http://dzignism.com/blog/ en-us Nucleus CMS v3.2 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://dzignism.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://dzignism.com/blog/ http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=135 Ligature Laboratories is officially launching its new blog this weekend called Dialogue.

Currently writing for with us some of you may know already: Jim Anderson, Brendan Griffiths, Michael Hersrud, Susie Neilsen and my co-founder Ksenya Samarskaya.

I will no longer be maintaining Thought, as I will be turning my energy to Dialogue and some other projects we are working on over at Ligature Laboratories.

I hope that you will all visit Dialogue and we hope to engage you in a fierce discussion on the current state of design.

Dialogue . www.ligaturelaboratories.net

]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=135 Sat, 06 May 2006 18:43:30 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=134
As part of a collective that I am co-founding called the Ligature Laboratories, we are starting a blog called Dialogue to pique, and stimulate interest in interdisciplinary, collaborative and holistic design practice.

Currently writing for with us some of you may know already. Jim Anderson, Brendan Griffiths, Michael Hersrud, Susie Neilsen and my co-founder Ksenya Samarskaya.

Our goal is to launch the first of the month. Please check back for the address and to engage in a dialogue about contemporary design practice beyond the corporatized pages of How, Print, CMYK and the like.

I look forward to conversing with all of you in the near future.

Cheers,
+kieran.]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=134 Tue, 18 Apr 2006 21:19:45 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=133
« In June 2003, the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit announced that Internet Explorer for Mac would undergo no further development, and support would cease in 2005. In accordance with published support lifecycle policies, Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31st, 2005, and is not providing any further security or performance updates.

Accordingly, as of January 31st, 2006, Internet Explorer for the Mac is no longer available for download from Microsoft. It is recommended that Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari. »

Now if they would only stop developing it for PC, everytime I get something working well in Firefox or Safari, the moment I open IE something is screwd up.

« Internet Explorer 5 for Mac »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=133 Tue, 11 Apr 2006 03:45:32 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=132
« The Bjork-Barney Enigma . via NY Times »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=132 Mon, 10 Apr 2006 06:35:35 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=131
« A Plan to Win . McDonald's New Prototype Takes a Holistic Approach »

I noticed this trend when I walked into the train station in Rome a couple months back. The McDonalds there looks like a B&B Italia store not a grease hole. No matter how beautiful a façade you build, it is still only a façade. I always appreciate business that appreciates good design, and I believe in the power of design to help business. Yet, in the case of McDonald's but most specifically with the sub-heading of the mentioned article, McDonald's is far from a holistic design practice.

If you consider a physical totality, sure McDonald's is dominating, but money cannot buy truth, and holistic design practice is about truth, and seeking something more in a world of empty form and empty ideas. Holistic? I don't think so.

McDonald's interiors emulate McDonald's ads, and essentially the whole world of commercial design. It is beautiful, sexy, you desire it, you want to live it, but in the end, you, me; we all become victims of empty form! But empty form translates to dollars, and McDonald's is just "Lovin' It!"]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=131 Thu, 06 Apr 2006 03:42:50 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=130
« Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows.(1) Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them. »

« Apple . Boot Campe »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=130 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:44:06 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=129
I am excited, I always manage to forget the directions, or forget the street something is on. No more!

« Google Local»

p.s. GOOGLE SCARES ME!]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=129 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:39:03 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=128
* Much smaller JavaScript download. The new Maps API JavaScript file is about half the size of the old JavaScript file, which should improve user experience on your web site.

* Two additional satellite zoom levels. Increased imagery resolution and coverage in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Japan, Europe, and almost every major city in the world.

* Overview map. Our new GOverviewMapControl control displays an attractive and collapsible map in the corner of the screen.

* Extensibility and a new GMap2 class. The GMap2 interface has been redesigned to allow API users to extend it. We now have documented ways of creating custom map controls, custom overlays, and even custom map types.

* Fewer memory leaks. The API now includes a GUnload method that you can call in the unload event of your page to destroy most circular references, including those formed implicitly during event registration. On Google Maps, this has virtually eliminated memory leaks in IE.

* Debugging log. A simple, floating debug window used internally by the Google Maps engineering team allows you to print debug information easily without blocking program execution or interfering with the UI. Just replace your alert() calls with GLog.write().

* Last but not least, a GLatLng class that is distinct from GPoint. You no longer need to reverse your latitude and longitude to construct a geographic point!


« Google Maps API v 2 »
]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=128 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:20:18 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=127
« The system will use a 500MHz processor from Advanced Micro Devices with 128MB of memory. It will use 512MB of flash memory and no hard drive, he said. The biggest remaining cost is the display.

The system will use a dual-mode display with a black-and-white, 1110-by-830-pixel mode in sunlight and a 640-by-480-pixel color mode otherwise. »

« Negroponte: Slimmer Linux needed for $100 laptop . via C|Net »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=127 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 07:10:09 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=126 Google Finance with minimal press, I stumbled upon it through a blog posting from another site and was instantly drawn to its simple interface and the breadth of information available. Detailed stock prices for the past three years, tucked nicely into an easy to use interface, company facts, market statistics, company information, related companies, and a list of mores resources. Of course this information may be culled from a number of sites around the internet, centralized or not, this information is by far readily accessible - whether it be this centralized or not.

Yet in-between quarterly profits and management Google slipped in three subtle tools to help in your financial planning, and may draw unwanted attention in the financial world to companies shady dealings in the globalized world. Recent news articles, and blog posts about the listed company and the ability to start a discussion. All three of these went unnoticed the first time I visited the site, yet something caught my eye this time around.

« India: Police Investigate Death of Coca-Cola Bottling Plant Opponent »

Two years ago I heard of a world-wide boycott - that never quite caught on - of Coke products caused by the disappearance of over 500 union organizers at Coke plants in Columbia in two years - of course Coke has an anti-union policy in place in their plants. I never was a Coke fan, their advertisements are garbage - sorry Wieden + Kennedy - I do not much care for the taste, and I could really pass on purchasing from a company that is remotely connected to killing anyone.

What prompted this look into Coke's stock was that Erin - my girlfriend - owns a couple of shares of Pepsi and had no idea how much they were worth, so I decided to take a look. Prompted by my own curiosity, that the Pepsi brand for the first time in history surpassed Coke in market value a couple of months back, I wanted to know how they compared. Pepsi is still on top. Coke is struggling and despite their new full scale advertising campaign to promote declining interest in the Coke brand, their stock price is still stale.

