Saturday, June 30, 2018

loyal reader of the month: june

my loyal readers,

the month of june has ended. and it goes out a hot one. I am once again very honored and humbled to offer, for the fourth time ever, frank's new blog's award for the loyal reader of the month. the month of june started very strong with our six month anniversary celebration and the release of frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 1. these incredible highs at the start of the month unfortunately meant that the end of the month would pale in comparison. and so, we find ourselves on the doorstep of july, in the dog days, celebrating june for what it was.

for their questions, quirks, and "quality"--I present to you the loyal reader of the month: bobody.

a bit of an underdog victory, one might say. at the very least it is fitting that it comes in the dog days of summer. it is unfortunate for natalie that her incredible, groundbreaking, unequaled streak of 3 loyal reader of the month awards in a row should ever come to an end. her previous contributions mean she will live on in  this blog's eternal history, and I think I speak for the entire fnb community when I say that her current and future contributions bring exuberant light and unending joy.

bobody is honored for his contributions to the community including: regularly commenting, generating interesting discussion, and submitting to f'snb'sdz: v1, i1 (frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 1 abbreviated). definitely ending the month on a low point compared to the start. at least bobody's article in f'snb'sdz: v1, i1 was very interesting, if a little derivative.

with this award, bobody will receive: a personalized letter of recognition and certificate of appreciation, and a famous "frank face" static cling.

bobody: to collect your exclusive reward, please email desired mailing address to: frankdotcom.webmail@gmail.com

-frank

Friday, June 29, 2018

a bit of gloating

bitcoin prices.

have any of my loyal readers been watching them? I haven't been, but I just looked at them out of curiosity.

they dipped below 6k. haha. I wonder who predicted that...

just a bit of gloating. the analysts are saying that bitcoin is going to rebound to 25k. haha. classic.

-frank

Thursday, June 28, 2018

bobody request: time perception

I suppose bobody has a curious mind... at any rate, my loyal readers, his questions have brought this--yet another "bobody request"--into existence. and so, a bit of an impromptu series is forming here on fnb. this time, he made a comment on the post they say it's old... from last saturday. I've included the image below for context.


it really is to be expected at this point...

time: as we perceive it


tick. tock. tick. tock. time is ticking by. but what is time, really? can you riddle me that? no? allow me, then. time is how we measure our linear advancement through existence.

the linear flow


to illustrate this, think of a song playing in itunes, the music management utility created by apple for ipods, iphones, ipads. it can be a song you like or do not like, that does not matter. what matters is thinking of how the song plays. it starts at the beginning, and the playhead progresses through the song, showing the advancement in the progress meter. it moves linearly, in the same way we experience our lives. our lives are like that song playing in itunes, starting as baby humans and growing into elderly humans. the playhead is us as we experience the present, moving through existence. the part of the song already played is the past, and the part of the song yet to play is the future.

and so, when I made the digression in the aforementioned post "I'm talking about things that have been around for years (as we perceive time)," I meant exactly that. time in the linear form; the ticks and tocks in which we experience the future becoming the present becoming the past. the trees, antiques, antiquities, and so forth (old things) have been around for years in this linear format. but to another lifeform, another viewpoint, another point of perception, an alternate experience of time, this may not be the case.

once again, I hope that clears things up.

-frank (sched.)

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

bobody request: what 100 is

bobody, one of the more vocal loyal readers here on fnb (who many of you will undoubtedly recognize), made a comment on the post 3 things to start your day 100 that he didn't understand the concept of 100. I've included the image below for context.


that's right, frank, we definitely do have our work cut out for us...

100 the concept


not to be confused with the 100 (tv series) or 300 (2006), 100 the concept has two intersecting veins that must be traced: the apple iphone and percentages.

the apple iphone: a new vessel of multimedia exploration


with the apple iphone bringing a merging of east coast and silicon valley hipster ideas onto the scene, the expansion of emojis and their use in popular culture shared an equal rise. borrowed from the picto-messages originally popular in japanese digi-mobile communication, emojis instantly became a hit--among the millennial youth in particular. emojis became a form of expression. an inside joke. an electronic character.

not wanting to miss out on the action, android joined in on the emoji development, and now they are prevalent across all forms of digital media, from feature films to 3 second snap chats.

percentages: a game of ratio


which fraction is that? any ratio or number expressed as a fraction of 100, to be precise. 
in ancient rome, long before the existence of the decimal system, computations were often made in fractions which were multiples of ​1⁄100. for example, augustus levied a tax of ​1⁄100 on goods sold at auction known as centesima rerum venalium. computation with these fractions was equivalent to computing percentages. As denominations of money grew in the middle ages, computations with a denominator of 100 became more standard and from the late 15th century to the early 16th century it became common for arithmetic texts to include such computations. many of these texts applied these methods to profit and loss, interest rates, and the rule of three. by the 17th century it was standard to quote interest rates in hundredths. -wikipedia
in school, grades are given as a percentage, with 100 being the highest accessible grade. the grading of papers, tests, and homework all lead to pupils desiring achieving 100%'s, the highest possible grade.

and so, these intersecting paths brought about the creation of the 100 emoji, an expression of 100 the percentage. quite simply, to keep it 100 means to act at 100%. to keep it real.

hope that clears things up.

