Check out upcoming U.S. legislation concerning internet censorship based on copyright. For more info go to http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/.
sam smiley reporting from AstroDime..
I went Monday October 10..around 4pm to the base camp..it’s really well organized. It reminds me a little of the way Burning Man is set up..less art, but very clear where to go. It has a library, “spirituality tent”, postermaking tent, logistics tent, and more. I brought stencils and chalk and left them at the library tent. I wasn’t there later in the evening for the protests and ensuing arrests.
trusty bike basket with stencils and chalk
I thought a lot of the impact of social media on this gathering..lots of hand held signs but very few flyers. A media tent. And despite what the mainstream media says, a pretty coherent message..i really don’t think “anarchy” is a good way to describe this, although it is the word that mainstream media and “spinners” of the story are saying. Not everyone is holding the same sign but they generally seem to be there for the same reason..the effect of the economy problems of the U.S. on the largest groups of people, while the ruling class emerges unscathed from any financial disasters.
Here is where I am getting my information:
Twitter is most up to date:
#OccupyBoston
A great news site, I love how they “occupied” the Globe concept.
http://occupybostonglobe.com/
And the Occupy Boston web site proper
http://occupyboston.com/
various posters on a tent
I saw lots of these posters
Dewey Square Oct 11 4pm
AstroDime correspondant sam smiley just came back from a trip to Buenos Aires..and in the process was lucky to be invited to a grafiti party and jam in an area neighborhood. All and all, she shot an hour of video. The final version will be on vimeo, and will also be included in INtransit V.7: Ecology/Ecología, as part of “ecología de callejero” or street ecologies.
Here’s an interview with Ariel (Scratch) one of the organizers. He is a DJ, and his cousin, Nelson (Next Graf) is a grafiti artist. Included are photos of the final works.
AstroDime Transit Authority is pleased to present:
INtransit V.6: “scientfic american”/La America Científica
This will screen as part of the Cambridge Science Festival.
This 1-hour 10 minute video compilation is a remix of the concept: What is a ‘scientific american’? The INtransit series of videos looks at science and art within the continental Americas. This specific issue will be focusing on the U.S. and Colombia.
The location is here:
- Take the MBTA Red Line or Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line to the Porter Square stop.
- Exit the station on the left and turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue. University Hall is be one-half block down on your left at 1815 Massachusetts Avenue. Student Services is located on the third floor.
- To reach the Doble Campus, walk south on Massachusetts Avenue approximately seven blocks. Turn left onto Mellen Street.
From here, go up the stairs to the 2nd floor, do a U-turn toward the Atrium. Signs will guide ou to room 2-078 where the screening will take place at 7pm.
Opening Sci Am Ciencia from AstroDime Transit on Vimeo.
The Future is NOW!
smartCANS in the 21st century.
TRADE SHOW and Conference
5-8PM
Bannister Gallery
Rhode Island College
Providence Rhode Island
Keynote Speech by Mitchell K. Ahern,
Chairman of the International iCAN Developer’s Association
His speech will take place via SKYPE at 6PM EST
AstroDime Telecommunications Company is sponsoring a TRADE SHOW and demonstration of cutting edge TIN CAN technology.
Based on consumer response, we will premiere our iCAN version 2.2.2.2, with new improved performance and optional interactivity. In addition, using only the most intelligent of our smartCANS and the faster than sound speed of our 2G network, consumers will be able to beta test ENHANCED ™ tin can phone calls via our Party Line, for the latest in social networking.
We are honored to have Mitchel K. Ahern
Chairman of the International iCAN Developer’s Association
as our Keynote speaker.
his Keynote Speech: “iCAN is the Platform on Which We Will Build the Future”
6PM via SKYPE
bio:
Mitchel K Ahern, Chairman of the International iCAN Developers Association
Mitchel has been in digital marketing and communications for a very long time with titles like SYSOP, Webmaster, Digital Media Producer, Product Manager and Director of Communications for companies such as One to One Interactive, Eastern Acoustic Works, and currently Cantina. He’s worked with clients such as Aegon, Royal Caribbean and UPS to develop apps for both consumers and in the B2B space. He writes for industry publications such as iMedia Connection and speaks at various industry events, most recently leading a panel at the Direct Marketing Associations DMA2010. Mitchel also has extensive experience with non-profit trade organizations as Vice President of the Webmasters Guild and chairman of the Association of Internet Professionals with over 33 international chapters. In his current role as Chairman of the International iCAN App Developers Association Mitchel is responsible for coordinating the efforts towards establishing a coherent and consistent iCAN user experience, promoting accessibility, and establishing professional development opportunities for the larger iCAN technical community.
