A Shared Culture

Creative Commons is in the midst of its 2008 fundraising campaign. Find out how you can support Creative Commons at our support site.

To celebrate the campaign, Creative Commons has released “A Shared Culture,” a short video by renowned filmmaker Jesse Dylan. Known for helming a variety of films, music videos, and the Emmy Award-winning “Yes We Can” Barack Obama campaign video collaboration with rapper will.i.am, Dylan created “A Shared Culture” to help spread the word about the Creative Commons mission.

In the video, some of the leading thinkers behind Creative Commons describe how the organization is helping “save the world from failed sharing” through free tools that enable creators to easily make their work available to the public for legal sharing and remix. Dylan puts the Creative Commons system into action by punctuating the interview footage with dozens of photos that have been offered to the public for use under CC licenses. Similarly, he used two CC-licensed instrumental pieces by Nine Inch Nails as the video’s soundtrack music. These tracks, “17 Ghosts II” and “21 Ghosts III,” come from the Nine Inch Nails album Ghosts I-IV, which was released earlier this year under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license. (See attribution details below.)

http://creativecommons.org/asharedculture

My Burn 2006 (Posted in 2006)

Well, my Burning Man was uneventful this year....I mainly visited with friends, worked a couple of shifts at the volunteer booth, loved my sweetie to the best of my ability.

One of the highlights was getting to see Armadillo and Edge in the Catholic Schoolgirls/vampires....play at Center Camp, although I was having a meltdown.

Camping with Cafe Village was very sweet, they were very kind to us. I saw Moze just a couple of hours before he went to Reno and had his heart attack. I am very grateful he is okay. Eggchair and Jewel and Benny and MonkeyBoy and Sowelu went up in airplanes, very cool..... I may not go to Burning Man next year. MonkeyBoy can manage on his own and it is really too much work for just Community..... Maybe I will feel differently in a few months, going to wait until after the holidays to see how I feel. Sorry this is so boring.....

Comments

shekky
Sat, September 16, 2006 - 9:46 AM
i'm sorry i didn't get to see you on the playa this time, affinity. i rode by on friday just a few hours after they had taken moze away and was afraid to come back for fear of very bad news. decompression in october?

Moze
Sat, September 16, 2006 - 11:19 AM
Iwas great seeing you darlin. We have those burns where nothing seems as exciting, huh? I wasn't exactly sure what a lot of things like the pavlillion were all about. blah blah. But our camp was fun and the bunny march was great. Maybe Mexico next August Great picture by the way.

Moze
Sat, September 16, 2006 - 11:20 AM
I meant, It was great seeing you..... not Iwas. hmmmm, weird....

**Elecktra...
Sat, September 16, 2006 - 5:58 PM
OK DARLING..... HOW dare yu say UNEVENTFUL! Wasnt hanging out near playainfo EVENTFUL enough??????? hehehehhe!! thanks again for the gloves! YOU ROCK!! Elecktra

Juicy...
Sat, September 16, 2006 - 10:21 PM
Please don't apologize for your experience! You own whatever happened... and trust me... we *all* had our own meltdowns... :-) I'm so happy for the time we got to spend together out there... Limited as it was, I cherish it. Thank you! And, if you make it or not next year... no matter. You will do what's right for you. Much juicy love to you and Monkey Boy. See you at Decom and we'll share more good stuff! xoxoxoxo

Armadillo...
Sun, September 17, 2006 - 4:45 PM
Thanks for coming out to see me in the musical, even tho' you having a meltdown. It was great hearing your voice in the Lounge and hanging out with you that morning (afternoon?). I, too, at this point, will not be back next year. Time to move on, in all aspects of my life. But who knows....it's always possible that next year, both of us will be hanging out together in the Lounge, chatting with Stardust.... (love the photo!)

glynda
Mon, September 18, 2006 - 7:07 PM
good idea...Every year, I revisit the question... "Will I go again next year?" I think it's a good question, regardless of the answer... I'm asking that question myself, more seriously than ever after this past year... You were a shiny happy part of my burn & I'm glad that you were in the village & I knew how to find you!

