Tomorrow is Shut Down Day, which of course means have to work.
But I will try to do as much as possible without the computer and definitely not use the internet so THERE.
Also this means there won't be any posting. However I got some GREAT material to go up on Sunday (if I don't have to work) so catch you then.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Spaces Art Mart 2007
Spaces Art MartMarch 23-30, 2007
2220 Superior Viaduct
Cleveland OH 44113
Come and support local artists by perusing (and possibly purchasing) some fine local art by our fine local artists at Spaces Gallery located on the Superior Viaduct.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Our Place in the Urban Age: CSU Forum
Our Place in the Urban Age ForumTuesday, March 22, 2007
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
4pm - 6pm
"This forum is the first in a year-long series celebrating of the 30th anniversary of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. The forum series, entitled Our Place in the Urban Age, will explore the dynamic role of cities in a world transformed by technology, climate change, modern lifestyles and a global economy. What will America's urban centers look like in what some are calling the Urban Age? What economic functions will cities serve, how will the quality of life change, and how will Cleveland and Northeast Ohio adapt?"
"Borrowed" from CSU Maxine Goodman Levin website.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
National Solar Conference 2007 - in CLEVELAND, OHIO
"Sustainable energy puts America to work"National Solar Conference 2007
July 7th - 13th, 2007
Cleveland Ohio
Right after hearing about a Plain Dealer article claiming that Green Building Fails to Thrive which, among other things, used tired, lazy excuses such as "The disappointing thing is we were all hoping consumers would embrace it and at least be willing to pay a substantial part of the premium," he [a lazy developer] said. "I can't say we were overwhelmed by the results financially." While I COULD point out the many fallacies of those remarks and even go off on a tirade about how developer driven building projects are constantly ruining what "design" is about I would rather point out that SOME industries and cities are EMBRACING green building.
Including Cleveland. Come and join us as we learn all we can about practical solar design applications and how we can harness it to grow economies. I promise, it won't be a quarter as boring as I just made it sound.
Ripped from the headlines:
The National Solar Energy Conference is the largest and most inclusive solar and renewable energy conference in the U.S. each year. SOLAR 2007, taking place in Cleveland, Ohio, will explore the theme “Sustainable Energy Puts America to Work .” The National Solar Energy Conference combines a premiere technical conference, plenary and forum sessions exploring both the conference theme and the most timely topics of the day, a Renewable Energy Products and Services exhibit that showcases manufacturers, dealers, distributors, installers and other related businesses and services, and workshops, tours and special events of interest to professionals and consumers.
SOLAR 2007 will feature the following:
36th Annual ASES Annual Conference
32nd Annual National Passive Solar Conference
2nd Annual Policy, Advocacy and Marketing Conference
Green Energy Ohio Annual Meeting
Renewable Products and Services Exhibition
Registration is open.
Just in case you missed the link
I promise more announcements about this as more info. comes up. Seriously, having a national renewable energy conference here in Cleveland could be HUGE for the city.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Visions of a City
You have until March 31st, 2007 to catch Visions of a City, Four Photographers in Cleveland, with a Soul (1925-2005) currently showing at the Beck Center for the Arts. Put on by Cleveland Artists Foundation the show hosts a series of photos from Arthur Gray, William Barnhill, Jasper Wood and Andrew Borowiec. Images vary from ghostly etheral images of a great city past, moments of time borrowed from those busy just living their days recent images of what a great forgotten city has become.It was easy to get lost in the images made more powerful or painful by some sense of familiarity with the subject. You have 11 days to go see for yourself. I suggest you get busy about it.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
At what point does virtual reality become as tedious as actual reality?
Well, if Case Western Reserve achieves their envisioned future, it could be quite possibly sooner then one would want to reasonably expect.
Announcing Cleveland 2.0, an online addition to the Second Life virtual reality "game" that attempts to create an online virtual life where you can live as you dream it. In essence, you can have whatever you want, as long as you work for it. Somehow very few people are making this connection to real life.
Anyway, those wacky lab-bunnies over at CWRU have spearheaded creating a version of our very own Cleveland, Ohio in the hopes of capitalizing on marketing possibilities and business infrastructure already prevalent in the online game.
