heathervescent

Awarded an Honorable Mention by the APF

The Association of Professional Futurists recently awarded me an Honorable Mention for a paper entitled, The Value Exchange. 

The Value Exchange is an alternate scenario of the future based on my Future of Alternate Currency and Transactions research results. This future world juxtaposes augmented reality, activist web cam monitoring, a weighed value exchange and a group of renegade cacophonists who target those of a certain value score for "re-programming." It's the love story between the cacophonist minion sent to acquire the target for programming, and the target - a beautiful biotechnician, the daughter of Nobel prize winner Janet Hill, founder of Novenify. But of course, not all goes as planned. And not everyone is who they say they are.

Necessary, Possible and Beyond

"Start by doing what is necessary,
then by what's possible
and suddenly you are doing the impossible!"
- Plaque above Walter Wong's Desk (the best Saab mechanic in all of LA)

Announcing: Bitcoin Usage Survey

I've been following Bitcoin since last year as part of my research on the Future of Alternate Currencies and Transactions and boy has the interest, media articles and general discussion exploded recently!

Most of what I have seen covered in the media channels is not what I find most interesting about Bitcoin. Additionally, the perspective is from a non-user. The researcher in me wants to know the perspective from the inside. To do that, I have released a survey exploring Bitcoin usage. Like my past survey, I will release the results to the community and it will be anonymous. 

If you are a participant in the Bitcoin economy, user of bitcoins, mine bitcoins; would you please take the survey here: https://bitly.com/kMkYHJ

I sincerely thank you for your time. 

Community Garden Side-Effects

Earlier this year, I was a lucky lottery winner in the new West Hollywood Community Garden. I'm a big fan of urban gardening and have been doing my best at container gardening; but was there's just so much you can grow in a container. 

So one bright morning I sat in a room with a bunch of other people competing for one of 30 spots in the new garden. I was trying to cool my competitive air saying, that if I get it great, if not, I'll just expand the containers. However the turn-out was so low that everyone in the room got a plot!

Fast forward a month or so and I'm finally breaking ground and planting seeds. With every visit to the garden I get to know my fellow gardeners and we strike up conversations about plants, gardening, the neighborhood. It's a fun and relaxed community. But it's not limited to the garden!

I'm starting to see my fellow gardeners around the neighborhood. Just yesterday, while I was walking the dog, I ran into a gardener who I was having a conversation with just the night before. She lives less than a block away from my house. And just across the street is another gardener. What a small world!

Who would have thought I would get to know my neighbors by participating in the community garden. It just makes me love my community even more. 

Martial Training

"You can take the girl out of Aikido/weapons training class, but you can't take the weapons training out of the girl." -moi

A surprising facet of myself made an appearance at a party this last weekend. I was excited to don a new persona: The Luchador! for a friend's Lucha vs Quinceanera Party. I crammed by body into as much spandex as I could find, braided up some pigtails and donned several masks.

I was having a grand old time imbibing the wonderful Margaritas and talking with people who didn't recognize me (nor I them), when we were alerted that it was Pinata Time! A huge Tecate pinata had been strung up outside and the party filtered out around it. A broom handle was brought out and turns were passed around. I was wearing my double mask from Peru.

 I swear I was just standing there, innocently watching the attack on the Tecate Pinata, when all of a sudden the stick was thrust into my face. What could I do, but take it and step into the circle. The blindfold was applied over my two masks - it's not like I could really see out of them anyway. Spun away I was left discombobulated.

With the staff in my hand, something beside my brain took over: it was body memory. Body memory over a decade from my Aikido Weapons Training with Jo (Staff) and Bokken (Sword). The next thing I knew, I was performing Katas and thoroughly destroying said innocent Tecate Pinata. Empty beer cans flew from the destroyed pinata and I was reminded of skills I had long forgotten.

Heathervescent's Los Angeles

Yesterday I spent an hour on the phone giving an introduction to cool things and areas in the City of Angeles. In preparation for the conversation, I pulled out my Google Map: Heathervescent's LA. 

For the first 3 years I lived in Los Angeles, I explored the city. Every day I was in awe at what I would find. Los Angeles was not only the stereotypical brand. There was so much to discover, so much real and authentic and unexpected. I came to fall in love with my city. 

