Antes de nada, ¿qué es BlueProximity? Pues es un pequeño programa para Ubuntu (desconozco si lo hay para Windows) que nos permite configurarlo de tal manera que cuando alejemos nuestro dispositivo Bluetooth del ordenador, éste se bloquee. Al volver a acercar el dispositivo, se vuelve a desbloquear. Tambien se puede desbloquear introduciendo la clave de nuestra sesión.

Lo primero de todo es instalarlo. Lo encontramos en los repositorios.

A continuación, abrimos el programa. (Aplicaciones->Accesorios->BlueProximity).
Ahora pinchamos en “Buscando dispositivos” y cuando aparezca en la lista nuestro dispositivo lo seleccionamos y pulsamos “Usa el dispositivo seleccionado”.
Para que no nos pregunte cada vez que se conecta el ordenador con nuestro móvil debemos emparejar los dispositivos.

Pasamos a la pestaña “Detalles de Proximidad”, y ahi configuramos las distancias a las que queremos que se ejecuten los comandos.

Esta es mi configuracion:

- Bloqueado
. Distancia: 1
. Duracion: 6
- Desbloqueado
. Distancia: 0
. Duracion: 1

Finalmente, podemos configurar los comandos que se ejecutarán. Para ello, nos dirigimos a la última pestaña. (Podemos dejarlo todo como viene por defecto)

Mas info en la página del programa.

For instance, as mentioned before, greater specialization means that the odds of finding a printer who offers the most competitive prices and the best quality for your exact needs are slim.  So plan on investing more time to travel depending on your product.

Take book and magazine publishers for example:  In the Midwest, especially in Illinois, you will find many large “web-press” (paper on a roll) printers that manufacture much of the printing and mailing. Why the Midwest?  Mostly because their geographically centralized location gets material shipped and delivered quicker on a nationwide basis. 

There are other factors about proximity worth noting, such as the skill and cost factor of labor.  Generally, the further away from metropolitan areas, the less the cost of production.  Such things as real estate expense and the overall cost of living will usually be higher within cities.  Since printing companies usually need a lot of square footage and many employees, a company that can keep their overhead costs lower will usually offer the most competitive pricing.  At the extreme end of this process, many companies have their books or other expensive publications printed overseas for that reason.  Therefore, proximity is a major factor explaining why print prices can vary tremendously for the same job. 

So, yay, I got a job!  And, no, I'm not a hooker.

Naturally, it's not the film-business-entry-level-perfection I'd hoped for, but it's turning out to be way more relevant than I forsaw.  I'm bartending at an Irish-owned bar/pub in North London, in a trendy district known for its bohemian community.

As such, the owner of the bar has given me reign to organize and execute film-related events, like mini-festivals and group screenings at the bar.  I get to keep all the cover money, and I get a cut of bar intake, plus my hourly wage, which isn't bad, not bad at all.  

So, somehow, getting hired as a barmaid has put me in a position to learn about my chosen industry.  Crazy.

All that aside, which looks great on paper, my boss is a bit of a loony, very rural Irish, loves her booze, over-shares her personal life, and one time, offered me cocaine.  It's going to be a trial to separate myself from the personal connotations to working in such a close knit environment, but I've only been there for three days, so I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.

We close late, especially by London standards, and generally aren't finished clearing up behind the bar until around 2:30am.  Then, it's expected to stick around and drink with Molly, my lady guv, her friend Christian, also Irish, who owns the pub next door, and a small assortment of regulars and hangers on whom Molly has deemed worthy of staying after doors close.

On Thursday night, my second night on the job, I decided to stick around for only an hour or two, since I hadn't gotten home until after 6am my first night, and was sipping coke that was I was pretending was vodka and coke with Molly, Christian, and two local boho activists who run a localized serial publication.  One was a young Irish poet, with pretension out his ears, and the other this quiet, English publisher who was actually pretty hot in a Viggo Mortensen kinda way.

Anyway, soon after we'd settled in with our respective drinks, Christian's barman, whose name I think was Sam(?), showed up with some food, which is really why I was still there, so I stuck around to eat, and argue with the pretentious Irish poet guy, who was obviously trying to impress me by attempting to intellectually outdo me, about how the film industry has become "artifice over art."  What a tool.  

Sam(?), Christian's barman, was also clearly attracted to me, but was much more tactical and English about it.  He's tall, and has long, blonde, curly hair, and very angular features.  He's not unattractive; he's just not my type at all.  Not someone I'd ever go for or dream of fondly during solo-activities.  But, I kind of flirted back just because regardless of physically not being my type in the least, and honestly only minimally impressing me personality-wise, he was somehow sort of sexy.  I don't know what it was.  I still don't know.

My phone alarm went off at 4am, and they wanted to know what that was all about.  I told them I was expecting to be home, and it was to wake me up so I could watch Obama speak at the convention.  Suddenly, here came this tirade of angry judgement about how Obama has no policies, how he's a patsy being set up to be assassinated for martyrdom, because he's black, etc. etc. etc.

Really some of the most absurd shit I've ever heard.

Most of it was my drunken manager and the "poet," yelling things they don't really understand at me, attempting to educate me, because, being an American of course doesn't give me any perspective on the American political system, and what they've heard on TV is much more accurate.  I attempted to participate in the conversation, but it was clearly an attack in which my input was both unwelcome and futile, so I decided to excuse myself.

Christian and Sam(?), both of whom had been defending me and trying to get us off the topic also took their leave at this point in time.  The publisher, heretofore no longer attractive, said, softly, to me, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do," I said, and continued out.

"You don't," he insisted, and Christian told him to let it go, which then almost resulted in a brawl.  Disgusted, I continued toward the door with Molly apologizing to me, saying it wasn't a personal attack, etc. 

Once I got outside, Christian and Sam(?) invited me back to their pub for some wind-down time and a free pint.  Considering I was on the verge of tears, I thought it might be a good idea to take them up on it.  We sat and listened to Christian do Monty Python impersonations for half an hour or so, to cheer me up, and then Christian offered to get me a cab.

I declined, ever missing my car and the ability to just leave.  There's a night bus that takes me very close to home, so I wanted to just go catch my bus and not be a trouble to anyone.  Finally, Christian relented on the condition that Sam(?) walk me to my bus stop and stick around until I got on.  I was more than happy to agree to this, since waiting for a night bus is pretty unpleasant if you're alone.

Sam(?) and I walked to a bus stop a bit farther away than the one I usually go to, and sat to talk.  An hour went by, and I learned that Sam(?)'s Girlfriend (The girlfriend revelation was made by Christian, and clearly wasn't something Sam(?) was planning to reveal) is 30, and he's 24.  He once worked in a gay bar, and also spent a year teaching drama at a boarding school.

The bus still hadn't shown up, which was very odd.  Both of us were losing steam quickly, having been on our feet all night, then drinking, then in a political argument.  He suggested maybe just crashing at his place for a few hours and catching a regular bus once they were back on the rota again.  He said he'd take the couch; it wasn't a big deal.

I declined about eight times, and we'd almost hit the hour and a half mark when I realized that maybe it was the best option for me.  

We jumped the fence at a nearby park to cut through, and continued talking as the sun rose, we jumped another fence, and then ended up at his flat.  

Sensing my discomfort, he offered to put on a season of Extras for me to watch if I just wanted to wait until around 6 to catch a morning bus.  He put it in and, curled into a ball on the corner of his bed, I fell asleep fairly quickly.  He fell asleep similarly, curled into the opposite corner.

Several hours later, I have vague memory of being nudged into normal sleeping position, under the covers, then him taking off his shirt.  Spooning commenced a few hours later, and was pretty inappropriate, all things considered.  Maybe it was just waking up next to a male body in a bed, but I wasn't really thinking logistics, and instead was just cuddled up with the topless form of a man I'm not even really attracted to, whose name I don't actually know, and who had his arm possessively thrown over my waist.

I could tell he wanted to kiss me, but that wasn't going to happen, just because I was awake enough to remember the girlfriend, the fact that he's not my type, and that I'd probably have to see him lots in the future, considering the working relationship and proximity of our two bosses.

The inappropriate cuddling and topless nature of his garb maintained through two more episodes of Extras and a cup of tea.  I got calls from Tim (I've never been so happy to hear Tim's voice.  He's seriously the only English man I've met so far that I trust completely, and would believe capable of monogamy), and Jane (who really doesn't approve of this tale at all).

Reaching my usual level of lucidity, I strapped on my shoes and made my exit, after the awkward comment he made that was something like, "We're doing a lot of hugging for people who only met yesterday."  

"Yeah, I need to go."

He gave me a hug at the entrance to the park I ended up cutting back through, but I didn't even give him a second glance.  How effing awkward, really.  I would be completely okay never seeing Sam(?) again, though there are no extreme feelings about the situation either way.

Just the hint of the bizarre when I remember the thing as it was, and the sincere hope that it never gets back to anyone who knows both of us, or that he ever expects anything similar to happen again.

I guess in the end, as long as it's a good story, it was a worthwhile experience.

The Concept of Facebook

The following is an exerpt from the article to give you an idea of what it is all about...

I find the Facebook phenomenon very interesting. What is most interesting is the question as to why it has captured everyone’s and interest. The following are a few thoughts on social networking sites in general and Facebook in particular. There is much to say on this topic and it certainly can’t be said in a few pages so consider the following simply representative of a few themes that will at least serve to ideally stimulate your interest in the topic and hopefully some discussion as well!

FACEBOOK AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Community

The question that we want to ponder is: what is it about the Facebook community that makes it more interesting than other communities? Think for a moment about the circle of friends you associate with (pretend this was in the pre-facebook era!). What is it about the particular interactions with these friends and the information you had about these interactions that made this particular set of people your close friends.

The question I want you to reflect on is: what sort of information is it about a group of people (and the individuals that constitute that group) that defines the group as your friends?

We are notified when friends post pictures, when friends connect with other friends, which friends are attending which events, who is dating whom etc.

This, in and of itself, is not the whole story, however. What makes the information that we receive relevant in a unique way is that we receive it in real time.

Continuity of Experience: Real Time Interaction

By real time, I mean as it happens. Effectively, Facebook updates information on a continuous basis letting our friends know about changes in our profile as they are made. If this does not sound all that exciting, I ask you to reflect on how you interact with your friends and more generally how you interact with anyone. If you think about this for a moment you will realize that life happens in real time!

