October 2011 Archives

Try to do some BAD work - the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell - you are not responsible for the world - you are only responsible for your work - so DO IT. And don't think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be...

[This is medium resolution, loaded during the event. I had to wait until I got home to wifi to upload the HD - and that's still processing, so I'll link to that tomorrow. Here is the HD version.)
Here are "13 Observations Made by Lemony Snicket while Watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance" as posted on the Occupy Writers site:
1. If you work hard, and become successful, it does not necessarily mean you are successful because you worked hard, just as if you are tall with long hair it doesn't mean you would be a midget if you were bald.
2. "Fortune" is a word for having a lot of money and for having a lot of luck, but that does not mean the word has two definitions.
3. Money is like a child--rarely unaccompanied. When it disappears, look to those who were supposed to be keeping an eye on it while you were at the grocery store. You might also look for someone who has a lot of extra children sitting around, with long, suspicious explanations for how they got there.
4. People who say money doesn't matter are like people who say cake doesn't matter--it's probably because they've already had a few slices.
5. There may not be a reason to share your cake. It is, after all, yours. You probably baked it yourself, in an oven of your own construction with ingredients you harvested yourself. It may be possible to keep your entire cake while explaining to any nearby hungry people just how reasonable you are.
6. Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they've been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative.
7. Someone feeling wronged is like someone feeling thirsty. Don't tell them they aren't. Sit with them and have a drink.
8. Don't ask yourself if something is fair. Ask someone else--a stranger in the street, for example.
9. People gathering in the streets feeling wronged tend to be loud, as it is difficult to make oneself heard on the other side of an impressive edifice.
10. It is not always the job of people shouting outside impressive buildings to solve problems. It is often the job of the people inside, who have paper, pens, desks, and an impressive view.
11. Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.
12. If you have a large crowd shouting outside your building, there might not be room for a safety net if you're the one tumbling down when it collapses.
13. 99 percent is a very large percentage. For instance, easily 99 percent of people want a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and the occasional slice of cake for dessert. Surely an arrangement can be made with that niggling 1 percent who disagree.
(via gwarlingo)

| Description | What if students could learn to program cell phones as their introduction to the concepts and skills of computer science? What if the software to do it was free and intuitive? In one hour of hands-on exploration, we'll walk you through the creation of your first application for a mobile phone, using the App Inventor programming environment developed by Google. App Inventor combines drag-and-drop playful logic in the style of Scratch with the compelling excitement of developing robust programs and games for the smart phone in your pocket. Bring your Android phone if you have one, and bring a laptop where you have admin authority to install a driver and a free application. Elizabeth Perry and Brian Van Dyck are experienced classroom teachers who have used App Inventor with students at Google CAPE (Computing and Programming Experience) and Inspired by CAPE Programs, as well as with their own students. |
| Questions Answered |
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I don't know that we have 1000 popsicle sticks in the house, but next snow holiday, I think we should try this. Here's a how-to on Instructables. (via This is Colossal)