-frank

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

23 weeks away

just a reminder to be thinking about your submissions as we are only 23 weeks away from the release of frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 2! the proverbial early bird gets the proverbial worm, one might say.

the first issue went so well, we at fnb can't wait to show you what we're cooked up for issue 2. and we can't wait to show you what you have cooked up for you as well, ha ha. please send all submissions to frankdotcom.webmail@gmail.com, and you will be sent a confirmation message in return (as well as detailed information on any further steps, if necessary).

you know what they say about thinking ahead.

-frank (sched.)

Monday, June 25, 2018

out in the open

I've been a little cryptic about my new business opportunity, but I've decided that you, my loyal readers, are deserving of some further information on the subject. in the spirit of transparency, I can tell you the following:

1. I have been offered a position working as a product ambassador for an up-and-coming multi-level dynamic lifestyle brand
2. the unique opportunity is too good to pass up

that said, I can not reveal:

3. the name of the company
4. the details of the contract
5. other information

at least, not yet!

hope this tides you over. I promise more details in the very near future, just left finalizing the little things.

-frank

Sunday, June 24, 2018

cool thing 21

look around you. everything seem familiar? anything different?

...are you sure?

COOL THING JUN 18th - JUN 24th:

one of the photos below is much, much less cool than the other, which is jam. packed. with cool. can you spot the 10 differences

a boring view

that's more like it

it's that time again. another cool thing that has been released for your watching, listening, viewing, and reading pleasure. 21/52 through 2018

cool thing bonus activity: flip the narrative. try to convince me that the picture without the cool things is more cool than it's "parallel pal."

a fool's errand.

-frank


Saturday, June 23, 2018

they say it's old...

...but it's gold! ever hear of this thing called antiquing? ever hear of antiquities? ever hear of ancient artifacts? archeologists? indiana jones, maybe? (he's an archeologist from popular culture.) you get the gist. I'm talking about things that have been around for years (as we perceive time).

old stuff is cool. big trees. rusty cars. vases. sturdy wooden furniture. dinosaur bones.

you can find them in museums, or, better yet, you can find them in your back yard. or your local park. or while walking around town.

not bad.

-frank (sched.)

Friday, June 22, 2018

that friday feeling

most people in the world agree that the coolest day of the week is friday. fridays are notoriously chill for one simple reason: it is the last day of the work (and school) week. yes, fridays are so cool because of big and small businesses releasing their employees for a weekend with promises or rest and relaxation.

here's something to think about: in big business a lot of analysts refuse to use the weekends to rest and relax. they continue doing work. and they think this puts them a few steps ahead of the others in their field. the stress builds. you don't have times for your kids, your wife. your marriage falls apart. you are alone. alone with yourself and your analytics.

take time to relax. enjoy your friday, and your weekend.

-frank

Thursday, June 21, 2018

numbers

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. combinations of these 10 numbers make up all other numbers. kind of crazy to think about. the building blocks of everything comes from this starting position. 

in a similar way, this occurs in biology. dna is made up of combinations of (adenine), t (thymine), g (guanine), and c (cytosine). I've been learning a lot about biology at my new position (which I can't wait to share with you).

-frank

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

new opportunities

sometimes in life we are faced with new opportunities. they may come from places we never expected, as when they come out of the proverbial "left field" or "blue"--references relating to baseball and the sky, respectively. when that is the case, it is totally surprising, and we don't always react in the way we would when given greater time for planning. maybe it is met with a stammering, "uh, m-me? I mean, sure! that would be great. what is the, eh, next step..." instead of a more thoughtful response like "thank you for considering me. I would love to be an ambassador for your product and company. I think I speak for both of us when I say: 'this is an incredible opportunity for each of us, your company and myself, to grow boldly together where no man or company has before.'"

I guess this is a cryptic way of saying I've got a new business opportunity on my plate, and I plan to grab it by the horns even though my initial response seemed like I was uncertain about it, which I wasn't, I was just surprised, that's all. wish me luck.

hey, maybe I'll even get the chance to spill the proverbial beans to you very soon.

