philosophy

Part One of Three Perhaps you’ve heard of, or seen, the so-called “reality triangle”, wherein three fundamental restrictions on the final outcome of any endeavor are laid forth. Good, fast, and cheap are the most-commonly encountered, and though I’ve seen various incarnations crop up over the years, the general concept has remained stable over time. The basic idea is simple enough to grasp: time to execution, the quality of the finished product, and the cost involved are three immutable aspects of any project that can change in ratio but are predestined to add up to one. In this first of three posts, we’ll examine the triangle as it relates to time. Once as a lonely security guard (yes, really, ask… Read More »The Reality Triangle: Time

I feel that, among my readership, there’s a selection bias toward appreciation for nerdy and esoteric topics that will lead some portion of you to know immediately the effect I’m referring to. For those who don’t, you’re one of the lucky ten thousand! Also, this post is directed in particular at programming events (corporate, nonprofit, dinners, etc) not especially music, though some of the lessons could apply to music, as well. The bouba / kiki effect, as it has been named, is what’s termed a “mapping” between sounds and the visual shapes of objects, and this mapping happens across cultures, ages, nationalities, and almost any other grouping you can think of. When shown the following picture: most people “map” the… Read More »Bouba, Kiki, And The Crime of Incuriosity