affinity...
Mon, September 18, 2006 - 8:10 PM
Interesting Responses! Each of you who that I saw and responed to my post are a bright star in my burning sky (sorry I missed you Shekky) Armadillo: Seeing you on stage was great fun and I loved visiting with you and Stardust in your camp, thanks for getting up, I always enjoy your company. I am loving getting to know you better and I hope it will continue

Witchy: I loved camping with you, you are a sweetie and the extra water bottles made a HUGE difference in my year Juicy: I loved hearing your news that you and Steve 23 are going to make a deeper commitment, you are both a delight whenever I see you Moze: you are ALWAYS a bright star when I see you, you radiate acceptance and joy and love for all the bunnies and their friends. Electra: It was fun sharing "work" space with you and I loved giving you the gloves far more than you enjoyed getting them Thanks to each of you for making my burn more intimate and joyful....

*Alibaba
Wed, September 27, 2006 - 12:43 AM
It was so great hanging out with you a bit at Playa Info! One of my favorite memories from PI this year is talking with you and Rooster, and him having you repeat your question so that he could spit his coffee out in response! Too funny! ;D My year wasn't super eventful, but I loved it. ;P *hugs*!!! DeCom fo' sho'

and we met in Reno! (Published in 2006)

So every year I have suggested that we meet in Reno for a little R&R and connection. So we stayed at the Peppermill, had an amazing anniversary dinner, 13 years together on August 22 and 5 years married on August 29.... and then snuggled and slept, snuggled and slept. MonkeyBoy slept in until 8am. It sounds like the Cafe is coming along really well and will be ready for all of us when we get there.
Mon, August 21, 2006 - 10:29 PM

COMMENTS

DIVA...
Mon, August 21, 2006 - 10:32 PM
Awe! That sounds just wonderful! Happy Anniversary!!!! Lots and Lots of X's and Os!

Lying Bare...
Tue, August 22, 2006 - 12:05 AM
Happy Anniversary.. and many many more snuggles and cuddles same time next year.... or as often as ya wish.... Bare

Armadillo...
Tue, August 22, 2006 - 5:37 AM
Can't wait to see the two of you!

Jenni
Tue, August 22, 2006 - 8:16 AM
yay snuggling!happy anniversary!

HunnyB
Tue, August 22, 2006 - 9:31 AM
Awwwh!! Happy Anniversary to you two ! Have a fabulous burn Affinity !

My TV Won't work and I am an addict! (Posted in 2006)

So my TV would not go on when I came home last night. That has happened before and MonkeyBoy gets out the manual and I press something on the remote while he holds down the power key on the TV. MonkeyBoy is on the Playa, I will see him in Reno on Friday but I doubt he will be able to solve this long distance so I should buck up and solve the problem.
I love my TV and I watch a lot of it which is good for my aching neck. TV is a 64 inch tube (stupid choice) less than a year up because we blew all of our electrical appliances in the fall of '05, between the prostate surgery and the hernia surgery. So I try a couple of things last night, I push this, I push that, no luck. Sony is closed for the night. I go on line and find a users manual that is similar to mine, try what they suggest, no luck. Okay, catch up on email and go to bed. Wake up this morning, call Sony, they need the model number which is on the back of this fucking 80 pound tv that is on a shelf at shoulder height....have I tried unplugging it and plugging it back in... Can't help without a model number..I say "can't you just tell me the standard trick for geting these reset....No, we need the model number, you just don't understand, and the supervisor will not talk to me without a model number. So I hang up and take a 2nd look for the manual, Get out every manual, for the refrigerator we don't have any more, etc. And then I move the dressers over the rug and get to the plug, and unplug and plug it back in.
YIPEE!! YIPEE!! YIPEE!! It is making TV noises and there it is, the picture. I AM SO HAPPY.

"The sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness" Sometimes a difficult standard to live to....


