Category: General Discussion

Using a gesture control interface to get a (fake?) job

Turbulence@PaceDigitalGallery is presenting 3 performances this month. One of them, School of Perpetual Training is an “edutainment” website that uses your web cam and an avatar to guide you through training exercises, so that you can get a new job.

I don’t have a web cam so I wasn’t able to try it out. However, I do live in NYC, so I’ll try to make it over to the opening tomorrow. If you have a web cam, try it out and let me know how it goes.

Event Details:

Pace Digital Gallery is pleased to present Turbulence@ PaceDigitalGallery, an exhibition premiering 3 works commissioned by Turbulence.org :: April 7 – May 1, 2009 :: Reception: April 7, 5:00 – 7:00 pm :: 163 William Street, New York City.

perpetual-training

What’s important

Last Sunday our graphic design homework was to create some type of visual representation of our possessions, splitting them into things we care about and things we don’t care about. When I imagined this homework, I could not think of excluding the things that I used to own, very recently, in Houston. I actually didn’t want to do the assignment, because I felt that I had recently lost so much, in terms of property, friends, salary, change of lifestyle…etc. So when I approached this assignment, I could not imagine doing it in some type of sentimental fashion. I could only see the final outcome as something cold or clinical.

What I came up with is essentially a mock computer screen, representing a MySQL database dump of 3 lists. The lists fade in terms of importance (or non-importance), and the most faded list is the list of stuff that I no longer have. I decided to use a green screen, like DOS(?), like a command-line interface because it’s basic and the least comforting way to use a computer.

Moving.pdf

Thoughts about being a SharePoint Administrator

In addition to being the new WordPress administrator, I’m also the new SharePoint admin for our project. I recently just got “Full Access” control over the current team site, but before I did I’ve been creating a demo site using my My Site. (And, actually, even if I did have access to the other site, I probably would have created my demo site using my My Site anyway – there’s just less risk of someone stumbling across it and/or me doing something screwy to someone else’s documents.)

The funny part is, I actually kind of like all this SharePoint stuff. At my last job, we were implementing SharePoint as an enterprise document management and collaboration system, for a very large company. Well, I’m only implementing an instance of a SharePoint site for a specific project, but once the word gets out that I know what I’m doing I’ll probably end up redesigning the SharePoint sites for the rest of the company. I guess the difference is that “enterprise” for my old job meant a 50,000+ employee base, not including contractors. At my new job, and for this instance of SharePoint, it’s for about 60 people. Big difference.

I think some of the reasons why I don’t mind it so much are: a) I do know what I’m doing and; b) I get to design it all my way. SharePoint can really get out of hand if you don’t have a clue about what to do, and it’s easy to get caught up in the endless maze of subsites and submenus. However, I’m finding that having a grip on the SharePoint, admin back-end makes getting a clear picture of what needs to be done and knowing how best to take care of it, a fulfilling task.

Motion Theory, “Student-Athletes Go Pro”

Motion Theory’s ads show effectively communicate the fact that student NCAA athletes are still students and will pursue non-athletic professions after graduation.

http://motiontheory.wiredrive.com//l/p/?presentation=61861706af2f177c5022714f1887f148 – via Doug Fox’s twitter feed. (Plug!) http://twitter.com/dougfox (Sorry there was no cute embed option, but I could figure that out later.)

I’m really impressed by the computer graphics, and the skinning of the students as they step in and out of bounds in the second video, and in the first, I’m impressed by the way the students bodies were isolated into still and active parts.

Be A Kid Again

I’m in charge of implementing a WordPress blog as a CMS at work, so I’ve been looking into various WordPress themes and site designs. Today, I came across DesignDisease.com. Not only do they have great themes, I also find their example of “An ordered list” wonderful, and I’m glad that I do in fact own (and wear) red gym shoes.

Be A Kid Again
http://designdisease.com/preview/dilectio

    Do a cartwheel. (I have been known to do this randomly in ballet class.)
    Sing into your hairbrush.
    Walk barefoot in wet grass.
    Play a song you like really loud, over and over.
    Dot all your “i”’s with smiley faces.
    Read the funnies. Throw the rest of the paper away.
    Dunk your cookies. (Still do this with my Maria cookies.)
    Play a game where you make up the rules as you go along.
    Step carefully over sidewalk cracks.
    Change into some play clothes.
    Try to get someone to trade you a better sandwich.
    Eat ice cream for breakfast.
    Kiss a frog, just in case.
    Blow the wrapper off a straw.
    Have someone read you a story.
    Find some pretty stones and save them.
    Wear your favorite shirt with your favorite pants even if they don’t match.
    Take a running jump over a big puddle. (Yeah, I sometimes do this, too, but it’s usually over snow.)
    Get someone to buy you something you really don’t need.
    Hide your vegetables under your napkin.
    Stay up past your bedtime. (I do this about every night!)
    Eat dessert first.
    Fuss a little, then take a nap.
    Wear red gym shoes. (I’ve got red Pumas!)
    Put way too much sugar on your cereal.
    Make cool screeching noises every time you turn a corner.
    Giggle a lot for no reason.
    Give yourself a gold star for everything you do today.