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on May 9
Scott Thrift
commented on a project updateThanks for stopping by Mr. Hyde, It was great to meet you and your wife. Thrilled that opera lovers are fans of ThePresent! I’ve been getting dozens of emails asking about the words and music from the latest update; so due to popular demand~ The words in beginning of the last update, “All Right” are the last lines of an hour long interview with Aldous Huxley in 1958. Conducted with the disarming yet patient intellect of Alan Watts. Huxley says so eloquently that, “In spite of pain, in spite of fear, in spite of horror. In spite of everything. The universe is in some mysterious sense, All Right. Capital A. Capital R.” I heard this on a train from Manhattan to Virginia to visit my father and was struck by the deliberate nature in which Huxley expressed himself throughout the interview. It’s so difficult these days to find anyone who takes themselves as seriously. This last phrase of his was furiously parallel to the what I’ve been seeing & feeling recently, so I decided to include it. I find a dangerous lack of seriousness in modern society. This is most apparent in the general lackadaisical approach to architecture over the past 50 years. Certainly there have been major exceptions - but for the most part - Drywall is such a sad step backwards. I'm interested in that which is built to last from the word 'go' - that has a great deal to do with why I want this clock to exist. The song I used for the latest update sprang up out of nowhere. For some reason it was in a completely different category of playlists for me - it was as if it raised a red flag and said - USE ME! I AM THE SPIRIT OF THE PIECE! Sometimes, certain songs do that to you. So the composition is: “ Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36: III. Scherzo: Allegro ” Written by Tchaikovsky in1878 & performed by the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra in the country of Georgia. For anyone still reading, I would like to make a public apology for insisting that I was going to make another video for the “New Moon”. The spirit was there, I was excited about showing off the paper we would be using. Unfortunately it was nearly impossible to photograph. The print process deserves to be shot & at $3,500.00 cost it takes to set up this printing process you better believe I’l be shooting it. So that fact, coupled with the feeling that when it came time for the new moon, I remembered why I wanted to schedule the updates based on each Full Moon. My feeling was that - it was necessary to treat the Full Moon as an alarm on life that forces me to express myself, no matter the consequence. To be open and revealing. And during this process I have learned that; the New Moon is a quiet, simple time for reflection. Ultimately the reflection always returns, in its own time, on the nature of the ambitions revealed on the former Full Moon. This time of reflection affords me the opportunity to give a thorough analysis of the direction taken and of where to go next. I can hardly think of anything more healthy. Feels great so far - so, I plan on sticking to it.
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on May 6
Scott Thrift
Posted project update #18All Right
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on April 9
Scott Thrift
Posted project update #17Made in New York
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Guillaume Perras on April 19
Scott! Take a look at this!
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669533/the-linear-calendar-lets-your-focus-on-the-long-run
Now imagine if there was a version with a gradation of the colors that would represent those on the present. Wouldn't that be great with your anual clock? Oh yes it would! :)
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on March 21
Scott Thrift
Posted project update #16Spring Equinox
SEE UPDATE SIXTEEN BY PRESSING PLAY BELOW
ALSO
A WRITTEN PIECE ON SPRING, HAPPINESS AND THE PRESENT
Equinox & Solstice updates are viewable to everyone, thank you.
6:45am March 21, 2012 ~ Happy Birthday Mom!
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Julia on March 21
Hi Scott. I just received an update from another project I'm funding and he too was frustrated that he couldn't find a manufacturer in the US. He had to settle on one in Singapore. The product price would have to be tripled to stick with a US manufacturer, if he could actually find one. And at that price, no customer would buy it. Do what you feel is best with your product. I truly appreciate the enormous amount of effort you have invested in this so far. I admire your ethics and dedication.
After you finish The Present, please consider another Kickstarter Project about the struggles of manufacturing in the US. You are an excellent writer and story teller. Be the director and narrator and find a Producer. I would fund it.
In the meantime, you still have my patience and my support. Ever since watching your first The Present video, I have been more mindful of the present. See, that's what a good writer can do - affect minds for change.
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Sue Ellen Colter on March 21
Have you considered going to ABC News, which has had many "Made in America" stories, and tell them of your problem and see if they can help you find a manufacturer. The worst that can happen is that you are exactly where you are today.
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John Wilker on March 30
Just to add a "me too" i love the updates, but want the product. I got two, one to be a gift. It'd be cool if a whole year doesn't pass before we get these things.
I agree, building in the US is great, but sometimes the realities are just that, realities. As it was said, even Apple builds in China.
