heathervescent

Making Lemonade with Four Wheels

Whack jobs
Who is crazy enough to put a six point roll cage into a Geo Metro, Bitchin Camaro, Saab 900 or VW Rabbit with a pancake on it’s head? “Serious racers who've had enough of the seriousness and just want to go out and have a good time for a change. Or whack jobs who've always wanted to get on a racetrack but couldn't figure out how to get started,” says Lamm.

My team was definitely of the whack job variety. Let me introduce them: Dominik our fearless leader had the genius idea to take the piece of junk supra to the races. The car was actually his girlfriend Kelly's, and she used to drive it around south pasadena with her two pit bull mixes in the back. It had broken down on her more than once. Dave was our master welder and patiently bended and often rebended the roll cage pieces. Sam was the least crazy of us all and proved to be the best and fastest driver getting only one penalty when he did a 180. You already know me -- I'm hell on four wheels.

Read the rest of my article over on the Suicide Girls site.

Winners!

Big thank you to Dominik, Sam, Kelly and our weekend welder Dave - the Junkyard Dogs Racing Team - who put hours of long effort to make the "Mad Max" car the Judges Choice at our first 24 Hours of Lemons.

I felt like of the runt of the pack - trying to help and stay out of the way. Sitting back and letting others make decisions. It wasn't my car. I hadn't put in the long hours welding the cage (although I did work on the car - it was mostly the guys). I was just excited to have my own racing suit and (third) helmet. (Apparently my motorcycle helmets can not be used for car racing.) I was nervous and anxious before the race. It would be a few hours before my turn behind the wheel. So I decided to sit down and chill out. My time to cram into the 5 point harness, neck brack and helmet would come.

And then it did. I was strapped in. Driving through the paddock to the hot pits. One final check and I was on the track. One thought barely flitted in my mind - that maybe I was scared - but like the bulldozer on the minivan Sunday afternoon - that thought was gone as I braked for my first turn and put the wheels to squealing.

I felt the tactile nubs on the steering wheel. My right foot went from accelerator to brake. My eyes analyzed the track, my brain calculating the curves, bank and how and where to enter them. I didn't notice the pressure from centrifugal force moving me to this side and that. I heard the rev and popping of engines. I smelled burned oil, brakes and fuel. I was calm, relaxed and one with the car.

I pushed it through the turns gaining what little speed I could. I swung the back end with a not always small fishtail (that more than once turned into a 180). I watched how the more expert racers (who were driving almost twice my speed) set themselves up for the curves and hills - and I tried to stay out of the way when the pack descended upon me passing on all sides through the straightways or the curves. I wasn't phased by them. I just wish I had someone to race with. I didn't pass one car the entire time. It seems we forgot to bring a racecar to the race. :)

Nevertheless, I've lost my racing virginity and gotten bitten by the bug. I foresee many cars and tracks in my future.

Free Will vs Programming

Free will is a concept easily understood, and of course everyone thinks they have it - cause "I am in charge" - but it's not always the case. That "I am in charge" often comes pre-programmed (and it's so subtle that we don't even realize it). When responding, reacting or behaving from that programmed "I am in charge" person - sorry to break it to you - but that's not free will - that's "pre-destined aka programmed" behavior that is just finishing out it's if/then statement.

How to have free will? It's simple:
1. Observe your programming (and biases) - you must understand your adversary before you can defeat it
2. Inventory your programming - what do you want to keep (it helps you) what do you want to drop (hold you back)
3. Create games and fun ways to unprogram/upgrade your programming

Note: you must have a new better program to replace the one you are removing.

See - simple in concept - years to "accomplish."

On Corporations

Rough thoughts. Ive always been fascinated by the definition of corporations/companies as entities in the eyes of the law, when they just seem like pieces of paper. But they most definitely are entities -- and they are evolving. From rebellious teenagers (don't tell me what I can do say the executives who bend and break the rules on wallstreet) to ones with awareness of the world they create (and trying to improve the world as they understand it).

Goin' for Broken with 24 hours of LeMons

The Car - Goin' for Broken - 24 hours of LeMons
Originally uploaded by heathervescent

This weekend I'm participating in my first official race on an official racetrack. And this is our little car.

We are participating in 24hoursoflemons.com in Reno. The boyf and the pit crew has been working extra hard the past few weekend to put in the rollcage (which they built from scractch!!!) and make it race worthy.

I've been seriously impressed by all the work. And I'm extra inspired to do more racing.

Forecasts for the Future

Since I've decided to become a futurist - I thought I would start making forecasts. Since I have no formal training in future forecasting (yet) my methods are nebulous at best. What is my criteria for these forecasts? The best way I could explain is my gut and heart.

I have always found myself in the early flow of trends. I also create my own future. Much of what I put effort to making happen - happens. Below are my first predictions based on my wide base of knowledge grazing, following trends and experiencing life. These are the things that have my attention.  My guess is that some of these will hit the nail on the head in 2-5 years, while others will be way off the mark (my own personal obsession of the moment.) I can probably tell you which ones are the personal obsessions.