Back then I started this map. There was  no Yelp. User generated content lived on blogs or forums. I did all my local reviews on my blog or blogs I was writing for, and was very active in the blogging community. So it was a lot of fun to go back and update a few spots on the map. 

If you're new to LA - or just looking to explore our city a little more - you might enjoy checking out Heathervescent's LA. 

Hands and Eyes, My Critical Interface

People talk a lot about user interfaces, designing good interfaces, testing interfaces. I've had my own share of user interface discussions during my career (having done usability testing, product management and reading Jakob Nielson since 1996). Despite the focus on software interfaces, the most important interface is not on a screen, it's the keyboard.

As a creator with words, the keyboard is my one-way input device. It is the human-computer interface where the electrical signals in my head turn into the electrical signals in the computer. The software of language is used in my brain - as well as mimicked in the computer.

Touchpads are on almost every devices today. My laptop has had them for, I don't know, 10+ years, and I've always ignored or disabled them. I tried to switch to a Mac 5 years ago, but the crummy keyboard and forced touchpad sent me running back to my ThinkPad. And here I will state my opinion: the ThinkPad has the best keyboard/human interface hands down.

Before I switched to ThinkPads exclusively, I the keyboards and mouse interfaces physically debilitated my body. I ended up with a problem in my right shoulder, arm and fingers. I went to 10 or 15 different doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractor, etc. Finally, someone was able to make it go away. My point is that the keyboard interface was really bad. The tool maimed the user. I wasn't about to stop typing, so I went on a mission to find a good interface. 

This is when I found the ThinkPad. From the moment I put my fingers on the keyboard, I felt like they were sliding into a moist, slick, organic interface. It's something about the shape of the keys, the response of the them. IBM (the original owners of ThinkPad) were known for making excellent keyboards - and it shows.  The red button (which is my mouse) is navigated by by right pointer finger - as an extension of my finger on the screen. When I put my finger on that red button, it becomes the mouse on the screen. My (finger) self becomes the cursor on the screen.

Recently the boyf surprised me with a new ThinkPad. I was ready to upgrade from my T61 and had been watching the new ThinkPad models. The T420s showed up one morning with a major improvement: a nubby touchpad. 

From the moment I saw this improvement, I knew why I hated touchpads of the past, and why this one was very different. The problem with touchpads (and smooth as glass interfaces) is there is no feedback. Smooth as glass is a one way input device. It can not respond to you like a key popping back to an unpressed state. 

But the feedback from nubby touchpad? As your finger moves around, you know where you are on the flat space. On a smooth surface, there is no context. The nubby touchpad reminded me of a research report I read several (10?) years ago, that reported that men prefer a smooth surface to touch perhaps because women's skin is smooth; while women preferred a rougher surface, maybe because men's skin is rougher. 

I always watched the user interface for gadget device manufacturers with this in mind. I certainly prefer a rougher surface, in my mind to recieve feedback of my input. I recently switched to an android touchscreen phone from my Blackberry. I must admit the smooth touch screen is very disconcerting. I don't like my finger slipping and sliding all over the glass. And I hate typing hunt and peck with my pointer finger. I learned to touch type 20 years ago.

Perhaps I'm showing my age with my preference to well made keyboards and interface mechanisms that give you feedback. I do know, that a well made keyboard interface can be a pleasure to interact with - and for me, there's no more important interface that quickly allows me to transmit the electronic signals in my brain, to the electric signals in the machine - for easy replication so that you can receive these same electrical signals in your brain, via computer-human interfaces.

Barcamp LA 8 Financials

The Barcamp Org team wants to be transparent with our numbers, and we've finally had a chance to reconcile the expenses for Barcamp LA 8. The good news is: all our costs were covered and we even have a surplus of $992.80. This money will be used to produce Barcamp LA 9.

As someone watching the ticket sales, getting sponsors and managing the budget, it was not obvious we would come out in the black until a few days before the event. We got some last minute sponsors and there were a fair number of last minute and on-site ticket sales.

Most importantly to note, this event would not have happened without the ticket sales. From the Income data below, you can see that ticket sales were 60% of the income. 

Square was the onsite ticket sales.  We had a total of 8 sponsors ranging from individuals who gave $100 to companies donating up to $500. Tickets cost anywhere from $25 to $55. People who bought tickets when we planned to have the event back in January for $35 were offered a second ticket at no extra cost as a thank you for their support. We did refund tickets for those who asked - and there were several people who did request this. Many people waited until the last minute to buy tickets - making the logistics more difficult - but also allowing us to cover costs and add lunch (pizza) both days.

