Paintings by foot or mouth

See more here.

date Posted on Tuesday, 18 Oct 2005
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Tags & Bookmarks

Frederico Oliveira writes an interesting article about Tagging and Social Bookmarks that finally motivates me to retort. I, too, have been thinking about the different ways of organizing things and have yet to draw a clear conclusion. Not being able to finalize my stance on this matter has been both frustrating as well as invirogating.

My response to his article is on his site, but I’ll go ahead and throw it in here as well:

It’s been hard NOT to think about tags lately, huh? At any rate, I see this issue as somewhat of a behavioral continuum. Let’s consider two different people and their two different ways of “organizing their things.” On the one hand, we have the librarian with the clean desk – pencils sharpened, a real “everything-in-it’s-place” kinda person. She (well, I’ve never met a man librarian) is quite familiar with ISSN, ISBN, and she’s just nuts about the Dewey Decimal System. Her hobbies include coffee table books on taxonomy, organizing her neatly-folded t-shirts by color (R O Y G B V), and making sure everything on the coffee table lines up at 90º angles. Ok, you get the point, she’s a category kinda gal. One reason she’s motivated to use this system of categorization is it’s a standard, something bigger than her – it makes sense to conform to this methodology because many people can learn it, use it, contribute to it, and so forth.

On the other hand, we have a young gun – born and raised in an environment of 800 TV channels, e-mail, internet, radio, cell phones, etc. He basically lives in a bee-swarm of media from the time he wakes up to the time he falls asleep in from of the TV (with 4 remote controls lying on the floor). The thing is, it’s pretty normal for him, he hasn’t really “adapted” to these things like his parents. So, this dude is our tagger. He sees a site online he likes, he tags it with whatever he wants. Remember, he’s listening to music, the TV is on, his Mom is telling him to clean his room, and his mobile phone is ringing (the latest Nelly ringtone), so he’s being bombarded from all angles here. Tagging is a down and dirty way of organizing things. It’s true, we can carry over some of the more rigid formalities of categorization, but tags at its core is a Post-It note of sorts.

I’m well aware that our naughty librarian and punk rock Johnny couldn’t be more stereotypical, but the most important thing about this tags and categories thing is that people’s behaviors are scattered like crazy between the two extremes. Personally, I aim to be more like the librarian, but sometimes I lack the time or resources to make everything fit perfectly in a nice, clean row – so I tag! Maybe we shouldn’t be posing this as an “either – or” debate, perhaps people should be encouraged to “tag first, categorize later!” or just do both in any order?

In general, it’s safe to say that using computers everyday has made all of us a bit more neurotic than before. I noticed a few years ago that every time I reinstalled my operating system, I devised a “NEW & IMPROVED” file structure an nomenclature. And I did, although it’s always temporary – there’s always a better idea around the corner, things change. And I still haven’t figured out a satisfactory way of organizing my iTunes library in regards to Genre and country of origin (I like a lot of music from different countries). So for now, I have a ton of music in the “Brasil” genre that covers the gamut – from hip hop to punk rock, pagode to bossa nova, chorinho to pop.

That would be a prefect scenario for tags, right? So, Marcelo D2 would have these tags: brasil brazil “hip hop” rap samba “rap samba”(or whatever else you like). So, what if I ran a music store – one with bricks, mortar, and a street address – where would I put this CD? In the “World Music” section (damn, I always hated that nomenclature)? How about “Hip Hop”? See, we’re back to where we started.

This is a tough riddle we have before us, worthy of thought. I unfortunately don’t have a solution to offer, just this little bit of wordy commentary.

date Posted on Monday, 17 Oct 2005
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Cassette tape mania!

Memorex dBS 90

After all of the marvelous things the internet does for us nowadays, I still enjoy the fact that it has yet to cease as a viable outlet for our innermost (neurotic?) desires to catalogue absolutely EVERYTHING under the sun…

…like tons of blank cassettes! Check out Not Wild Style’s Cassette Jam ‘05 before the 50 gazillion terabyte Lee Press-On hard drives give us a DVD nostalgia gallery.

date Posted on Monday, 17 Oct 2005
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(Alleged) video iPod?

video iPod Apple® iPod video Update: As everyone in the world already knows, Apple released their video iPod. The thing that confused me the most was why the display wasn’t widescreen (like the fake one above). I have a suspicion that that’ll be the next thing around the corner.

date Posted on Monday, 10 Oct 2005
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Your orange, the world traveller


If you’re sitting in front of your computer somewhere in America, there’s a good chance that the last orange you ate has travelled the world more than you have. So, when are you going to get up and out of America to see the rest of the world? And where the hell was your orange from?

Well, our faithful Futurefarmer Amy Franceschini addresses the latter question (and quite a bit more) with her latest eco-friendly contribution:


^Art: free-soil.org^

FRUIT takes up the challenge of elevating the ecological knowledge of consumers and encouraging a way of life that is friendly to the environment. We want consumers to be conscious of the entire life of a product, from production to utilization, and not just what they see in the stores. Consumers must be aware that every phase of a product’s life influences the environment and ourselves.