My first intuition is an abhorrent fear of empty tumble weed streets and total social collapse similar to the envisioned Don't Date a Robot! video clip thanks to Futurama. Where people peruse a internet world from the sanctuary and sterility of their own climate controlled little office space, go shopping for homogenized goods, visit nice safe places and keep exposure to new and possibly life altering scenarios to an absolute minimum. Perhaps this is the pinnacle of mankind, we will take the physical plane from our burdensome lives and exist only as pixels in a pretend world, possibly safe from inclement weather, crime or even differing views. Where we truly control our looking glass selves and vet our avatars to convey only what we want others to see. No more cosmetic surgery, put away your knives, instead view upon our photoshopped wonder with awe.
Of course even that deciphering is abhorrent and ridiculous. We would never stoop to that, we are inherently social creatures currently grasping at straws as we attempt to assimilate to a solitary and sedentary lifestyle. The internet and false online worlds are what Ben and Jerry's ice cream tubs were mere years ago. Nothing more then empty hugs and self loathing wrapped in perceived comfort and quickly passing joy. "Oh, the time wasted!", we bemoan as we calculate the hours spent at a keyboard when we could have been out actually living life or creating something. Something to pass on to future generations. Something to share and bring joy to others.
So, as Cleveland creates its own dream image, with corporate sponsorships and stakeholdings in fake and pretend worlds dreamed up by whomever takes the time to, the real city attempts to struggle on, yoked by reality and human interaction, where instant gratification is a nice idea but hardly practical. And where do those of us who long to alter the course of our great city stand? Probably only in the real, physical world, the only place that actually has room for us that don't mind enjoying the journey probably more then the destination.
Chances are you wouldn't even notice us though. Not when those that want to change the world aren't programmed into the language of one designed just for visitors and shoppers. Not that that would bother you if you were never exposed to thoughts like that in the first place.
Announcing Cleveland 2.0, an online addition to the Second Life virtual reality "game" that attempts to create an online virtual life where you can live as you dream it. In essence, you can have whatever you want, as long as you work for it. Somehow very few people are making this connection to real life.
Anyway, those wacky lab-bunnies over at CWRU have spearheaded creating a version of our very own Cleveland, Ohio in the hopes of capitalizing on marketing possibilities and business infrastructure already prevalent in the online game.
My first intuition is an abhorrent fear of empty tumble weed streets and total social collapse similar to the envisioned Don't Date a Robot! video clip thanks to Futurama. Where people peruse a internet world from the sanctuary and sterility of their own climate controlled little office space, go shopping for homogenized goods, visit nice safe places and keep exposure to new and possibly life altering scenarios to an absolute minimum. Perhaps this is the pinnacle of mankind, we will take the physical plane from our burdensome lives and exist only as pixels in a pretend world, possibly safe from inclement weather, crime or even differing views. Where we truly control our looking glass selves and vet our avatars to convey only what we want others to see. No more cosmetic surgery, put away your knives, instead view upon our photoshopped wonder with awe.
Of course even that deciphering is abhorrent and ridiculous. We would never stoop to that, we are inherently social creatures currently grasping at straws as we attempt to assimilate to a solitary and sedentary lifestyle. The internet and false online worlds are what Ben and Jerry's ice cream tubs were mere years ago. Nothing more then empty hugs and self loathing wrapped in perceived comfort and quickly passing joy. "Oh, the time wasted!", we bemoan as we calculate the hours spent at a keyboard when we could have been out actually living life or creating something. Something to pass on to future generations. Something to share and bring joy to others.
So, as Cleveland creates its own dream image, with corporate sponsorships and stakeholdings in fake and pretend worlds dreamed up by whomever takes the time to, the real city attempts to struggle on, yoked by reality and human interaction, where instant gratification is a nice idea but hardly practical. And where do those of us who long to alter the course of our great city stand? Probably only in the real, physical world, the only place that actually has room for us that don't mind enjoying the journey probably more then the destination.
Chances are you wouldn't even notice us though. Not when those that want to change the world aren't programmed into the language of one designed just for visitors and shoppers. Not that that would bother you if you were never exposed to thoughts like that in the first place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)