Get Shouty

Massages are good. Most recommended.

Matt Harding presenting at  Ignite at Gnomedex in Seattle last year.

Ignite is coming to Sydney on January 22nd, 5.30pm for 6.30pm at the Shelbourne Hotel 200 Sussex St, Sydney, NSW 2000.

What will these guys say in  just 5 minutes, 20 slides, where each slide lasts just 15 seconds?

• Matt Moore : Words at work. What links Flickr, mind maps, and a vengeful God?
• Jason Yip : Lean programming – The fridge vs the radiator
• Kieran Ots : A year of failed projects (and what I learned from them)
• Richard Lane : Mapping the sky – Is bigger always better?
• Mark Pollard : 7 things you can learn from hip-hop
• Amy Martin : Job-hunting tips from the experts
• Pamela Fox : HTML5 vs Flex for Rich Internet Applications
• Jeremy LeBard : Australians are a nation of readers. Why do we need Amazon?
• Geoff Bowers: Setting Fire To Your Community. A tale of Japanese mummies, karmic balance and benevolent dictators
• Chloe Mason : Why Sydney needs active travel
• Meitar Moscovitz : How technology influences sexual awareness (and vice versa)

See you there. There might be dancing.

Gav knows I keep a wardrobe of fluffy ears at work. I met CK in a pair of particularly fetching ones when we caught up in the very swank Soho House Bar in NY.

They’ve always helped when things get muppety:

• A situation brought about by a person who is ignorant and generally has no idea about anything.
• A situation where a person, who defies explanation with regard to common sense and logic, exhuming an air of confidence that is mutually exclusive to that of their accomplishments or ability, tries to set and steer direction.
• Any situation when ‘Muppets Ho‘ is an appropriate rallying cry. Boarding pirate ships and setting things on fire or drinking apple martinis come to mind.

Sometimes, it’s just easier (and certainly more fun) to get into the swing of things.

Perhaps amplification might provide illumination.

Perhaps if I’m extra silly and extra muppety, it will help point out gaps.

So, today, I’m joining the conga line of bunny hopping penguins….

As of Wednesday, October 29, 8 A.M. (U.S. EST) the Age of Conversation 2 will be available for purchase at http://www.lulu.com/ageofconversation.

I can’t resist:

Yo AOC2 let’s kick it
Nice/nice – maybe (x2)

All right stop collaborate and listen
Conversation is back. (Not a brand new invention!)

Media dollars are acting tightly
But information flows daily and nightly
Will it ever stop yo I don’t know
But if you turned off the TV would you slow?

To the extreme you rock a media plan like a vandal
People’s attention’s not a moth to a candle
They don’t go rush to the speaker that booms
Advertising kills your brain like a poisonous mushroom

Deadly when you play a jingle melody
Anything less than the best is a felony
Conversation- Love it, a pretty good way
You can hit bull’s eye- help people play
If there was a problem, yo it might solve it
Check your stats, and community involve it

Take heed ’cause I’m a lyrical poet
Social Media’s on the scene- in case you don’t know it
Each tribe creates territorial grounds
A million opinions and conversations sound
‘Cause their styling like a content spill
It’s enough to make a publisher ill
Conducted and formed
This is a hell of a concept

You make hype but-you want to step with this
Listen- give back. Steal hearts like a ninja.
Cut through like a razor blade. Give a damn
My advice: build happiness. Sell it by the gram
Keep composure. It’s sure to get loose
Magnetize people by your worthy juice
If there was a problem, yo conversation might solve it
Check out the book while the AOC2 team resolve it :

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Words of wisdom from Chloe. Thanks Stan.

Beeker, the Swedish Chef and Animal…it just doesn’t get better than this.

Have a scroll around- Beeker also does a great Ode To Joy, Sam the Eagle and friends do a very serious rendition of Stars and Stripes Forever and Statler and Waldorf claim their place in culture

Thanks for the pointer Ash.

09/09/2008, originally uploaded by katie_chatfield.

You gotta wear 3d shades.

And travel by bmx.

In the office

Here it is. Awesome.

From religious fundamentalism to pseudoscience, it seems that forces are attacking the Enlightenment world view – characterised by rational, scientific thinking – from all sides. The debate seems black and white: you’re either with reason, or you’re against it. But is it so simple? In a series of special essays, New Scientist looks more carefully at some of the most provocative charges against reason. The results suggest that for all the Enlightenment has achieved, we still have a lot of work to do.

How to make reason more reasonable

How humans dared to know

The 21st-century passion for “Enlightenment values” owes a lot to the 18th century. Philosopher A. C. Grayling discusses where those values come from and what they mean today.

1: Reason stands against values and morals

Shaping a moral and humane world requires more than reason, says Archbishop Rowan Williams.

2: No one actually uses reason

If we had to think logically about everything we did, we’d never do anything at all, says neuroscientist Chris Frith. Watch a related video

3: I hear “reason”, I see lies

Science is routinely co-opted by governments and corporations to subvert people’s ability to make their own decisions, say sociologist David Miller and linguist Noam Chomsky.
Watch a related video.

4: Reason excludes creativity and intuition

Reason is lost without art, says Turner prizewinner Keith Tyson. Watch a related video.

5: Whose reason is it anyway?

Real people don’t live their lives according to cold rationality, says bioethicist Tom Shakespeare. Watch a related video.

6: Reason destroys itself

Even in formal mathematics, reason breaks its own rules, says mathematician Roger Penrose. Watch a related video.

7: Reason is just another faith

Unconditional reliance on a single authority is never sensible, says philosopher Mary Midgley.

“The truth is that wherever you go, people want ideas, want language, want discussion, want space to share and to talk. The Web is great but there is nothing better than people in a room together. I used to be a bit dubious about all these literary festivals happening all the time, but this last visit to Sydney has convinced me of how important, and necessary they are. There is a collective hunger for real things – a kind of self-administered antidote to consumerism and spin. Yes, people spend money, buy books, but it is not about redundant marketing or pointless shopping; it is about really choosing instead of being fed the lie of choice.” Jeanette Winterson

Thank you Mrs Tulip

Have been meaning to share this story since Paul tweeted it a while back:

Listen to this CBC Podcast.

It’s a very moving and beautiful segment about  Jamie Livingston, who took a Polaroid a day for 18 years including his last. The show includes interviews with Hugh Crawford and Betsy Reid, who re-photographed over 6,000 Polaroids and created the site, as well as Chris Higgins of Mental Floss, who uncovered the site before it was ever meant to be found. You can also hear Betsy read the letter Jamie wrote to the Polaroid Corporation in 1986.

Chris Higgins lets us into his experience:

Yesterday I came across a slightly mysterious website — a collection of Polaroids, one per day, from March 31, 1979 through October 25, 1997. There’s no author listed, no contact info, and no other indication as to where these came from. So, naturally, I started looking through the photos. I was stunned by what I found.

His post unravels the story. It’s a beautiful and fragile reminder of everyday ordinaryness and personal heroics. Of how an art can give us insight and help us understand the world. Of what can happen when we share ourselves. Check it out.

The possession of knowledge
does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery.
There is always more mystery.
Anais Nin