Code As Poetry

the new Xbox 360 article on BBC

2005-12-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

The BBC has released an article on the lates gaming console, XBOX 360.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4482200.stm

At the link you can also find a video link that goes through the history of gaming from the PONG games in the 70s, the Mario years of the 80s, through the playstation years of the 90s

Graphic Novel Generator pt. 2...specificities

2005-12-01T23:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a mock set up:

You have a graphic novel. About 120 pages.
Each page consists on average 6 panels to tell the story.
That gives an average of 720 images.

Put those 720 images into a random generator. Most likely for the story to make any sense at all, images will probably be collected into groupings. A specific scene for example that would have a total of 10 panels would be one grouping. So the generator could randomize the order of the scenes - 72 scenes for example.

These 72 scenes could be placed with an individual number and then put into the generator (similar to how a wu-name generator would work with text), where it would pair the number with a placement in the layout of the story.

The Online Society of Gamers!!!

2005-12-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

It's this generation. It's the millions of nerds all around the world that grew up on computers, the nintendos, the super nintendos, the first 3D graphic games for PCs... It seems to all fit so nicely for this generation.
It was my generation that had the nintendo at a young age, then the super nintendo, then the playstation, playstation 2, and somehow making it to the right age range to play the 'new' thing - the Mature games, such as GTA. And now we're the age of kids that are the mass population occupying the virtual world of online games.

It leads to a few big questions such as where will our world be in 20 years? We've already embraced something as complex and intertwining as the Internet. We're now selling virtual spaces to each other for REAL money. We're buying and selling products that only exist in data.

We're meeting friends online - people we'll probably never meet in the flesh. We're building relationships. We're already living in our own virtual fantasies.
Most of young adults living in developed countries are consuming these laptops and pcs consistently, constantly upgrading these devices of storage, communication, and creation.

Generator Idea....

2005-11-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

I wonder how complicated a generator can be. We've seen name generators, Haiku generators, sonnet generators.... codes and random selection that deconstructs original formats and formulates new ones.

What if you were to have a comic book, say like Sin City, which is composed of several stories in one graphic novel. If you were to create a generator that would somehow compose a new graphic novel. The frames are cut up, muddled around and a generator would randomly select images to create a NEW story. What if the hero is killed halfway through the storyline, but pops back up again with his origins at the end of the story, and the opening of the book explodes with a scene supposedly set 30 pages later. It sounds far fetched, but with a computer, cutting picture frames can be rather simple, as does labelling each frame, coding it and mixing it into a generator.

Book Report

2005-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

When matt was describing Oulipo to the class a couple weeks ago, I found myself asking questions regarding the relevance of the topic. Finding odd and new ways to present text seemed a little arbitrary. I didn't see the point of creating new sonnets out of old ones, especially when the grammar was all over the place.

However, after recieving answers to those questions, more than anything, these different ways of portraying poetry, literature, etc, seems to me a jumping point for something more in context. If poetry is manipulated, switched around, jumbled about, and the outcome seems just as mixed, the new mixture provides for the artist/writer a new branch of understandings for the text. With that, the writer can compose his own piece in the formula of common literature, with the enhancements he has discovered in those experiments.

The idea of creating a Dadaist poem, transforming order into chaos, sensibility to vulgarity seems to me as well a great experiment of formulating my own text in a concept where there are no boundaries. And if i wanted to, i'd reestablish the text to fit the boundaries of literature and compose something original and 'poetic' at the same time.

When first coming to calArts, I was a huge fan of realistic/naturalistic acting. Creating a sense of the real world onstage. This was opposed by the manifesto of the school of theatre. The shows in CalArts, for a long time have been a pest of text. Words were abstract, heightened by avant garde performances.
It was difficult going away from a CalArts performance thinking "yeah I totally got it!" Most of the time after the show was spent trying to figure out what was meant when a character said this or that. As I got more accustomed to the way these shows were done (and participating in a number of them myself), I learned to appreciate the impressionistic representation of text. Real life sets the soil, a playwright plants the seed, and the productions take on the shape of a Jurassic periodic plant existing in 21st century Central Park.

Forwhat is textbuta tool createdbyman which canbemanipulatedbentcontrolledbroken down down down down
whatif wewereall to TALKLIKEBABIESfortherrrrrrrrestofourrrlives

text allows us to leave the norm and to escape to a world where we might enjoy ourselves or end up scratching our heads because some dude came up with something cool, and the other dude just doesn't get it. all in the eye of the beholder.

homework is late!

