A Geek of Small Consequence

The Significance of Numbers in Water

2009-02-12T01:56:00.000-06:00

1, 8.34, 187, 1247, 60,000, 1.1 billion - if we hear but don’t really listen then they are just random numbers. What is the significance of numbers when talking about water?

8.34 - the weight of one gallon of water. Convert two 5 gallon Jerry cans that has be carried miles from a water source, and that’s 83.4 pounds. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “women are most often the collectors, users and managers of water in the household as well as farmers of crops. Women and children provide nearly all the water for the household in rural areas.” In urban areas, women are often in charge of accessing clean water and ensuring sanitation for their families.

Women and children are most affected when water sources are contaminated or unavailable. They may be required to expend more labor collecting, storing, and protecting their water source, which can leave them with little or no time for other activities, such as an education. The UN estimates that in some parts of Africa, women and children spend eight hours a day collecting water. Water-related diseases are also a common challenge to women, who are often responsible for caring for sick ones and have to step in for those who are ill and unable to work. (Source: Womens Earth Alliance)

1.1 billion - the number of people on the planet who don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. This not only means no safe and clean water to drink, but no basic sanitation such as toilets and showers. Safe water is not available to provide to schools and hospitals.

60,000 - The number of people in Zimbabwe now infected by cholera, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Cholera has now claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people in Zimbabwe. The epidemic of the disease, has been fueled by the collapse of Zimbabwe’s water, sanitation and health systems. Many hospitals have shut down and most towns suffer from poor water supply, broken sewers and uncollected waste. With the upcoming rainy season even more infections could occur as water sources become contaminated.

These numbers now seem staggering to the point that one might think efforts are fruitless, and insignificant. How can we really expect to make a change?

The answer is apparent when we talk about the positive numbers -

1247 - the number of water projects in progress or completed by 13 partner organizations and funded by charity: water as of January 19, 2009, in 14 countries including Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Malawi, and more. In case you don’t know by now, charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations by funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need.

187 - the number of cities worldwide participating in Twestival, which was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but working from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. “By rallying together globally, under short timescales, for a single aim on the same day, the Twestival hopes to bring awareness to this global crisis.” Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers around the world and 100% of the money raised from these events will go directly to support charity: water projects.

20 - the number of dollars that can give a person in Africa clean, safe drinking water for 20 years. 100% of charity:water funds goes directly to project costs.

1 - the most important number of all, one person becoming aware of the critical need, advocating by telling others, and supporting this global event by attending Austin Twestival or their local Twestival event. If you can’t make it, follow the event @austintwestival and donate to Austin’s efforts at charity: water.

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
- Mother Theresa

Not in My Backyard

2009-01-29T01:30:00.001-06:00

Imagine that you lived in a place where water borne diseases were rampant. Your local water source is contaminated, and typhoid outbreaks occur whenever major flooding occurs - probably from sewage and contaminants entering your water supply. Thousands of people become ill, and many even die. There are no trained water staff to effectively treat the water to protect human health. Seems worlds away, doesn’t it?

It’s not -
You are right here in Austin, Texas, only the year is 1911 and drinking water is untreated. It wasn’t until 1915 when the State’s first sanitary engineer Vic Ehlers was appointed by the governor to make inspections, investigations, and reports of water borne disease epidemics, and the City of Austin was convinced to chlorinate their water in 1916. Typhoid from public water sources in Texas was eradicated as Mr. Ehlers traveled from town to town, educating water operators and engineers.

The Sanitary Engineering Division of the Texas State Health Department was subsequently formed to guide and develop the state environmental programs. In 1973 Congress promulgated the Safe Drinking Water Act, setting national drinking water standards.

We are fortunate. Right now, 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. That’s one in six of us.

By participating in Austin Twestival which supports charity: water, you can affect a change. This non profit organization is working with international partners including A Glimmer of Hope and Water for People to bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of the money raised goes to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need. Just $20 can give one person in a developing nation clean water for 20 years.

Come have fun at our event, but you can really help us now by blogging, linking, tweeting, anything to get the word out! If you want to volunteer, send a tweet to @snax or visit our Volunteer page on the Austin Twestival wiki.

Show the world that everything truly is big in Texas, including our hearts!

