heathervescent

Speed Geeking: A How To

Last Tuesday was the monthly g33k d1nner and I planned to do Speed Geeking. What is speed geeking you might ask: well the concept is stolen from speed dating.

The idea is speed geeking is a fast way to get to know other technologically inclined people. As anyone who is a geek knows, starting a conversation with someone you don't know is one of the reasons we prefer computers. I probably would rarely make it to a geek dinner if I was not actually coordinating them. One of the "problems" of the geek dinners is that there are so many interesting people and you can't meet everyone. Speed geeking was invented to help that.

How I did it

1. I wanted to pick a quiet place to have dinner, with tables that would be easily navigated. (I envisioned people getting up and moving around every 5 or 10 minutes.) I choose Shakey's Pizza because cheap pizza, pitchers of beer and last time we were there on a Tuesday night it was DEAD. We practically had the whole place to ourselves.
2. I made up question cards. Each card had one "starter" question on it. For example: "What is the strangest place you have wified from?" and "Social network sites: useful or not?" and "What is the first computer you owned?"
3. As people arrived, I handed each person a question card and asked them to get into groups of 3 to 5 people per table. Each person would ask someone at the table the question on their card. Everyone would ask one question and would answer one question.
4. After 15 minutes tables would mix and there would be a new group of 3 to 5 people to ask/answer questions.

I think the concept worked better in theory than in practice. This was for several things that were outside my control.

1. When I got to Shakey's the place was pretty full and the tables I had requested were occupied. The tables that had been set aside for us were right in front of TVs that were blaring some sporting event. (This was a totally different situation from the last time we were at Shakey's.) Our group ended up moving into an alcove area that was really too small for us.
2. Food was a bit of a problem. Or rather, trying to speed geek and eat at the same time.
3. I came prepared with 4 different questions. I think having more variety in the questions would have improved things.
4. The loudness level. Once we crammed into the alcove we were the ones causing the noise.
5. Timing. I'm not sure this happened.

All in it was a successful first run, with lots of things to improve upon. I'm definitely trying this again, but with the following tweaks.

1. Better to have it part of something - like Barcamp or a BOF or before/after dinner - where you can move around with people quickly without food, plates, etc.
2. More diverse questions
3. A better way to organize/communicate the timing.

I'm definitely going to have a session at the next Barcamp (or a BOF at a geek conference) where I try this again. Less distractions (food, noise), more questions and maybe a megaphone.

If you try speed geeking, let me know how it goes and what works for you.

Princess Monoke meets Jorge Borges

Last night my dreams were filled with Newton and Borges. Steven Hawkins and strippers. Cinderblock airports with circle discussion baggage collection. I was distracted and transfixed by a hermaphrodite's smooth, but didn't realize she was one until I awoke. The surveillance cameras projected dancing 2D cyclops cat/dog hunter/seekers on the walls while a Kurtzweilian female voice explained what they were doing. I was looking for my luggage in a city that exists in this mutual reality, but had rare similarities in my dream. I was excited and looked all around for them but they came in glimpses of architecture and stone faces.

Dreams are not strangers to me. The one I awoke from this morning was not more detailed or fantastic than many others. But when I have a dream like that, my day is different. I feel the weight of the story, the travels, the adventures. I remember the 2D projections on the walls. (I saw them twice, I often dream parts of the same dream several times each night. It's a technique I use to stalk my dreams to remember them.) I felt so real when I saw them. The feeling burns in my body. And it's this feeling that stays with me during the day. The unreal bodily feeling, making my body feel unreal. 

Books on Internet

I just found this cool site. Apparently you can download mp3s of books being read aloud. And you can volunteer to record readings. Excellent! I love it.

This Sh*t is Bananaz

OH HAI I UPRGADED UR BANAZAZ

Safety Bootie

This is the best lines evah!

Hi there how are things
i once was a **** man now it seems
every since i had the pleasure
of gettin you together
guess its just whatever
i found the hidden treasure

From here. Hidden treasure??!!! Bootie as the hidden treasure - bwahahahaha. I am so entertained. Who knew I would love this??? I blame the mash-up culture, because I would have never heard this song if not for mash-ups. Oh, and this is the mashup by DJ Topcat.

