Whatever Comes to Mind

I'm starting to get Friendster Spam. At least that's what it looks like. A person with a minimal profile sent me a message for a web cam site for flirting. This is complete crap. I guess if I change my settings for recieving messages I won't get spam. I like getting messages from people I haven't seen in years, or who are distant friends through other friends. This is one more reason to live more in the real world and cut off annonymous messages from online social networks.

The web has so much potential for social interaction, but the potential for money making schemes ruins every aspect of the web.

iTunes playing: Secret Agent Radio -- downtempo, lounge, spy style music.

Caroline's internet debut. She's only two days old and she is already getting on the net.

I just caught the end of The Truman Show. It was great to see an example of some of Ishmael's definitions of man. The most noble part of the film was when Truman left the perfect land of his life and stepped into the unknown world, something he has never seen. His creator tells Truman the world is his and everything he needs is within the confirmed space of the tv show. This resembles the flight of man from eden. Why does everyone that has been watching the show cheer when he leaves? Fighting against the confined space of life and control, free will, is the ideology that is engrained in our culture.

I just read Ishmael: An Adventure of Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn. Actually, I didn't really read it, I listened to it. Audio books are dangerous, but I won't get into that right now. The concepts in Ishmael are fairly easy to follow. Basically, the web of life theory is expanded and explained as a history of Earth not of human evolution. Ishmael is a gorilla that has learned to communicate with humans. This gorilla seeks a pupil to teach the concepts of life and laws of nature. The narrator shows up to learn how to save the world, and gets a lesson in integral psychology. Basically, human history began with the agriculture revolution, when a human being decided to make his own food and life cycle and not depend on the cycle of life to provide for him/her by nature and natural laws. The human's life is now in his hands of his decisions not at the whims of the gods. Ishmael describes that every being on the Earth follows simple laws to survive and procreate. These laws of nature let them live in their space for their life duration and every other being can be in their space. This isn't to say that animals don't kill each other, but it is saying that they eat what they need and no more. This way creatures can survive for their duration and support the beings that need them. What they don't do is take more than they need.

Excess is the bane of human existence, at least that is what the theory tell us. When humans decided to kill more or wipe out a species to have more and save more, the decision led to the break down of the nature life cycle. We invade others' space to have more and feel in control, but each progressive advantage on any community(natural and social) brings us closer to destroying everything. Ishmael is telling us we're breaking down the life cycle that keeps everything healthy on Earth. This theory shows the habits and ideologies we have formed and are comfortable with. But this has to change or we will destroy ourselves.

I'll continue with these thoughts in the next couple entries, and get into other books I'm reading that focus on integral and holistic ideologies.

Who would have thought that Nike, the prime example of international labor law violators, would start moving towards sustainable manufacturing. Their new line, Considered features shoes that use less materials and glue, less toxic solvents, and they're hosting sites to encourage competitors to do the same. The Nike Website has more info. Good for them -- maybe I'll buy a pair sometime soon.

I have to say that Wednesday is the best night of the week. I know it's Thursday right now, but last night was the amazing. Getting back into the routine of rock climbing, Mexican dinner, Mudcat, drunk dials, and Krystal always feels good Thursday morning. I can look on the couch and see a friend past out with a mound of Krystal Chik boxes surrounding them. And Mudcat. What can say about Mudcat. Last night there was this girl dancing the whole time I was there. She was in her own little groove. Nothing seemed to change her course except Mudcat's slide guitar. Seeing Mudcat and the crowd at Northside always brings a smile to my face. It helps me get through the week, especially those long drawn out weeks.

The idea of ambient displays is slowing coming out in many different forms. On Metaefficient, for example, products that produce awareness of energy use throughout the house are the latest in energy-saving projects. WorldChanging.com is working on projects for products that would replace ordinary household items, like bathroom tile. Can this be the next trend in information-awareness? I think the AWARE Home at Tech should install some of these products or get into some of the research. There are some many applications and ideas for creating multi-purpose products that talk to each other. I know there are affordances of products out there that can give different feedback and responses for changing information, but blending them into the everyday and giving meaning to a new type of language that isn't harsh or doesn't impede on everyone else's lives, like cell phone rings and alerts, is a different goal to achieve.

Waking up to a traffic report on NPR is really annoying and I should change the station, but sometimes it is nice to know the Connector is backed-up. If there was a color code on my wall or a simple sound that triggered in my car when I embarked on my journey to work, I could think of a new plan for going to work. Accentus is doing this with musical tones and changes in trading markets for stock traders who have to watch market trends with numerous indicators. Their product give a series of tones that relate to certain markets and the rate or pattern of the sounds indicate the intensity and direction of the trend, if the market is going down or up. Investors have to keep track of indicators in many areas and this helps keep them on track.

These technologies are helping us generate a more efficient lifestyle while maximizing our input and output. I think it all boils down to the episode of the Simpsons when Homer gets on disability for being too fat and he works from home. His only task is to type "YES" or "NO" into his keyboard. At some point, he realizes that he can just type "Y" or "N", then he realizes that all his actions are "Y", so he gets a bobbing toy to click "Y" every few seconds. This results in almost blowing up the plant because the computer ask, "Would you like to shut down the plant?". Of course he is so fat at this point he can't even call the plant to warm them. I don't know what happens to the plant, but it's a funny take on technology and how we're trying to live more efficiently.