The way that we walk through our days and our lives is such that we are presented with a continuous flow of information, images etc. some of which we interpret as relevant and some of which is trivial or useless.

It is the continuity of experience that is something that, heretofore, has not been effectively replicated by other social networking sites, and that makes the Facebook experience unique.

The Space Between You and Other

When you think of the way that you walk through life, one way to think about it is to realize that we are always in spaces. This is to say that, for example, we might get up in the morning go to the bathroom to take a shower, go downstairs and have breakfast with our families, go to school or work for day, go out to dinner with friends at a restaurant later in the evening, attend a lecture the following day and so on. When considered as such we note that each of these ‘environments’ can be considered a space. If you think about things in this way, it becomespretty apparent that ones life is reflected in the spaces within which you are present and the patterns with which you participate in these spaces. You will note that you go to work five days a week and spend eight hours a day in ones ‘work’ space. You will note that every week you attend a rehearsal with your band and so on.

What is interesting is that you will also associate certain people with the spaces that describe your life. Your home will be associated with those in your immediate family. It might be your wife, your parents, your children and so on. The question is: what is it about the spaces that reflect your life that make it possible to associate particular people with each space?

It is the fact that they are in close proximity to you!

Proximity

It seems pretty obvious that people that are in the same spaces are proximal to you. For example, it is obvious that if you live in the same house as someone then you are closer to them (in some sense) than a total stranger; if you attend a class with other people, you are closer to them in some sense than you are to people that you have never seen. But what is it precisely that creates this proximity.

It is that you are present in relation to them in a certain way!

Presence

Presence is the idea that any actions that we might make are observable by others. When thought of as such it seems pretty obvious that if we are in the same room as someone else, then if we move, the other person will notice. This isn’t rocket science! Therefore, proximity and presence are closely related and the point is simply that those that we are proximally related to are those that we are present in relation to in a manner that makes it possible for us to intentionally make it such that the other person is aware of us. Again, consider the case of those that are a part of your home. If you yell, they will hear you!

How is this relevant you ask!

Facebook Modifies Presence!

What makes the concept of presence an important idea is that Facebook modifies ones presence in relation to others, and in virtue of this changes the nature of space itself.

All that is being said is that it is now easy to get the attention of others at a distance.

What is important about this is that it alters the pattern of communication that is possible.

Facebook Enables Implicit Communication

To better understand this idea, we need to think a little bit about communication. Without getting too deep, we need to begin by realizing that communication needs to be understood in four different ways:

Intentional: the act of communicating something where there is an intention to communicate. In other words a person means to communicate something to someone specific, or to some specific people. Examples of this include talking to someone, writing letters to someone, telephoning someone etc.

Non-Intentional: the act of communicating something when there is no intention to communicate anything specific to anyone in particular. Examples of this include getting a book published, writing a song that gets distributed and so on. In these cases, we intend to communicate, but not to anyone particular.

Explicit: the act of communicating something that is crystallized in some way – written, verbal, a picture etc. Explicit communication can be intentional or non-intentional. For example we can communicate intentionally and explicitly by writing a letter and sending it to someone, or telephoning someone. It can be non-intentional in the case of the publication of an article. In both cases, what we communicate is crystallized in that we have consciously formulated it.

Implicit: the act of communicating something non-intentional that is not crystallized – best understood, for example, as body language, tone, inflection etc.

If we think about communication as such, we see that Facebook makes possible implicit communication in ways never before possible. This is due to the fact that it facilitates the creation of imagery that becomes part of the public domain. When one places a picture on ones profile, writes a note etc. one is placing the object within a domain where it becomes possible for someone to view the object, read the object and so on.

What is intriguing about implicit communication is that it is essentially a new form of communication – one that, to date, has been the purview only of authours, musicians, artists and so on. In the past it is only those that have created content that was deemed worthy of being part of the public domain that actually became part of the public domain. Today we can all create content that is part of the public domain.

I make no judgments on whether the content that is created is worthy or not of being in the public domain as I don’t think that this is the issue. What is important is that the possibility for presenting ourselves to the world has become possible, and that has unique and exciting implications.

For the rest of the article go go: The Concept of Facebook

]]> http://goodsamers.wordpress.com/?p=27 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:21:45 +0000 goodsamers http://goodsamers.wordpress.com/?p=27 Although meant to simplify RV living, inverters can cause plenty of headaches for the uninitiated. Here’s the lowdown on inverters – boiled down to the basics:

What is an inverter?
A unit that changes 12-volt DC battery power to 120-volt AC power, an inverter allows you to operate your household appliances – from hair-dryer to hot plate, toaster to television, camera to computer – without an auxiliary generator or shore power.

Considerations
If you’re considering purchasing an inverter, decide how much power you’ll need. The inverter should have an efficiency of at least 80% of your maximum anticipated power level. There are two basic types of inverters:

Modified Sine Waveform (MSW) – Less expensive, these inverters will operate most household items without problems. Some complaints include noise in audio-visual electronics, computer equipment getting hot and reduced power pull in microwave ovens. True Sine Wave – Although higher in cost, these commercial-grade power sources are becoming more common. They produce smooth sine lines when viewed on an oscilloscope and don’t cause the above mentioned issues that come with MSW.