Knowbility Press Release in Response to Closing of UT Accessibility Institute

2008-08-29T21:44:00.005-05:00

Contact:
srush@knowbility.org
512 305-0310 / 512 797-7351

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO CLOSE WORLD-RENOWNED ACCESSIBILITY INSTITUTE
Decision opposed by technology industry leaders, disability community, academics

Austin, TX- August 29th, 2008 – The University of Texas announced last week its intention to close the Accessibility Institute, founded by Dr. John Slatin, a faculty member who passed away earlier this year. The Accessibility Institute was founded by Dr. Slatin in the early 1990’s as the Institute for Technology and Learning (ITAL), to research effective methods for employing technology in teaching and learning environments. His work at ITAL and the emerging dominance of electronic information technology led Dr. Slatin to research design methods and practices that would ensure that no one was left out of educational opportunity because of disability. His own progressive blindness was one factor, but Dr. Slatin’s passion for art, literature and the humanities led his commitment to include everyone as technology transformed teaching and learning. At the Accessibility Institute, John Slatin pioneered studies that helped an emerging industry frame its ideas for highly usable and inclusive interface design methods.

A colleague in the English Department, Dr. Peg Syverson, worked closely with Dr. Slatin.
“John was not merely an innovator; “ Dr. Syverson says, “He was a visionary. And he was not a visionary who merely saw into the future. He brought the future he saw into being. And the future he brought into being was dazzling and entirely unexpected. John saw … that technology could become a vehicle for liberation and transformation in the humanities.”

At the Accessibility Institute, Dr. Slatin built a staff of researchers and graduate students who integrated technology, accessibility, and learning for everyone through research, education, advocacy, consulting, training, and service to the campus community and state agencies struggling to comply with accessibility requirements mandated by the Texas legislature. UT’s example of incorporating accessibility into all educational research and development was one that is upheld as a standard all over the nation and the world. The World Wide Web Consortium invited Dr. Slatin to co-chair its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, a position he held in 2005 and 2006.

Because of the recognized leadership position held by the University of Texas, the closure announcement came as quite a shock to the campus community and to accessibility experts and technology industry leaders globally. As business, government and academic institutions all over the world strive to build inclusive information technology design tools and techniques, the closure of one of the nation’s leading research institutes in the field is baffling to many.

“I learned that UT’s decision was final on the same day I learned that Target stores had settled their accessibility lawsuit with the National Federation of the Blind,” says Sharron Rush, accessibility expert and co-author with Dr. Slatin of Maximum Accessibility, an accessible design manual published in 2002 to great acclaim. “While John might chuckle at the irony, he would be bitterly disappointed in the short-sightedness of the University. We have invited the Provost’s Office to meet and hear our concerns and suggestions for transition, but they have so far declined to meet with us. ”

Ms Rush, her nonprofit employer Knowbility, and others in the disability, academic, and technology community launched an effort today to persuade the University to maintain and build on this important body of work. They have petitioned the administration to give serious consideration to requests to move the Accessibility Institute into the School of Information or otherwise provide continuity to a transition of Dr. Slatin’s work. The petition, addressed to Executive Vice-Prvost Steve Monti, took just a few hours to garner more than 130 signatures from people all over the world, including representatives of Apple, Adobe, Google, IBM and numerous academic institutions and state agencies.

Selected comments:
Dr. Jon Gunderson, University of Illinois: It is very important for the advancement of universal design that institutes like the Accessibility Institute at UT becomes an important part of the basic research agenda of the university. I urge you to reinvest in the institute to bring researchers to bear on the fundamental and applied accessibility of human disability and technology.

Dr. Terry Thompson, University of Washington: UT-Austin has long been a model for web accessibility. This tradition should be upheld, not just for the benefit of UT-Austin, but for higher education institutions globally who have turned to the Accessibility Institute for guidance and leadership.

Dr. Chris Strickling, Texas Department of Aging and Disability: I am disturbed to discover that there are people at the university who do not recognize the value of the work and vision of the Accessibility Institute. Web accessibility, universal design research, and all of the projects of the AI are of immense importance to our communities, both academic and cultural.

Katherine Druckman, Publisher: As a webmaster for a major publication…I know that web media will only become more significant, and with it accessibility studies must continue. People in my field have come to know UT as a knowledge center, and as a Texan I would be quite saddened if that changed.