My national pride won't be hurt if this great thing is built in china or elsewhere, so long as it's built.
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on March 10
Scott Thrift
Posted project update #15Closing in on the edge of the past
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Barbara B Hinton on March 14
Everything worth doing takes time. There's a place in my hometown that a guy spent 25 years building -- all by himself. Now that's vision. And you got it too. Keep a kickin'
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Cristina Ljungberg on March 19
Thank you Scott!!!! Love the updates. I really feel like I am part of this process! Thank you for including us on this journey! Amazing!
Cristina
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URLology on March 20
Scott,
You're trying to create something that no one ever has before, so I'm not surprised you're finding it a challenge. But keep up the good work! I love getting your updates and find your passion and dedication truly inspiring.
Randy
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on February 17
Scott Thrift
commented on a project updateThe internal battery is set to keep the time till 2030. Seriously... that's the actual number. Because of this, no one at the company has ever thought about it being replaced - No one had ever asked, I did...they said it's a lithium battery inside a black box that can be opened with a little effort, hinting that it could be replaced after its 18 year run - but not officially saying yes or no. So there you have it. I've seen the battery - it looks like a flat circular watch battery but a few times thicker. I pushed a little more on it and my rep is looking into getting a straight answer...will keep you posted.
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on February 13
Scott Thrift
commented on a project updateHell Mr. Rose, when the 'time' comes & I send out the survey for shipping I'll ask everyone to specify which hemisphere the clock will operate. If you are in the southern hemisphere of Earth - the clock face will simply be reversed from what you see above. So the yellow will be at the top and white at the bottom & the equinoxes will flip. Only the seasons are reversed between hemispheres, thankfully the days between them are the same. Regarding batteries, there will be the AA you will insert into the back of the movement & there will be an internal battery inside the movement that keeps the time. The 'day' that the clock will 'know' is based on the standard calendar the world already uses. The internal memory (a thick flat yellow circle battery embedded in the annual movement) will account for leap years and will last for several decades. To 'set' the clock to the exact day - all you will have to do is remove the AA and put it back in. This will 'reset' the clock and the hand will move to the exact day or rather, to The Present. I'm receiving specs tomorrow regarding the estimated life of a single AA battery. My guess is that time piece will last at the very least, 4 years and the most 12 on a single fresh AA. It will be a long term experiment we'll all be doing together once we have our clocks. Who knows, maybe one battery will last for more than 12 years, only time will tell!
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on February 13
Scott Thrift
Posted project update #14Interview on the progress of the present
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Scott Thrift on February 17
The internal battery is set to keep the time till 2030. Seriously... that's the actual number. Because of this, no one at the company has ever thought about it being replaced - No one had ever asked, I did...they said it's a lithium battery inside a black box that can be opened with a little effort, hinting that it could be replaced after its 18 year run - but not officially saying yes or no. So there you have it. I've seen the battery - it looks like a flat circular watch battery but a few times thicker. I pushed a little more on it and my rep is looking into getting a straight answer...will keep you posted.
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Nathan Kulinitsch on February 23
Are you able to print the design on matt'ed glass? or possible on steel?
i concur with the Bamboo statements, it'll warp for sure in places of high humidity.
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on February 11
Scott Thrift
commented on a project updateGilbert / Jules / Lim & anyone else with bamboo concerns. Thank you for your comments and consideration. It's difficult to let on how much is going on beyond what I am comfortable giving updates on. Though at the moment I am leaning on bamboo publicly, I am still seeing prototypes in metal & possibly ceramic. Nothing is set in stone as of yet and you can be sure I won't make a final decision until I have them all lined up together in front of me. The glass face is not completely out of the question either. Most of the hang ups in getting these made has been my insistence on having them produced in the US. This being my first product with so many moving parts, I have to admit it was naive to think I could have the entire clock manufactured in the states. I've done everything I can to keep every element in the US but that decision has been costly in time and money. I am having to go against my aspirations to have every piece made in the US and I'm currently getting second and third opinions from asia. What a revealing experience this has been of the current state of the American economy regarding manufacturing. Rest assured, your thoughts are valuable to me and the design is still fluid. Knowing that it will take time to have the annual movement engineered and samples produced, gives me a little more time to be absolutely sure about the final design - which I will share with you and the entire audience before I push the button.