Wattage – MSW inverters are available in various wattage, ranging from 200 watts up to heavy-duty units of 6000 watts. Obviously, the more watts, the more expensive and the more power you’ll pull. Keep in mind that the efficiency of some large inverters decreases when operating small loads.

Installation
If you use an inverter below 400 watts, you can probably simply plug it into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter outlet. Larger inverters often rely on large battery banks. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for wiring, but remember when installing a large inverter, it’s important that the inverter and batteries are in close proximity and that you use heavy-duty wires.

To read more valuable articles on RV Maintenance Tips or how to keep your RV safe for travel, visit the Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service website, www.goodsamers.com

If you are a Christian, you've been dropped behind enemy lines. Your mission: to save as many prisoners of war as possible before the war ends. But before you get discouraged by the immensity of the mission you've been assigned, know that God doesn't expect you to save them all yourself. He has a plan, and you have been strategically placed to execute your part.

Your primary weapon is prayer, but you can't effectively pray for everyone you meet. God has placed certain people in your life - both Christians and non-Christians - and those are the ones God expects you to pray for. These people are on your Prayer Radar.

Take out a pencil and a sheet of paper, and draw four concentric circles like the ones shown below. This will give you three donuts and a donut hole. Label these as shown with the words "Family," "Friends," "Associates," and "Others."

Now, write names of these people inside each of the appropriate circles.  "Family" and "Friends" are probably self-explanatory.  "Associates" might be people that you work with, your neighbors or just people that you come in contact with on a regular or semi-regular basis.  "Others" are people that you don't come in contact with regularly but whom God has placed on your heart for some reason.  They could include leaders, politicians, entertainers, missionaries, church leaders or world figures (to name a few).

Continue to ask God to bring names to mind of people He has placed on your Prayer Radar. There are no accidents when it comes to the people around you. God put you in their midst for a reason. You were either sent to cover their six (watch their backs if they are already Christians in the battle), or you were sent to rescue them from the Enemy.

Pray for those on your Prayer Radar every day, or select a particular group to focus on each day of the week.  Then watch to see how God works in their lives.  It will be transformational for them and for you.

The depressing news is that almost half of Generation Y (those who grew up after the end of the Cold War) cannot identify Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher or Mikhail Gorbachev. Those who can spot Gorbachev think he's a villain, which leads us to wonder if they are confusing him with a James Bond baddie. If you're seeking to reach Generation Y, global political figures are a dead end.

Far better to invest in glamour and glitz. This is the only group to let Keanu Reeves and Princess Diana into their top ten. Marilyn Monroe appeals more to this generation (born twenty years after her untimely death) than any other age group. Paris Hilton is polarising, getting a higher approval rating from the Ys but also coming top of the losers. If glamour fails you here, try an underground cartoon hero; Bugs Bunny and Batman score high.

Generation X takes a harder edged view of the world. Perhaps on account of the dramatic spike in divorce rates during their childhoods, they are drawn to those who have struggled. It's the only group in which Nelson Mandela makes the top three; Einstein gets a thwacking 93% hero rating and Madonna rocks. They abhor Saddam to the greatest extent and take a dim view of Mao Tse Tung.

The Xers are so over Friends, Jeremy Clarkson and The Simpsons; and this distaste runs from Canada, to Korea, China and Chile. They're also hardest on those they perceive to be unsympathetic characters; Margaret Thatcher and Bill Gates take a beating. It seems that the latter's $29 billion global philanthropy hasn't impressed them yet. They are suspicious of the Queen and less than thrilled by Princess Di.

The Baby Boomers are, perhaps predictably, more conservative than the younger two groups on all fronts. They know who Mao Tse Tung is and are not big fans, except the Chinese for whom he remains a hero. Family Simpson is firmly rejected, with Homer and Bart both making the top five losers list. This group are more accommodating of recent political leaders, with the notable exception of the French who are a long way from forgiving Thatcher or Reagan for their assaults on Socialism.

Their heroic celebrities are Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, and John Wayne. The Pope and Harry Potter get equally high ratings overall; although countries that retain strong Christian traditions (Romania, Poland and Ireland) do give The Pope a higher rating than Hogwarts finest school boy.

So, what do you get when you stimulate over 5000 respondents with pictures of 20th and 21st century icons? Apparently, the world's biggest heroes are Albert Einstein and Superman. For the villains; thank you Saddam. And the world's most spectacular loser? Yes Jacko; it's you.

By Christine Armstrong, Director of Communications BBDO EMEA and Proximity Worldwide.

Relationships, drama, hookups, breakups, fights, loud phone conversations, dirty smelly hockey equipment, farts, used tampons in the bathroom. All these things amplify the emotional sound of relationships because of the close proximity of it all. It is not until you live outside of home, campus, or dorms that you realize the fact of living next to each other played such a vital role in developing relationships with people.  For example, your best friend since the 3rd grade was your best friend until junior high school year because he lived down the street. He was available by foot. Not until you got some wheels your friendships start to significantly change.

I bring this up because it explains why I became friends with people who are just simply jerks. A guy by the name of Adam was cool with me in middle school. He lived around the block. We shared interest in videogames and basketball. I looked up to him as he was the lady's man, Mr. Football, private school networker, and local power broker between all the kids in the neighborhood. I wanted in on getting girls, becoming a better basketball player, and accessing elite circle of friends. Low self-esteem.

After several times him ditching me for girls, standing me up for some events, and pinning me down to give me what is known as pinkberries,  I wanted to less and less to do with the guy, but forgave him every time. This is characteristic of co-dependence. The bad part of it, as described above is the unhealthy development of power imbalances and abusive behavior. Not healthy.

It's after freshman year of college. The guy calls me up to come hang out with him with a girl I went to high school with. He plays it as if he wants to hang, but its BS because he needs someone she knows, me, to be there for him to make moves. Manipulative.

That freshman year of college taught me what friendships looked like. It shouldn't be hard work to go out and catch a flick. You don't have to provide an article of arguments to get someone to go out.  It's not looking at your watch to see that he or she is half an hour late without no phone call. It's not being stood up for no god damn reason. Asshole moves.

Instead it's the antithesis of all that above. During that phone call, I respectively declined and expanded onto saying I no longer wish to be friends. No anger, nothing personal. Just simply I wanted something better.  He immediately went defensive, but cutting him short, I asserted, "no more". It was the day I finally stood up for myself. Empowerment.

I was friends with him so long, partially, to do with he was the in close proximity to my house.

Needless to say, a moment of clarity spoke to me: YOU get to choose your friends. YOU allow who enters your own little world. Go ahead and cut people off when they flake on you or treat you like shit. You get to surround yourself with the people you consider to be friends. Receptivity and empathy.

And here's karma: he reappears five years later and still trying to relive the glorified high school era . He tried to holler at my sister as jobless smuck, with a beat up van; no cell phone or number to give her--instead having to provide her with his friend's number to reach him so they can hang out at his parents house where he lives now. My sister tells me about and just felt sorry for him.

Boy, karma is a bitch.

In the past few years, its been my experience when listening to friends speak about what their friends did to them indirectly or directly, I say go ahead purge them from your phone or facebook. Who cares about them. If not, then try two weeks of not calling them and see if they drop a ring. The chips will fall where they may.

In the end of this memory recall, a friendship is like a home. The upkeep require are small but accumlative. It will serve you well. But when you have a shitty house and things keep breaking on you, time to move out. Likewise, if you have shitty friend and he's an ass or a flake, time to move on.

Oh, the night I've had.

So, yeah, I'm moving in nine days.  My last day of work is next Saturday (which is in seven days), and I thought I'd have roughly until then to settle the matter(s) on Guitar Guy.  

Apparently, I was all sorts of wrong.

Tonight was Guitar Guy's birthday (oddly enough, it's also my kid brother's birthday.  Whatever.)  So, I had a massive amount of trepidation about going in tonight, and even briefly considered calling in, so I wouldn't have to deal with the inevitable group of friends, including the girlfriend, that would show up to wish him good tidings.

I even found out a few days ago that there would be a cake and ice cream, which I assumed would mean that it was an even bigger deal, therefore an even more solid confirmation that the Girlfriend would show up.  I was unable to handle even the mental image of Guitar Guy receiving a birthday kiss from anyone but me.

However, the cake and ice cream seemed to be just from the band, and handled entirely in the green room, so that was a relief.  Guitar Guy swung down between the first and second sets (there are four), and I grabbed him to wish him a happy b-day, and all that jazz.

"So, my last day is next Saturday," I said, in an off-handed, pleasebeworkingSaturday type of way.  

"Oh ... I'm gone all next week."

There was a long pause in which we stared at each other, and then I glanced at his mouth.  "So, that means that tonight is ..." I trailed off, not really sure how I should phrase, "the last opportunity I have to rape you."

"Yeah," he said, checking his phone for the time.  The next set was about to start so he leaned forward and squeezed my shoulder.  "I will be back," he promised, but then was forced to run to the stage.

During the next set, while alternately having really intense eye sex with Guitar Guy, a Boy came in who has been casually dating one of my good friends, a light tech from the club, who wasn't in tonight.  The Boy is very sweet, if not slightly below my friend's potential league, and I swung by to say hello and chat him up a bit.

"Where is Josh tonight?" the Boy asked.

"Oh, he's off yesterday and today," I answered, jovially.

"Really?"

"Yeah, we went to see The Dark Knight, yesterday.  It was amazing."

"...  Well, then apparently I've been repeatedly lied to.  Because, he told me he had to work every day for the past two weeks, and was booked solid for the weekend."

"... oh ... um ... oh ..."

Now, honestly, what was I supposed to do?  I immediately told the other working light tech, and we texted him to warn him, but never got responses.  I now have a slip of receipt paper in my apron that says, "Tell Josh I'll miss him."

I feel responsible.  But, honestly!  

How was I to know?

Anyway, so, around the time we were texting Josh about me completely screwing up his romantic venture, I noticed this very petite woman dressed like a cheap stripper near the sound booth.  I knew immediately that this was the Girlfriend.

Physically, she's polar opposite of me.  I'm reasonably tall (5'6"), curvy, blonde, and I look my age, which is 22.  This girl looked OLD, but I guess hot in a far-away sort of manner.  She was kinda-Asian, super small, and boy-shaped.

It honestly astounds me that the same man would find both of us attractive.  