2005-11-14T23:37:00.000-08:00

Jason,

if you get this on Monday night, this means that I was not able to conduct my book report. Migranes have been inflicting my ability to do productive things apart from reading comic books...

the book report will be posted on the blog before Wednesday's class.

matthew

Virtual Property Market Booming - BBC Article

2005-11-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Property is hot in virtual worldA gamer who spent £13,700 on an island that only exists in a computer game has recouped his investment, according to the game developers.
The 23-year-old gamer known as Deathifier made the money back in under a year.
The virtual Treasure Island he bought existed within the online role-playing game Project Entropia.
He made money by selling land to build virtual homes as well as taxing other gamers to hunt or mine on the island.
Project Entropia offers gamers the chance to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, a trend which is gaining popularity as the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds continue to blur.

Property boom
There are fortunes to be made in the burgeoning world of MMORPGs (massive multiplayer online role playing gaming).

The views in the virtual world are pretty good"The money made to date is only a taste of what can be achieved with my virtual island purchase," said Deathifier.
"We've really only just begun with the estate sales and land management, there is still more room for growth and revenue with the untapped resources surrounding the land."
Last month, another of Entropia's virtual properties - a virtual space station - sold at auction for £57,000.

While the real housing market may be somewhat static, the one in the virtual world is booming, said the space station action winner, gamer Jon Jacobs, AKA Neverdie.
He said the virtual real estate market was "on fire" as gamers increasingly realised that virtual worlds could start to compete with real worlds at an economic level.
Neverdie plans to use his space station to establish an in-game "night club" through which the entertainment industry can sell music and videos to gamers.
The Entropia economy works by allowing gamers to exchange real currency for PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money.
Ten PEDs are the equivalent to one US dollar and gamers can earn cash by accumulating PEDs via the acquisition of goods, buildings and land.
Project Entropia was launched in 2003 and now has 300,000 registered accounts.

Haiku Generator

2005-10-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

Nouns:

"penis", "2", "orange", "2", "mask", "1", "chow mein", "2", "poster", "2", "lotion", "2", "light bulb", "2", "car pool", "2", "pillow", "2", "ceiling", "2", "comic", "2", "sunflower", "3", "soul", "1", "font", "1", "bungalow", "3", "canopy", "3", "crib", "1", "potato", "3", "cloud", "1"

Verbs:

"jump", "1", "cum", "1", "slip", "1", "pop", "1", "rush", "1", "light", "1'", "tap", "1", "severe". "2", "stew", "1", "heal", "1", "slice", "1", "crack", "1", "scratch", "1", "dancing", "2", "swatting", "2",
"blister", "2", "fuck", "1", "fly", "1", "flutter", "1", "conserve", "2"

Adverbs:

"quickly", "2", "silently", "3", "harshly", "2", "sparsely", "2", "hurriedly", "3", "badly", "2", "effectively", "4", "cautiously", "3", "recently", "3", "ecstaticly", "4", "little", "2", "verbosely", "3", "much", "1", "frequently", "3", "purposefully", "4", "ostintatiously", "5", "erratically", "4", "morosely", "3", "deviantly", "4", "early", "2"

Adjectives:

"synchronized", "3", "ambiguous", "4", "vaccant", "2", "glum", "1", "gorgeous", "2", "kleidoscopic", "5", "wanton", "2", "horny", "2", "archaic", "3", "non-chalant", "3", "conformed", "2", "devious", "3", "malnutritioned", "4", "dead", "1", "gargantuan", "4", "succulent", "3", "elusive", "3", "prickly", "2", "flatulant", "3", "indecisive", "4"

experts group

2005-10-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

mpeg - motion picture experts group

jpeg - joint photographic experts group

mp3 - motion picture experts group level 3

Two lists for the Wu name Generator

2005-10-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Your name will be that of a Wu Xia warrior of ancient China.

List One -

Broken
Swift
Flying
Heavenly
River
Blue
King
General
Prime
Master
Dark
Little
Mighty
Steel
Iron
Lightning
Hooking
Golden
Small
Drunken
Beggar
Buddha
Crouching
Hidden
Crippled
Sleeping

List Two -

Tiger
Dragon
Sword
Arrow
Moon
Lionheart
Griever
Kick
Leg
Uppercut
Sky
Cloud
Dagger
Palm
Staff
Fist
Buddha
Snow
Hands
Dreamer
Eden
Leviathan
Pandemona
Siren
Lantern

Jed's Other Poem

2005-10-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

I adore this song and the music video that goes along with it. What an impressive form of art a simple computer from the past can do.

http://www.stewdio.org/jed/

From mindsports. Hexagrams 52 and 30.