-frank

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

hot off the presses

and being prepped for the boys in blue! the loyal reader of the month award for may is finally enroute.

(complete with the cult classic "frank face" static cling and personalized letter of commendation.)

-frank

p.s. sending it to the same place as previous. hope that is ok!

Monday, June 18, 2018

6 things I "go nuts" for

I go nuts for...
  1. venues to express creativity
  2. dynamic business strategies
  3. finding examples of jumjax in film and television
  4. donuts
  5. TED talks
  6. TEDx talks
(that means I really like these things.)

-frank

Sunday, June 17, 2018

cool thing 20

from the director of chain godz (1992-1999)

COOL THING JUN 11th - JUN 17th:

if you haven't seen tale gnasher (2008), this one's for you!.

please enjoy phase rush (2018).


this is cool thing 20/52--another cool thing that has been released for your watching, listening, viewing, and reading pleasure.

cool thing bonus activity: try to say something that phases me in the comments.

sleep well...hehehe..

-frank

Saturday, June 16, 2018

incredible(s)!

if you are looking for a fun family flick for father's day--or any day, really--look no further than the film incredibles 2 (2018). could it have been better by including a simple jumjax sequence? of course. they could have easily worked jumjax in by having dash do a few out of pure excitement when he explores his family's new abode. or to burn off some energy in the motel room! (either would have been very in character and tasteful, incredibles fans will agree. how can I schedule a meeting with pixar executives?) bar that one major, glaring exclusion, I highly recommend the title for all ages.

a kick back in a theater is a good way to escape the afternoon summer sun! just one of our summer fun recommendations on the road trip of life ©.

-frank

Friday, June 15, 2018

a good phrase?

we've all heard the phrase "early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." it seems like a good enough phrase. a commentary on the productivity method of waking up early. if you took a random poll on the street, I would guarantee somewhere around 83% of people would attribute the phrase to benjamin franklin. they would be right, in a sense. but they would also be missing a key piece of information: this proverb was around long before benjamin franklin. it appears in written text as early as 1496 (the treatise of fishing with an angle) where it is referenced as an "old english proverb." that tells us that if it was already old in 1496, it has to be from at least 1396, if not earlier. there is no doubt it was a popular phrase before franklin, who wasn't even born until 1706. it is even rumored that aristotle said "it is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom." hmm. sounds very familiar.

I guess my point is this: benjamin franklin, whether or not he intended (and he probably did), is a charlatan. a con man. a fraudulent trickster. either through our own naïve misreading of history, or his own twisted, nefarious dark intentions, an entire proverb has been rebranded as his own. if we are just handing out credit for things willy-nilly, I'd like to come forward and say that I said the phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." I quite like that phrase. I'd like to note that I originally said it in jest after watching an old dog do something he or she had never done before. it is meant as a sarcastic comment to be said after witnessing someone complete a task that others doubted they could (for reasons of ageism). after all, you can teach an old dog new tricks. you just need an old dog with a sense of adventure and an appetite for learning.

oh, benjamin. you have found a good way to never be forgotten, stealing a popular phrase as your own creation. may you live long in infamy.

unless you think he might have come up with the phrase on his own, independent from the previous proverb... I suppose that could be possible... definitely something to think about.

-frank

Thursday, June 14, 2018

a perfect analogy

the fifa world cup (2018) is a perfect comparison to the economy of the world. there are a lot of different actors in play--teams, fans, staff, security, analysts, and even those that don't pay attention--all connected together in a complex web complete with dynamic logistics, just like in global economics.

in this parallel, all the east coast hipsters would be cheering for the same team: bitcoin. bitcoin is just an ok team. not terrible, but not very good either. they had a run of surprising form in recent memory. the trouble is the east coast hipsters seem to think it is the very best team and are really annoying about letting you know they are cheering for it. they bought the jersey. they bought the memorabilia. they took out loans to buy tickets to the game. they are bandwagoners, these east coast hipsters. "this team is unstoppable," they say. "it will replace banks." then they try to sell the jersey and memorabilia to you. they reminisce about how if they had started cheering for this team a while ago they would have been richly rewarded.

the good news is that bitcoin won't make it anywhere near the finals.