On Friday, April 8, I was at a conference at Harvard University called
STS: the next 20: conversations within and beyond the field
There were many issues raised but it seems that on this day of the conference, the conversation was what STS should theoretically embrace in the future. Saturday, April 10, this conference focussed on jobs and what can people do with an STS degree. Sadly I wasn’t there for that.
Right at the start of Friday, there was an interesting speaker who addressed postcolonial science studies, Kaushik Sunder Ramon. He described that technologies have colonial histories and talked about the concept of epistemic coproduction. (rather than just the”giving” of colonial knowledge)
Fellow panelist Javier Lezaun talked about translations, saying “there is no translation without a degree of betrayal” which I found intriguing.
In the second session Sherine Hamdy spoke about religion and science specifically Muslim and Egyption responses to the concept of donating organs.
Nelly Oudshoorn brought up the importance of having students from multiple disciplines who may not write articles but will take ideas into the fields they work.
I feel strongly
this is really only a snippet of the scope of the conference but I imagine that the work on postcolonial STS will continue to influence us at Astrodime.
Focus Group Survey Results
On Friday, February 25, astrodimer sam smiley gave a presentation on the iCAN (TM) and also handed out surveys. The panel/presentation was called “An Afternoon of Dialogue, Debate, and Discourse” and included art historian Cher Knight and AIB faculty member and artist Nathan Felde. Stuart Steck was the organizer and moderator of this panel.
On behalf of Astrodime, sam sam smiley created a survey, which would help AstroDime in the creation of “apps” for the iCAN (TM). Here are the results of the survey.
1. If you had an iCAN, how often would you use it and what would you use it for?
Meetings, talking to myself in public
I would keep one half and give the other to a friend.
To recycle my thoughts, to prevent my thoughts from escaping to others, to prevent word pollution, to communicate with my head.
Every thought I had that I wanted to transmit to myself
Holding Soup, Talk Soup
Once a month
I’d use it for silly fun
I would poke, various noises, ring tones
I would pretend I was talking to my therapist
I’d use this every day in class. I think this would be a pretty amazing way to conduct crits.
The first thing I would do would be hack it.
Then I’d post my hack on the instructables under my hacker alias.
2. What would be your preferred network?
T riders
deep, dark secrets
None
Neural
People
Verizon
Party Line
huh
Just my close hacker community friends
3. What accessories do you suggest would be useful for the iCAN? What are your favorite colors?
Naples Yellow
“Phone covers”, bedazzled iCANs! Personalize your own!
An iCAN “sock” for a) modesty, b) cold weather use
Economy-can sized unit for family chat
Stylish label-cases: chunky and Campbell’s preferred
Jolly green giant, Cotton candy blue, Warhol soup can red
I love the blue
Funnel attachment
Those little cell phone charms. That would be way cute, like Hello Kitty or something.
Orange
A hands free head/neck holder brace thing so you can text at the same time (multitasking)
I like the natural colors of the materials
A hands free version would be nice
4. Can you suggest any apps you would like to see developed for the iCAN?
Music, Political rants
Thought whirling, circular thinking (like circular breathing), If you get thoughts whirling fast enough, they may puff up like beaten egg whites. Think what we might discern!?!
The eye-can camera phone
Pee-redirector
Recycling-yard filler
CAMP Bells- bang cans together to ward off bears
CANdid camera- easily changed into a pinhole camera
Puddle jumpers or step-ups to see over crowds
Pictionary
Poetry app
Inside joke app
Peaceful protesting “megaphone” app
Voice modifier
Some app that tracked my metrics and posted my usage data to twitter
Looking for APP or APP proposals for our bleeding-edge technology, the iCAN!
As AstroDime searches for our new themes within the subtheme of “Ecology/Ecología”, we’ve come up with some good leads so far. If you are reading this and know of anyone who has work that works into these themes, please let sam know at rocketscience(at)astrodime.org by January 15, 2011.
Here are our themes..
-Kudzu (science, social, cultural)
-street art/ecologia de callejera
-gulf of mexico (oil spill)
-indigenous perspectives on ecology in the americas.
I’m sure there will be other themes as they develop.
-sam smiley
I just wanted to put in a plug for a crafter whose work I saw in Mexico..when AstroDime was in Mexico city, there were street artisans..I loved this work by Anomia. It was sort of like Hello Kitty gone bad. I will post a picture of the crafty kat I bought shortly.
Excellent work! I hope they come to Etsy sometime.