James Craig, Apple: The Accessibility Institute…started me and countless others on the road to helping thousands make accessible products and websites enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. The Accessibility Institute's influence for the greater good cannot be overstated.

Matt May, Adobe Systems: As painful as the loss of John has been to the field of accessibility, it would be especially sad to also lose his institute, all within the same year. We need the work of the Accessibility Institute to continue, in order to benefit a constituency which faces greater and more complex challenges to access than ever before.

To sign the petition, read more of the comments from around the nation and the world, or learn more about the issues and the importance of this work, follow the links on the Knowbility homepage at http://www.knowbility.org.

A Step Backwards for Accessibility: UT Accessibility Institute Closing

2008-08-27T12:30:00.004-05:00

From Sharron Rush, Executive Director of Knowbility:

"As news has spread of the closing of UT's Accessibility Institute, many have asked for a simple way to register their objections. Knowbility has created and posted an online petition and we welcome all the support you can bring. Below is background (thank you Mike Moore for a great summary) if you want to distribute to other networks and here is the link:"

Petition to Save the Accessibility Institute

From Mike Moore, accessibility specialist for the State of Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Center for Policy and Innovation :

1. The Accessibility Institute at the University of Texas will be closed effective August 29th 2008.
2. Proposals to move the work to the College of Information and/or the College of Computer Science have not been accepted. Although those institutions are capable of conducting the research there are no specific funds, faculty, or researcher positions to support this work.
3. The two primary researchers from the Accessibility Institute are no longer available. The founder and Director, John Slatin, PhD passed away last spring and Kay Lewis, PhD has accepted another position.
4. The University’s IT department has few resources dedicated to accessibility. Two systems analysts are assigned 15% of their time each to oversee accessibility for the University’s 1M+ web pages.

It is very disappointing that the University has made this decision. The University of Texas has the stature, funding, reputation, and experience necessary to attract researchers and faculty needed to continue and build the Accessibility Institute. All that the University’s administration seems to lack is the interest.

The UT Accessibility Institute through Dr. Slatin was able to considerable influence on the development and implementation of accessibility standards world-wide. This included the formation of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and the WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 as well as the US Access Board and the Section 508 standards. Although I have tremendous admiration and respect for John, I do not believe that he would have been as influential had his advocacy not been backed by the solid research conducted at the Institute and the prestige of the University of Texas. The loss of the UT Accessibility Institute is a loss for the University, the State of Texas, the nation, and the world. Most importantly it is a loss for millions of disabled people who have benefited from the research, education, and advocacy that was conducted through the Institute.

The University runs promotional commercials during sports broadcasts where Walter Cronkite, speaks about the influence of the University. “The University of Texas, what starts here changes the world.” This was certainly true of the Accessibility Institute. By closing the Institute, the University of Texas is signaling that accessibility is not a priority anymore. I can only hope that this decision does not change the world.

Today I am ashamed of my alma mater.

**********************

The Accessibility Institute is a research organization located on the UT Austin campus. This institute has focused on research of accessibility issues and offers training and consultation services to promote all aspects of Web and software accessibility for the university community. The initiative demonstrated and projects by the University of Texas served as a model to others nationally and across the globe, including The University of Wisconsin at Madison's Trace Center, as well as The University of Washington who called "A Promising Practice in Web Accessibility".

With the move to provide more educational content on the Web, a Student Web Accessibility Project was developed specifically to support accessibility of instructional resources on campus. The project had several components, including assessments of online instructional resources against Section 508 standards for Web accessibility, development of resources to support the creation of accessible online course materials, and assistance to developers in integrating accessibility into project planning and design of instructional sites. Findings were published in EDUCAUSE Quarterly in 2007.

The Accessibility Institute also ensured 508 compliance through reviews for entities such as the Government of Victoria, Australia; and its own UT portal into the Texas Digital Library.

From a personal standpoint, I find the tutorials very useful when I work on developing web pages for my state agency. I hopet the state of Texas, the international community and its affected populations don't lose this valuable resource. As A UT alumnus, this event will be the tipping point on whether I will be willing to contribute money to my alma mater.

I am most saddened that the legacy of John is ending so abruptly.

I am inspired by John, and other people who struggle with disabilities whether temporary or permanent. I'm reminded of the call to action to Beth Finke made to the accessibility community at the 2008 John Slation Access U.

"I can't get the technical stuff! CSS - What's that?! Cacading Spread Sheets? Thank you for the work you do, and keep doing it!"

************************
"For most people, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible." - President's Council on Disabilities

On the Bus: #3 Pub Crawl with Lee Nichols

2008-08-06T18:25:00.003-05:00

The main blog is a must read at I Love Beer: The No. 3 Bus Route Drinking Tour

My boyfriend Ed brought along his video camera, and put a lot of effort into creating a fun reminiscent video. Some of the dialogue, especially Bobnoxious - was very entertaining. Or maybe not if you weren't there.

Here's my list of what I believe I drank through the course of the day:

Kodiak IPA 10:30 am NXNW Restaurant and Brewery
Great start with delicious food. First game was to randomly pick a card with a topic. If Lee mentioned that topic, the person holding the card won a prize. My topic was "The Olympics". I won while we were at the first bus stop!

Silver Margarita - noon at Iron Cactus
Tasty drink, but bad idea to have sweet and sour on top of brunch and then running for the bus.

Hoegaarden Wit - 1 pm Bagpipe's
Nice and refreshing, which I could say the same about Bagpipe's. Not the most comfortable place, and smelled like stale beer. I was feeling tired and almost bailed. Tweet!

Deschutes Mirror Pond Ale - 1:30ish Trudy's North Star
Nothing like a second wind with a tasty beer I had wanted to try. We also had three more people join us, including long lost pal of mine, Billy from Critical Mass Interactive.

Dos Equis - Poodle Dog Lounge
The fanciest beer I could find there.

Bud Lite - Ginny's Lil Longhorn
I went for the more expensive beer, and had to love Charlie Pride on the jukebox.

Real Ale Devil's Backbone - Billy's on Burnet
We arrived after everyone else, having waited for a bus that never came. Finally gave up and walked.

(512)Wit - The Draught House
After meeting owner and brewmaster Kevin Brand last week, I was curious to see whether he could deliver. OMG - I really enjoyed this beer!

Real Ale Lost Gold IPA - the Dog and Duck Pub
Enjoyed a tasty snack of fish and chips.

Sierra Nevada ESB - 10 pm The Ginger Man
And that's where we got cut off, never making it to Uncle Billy's. Not enough time on the bus schedule to make it there and then back north.

I wish that I could say it would be a long, long time before I'll drink that much in a day. Unfortunately the Austin Zealots picnic is this weekend, and I'm sure there will be a minimum of 25 different beers available.

It's all about drinking plenty of water, and pacing yourself!

Some days the magic works

2008-07-29T16:24:00.005-05:00

I don't know how I never found out about a valuable local (UT) resource until today. The Mid-American Geospatial Information Center (MAGIC) provides access to NASA remote sensing data which is combined with Texas-based developments in leading-edge information technology, computer visualization techniques and Internet2 data transmission network.

"One goal of the MAGIC program is to develop a rapid response capability to provide remote sensing data to address a broad range of applications in the region. This effort builds upon a cooperative effort between the University of Texas and and the Texas Geographic Information Council, a group with representatives from many Texas agencies and universities. To support that goal, UT-CSR operates a direct broadcast satellite receiving station for rapid acquisition of data from orbiting satellites. UT-CSR also downloads data from the NASA EOSDIS and the USGS EROS Data Center in South Dakota via the high-speed Internet2 network."

This information has provided rather useful during emergency response events. The interface with Google Earth is quite nice. I was able to search for a latitude/longitude to see if the Texas Civil Air Patrol had taken aerial photos of a couple of areas we were concerned about.

Wrapup: Austin Blood Drive Tweetup

2008-07-14T23:53:00.010-05:00

In case you missed it, Michelle posted a great report on the success of the inaugural Austin Blood Drive Tweetup. What a great opportunity to meet up with Twitter friends in person, and support such an important cause!

My experience as a first time blood donor to go as well as could be expected - turns out you should be well-hydrated and avoid caffeine to avoid issues. However, all the wonderful people that I encountered, including the Blood Center of Central Texas staff and Twitter friends who made it a memorable experience.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated! An extra special thank you goes to the businesses that donated raffle items, including Hammock, 302 designs, the Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Film Society, and Black Star Co-op Brewpub and Brewery.