I a cyclical way this brings me back Google, and socially responsible investment choices. Potential investors now have at their fingertips not only the tools to asses potential growth, but more importantly more tools to asses liability. News is great at informing us of mergers, and scandal, and bloggers have an amazing knack for uncovering the shady details in the paper trails of corporate trash.

Once again Google creates a simple tool that changes how we deal in information and once again, Google scares me, but at least I am informed in my fear - I Googled it!

« Addendum . An interesting note to a recent Coke Ad »]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=126 Wed, 05 Apr 2006 06:35:29 -0400 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=125
In Maisel's recent project, The Library of Dust, he continues to investigate a zone bordered by aesthetics and ethics, though by considering wholly different subject matter on a completely different scale. The Library of Dust depicts individual copper canisters, each containing the cremated remains of a patient from a state psychiatric hospital. The Library of Dust was featured in the Beijing Off-Biennial, Fall 2005. »

« The Photography of David Maisel »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=125 Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:20:36 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=124
And this is one reason that ugly websites can sell. The lack of professionalism and a polished look leads one to believe that they are dealing with an individual. Websites cannot be trusted, but individuals can be trusted. »

« The Surprising Truth About Uguly Websites]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=124 Thu, 30 Mar 2006 03:16:26 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=123
I'm told I have autism, some say I have Asperger's syndrome (it's very similar). Maybe it is the reason I have been drawing since the age of 5 and I have always been fascinated by big cities and aeroplanes.

In 1984, I started to be interested by the conception of an imaginary city called Urville. The name came from "Dumont d'Urville", a scientific base, in a French territory of the Antarctic. Since then, I made many (200) drawings of Urville, and I wrote a historical, geographical, cultural and economic description. I also have a book project, called "Urville Sightseeing Tour" that I'd love to publish. My greatest pleasure is to be invited to give a lecture on Urville because I can make it exist! »

» Urville »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=123 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:29:00 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=122
« AT&T Information Visulaization »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=122 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 06:52:06 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=121
You don’t even have to be able to draw a straight line — the computer does everything for you.

You can work from home, set your own hours, and have every job be different and challenging.

'I make a six-figure income even raising three children at home!'

Read this letter and see if this career suits you, too. If it does, we might even give you your first job… »

This cracks me up! I am going to try and get a job with them!

« Make $100,000 a year! . via Design Observer »
]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=121 Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:00:24 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=119
For all who don't know Serato allows you to play mp3 direct to your turntables using time coded records to tack the song. No need to cary around vinyl when you can load all of your music to your external drive.

« Demo Video . Rane Specs »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=119 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:04:18 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=118
« This design is a visual interpretation of one aspect from my current study about Acoustical Privacy: the iPod as a potential indicator for "non-communication". Through a playful approach the sticker either strengthens the wish for privacy but also offers the opportunity to break up the silence with the direct demand for conversation. »
-Marco Siebertz

« Do Not Disturb »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=118 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:59:45 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=117
« Google Mars »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=117 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 08:32:22 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=116
Are you kidding me! For two dollars you can mail a typed letter. Maybe it is just me, but I have a printer, and "a pulse" so I am able to walk to the mailbox. The print is faux-cursive is my favorite. Can't write, no worries, we can fake it for you.

Funny!

« Stenographr »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=116 Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:33:05 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=115 ]]> thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=115 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 06:44:38 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=114
Live in Denmark? Book a Muslim.

« Book A Muslim . via Guerrilla Innovation » ]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=114 Tue, 14 Mar 2006 22:59:58 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=113
« James Victoire for Apple »

]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=113 Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:59:25 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=112 -Germaine Greer

« It's bad design, not good design, that makes an impression . via The Guardian »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=112 Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:19:54 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=111
]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=111 Mon, 13 Mar 2006 03:39:26 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=110
« Supergirl Craze Breeds "Unisex" . via China Daily News »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=110 Sun, 12 Mar 2006 04:30:22 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=109
« Car Type »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=109 Sat, 11 Mar 2006 03:30:25 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=108 ]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=108 Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:59:54 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=107
Bruce Mau has been heralded as one of the innovative design thinkers of our time, embracing a cross disciplinary approach to design unheard of in most agency's. The breadth of projects picked up by Bruce Mau Design range from book layout and design to an urban park in Toronto. His book Life Style is a must have for the fashion victims of design literature - myself included. Yet, over two years after the Seattle Public Library opened its doors, the Seattle Public Library lacks way-finding signage that not only works, but rhymes with the beautiful building that hold them.Just after the library opened its doors two years ago, some friends and I made a visit. The building was unbelievable, this was a library. Not only was the building an interesting form, the systems in place for the stacks were both flexible and very user friendly. Bold numbers lined the floor, rested in a groove able to be picked up at any moment to shift with the group of books they coincided with. All rooms nicely identified, put in place by their system of identification, the only problem being how to find the room they are identifying.

With new forms in architecture come new ways of moving through space. The Seattle Public Library is not set in defined floors in the conventional sense - a floor spanning roughly the footprint of the building, but amalgamated and fractured, the books contained within their own artifice that must be accessed apart from the outer portions of the library, needless to say, to is hard to find what you need. In a building of this beauty and this magnitude nothing but signage from an international superstar will do. Right?

Unfortunately in this case wrong. The wayfinding system does not take into account people and their lack of understanding of esoteric design language. I was horrified when I first went to the library to find neon paper signs taped to the walls, today there are letter sized sheets of paper taped to the windows for machine room access and their unstable way-finding counterparts continuously replaced as the rip and fall from their temporary perches, waiting for solidification. This is blasphemy to modern architecture, and a slap in the face to the supposed holistic practice of Mr. Bruce Mau. The question is where did he go wrong?

There seems to be some fundamental lapse in the necessities of way-finding, a bureaucratic faux-pas, possible, but a reputation of Mau's caliber does not come without considerable influence on the usage of his work. There plainly seems to exist a gap in reasoning and were it not for the reputation of Mau I would think nothing of it, another hopeless victim of bad design, but this is really bothersome.

In the end we are unfortunately left with loose leaf paper and a new map that screams, cheap in town designer lack of vision and a disconnection from the soul of the building. The thing that really gets me about this is why they even had to hire someone else. Design should be a holistic approach to problem solving, to account for everything that you could need. Somewhere Bruce Mau Design fell short, and that I find very interesting for an authority on holistic design practice.