2005-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hexagram 52. Ken.

Inaction.

The Image:

Mountain upon mountain: the image of Ken. The superior man, in accordance with this, does not go with his thoughts beyond the position in which he is.

Miscellaneous Signs (41 , 42 , 51)

Chen starts, Ken stops.

The Judgement

When his resting is situated in the back, and he loses all conciousness of self; when he walks in his courtyard, and does not see anyone in it: there will be no error.

Commentary

Ken denotes stopping or resting ; resting when it is the time to rest, and acting when it is time to act. When one's movements and restings all take place at the proper time, his way of proceeding is brilliant and intelligent. Resting at the proper time is resting in one's proper place. The upper and lower lines of the hexagram exactly correspond to each other, but (being improper correlates) are without any interaction; hence it is said that the subject of the hexagram has 'no conciousness of self'; that when he walks in his courtyard, he does not see any of the persons in it; and that there will be no error.

The Lines

Bottom six:Showing its subject keeping his toes at rest. There will be no error; but it will be advantageous for him to be persistently firm and correct.
Commentary:'He keeps his toes at rest': he does not fail in what is correct under the influence of Ken.

Six in the second place:Showing its subject keeping the calves of his legs at rest. He cannot help the one whom he follows, and is dissatisfied in his mind.
Commentary:'He cannot help him whom he follows': the subject of the third line will not retreat and listen to him.

Nine in the third place:Showing its subject keeping his loins at rest, and separating his ribs from the body below. The situation is perilous, and the heart glows with suppessed excitement.
Commentary:'He keeps his loins at rest': the danger produces a glowing heat in his heart.

Six in the fourth place:Showing its subject keeping his trunk at rest. There will be no error.
Commentary:'He keeps his trunk of his body at rest': he keeps himself free from agitation.

Six in the fifth place:Showing its subject keeping his jawbones at rest, so that his words are all orderly. Occasion for repentance will disappear.
Commentary:'He keeps his cheek bones at rest': in harmony with his central position, he acts correctly.

Top-most nine:Showing its subject devotedly maintaining his restfulness. There will be good fortune.
Commentary:'There is good fortune through his devotedly maintaining his restfulness': to the
end he shows himself generous and good.

Hexagram 30. Li.

Clinging Brightness

The Image:
Brightness clinging to brightness: the image of Li. The superior man, in accordance with this, cultivates more and more his brilliant virtue, and diffuses its brightness over the four quarters of the world.
Miscellaneous Signs (9 , 10 , 29 , 55 , 56)

Fire mounts in Li; water in K'an descends.

The Judgement

Li indicates that, in regard to what it denotes, it will be advantageous to be firm and correct, and that thus there will be free course and success. Let its subject also nourish a docility like that of the cow, and there will be good fortune.

Commentary

Li means 'being attached to'. The sun and moon have their place in the sky. All the grains, grass and trees have their place on the earth. The double brightness adheres to what is correct, and the result is transforming and perfecting all under the sky.The weak second line is the dominant ruler, and occupies the central and correct position, giving the indication of 'a free and successful course'; therefore 'nourishing docility (like that of the cow)' will lead to good fortune.

The LinesBottom nine:Showing one ready to move with confused steps. But he treads at the same time reverently, and there will be no mistake.
Commentary:The 'reverent attention directed to his confused steps', is the way by which error is avoided.

Six in the second place:Showing its subject in his place in yellow. There will be great good fortune.
Commentary:The 'great good fortune, occupying his place in yellow', is owing to his holding the course of the due mean.

Nine in the third place:Showing its subject like a setting sun. Instead of playing on his instrument of earthenware, and singing to it, he utters the groans of an old man of eighty. There will be evil.
Commentary:'A position like that of a setting sun': how can it continue long?

Nine in the fourth place:Showing the manner of its subject's coming. How abrupt it is, as with fire, with death, to be rejected.
Commentary:'How abrupt is the manner of his coming!': none can bear him.

Six in the fifth place:Showing its subject with tears flowing in torrents, and groaning in sorrow. There will be good fortune.
Commentary:The good fortune attached to this weak line is due to its occupying the place of a king or prince.