Now let's look at the expenses. Because of the venue we selected (Mt Washington Elementary School) we did not have to pay for Insurance - usually a $700+ cost, but the trade-off was crummy Internet. 

Because of the last minute ticket sales and sponsorship, we were able to add sponsored breakfast both mornings and a lunch of pizza's both days. We had really wanted to provide meals, but our earlier budgets did not allow. When we saw (the day before Barcamp) we would have enough funds for lunch, we added it.

All in all the organizers were very happy that Barcamp LA 8 came out in the black. Since this was a successful event, we expect to be able to engage additional sponsors with the intention of lowering the cost or even making it free to attend. The organizers wish to thank each and everyone who bought a ticket. Your support really mattered in making this community event happen. We hope you will spread the word about BarcampLA 9 (not yet scheduled) and help us continue to have this community supported event in Los Angeles. 

Bitcoin: Values in Currency

Bitcoin may be a tragedy as it tries to bootstrap itself as a new currency, reflecting changing social values.

I've been following Bitcoin since late last year as part of my research on the Future of Currency and Transactions. Bitcoin in itself is an interesting concept in currency, self-organizing and do-ocracy. However right now, it's attracting a lot of speculators, which while are driving up the price and attracting a lot of media attention, are not helping spread the core ideology of the currency.

You see, Bitcoin is a currency that sets itself apart because of it's philosophy AND the application of technology to encode this philosophy in the system itself.

I see Bitcoin as a currency ahead of its time as well as reflecting shifting values of our time. Time will tell whether or not it will survive - and how much governments and banking institutions see it as a threat and want to "crush" it. 

Media coverage has really heated up in the past 4-6 weeks starting with this sensational (as in sensationalized media) piece by Jason Calacanis

I generally love Calacanis's work, but he poured gasoline on the fire there. Attracting the wrong kind of people to Bitcoin. I inwardly groaned when I saw this come out. It didn't help attract the type of people who could help Bitcoin grow to be a viable currency.

ArsTechnica came out with a more well rounded article on Bitcoin which I recommend. 

And the Economist had an article a few days ago, with shocking news of a first hack at the end of it as of today (6/15/2011). 

I myself, have watched this question/discussion on Quora (which includes my answer and my perspective). It's been interesting to see how the responses have heated during the media hype time.

My comment on Bitcoin from Quora

Bitcoin is one example of a decentralized currency created with values encoded in the "DNA" of the "currency." It is "good" if it aligns with your "values." It will be used by those who ascribe to the values encoded in the currency. It is one of many emerging alternate currencies with specific values encoded in the currencies "DNA." If you don't like the values encoded in Bitcoin (anonymity, peer-to peer, disruptive, tech-inclined, early-adopter bias, scarcity); there are many other emerging peer-to-peer, disruptive currencies you can also participate with, e.g. "influence" tracking, time banking, local currencies, etc. that have different values encoded in their "DNA." Bitcoin is not unique in it's execution of the values it ascribes to

My post explaining three concepts I'm use more to think about currency and transaction mechanisms: Efficiency | Resiliency | Anti-Fragility explains the structure in which I think about emerging alternate currencies. Bitcoin emerges distinctly in the Resiliency bucket encoded with technocrat values. 

But here's the problem. The Bitcoin system has attracted a bad element - speculators among one. Anyone who does community development knows you have to be careful who you include in your early adopter community if you want to create a specific type of community. Speculators are not there to help you build your anything. Speculators don't care if you (or your company or community) is devastated and left for dead once they've got their cash out (or barely keep you alive while they can get their cash out).

What we have here is a clash of social values in an economic system. A system was created with certain values encoded in them, but those values are being watered down with the current use. But Bitcoin won't be the only currency with these values encoded in the "DNA" of the system, even as they are the first.

End of an Era

The jagged hills hold back the horizon. Jet fighters outlined in the sky. All is dust. Temperatures well over 100. I descend from the sky into a town a have come to love. Stepping in the space between the airplane and jetway I am assaulted with the heat. I breath deep. My pores open. We navigate to the hotel. I recommended my local favorite - which happens to be almost 100 years old with a lot of history. We check in, collect our brass keys and meet Tiger, the bartender in the Tap Room. 