-frank

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

bet you saw this coming...

yes, let's briefly discuss how to end your day 100. we at fnb feel it is the proper thing to do after the posts of the past two days. when we first created the "100" posts, we never intended to make it a miniseries, but now we have an idea: 100 posts to keep it 100. without further ado...

end your day 100 by...

taking a deep breath, then another. relax.

the day is over, and now it is time to stop and recharge your batteries. there's another one on the horizon.

forget about everything you don't need. let it go.

who cares? not you, you don't need it. the past is in the past (unless you have a time machine).

remember the stuff you do need. a quick mental checklist.


anyone have a birthday tomorrow? any meetings you have tomorrow? plans? chores? a hot date?

now forget about those. 

there will be plenty of time to remember them tomorrow.

set an alarm for the time you want to wake up.

not too early... but give yourself plenty of time if you need it--or if you like to hit "snooze" like I do.

go to sleep.

night night.

this makes three.

-frank

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

how to keep your day 100

if you followed the tricks from yesterday's post, you know how to start your day 100...but how do you keep it that way?

really, it depends on what your day looks like. there are multiple scenarios--infinite scenarios, to be exact--and we will cover a few of them here. this is meant as merely a cursory guide to get you started!

if your day has no plans...
make some plans for something you like doing.

or

keep it that way, but set out for adventure. everyone enjoys a good improv!

or

keep it that way, and sit perfectly still. just relish the stillness.

alternatively, if you day has plans...

and you don't like them...

cancel them! reschedule! there's always another time. there's always a better moment. if you're not feeling it, you're not feeling it. that's no good for anyone.

or

you do like them...

perfect! keep them. have fun!

just a few tips for you to try out to keep your day 100.

-frank

Monday, June 11, 2018

3 things to start your day 100

  1. get physical. try some jumjax. get the blood pumping!
  2. eat some breakfast. it can be a bowl of cereal or a simple granola bar. or a big plate of eggs and bacon! nourish your body, it's the only one you get!
  3. do a crossword puzzle or word search or word scramble. some activity to get you thinking. nourish your brain, it's the only one you get!
your day will be 100 (at least at the start) if you do these three simple things every day! give it a try!

-frank

Sunday, June 10, 2018

cool thing 19

a look into the inside.

COOL THING JUN 4th - JUN 10th:

I wanted to share this piece of digital art that I made a few days ago. I basically took the thoughts that were circulating around my brain and recreated it from scratch on a blank canvas. the sunglasses, a symbol of "cool" in pop culture, provide symbolism to the interior reflection of the exterior world and how society has an influence on what is deemed "cool" (as opposed to an objective cool).

I call it cool thoughts.


we are 19/52 cool things deep into the 2018 goal of 52/52 cool things. that's right, 33 more cool things will be released for your watching, listening, viewing, and reading pleasure. and they will all be posted right here on frank's new blog.

cool thing bonus activity: got something on your mind? visualize it, then commit it to a digital canvas. it may be fractured, abstract, and sporadic, like my above creation, or it may drift closer to reality--wherever your thoughts take you, it will be cool!

the mind is an interesting place.

-frank

Saturday, June 9, 2018

the special thing about june 9th

june 9th is a special day, but for one person in particular it is a very special day. my loyal readers, this person is someone we have all come to know very well--a very active member of the frank's new blog community. a loyal reader of the month award triple crown winner.

yes, today is natalie portman's birthday

dear natalie, 
from the entire team at frank's new blog,
happy birthday! 
we hope today has been a relaxing one.
here's to another year of thoughtful, world changing art.
-the fnb team

you have reached another checkpoint in the roadtrip of life ©. thanks for traveling along with us :)

-frank

Friday, June 8, 2018

good invention spotlight 011

doorstops, or, as i like to call them, invisible doormen. these little guys are strong. let them do the heavy lifting for you! or, at the very least, let them hold the door open while you do some heavy lifting, like carrying furniture or groceries!



the good invention spotlight is a series here on frank's new blog with the humble mission of recognizing useful everyday inventions that people may take for granted. it begs the question: how did people ever make do without? we certainly couldn't.

-frank

*embedded Instagram post replaced with image file 2018/12/11*

Thursday, June 7, 2018

jumjax™ 2018 prediction

looking ahead at the rest of the 2018 film release schedule, I think the best bet for catching a flick with jumping jacks is ant-man and the wasp (2018). paul rudd, playing ant-man aka scott lang seems like just the type of guy who would utilize jumjax on screen. for one, he's an everyday guy who happens to moonlight as a super hero. to stay fit, it makes sense that he would employ a jumping jacks regimen. it's what I would do, and I bet it's what you would do as well! furthermore, when you change sizes so often, it's difficult to find exercise equipment and facilities (which are unnecessary anyway as jumjax are the perfect exercise that can be done anytime, anywhere. but that's a different discussion). the versatility and simplicity of jumjax make them the perfect fit whether you are micro or macro!