In the end I find this not to be about signage and design, but about the rock star culture of design itself. Perched right next to ego and monogram are designers without reputation who could have done a much better job. But high profile project attract high profile designers. You know the people I speak of, Mau, Carson, Sagmeister. Their names get them a long way, and rightfully, they worked hard, and in at one time made invaluable contributions to the field of design. But in the end, I relegate the rock stars to the pages of US weekly, hot shit this week, we will hear about them in the future, intrigued by fame, semi-jealous, but in the end I don't care who you are as long as long as your design fulfills its function - and in this case, it did not.]]> Reviews http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=107 Sat, 04 Mar 2006 23:54:59 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=106
« Urine Battery Turns Pee Into Power . via National Geographic News «]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=106 Fri, 03 Mar 2006 05:23:29 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=105
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


March 1, 2006

Video Shows Bush Was Warned Before Katrina
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP)—In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."The footage—along with seven days of transcripts of briefings obtained by The Associated Press—show in excruciating detail that while federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, they were fatally slow to realize they had not mustered enough resources to deal with the unprecedented disaster.

Linked by secure video, Bush's confidence on Aug. 28 starkly contrasts with the dire warnings his disaster chief and a cacophony of federal, state and local officials provided during the four days before the storm.

A top hurricane expert voiced "grave concerns" about the levees and then-Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown told the president and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that he feared there weren't enough disaster teams to help evacuees at the Superdome.

"I'm concerned about ... their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe," Brown told his bosses the afternoon before Katrina made landfall.

Some of the footage and transcripts from briefings Aug. 25-31 conflicts with the defenses that federal, state and local officials have made in trying to deflect blame and minimize the political fallout from the failed Katrina response:

—Homeland Security officials have said the "fog of war" blinded them early on to the magnitude of the disaster. But the video and transcripts show federal and local officials discussed threats clearly, reviewed long-made plans and understood Katrina would wreak devastation of historic proportions. "I'm sure it will be the top 10 or 15 when all is said and done," National Hurricane Center's Max Mayfield warned the day Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast.

"I don't buy the `fog of war' defense," Brown told the AP in an interview Wednesday. "It was a fog of bureaucracy."

—Bush declared four days after the storm, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees" that gushed deadly flood waters into New Orleans. But the transcripts and video show there was plenty of talk about that possibility—and Bush was worried too.

White House deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Brown discussed fears of a levee breach the day the storm hit.

"I talked to the president twice today, once in Crawford and then again on Air Force One," Brown said. "He's obviously watching the television a lot, and he had some questions about the Dome, he's asking questions about reports of breaches."

—Louisiana officials angrily blamed the federal government for not being prepared but the transcripts shows they were still praising FEMA as the storm roared toward the Gulf Coast and even two days afterward. "I think a lot of the planning FEMA has done with us the past year has really paid off," Col. Jeff Smith, Louisiana's emergency preparedness deputy director, said during the Aug. 28 briefing.

It wasn't long before Smith and other state officials sounded overwhelmed.

"We appreciate everything that you all are doing for us, and all I would ask is that you realize that what's going on and the sense of urgency needs to be ratcheted up," Smith said Aug. 30.

Mississippi begged for more attention in that same briefing.

"We know that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana that need to be rescued, but we would just ask you, we desperately need to get our share of assets because we'll have people dying—not because of water coming up, but because we can't get them medical treatment in our affected counties," said a Mississippi state official whose name was not mentioned on the tape.

Video footage of the Aug. 28 briefing, the final one before Katrina struck, showed an intense Brown voicing concerns from the government's disaster operation center and imploring colleagues to do whatever was necessary to help victims.

"We're going to need everything that we can possibly muster, not only in this state and in the region, but the nation, to respond to this event," Brown warned. He called the storm "a bad one, a big one" and implored federal agencies to cut through red tape to help people, bending rules if necessary.

"Go ahead and do it," Brown said. "I'll figure out some way to justify it. ... Just let them yell at me."

Bush appeared from a narrow, windowless room at his vacation ranch in Texas, with his elbows on a table. Hagin was sitting alongside him. Neither asked questions in the Aug. 28 briefing.

"I want to assure the folks at the state level that we are fully prepared to not only help you during the storm, but we will move in whatever resources and assets we have at our disposal after the storm," the president said.

A relaxed Chertoff, sporting a polo shirt, weighed in from Washington at Homeland Security's operations center. He would later fly to Atlanta, outside of Katrina's reach, for a bird flu event.

One snippet captures a missed opportunity on Aug. 28 for the government to have dispatched active-duty military troops to the region to augment the National Guard.

Chertoff: "Are there any DOD assets that might be available? Have we reached out to them?"

Brown: "We have DOD assets over here at EOC (emergency operations center). They are fully engaged. And we are having those discussions with them now."

Chertoff: "Good job."

In fact, active duty troops weren't dispatched until days after the storm. And many states' National Guards had yet to be deployed to the region despite offers of assistance, and it took days before the Pentagon deployed active-duty personnel to help overwhelmed Guardsmen.

The National Hurricane Center's Mayfield told the final briefing before Katrina struck that storm models predicted minimal flooding inside New Orleans during the hurricane but he expressed concerns that counterclockwise winds and storm surges afterward could cause the levees at Lake Pontchartrain to be overrun.

"I don't think any model can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not but that is obviously a very, very grave concern," Mayfield told the briefing.

Other officials expressed concerns about the large number of New Orleans residents who had not evacuated.

"They're not taking patients out of hospitals, taking prisoners out of prisons and they're leaving hotels open in downtown New Orleans. So I'm very concerned about that," Brown said.

Despite the concerns, it ultimately took days for search and rescue teams to reach some hospitals and nursing homes.

Brown also told colleagues one of his top concerns was whether evacuees who went to the New Orleans Superdome—which became a symbol of the failed Katrina response—would be safe and have adequate medical care.

"The Superdome is about 12 feet below sea level.... I don't know whether the roof is designed to stand, withstand a Category Five hurricane," he said.

Brown also wanted to know whether there were enough federal medical teams in place to treat evacuees and the dead in the Superdome.

"Not to be (missing) kind of gross here," Brown interjected, "but I'm concerned" about the medical and mortuary resources "and their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe."]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=105 Thu, 02 Mar 2006 02:22:03 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=104
« Pre-Katrina Briefing Video . via iFilm »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=104 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:07:49 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=103 ]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=103 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:26:56 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=102


]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=102 Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:52:30 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=101
« Syrup Helsinki »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=101 Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:54:15 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=100
"When we were young and naïve, we thought we could transform society by providing a better, more designed environment. Naturally, we found that this was not possible. Now, we think more realistically: we see a choice between good design and poor or nondesign. Every society gets the design it deserves. It is our duty to develop a professional attitude in raising the standard of design."
-Massimo Vignelli

An interesting pair to look at.

