29 October 2011

A Rubik's Cube that never makes us frustrated

Ever got frustrated with a Rubik's Cube? Now there is an alternative version that never lets us down.

From time to time I see news clips on TV showing how some people can
solve Rubik's Cubes in an amazing way. How can some nerds solve this mechanical puzzle in one minute, even solve it with their feet or while blindfolded?

These video clips always leave me totally flabbergasted, for I can't even solve this bloody puzzle with my eyes wide open in one hour.

Fortunately, there is a self-solving Rubik's Cube which requires no effort to solve. It has been solved in the beginning.

Well, actually it's a 3D logo of the Second Northern Taiwan Teaching Resource Centre.
The idea behind this logo comes from the well-field system, a and distribution method existing roughly between the 9th to 2nd century BC.

A square area of land was divided equally into nine sections, with the outer eight cultivated by eight individual peasant families and the centre jointly cultivated for the landowning aristocrat.

Whatever idea there is behind the design, the 3D version is absolutely great consolation for people like me who cannot solve a six-coloured cube.

12 October 2011

Ronne drumming on his milk tin



Fanne is running a promotion for her products, which invites parents to enter a competition by uploading videos of toddlers or young children dancing, rocking or taking any form of exercise to the official promotional song.

This promo song is a cover version of an advert tune from years ago with lyrics rewritten. I was requested to take on the task to produce a newly arranged backing track, coach the singer (actually a staff member of Fanne) and make the recording.

Fanne decided to let Ronne do whatever he liked in front of the milk tin, a sample of her products under promotion, and shoot a video as well. Crikey, nobody gave Ronne any instruction; he just started drumming on the milk tin.

However, his father, as a musicologist, couldn't figure out any rhythmic patter or relationship between his beating and the soundtrack.

11 October 2011

What can you make with a handkerchief?


Last Monday was the national day in Taiwan, which commemorate the Wuchang Uprising on 10 October 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.

As this Chinese Republic nowadays has only its sovereignty over Taiwan and is not recognised as a country by the UN, it's alawys under debate whether Taiwan is still part of China and whether ROC still exists.

I don't bother to bother join the debate any more; those issues will be settled after I die, I strongly believe. Therefore, I celebrated this day with my son by playing a with handkerchief.


A cocoon.


Now a wrapped sweet.


Now a carrot.


And finally back to a handkerchief, and it can also become a cap.