Later in my room, I'm finishing up the collage. I have looked through these pictures for hours the past two weeks. Meeting a different side of my aunt - who was like another grandparent to me. 

Chapel Service. White marble mausoleum. The sound of birds chirping in the heat. The priest arrives, dons his white robes. His sunglasses left laying on the altar. Candles are lit. I sweep my eyes across the lawn of green dotted by brown stone and colorful vases. I pause upon the names. I quietly consider some for my screenplay characters, names from a different era. 

A bird flys in, swooping low and then up. It's then I notice the tiny bird screeching. There's a nest of baby birds in the (open air yet shaded) chapel. I see their triangle beaks opening and closing as momma bird returns to feed them. 

It's a solemn moment. The music stops, the service begins. So many metaphysical thoughts. Conflicting philosophies. Beliefs. Yet all exist simultaneously. I look at the faces of those around me. I surprisingly recognize many from the pictures I have studied. I'm happy to know so many of them have pictures in the collage.

The ceremony closes. We say our last goodbyes. Beliefs thick in the hot air. We have our final celebrations. Return to our air conditioned cars, then the airport. The runway blurs under acceleration. The lift. Off the wing, a full moon rises in the desert dusk. Pale ivory in the pastel sky. (Nothing can compare to a full desert moon rising in the dusk.) Jagged desert mountain ranges silhouetted in the falling light.

The desert has recieved her and shines bright on a full life.

Writing Again

Letting the creative juices out. Spending mornings at my computer with coffee. Taking time off twitter. I feel I am most who I am silently composing these words. Read by some small group of people. These words are mostly here for me. The act of creation, the laying down of gems - of excellent adventure stories, memory jogs of direct experiences. To not forget my awesome life in the mundane day to day. 

Hollywood Wild Life

Imagine the scene from 12 Monkey's. That Terry Gilliam Sci-Fi film. Not the ones underground, not the final climax shot, not the crazy cackling Brad Pitt - the one with the animals running free in urban streets. The surface scene of wild animals taking back the city - a city void of homo sapien. Now put the people back.

A few days ago, my blogger pal, William Campbell shared a photo of a hawk in his backyard. It was a gorgeous photo of the same species of bird I have found in my own neighborhood Jacaranda Trees. In the five years I've lived in West Hollywood, it is getting increasingly wild - and not of the human sort. Wild animals find themselves cohabiting in the urban environment. I've seen coyotes (full grown and babies), a family of raccoons, parrots, mockingbirds, crows galore and I can't forget the time the dog pull a possum out of the bushes (he played dead of course). And of course the hawk - all within a block of my house. 

I love this increasing wildlife! And immediately had a vision of special "wild animal" parks - off limits to humans at night, open space, wild areas. Bulldoze a block of houses, let it go back to seed. Let the animals move in. Enough with the manicured parks. Let the earth be wild in urban areas.

 

Judgement, Hierarchy and Jumping the Stream

As part of my "light summer reading" I thought I'd dig into some more Ken Wilbur and his Magnum opus: Sex, Ecology & Spirituality. I've read some of Wilbur's other works, notably A Theory of Everything - back when it first came out and I lived in Berkeley and more recently toward the end of last year when he came up in one of my courses.

Since I am already familar with Wilbur and his concepts, SES is not challenging in shifting my worldview and understanding, but more in it's comprehensive and methodological unpacking of these concepts. Shining the light into every dark corner, opening closet doors, looking behind that wall of boxes to find yet another door - with another perspective, or understanding or way of looking at the world.

It's not shock that I've been obsessed with awareness, self-awareness, observation and so called "enlightenment" for decades. It's really tied into my desire to take full responsibility for who I am - including making who I am - which includes unmaking the person the world makes me be. 

So when I found Wilbur's levels of hierarchy/worldview explanation, it was a few years after I had crossed over beyond the judgemental, my way is the right way perspective. Oh - don't get me wrong - I do digress from time to time, but that's to be expected - I'm merely human. It's a strange detachment when you can see the world from "conflicting" perspectives. 

It was painfully obvious as I tried to read David Mamet's new novel - a massive raspberry in liberal thought. As I choked my way through three chapters last night over dinner, I couldn't shake the self-importance. OK, Mamet, go enjoy your mid-life crisis, but why don't you add some Ken Wilbur to your reading of Hayek. Also, just because you read Hayek, and are no longer a liberal, doesn't mean you are a conservative - there's another word for people like that - they're called Libertarians.