The Twitter friends who facilitated the donations - @SummerH, @Aavarnum, and @davidhwalker.

Tweetup Blood Drive

2008-07-01T14:57:00.006-05:00

I had an interesting ideological discussion with Michelle Greer at DimSumday last weekend. A lot of talk about how much actions speak louder than words. I sheepishly realized that I had misunderstood her "recycled computers for Burmese Refugees" project, which contributes towards Elaine Allen's efforts. She is working directly with political refugees who are now living in our own community. Note to self: be a better listener!

Michelle told me about a special event that she was organizing along with David Neff of American Cancer Society's SharingHopeTV and Austin Social Media Club. A Tweetup Blood Drive will be held Thursday, July 1, from 10 am until 4 pm. Information on how to sign up are available at Facebook.

Don't forget to tweet while you donate! Raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the day, including:

movie tickets courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse

pint glasses from Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery

"Take Care of Texas" tote bag from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

a Austin Film Society membership

The Dangers of Microblogging

2008-03-13T02:42:00.004-05:00

I have been a bad blogger. I've had several blogworthy topics brewing in my head for sometime, but not posted. My livejournal has suffered as well, and I've barely looked at my MeatSpace in awhile. So where have I been?

Mostly on Twitter, along with quite a few other folks. I'd mentioned that Glenda Sims had turned me onto this site back in May 2007. Little did I know the impact it would have on how I communicate. Not only have I cut back on blogging and journaling - public vs filtered - but I find myself even keeping my SMS phone texts to 140 characters or less!

What I have gotten out of Twitter is a lot of like-minded individuals, who are active in the technological sector, especially social media. And amazingly enough, I finally met several of my online Tweeps during SXSWi this year.

I could go on, but I'm well over my 140 characters, and my attention span is lagging. More later!

Influences of the Queen(s) of Re-inventing

2008-01-13T10:14:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to expand beyond my "accidental webmaster" role in my current job, and as I get more involved in social media I've decided to attend the first annual "Got Social Media? Conference in Houston. Meeting Erica and the other gals at the AccessU Conference, socializing at the GeekAustin meetups, and meeting new people through Twitter has really created the desire to pursue an online presence. I will also be attending the panels at SXSW Interactive Festival and working with Silona and Erica on the League of Technical Voters fundraiser.

I'm not necessarily interested in being just another blogger, but feel there's some niche I can fill. I love my current job working for the state, but figure I can convert all my extracurricular hours on the internet into supplemental income. One of the reasons I'd miss my current job if I were to move on is the environmental and science aspect of it. Perhaps I could use my experiences with the now defunct EEANT Nature Scientists and Sierra Cubs Camp with the Texas Environmental Education Partnership and Texas Master Naturalists to create an online project.

*puts on thinking cap*

My Bookshelf: Part II

2008-01-05T17:23:00.000-06:00

It's really interesting to see what's important when you start packing. I figure it would be easiest to go through my books first, and get rid of the ones I don't really need. What was packed first? Starting with the highest priority:

Science fiction/fantasy/horror - Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Lovecraft
Classics - Margaret Atwood, Umberto Eco, Irving, Vonnegut, and Antoine St. Exupery
Miscellaneous Favorites - Sam Shepard's "Cruising Paradise Tales" and Olivia Judson's "Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice To All Creation"
Nature and Naturalists - Geyata Ajilvsgi's "Wildflowers of Texas", Pete Dunne "Tales of A Low-Rent Birder", and "Messages from the Wild" by Frederick Gehlbach

What's really cool is finding old receipts inside the books, and being reminded of when and where I was when I bought the book. I remember reading "Paradise Tales" in a small darkened theater, while I was working at the Intel booth during the American Smithsonian Tour in San Jose, California. I bought Dr. Tatiana's book from Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, while I was visiting some good friends - we visited Elliot Bay THREE times while I was there! And the hardcover Lovecraft collection I picked up at a bookshop in Haight Ashbury.

My Bookshelf

2008-01-05T17:11:00.000-06:00

I have always been an avid book reader, and remember vividly weekly trips to our local library as a kid, and anxiously awaiting my Scholastic Books orders. My first fundraiser was a read-a-thon in fifth grade for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. My sponsors had to dig deep in their pockets for that one!

