Ice Addict development.

This picture is very powerful, it shows the gradual, yet relatively rapid degenerative effects of a a drug addiction. In this case, it is crystal methamphetamine, which has quite obvious and extreme physical effects on the user as shown in this series of photos. It also demonstrates how aging is a process which accelerates and progresses at different rates for different people.

The main thing I took from this picture is how one initial change in behaviour and habits could create and dominate this woman's life for the next 10 years. Until, the initial change continued to grow and develop to a lethal level, causing her death. I am making an educated guess here, that this woman's lifestyle probably adapted and changed to her new habit. It also most likely affected her personal and family life to an irreparable level.

The image is confronting, but its quite a common occurrence. You sometimes even see similar cases on the street, which can be worrying because the drug causes the user to be unpredictable, violent and irrational.

Give Visa debit some credit, for their thought provoking ad that provides good material for analysis.

After seeing this ad last week, I thought it was interesting how they discussed change. Through a series of statements and accompanying images, they make it obvious to people how life would be very different if there was no development or as they put it "Evolution". It makes several comparisons between today's level of technology and the past. Through asking the viewer to imagine life without what we now consider normal, forces them to think about the life they would live if these conveniences had not been developed. The viewer is always being asked "how would you do this?" and "how would you do that?" The immediate thought is that nothing would be possible without todays technology. The ad implies that "keeping in touch with friends" is a new concept, only made possible by the development of technology. It talks with the tone as to make the person watching forget about the common previous form of communication of "writing letters". However, the ideas expressed in the advertisement are clever, as they hype up the idea, causing people watching into a mindset of dependence on modern digital technology. They are essentially using gradual change as a tool for people to question how they previously did things, which paired with comparisons, make it easy for people to see where they have been and how the development has made doing various tasks simple.

The ad can be seen below...

Natural process.

The bruised kiwi fruit in the fruit bowl made me search for time lapse rotting fruit today. Because of the bruising, it is not desirable to eat (think squishy dishcloth). However it still sits there, waiting to be eaten by someone who doesn't know any better. It will continue to sit there, in the fruit bowl, as it looks perfectly normal. The feel is what lets it down. It made me think about how important the look of things are in the considerations made in peoples minds when purchasing items. While the person could be oblivious to how long its been sitting there, how much the flavour and texture have altered since picking, if it looks ok, it is considered "fresh".

The process of decomposition is completely natural, it is a gradual change in the structure of things until they become unrecognizable of their original state. With time-lapse photography, you are able to see changes and development over a long period of time, in a short, stitched together video. Its an effective way of showing slow changes and I feel the video below is a good example of showing something that would otherwise be unnoticed, or viewed as a fresh/rotten contrast.

Because of issues with blogger, the video cannot be embedded so you can see the video here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRiwXMeKoGk

David Wong Change Quote

Over the weekend, we have had a visitor staying with us. Having an extra person around at home somehow makes the house and attitudes different from usual. It is interesting how what seems like a small addition would create a comparatively large change in how the household feels. In this case it is very much a positive change, however there has been some earlier interesting experiences which haven't ended too well. When asked about his opinion on change, he paused, then said...

"Change is a state of mind" -David Wong.

You can interpret this statement in many ways, which will vary person to person. Think about it and post your reactions in a comment to this post.

Constant change demonstrated in AFL

While it may seem trivial and not very serious, the humble game of AFL is an excellent example of constant change having the ability to trigger a series of different emotions in rapid succession. Before a game there is much anticipation and uncertainty, once it begins, it may only take one simple moment to set off a explosion of anger or disappointment. More amplified in close games. The yo-yo-ing scores create happiness, enjoyment, pride while at the same time bringing anger, hatred and frustration.

Even one-sided matches can spark these emotions. Say a team was winning by a comfortable 50 points, the confidence is high, when the opposition kicks a few quick goals. While the once evident safety created through winning comes worry, concern and fear. It stems from people being unsure to what is going to happen, they have gone from a comforting position of being ahead to the fearful state of a possible loss. One thing that doesn't end when the siren goes is the same emotions that were present at at least one stage of the match. Whether it is disapproval of the umpires or a newly introduced rule, the emotions continue to flow.

Swap Hummer for EV's

I have been searching for cars recently and it has allowed me to see the scope and development of vehicles over the years. Further research has given me an insight into the mainstream cars of other countries compared with Australia. While the focus in the past 10 years in Australia has been on large utility vehicles that can carry the family, 15 suitcases and can go off road. Fuel consumption is often an afterthought in many peoples minds when considering purchasing a new car. The "need" to have a large car is often justified with having a lot to transport or increased safety. Looking at the "usual" in other countries such as Japan has been a true eye opener, yet not totally surprising. The majority of cars there are micro, have low fuel consumption and don't take up much space. It seems logical, less emissions, less impact, more economical, easier to drive.

However, as the oil supplies get lower, the more emphasis there is on vehicles that suit the situation. Many car producers are starting to design and manufacture electric vehicles. People are coming to the realisation that their car choices have been less than perfect and its time to start to choose something that will cope with the smaller (eventually non-existent) supply of oil. Toyota are leading in the australian market currently, with their hybrid Prius model. While it still requires petrol to operate, the amount is significantly reduced by the implementation of an energy capture system.

While the majority of the cars in Australia rely on petrol to drive, slowly there will be a transfer to these new types of cars, as people start to see that they are just as powerful and reliable, if not more, than traditional petrol run vehicles. Much of the hesistance to buy the electric cars is in the fear that they are different to what they have always driven, which people can have a hard time comprehending. However, the change will come and eventually, the petrol run car will be looked back on as a inefficient, foolish idea of the past.