Dear Jerkwads,

<begin rant>
If you don't know me, please do not randomly message me, ok. I do not want to talk to you. I am a busy person and when you IM me you interrupt my focus which is BAD and makes me hate you and the application even more.

If you do feel like messaging me, do the favor of introducing yourself to me first. And no, I don't want to see your cock. Fuck off already.
<end rant>

BTW - I am in an extra sassy mood, so be-aware. ;)

Love,

-Heather

ps. ok, I know I shouldn't be so harsh with a link to ooVoo me right here on my blog. but if you do ooVoo me because of my blog, you should at least identify yourself as such. Otherwise, how the fuck do I know? I don't actually know you. You might know me, but I don't know that you know me. So please identify yourself and instead of me blocking you, I will probably respond.

Web2Open - Heathervescent

Web2Open - Heathervescent
Originally uploaded by netzkobold.

My favorite quote - projected big!

Web2Open - Heathervescent

Web2Open - Heathervescent
Originally uploaded by netzkobold.

Captured at Web2Open. Awesome Photo.

Art Walk Friends on Display

Artwalk at Theory Labs!
This weekend!
Nine Artists Showing in Theory Labs at the Brewery Spring Artwalk!
Representing Painting, Photography, Oilgraphing, Drawing, Screen
Printing, Light Sculpture, Collage, Masks and Handcrafted Polymer Clay.

Saturday April 21 & Sunday 22 11a.m. - 6 p.m.
2100 North Main Street @ Avenue 20 Los Angeles CA 90031
Come by Theory Lab to check out the Art of these Nine Amazing Artists,
(it's all for sale ya' know!)
and wander around the Brewery to see the rest of Artwalk!

~Sarah Egner
http://snapshotgenius.com/
~Teale Hatheway
http://www.tealehatheway.com/
~JJM Handcrafted
http://jjmhandcrafted.blogspot.com/
~Lenny Jones
http://www.lennyjones.net/
~Miriam Dema McDaniel
http://miriamdema.blogspot.com/
http://www.miriamdema.com/
~Anna Metcalf
http://www.artistadventurer.com/
~Kevin Rolly
http://www.kevissimo.com/
~Tessa Thornberry
http://www.thornberryarts.com/
~Tim Timmermans
http://www.timtimmermans.com/

for more art pimping and promoting, check out my post on blogging.la.

mmmm Yummy Schnitzel

First corporate (ha ha) gig I had was at a 3D VRML company called Intervista back in 96 (which is incidentally where I got my name from - heathervescent). That's where I met this motley crew lead by Tony Parisi. When I was in SF this week, the crew got together. It had been more than 10 years since I had seen many folks - Markus included. This used to be a joke, but I can't remember what it was about. You have to download the 3D browser plug-in from Media Machines to see it, but once you do, you too can experience yummy schnitzel.  

This page has been created in an effort to enlighten the confusion of the American public about the German taste treat Wiener Schnitzel.

There is a fast food franchise in the US called 'Der Wienerschnitzel' which serves 'Wiener' (Würstchen) but no Wiener Schnitzel at all. In addition it should be 'Das Wienerschnitzel'! So the question arises, what actually is Wiener Schnitzel and how is it made? If you can't get to an authentic German restaurant the best way to try the real thing is to make it yourself.

Go. Now. Take it in the Mouth. It's yummy! Wow, I had no idea there were still so many VRML worlds around.

Saying Thank You

It's a rainy morning in Hollywood. Not typical of this town. Typical of the one I left yesterday - San Francisco.

When walking on Ocean Beach last Sunday, I asked myself, why am I here? why am I back in San Francisco? Of course there was the trick. The logical reason that got me to town - Web 2.0. (Ironic because I probably know more about the ins and outs and personally know the people who have their name on "web 2.0" patents. I most definitely don't need to learn about web 2.0). Like I said, it was the trick that brought me into the city. It was not the real reason I was here.