ALL-TIME FAVORITES:
"The Little Prince" by Antoine St. Exupery*
"Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury
"A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold*
"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut*
"Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tsu*
"The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco
"Walking a Literary Labyrinth: A Spirituality of Reading" by Nancy M. Malone

* books I've bought multiple copies and gave away to friends!

Fantastic Fest 2007

2007-10-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

So much fun I don't know where to begin, but check out the Fantastic Fest website for details. Most recent blogpost features a video I took of Joe Lynch and Tim League performing a "sabrage"!

Reviews and recaps to come.

Coffee and Cigarettes at the Alamo

2007-06-25T04:41:00.000-05:00

I've had many wonderful and entertaining experiences throughout the last ten years at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, but one event in particular stands out. In addition to being a traditional moviegoer, I've had the good fortune to work the front lines at major South by Southwest premieres over the last several years. As a member and crew chief of the Special Venues crew, we are responsible for crowd control and line management at major music venues and special premieres. My ultimate experience was at a TBA screening in March 2004, which turned out to be Jim Jarmusch's "Coffee and Cigarettes".

I arrived at the Alamo Downtown with some of our volunteers to help Wayne, the SXSW theater manager for the night. Wayne had the lines going, people seating, and was waiting to get the last VIPs into their reserved seating. The theater was near capacity, and the screening was about to start.

That's when John Stamos showed up, with an entourage of over a dozen people that he wanted to bring in. He was graciously turned away, as there was no way they'd be able to get the whole party in. (John *may* have made it in with only his date, I can't recall). As Wayne delivered the news, Louis Black, SXSW founder, walked up with a gentleman and said, "Debbie, I'd like you to meet my friend, Jonathan Demme".

I was caught off-guard so much that I lost my reserve as I shook his hand and said, "I'm a BIG fan of yours!"

To which Mr. Demme replied:
"Thank you - I'm a big fan of YOURS as well!"

Once the screening started, I sat down and enjoyed the show. The crowd reaction was great, as each of the vignettes played out with familiar faces. As the show ended, Wayne asked if I would help - it seemed that Jim and some of his guests had dinner reservations, and he wanted to make a smooth exit. Rick Linklater had been smart and exited the employees door. Jim chatted with a few of the fans before being escorted out. As I patiently waited next to him, I heard someone call my name - It was a fellow SXSW crew chief, John Koller, who had his camera. "Let me get your picture with Jim", he said. I was reluctant as part of my responsibilities involves not infringing on filmmakers and actors and assist with making their experience as stress-free as possible. However, with John standing twenty feet away I wasn't quite able to refuse, so he took my first "on-duty" pic of me with a filmmaker.

I thought that was the icing on the cake. Not so - Jim turned to me and said, "Debbie? Could you help Crispin down through the crowd so he can join us for dinner?" I looked up to see Crispin Glover dressed in a three piece suit, politely trying to make his way through the crowd. I took his outstretched hand and pulled him through the last few steps and out of the theater. Quite a surreal moment.

What struck me most about that night was how pleasant and humble everyone was, but I really shouldn't have been surprised. Throughout the decade filmmakers such as Rick Linklater and Quentin Tarentino have been known to treat the Alamo Downtown like their own screening room. I can't help but think this is due to the hospitable, relaxed atmosphere that fills the Original Alamo Downtown, and adds to the magic and legend.

P.S. This photo has even more sentimental value for me now, as John Koller passed away April 30, 2007, as a result of a brain tumor. John was a beloved friend and devoted volunteer, and will be deeply missed.

Hostel Part II: The High Cost of Piracy

2007-06-15T07:50:00.001-05:00

You see, just a few weeks ago, Eli Roth's biggest concern was Pirates 3. Now his biggest concern is straight up pirates. Someone stole an early workprint of the film and dumped it online.

read more | digg story

YouTube as an Educational Tool

2007-05-29T00:38:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across some treasures on YouTube this long weekend, ranging from entertaining to educational. I especially applaud the University of Texas Environmental Science Institute for using YouTube as a place to post some great educational videos. Here's one I found of particular interest as I had read about the studies in UT Austin's journal, "Focus on Science" - "Global Warming" with Dr. Camille Parmesan.