I should probably finish reading the book before attempting to review it further, lest I consider Mamet a genus in retrospect, but the substunce of his material was thin and read more like notes. Nassim Taleb, a thinker I adore, also has a difficult writing style. But where Taleb wins me over is his substance. Mamet, I don't know, I wish you the best in your self-understanding, but it as far as I can tell, you're re-categorizing things using different words, different judgements. You've cut off the head of one philosophy/political belief and replaced it with another - which has in no way transcended either philosophies/politics. Which is exactly the path that Wilbur paints. 

At a certain point, level, you jump ship, you cross the water. To a place that can hold the validity of various view as valid (maybe not equal) - including the view that all views could (or not) be valid. Oh what I tricky mobius philosophy!!!

For me, I find it more interesting on the other side of the bank, holding my mind open (it's damn hard at times) to see the validity of any particular perspective. When I'm alone, it's often a lot easier than when I am around others, with their various influences. But what fun is it to hold your worldview in a room of your own - alone? 

Years in the Future

One of my favorite times in Los Angeles, was when I lived on Future Street. I'd come home and turn off Division onto a one-way alley that shot straight up the hill. I lived in a house hidden behind 2-3 story high Cypress trees, switch backed on the street. My pardner was a vivacious woman 20 years my senior whom I met when I sublet her Venice house - my first place in the City of Angeles. She was writing her first US book (having been a successful Italian Fashion Writer for decades).

Those years in the future I was pro-active about my life. I was focused on actively _creating_ the life I dreamt. Living in the future gave those activities power. I literally and figuratively lived in the Future. It delighted me to no end.

But I knew those days would come to an end. And they did all too soon. I returned to the present and my rose colored glasses got somehow packed away in the move. I came to love my new city, especially the Jacaranda trees, walks with Romeo J Puppernut and a friendship that could not have developed in the future. But I missed the blue sky and blazen possibilities of the future. So I created an artifact, an entity that could bridge the present and future worlds. A funnel. Reaching into the future, existing in the present. Pulling from the undefined, nebulous possibility and manifesting a product reality. And, of course, incorporated with the IRS.

Recently, I have been returning to those future days. I was obsessed with game levels at that time. Life was a DiabloII quest, finding gems, fighting the good fight. But I also left gems, treasures. Returning to those writings, that mindset, those goal lists, the "hidden" treasures are in full light. A perfect example of my mobius self: my past self living in the future, talking/leaving messages to my future self living in the present. 

Last year, things changed. I returned to the Future with professional aspirations. I was ready to accept that I was a "Futurist" with all the baggage of failed jetpacks, incorrect "predictions" and a Hollywood vision filled post-apocalyptic BladeRunner possibilities. I embarked on a study to prepare myself to be a professional futurist. (Don't get me started on the amateur and pop futurists).

So here I am. Back in the waters of the future. Back to the Future!

The Tang of Housing

There's been an idea that's been constantly vying for attention in my mind. I haven't been giving it much attention, since it's outside of my current focuses, but it's gotten more and more insistent over the past few days. I couldn't put it off any longer.

Welcome to another installment of Heather's Intuitive Future Forecasts, this time, talking about building material and the future of housing.

The Tang of Housing: Space Development driving the Future of Housing on Earth

We're going to see a dramatic change in the materials we use and way we create shelter.  First, the housing many of us in the US live in are coming up on 100 years old. Even craftsmen houses are ageing. This was not a style of house that was built to last for 100+ years. (The Victorians on the other hand, with their plaster and lathe are a different story.)

Homes built in the past 20 years have even less longivity. Many were slap-dash thrown up during various housing building bubbles. (I can't imagine the state of the lofts in Potrero Hill building in 1999 that were occupied by a startup I worked for.)  Thus we're going to see the decaying of the existing housing stock. Which, frankly is fine. Because technology is changing and evolving faster than the existing housing infrastructure can deal with. And people want different things anyway.

Here's the math equation:

Innovations in material sciences

+ the desire for flexible application to technology

+ gamification/quantification trend

+ limited/reducing resource use

- 70s modern design models  

+ space travel as a weak signal.

You might ask, what does space travel have to do with housing?

