Animated Websites

The original reason I started blogging was that I would see something I liked on the Internet and would talk about it later. Most of these conversations would happen with my kids. When I would try and go back and find the site I would not be able to show them. It was like a you-had-to-be-there moment.

I came across this page on Webupon called "Websites kids will love but grownups will adore" (see the title for the link).

The first animation I check out was a recording of a boy named David Adair put to flash animation called "David's New Snail"



The story is about Davis and his pet Tom.



Yes, Tom is a snail. David and Tom take a trip but shorty after Tom dies.



Poor Tom! It is great to hear David tell the story in his own words.



Although sad about poor Tom, David is excited to get a new snail at the snail store.

Thanks to David and his Dad. I loved this little story for its true to life story of a boy and his snail. I loved that the story is also told in Davids own words. Just don't tell David to get of of town.
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David's New Sail reminded me of another animated short I saw on HBO when I was a kid. It is a story by Faith and John Hubley about their two little girls, Emily and Georgia Hubley, and the adventures the girls have while playing. It was also made from recordings of the girls.


Cockaboody tool a little effort to find on Youtube because I could not remember the name or the story. Released in 1973 or 1974 Cockaboody won several film festival awards including Golden Gate Award for Best of Festival at the San Francisco Film Festival as well as the Golden Eagle award at C.I.N.E. in Washington, D.C.

Together Faith and John Hubley made 21 different short films. The Hubleys won Oscars for their shorts: "Moonbird", "The Hole" and "Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature". In 1977, shortly after Cockaboody's success John Hubley died during open heart surgey. Faith went on in her animation career to complete 24 other short films. Faith Hubley received honors from the Cannes, Venice, London, and San Francisco film festivals. She won fourteen CINE Golden Eagle awards, and received honorary doctorates from the University of Chicago, Columbia College, and Hofstra University. Her 1981 animated film "Enter Life" can be seen at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, as part of the Early Life exhibit. In 1995, the National Gallery of Art presented a retrospective program of her works.

Faith Hubley died in 2001, aged 77, in Connecticut, of cancer.

It's weird the things you learn while surfing on the Internet and reminiscing of lost days from your youth.
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Bat Hung On For a Ride Into Space

This article jumped out at me today. Apparently a hitchhiker got the ride of his life when he was aboard the space shuttle Discovery, almost.

"The bat was perched between one quarter and one third of the way up on the north side of the fuel tank, which is the side that faces away from the orbiter. NASA estimated the surface temperature of the tank at that location was between 58 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, even though the canister was filled with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen."


This is a view of the Bat on the fuel tank.


Alternate view



They sound a horn before takeoff to scare off any birds that may fly into the area. The noise did not stir the bat.

Sadly it is not know how far of a journey the little hitchhiker made.

3D Street Art

On my old blog I like to post pictures of street art. I think I already have some examples here. But I came across another I thought I would share.












That's all for now.

WebEcoist

I came across a great blog today that had a posting called, "7 (More!) Phenomenal Wonders of the Natural World". I thought this is something I would blog about so I thought I would share but it may be better just to check out the original!


Sinkholes




Penitentes




Lenticular Clouds




Light Pillars




Sundogs




Fire Whirls




Orange Moons



by Ecoist on February 8th, 2009 - Topics: History and Trivia, Nature and Ecosystems

Freeze Bubbles

I saw these great pictures of frozen bubbles. The photographer used regular bubbles and blew them up into the air and they froze before they hit the ground.



They used a different solution to get different types of patterns



This one is only half frozen



I like that they still pop after they have frozen