This Week in Journalism

From Pictures for Sad Children

PLEASE Stop Rockin'

As a few of my friends already know, I use Shazam on my iPhone not necessarily to identify good songs, but usually to identify a shitty song that I hear while in a restaurant or store (some place I am forced to listen to top 40).

While at Pepperjax for a quick dinner with Beth, I heard another horrible song.

"God this song sucks. Who is this?"

Beth didn't know, so I pulled out my iPhone and started up Shazam, not expecting Shazam to identify the song over the din in the restaurant during our din din. I was amazed Shazam identified it. I was even more amazed that it was a collaboration between arguably the all-time worst top 40 band (REO Speedwagon) and a nearly equally awful band, Styx (with Journey, et al, it is hard to know if they are the two worst bands ever).

While calling up the song for more info, I found the bands are touring together this summer.

Ugh. I feel sick to my stomach. I hope I don't barf up my dinner...

How Tetris Blocks are Made

Mike Dibb

When I was at the Blue Mountain Center, I met Mike Dibb, a documentary filmmaker from the UK. Mike learned of an inmate named Donny Johnson at the Pelican State Prison. He was introduced to him by a friend of his, Steve Kurtz, and he has been corresponding with him for some time. Donny has been in solitary confinement for 20 years. In order to try and stay sane, Donny began to create tiny paintings. Since he isn't allowed paint or brushes, he has had to improvise and has made brushes from his own hair, and paints by extracting ink from pens and by dissolving the coatings on M&Ms and Skittles candies for color. He started mailing them to Mike after they started corresponding.

Here is another detail:





And this is the back of the card he painted it on.

Beth Thielen and BerkShares

This is Beth Thielen (left) with one of her projects. Beth is another artist and activist I met at the Blue Mountain Center. She told us about an experiment in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts where they are printing their own currency which they call BerkShares. Exchanging $100 gets you $105 BerkShare dollars.



Beth sent me an email this morning (with the image above) and the message, "What better way to participate in an experiment for an alternative economic future than to buy my morning coffee with BerkShares!"

I took a snapshot of some of the currency. The top two are the fronts of bills and the remainder are the backs:



From their website, this is an explanation of BerkShares:

"BerkShares are a local currency for the Berkshire region. Dubbed a "great economic experiment" by the New York Times, BerkShares are a tool for community empowerment, enabling merchants and consumers to plant the seeds for an alternative economic future for their communities. Launched in the fall of 2006, BerkShares had a robust initiation, with over one million BerkShares having been circulated in the first nine months and over two million to date. Currently, more than three hundred and sixty businesses have signed up to accept the currency. Five different banks have partnered with BerkShares, with a total of thirteen branch offices now serving as exchange stations. For BerkShares, this is only the beginning. Future plans could involve BerkShare checking accounts, electronic transfer of funds, ATM machines, and even a loan program to facilitate the creation of new, local businesses manufacturing more of the goods that are used locally."

Green Lawn

In addition to driving the original 2000 Honda Insight hybrid, which gets the best gas mileage of any car (sorry wonderful Prius), I also use an Earthwise electric lawn mower. This has been a great lawnmower, but I keep procrastinating on sharpening the blade. I finally ordered a new blade tonight so I could remove the original and take my sweet time sharpening it. Never hurts to have a spare blade, I suppose...

Hampton, NH

Beth ... on an excursion from Boston.



Diane



Maggie



Beth reflected in Maggie's sunglasses



Diane and Mike

Douglas Adams

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

-- Douglas Adams

Janice, a college friend, had this quote on her site... couldn't help passing it on

Fire

I miss hanging around the campfires at the Blue Mountain Center.

Susan Rosenberg

Susan kicked everyone's ass in ping pong. Everyone's.

Blue Mountain Center

I have been so caught up with other things (Apple training and traveling) that I haven't updated in a long while. About a month ago I was at the Blue Mountain Center. These are just a handful of images from BMC.



Eddie Martinez



Paul Rucker

Apple Store

Max and I visited the Apple Store while I was visiting him in New York.