A lot actually. A space travel industry could be jumpstarted by a revitalization in the earth housing industry. Many of the materials, modularity/repairability/extensibility needed for space, can be much simpler applied here on earth - for rapid prototyping. Our current housing stock is based on a paradigm of expanding resources that is just no longer the case. And with developing nations evolving into the developed - dense urban capacity is important more than ever. 

Think Tang for the Housing Industry.

Here's the vision of the house of the future. 

Using new materials developed for space use, prototype houses that have an electronic nervous system aka computer system. Walls and spaces must be flexible to allow for upgrading/switching/changing the infrastructure as the infrastructure is evolved. (Infrastructure = water, electricity, gas, air, internet/communication, waste and ??? else).

Additionally there will be tracking mechanism, although they will maintain privacy - we're not going to have Keeping up with the Jones changed to Competing with the Jones. This will monitor use and harvest/mining of resources. I see an integration with more urban gardening/green spaces plants: internal and directly external. Grass yards may be replaced with different types of plants.

There needs to be a way to recycle/evolve your living space, without having to be wealthy: permits and construction need to stop being available only for the wealthy. Government infrastructure and bureaucracy need to evolve to encourage the recycling of decaying homes utilizing old infrastructure to new homes that will pave the way for space development, travel and eventually living.

Engaging people to re-create their living spaces, while user/product testing materials, designs and mindsets that engage everyone to making the dream of space a reality. 

Use this housing development improving living on earth as a base to slingshot ourselves ad astra, beyond our dreams and desires.

With that, small insistent idea in the back of my mind, you have been set free into the world.

Efficiency / Fragility | Resilience | Anti-Fragility

From my research, I've come to think of the economic situation, included the expression of new currencies as these three ideas. 

Efficiency aka Fragility

When you optimize something for a specific output, it can become extremely efficient - but only in the way that it has been optimized. While this is great for achieving the task you have designed it for (perhaps product output) it can not necessarily withstand shocks to its system without receiving some damage or losing its integrity. You could say that this highly efficient system is also fragile. 

Resilience

While not the most optimized, something that is resilient can withstand shocks without losing its integrity or functionality. Resilience also includes diversity, options and variety. A resilient entity can withstand shocks.

Anti-Fragility

This is a term coined/defined/invented by Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness. He describes Anti-Fragility as something that benefits from shocks to itself/the system. An example of anti-fragility is bug testing new software. I see my work with the Cacophony Society as an expression of anti-fragility to social culture. An interesting thing I've noticed about anti-fragile things, is that at some point, something that is anti-fragile, becomes (more) resilient. Return to the software bug example, as you pound on the new release, finding (and then fixing) bugs, the software becomes more resilient.

And....

I see these three concepts as ideas that are moved between on a continuum. From my research on the Future of Alternate Currency and Transactions, it seems to me that the explosion in alternative currencies and transaction platforms is an emerging phenomum coming from the resilance bucket. Because the traditional economic system has been manipulated for hyper-efficiency. Many of the developments in alternate currencies are bottom-up, emerging from communities and individuals who are looking for more stability and security in the economic system. These are a direct response to the manipulated hyper-efficiency. (I alluded to it in this post, Why Alternate Currency Economies are good for the Traditional Economy.)

Now, these concepts are pretty raw, and the application of them to economics even rawer, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

Note: The ideas of efficient, resilience and anti-fragility are not my own. I have been significantly influenced by this paper from authors Lietaer, Bernard., Ulanowicz, Robert E., Goerner, Sally J., McLauren, Nadia. "Is Our Monetary Structure a Systemic Cause for Financial Instability? Evidence and Remedies from Nature" in the Journal of Future Studies.

Additionally, conversations with Dr. Oliver Markley and his work on resilience and wild cards have directly influenced my thinking as well as ideas written and spoken more eloquently than I, by Nassim Taleb. I am also very much influenced by Theodore Modis's work on S and Bell Curves and Harmonic Substitutions/Transitions.

What I have done, is take these concepts and braided them based on observation, intuition and results from my research on Alternate Currencies and Transactions of the Future.

Thanks to Sanjay Sabnani for the anti-fragile example of bugs in software. Many thanks also to my professors Andy Hines and Peter Bishop for their continuing support and dialog.

The Glue that Dries Clear

"If I've done a good job, no one will think I've done anything. I'll become the glue that dries clear."