I should also mention that the other time I've seen her, she didn't look Asian.  Just tonight.  Maybe it was the caked on eye makeup.

I passed by her, with my eyes still locked on his, and looked at her next to me, then back to him.  He didn't even realize who I'd looked at for another few minutes.  So, even if she didn't know who I was before that point, she knew now.

She spent the rest of the evening glaring at me.  I suppose this was warranted, but I'm pretty sure she knew who I was before she even got there, since it was in front of one of her friends/co-workers that I found out about her existence.

He came down after the next set, and I brought him a shot the door host had bought him.  I did this quickly so to not be forced to meet her, but he hadn't even made time for her yet.  When he did, they stood a polite distance apart and conversed.

The Light Tech for this evening went on and on about how much closer he stands to me when we talk.  It's true.  There's chemistry between us, even if there's comfort between them.  Comfort relationships depress me.  

As she talked to him, she continued to glare at me.  This, for some reason, put me in a better mood, and I continued to flounce about, making obscene amounts of money off of my tables.

So, since nothing aside from continued eye contact (right in front of her!) happened for the next set, we're going to skip ahead to the next break, where he and she go outside and have a giant blow-out argument.  I wonder if I was part of it.

She stormed back in, tears running down her face, which seemed to put everyone in the club into a morbidly good mood, and he just didn't seem to care in the least.  He went back on stage, and had a great time.  

We even had some close proximity eye contact after that, including a booth leaving and me cleaning it in the most inappropriate way possible.  I climbed into it, sitting up on my knees and wiped it down in un-necessarily slow, wide circles, with my eyes on him.  

He liked it.

The table probably never got all the way clean.

And I found out afterward that all the while, she was upstairs leaning over the balcony, right in his line of view, with big crocodile tears and a pout, and he just ignored her, and watched me clean a table.

Unfortunately, she never just left, which I was counting on, since this would be the probable last time I'd ever see him.  

So, when the night ended, and she was still following him around like the Super Nintendo version of Zelda, I weaved my way through the tables toward him as he was waving goodbye.

"You know I'll never see you again, right?" I said, loudly, drawing his attention as I got closer.

"Right.  Never again," he said, as though we're destined to see each other over and over for the rest of our lives.

"You have to say goodbye," I said, and went to give him a light hug, since she was standing right there, but he scooped me into his arms hard, and held me very tight.

After a moment's hesitation, I threw my arms around his neck and sank into it myself.  "I'm going to miss you, you know.  I really am."

"I know," he said.

"I know that you know," I responded, tearfully, and he leaned his head against mine.  If she hadn't been standing there, we would've kissed.  We both felt it.

Apparently, she just stood there with her jaw on the ground, staring at us, then grabbed his guitar and made a huffy beeline for the door.

So, while not ideal, the night was kind of awesome.  However, it should've been awesome of its own accord, not as the Last Night We'd Ever See Each Other.  What shit timing, seriously.

So, a few minutes ago, I added him on facebook.  As soon as he approves me, I'm sending him a message letting him know that I never got to say goodbye like I wanted to, my phone number, and an invitation for "coffee or something."

He may be out of town until I move.  Gone.  

It may be over now.  But, it shouldn't be.  It was never supposed to end like this. 

Maybe it hasn't.

I am the lucky neighbor of one of the famous brand in the world : the Eiffel tower. Last week, as I had a casual walk in the "champs de mars", I had a great suprise : my Eiffel tower had become blue. Later I discovered it is a way to celebrate the french presidency of Europe.

It reminds me the way google uses its own logo to celebrate christmas time, valentine's day or halloween. The way brands gather papular events make them come closer to us and thus we feel them like being more alive.

I think this movement of brands that go closer and closer of their customers is really significative to reach a real leverage on their community. That makes the capacity of being close a key factor in the brand-value-creation-process.

PS : I am not convinced by this blue color.

i was watching a movie that took place in new york city, and the girl gets into a cab in the middle of a bustling times square and drives away from the guy. (in this particular situation, they were in the middle of an argument).
but she just hails down some random cab, hops in, and drives away from him.

that got me to thinking... i wonder what it's like (and i'm sure it happens for people) to be so in love with someone that simply watching them get into a cab to drive away from you makes you sad. because they're putting all this space and chaos and people and buildings... and miles between the two of you. and when you're not with them, you can't share that moment of your life with them, and you don't know what they're up to and if they're happy or safe.
and even if they give you a peck on the cheek, hop into the cab, and say, "i'll see you later tonight," i bet there's people who are so in love they feel sad because the one they love is putting all this space between them, and you really never know if this little inch of time that's so taken for granted is the last time they'll ever give you a peck on the cheek and hop into a cab, or glance back at you, or speak those casual words to you.

i guess that's what it's like during the initial stages of love. you want to spend every moment of your time with this person because you can't get enough of them, and being apart from them feels wrong. being apart from them feels like you're not really living your life to it's fullest... and you never take for granted a single moment together because each moment means so much.

i've never felt like this. i can't even imagine what that might feel like. but i know it exists, because when i watch the simplest scene in a movie of a girl driving away from a boy, it makes me sad.
and when i see a friend in her home without her boyfriend around, her boyfriend who is possibly out running errands or watching tv in his apartment, it makes me wonder what that thing is that kills the urgent desire for them to be together whenever they possibly can.

