Moscow for the breakdancing.
Hana for the paradise.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
EMERGENCY! Mass Extinction Currently Occurring
We are currently witnessing a terrible human tragedy. A recent NY Times article brought attention to the frighteningly rapid speed at which human languages all over the world are going extinct. A rate "that exceeds that of birds, mammals, fish and plants."
Yes there are many terrible things going on in the world (Darfur, Iraq, Jena 6, Global Warming) and how can we prioritize them? For me, this is now NUMBER ONE. I'm not going to begin to talk about what a loss a human language is to the world, it's a huge loss and I'll leave it at that. What's even more tragic is that this doesn't have to happen. We can preserve these languages easily. And yes again, it would be better if they remained living, but there will be no way to keep them alive or (more likely) revive them if we don't know them.
The article reports on work being done by researchers to preserve these languages. There aren't enough people working on this! They've already reported langauges extinct before they had a chance to be preserved.
How can we help? I'm not sure yet. My immediate thought is how collaborative technologies like the internet could be used to more efficiently aid in the recording of theses languages. Something like Wikipedia provides a good example to get the ideas flowing.
And of course I'm sure money is an issue. This is work I want to be a part of. I can feel the urgency. I am going to do more research and will report ways individuals can get involved to stop this from happening!
Yes there are many terrible things going on in the world (Darfur, Iraq, Jena 6, Global Warming) and how can we prioritize them? For me, this is now NUMBER ONE. I'm not going to begin to talk about what a loss a human language is to the world, it's a huge loss and I'll leave it at that. What's even more tragic is that this doesn't have to happen. We can preserve these languages easily. And yes again, it would be better if they remained living, but there will be no way to keep them alive or (more likely) revive them if we don't know them.
The article reports on work being done by researchers to preserve these languages. There aren't enough people working on this! They've already reported langauges extinct before they had a chance to be preserved.
How can we help? I'm not sure yet. My immediate thought is how collaborative technologies like the internet could be used to more efficiently aid in the recording of theses languages. Something like Wikipedia provides a good example to get the ideas flowing.
And of course I'm sure money is an issue. This is work I want to be a part of. I can feel the urgency. I am going to do more research and will report ways individuals can get involved to stop this from happening!
Brand New Funk 2k7 (Video)
mom, i'm not giving up on my dreams...i will have an ice cream truck someday!
Friday, September 21, 2007
A Fork, But No Pork
Here I sit on the eve of Yom Kippur and I feel great. So here's what's happening, I started this blog initially as a way to let people from back home know how I'm doing.
I found out that I enjoy writing just for its own sake and began wanting to write about whatever I felt. I rationalized to myself that with my distinctive categories for posts this would be ok, readers could pick and choose what topics they wanted to follow.
Ehhhh, lo. If I really am going to make an effort to give my people the goods, like actually report and not just make a mess, I need to take it seriously.
So I am! Starting today I will be maintaining a weekly blog reporting on my experience here from a more straight journalism style perspective. Introducing The Blue and White Report. Details will be provided there with my introductory post.
And what will become of Yala Balagan? I will continue to post here as I feel, but now guilt free because it can be my personal sandbox, unaccountable to anyone else. So if you want to know what's up with me in Israel, go on and get your news fix.
I found out that I enjoy writing just for its own sake and began wanting to write about whatever I felt. I rationalized to myself that with my distinctive categories for posts this would be ok, readers could pick and choose what topics they wanted to follow.
Ehhhh, lo. If I really am going to make an effort to give my people the goods, like actually report and not just make a mess, I need to take it seriously.
So I am! Starting today I will be maintaining a weekly blog reporting on my experience here from a more straight journalism style perspective. Introducing The Blue and White Report. Details will be provided there with my introductory post.
And what will become of Yala Balagan? I will continue to post here as I feel, but now guilt free because it can be my personal sandbox, unaccountable to anyone else. So if you want to know what's up with me in Israel, go on and get your news fix.
Made In Israel (Video)
I'm not big into drugs, but the music, lyrics, combined with the nicely edited archival footage makes this one a keeper.
Facebook App Ideas
The recently announced funding for facebook application development has got me thinking. There's a lot of money at stake. It's not so much about money as it is about being something exciting and ground breaking.