« Massimo and Lella Vignelli . via AIGA + Vignelli Associates »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=100 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:31:14 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=99
“Five more minutes, just let me finish one more thing.”

“Well I know that is what I said two hours ago but I just can’t stop.”

It’s an art it’s an obsession.

A film, a DVD, a Website, graphics, it doesn’t matter, the need to create flows through me like an addiction.

It’s a vicious cycle, one project stops, another begins-and if I am really lucky, not just one project but two or three all at the same time.

My eyes cannot get enough. To create, to bring into this world something new, something beautiful, something useful, is the bringer of fulfillment to my life.

The idea that runs from concept to a visual piece seems like magic to me. This visual, sonic world is my life, it is my passion, without it I cannot begin to fathom who I would be.]]> theory http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=99 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 16:00:02 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=98 -BBC News

I cannot believe it, even more works of art have gone missing. There are still two Munch paintings missing from a museum in Norway. Unfortunately, they will end up in the hands of some greedy bastard who wants them for themselves.

« Read the Full Story . Monet Stolen Under Carnival Cover. via BBC News »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=98 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 05:18:03 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=97
« MetroLabs PHP Dynamic Flash Detection Zip File »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=97 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 05:02:14 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=96
IBRAHIM ISMAIL ZAIDEN, a postman in Baghdad, Iraq.

I posted this quotation a few days ago and for some reason today I just keep coming back to it. There is a truth to the sacred moments that we enjoy when opening a letter, that sense of anticipation when opening the mail box that just once we might remove a letter, or a post card rather than a bill. This is an unfortunate loss in a digital world, the sacred becomes the ephemeral.
]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=96 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 06:26:04 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=95
I pulled this from the About Us section from their site.

« Founded in February 2005, by early commerce pioneers of PayPal, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. Prior to YouTube, there was no easy way for individuals to share video on the Web. Dealing with hundreds of multimedia formats, massive file sizes and difficult uploading methods made sharing personal video clips on the Web a daunting task for even the most tech savvy individual.

With its revolutionary technology, YouTube has given people the ability to easily, upload, tag and share video clips through youtube.com, across the Internet and through email as well as to create their own personal video network. With over 6 million videos served up daily, hundreds of thousands of active members, and investment support from Sequoia Capital, YouTube is set to become the Internet's premier video service. »

« YouTube »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=95 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:53:31 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=94
« Balvo »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=94 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:47:46 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=93


]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=93 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:33:41 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=92


]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=92 Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:27:01 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=91
« French AIDS PSA . From Erin, because she is cooler than me! »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=91 Thu, 23 Feb 2006 02:47:27 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=90
Did someone say corporate exploitation? It is quite ingenious if you think of it in 'we are a big corporation who does not give a fuck about you sort of way'. Take a free service that almost everyone has, and start charging for it.

The Yahoo!/AOL approach seems quite contrary to the Google method of noninvasive advertising, pays the bills while keeping the services free. The problem with the Yahoo!/AOL scheme is its long-term repercussions for the internet as a service where the majority of content is free. This decision to generate income on a short term basis could in fact open the door for others to follow in ways that are far less benign than this little scheme seems.

« AOL pretends nothing would change for senders who don't pay, but that's not reality. The moment AOL switches to a world where giant emailers pay for preferential treatment, AOL faces this internal choice: spend money to keep spam filters up-to-date so legitimate email isn't identified as spam, or make money by neglecting their spam filters and pushing more senders to pay for guaranteed delivery. Which do you think they'll choose? »

-MoveOn.org . Stop AOL's Email Scheme . Mailing List Email 02.22.2005

« The Net is a Post Office . Yahoo/AOL Will Hurt Free Speech . via BoingBoing »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=90 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:00:49 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=89
IBRAHIM ISMAIL ZAIDEN, a postman in Baghdad, Iraq.

« via NY Times »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=89 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 11:24:21 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=88


]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=88 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 03:14:48 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=87
« Don't let what really happened get in the way of the truth. »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=87 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:32:16 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=86 inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=86 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 22:09:57 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=85
« First of all, water is water is water, second, tap water in the developed world is not only cleaner than bottled water, but it has fluoride, which most bottled water does not. »
- Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, New York University

« Must be Something in the Water . via NY Times »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=85 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:30:07 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84
« Aalto's Voice . via Iittala »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=84 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:58:58 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=83
« Another Look At The New CNNI . via kottke.org »]]> pilferings http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=83 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 03:30:55 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=82
PHPFlashMyAdmin is like the free phpMyAdmin suite available through most web hosts, or for free download, yet it is flash based. Since there is no page submitting and loading involved, PHPFlashMyAdmin acts more like a local software UI instead of a web page. Very easy to use, requires one variable change to get started and your MySQL server and user info. It costs, but a meager $5 that was well worth the wasted log in time.

« PHPFlashMyAdmin »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=82 Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:03:23 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=81
This practice has lost the sense of holistic creative practice. I need an illustration I will draw one. I need a photo I will shoot one. This commercialism voids the potential to develop a wholistic vision what design can become for a templative practice, vision replaced with the desire to speak the language of business, not to speak the language of the soul, to connect with people in a way that truly moves them. Pick up any issue of Com Arts, Print, CMYK, or pretty much and design magazine, these award winning designs are sexy, they look slick, everyone wants a piece of EMPTY FORM - design without content. In our throw away culture it is all hot air, ends up in the trash and maybe you got one more customer, but that customer does not give a shit about a print that is sexy without saying anything or a website that has no function other than to look cool - mindless entertainment only gets you so far. As the movie studios have learned like a blow to the head, people are not as stupid as you assume they are.

This concept of design is a wholly modernist approach to design. As Keedy said "Modernism is good for business, but bad for people." He is saying that the dynamic, chaotic nature of humanity is at odds with a regimented system of grids, emotionless sans type and a corporate conception of homogeny. This is not to insult creative practitioners working in the modernist theory of practice, as they were most likely educated in the fall out of modernism and the International Typographic Style, and their work can often be crafted with such quality and concept that it will stand the test of time. Look at the London Underground map, the only update in the past 100 years have been new lines and possibly a few shifts in layout. Modernism is functionalism, yet it lacks a humanity in its cold, clean, sterile approach to form, and to an extent concept. Look at people like Rand, and Le Corbusier, beautiful forms, yet for cold and formidable. Then look at people like Aalto, taking the beautiful forms of modernism and using woods, and slightly more organic forms to create comfort and approachability.