1. The Invisible Internet: Only the User Interface. Internet Technology itself is becoming less important. It is now about the dividing line - the user interface - human computer interaction. Sure, technology will continue to dramatically increase in power and speed. But the adoption curve on Internet Technology has dramatically increased with the web 2.0 - which I see as simply user interface improvements. This is going to accelerate even more as computers and internet technology go under the covers like motors and electrical engineering. It will continue to be difficult to get tech people to go into the computer and engineering field.

2. Mass media. Is going away and is not going away. The mainstream has gotten bigger and yet specialized at the same time. The only way to make it to the mainstream is to go as/from a smaller culture/group. I think there are going to be some dramatic changes with media - but I haven't yet put my finger on the point. I think ownership is going to be dramatically re-thought. As well as consumers. But more of that in my next point.

3. Reader Response aka The Mashup/Remix Culture. I have been fascinated with what I call reader-response for over 15 years. I first learned of this in one of my college english classes. The teacher and I argued that it didn't matter what the author meant - that once he published his work - the reader's response to it was just as valid as the author's intention. This is the heart and core of the remix culture that has exploded mostly with music and video mashups. But this is really something that has happened throughout all of humanity. We build upon the work of the past. It's only now, that digitally you're able to more easily track and thus get all agro when you think someone is stealing your idea/material. None of this material belongs to any of us. We are all mere vessels. One day, the concept of copyright will be as antiquated as the earth being the center of the universe. (I certainly don't expect to see this happen in my lifetime or 10 times my lifetime.)

4. Urban Homesteading/Gardening. This could be my personal current obsession - but the next step in the "green" revolution is personal responsibility in regards to food sources/creation. Farming is about to be reinvented. In Berkeley and around Hollywood - there are community gardens, but these are so bureaucratic (year+ waits to get a plot) that they are not solutions. Taking back the concrete jungle and growing food and green things. Container and vertical gardening where the soil has been covered up with pavement and concrete. Although just concepts at the moment, I love the direction of farming skyscrapers prototypes. I hope these types of dreams actually happen. Instead of 750k condos in the heart of Hollywood - what about a farm in the sky?

5. Bio/Nano. I am admittedly somewhat uneducated about the current bio/nano tech specific. This will be quickly remedied with study. However I do think this is one of the next frontiers. Understanding and using nano technologies to deliver drugs and clean up toxic situations will be no less than amazing. And no, I'm not a bit worried about Grey Goo.

6. Internet Backlash. It's already started and recently fabulously shown by Josh Harris's exile to his Apple Farm and then Ethiopia in his movie "We Live in Public". People will increasingly go offline. Check out completely. And there will be internet detox. I'm interested to understand if there has been previous times where new technology has been so quickly adopted, used and changes. The internet is like water.

Some things I'd like to see developed

1. Personal Responsibility. Too many people don't know how to take care of themselves. People need to own up and take responsibility for their decisions and life. This country is in a mess because people didn't take responsibility and do the right thing. I'd like to see a focus on this value and self-reliance.

2. Interior Tourism. Travel to exotic locations is no longer exotic. Go off the beaten path and you'll run into another "adventurer" just like you. I hate to break it to you - but you know what - Iowa is as exotic as the Serengeti. Depends on your perspective. I am constantly amazed by how diverse and beautiful my home state of California is. I don't care if I ever leave it again. The US is an amazing beautiful country. You don't have to go half-way around the world to see some of the most beautiful places. It's right here at home. America the Beautiful.

3. Beyond Level 3.  There are a lot of people out there to change the world - but I honestly don't believe you can change the world for the better, until you have mastery of yourself. (You're just trying to change the world for what you think might be better.) Before you have mastery of yourself, you have to know who you are.

Everyone has One

Columbia Gorge - May 2009
Originally uploaded by heathervescent

Columbia Gorge - May 2009

Columbia Gorge - May 2009
Originally uploaded by heathervescent

Lilacs that I love!

Columbia Gorge - May 2009

Columbia Gorge - May 2009
Originally uploaded by heathervescent

A late lunch of lamb stew and a dry glass of red wine in the shadow of a waterfall with my Mom.

Ping Pong

Consuming huge quantities of Stereolab of late. This one stands out.

Ping Pong
it's alright 'cos the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

you see the recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry for things will look after themselves
it's alright recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry if things can only get better

there's only millions that lose their jobs and homes and sometimes accents
there's only millions that die in their bloody wars, it's alright

it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing
it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing

it's alright 'cos the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

don't worry be happy things will get better naturally
don't worry shut up sit down go with it and be happy

dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah
dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah

Science is wak!