Top-most nine:The king employs its subject in his punitive expeditions. Achieving admirable merit, he breaks only the chiefs of the rebels. Where his prisoners were not their associates, he does not punish. There will be no error.
Commentary:'The king employs him in his punitive expeditions': the object being to bring the regions to a correct state.

I-Ching

2005-10-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

"Am I really doing what I should be?"

Three coins in my hand:

first throw

3 heads = 6. A broken line ( ---- ---- ) which changes to a firm line ( ------- )

second throw

2 tails = 8. A broken line ( ---- ---- ) that does not change.

third throw

2 heads = 7. A firm line ( -------- ) that does not change.

fourth throw

3 heads = 6. A broken line ( ---- ---- ) which changes to a firm line ( -------- )

fifth throw

2 tails = 8. A broken line ( ---- ---- ) that does not change.

sixth throw

2 heads = 7. A firm line ( -------- ) that does not change.

Original hexagram:

Upper:

--------
--- ---
--- ---

Lower:

-------
--- ---
--- ---

= 52. Power in Stillness.

Changing hexagram:

Upper:

-------
--- ---
-------

Lower:

-------
--- ---
--- ---

= 30. Dependant Light.

Hexagram 52 (taken from www.dreamhawk.com)

Kên (Pro: Gên; vowel so short as to be almost non-existent) - Power In Stillness

Listening to the voice of the silence, beyond the confusion of thoughts and senses brings us to the centre of things.
From here we act when there is need to act. We remain silent and still when there is need for inaction.

Often we create an enormous inner storm because our emotions or thoughts call up an imagined reality in which we then live in turmoil. Like someone for years fearing their partner will leave them, and so living in turmoil even though the partner is still there.
When you walk for hours up a mountain and then look back, the affairs of your life seem far away. Things that may have troubled can be seen in perspective from such a height. There is a remove from the immediacy of events that stirred us emotionally.

The ability to stand aside from emotions and thought, and see them as the scurrying ants they are, is necessary or possible in regard to this query. Recognise how great a skill it is to be capable of stilling thoughts and reactions and simply observe. This is done by recognising thoughts and emotions are not reality itself, only a phantom of it.
It must be remembered however that BEING or stillness, is balanced by BECOMING or change. In some way there is overbalance here toward being. Care must therefore be taken not to
repress change.

Key words: Still the mind and heart, lest their tempest rob all peace. Find balance between Being and Becoming.

The Moving Lines
1. The subtle inclination to move ahead on something new needs to be stilled. What ever you want to advance on, take time to consider in stillness for a while. When perception comes persist, to avoid irresolute indecision.

2. Too late you realise this direction should not have been taken, but you are carried along through involvement. It is not too late to stop, but you may not stop the person pressing you on.

3. In trying to stop the storm of sexual desire or emotions it must not be forced. Such desire imprisoned by restraint leads to painful conflict. Better to grow from within than to place restraints externally.

4. When the cat waits for the mouse its whole being is involved in its stillness. We would be wise to be as complete in our stillness as the cat. Do not fight motivations, but do not identify either.

5. Sometimes words are spoken out of agitation rather than quiet wisdom. Best then to remain silent and only speak when there is need.

6. Real stillness arises when within non action, there is no attempt to rigidly hold movement at bay. One does not motivate action, and yet allows things to happen. Deep self acceptance has flowered.

Hexagram 30

Li (Pro: Lee) - Dependent Light

The candle flame depends upon the wax for its light. Its flame kindles as many candles as touch it. Each igniting others.
The light of your own mind was lit by those who taught you. Honour this and realise your part in the scheme of things. Being receptive allows this inner light to burn brightly. This leads to greater connection with all, and brings success. Shed your light into the darkness of other lives.
In all ways ones existence is dependent upon all that exists. The flame of consciousness ignites through the intricate working of the body. It is a truth of life that we depend upon air, water and food. We also need others to make our clothes, grow our food, and teach us. Recognise your place in this world of interdependence and give as well as receive.

With joy accept this connection with all things and be a part of it. While aiming to be self reliant, accept your place in the community of beings which is society and nature. All are co-creators of the universe. Being independently a part of the creative whole leads to success.

Key words: Take time to clearly see your connections with family, society and the world. Acknowledge and work with these.

The Moving Lines.
1. Confusion - through the conflicting impressions of everyday life - may make it difficult to choose your actions. But a ship moves to its goal through innumerable alterations in course. Be like the ship by keeping your goal in mind.