Here are a couple ideas:
1) Wikipedia History - this is kind of just for fun. i browse wikipedia often. when i do i end up getting lost in its hyperlinks, it really is a trip. when i feel satisfied or get tired (one or the other) i wake up and wonder, where have i been? this would somehow represent my wikipedia browsing, this is where you could get creative. somehow communicating the time spent on certain topics could be interesting.
so on its own is one thing. but combined with the socialness of facebook you get the immediate satisfaction of knowing that you're sharing this information with your friends. you could even take it a step further so that algorithms find similarities amongst friends research interests.
a model for this type of application already exists in the work happening at the Attention Trust. This would essentially be an Attention Trust recorder made specifically for wikipedia and accessible via facebook.
2) Project Management Tools - here's where you could make some big bucks. why not build project management right into facebook? "pm" services are where a lot of the best innovation and use of the web has been coming from (Basecamp, Zoho, etc.). combine that with another key player in internet innovation (fb) and how could you go wrong?
think of it as fb groups with extra features (document posting, etc.) fb groups may already have enough functionality that it could compete with existing pm services. a feature comparison could be warranted.
most of the already existing services cost money. building their features (assuming they're missing from fb right now) into a facebook app would leverage the infrastructure of facebook while also providing a free option for project management (altruistic, but hey, it's the internet!).
a quick search of the facebook app business directory showed no signs of anything that anywhere near resembles pm tools. this could be great.
Here are a couple ideas:
1) Wikipedia History - this is kind of just for fun. i browse wikipedia often. when i do i end up getting lost in its hyperlinks, it really is a trip. when i feel satisfied or get tired (one or the other) i wake up and wonder, where have i been? this would somehow represent my wikipedia browsing, this is where you could get creative. somehow communicating the time spent on certain topics could be interesting.
so on its own is one thing. but combined with the socialness of facebook you get the immediate satisfaction of knowing that you're sharing this information with your friends. you could even take it a step further so that algorithms find similarities amongst friends research interests.
a model for this type of application already exists in the work happening at the Attention Trust. This would essentially be an Attention Trust recorder made specifically for wikipedia and accessible via facebook.
2) Project Management Tools - here's where you could make some big bucks. why not build project management right into facebook? "pm" services are where a lot of the best innovation and use of the web has been coming from (Basecamp, Zoho, etc.). combine that with another key player in internet innovation (fb) and how could you go wrong?
think of it as fb groups with extra features (document posting, etc.) fb groups may already have enough functionality that it could compete with existing pm services. a feature comparison could be warranted.
most of the already existing services cost money. building their features (assuming they're missing from fb right now) into a facebook app would leverage the infrastructure of facebook while also providing a free option for project management (altruistic, but hey, it's the internet!).
a quick search of the facebook app business directory showed no signs of anything that anywhere near resembles pm tools. this could be great.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
archive
felt inspired one day and put this on my facebook profile, got tired of it, but don't want to forget it:
midwest is the crest that i wear on my chest/
sure as hell is the best / place to be from /
cause folks think i'm llikely to be dumb / witted but then i switch hit it - out the park /
swim faster than a shark and like hanging out in the park
midwest is the crest that i wear on my chest/
sure as hell is the best / place to be from /
cause folks think i'm llikely to be dumb / witted but then i switch hit it - out the park /
swim faster than a shark and like hanging out in the park
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Moving Day!
Yes I'm moving out of the hostel, fantastic! I've got a small furnished room off of Ben Yehuda and Nordau in the north. It's a cute area and I'm looking forward to getting familiar with it. + I'm living with my good friend Steven, I'm excited! I'll take some pictures. Happy Day!
Public Designer
1) Designing public spaces like squares. Places to promote interesting social interactions.
2) Designing children's playgrounds. The challenge of making a fun space while taking into account safety concerns would be great.
Then seeing your work used, come to life, what a thrill and sense of accomplishment.
2) Designing children's playgrounds. The challenge of making a fun space while taking into account safety concerns would be great.
Then seeing your work used, come to life, what a thrill and sense of accomplishment.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Loving
Is great. And even better that you don't need people to do it. I can love anything. I can love this song, this sight, this food, this day, everything. And it's when I love things that I am happy happy. The love keeps going and growing. To find new love everyday is incredible and it's possible. I do it all the time. There are some prerequisites, like the hard work and responsibility that makes up happiness, but once you've gotten that out of the way there's so much room for love. That's what I want to make room for. That's what I'm making room for.