It wasn't to steal the fire. (I have already stolen it.)
It wasn't to fall in love (with the city, with an old boyfriend, with any number of things)
It wasn't to live in the past - to remember
It was step 6 - to the people and especially the place

While other people might/have dissed SF because LA is soooo much awesome/cooler/etc!!11!! My respect and memory of the city does not need comparisons. I liken it to having lunch with an x-boyfriend and seeing how great he looks. Hearing how successful he is and happy he is with his life. Feeling happy that he is happy and most of all happy that I took the road I did. Happy with my life in LA. Happy that San Francisco still holds his own.

There is no need for comparisons. Because it is incomparable.

What I found, what I felt, and what I tried to express was my gratitude. My delight. My wonder. I drove familiar streets. I ate at favorite places. I had changed. I saw the city differently and yet in the same mobius view, the way I saw it before. Memories tugged at me. Street corners, restaurants, exit signs. I tipped my hat to them, thanking them for being there, making me, who, what I am. Myself and everyone else.

And for that, to San Francisco, I can not thank enough. I lived in the Bay Area from 1996-2004. I was in my early 20's. The Internet excitement was getting to a boil. I went from company to company, a buffet of learning. Technologies, processes, techniques. I filled my plate for 8 years full of processes, techniques, technology and colleagues. I learned from the best. I learned from the inventors. I learned from the city. From his twisty roads, bridges, mountains, trees, ocean and bay - magical hidden everywhere, in front of your face.

Thank you San Francisco. I loved the time I lived in your boundaries. I loved all the possibilities you presented. I loved the challenges you threw to me. I loved circling your bay on a daily basis. I loved the people who collected in your city. I loved much more than I can list (especially those mission burritos).  Keep living, building, exploring, creating and providing the place for technical possibilities. I won't forget you. And know, you have a friend, a place to say in Hollywood. Just say the word.

<3,

-Heather

Personal Online Branding

If you're not able to make my presentation happening at 2pm at Web20pen, you can view it here:

Getting into the Flow

Here are my notes from the Web2Open session on Flow State by Janette Girod of That Voodoo You Do.

Flow state

aspects of flow
- attention is key (to experience)
(attention can be trained)

- make it easy for yourself
(screen out distractions)
beware the rabbit hole

9 components of the flow state

1. Clear goals (not too abstract or long term)
achievable in one single session
sit down, decide what you want to do, by end of the session, you have achieved it

2. A high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention
multi-taking is switching btwn tasks

3. A loss of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness
(work is not extention of your self image  - get your ego out of your work)

4. A distorted sense of time
(you get more out of the time in flow)
set aside a specific allocated time for flow (and block out distractions for that time)
takes at least 15 minutes to get into flow state
the power of 48 minutes (48 minute work sessions with 12 mnute breaks)
requires a timer (egg timer)
timeleft desktop widget

5. Direct & immediate feedback, behavior can be adjusted as needed.
getting something built and out there, for fine tune tweaking
practicing and doing more
pottery class example

6. Balance between ability level and challenge.

7. a sense of personal control over the situation.

8. Intrinsically rewarding action, resulting in effortless of action.
develop and refine your own style.

9. Focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself.
fully occupy the mind, the less it wanders

There will always be interruptions.

Snapshots of the day

Twitter didn't give me enough characters to express what I've experienced today, so I'm blogging it. So far, it's been a really amazing day. I have lots to write about my San Francisco experience. The few days here have been packed with juicy Goblin Fruit.

I started out the morning remembering the Bjork quote:

I don't know my future, after this weekend. And I don't want to.

Which reminded me how much I love living my life this way. And how I hope to inspire others to live their lives this way too.

Then I drove down to Half Moon Bay via Devil's Slide listening to DJ John's Devil 666 mashup mix. The sky was gorgeous, the ocean sparkling and I was anticipating Raman's Chai and seeing an old friend the entire way. The comfort of old time conversations. A bookstore. The chai kicked ass. Top down, I drove downtown, scheduled to meet another good friend in South Park. I detoured through Potrero Hill to test my clutch/stick driving the twistiest road in SF (no, it's not Lombard St.) where I blew my front tire.