Try F.R.U.I.T. & Free Soil (not necessarily in that order).

date Posted on Sunday, 09 Oct 2005
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Patent infringement over JPEG compression

This legal issue over JPEG compression resurfaces every once in awhile, I’m amazed it’s still around.

“Since its inception over three years ago, Forgent Networks intellectual property program has generated more than $100 million in revenues primarily from licensing the ‘672 Patent to more than 40 different companies in Asia, Europe and the United States.”

The thing is, these little guys have yet to license JPEG compression.

Wow! If this works out for them, that’s going to be an enourmous check. Read more here.

date Posted on Wednesday, 05 Oct 2005
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Martha Rich—Out with pantyhose, in with art!

So, I’ve quite enjoyed my serendipitous morning/afternoon of playing some Nina Simone and cleaning my desk. I decided to read up on her, searched for some photographs of her, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to come across one painting in particular by Martha Rich, shown above. So, I checked out some of her other work and it put an even bigger smile on my face. Her work is fantastic! You’ve probably seen her murals in Beck’s Girl video as well as her illustrations and paintings all over the place.

Here’s a snippet taken from her site:

“Originally from Philadelphia, Martha Rich lived the typical, suburban life – until she followed her husband to Los Angeles where, just short of a picket fence and 2.5 children her average American life unraveled. To cope with divorce, fate lead her to an illustration class taught by the Clayton Brothers. They persuaded her to ditch the pantyhose world, quit her human resources job at Universal Studios and join the world of art. She graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design and is currantly based in Pasadena obsessively painting undergarments, wigs, lobsters, and Loretta Lynn.”

date Posted on Saturday, 01 Oct 2005
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Yuki's Sentimental Journey


via D&AD

This video will blow your mind. Technically perplexing, but more than that its beauty is subtle and endearing. Nicest clip I’ve seen in a while.

date Posted on Thursday, 29 Sep 2005
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Veja magazine print ads

A site I check out on a daily basis, Ads of the World, has listed several ads from Brasil’s Veja magazine which are quite amazing. I couldn’t find too much more information on the campaign; if anyone has a clue let me know.

date Posted on Wednesday, 28 Sep 2005
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National Geographic ad

National Geographic advertisement, shark bus
via Ads of the World

Brilliant.

date Posted on Friday, 23 Sep 2005
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Mr. Trout's neighbor


Art: Kurt Vonnegut and Joe Petro III

I just saw Kurt Vonnegut on The Daily Show with Jon Stewert. It was a rerun. He was talking a little about evolution, as it was Evolution Schmevolution week at The Daily Show. Then there was a commercial for a pizza topped with steak. And after that was either a car commercial or a talking gecko – hard to remember. And it dawned on me that I might as well be living next door to *Kilgore Trout and not even realize it.

The world is a weird place. And to quote Mr. Vonnegut…err a Martian visitor…

“WHAT IS IT, WHAT CAN IT POSSIBLY BE ABOUT BLOW JOBS AND GOLF?”

*(Holy shit, me too… I had no idea).

date Posted on Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005
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Man calls for jihad against Burger King

Burger King jihad?
Left: BK Cones
Right: Arabic inscription for Allah

Don’t underestimate the power of one main with a cause. Burger King has removed a graphic of an ice cream swirl from its packaging whose appearance is close to the arabic inscription of Allah. Zzzzzzzzzz.

date Posted on Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005
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The Rise of the Freelance Class

I keep meaning to go to the Freelancers Union site from seeing all the posters on the train, but keep forgetting. Anyhow, they just came out with a report (.pdf download) on freelancers in New York.

Freelancing isn’t just a way of making a living, it’s a way of life. That’s what the Freelancers Union found when it surveyed more than 2,800 New York City freelancers in the spring of 2005. Creative, independent and entrepreneurial, many freelancers are fiercely dedicated to their lifestyle.

date Posted on Monday, 19 Sep 2005
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Gonzo's final words

Hunter S. Thompson illustration by Brian Morris
Art: Brian Morris

(Previously discussed here)

“No More Games. No More bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun—for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax—This won’t hurt.”

date Posted on Sunday, 11 Sep 2005
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Moving images…Moving

parasite, Universität der Künste Berlin

German art students take the moving image to a new level by packing up a suitcase with a projector (and other items), sticking it on the side of a subway car. The result are projected images on the tunnel walls for subway riders to look at. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if anyone tried that here in New York. You’d probably end up in jail or on a terrorist watchlist.

Moving Canvas is a project by Frédéric Eyl, Gunnar Green and Richard The.

Here’s the link to the parasite clip. Also, check out the aperture piece too – really cool stuff!

date Posted on Sunday, 11 Sep 2005
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New Orleans "refugees" hold out in their homes


Foto: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

In a NY Times article, New Orleans’ residents speak out about how they don’t wish to leave their homes.

Ms. Harris said she did not want to leave. “I haven’t even run out of weed yet,” she said.

But she knows that fighting with police officers is futile.

“I’ll probably bitch and moan, but I’m not going to hole up,” she said.

And by Thursday afternoon, Kajun’s Pub had closed, and the vehicles previously parked outside were gone.

There was no indication whether Mr. Dobbs and the other people who had been drinking and joking six hours earlier had been evacuated or simply disappeared into the city.

date Posted on Saturday, 10 Sep 2005
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