Saw this really cool wedding invitation online and wanted to share it. It is REALLY cool. It is a paper record player. Very very cool. Full story at Mashable.

Ray Kurzweil, a man that I have always found to be creative, inventive and genius, but who I disagree with on several major issues, has felt for several years that it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when that computers will become self aware and more intelligent then humans. From this break through will come immortal humans and computer’s which make ethical decisions and evaluate art for example. Much of Kurzweil’s thoughts are covered by his theory of singularity. The wiki for technological singularity states that Kurzweil defines singularity as –

the concept in terms of the technological creation of superintelligence, and allege that a post-singularity world would be unpredictable to humans due to an inability of human beings to imagine the intentions or capabilities of superintelligent entities..

Kurzweil is the inventor of things like the reading machine for the blind, the voice activated typewriter (VAT), and the Kurzweil synthesizer. In the past he has predicted the fall of governments due to increases in technology which allow the free flow of thoughts, and the rise of the internet. Now Kurzweil believes that computers in 2045, if not before, will reach the point of singularity and immortality for humans will occur due to increases in nanotechnology and medical advances.

Regardless of your view of Kurzweil and his ideas, a recent piece in Time is a very interesting story. I would advise everyone to give it a read and a think here.

Kurzweil on “I’ve Got A Secret” in 1965

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Currently the IBM based Watson computer is winning on Jeopardy. Post Here

Since Bob Dylan played the Grammy’s a few days ago, I thought I would post the 2009 story about Bob Dylan being mistaken for a homeless man in New Jersey while on tour. ABC News story here

If I had been Dylan I would have responded with “No, no, no, it ain’t me, babe … It ain’t me you’re lookin’ for, babe”.

To all the readers of Being Frank Happy Valentine’s day. Hopefully you are with the one you love today, and if not hopefully you have found the greatness that is you within your singleness.

He has not left you, He has not forsaken you, and He will never forget about you. You are loved.

Regardless of who you are, where you are, what sex you are, how old you are, and any other “you are”, Tenth Ave North has it right -

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done,
But what’s been done for you.
This is not about where you’ve been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

I am NOT a lady gaga fan, but this cover is SO SO SO much better then the original.

Well Gizmodo has a very funny post up with photoshop’d images of Steve Jobs introducing NON Apple products. Full Post here Number 28 is my favorite.

WOW – That is all I can say…WOW

I still will not watch Glee though…just not my kind of show…but this is F U N N Y !

First of all, I don’t play guitar. So, don’t start emailing / commenting about which guitar is better, etc. Moving on, Reuters has a very interesting story up about the story of Paul Reed Smith guitars. The piece discusses how PRS guitars are expanding in a bad economy, how their cost does not act as a deterrent to those that really want them, how they well treat their customers, and how they have impacted the guitar industry.

To me the story is interesting in several regards. First, it shows that devotion to perfecting a craft / skill is still important to some. Too many time speed / cost is valued over craftsmanship / quality. Those two things (craftsmanship and quality) are often forgotten in a disposable / mass production world. Secondly, it shows that people can still succeed when they focus on the taste / matter at hand. That too is often missed in world where we are told that short cuts can be taken to success and that people can not live out their dreams either due to some intangible limiting factor.

Those two points also make me think about how I can better focus on the things that I put my hands / labor too. Quality and mastery should be our goals in all en devours, and such habits tend to rub off on those around us as we model both the benefits and toils it takes to succeed. Just something to consider as you take on your next project – be it professional, personal, spiritual, physical or mechanical.