It's beautiful when it happens. You see the tightening effect of the glue as it pulls the parts together, uniting the components, seamlessly. The solder that becomes part of the circuit. A composite whole, the individual parts easily identified, the wireframes, the code, the bugs, the screen designs. Or maybe it's the costumes, the props, the music, the lights, the make-up, the location, the audience.  Or maybe it's the glue that pulls together a community of people.

Being the glue isn't a visible role. Besides, you don't necessarily want to be visible, because you've failed the project if your seams shows, pieces fall out. But it's a double edged sword, because while the strength is in the invisibility, success is not explicitly obvious and rarely acknowledged.

Diamonds and Jacarandas

"May the four winds blow you home again."

Mornings are cool, moist breeze if I'm lucky. Colors psychedelic purple, vibrant green, magenta. Natural colors be-speckling the grey sidewalks, the black pavement. Trip-trotting four paws, black tail, white tip. Sniff.

I've set off on many adventures since moving to Los Angeles a mere 7 years ago. I arrived with a carload, a one month sublet and no plans, job or friends. All I knew is that Los Angeles wanted me. Adventures ensued. I've painted many canvas's of my identity here in this city of possibilities.

Seven years later, I know the curves of my city, caressing them with each kiss of my comings and goings. Fresh paved Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, dodging potholes on Olympic. I keep on dancing up and down the gears with the green and red. But what she has in store for me, is always a surprise. 

Today I was making room. Saying good-bye. I packed away all my performance equipment. Costumes, props from my Zombie Cabaret Troupe. Man, that was a blast! How many people can say they had a Zombie Cabaret Troupe in Hollywood? But that's in the past, for now at least. Packed up in boring brown boxes, taken up the industrial elevator to my storage unit in Hollywood. Surveying the stuff, I am reminded of these seven years. Each packet an icon, a symbol for the event, the moment, a memory trigger. I am not yet ready to release these items from my self. But I need the room for new projects, new adventures, new identities, so I pack these away for another day - if only a day for memories.

E.F. and I chat as I make room. We've gotten to know each other over the years. He's always saying something profound, something perfect for the moment. And no different today. Today, I brought him a copy of The Heart's Desire.

And you Nuestra Senora our Queen of Angels? Thanks for a roller-coaster seven years. It's not always easy and it's sometimes hard to be thankful living a self-actualized life, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Let's keep on flying and pull the net ever higher.

Recalibration

During a conversation, a good  friend recently said something like, "People don't change. At our age, we're pretty much who we're going to be." And while this is indeed the case for most, it doesn't have to be. This is/can be a key difference, expression of Free Will.

Recently, I've mentioned to several friends that I am "recalibrating my personality." Yes, I am actively readjusting my personality. Not just the external "personal brand," but indeed changing who I am. Nothing dramatic mind you, just small things. But the small changes expand into dramatic differences. 

Recalibrating my identity/personality is not a new activity for me. Just look at the title of my blog and you'll get an idea of how I see my life. "I am a blank canvas, my life is the painting." And while I may utilize the same medium (homo sapien vida), I can change the scene, use different colors, try different mediums.

I go back and read blog posts from 2005 or my journals from 2003 or diaries from the 90s. I laugh. I remember who I was. I remember who I thought I would be. And I am who I am today. Different from all.

My recalibration today is a challenge in braiding some of my most favorite identities. I love being an academic. I love walking the edge of cacophony. I love the stability of organizations to think long term. I love the support of a community. I love having goals. And I love living life by the seat of my pants, following a path with heart. If they look like contradictions, you're just limiting yourself to seeing one side of the coin.

Since I'm gonna change and evolve, I figure why not change and evolved to what I want to be, flexing my free will.

(I am) The Net

I'm reading James Ogilvy's Living without a Goal - in a way to remind myself of more carefree times in my life when I let life happen, when I was less fixated on success and achieving goals. 

It's been a good reminder. A return to well worn but overgrown paths. This morning, while enjoying my coffee, I came across this line:

After all, how could you ever fall through this immense net when you are part of that very net.

What a wonderful perspective! Of course, I always have thought of my own safety net, and many times I have helped lift others up. Right now, there are friends and colleagues that are helping me in ways that I have done for others. I guess you have to get out of your comfort zone to activate the net.

But that what life is all about. Getting out of your comfort zone and flying. Not to worry that you will get what you need in the time that you need it. And you will provide what others need, in the times that they need it.