I can't believe I have to wait a month to find out if my guess is correct. the only other chance at catching jumjax on the big screen I foresee would be in merry poppins returns (2018). jumjax are a great activity for nannies to implement to help kids burn off excess energy, all while having fun!

-frank

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

time keeps on ticking

6 months are behind us, which is something to celebrate, but that doesn't mean it's time to sit back and relax. no, there's another 6 months in front of us. and another 6 months in front of that. and so on, and so forth, ad infinitum (the latin way of saying for forever). it's me. it's you, my loyal readers. it's cool things, good invention spotlights, zines, miniseries, tips, tricks, musings and madness.

there's no stopping to ask for directions on this ride. at least, not with the way we--as humans--perceive time. moment after moment. minute after minute. hour after hour. linear movement. the road trip of life, if you will. I've just coined this phrase and I really like it. the road trip of life ©

so it is back to the regular grind. buckle up, my friends. this will be a ride to remember.

-frank

p.s. I hope you enjoyed our first digital zine. it is still our goal at fnb to eventually migrate our zine to the print medium--not only to deliver great material to your front door by making use of advanced logistics, but also to show support by giving our business to our boys in blue.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 1

my loyal readers,

I present to you, in all it's wonderful glory, frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 1.



happy six month anniversary!

-frank (sched.)

happy six months!

as a clever tip of the hat to the first ever post on frank's new blog (which happened exactly six months ago on decemeber 5th, a tuesday), I've written a new version of the original song to correspond with today's date, june 5th (also a tuesday).

it goes like this:

        today is the day
        today is the time
        today is the moment
        when my luck will shine

        today isn't just another boring tuesday

       [heavy pause]

        because today is june the 5th
        and that's a day you don't want to mess with
        much like myself
        it's a day full of wealth
        of character and niceties
       
        oh.
        what.
        I.
        would.
        give.

        to have each day be a clone of it.

        tuesday, june the 5th

I feel like I've given myself the "weird al" treatment!

-frank (sched.)

Monday, June 4, 2018

building excitement

can you feel it? the tension is palpable in the air. everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats, myself included.

if you are a loyal reader, of course you know this is because the 6 month anniversary of frank's new blog is tomorrow, june 5th (a tuesday). if this is your first time here, or you haven't stopped by in a while, that is the reason why people are on edge! welcome! and don't be shy. I think I can speak for everyone when I say: we are glad to have you with us.

we at fnb are not only excited for the wonderful day of celebrations, we are also very excited to share with you frank's new blog's digital zine: volume 1, issue 1, the inaugural issue of the zine created by a collaboration of this very community.

-frank

there are   1   days remaining until the 6 month anniversary of frank's new blog. we are having a party, and you are invited. hope to see you here!

Sunday, June 3, 2018

cool thing 18

real life magic.

COOL THING MAY 28th - JUN 3rd:

how many sides would you say a piece of paper has? most people would agree two--front and back.

what if I told you I can make a two sided object into a one-sided object. pretty cool, huh? don't believe me? check this out. this mobius strip was created from a single narrow slice of paper. two words: mind. bending. and it is very cool.




another week in 2018, another cool thing. there are now 18/52 cool things that have been released for your watching, listening, viewing, and reading pleasure. which one is your favorite?

cool thing bonus activity: create your own mobius strip! (need help? follow the steps below. good luck!)

let me know how it goes!

-frank

*embedded Instagram post replaced with image and video files 2018/12/11*



preparation:
for this activity, you will need:
  • one piece of paper (narrow)
  • tape
  • pen or pencil or market (optional)
  • good attitude
  • an open mind

step 1:
grab your piece of paper. (the more narrow the piece of paper, that easier it is to create the mobius strip, so I folded my slice in half. this is optional. you could also cut the paper into a smaller more manageable size, but I didn't have a pair of scissors.)


step 2 (optional):
this step is here to assist in the demonstration of how you should go about twisting your slice of paper. if you need to, mark the four endpoints of the slice of paper. (I labeled them a, b, c, and d, but you can go about this however you want.)


step 3:
fold the strip so that the b side covers the a side


step 4:
get a piece of tape from the dispenser.


step 5:
tape the ends together.


step 6 (optional):
trace the strip from any starting point. you will see that it has only one side!


cool!

there are   2   days remaining until the 6 month anniversary of frank's new blog. we are having a party, and you are invited. hope to see you here!


This place is a little dusty

Hm. This place is a little dusty. I bet you are wondering what on Earth I have been up to for the last 16 months! (Wow, that's a long ti...