Quipsologies
~ Vol. 32 ~
This, that, that too and the other… no, the other, in this edition of Quipsologies
For those about to present, we salute you:
1. the Lessig Method
2. the Takahashi Method
3. the Monta Method
4. the Kawasaki Method
5. the Godin Method
6. the Taguchi Method
7. the Scientific Method
8. the Socratic Method
9. the Stanislavski Method
10. the Feyerabend Anti-Method
Composer LaMonte Young's 70th birthday was last Friday. And if you're in the mood for a little reflective celebration; The Dream House recently began its current season — which runs through June 17, 2006 at 275 Church Street in New York City; and is open from 2 pm to midnight, every Thursday and Saturday. The environment features Marian Zazeela's sculpture/light installations and Young's magnificent piece: The Base 9:7:4 Symmetry in Prime Time When Centered above and below The Lowest Term Primes in The Range 288 to 224 with The Addition of 279 and 261 in Which The Half of The Symmetric Division Mapped above and Including 288 Consists of The Powers of 2 Multiplied by The Primes within The Ranges of 144 to 128, 72 to 64 and 36 to 32 Which Are Symmetrical to Those Primes in Lowest Terms in The Half of The Symmetric Division Mapped below and Including 224 within The Ranges 126 to 112, 63 to 56 and 31.5 to 28 with The Addition of 119.
Over the past 13 years I've seen this work elicit calm, joy and wonder in even the most resistant people. Anyone with the slightest degree of interest in perception, the senses, and the aesthetic power of simplicity must go.
There is a wealth of book-related obscura to be found at BibliOdyssey. Recent features include Boris Artzybasheff, fancy book bindings, imaginary beasts, micrography, and this week's favorite name for a theme: anthropomorphic pedagogy ... all much more fun than it sounds.
I am an NYC ADVERTISING COPYWRITER. I get paid a ridiculous amount of money to be stupid. And then to change my stupidity to something stupider. And stupider. And so on. Like reading funny stupid stuff? Welcome.
Staten Island boat graveyard photos. Beautifully grotesque. [Via Gothamist]
Wallpaper that you can modify on a daily basis? That is exactly what MagScapes is all about with magnetic wallpaper.
"Moved by Stefan Sagmeister’s talks about design that touches the heart, B L A N K (an online community of designers seeking to explore the heart and soul of design) is holding a first annual 'Design that Touches the Heart' online show. It’s sort of an anti-show… free, no judges, very few rules. We’re just looking for design that touches the heart. Our purpose is to find examples, share them, and encourage others to go deeper in their work." — B L A N K
Designers who Blog is, well, a blog about designers who blog. [Thanks to Cat for the link]
In case, like me, you did not hear about this two months ago this is a good one and proof that it isn't designers only who desperately crave an Apple laptop. On August 16th The Henrico County Public Schools sold 1,000 four-year old, used iBooks for $50.00 on a first-come, first-serve bases: Images are worth a thousand words.
Comments
I think it's more likely that people were stampeding because it was a laptop for $50.00, not because it was an iBook for $50.00. I know I'll be raked over the coals for this next comment, however: despite the fact that I detest using Macs, if I could get a used iBook for only $50.00, you could count me as one standing in line.
Posted by: artisteeternite | October 17, 2005 11:25 AM
You would join this animalistic rabble for the chance to buy something which you detest using just because it’s cheap?
I’m afraid a raking over the coals is far too good for you, friend.
Greed ain’t that good.
Posted by: chris dixon | October 17, 2005 08:09 PM
Please note that I said you could count me as one standing in line. That's very different from stampeding. And, just because I detest using Macs, doesn't mean it's not useful to have one around as a designer. It's just not so useful that I'd pay MORE than $50.
Posted by: artisteeternite | October 18, 2005 09:32 AM
OK then, Sorry if I offended. Each to their own. I love Macs, but personally, I wouldn’t have been there if they were giving them away. Perthaps I have just seen too many news images of stampedes at shopping malls, giveaways, sales, radio contests, Mecca, sports events, etc to see the value in even being around this sort of behaviour (not insinuating that you would lower yourself to that level). Perhaps people feel that they have been cheated most of their lives and believe that they are striking some sort of blow by getting something for nothing. Never mind, I am rambling.
Posted by: chris dixon | October 18, 2005 07:01 PM
2001 iBooks have a Bus speed of only 66Mhz -- which is hardly even useful these days for even the most basic Adobe product. I highly doubt if there were any designers in the crowd.
To me, it looked like the mob was mainly made up of moms and dads that are too poor to buy computers for their kids, and saw the sale as a chance to get a computer. I don't think it's greed. I think it's more desperation, which is rather sad.
It's easy for us to forget how difficult it is for some families to own a $1,200 laptop period. Nevermind Mac or PC. A computer is still an item that's far from being attainable by most of the world.
Here's one group that's doing something about it. I don't remember if I read it on a thread on SU or in the papers, but I think it's a fucking awesome idea that can change the world.
MIT's $100 laptop.
Posted by: Tan | October 18, 2005 10:08 PM
Point taken, Tan. Perahaps what might be more important here is the question of why folks who are living in the richest country in the world are so desperate to get a hold of even an outdated computer that they will resort to this type of behaviour. I want to be sure that we are agreed that for example, a baby-stroller-crushing stampede is not really the extreme that we want to see humans reduced to for a chance at cheap or free anything.
My accusation of greed, for which I have apologised, was directed soley at arteesternite, who had expected to be raked over the coals (or maybe that was for detesting Macs).
Posted by: chris dixon | October 19, 2005 01:03 AM
Chris,
Apology accepted, although I wasn't really offended. I just wanted to clarify. And yes, I was expecting to be raked over the coals for detesting Macs :-p
Tan,
That's a good point that at 4 years old, it probably wouldn't be useful. (Also, at 23 years old and working a grunt design job with not really any freelance right now, I don't know if I'd really count as a designer if I was there :-p)
As for the whole stampeding aspect, I think it's more sad, and a bit pathetic, that this happens every year on the day after thanksgiving. Yes, it is more likely to happen at WalMart, but it still happens regularly. And I know many people that aren't poor or desperate that still take part in that awful spectacle every year.
Perhaps part of the problem is that people have been convinced is that the only way to show someone love is by giving them really expensive stuff. It's also, unfortunately, a mark of status.
Capitalism is great, because the competition gives consumers a lot of options. Unfortunately, when the consumers have no meaning in their lives, it can become as souless as the state-is-all communism.
Posted by: artisteeternite | October 19, 2005 09:12 AM
why folks who are living in the richest country in the world are so desperate to get a hold of even an outdated computer that they will resort to this type of behaviour.
I'm still shocked that the school district in 2005 still hadn't heard of eBay.
Posted by: Darrel | October 19, 2005 10:34 AM
>eBay
My guess Darrel, is that since the iBooks were likely a corporate donation or bought at a greatly reduced educational cost originally — there were probably restrictions on their method of resale and value which excludes eBay as an option.
Don't get me wrong, though — I think their ultimate solution sucked too, and could have been administered a lot smarter. For example, it could have been a blind lottery instead of a smash and grab.
Posted by: Tan | October 19, 2005 12:24 PM