I called AAA, they arrived in 15 minutes, swapped out my tire to make it to my lunch meeting in South Park(after scheduling 4 new tires for Ingemar tomorrow morning). How much connection, affection, catching up can you cram into 51 minutes? In addition to eating lunch? It was a power lunch, that only Power can create.

Now, I'm at Moscone West, eyeing the carousel and sitting in the roundtable discussion. There is much more of the day to come, and I honestly can't wait. Everyone and everything I need to be at, to do, to meet - old and new friends will occur. I keep my zen mind, be present and be utterly myself.

That's the best I can do. That's exactly what I want to do. That's being present and fluid in the moment.

What's your Brand?

I'm presenting Online Personal Branding at Social Text's Web 2 Open next week in SF. Wednesday at 2pm I'm up. Check it out. I'll be presenting all professional and shit. Not PPT Karaoke style.

The Return

Tomorrow I load up my chariot and head north. North to the land I loved, the place where all my dreams came true, the place I left almost 3 years ago: THE BAY AREA (begin dramatic music)

I'm hoping to meet up with many of my old (and new) crews in that favored city. I'm excited to return. I'm excited to show her what I've become and what I'm doing. I'm excited to be inspired by my old haunts, places of power, memories. I'm excited to see how she has changed. I'm really excited to eat a burrito @ El Toro. I got an ache to drive up Lucas Valley road and maybe up to Tomales. I'm bringing my riding gear, but no moto... so if anyone has an extra bike just sitting around... or wants to take a passenger, I'll consider riding pillion... maybe.

Since leaving, I have returned very few times. But tomorrow marks a difference. Tomorrow is the RETURN. And what a better way to celebrate a return than with my favorite dance party? BootieSF is happening Saturday night @ DNA and I will be in attendance. Please, come join me.

Powerpoint Karaoke - The g33k way

Powerpoint Karaoke was the highlight of BarcampLA for me. It was Tvs idea and he executed it perfectly complete with a custom built ppt randomizer and 5 minute countdown. Each competitor stood on stage, the lights dark, the powerpoint illuminated for the audience. It could have been any offsite pow-wow except for the keg of beer in the back and the fact that none of the presenters had ever seen the presentations.

Four days later I helped Danny do PPT Karaoke at eTech. It was totally different, but still fun.

Here's my recap of the two different kinds of ppt karaoke, how do them and at the end, you can watch my performance on Planet and Gravity at BarcampLA3. Anjalis was fast enough with her camera to catch it.

If anyone got Robert's Voting presentation, please let me know.

How to run your own PPT Karaoke night

1. First decide whether you want to do serious or funny presentations.
2. Find or make the presentations
3. Have a sign up sheet.
4. Acquire the following materials:

• Projector
• Laptop
• Timer/Countdown
• Screen or white wall to project upon
• Sign up sheet
• Alcohol
• Willing Participants
• A video camera (if you want to record for posterity)
• 5 to 15 powerpoint presentations (creative commons licensed please)
• A darkened room

5. And then invite your tech-geek friends to gather around the lit screen for some real fun.
6. Extra credit: Include buzz-word drinking game for the audience

Notes:
Note 1: it's best to pick presentations that you may have some basic knowledge of. Tantek's microformats presentation is a good one to warm up on.

Note 2: Serious vs Funny presentations
There are two schools of thought and I have experienced both. At BarcampLA Tv found serious presentations that had been creative commons license. That was actually Tvs point - to cc license your material. These were real presentations about products and technology. Like a Voting System, Live Journal's Backend, Identity and Planet/Gravity. The humor here was in the ad-libbing.

On the night

1. Have someone running the show. This person will be in charge of matching the presentations (if you don't want to build a randomizer - heh) and keeping time.

2. Presenters sign up on the list and come to the stage when their name is called.

3. A presentation is put up on screen. The presenter DOES NOT get to look at it prior to it being projected on screen.

4. The timer goes off and the presenter starts giving the presentation. You're pretending this is your presentation and trying to actually give it, not necessarily make fun of it, or just blast your way through it. Take your time and read the slides as if you really want to communicate the information. Most of the time, the presentations give you plenty of stuff to work with, so be sure to ham it up and go off on tangents.

5. Presenter continues presenting for 5 minutes (or until you run out of slides or decide you've had enough)

6. Audience applauds.

7. Next victim arrives on stage...

At eTech we had some serious presentations and then some that were hilarious. One that was just chicken, chicken, chicken. Another was a children's story. The humor was in the presentation here.

Everyone who saw powerpoint karaoke at Barcamp thought it was hilarious. I myself was doubled over with laughter and had tears in my eyes. We are definitely doing it again. If you want to be a victim (I mean, willing participant) get in touch with me. I'll be putting together a Powerpoint Karaoke night in LA soon.

And now, here's my foolish moment on the Internet: me doing powerpoint karaoke at BarcampLA. Thanks (or maybe not-ha ha) to Anjali for her documentation.

 

Photo by cleverclevergirl.
Video by los anjalis.

Sadness and Wow

In the same instant I find out about Kurt Vonnegut's death and Kasey's beaver. Sadness and awesome in the same breath.

My Auto-responder

So if you've emailed me recently you may have gotten an immediate message from me. For those curious, this is it:

Thank you for your email. To limit the interruptions while shifting between email and work I will only be checking and responding to email at 9am and 3pm on weekdays. I will try and respond to your message in a timely manner.

If you need an immediate time-sensitive response, please don't hesitate to call my cell phone.

What's up with that, huh? Well, what's up is that I finally implemented Tim Ferriss's suggestions from his SXSW presentation. Tim wrote the book "The Four Hour Workweek" and he blew me away with what he had to say.

I like to think I've got my shit together. That I'm uber efficient (especially since I use the GTD method of getting shit done) but Tim's suggestions are sublime. Here are some key notes.

There are 4 stages

1. Definition (the life you want)
2. Elimination
3. Automation
4. Renewal

With definition:

• define what you want to do
• What you want to be
• What you want to have

The 80/20 rule:
What 20% of your efforts are going to create the 80% of your desired results?
What 20% of activities are producing what I don't want? Shamelessly ELIMINATE them.

• "I realized I was creating activities to fill my time."
• "Is this a crutch activity?"
• "A task will swell in perceived importance by the time you allot to it"
• "There is an efficiency epidemic. (I totally agree with this.) More time is spent switching between tasks. Once you switch tasks there is a 40% chance you'll never go back to that task."
• The point of life is to enjoy it!
• Only have a meeting to solve the problem.
• Put an auto-responder on your email and then check your email 2 or max 3 times a day. Here's Tim's post on how to do this.

When he talked about the elimination section it was scary. Who wants to eliminate things right? But he even talked about how he fired some of his clients.

I have to say in the two days since I've implemented this auto-responder (and re-programed my brain) I have gotten more things done with more relaxation, efficiency and creativity. I'm slowly implementing some of his other ideas... I can't wait to see how they turn out.

From Writer to Doer

I've been quiet over here because I've been busy. (Isn't that always the excuse?) But seriously, I'm about caught up (except for unpacking) and moving forward on my 5 lines of projects. Taxes are done, office is clean, car unpacked, slow item assimilation. I've been cooking again, even went to the gym yesterday. Cleaned my closet, filed a year of paperwork. Paid bills, sent invoices, made personalized file labels. All in all, cleaned shit up. Got shit done. Not using twitter. Moved to checking my email 3 times a day. And in the space, the gaps, I'm reading, dreaming, scheming. And the creativity has exploded. My project list is full of creative activities, exciting business opportunities. Inspiration all around.