So I just joined Dodgeball.com. I was reading Vinnie's blog about social networking and physical spaces just last night and I stumbled upon this site about exactly that. Amazing how the consciousness and mental energy work to lead you to the things you're thinking about. Anyway, if any of my friends are geeky enough to try this and don't mind the privacy invasion, it will be cool to see if we're ever in the same spaces. Atlanta is small enough that we'll probably know if our friends are around though. I guess this technology is letting us be sucked in the computer chip even more. It will be nice to meet new people with similar interests though. If this were hooked into Friendster, that would be the bomb. You could let those 2nd or 3rd Degree Friends see your profile before you talked to them at the bar or restaurant. I 'll have another post about this social networking in physical spaces when I read and think more about it.

Right on! You rock! And welcome, dear friend, to Dodgeball.com!

Atlanta is unruly - that's why we've put our best code monkeys to work building tools to help you navigate this fine city in the context of your friends.

In case you were wondering...

Q: What is it?
A: dodgeball.com is a new social networking site built specifically for mobile phones.

Q: What does it do?
A: The idea is simple: tell us where you are and we'll tell you who and what is around you.
We'll ping your friends with your whereabouts, let you know when friends-of-friends are within 10 blocks,
allow you to broadcast content to anyone within 10 blocks of you or blast messages to your groups of
friends.

Q: Give me an example.
A: Okay, so you're having drinks at Luna Lounge. Send us a text message telling us where you
are and we'll send out a text message telling all your friends where you are AND send you back a
message letting you know if any friends-of-friends are within 10 blocks. If you have a camera phone,
we'll even send you their picture.

Q: How do I use it?
A: Whenever you're out, use your mobile phone to send a text message to "atlanta@dodgeball.com" with a
"@" and then the name of the bar or restaurant you're at. e.g. @Luna Lounge, @Bowery Bar. When
we get your text message, we'll check to see if there's anyone you know nearby.

Q: So, how do you know who my friends are?
A: You need to tell us who your friends are, just like you did with those other social networking sites.

It seems as though the Homeland Security Department has created another ID tag with the latest technology. The new card will feature Bluetooth and RF with Biometric info and personal security data. The user will authenticate with a swipe of the card and a fingerprint. It's got all the usually security features for government IDs (Wired Article). I'd like to see, but I know we'll know never unless a major screw up happens, if the Bluetooth signal will release information around the user. DC will start to see more wireless hackers and Bluetooth identity thieves in the coming months when the tags get their first go-around.

Will the general public need this type of technology to use a credit card, drive a car, leave/enter the country, access bank accounts? How would personal info and identities be affected by carrying them around in your pocket? What happened to the RF tags in the skin? Wouldn't people try and steal those too?

What's playing in itunes?
Orange Sky - Alexi Murdoch

This is a better version

This is me at Squaw on March 1st, 2005. Jumping this high is really scary, but once you commit and you make it, the ride feels amazing.

Link - This is an interesting idea to combat the flow of information around us. I think it is amazing that there are few places left where cell phones don't work, unless you have the worst phone in the world (SIEMENS S46) but that's not the cell signal provider's fault. I was on the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney (14,500 Ft.) and I got a signal and made some calls. In most of the places I bring my computer, I can find wireless networks. This past weekend though, I was in Tahoe City, CA to snowboard and take a break from work. My cellphone didn't work (because of the phone, not service) and I didn't have my computer. It was amazing! I didn't worry about anything technical for 4 days. That might be a new record. I can't imagine if we could prevent the signals for entering our private space, as the link at the top suggests. I like thinking about the habits I create with technology and if I could break them or how I would survive without those affordances.

What affordance does your favorite technology give you?

Could you break the habit or lifestyle?

I know firefox's sage extention has given me the desire to start this blog and it keeps me informed about just about everything from news to Doonesbury. I would say this is my favorite technology right now and it would be hard to go back to the old model of news gathering with TV, Newspapers, Periodicals, and talking on the phone to friends. I know what my friends are reading, or I tell them to read something, and the conversation can be kicked off in person or on AIM. The rapid spread of information and critique accelerates the rate of learning. Is this access to information important to progress our lives or is it something to keep us going, something to fight depression or stagnation in our lives. This paragraph went crazy. Maybe I should stay on track. It would be hard to break the habit. Getting a new career away from the web would be a good start. I would probably have to get new friends too. This doesn't sound like a good idea so far. I don't think I could stop with the information feeds. Someday, though.


What's playing on your ipod today? ---
right now -- "Going Under" -- Rockers HiFi -- The K&D Sessions (Kruder and Dorfmeister)

Metroblogging Atlanta gave me the good news. The YES service keeps track of playlists for all radio stations, and MTV(blah). This is very handy when you don't want to wait in you car to hear the list at the end of a set.

Well, this is it. I'm creating a blog. I really don't know why, maybe I'm bored, or I'm tired of send out emails with all the little things that I see and hear about. I'm sure most people just delete what I send. This will be easy for them.

This space, as fitting for the title, will be a space for the crazy things I think about or read or see. I'll try and post pictures every now and again, but I don't have a digital camera yet. Somedays will have a lot of info, whenever the web is flooded with crazy tech/product/politcal news, and somedays it will have none. I might move this over to my server whenever I get off my fat ass and start messing with toddgandee.com or freshtrix.com. For now Blogger can hold it down.

Enjoy!