COMMENTS

Wed, August 16, 2006 - 10:38 AM
ARMADILLO
What do you do on th ePlaya without TV for a week? Do you go through withdrawals? You're a persistent little TV junkie, aren't you! I would have given up!


affinity
Wed, August 16, 2006 - 11:37 AM
Armadillo!I don't miss TV on the Playa because thge Playa is so engaging, but I would miss it over the next 10 days and then when I got back, This from a girl who did not own a tv for years....

shekky
Wed, August 16, 2006 - 6:10 PM
the view from affinity's camp is far better than any TV one could imagine!


Juicy...
Thu, August 17, 2006 - 3:08 AM
That is *awesome* that you made it go! I was racking my brain thinking who could fix it as I was reading... LOL! Can't wait to see you on the playa... Where is this camp I hear of with the fabulous view? Me and Mr. 23 will be at 4:00 and Esplanade with Illumination Village. :-) Who knows, tho... maybe we'll run into you and Monkey Boy in Reno on Friday... We'll be stopping by a gun shop, TJ's, and visiting steve's great uncle felix, among other things. See you out there!

affinity...
Thu, August 17, 2006 - 7:02 AM
Coffetown/Cafe VillageWe are not with the bunnies this year, we will be at Coffetown at 5:35 and Chance. Hope to see you there.

MonkeyBoy Leaving for the Desert Today (Posted in 2006)

MonkeyBoy is leaving for the desert this am, in just a couple of hours.
Thu, August 3, 2006 - 6:37 AM

OKAY!!! We are having fun Again (posted in 2006)

Starting with Fire Arts, I was still tired, but I got to see Steve23 and Juicy (still thinking about you every day), a little short visit with Alibaba at PlayaInfo, an hello to Francis behind the bar, hey to our friend Carl and his Cousin with the cat, lots of time with the Other Robin who I am loving getting to know, some time with LadyBee, Curtis and his girlfriend, Rob and Sunset with a hello to Terry and Harley, Jewel was there, so a very social event, GREAT fire art.

Then, a very quiet weekend, meeting with the potential buyers and I can't remember anything else but quiet and rain. Then this week MUCH better at work, My boss being very positive about my staying, Saw Art School Confidential, another meeting with the potential buyers and the other co-tenants, went well, one of my friends fussed at me about being up tight and I said, YOU ARE RIGHT!!! Time to stop worrying and just let it be...bar-B-QUE Sat. Party Sunday at Marie's had a great time, lost my cell phone,,,,no worries... some fabulous MonkeyBoy and Affinity time on Sunday morning...and a little bar-B-Q in our back yard on yesterday, such a beautiful day, with our fav neighbor and Burner Jane. Life is good.....Both MonkeyBoy and I are feeling much better, almost no coughing...and ...a short week. ahead!!!! How sweet is that!!

Comments
steve23
Tue, May 30, 2006 - 11:32 AM
Look at that smile!I'm so glad to hear you and MonkeyBoy are doing well. Are you ready for another weekend of burning fun? On Friday evening the Flaming Lotus Girls are throwing a fundraiser at the Cracktory and then the Pre-Compression party on Satyrday night at the Pound. I hope to see you there - we'll be setting up a table to talk about the upcoming installation of the Passage in SF.

Lying Bare...
Tue, May 30, 2006 - 2:13 PM
YEAH!!! YOU time... it's soooooo special... not to mention important..... I wanted to be at Fire Arts... but alas we were hiking the Montana Wilderness... not that I mind,,, but there are times I wish there were 2 of me so I could do all the things I want... just dont think the world is ready for 2 of me though... glad to hear things are good..... HUGS!!! Bare

ciao manhattan (DVD)

Surreal, lousy acting, dated, weird, disjointed...