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on February 9
Scott Thrift
commented on a project updateHi Andrew, Your uncertainty is totally understandable. Regarding longevity of the bamboo - we are looking into every possible option and will choose based on the long term life of the bamboo. Whether that means lacquer or not I cannot say yet. Regarding the profile - Since you brought up the point of the edge - I'll reveal that I am having an option made that has a more beveled edge so that the clock has more of a floating effect. There are many iterations I am exploring to produce the finest piece possible. I have to be careful in revealing options because it can so easily cause factions of backers who prefer one thing over the other - take the hand for example. So, in hopes of easing your ambivalence - there is a very good chance that the beveled edge will remain in the final piece & retain the 'floating' quality of the original design. I just won't see those prototypes until the middle of next week. But I agree with you - I want it to be Less blocky - than more blocky - think of a frisbee with a flat plane across the bottom and a solid core - then imagine hanging the frisbee flush against the wall - think of how the edges will have a 360 bevel bringing the attention to the flat surface, which in this case is the clock face. There is a lot more underway that I am looking forward to sharing - I just want to be sure that I'M SURE about anything before sharing to prevent any unnecessary confusion. Thank you for your curiosity.
Scott Thrift
Brooklyn, NY
I'm Scott Thrift, the inventor & award winning filmmaker that created m ss ng p eces. I'm fascinated by life and enjoy comprehending its complexities. I listen to the abstract desires of global culture and produce analog & digital objects tha... view more
I think a black hand would make it look cheap. I like white but have you tried a brushed steel hand? That would compliment the back and focus the only color on the face itself...
Ok, just had to fly from California to New York to visit m ss ng p eces and see this awesome clock first hand. (Well, OK, we also saw Wagner's Ring while we were here). After wandering around the wrong part of Brooklyn for awhile (and discovering the Etsy collective in Flatbush!) we showed up at Scott's door unannounced and received a warm welcome. Scott and team are awesome. You are going to love this clock. I was an early proponent of the black hand, but seeing the white hand in person it was immediately clear that black would be a distraction -a stark pointer to a season. You don't "read" this clock (perhaps "clock" is a misnomer) so much as experience it. When white hand meets white winter Solstice, that conveys a feeling, not a number. A professional clock repair place could probably make the hand any color the owner wants but mine will remain white. Thanks for letting us in Scott. It was an honor and pleasure to meet you.
Thanks for stopping by Mr. Hyde,
It was great to meet you and your wife. Thrilled that opera lovers are fans of ThePresent!
I’ve been getting dozens of emails asking about the words and music from the latest update; so due to popular demand~
The words in beginning of the last update, “All Right” are the last lines of an hour long interview with Aldous Huxley in 1958. Conducted with the disarming yet patient intellect of Alan Watts.
Huxley says so eloquently that, “In spite of pain, in spite of fear, in spite of horror. In spite of everything. The universe is in some mysterious sense, All Right. Capital A. Capital R.”
I heard this on a train from Manhattan to Virginia to visit my father and was struck by the deliberate nature in which Huxley expressed himself throughout the interview. It’s so difficult these days to find anyone who takes themselves as seriously.
This last phrase of his was furiously parallel to the what I’ve been seeing & feeling recently, so I decided to include it.
I find a dangerous lack of seriousness in modern society. This is most apparent in the general lackadaisical approach to architecture over the past 50 years. Certainly there have been major exceptions - but for the most part - Drywall is such a sad step backwards. I'm interested in that which is built to last from the word 'go' - that has a great deal to do with why I want this clock to exist.
The song I used for the latest update sprang up out of nowhere. For some reason it was in a completely different category of playlists for me - it was as if it raised a red flag and said - USE ME! I AM THE SPIRIT OF THE PIECE! Sometimes, certain songs do that to you.
So the composition is: “ Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36: III. Scherzo: Allegro ” Written by Tchaikovsky in1878 & performed by the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra in the country of Georgia.
For anyone still reading, I would like to make a public apology for insisting that I was going to make another video for the “New Moon”. The spirit was there, I was excited about showing off the paper we would be using. Unfortunately it was nearly impossible to photograph. The print process deserves to be shot & at $3,500.00 cost it takes to set up this printing process you better believe I’l be shooting it. So that fact, coupled with the feeling that when it came time for the new moon, I remembered why I wanted to schedule the updates based on each Full Moon.
My feeling was that - it was necessary to treat the Full Moon as an alarm on life that forces me to express myself, no matter the consequence. To be open and revealing.
And during this process I have learned that; the New Moon is a quiet, simple time for reflection. Ultimately the reflection always returns, in its own time, on the nature of the ambitions revealed on the former Full Moon.
This time of reflection affords me the opportunity to give a thorough analysis of the direction taken and of where to go next. I can hardly think of anything more healthy. Feels great so far - so, I plan on sticking to it.