The Future in/s the past

Today is the day. I said my last goodbye's under cloak of darkness. They cypress trees regally standing. The smell of night plants. Two friends picking up the last items. Their oohing and aaahhing didn't help. Who wouldn't love the future? But I've not spent much time at/in the future in the past year. And the road that leads to here and now - the present - was full of much negativity about/becauseof the future. There are many ways to slice/parse/compile the story/world. And ultimately it's up to myself to create it. As someone with a passion for words and communication dancing on the line between fiction, metaphor and clarity, words have power. Poder. Puissance. In the beginning the was the word - the word created the world. And with the stories I tell myself, I create my worldview. (Don't get me started about the nature of reality, science, the scientific method, etc. This is a twisted subject and the truth is in the threads all tangled up, only to make sense once woven into the tapestry of the dark sea of awareness or the places where AIs dare not adventure per causa de lions and tigers and bears.)

However if I create my world view, with words, the stories I tell (myself and others) and those I write here in this blog and otherwhere, then when I write, the future is now in the past. It is. It is more than metaphorical. Yes, there is a literal interpretation (and if you have known me for more than 2 years you can probably guess it). But there is also a meta-phorical interpretation. And as is the case with metaphors, it is much stronger and has bigger, longer repercussions. Repercussions, I can not even imagine. When you dance/play with the future, could you expect anything less?

Do-Ocracy

It's how I do my stuff.

Do-ocracy is a summary term for consensus management on a non-authoritarian, classical anarchist model emphasizing voluntary involvement and actual results, where those with an actual involvement make the decisions.

The practice is also fairly common whenever volunteers are working towards a project together. The lack of a formal command structure or compensation for the work means that each person works on what interests them creating a format of a Do-ocracy.

from wikipedia. Or as Nike put it "Just Do it"

slogging through the backlog

Hi everyone,

So yeah, now that I've dealt with the movers this morning and am about to sign the escrow docs to end the future fiasco, I'll finally have time to read and respond and email all you fabulous people I met at sxsw, barcampLA, eTech and the pillowfight! Oh yeah, and time to hit up the day spa for some much needed chilling.

-Heather

the shadows of myself

There were many possibilities on how I would live my life. Yesterday I visited a shadow self. High mountains, low desert. Pine trees, hiking trails, twisty road curving up and across mountain faces. I love the rural setting. I loved living out away from people. The nearest neighbors 3 miles down the road. I loved going into my backyard and disappearing for hours on deer trails, exploring abandoned homesteads with cisterns and pantry caves. I love the hot moist smell of the desert and the clear cold nights. The complete connection to the earth. My love for the rural places is my love for this planet. For the animals, for nature not over run with human manifestations. Places where nature trumped human endeavors and I watched entropy encroach first hand, applauding.

I took to the open roads. My love of automobiles comes directly from my love of the land. I could cover more land with the help of my gas powered motor. I kept the windows open and had a long passionate kiss with the earth through the protective barrier of pavement and rubber.

Yesterday we took the same journey. S, Romeo and I piled into the convertible and headed out to Snake Jagger's Art Show in Indian Wells. We took the straight shot zigzagging through traffic, windmills, big rigs. I gazed longingly at the mountains to the south. The rough jagged edges poking up into the sky, unknowingly intending my return. Three hours later, I was carving the curves up the pavement, keeping pace with two state troopers obviously enjoying the drive. The rise from the flats of Palm Desert to the crest of the southern mountains is intense. You cover something like 5000 feet in 15-20 minutes. The land is gorgeous filled with scrub, washes, mountain faces, rocks, rock piles, pine trees - my words can not do it justice, let alone describe it at sunset.

We stopped for Prime Rib at a local cafe and that's when I met my shadow self. A person I could have been. A quantum possibility, lived out by someone else. The dream to live surrounded by more land than people. And I realized, that for every "yes" I've said in my life, to every adventure I've embarked upon and challenge I've met, every metaphorical mountain I've leap off, there is a shadow self, the part of me that took another road, the one that didn't leap, the one that said, No.

Someone so close to who I am, and yet, utterly different.

I see them from time to time. Sometimes they are satisfied, like yesterday, sometimes they rage against the issues I've resolved. Every interaction, meeting or observation of these shadows of myself, incites me to push myself further into the places that not only _I_ dream of - but into the places of my shadows dream.

Because, if they are living out an alternate possibility of my life, then I am most certainly living out an alternate possibility of theirs.