As I mentioned in my previous post, at IBM Innovation Center in Chicago they have a Watson (more info here) interactive kiosk with which to play an interactive game of Jeopardy. In case you have been living in a cave for the past few months, Watson beat Jeopardy human champions on live TV, the significance of which can not be overstated.
Now, remember: this is a “small version” of Watson, and a “self-contained” version of Jeopardy.
When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine.
Picasso
May 15th I went to the #15M demosntration in Malaga (Spain). As I was by myself, and to document and support “the cause”, I took my camerca and zig-zagged thourgh the crowd, in a kind of amateur sociological analysis of the most interesting social movement in these turbulent times. Here are some not-so-random thoughts:
While no particular spacial organization can be detected in the demonstration, the group dynamics and power hierarchy (even if perceived representation power) applied their invisible forces once more to take the radicals (or most outspoken at least) to march in the front line, families in the middle, and party goers and curious at the back Most “organizers” and “speakers” and “banner-holders and support van drivers” were foreign (mainly Argentinians) Although supposedly devoid of political affiliation, the only ones showing political signs were those without direct political representation in the form of “their own party” (anarchist, republicans, etc) While there was no “organized plan of action” (I wonder if the “assemblies” could get to one without some sort of non-hierarchical order and/or structure), the #cazerolada and #lacaixaesmordor seem to channel the discontempt towards the direct real cause (superficial, first and most apparent, but not necessarily the most important) of the dire social tensions of today: banks and the financial system… although how about the political system that allowed that to happen (from corruption to “democratic” representation)?
Wednesday May 2nd, I had the pleasure to meet Fernando Sabater at Instituto Cervantes, NY.
The conversation was lighthearted and included many anecdotes and trvia, but also a good dose of Philosophy and Psychology wisdom and aphorisms (like those by Andrés Newman). Here are some delicious quotes by him:
Dont attack, dont comply Childhood is always bad: wether because it was bad and left you a trauma, or because it was good and it frustrates you to leave it behind Happyness is also hard to bear Skepticism grows, and thats why when I am about to make a statement (particularly if it is a grand one) I end up laughing.
First read this post.
Then watch this South Park episode.
Now, if you are not going to cook something, get out of the kitchen (and at least start selling 😉 )
After posting graphs and cold data (quite ilustrative, I believe), and the discussion it has generated (people, why don`t you use the “comment” instead all the other unstructured methods you are using?), please let me write a caveat about graphs and cold data.
In my high-tech gym, you have the option to have a lot of data collected, for your own, private and personal use. It seems like a great idea at first.
Since I could not get a hold of tickts for New Museum`s Seven on Seven, I decided to make the most out of my day yesterday (defying my cold), so I even had time to visit the NYC anarchist book fair, at Judson Church (Washington Square).
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I wish I had had more time to devote to exploring all the literature (great and aweful) on display. But at least I had time to notice:
