11/14/2005: Rock balancing

Undertoad · 11-14-2005, 07:21 PM

Axlrosen finds this crazy rock balancing website, and suggests the above image from it all. Of all the various ways to spend your time, learning how to balance rocks and then taking video of yourself doing it is... low on my personal list, but the guy seems to get some spiritual fulfillment from it as he has a reflections page.

Which to me, begs the next question: why does everything these days need some sort of spiritual basis? Why can't rock balancing just be a cool thing to learn to do?

Mav · 11-14-2005, 08:01 PM

It reminds me of the "backwards photography" movies use sometimes. Like he had someone stack the rocks and hold them up (probably one person for each column there) then on cue they'd all move out of the camera view, picture was taken, and rocks fall ;p

xoxoxoBruce · 11-14-2005, 08:21 PM

1. He does this where it's always windy.
2. Birds landing on his work doesn't topple them.
3. I smell super glue.

Cory Wire · 11-14-2005, 08:43 PM

No no, this is real. I saw this done at the Exploratorium in San Fran. It was really cool.

BigV · 11-14-2005, 10:38 PM

I drive by a place where this is done and redone several times a week. I've often thought of stopping and snapping a picture. Ok, now I have something to connect it to. I really don't think there's anything but rocks and gravity and friction and patience involved.

BigV · 11-14-2005, 10:41 PM

Oh, and welcome to the cellar, Cory Wire.

xoxoxoBruce · 11-14-2005, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cory Wire

No no, this is real. I saw this done at the Exploratorium in San Fran. It was really cool.

No shit? Really? That's amazing. Must have had big contact surfaces to keep a bird from toppling them. Of course he wouldn't post pictures of the ones the birds did topple.

Thanks Cory Wire, how'd you wander into the Cellar?

Sundae · 11-15-2005, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I smell super glue.

Confession?

mlandman · 11-15-2005, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Which to me, begs the next question: why does everything these days need some sort of spiritual basis? Why can't rock balancing just be a cool thing to learn to do?

Or, why can't we just call this GAY?

Trilby · 11-15-2005, 07:43 AM

well, a lot of art IS gay.

axlrosen · 11-15-2005, 12:08 PM

Quote:

1. He does this where it's always windy.

I know, that baffled me. Maybe the fact that the rocks are so big and heavy makes them less likely to topple over?

Quote:

2. Birds landing on his work doesn't topple them.

Is there a picture on his site showing this or something?

xoxoxoBruce · 11-15-2005, 01:59 PM

Yes...go to UT's link in the first post and click on Gallery. Then down at the bottom of the gallery click on the next Gallery, etc, etc. 6 all together, I think.

Skunks · 11-15-2005, 04:41 PM

They do a variation of that around here; this is a horrible example, but I don't have my camera on hand at the moment. And I'm lazy.

<img src="http://uoregon.edu/~gvidas/photos/rocks4.jpg">

(not pictured: the rest of the willamette, showing how far one would have to wade out to put those rocks up (pretty far.))

Cory Wire · 11-15-2005, 05:00 PM

Thanks for the welcome, everybody. I love this site---been lurking a pretty long time. I think I found out about it from Feces Flinging Monkey.

capnhowdy · 11-15-2005, 05:20 PM

Life must have balance, Danielson...
Very interesting. Not just the rock balancing but the fact that someone has THAT MUCH FU#@ING TIME TO WASTE. Well maybe it wasn't wasted... it got him a slot on the Cellar.

11-14-2005, 07:21 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	11/14/2005: Rock balancing Axlrosen finds this crazy rock balancing website, and suggests the above image from it all. Of all the various ways to spend your time, learning how to balance rocks and then taking video of yourself doing it is... low on my personal list, but the guy seems to get some spiritual fulfillment from it as he has a reflections page. Which to me, begs the next question: why does everything these days need some sort of spiritual basis? Why can't rock balancing just be a cool thing to learn to do?

11-14-2005, 08:21 PM	#3
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	1. He does this where it's always windy. 2. Birds landing on his work doesn't topple them. 3. I smell super glue. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

11-14-2005, 10:38 PM	#5
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	I drive by a place where this is done and redone several times a week. I've often thought of stopping and snapping a picture. Ok, now I have something to connect it to. I really don't think there's anything but rocks and gravity and friction and patience involved. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

11-14-2005, 10:41 PM	#6
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	Oh, and welcome to the cellar, Cory Wire. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

11-15-2005, 07:43 AM	#10
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	well, a lot of art IS gay. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

11-14-2005, 08:01 PM	#2
Mav Lurker Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 26	It reminds me of the "backwards photography" movies use sometimes. Like he had someone stack the rocks and hold them up (probably one person for each column there) then on cue they'd all move out of the camera view, picture was taken, and rocks fall ;p

11-14-2005, 08:43 PM	#4
Cory Wire Person Who Has Posted Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2	No no, this is real. I saw this done at the Exploratorium in San Fran. It was really cool.

11-15-2005, 01:59 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Yes...go to UT's link in the first post and click on Gallery. Then down at the bottom of the gallery click on the next Gallery, etc, etc. 6 all together, I think. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

11-15-2005, 04:41 PM	#13
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	They do a variation of that around here; this is a horrible example, but I don't have my camera on hand at the moment. And I'm lazy. <img src="http://uoregon.edu/~gvidas/photos/rocks4.jpg"> (not pictured: the rest of the willamette, showing how far one would have to wade out to put those rocks up (pretty far.))

11-15-2005, 05:00 PM	#14
Cory Wire Person Who Has Posted Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2	Thanks for the welcome, everybody. I love this site---been lurking a pretty long time. I think I found out about it from Feces Flinging Monkey.

11-15-2005, 05:20 PM	#15
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Life must have balance, Danielson... Very interesting. Not just the rock balancing but the fact that someone has THAT MUCH FU#@ING TIME TO WASTE. Well maybe it wasn't wasted... it got him a slot on the Cellar. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

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