When I learned about the Solar System decades ago in an Iowa classroom, I didn't focus on learning the names and order of the planets - rather the most interesting thing to my child mind was the misunderstanding of the original belief. That everything rotated around the earth. The earth was the center of the universe. There was all kind of mathematics and constants to prove this to be true. What a shock it was to think otherwise!

I was reminded by this last night when the boyf and I were talking about energy and electricity (voltage and potential energy). He reminded me that energy and matter equal each other. I was flabbergasted! How the fuck?! Then I remembered the constant for the speed of light. E=MC2. Why bother with the constant?! Energy doesn't really equal matter without the constant. The constant goes in there like lube to make the math/concept/belief work.

Maybe I don't get this because I'm not a mathematician. I'm always in awe when I come across strange mathematical numbers/constants that are used to balance out equations. First, how are these found? And second, how do we know they're right (correct/true?). I don't know the math behind proving the earth is the center of the universe - but at that time - they thought it was correct.

I realized/decided right then and there - single digit Heather - that there were probably many things we believed as true about our world - that would later be proved to be incorrect; and I dedicated myself to finding those things.

I stopped believing everything. Authority lost meaning. I started looking at everything from multiple viewpoints. I worked to understand my own biases, if I couldn't actually rid myself of them. I watched to understand other people's biases - and where and how they originated.

As I read these books on electricity and energy and transistors and physics - the concepts really blow my mind. Science is not the least bit solid. There are so many questions. The answers are out there with crazy conspiricy theories (oh, I know that comment is going to piss off some people). But from an external perspective - from someone not indoctrinated into the academic scientific community - science is completely wak! And this is a very pleasant surprise to me.

A New Direction

Earlier this year I decided to follow-up on one of my long-term dreams: to go back to school.

When I went to college over a decade ago, my original plan was to go straight through and get my Ph.d and go on to write, teach and research. The only problem was - I had no idea what I wanted to focus on. That is why I focused my academic time on learning to communicate. I had many thoughts and idea and understandings of the world that I found difficult to communicate. With words, with pictures.

How does one communicate unclear baby ideas? With poetry.

So I thought I wanted to be a poet. I learned to communicate with metaphors and similes and like/as comparisons. Mathematical propositions. 

At the center of my inquire was understanding and perspectives. I realized early on that people have a wide variety of many different perspectives. And all perspectives were valid - although some were more universally accepted than others. Some were thought of as right or wrong. And I too thought some things were right and wrong. But there is a difference between right and correct.

I wanted to understand these perspectives. Where did they come from? How did they occur? Why was something correct or right? Why did people who spoke certain language think and act very different from people who speak another language?

The words we speak (or are taught) partially make up our worldview - our perspective. I wanted to immerse myself in as many different perspectives as possible; to learn about other perspectives and my own, but also to remind myself that perspective itself is a perspective. To learn the language of languages. Of cognitive mindsetculture based on the communication methods.

This is where I started from. I call them my "armchair curiosities". I'm obsessed with possibilities and the probability of those possibilities. And how people - us humans - interact with technology: creating it, interfacing with it, change it, is changed by it, evolves by/with/because of it. And the future.

I've been pondering going back to school for about a year. But what discipline would I study? (That is the problem with traditional universities - locking you into a field.) I kept coming back to cognitive neuroscience. I'm fascinated with out brains and perception. How we create our world based on accurate (and false) sensory data. But I wasn't satisfied with just that idea. It leaves out my passion for technology.

Then I heard about Singularity University. So I applied. And out of over 1200 applications, I got on the waitlist. For one of 40 spots.

I'm terrified to hear I won't get in (this year). Because I've realized how important this direction is to me. But it's validation enough to be on the waitlist (for now).

This is the direction I most dream and am terrified to go. Straight into the future. To understanding and creating the future. To helping us - people - understand and evolve ourselves - using the best that technology can offer.

A Dog's Precious!

I found this Ad for a pet suit today. I love it!

On Enlightenment

“Enlightenment is not something you seek, it’s something you must simply remember.” - Erin Pavlina

Over and over and over. :)

My Relationship with The Pyramid

I was reminded by a conversation I had with a big Fortune 500 CEO several years ago. He was very successful and I was helping him on his new venture. He quipped something about making it to the top of the pyramid. And this took me aback for a moment.

I am repulsed by people focusing on climbing to the top. Level 3 all the way. At one point in my career, I thought I had to play this game and succumbed to play a hand. It made me sick, but gave me a lot of fodder for self-observation. I should actually thank the level 3 organization, because it added a lot on my journey through enlightenment.

What interests me much more and seems a more worthy "goal" is to raise the pyramid from the bottom. Raise the floor. The frusteration in this, is all the people walking ontop of you still trying to get to the top of the pyramid (not supporting the mutual advancement).

What if there is no pyramid? The bottom is the same as the top. It doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you do it. And the key reason for doing anything is your love, passion for it. And now I have gotten entangled in one of my philosophies, Mr Shakespeare!