Written and directed by John Palmer and David Weisman, Ciao! Manhattan is the semi-biographical tale of 1960s counterculture icon Edie Sedgwick. Ciao! follows young Susan Superstar (Sedgwick) through her tumultuous party years in Manhattan as one of Warhol's Superstars. Through actual audio recordings of Sedgwick's account of her time in Warhol's Factory in New York City, paired with clips from the original unfinished script started in 1967, Ciao! captures the complete deterioration of Sedgwick's fictional alter-ego. The striking similarities between Sedgwick and Susan's life story, especially when recounted by Sedgwick in the midst of drug-induced audio interviews, make the film's candid depiction of excess and celebrity especially haunting. The film is dedicated to the memory of Sedgwick and ends with the actual headlines announcing Sedgwick's (not Susan Superstar's) untimely death, thus inseparably associating the fictional and the genuine figure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciao!_Manhattan

Decom is my fav

We will hanging with eggchairsteve and his crew in Espirit Park close to the fence at the entrance of Mariposa and 19th

I will be working the Black Rock Arts Foundation booth from 2-4

See you there

John Lennon's Birthday

MonkeyBoy is doing great

As most of you know MonkeyBoy had prostate cancer in 2006 and had surgery to remove the prostate. This spring we went through 2 different rounds of unclear information from his Doctors office about his most recent follow up test, the PSA. MonkeyBoy went to the Doc last week for his 3 year check up and the result was perfect. Almost a flat reading, perfectly normal.

We had always assumed that the surgery had taken care of the cancer so when this unclear test result showed up in the spring, it was unsettling. We are thrilled to be back on the track of our belief that the cancer is gone and all is well.

Peace by the Dali Lama

West Wing

I have been watching the West Wing reruns from 6-7 every morning and I had forgotten how beautifully written it is, and how fast it is, and how relevant it is, and how Martin Sheen can be my President any day, geeky peacemaker that he is, that our bosses should be so competent as well as the President of the United States, and that Stockard Channing was her own woman, and that the President and his wife lied to the world about his illness in order to win an election.

Beautifully crafted tv show.

China, the next economic empire?

This chart of the Dow Jones is from 2007 and it has rebounded from that low, but will it ever rebound from the losses of the recent past. I am a financial pessimist. I think America has peaked and we are not ever going to fully recover from this economic diaster. I believe the Empire status we have maintained for the last 60 years is moving toward China.

So what does that mean. It means that people like me who were poor with lousy parents won't be able to go to law school, it will be difficult to rise above your station, as it already is in most countries. Try coming from the wrong side of the tracks in Mexico or India or even Great Britan and raising your economic status, very difficult.

I worked for a varies of financial firms for over 10 years and have a lot of comfort about my understanding of how the financial markets work. SO...in the industry the first thing you learn about marketing stocks, etc. is "Past performance is not an indicator of future performance." Look around, it is like the nutritional information that is now required, the "Past Performance" language is EVERYWHERE...statements, prospectuses, ads in magazines and newspapers.

So when someone tells you, "oh it will get better, or the market has ALWAYS".... they don't know the answer, the experts do not know, the stock brokers do not know, just because someone tells you that you have enough $ to survive until retirement...THEY DO NOT KNOW IF THAT IS TRUE...just because it would have been true in the past, does not make it true for the future.

So what do we do about it. So every day for the last 2 weeks MonkeyBoy and I have talked about how we have our retirement $ invested (I am turning 60 this month). Should we sell anything, should we invest differently, should we sell everything at take the cash and put it under the mattress.

The problem with that solution is that if the $ continues to decline then your stash of money declines. What will it cost to buy a loaf of bread in 10 years (I am not so worried about 20 years from now, I don't expect to be alive at 80).

So I had some money in an IRA that was in cash, that is of course crazy, because if you decide you need cash your IRA is the last thing you want to sell from becasue you have to pay taxes on it, but oh well.

So today we invested some of my money in a Chinese Mutual fund. Probably not a good time right after the Olympics and China having been in the spotlight all summer, but since I believe that China is an up and coming country it seemed like the correct decision.

I have had these beliefs for over 5 years and they have not changed. I of course hope I am wrong.

That is all

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

Thomas Hawk took the full 110 page Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 bill that failed in the House of Representatives Wednesday and pasted it into Wordle. Above is what came back.