but i understand that that's life. that if they spent every waking moment together they would end up hating each other or killing each other or worse. i also understand that that's inevitably how every relationship winds up. and it sucks to think that such passion and urgent life-or-death desire to be in each other's company dies down to this unromantic, real-life monotony and getting together once in a while and just living out the days. 

if it weren't for technology you can bet your ass people wouldn't take physical proximity to their loved ones so much for granted. what if humans never invented cell phones or the internet or GPS navigation or road signs, or hell, ROADS...? the bare bones reality of the situation is that whenever you let your loved one leave your side and send them off into the wild world with a kiss, there is madness and miles and cars and strange people and earth between the two of you, and we are linked ONLY by little meaningless radio waves in the air..
and i say meaningless because.. what is REAL is touch, and sight, and the smell of your lover's skin and hair so close to you. the feeling of their warmth as they sit next to you, and you hold them and know that they're close, and safe. and that beyond a shadow of a doubt all that matters is that you're together.

together. being in love means knowing that the only thing that's truly real in your life is taking comfort in the closeness of the one you love.

bah.
what the fuck do i know? it's not like i've ever felt that. hell, or even come close...
one day. it would be like knowing the meaning of LIFE to feel that one day. to know that in all of life.. all we ever really want and need is 
to just be closer

– James Steerforth

A poem pretty much in the vein of Gertrude Stein written using Shuffle Words. As proposed by read write prompt #33.

In Experian's newsletter (spring 2007) we find some interesting figures about the supermarket (2300 points of sale, larger than 250 m2 and smaller than 4000m2) network density in Belgium. They have calculated that 80% of the Belgian population can reach a supermarket from their residence within 5 minutes. Virtually all Belgian inhabitants reach a supermarket within 10 minutes. But only 50% of the Belgian population lives 10 minutes away from a hypermarket; 90% of the population is located 20 minutes away from a hypermarket, with 2 regions being totally deprived of a hypermarket. The maps in the newsletter give a clear idea of the geographical impact of these figures.
(Remark: the distance is clearly calculated over the road network, but it is not clear to me whether this is walking minutes or driving minutes).

(to be continued)

Synaptics Inc. have taken touch control one step further by adding a proximity element to the user experience. Buttons can light up as users get near or devices turn on only when someone is 'within range'.

Initially aimed at home electronics products like digital photo frames and remote controls these intuitive controls could be used well in OOH advertising, imagine walking towards what looks like a standard bus shelter only for a series of enticing buttons to light up as you get close inviting you to interact with the display.

I started Twittering about a month ago. At first, it seemed odd to me. Why would anyone want to know what I am doing during my day. Then I realized the potential for what it can be. As I began to follow other Christian leaders I got a great amount of insight into how they arrange their days. I pray that my Twitter could do the same. Not just for other leaders, but also for the people God has entrusted us with. I think that Twitter, in a tech-geeky way, has the potential to gives us back some of of our influence through daily interactions that has been lost in lack of proximity. Nothing can replace face to face, but since our circumstances have dwindled our ability to do as much face to face as in the past, Twitter is a start!

If you don't Twitter, maybe you should consider it! It is a great way to get a glimpse into leaders lives.

If you aren't following me...you can, here.

When I moved in, the landlord spoke about the previous tenant of my apartment having switched garage spaces and door openers with the prior tenant of the, until now, vacant apartment. After having moved in, my landlord left me a message asking me to switch garage door openers with the vacant apartment. He stated his wish to have the tenants on the eastern side of the building share the eastern garage, and the western side tenants share the western side of the garage. He told me where the key was, and to go into the empty apartment and swap openers. I did. I then tried to park my vehicle in the other garage, alongside another vehicle. Two things happened when I attempted to do this: (1) my vehicle's antenna caught the edge of the opened garage door; and, (2) I was unable to maneuver my vehicle alongside the other car in the garage without first getting out and folding my sideview mirrors in. Even having inched my vehicle in with both mirrors folded in, I was unable to open the driver's side door to exit the vehicle. So, I backed out---catching my antenna again---and promptly re-swapped garage door openers. It was the last that I had thought about it. I should have called and notified the landlord of what had happened. It just seemed like such a hassle to do so, and it still does. I am continually having to explain myself and mitigating circumstances to others, and I am sick of it. Where I have continued to park, in the second garage, is shared with another neighbor who parks only his motorcycle on his side, which allows my vehicle to fit neatly.

I am wracked with anxiety now. I do not want to deal with this. I do not want to change parking spaces. I do not want to have a new neighbor. I have a hard enough time avoidantly creeping about the common areas undetected. Doing laundry, checking mail, and even day-to-day comings and goings are a chore for me. I do not know my neighbors. I envy them painfully in every observation of evidence that they exist. One is a lawyer, the other a blue collar worker of some type. Both have money, relationships, friends, dinner parties, and women in their life. And, now, a woman has joined us; Two successful young men, and the schizoid shut-in on the top floor. Still, somehow this brings with it a dastardly speck of hope that I might develop some type of interpersonal comfort in interacting with the new neighbor; Yet, the anxiety this brings is overwhelming. I dated a neighbor once. Once. Our proximity eventually became a problem. Irrespective of this narcissistic fantasy, I feel ashamed of my living space. While generally clean and tidy, it smacks of a juvenile and transient instability incongruent with my chronological age and stated occupation. I would be mortified to have it fall under a woman's purview.