I really love music. I feel love music. Nothing like it. Freedom and comfort and bliss.
I really love music. I feel love music. Nothing like it. Freedom and comfort and bliss.
Providence Also Moves Me
Fantastic response to an article he read in the NY Times. Rich JC uses a journalistic style, leading in with a couple lines before he reveals his subject.
Then in an exaggerated romantic tone he tells the beginning of his mock-infatuation.
And then for the real gem, he drops mad knowledge when explaining why a seemingly meaningless lyric means so much to him (so he says tongue in cheek) with this sentence: "Language related arts draw their creativity from their receivers. All that they need to do is make you receptive. ...all it does is make you relax and open up to the infinity of possible meanings conveyed by the words. Similarly, poetry needs only to convince you of its success, its creativity, for you to indeed find it creativity. It is all about mood."
And finally as he concludes his piece his tone continues strong especially with his final image. Getting somewhere with this.
Check it out.
Then in an exaggerated romantic tone he tells the beginning of his mock-infatuation.
And then for the real gem, he drops mad knowledge when explaining why a seemingly meaningless lyric means so much to him (so he says tongue in cheek) with this sentence: "Language related arts draw their creativity from their receivers. All that they need to do is make you receptive. ...all it does is make you relax and open up to the infinity of possible meanings conveyed by the words. Similarly, poetry needs only to convince you of its success, its creativity, for you to indeed find it creativity. It is all about mood."
And finally as he concludes his piece his tone continues strong especially with his final image. Getting somewhere with this.
Check it out.
Happiness Compositional Breakdown By Percentage (Working Version)*
35--Hard Work
11--Responsibility
10--Expression
09--Physical Action
08--Excitement
07--Fun
06--Funny Stuff
05--TLC
04--Pleasure
02--New Things
01--Spontanaeity
01--Deep Thought
01--Cogent Observation
35+11+10+9+8+7+6+5+4+2+1+1
This will change.
11--Responsibility
10--Expression
09--Physical Action
08--Excitement
07--Fun
06--Funny Stuff
05--TLC
04--Pleasure
02--New Things
01--Spontanaeity
01--Deep Thought
01--Cogent Observation
35+11+10+9+8+7+6+5+4+2+1+1
This will change.
Limited
Starting to feel the limitations of Blogger. Text formatting, video embedding limited. Doesn't merit a switch at this point.
Necro
May in fact be brilliant for several reasons, or at least some things of his. Hate to tease, but I haven't the time. In the meantime there's wikipedia and youtube. Videos, music, lyrics, it's a full package. Extreme warning: his work contains adult content and in several cases is disturbing, at your own risk.
Found It
The missing link on the MTV playlist was "Baby Baby" by Sunblock. I came in at the end of the video and what I took for camp was in fact schlock. Sickly sweet candy. Sunblock is Swedish, they know how to remix. Look up the videos yourself, I warn that it closely resembles if not borders on pornography.
2 other videos worth note, the new one from Enrique Iglesias (forgot the name) + the Nelly Furtado video "Do It" (I think that's the name). Both for similar reasons, to be explained in another post.
1-800-Translate
So is there a market for this:
Hotline for translation...short bits or maybe longer summaries of published information (via the internet). Charge per call or minute with guaranteed customer satisfaction. Subscription model also available. Distributed workforce (i.e. chacha.com guides) easy to assess via automated testing (language test with verbal and written comprehension, etc. - easy to deploy multimedia via the internet).
SMS text messaging also available for single words or short phrases. Could easily exist via Google Translate and Google Mobile.
Meets consumer demand/taste/desire for instant/on-demand information either as a one time use or on a regular basis.
Hotline for translation...short bits or maybe longer summaries of published information (via the internet). Charge per call or minute with guaranteed customer satisfaction. Subscription model also available. Distributed workforce (i.e. chacha.com guides) easy to assess via automated testing (language test with verbal and written comprehension, etc. - easy to deploy multimedia via the internet).
SMS text messaging also available for single words or short phrases. Could easily exist via Google Translate and Google Mobile.
Meets consumer demand/taste/desire for instant/on-demand information either as a one time use or on a regular basis.
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