage you to view the websites for each event to learn more about them, but more so, to take a chance, hop on a plane, and go see for yourself…
Winter Music Conference
Coachella Valley Music Festival
Ibiza Summer Season Opening Parties
Exit Festival
Love Parade
Global Gathering
Zurich Street Parade
Creamfields
Burning Man
Love Parade
Posted on February 14th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Coming Events.
Today, February 14th, marks the return of the annual love-fest that is Valentine’s Day. A day when all us lovers can express our amour for each other by sending Valentine’s Day cards or giving small fuzzy bears with red satin hearts sewn on them.
For a little historical background, Valentine’s Day is named after an early Christian martyr named Valentine. The day then became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of ‘courtly love’ flourished.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is still a festival of romance and love, but has taken on a distinctly commercial element. Some interesting tidbits:
- The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines cards are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
- It is estimated that women purchase 85 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards.
- Valentine sales account for nearly 10-12 percent of annual business share for most luxury brands.
- Flowers and jewelry are the most preferred gift items.
- According to the US’ National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans plan to spend $17 billion on Valentine’s Day this year.
For some, Valentine’s Day is something to be eagerly anticipated. A night of romance reborn in waiting, a special gift wrapped and ready, a proposal?. For others it’s something to detest. A reminder of their loneliness, or an impetus to realize they’re with the wrong person. What is it for you this year? What do you want it to be in years future?
Posted on December 4th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Arts & Literature, Coming Events.
Art Basel Miami Beach is the largest art fair in America. It’s a magnet for art collectors, jet setters, painters, film makers, architects, photographers, museum heads, gallery owners, and the party crowd,. The Art Basel web site, offers a complete listings of artists and galleries represented inside the Miami Beach Convention Center. The fair begins officially this Thurs and closes Sun.
Here are a few good resources to check out AB:
Allegedly, this is Miami at its finest. Will let you know…
Posted on October 30th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Coming Events.
For those of you who don’t know what the Gumball Rally is, do you remember the movie Cannonball Run? It’s a yearly migrating automobile race starring exotic cars, exotic destinations (think Morocco to Cannes), and really rich people. VM has one crazy friend that participates in this event, but maybe there are more of you who might be interested. Here is a note on 2008 year’s race:
To celebrate Gumball 3000’s 10th Anniversary rally, in 2008 we are embarking upon creating the ultimate rally of the future from San Francisco to Beijing incorporating a true once in a lifetime (no cars) check point in North Korea !!!!!
The eight-day 3000-mile route will embrace the contrasting cultures of the east and west, whilst also uniting over 40 nationalities of participants taking part, and truly benchmarking itself at the forefront of partying, exploring, and the promotion of eco friendly transportation. 120 of the worlds most amazing vehicles will participate, and as well as the usual display of stunning super cars, the 2008 Gumball will also showcase and encourage vehicles pushing the technological boundaries to create an environmentally friendly and safer future.
Having pro actively supported the use of ‘green’ fuels for the past 4 years, highlighted by film star Daryl Hannah participating in 2005 using only 100% bio-diesel, and a Peterbilt Truck using only potato oil from San Francisco to Miami in 2003, along with numerous other bio-diesel, electric and hybrids taking part. In 2008 Gumball has made the decision to become completely carbon neutral, and will offset its complete carbon footprint made by the participating super cars and airplane transportation, as well as promoting and encouraging the use of as many environmentally friendly futuristic vehicles using fuel cells, hydrogen, batteries and other sustainable technologies.
This will be the ultimate adventure and clashes of culture, following partying in San Francisco, the rally will set off in front of millions driving via Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas visiting several world renowned race tracks along the way. Then after partying in Vegas all the cars will then be flown in our Russian cargo planes to Shanghai. Whilst the drivers make their journey to North Korea’s undiscovered stunning capital, Pyongyang, to watch next years ‘Mass Games’ inside the insane May Day ‘gold plated’ 250,000 seater stadium as VIP guests of the North Korean Government. This will be a sight in itself. Though that is not all, once we get back in our drivers seats in Shanghai we will make a 2 day journey to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Following this years accident, we’ve had a long and hard think about how to positively amend and adapt the concept of the rally without stifling its unique freedom of spirit, concept and adventurous characteristics, whilst continuing to make it ground breaking in its cultural diversity, as well as keeping its multi national and diverse demographical appeal; and of course doing what we can to make it as safe as possible, exploring numerous ways of setting up precautions that can offer both participants, sponsors and the public confidence that the odds against such an accident happening again are decreased, whilst also trying to assure that the Gumballers and fans can enjoy the individual spirit, eccentricity, glamour, fun and adventure that has become integral with Gumball over its successful nine year history.
With that in mind, I believe that we have come up with a route and concept that will be both politically, geographically and environmentally ground breaking; and as well as incorporating some of the most influential and culturally diverse cities of the world, with shorter drives and even better parties, the event will also be 100% carbon neutral, and a platform for automotive manufacturers to showcase their futuristic environmentally friendly vehicles.
Unfortunately with only 120 limited exclusive places on the grid, its going to be inevitable that many people wont be able to take part – so please inform us as soon as possible if you’d like to, so we can cater to past ‘Gumballer alumni’ before we let newcomers onto the grid. As you can imagine, this route will appeal to people all over the world that would perhaps have never thought to do a rally previously, as this will be the first time in history that members of all nations will be allowed to visit and party in North Korea!
I hope this has wet your appetite for adventure – and as mentioned more details will follow at the end of this month. The date is from 8th August 2008 – 16th August 2008. Although it’s scheduled to take place later than normal, the rally will coincide with the ‘Mass Games’ and the Beijing Olympic Games– so put your name down now if you are up for it.
The cost of the 2008 Tenth Anniversary Rally is £60,000 which includes all flights (for both you and your vehicle), 5 star Accommodation, access to race tracks on route, Access to the Mass Games, Tickets to the Olympics, North Korean Visas for all drivers, Food and Incredible parties during the period of the Rally and much much more.
Sounds amazing, no? If you’ve got the time, a supercar, and the balls you really have no excuse not to go.
Posted on September 26th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: History & Politics, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Coming Events.
The people at NASA this past week came out with a report on the Antarctic ice shelves that should send chill down anyone’s spine. Their scientists have been studying a broad range of data, including everything from historical records to space-based sensors, and have found that the Antarctic snow is increasingly melting farther inland and at higher altitudes. More significantly, they have found that the rate is dramatically accelerating, and that it is doing so much faster than any of them had expected. Keep in mind that many of these people are the ones fighting hard to draw awareness to the devastation that our world is facing, and even their doom and gloom estimates are being beaten out by actual events in nature. That’s more than a little disturbing if you think about it.
The discovery is particularly significant when you consider that Antarctica contains 90 percent of the Earth’s fresh water, making it the largest potential source of sea level rise. It’s also a place where snow melting has traditionally been quite limited, because even in summer most areas typically record temperatures well below zero. Now, however, studies have found that snow is melting as far inland as 500 miles from the Antarctic coast, and as high as 1.2 miles above sea level in the Transantarctic Mountains. The data also confirm melting has increased on the Ross Ice Shelf, both in geographic area and in duration. The main shelves of Antarctica, should they melt into the ocean, have the potential to raise sea levels by as much as 200 feet. If even one tenth of that occurs, get ready to redraw the maps of the world. I live in Miami right now, and it’s overwhelming to think that most of what I see on a daily basis may not exist by the time my children are my age.