2. Extremes of any kind have no place here, for you walk the middle path. This highest culture is beautiful. The sun shines, all is well. Supreme good fortune.

3. When the sun is setting we must prepare for darkness. An end is in sight. Prepare for it now, but enjoy the beauty of the sunset. To cry mournfully about endings or death, or to frantically grasp pleasures, is to miss living from the changeless.

4. Some good things come and pass from our hands before we even experience their delights. Do not burn your life away like a straw fire, without substance to create lasting warmth.

5. Tears of lament may bring good fortune. Such tears about life’s passing away may bring a change of heart and strength to meet what comes.

6. You may have to be forceful to correct the situation. Avoid unnecessary retaliation however. Discriminate between what must be removed and what disciplined.

Experimental Writing Conference

2005-09-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Oct 28-29th. RedCAT

Oulipo

Entry 3 - third class

2005-09-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Automated SPAM!

Originally from organized crime. Russian teenagers that have infected computers and bounced around web links so you can't trace it.

Now computers are spending 24 hours a day sending out hundreds of e-mails an hour.

Automated complex progress.

But for blogger.... has filters. how come they're in the comments? Spam comments?
Sneak in links. Links to addresses.

part 2

2005-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

the Zohar predicted things...

like the world was round when everyone thought it was flat.

like immortality near the year 2000, when in 98 scientists created immortal human cells.

Okay.

I'm still not converted.

THE PURPOSE OF KABBALA - TO TEACH US HOW TO RECIEVE

But apparently the things we truly want to recieve in life AREN'T PHYSICAL
okay. i understand that.

after much rambling, we come to a conclusion: The purpose of Kabblah is to teach us how to receive Spiritual Light in our lives.

EVERYTHING WE DESIRE FROM LIFE IS LIGHT (ENERGY).

then you need to learn the game of life....

kabbala

2005-09-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

A body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

if it's esoteric, how can i become a believer in kabbala?

kabbalah.com

!

Apparently, it's a source of power that is so magnificent, it can change the world for the good - forever... also answers the questions of who we are, where we came from, and why we're on this earth...

Source of kabbala is the Zohar. An ancient 23 volume book. this book is also the greatest force of divine energy known to man. I hope they've got it locked in a good safe. And historians are believing it is the authentic holy grail... it generates endless miracles!
Okay...

Now it gets confusing. the 'secret' of the Zohar's unparalleled power is that it radiates light.... okay well that's a secret no longer is it. if you're gonna put it online, it's not a secret. it;'s a piece of fact. You have to hold the book, meditate upon the book, or learn the wisdom to recieve that 'light'.

Okay so all i'm getting so far is that Kabbala is great because there's this book, it's brilliant, like a weapon. it generates light. but it's a secret, so keep it on the low down. brilliant. it tells us everything we want to know about ourselves. it tells us how to lead our lives. The Zohar. from the dictionary, i'm told it's based of jewish teachings, and that it's esoteric. like an esoteric cult.

but remember! (the website tells me)
kabbalah (or however you want to spell it) is light. actually it's "light". the website is still throwing metaphors at me. But it is NOT religion. it's "light".

They tell me Shakespeare was into it, Jesus was, Plato, Pythagoras, Muhammad - all influenced by this Zohar bloody light.

now it mentions i can do a test drive kabbala course online.

what is the system

2005-09-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

the letter combinations in Llull's system were not concieved as the source of creation. it's purely a classification of statements and knowledge. Look at the system as an idea of how to live your life. You just can't do illegal combinations with the system or you'll feel real bad about yourself....

confused

2005-09-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still rather lost on what Llullism actually is.

Llull

2005-09-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

to me it sounded like Llull was a fantatic of Moses and decided to go on his own preaching spree with the new shape of "commandments". Too bad his was stoned to death by Muslims, while using the system he recieved from god as a missionary device. can't believe everyone, can't persuade everyone. Language is a virus. Sometimes it can be unsuccessful.

Code As Poetry - Entry 1

2005-09-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Week One and back into the swing of critical study classes. Brilliant.
Code as Poetry - obviously quite different from what Poetry as Code might be... which actually lured me to the class in the first place. But after reading the blurb in the CalArts course catalog, it still posed a certain amount of interest to me.
I think what I'm going to be focused more in this class is the historical aspect of it all. Once instructor Brown mentioned we'd be dealing with the background of the work, and where it all came from, then I got that much more excited! I'm a big history geek and love finding out about specific differences and similarities throughout the ages.