Three Reasons Microsoft Shareholders Need Open Source

2007-05-16T20:30:00.001-05:00

Redmond is spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt through the media. It's SCO 2.0. Clearly Microsoft's leadership doesn't realize the value of open source alternatives. The only group they're going to hurt is their shareholders. Here's three reasons why stockholders in Microsoft should pressure the company to drop the current onslaught of FUD.

read more | digg story

Family Guy / Quagmire Pilot easter egg on FlightAware

2007-05-16T00:21:00.001-05:00

FlightAware has a hilarious Family Guy easter egg when you try to track flight "QUAG1" (Quagmire). I saw this awhile back, and definitely should have shared right away!

read more | digg story

All Things Great and Geeky - and Girly!

2007-05-09T15:18:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last two days at Access U, and it's been a royal geekout! I've had a great time getting to know some inspirational women who are leaders in the web accessibility realm. Just to name a few:

Glenda Sims
UT Austin's self-proclaimed Accessibility Goddess, and one of the founders of AIR-Interactive and Access U. This amazing and fun woman - also known as Glenda the Good - has an infectious energy, and by the end of the day I'll make another technological leap, from my disappointing little Samsung phone to a Blackberry Pearl in red and internet connectivity. I'm resisting the Second Life, that's instant crack. Twitter, anyone?

Kathy Keller
This woman is legendary. It's said that Kathy told her web developers to get their pages compliant with web accessibility standards by September 1, 2006. Any pages that weren't ready would not be loaded on the new server, not only meeting but EXCEEDING the requirements. This meant that Texas Parks and Wildlife was the first state agency to address and meet compliance, leaving everyone else in the dust. A wonderful role model, due to her proactive approach and determination.

Sharron Rush
As co-founder and Executive Director of Knowbility, Sharron brings together great minds to teach web developers current technology. She is committed to using the power of technology to support the independence of people with disabilities , and the value of collaboration in building stronger, dynamic communities.

Teenya Franklin (Knowbility)
Does this gal ever sleep? She keeps things movin' and groovin' through Access U. Playing devil's advocate at dinner last night, she managed to provoke some very interesting intellectual and philosophical debates on the role of technology in our lives, and whether it's affected our physical communities.

Erica O'Grady
The world gets even smaller - after a bit of conversation, I realized that I had met Erica of Reinventing Erica at the last Dim Sumday through Linear, but that she is also good friend of whurley.

Andrea Hill
A young woman I'd seen about, but didn't realize until today that she is the mystery blogger - she is live blogging about Access U, so if she's fine with it I'll be linking to her blog.

The Laws of Robotics seem a little reversed

2007-05-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting article, "Soldiers Bond with Bots, Take Them Fishing". What next, hunting?

Oh, wait, they are already doing that.

Pan's Labryinth coming to Austin (FINALLY!)

2007-01-04T23:38:00.000-06:00

Once in a great while, I've been fortunate to experience an artistic event so visually stunning and emotionally captivating that it bears a lasting impression. At the top of that list is Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam", which I saw live in San Jose years ago. The performances were wonderful, but the story and music was also impressive. Now another event has taken the #1 spot. I was fortunate enough to see Pan's Labryinth as a special screening at the Fantastic Fest.

Visually stunning and emotionally captivating, this fairy tale for adults is not to be missed! Definitely the top movie I saw in 2006, and I am excited that it is opening in Austin on January 12th. The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar presents Pan's Labyrinth, and opening weekend will feature Spanish tapas and a Spanish wine flight. I'm getting together some friends to see it opening night, because I'd like to see it again on the big screen. Plus I want to see what effect it will have on others. More on the movie -

"Beautiful and Exhilarating, a fairy tale for Grown-ups" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"The year's True Masterpiece, the best movie of the year" - The New York Post

PAN'S LABYRINTH is a fanciful and chilling story set against the backdrop of a fascist regime in 1944 rural Spain. It's Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable. The film centers on Ofelia, a lonely and dreamy child living with her mother and adoptive father; a military officer tasked with ridding the area of rebels. In her loneliness, Ofelia creates a world filled with fantastical creatures and secret destinies. With post-war repression at its height, Ofelia must come to terms with her world through a fable of her own creation.