Design is undergoing a profound change that we are just now beginning to witness, and I believe will have the most profound impact on the state of design since the post-modernism and the "Clut of the Ugly." Design programs are beginning to diversify and a select number of educators are beginning to posit design as a practice suspended between communication design and fine art. An interdisciplinary investigation into the what design can be, not just relegated to the practiced definition of modernist design, but design as a living entity, absorbing sociology, psychology, architecture, the occult, urban planning, and fun. We begin to envision design breaking boundaries that modernism imposed on us with grids and style guides.

We are in our beginnings, a bit rusty in our style, but design practice is transforming, and so need the business of design. While there is an unfortunate relationship between the design and business, it is time that we stop hiring MBA's as art directors, stop speaking the language of business, stop killing the creativity of our field in florescent factories. And most importantly it is time for designers to educate themselves about business while not becoming businessmen, time to educate ourselves on more than just the latest visual trends and puns, and apply smart, thought provoking solutions to a relatively boring state in design. Empty form, glossed over by a glossy photo and some sexy type. This is not all about about empty form but combining intelligent concepts and concerns and transforming them into design that has the power to move people and stand the test of time.]]> theory http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=81 Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:56:32 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=80
« Touch Screens »]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=80 Mon, 13 Feb 2006 17:38:53 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=79
BLOG UPDATES TO FOLLOW, I AM GETTING INTERNET NEXT WEEK!]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=79 Tue, 07 Feb 2006 23:59:32 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=78
I blink once more and my mind remains at a loss. Where health was once a concern, survival has taken precedent. Once I drift to sleep, I emerge wasted from an excess of worry. Piles form amongst my feet and spill into mountains of this is my life and nothing more. I forgot the meaning of relax. I spend a florescent five days in a rectangle of commerce. To pass the threshold does not guarantee freedom from the lines of production, but to enter into a system of yet more expectations. I laugh and love, but I pause to question.

Phosphorous ignites in front of my eyes, synapses click and what was once, is twice, and once again. A paradox, that is what I see. Free but never quite free. How I forgot to relax. Never time between this and that, and always something between that and this. At one second I stop, but move forward. I have to, I am in a system of perpetual motion, a super-fluid—once started, it never stops. To stop is to die!

I forgot something. When I look behind me, there is a shadow. Something of myself absent in light of what I have become. For what I have accomplished means nothing now, at this moment because it is mine and mine alone. Stefan Sagmeister once said that a design is never completed until it is published and into the world. It is not complete until shared by others. My life is a design. I will never be complete as long as I remain alien to those around me. For this is my catharsis, I must be strong among the crowd, not cave and fold into how I really feel. I have become weak with the pains of loneliness and sleep depravation. I have forgotten not only others but myself. The one that I don’t forget, the other half of what I have become, dissipates into a new. To share into a new design; what will it become?

The moments pass and I am . . . I forgot. At once I forgot to relax. I am sick, never finding time to become whole. I forget a lot, to smile, to laugh, to breath. Inhale. One, two . . .
]]> thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=78 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:13:04 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=77
I have cultivated a way of life, a way of thinking with the inevitable consequence of over analysis and self introspection. Simplicity, leads to chaos. The more you take away, the closer you reach into simplicity, the more complex it gets. I once asked my friend Michael if he understood what I meant when I said ‘Design, is really very simple’ which he immediately said yes, but like myself could not explain why, and what that truly meant. Later I cam across a Paul Rand quotation, “Design is so simple, that is what makes it so complex.” A paradox. While not completely unsolvable, its implications confuse.

Within it soul, beyond form, design is about vision. How do you perceive and interpret the world. I once wrote that ‘we’ humans, are a fanciful amalgamation of proposed utopias. You vision is your utopia, my utopia is the representation of simple. The Zen manifestation in design, whereby design if form and/or function transcend the objective and take on deeper meanings. While this is directed at objective design, how do me manifest the ideology, and psychology of design in our space?]]> theory http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=77 Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:08:47 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=76 -Robert M. Pirsig, Lila]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=76 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:24:11 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=75 thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=75 Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:16:09 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=74
I found this job posing on Jobdango earlier. The description above was taken directly from the job description. Nothing like a good days work "to alter the behavior of foreign populations in a manner consistent with United States diplomatic, national security and foreign policy objectives." Does anyone else find this the slightest bit disconcerting. Although I guess this is pretty much the PSYOPS version of W+K.

< Psychological Operations Specialist . via Jobdango >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=74 Sat, 14 Jan 2006 03:10:16 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=73
It is about time that government takes the initiative to provide health care to those who truly cannot afford to get the care that they need. What I find very intelligent about this plan is that you can opt to upgrade coverage, I can only imagine at a cost much less to what you are paying now because a portion of the coverage is subsidized.

If nothing else this gets the debate on access to health care rolling, hopefully it will appease its opponents, you know there will be some asshole out there that does not think that the government should cover everyone.

< Read . Dr. Kitzhaber's Strong Medicine . via The Oregonian >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=73 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:46:10 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=72
What is interesting is how hard Wal-Mart fought this bill, hiring four lobying firms. They claim that they are all for equal access to health care, yet don't think that state imposed minimums are the way to go. But of the other three employers with more than 10,000 employees in Maryland, each company already contributes more than than the 8%. Everybody already knows that Wal-Mart is the apitomy of heartless capitalism and weild tremendous power and influence through their tremendous ammount of capital they control. It is about time that govermnents start to check that power, and from the sound of it, other states are following suit.

< Read . Maryland Sets a Health Cost for Wal-Mart . via NY Times >]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=72 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:29:51 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=71

Those of you who know me, know that I am not religious, and am very critical of organized religion. I do though believe in being spiritual, and that we all have the right to think and believe what we like regardless of whether or not I, or the rest of the world agree with you. A few months back I was driving down I-5 on my way to Eugene, and just outside of Salem I noticed a large cross standing next to a church with cell phone antennas on top. To be quite blunt I thought this was pretty fucked up.

In a time where Christianity is questioning the moral fiber of our country, and preaching of our moral decay, I find a certain irony in the fact that churches become the supporters of capitalism and industry. Is nothing sacred? In a time of ever amassing corporations, I guess it is not too difficult to fathom the Cingular Church of God, or Our Sacred Church of Ford. Yet in the debate on morality, capitalism and the acquisition of goods is never questioned as a precursor of our corruption; the wrath still falls on homosexuals, heathens, and violent video games among other things.