I have plugged in a pair of headphones to the television, so as not to give indication that I am home. I already had a run-in on the street with an old acquaintance from The Cult, which left me reeling in intrapsychic conflict. Now I am sneaking around in my own home, which does not seem appropriate. I cannot bare to deal with this today. I want to cower beneath a blanket on the couch.

Last night, I really needed one of my "best friends." I tried some of the other "bests" and they filled their spots wonderfully, but not quite what I wanted/needed. I needed that person to talk some sense into my negative, messed up head and to speak light and truth into the darkness with all encompassing love. I fell asleep with tear stained cheeks feeling a bit defeated. Yet come morning, my "best friend" spoke the healing words I needed. I am so thankful to have such amazing people in life. I am so glad that I have all sorts of "bests" to walk with me through the different struggles and triumphs. I am so thankful to have enough relationships that go beyond the proximity and affinity type (those are important too, but in a different way!). So, here's to all the "bests" in life who let us lay it all down, drop anything to get there for us, and help us rise into the light at the end of the fight :)

Just lay it all down, put your face into my neck and let it fall out

I know, I know, I know, I knew before you got home

This world you're in now, it doesn't have to be alone

I'll get there somehow

Cause I know, I know, I know

When even springtime feels cold

But I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see

So we can both be there and we can both share the dark

And in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds

And into the light at the end of the fight...

You were blessed by a different kind of inner view: it's all magnified

The highs will make you fly but the lows make you want to die

And I was once there, hanging from that very ledge where you are standing

So I know I know I know, it's easier to let go

But I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see,

So we can both be there and we can both share the dark

And in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds

And into the light at the end of the fight...

...and in our honesty, together we will rise out of our nightminds

and into the light...at the end of the fight

"Nightminds" by Missy Higgins

]]> http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=101 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:58:28 +0000 d sparks http://arbitrarian.wordpress.com/?p=101 Here is my contribution to a growing "literature" on Mechanical Turk color-naming: Dolores Labs paid MechaTurks to apply labels to 10,000 color swatches, and offer a cool color explorer (hat tip to Infosthetics). They generously made the data available, and some public-minded soul cleaned up the data. A Mr. Wattenburg took the first shot at aesthetic presentation, and as FlowingData has noted, his version is an improvement. Neoformix produced an even more kicked-up version. Thus concludes my lit review...

I took the cleaned-up data and narrowed it down to those color names applied at least twice. For each unique label, I found the mean RGB values, and estimated a distance matrix based on each colorname's characteristics. This distance matrix I then fed into the two newest ways of visualizing the Dolores Labs Mechanical Turk Color Data (DLMTCD): network and cluster diagrams!

DLMTCD cluster diagram [pdf]

Network with white background, different algorithm [pdf]

DLMTCD network diagram [pdf]

The size of the vertices is a function of the number of times that color label is applied. Note that the network diagram employs transparency for easy reading, so the color you see is not exactly the color presented to the MTs. The nice thing about the pdf format is that you can zoom in and out and pan around as much as you want, and ctrl-f allows you to find any term in the network. Let me know what you think in the comments, and many thanks to Dolores Labs.

Interested in a campaign? Please contact me...
Nathan Hewitt - 847.844.0814
nhewitt@icefactor.com

BLUETOOTH® PROXIMITY MARKETING
What is Bluetooth® wireless technology?

Bluetooth® technology is how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), not to mention a broad selection of other devices, can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. Using this technology, users can have all mobile and fixed computer devices be totally coordinated.

Why would a company want to utilize Bluetooth® wireless technology as a marketing campaign?

Imagine being able to automatically deliver an advertisment or a form of multimedia content , directly into a consumers mobile phone. Consumers can receive a variety of information as soon as they are near your store. Information can be sent as pictures, videos, coupons, ringtones, and business cards.

Bluetooth proximity marketing can also be known as "viral marketing." Viral marketing is a marketing tecnique that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily. A satisfied customer can tell a friend about a product or service from their experience and transfer the received Bluetooth content that could reach an unlimited amount of consumers.

• 100% Free Bluetooth® transfers for all of your customers
• Market pictures, videos, and store coupons
• Provide innovative and fun advertising to your target market

Do you have a visual example to help me understand this new media?

SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE

VIEW A PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL

I am a recently single guy and just realized how hard it seems to be to meet new people (men or women) in the City. One craigslist post summed it up well, "Ever notice how people (downtown anyway) just walk right past each other, no eye contact? Creepy."

I heard a great Perspective on KQED on a closely related topic: why do we crave proximity but not intimacy with those around us?

It seems like after college there is no regular, required 'mixing' environment. University offered 5-7 new classes each semester, a forced shared living environment, and communal extracurricular activities.

Of course, there's always the workplace, but that's often ineffective. Coworkers are in varying stages of life connected only by an employer, not a shared desire to meet others.

Bars are okay, but alcohol gets in the way of real interactions. In the City, Zeitgeist is a good bar for meeting people, especially when it's busy and you're forced to sit next to strangers.

KQED Perspective: Proximity Without Intimacy

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