Monthly Archives: April 2003

Remembering why

Last night, i remembered why i value psychedelic trance music as a mechanism for producing a trance-like experience. I went into the evening anxious to hear Peter Didjital because it was the first time that a Scando DJ had spun since i moved here. And boy was i not disappointed. I danced almost the entire night, getting deep into my mind about my relationships with others, particularly powerful women, and my problems with communication. It was an utterly intense evening, full of wonders and reminders and i walked out exhausted and smiling from ear to ear.

The world looks perfect from this perspective.

clay shirky

I went to Emerging Tech this week, which was a wonderful opportunity to interact with hacker culture and technologists in general. It was also an odd reminder of what it’s like to be one of a small handful of women in a space. Although my primary reason to be there was to meet interesting people, one lecture stood out. Clay Shirky explicitly addressed the hacker community and related why social issues were pertinent to them. It was the first moment i’ve been in a tech conference and wanted to hug a speaker.

But the bigger question is… why didn’t i know about Clay Shirky before? He appears to be a demi-god in the eyes of some. Hmmm..

buddyzoo

OK.. I gave in and put my data into BuddyZoo (solely because it is a project being done by a well intended CalTech student). BuddyZoo is another game at social networks.. this time, they are looking at AIM buddy lists. And this time they are doing a visualization (although very limited). Let’s see where he takes this puppy…

intense weekend

Wow.. what an intense weekend. I went off to Palm Springs with a friend of mine and got to remember why it is that we are such good friends (and how much we’ve matured over the last 7 years). We spent a large chunk of the weekend sharing ideas, analyzing viewpoints, giving perspective on the other person, etc. Sooo yummy.

fall of the media lab

So, if you know me, you probably know that i was pretty much miserable at the Media Lab, for a *lot* of reasons. In fact, my experience in Boston made me a bitter and angry person and brought out some of the worst characteristics in my personality. I would love to just erase those two years from my history, but i’m still struggling with the consequences from the mistakes and anger induced.

While i made my own mistakes there, i have to say that it makes me with glee when many of my woes are validated. I hate to see others in misery, but i do love to remember that i wasn’t the only one who was disturbed by the culture there. Even better, i love when the media reminds me that that place was pretty messed up.

Wired: The Lab That Fell To Earth
Boston Globe: Reinventing the Media Lab

These reminders let me take a deep breath of San Franciscan air and remember why the world is just so much better with sun.

economically challenged

I am constantly amazed at how much i’ve been able to do with very little money. I’ve travelled so much, i attended two obnoxiously expensive universities (with the help of Uncle Sam), i live in San Francisco, i live a pretty swell life. When i want to get into a conference, i usually find a way to be a bit of a gofer and sneak my way in. When i want to travel, plotting often works to make things a reality. It’s been a sweet life – so much privilege.

Now… knock on wood… i need to figure out how to successfully plot my way into Eve’s weekend of Women and Power (asking her is so not the answer…). ::brain scratches::