The big picture is never taken into consideration. In a world where the church claims the pinnacle of morality, it discredits itself even further to critics like myself when you throw a cell phone antenna on top of your cross.]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=71 Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:06:54 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=70
That may mean nothing to the average person, but techies will no doubt catch the accidental reference to Intel's 8086, the 1978 processor that spawned the x86 architecture that PC users are so familiar with.

Now, it's pretty unlikely that Wall Street was able to manipulate Apple's share price, given the thousands upon thousands of people who no doubt bought and sold the stock Tuesday. But it's little coincidences like this that make technies and geeks sit up and take notice. Or at least I and the friend who pointed this out to me did. »

< Apple's share price an in-joke for Intelites . via CNet News >

< New Apple MacBook Pro >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=70 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:48:26 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=69
< Vatican Astronomer: Intelligent Design is Not Science . via Live Science >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=69 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:38:57 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=68
< Printable Skin: 'Inkjet' Breakthrough Makes Human Tissuee . via Live Science >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=68 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:35:36 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=67
Oregon State University
LaSells Stewart Center, C & E Auditorium
7pm

« Elliott Earls is a highly respected graphic designer and performance artist. His work melds traditional graphic design with stagecraft—incorporating traditional media (including painting, sculpture, and photography) with digital video, spoken word poetry, and music composition—resulting in delightfully curious, historically rooted, unprecedented art. He is the founder of the Apollo Program, whose commercial clients include Elektra Entertainment, Nonesuch Records, Elemond Casabella (Italy), The Cartoon Network (UK), Imaginary Forces, PolyGram Classics and Jazz, and Janus Films. In May of 2002, Earls, in association with Émigré, released Catfish, a 55 minute film on DVD that traces his work from the lab to the stage in a highly manipulated digital film incorporating animation, stop motion photography, drawing, typography and live action. »

< Elliot Earls Information >]]> happenings http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=67 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:22:45 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=66
< Design Boom Interviews >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=66 Tue, 10 Jan 2006 02:18:46 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=65
< Mylo >]]> Reviews http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=65 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:48:19 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=64
« Taking extreme measures to quench their fan's thirst for only the newest and hottest sounds coming out of London, India, the Middle New York, British Columbia and points undisclosed in search of the newest gems to shake the bass bins and rock the dance floor. »

I went to one of their shows a year or so ago, it was amazing. I kick myself everytime I miss it, I never seem to be able to make it; but I am going on Saturday!

< ATLAS Show Info . via NWTekno.com >]]> happenings http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=64 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:14:16 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=63 thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=63 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:15:05 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=62 thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=62 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:13:14 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=61 thought http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=61 Mon, 09 Jan 2006 15:07:26 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=60
< Pete Tong: Apple's Gone Wrong? . via Wired News >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=60 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 19:48:36 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=59 > ABSTRACT <<

While at the airport the other day I picked up the latest Newsweek. It is a special edition that they have been running for the past few years entitled Issues 2006. This years main issue is 'The Knowledge Revolution . Why Victory Will Go to the Smartest Nations & Companies,' with contributions from Thomas Freidman, Tony Blair, Bill Gates and Tim Berners-Lee, among others.

The Knowledge Economy seems to be the focus of this year. I put together the key ideas and some of my thoughts on what is going on with the Knowledge Economy. This is part one of three postings. The Knowledge Revolution, The New (but not so new) Knowledge Class, Design in the Knowledge Class.


The Knowledge Revolution (29.12.2005 Budapest)

While at the airport the other day I picked up the latest Newsweek. It is a special edition that they have been running for the past few years entitled Issues 2006. This years main issue is 'The Knowledge Revolution . Why Victory Will Go to the Smartest Nations & Companies,' with contributions from Thomas Freidman, Tony Blair, Bill Gates and Tim Berners-Lee, among others.

This year the focus seems to be on the Knowledge Economy and the evolution of the world marked away from manufacturing and towards knowledge based industries-for example IT, engineering, design, strategic planning. In the economy of the future, blue collar workers have a lot to loose. The world is evolving beyond the necessity to employ a physical workforce in manufacturing, capital is now fluid enough to move seamlessly to anywhere it can operate cheapest, and unskilled workers far exceed jobs in many economies.

The workforce of the future may consist of robots that replace their human counterparts in low level manual labor markets, this only exacerbates the situation. In Japan they already have robots to clean parking lots, and at this years Aichi World Exposition visitors were greeted by robots such as Sony's QRIO (pronounced "curio") and Honda's ASIMO, able to understand multiple languages, give directions, all in android form. These are relatively minor markets, but take for example Issey Myaki's APOC (A Piece of Clothing) process. Using a digital Jacquard loom, a design input into the computer is output as a piece of clothing (APOC) literally. After cutting the piece from the full sheet of cloth, and flipped inside you have a piece of clothing that is ready to wear; no seamstress, not even a sewing machine. This process has the potential to revolutionize the way in which clothing is manufactured, from tedious manual labor, to designers prototyping and maybe two loom worker to replace every hundred seamstresses. These are real examples in which industries are changing, in the not to distant future many jobs in unskilled labor may be replaced by robots and machines that are capable of doing these jobs with higher efficiencies raising profit margins; it is already happening just look at the auto industry.

But what happens to all of the displaced workers, not only because of new technology in manufacturing, but also through outsourcing. A study conducted by the Alliance Capital Management in New York, found that in the 20 major world economies, 22 million manufacturing jobs were lost between 1995 and 2002. Surprisingly the US did not even loose the most jobs, at 11 percent, Japan lost 16 percent, and Brazil lost 20 percent. Even more surprising is that China lost 15 percent.

"What is going on? In two words: higher productivity. Factories are becoming more effiecent, with new equipment and technology, and in nations like China, market reforms are replacing old state-run plans with modern ones. As a result, even as China produces more manufactured goods than ever before, millions of factory workers have been laid off." < 2 >

But workers are not the only ones who have something to loose in the new 'Knowledge Economy'. Companies who refuse to innovate and evolve with society and the economy will slowly but surly go under. Not only are the days long gone where corporate control is completely unchecked-this is somewhat debatable-there is a outstanding distrust in society and popular culture of powerful multi-nationals. Look at McDonald's in Sweeden. When they launched their franchise on the same fatty, nastiness that they deliver to the rest of the world, the Swede's were not having any part of. The consumers demanded healthy non-GMO foods. With the option of change or fail, McDonald's choose to change for their livelihood. It introduced meat, dairy, and produce from local farmers, making their food healthier-think Burgerville if you are from the Northwest-thier evolution in the market allowed their success-this is unfortunate but that is beyond the point.

Beyond the antics, our economies, societies, and livelihoods are in a constant state of flux. The security imagined-I say imagined because of its intangibility-twenty years ago does not exist today. The fluidity of capital and the rapid dissemination of technology allow for companies to move about the world wherever is cheapest, with only the bottom line in sight. Beyond jobs being lost at home, the whole superstructure in which societies around the world are founded have their foundations eroding away exponentially. Who would have thought that China is loosing manufacturing jobs? In the new Knowledge Economy, or whatever you want to call it, education, and critical and creative thinking are essential. But as in any case these are for those afforded the opportunity to step foot in the door of Knowledge class. Even though China and India are graduating record numbers of engineers, it is estimated that only twenty percent are ready to compete in the global marketplace. So what happens to those left behind, those without educations or under-educations, whom in a different age may have been able to support themselves and their families in blue collar industries. We know that the US has not invested in their educations, or the educations of anyone for that matter.

When I hear of the disappearing middle class I don't just think of outsourcing, and the divide between rich and poor, but I think about jobs that are truly disappearing, they are replaced by nothing more than robots and higher productivity. In the new knowledge economy, we create new superstructures to carry our information at the speed of light, build humanoid robots and decode the human genome. To steal a quotation from the Massive Change exhibition a collaboration between Bruce Mau's studio and the Institute Without Boundaries, "Now that we can do anything, what are we going to do?" With at least 22 million people left behind in the last ten years, I think that we should start with them.




Sources
< 1 > The Economist. Better Than People. Issue December 24th 2005 - January 6th 2006. Page 90.

< 2 > Newsweek. The New Rich-Rich Gap. Robert B. Reich. Special Edition Issues 2006 December 2005 - February 2006. Page 44.
]]> theory http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=59 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:56:07 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=58
The Lockheed engineer computed a formula used in the satellite thrusters in Standard Measurements instead of Metric. Maybe this is an assumption, but I thought that when you were working scientifically, you always did everything in metric--you know the system that 90% of the world uses-but I am sure that is just an assumption.

I keep thinking about this because over the past couple of weeks I have had to work completely in Metric, millimeters, centimeters, meters, centigrade. It takes a little getting used to, but when I say a little, I mean a little. I cannot guess-ta-mate in metric very well, nor con I really tell the temperature, but give me two more weeks or so at it, and I think that I would be able to get by. It all just seems much more logical, everything divisible by ten. What no fractions! Who can really complain about that.

Well of course there is someone that can complain about that. There is always someone to complain about something. While trying to locate an article of the Mars Climate Orbiter-which I did not remember its name-I came across a number of articles and websites dedicated to "Why the Metric System is Wrong."

If it is wrong, why does it feel so right . . .


< Read . Navigation Team Was Unfamiliar with Mars Climate Orbiter >
]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=58 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:49:45 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=57
- Osama Bin Laden's Niece

Found this story on BBC News the other day, although the link is not working anymore. Osama Bin Laden's niece is interested in an acting career in the US. She is currently living in New York and says that she does not have anything to do with her estranged uncle. I take it the family is not too happy with this one.

< via BBC News >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=57 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:41:23 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=56 inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=56 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:28:48 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=55
< Basis for Spying in U.S. Is Doubted . via NY Times >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=55 Sun, 08 Jan 2006 02:25:48 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=54
< Smelly 'Corpse Plant' Drawing Crowds . via News Review >
< wikipedia:Corpse Plant >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=54 Sat, 07 Jan 2006 23:13:11 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=53
I wish that I could find the article now, but a few days ago I read an article in the NY Times on this same subject. It was talking about the horrible state of the US Patent Office and that there 90 percent approval rate is way too high, and the approval of patent covering broad concepts is hampering innovation in a number of countries.

« The nationwide network for BlackBerry, a high-tech portable e-mail gadget, may go dark as the result of a lawsuit. Madeleine Brand talks to Slate legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about the details of a judgment in a recent patent lawsuit filed against the makers of the BlackBerry, and what it could mean for users. »

< Listen . BlackBerry Net to Go Dark? . via NPR >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=53 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:29:29 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=52
< Listen to the full strory . via NPR >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=52 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:14:49 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=51
< Assimil . A Gift in any Language . via NPR >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=51 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:10:05 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=50
< Make Stewie Talk! >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=50 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:02:37 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=49
< IKEA >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=49 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:57:07 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=48
« But Democrats and some Republican senators said the law did not provide enough civil liberty safeguards. » < BBC News >

< Read . Senate Reaches Patriot Act Deal . via BBC News >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=48 Thu, 22 Dec 2005 11:46:20 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=47
Read < Administration Cites War Vote in Spying Case . via NY Times >

There is still a chance that the Patriot Acts may be resurected, but I certainly hope that is not the case. I remember back to all of the 11th hour addition to the Patriot Acts by our good friend Mr. Ashcroft. The acts signed into law were never even read by most senators, and the additions made the night before were never discussed on the Senate floor. Most additions or alterations made to the original act removed protections to our freedoms that were guaranteed in the original act.

UPDATE . Here is a link to that story about the vote to not reapprove the Patriot Act.
Senators Thwart Bush Bid to Renew Law on Terrorism . via NY Times]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=47 Wed, 21 Dec 2005 11:49:46 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=46
< Intelligent Design Teaching Ban . via BBC News < via Kottke.org >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=46 Wed, 21 Dec 2005 11:35:43 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=45
< Atlantic Tunnel >

UPDATE . So I come to find out that this is a hoax. Had me going. It is a real diappointment though, if they were to actually implement a project like this it could be pretty cool. Just reading about how there is no polution generated is pretty impressive to me.]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=45 Mon, 19 Dec 2005 07:49:50 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=44
< The Robert Rauschenberg Reunion Tour . via NY Times >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=44 Mon, 19 Dec 2005 04:43:38 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=43
< Sony Bravia Advert >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=43 Thu, 15 Dec 2005 03:43:34 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=42
If you have not seen the film Redemption with Jamie Fox, it very well worth a watch. It is the biography of Williams, how he started the Crips, about his eventual incarseration, and how he became the figure head of the anti-gang movement.

< Read the Full Story . via NY Times >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=42 Tue, 13 Dec 2005 08:42:06 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=41 > View from my hotel this morning.

I arrived in Treviso yesterday morning to what could only be described as hopefully my one and only map-less adventure of my travels. Treviso is beautiful, old Italian villas, modern and charming. There is an ancient city wall, and and air of good feeling. It was a beautiful day to be lost, I wandered around with my heavy bag for at least three hours. Part of it was me being stubborn, and the other part was I was looking for a bus stop and I could not find one anywhere.

I should always abide by my one rule of travel. Always have a good set of directions, or at least a good map to get you there.]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=41 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:28:30 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=40 > Big Ben

What kind of tourist would I be without taking my touristy photos of London. I decided at the last minute before I left for the airport on the way back to the hostel from Shoreditch that I needed to have some tourist photos to shae with you.
> Big Ben


> County Hall + London Eye


> London Eye


> London Eye


> Picadilly Circus


> Random Underground Sign


> Westminster Abey

]]> photos http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=40 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:17:02 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=39
Shoreditch is kind of a cross between the Pearl District and Hawthorne/Belmont in Portland. For those of you not really familiar with Portland, Shoreditch combines the gritty back alley urbanism, with contemporary art galleries, upscale dining, and independent coffee shops. This is probably what the Pearl District once was, and what places like Interstate Ave are on the verge of becoming.

Unfortunately I fear places like Shoreditch will suffer the same fate as the Pearl District and many other warehouse/creative districts have all over the world. Over ten years, the artists who once squatted in warehouses, have been pushed out. Galleries have become homogenized profit centers lacking any real interest in artistic advancement, for work that will sell. And housing goes for noting less that probably most of us will make in the next 25 years.

How do we preserve places like this? I suppose that we can't. It is only natural that the evolving world will engulf our creative centers. In a dynamic world we can only find new places to thrive.



]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=39 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:16:28 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=38
< Basement Jaxx . Do My Thing >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=38 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:07:06 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=37
< Ray Gun Clothing >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=37 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:02:25 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=36
Apart Gallery
Portebello Rd + Longsdale Rd
Notting Hill . London]]> Reviews http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=36 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:01:47 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=35
I was in the gallery that was mainly sculpture relating to the history of Asia, and the Indian Sub-Continant when I came upon this beautiful porcelain Buddha from either China or Tibet. This vibrantly colored, and meticulously crafted Buddha represented the artists vision of place and time, of deity, of what is sacred. Much of what was on display was 'vision,' whether it be the vision to understand the nature of our solar system, the vision of deity, the vision of recording comedy, drama, and the trials and tribulations of humanity.

The museum itself becomes 'vision,' part of a grand design. The 'vision' that people can understand their history, the 'vision' to preserve time. We are all designers, architects of our vision, whether it be visual style, poetry, conservation, conversation, music, or urban planning. The people of today will construct the 'vision' of tomorrow. Yet, when it is all said and done our 'vision' is always our history.
]]> theory http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=35 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:00:22 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=34
I don't think that I have ever been to a true history museum. I think that the only reason that I even went today was because it was free, and across the street from the hostel.

The British Museum chronicles life, and the history of humanity as far back as we can go. The sheer size of and breadth of the museum is astonishing. Working your way through relics of Babylon, the mummy's of Egypt, Buddhist and Hindu sculptures of India, you begin to see the amazing feat of humanity, and the beauty and wonder of the human creativity and ingenuity. To see where we started, and to think where we are today is stunning.

By far my favorite section of the museum had to be the Enlightenment Gallery. It is a collection of the research and fragments of the enlightenment of humanity through the ages. The hall is what one might imagine as a library of the past, lined with epic and seminal works. Shakespeare, Aristotle, some of the first scientific instruments on models of our solar system, They are the priceless contributions to the advancement of humankind.

In all of its grandeur the British Museum left me with a sense of contemporary emptiness, a hole in the fabric of time. For our innovation, thinking, and enlightenment, we are in a state of time removed from the critical questioning and reasoning of times past. While we have our innovators, questioning, especially among the educated youth-in American universities-has tapered to a minimum. Its replacement, surface speak, and specialization in areas such as US Weekly and the latest celebrity scandal. World politics, government, art, and philosophy have fallen to mindlessness.

It seems as if we mush once again rebuild our crumbling society. To some we are on the upward climb in the achievement of man, but I see it as the decadence-in quantity, not quality-and our lack of consideration for anything outside of ourselves as our Achilles' Heal; somethings got to give.

Here are the priceless relics of humanity, a testament to the will, ingenuity and craftsmanship of our time. It truly makes me appreciate how far we have come, and situates us in time. To rob a wall display from the Massive Change show at the Vancouver Art Gallery, %laquo;Now that we can do anything, what are we going to do?%raquo;

The British Museum
Corner of Montague St. + Great Russell St.
Bloomsbury London.
]]> Reviews http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=34 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 07:59:33 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=33
< Post Secret >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=33 Sat, 10 Dec 2005 12:54:47 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=32 Kottke and thought that I might take it for a spin.

The iTunes Signature Maker samples your iTunes library and gives you a roughly 15 second clip of you favorite songs mased together.

< My Signature >]]> inbetween http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=32 Fri, 09 Dec 2005 21:29:34 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=31
Vertu, a susidiary of Nokia–something I found when looking this up after the fact-is the first luxuary phone line.

Platinum bling £21,000 ($38,000 USD)! I think they start at £10,000 ($17,000 USD) for silver, but silver is for chumps!

What the hell, that phone costs more than I am going to make this year, and next year put together. But if I see one sitting next to someone unattended, I am going to steal it, and run really fasy. I will sell it yoou for a fraction of its retail cost, how about half price, $19,000 US, I don't think that I will have to work this year.

< Vertu >]]> sidelines http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=31 Fri, 09 Dec 2005 21:11:17 -0500 http://dzignism.com/blog/index.php?itemid=30
Tits and Typo
05 December 2005 . 31 January 2006

« Among the most promising designers to have emerged from Holland in recent years, Pieter 'Parra' Janssen is one of the key players in Amsterdam's contemporary counter-culture. »

I don't know if I am going to be able to make it tomorrow, but I am going to try. My deat friends, lovers of typography, you know there is nothing more compelling than sex and type.

Will updarte if I make it.

< Kemistry Gallery >
43 Charlotte Road Shoreditch
London EC2A 3PD EnglandI did actually make it, but the gallery was closed. Pretty interesting work though, I really like the typography.