Geeking out about Food

2007-01-04T22:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'll admit it - I'm a foodie! I love all types of cuisines, and can hold a lengthy conversation regarding the best pancakes/migas/shrimp stuffed jalapenos. So imagine my excitement to hear a friend decided to start a website dedicated to finding favorite dishes! It's starting in Austin, but members/critics can submit dishes from anywhere - which is great, as a large number of our mutual friends travel internationally for work. And NO, I don't get a kickback or paid, just a cool site to share. More details from a press release:

"When an obsessive craving strikes, where do you find your hunger's holy grail? Suddenly, you can't quit thinking about a juicy bacon cheeseburger, plump pillows of gnocchi, a crispy samosa or an insanely moist slab of chocolate cake. Your average restaurant guide will point you to a cuisine, but it won't necessarily help you find exactly what you want to eat. Enter the Dishola..."

"Dishola is a dazzling new user-driven website devoted to the best dishes in top gastronomic destinations across the country. And it's fun. Users can sign on to track down what they're craving (gotta have fish tacos), read smart reviews by Dishola editors, industry professionals (cooks, bartenders, dishwashers), and members—passionate eaters across the country. Then they can add reviews of their favorite dishes, and they can even upload photos of them..."

"Plenty of other cool features abound: Dishola members can create a running list of "future feasts" (discoveries they just gotta try down the road), learn about cool food safaris (amazing dishes that warrant a road trip) and convene with friends or "tablemates" to gab about food and decide where to meet for dinner...The result? You'll arrive at the door of a new restaurant and know just what to order; life is too short to eat an uninspired version of any dish."

Look for my reviews, my profile of course is - snax!

You Just Might be a Sci-Fi Geek If...

2006-10-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

a toaster isn't just a kitchen appliance.
Firefly isn't just an insect.
a "seashell" is an audio device.
you refer to the next obvious victim in a movie as "The Red Shirt".
a tractor pull takes place in space, not mud.
rather than from Mythology 101, your knowledge of the Egyptian gods comes from SG-1, of the Greek Gods from Hercules Legendary Journeys, and you are an OLD geek if you know about the Muses because of Xanadu.
you own a spoken word album by William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy. More points if you own both.
you think the Samsung x475 resembles the spaceship in "Heavy Metal", and you know the song playing as it kidnaps the voluptous redhead is "I Must Be Dreamin'" by Cheap Trick.
you know who created the word "robotics", the Three Laws of Robotics and the grave significance of Sally and Elvex, and the lesser known Cal.
you know who Ylla and Dr. Susan Calvin are.
you know where the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame is located. Bonus points if you have actually been there!

B - I - N - G - OW!

2006-09-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

I mentioned to Shauna and Fernando that I've been tallying motifs in the Fantastic Fest screenings I've been attending. We came up with the idea of either Fantastic Fest Bingo or Scavenger Hunt, but you have to include obscure items as well to make it more interesting. Here's the tally of what I've seen so far (number in parentheses is film count):

beartraps (4)
chainsaws (4) (sure there are more)
parasites (3) (4 if you count BUG!)
syringes (4)
vomiting men (4)
white rabbits (2)
turkey legs (2)
buildings without exits (2)
cute fluffy poodles meeting nasty deaths (2)

And in conclusion, not recurring but obscure enough to mention -
A rubber chicken and Osama Bin Laden (but not in the same film!). And then there's death by Gnome.

Day 4: What kind of business are you in?

2006-09-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

What a loooooong day. Here's a quick synopsis:

Isolation - One of my favorite films of the festival, which brings up the controversy of genetic manipulation. One question, though - If a breeding experiment is supposed to be so secretive, why drive around in a company vehicle that has a picture of a cow on the side and the words "Bovine Genetic Technology"?

Piano Tuner of Earthquakes - As one filmmaker said to me "I'm not SMRT enough to get this movie". Lovely to look at, and the automatons are fascinating - Although I was convinced that either spuds or the creatures from "I Love the Moon" were rowing the boat in one creation. It wasn't until much later that I realized they were severed hands.

Inside - Another favorite, with an interesting twist to a young man with voyeuristic intentions. A rather funny moment occurred when during a crucial scene a character was throwing pottery on the ground. I think most viewers were on the edge of their seat - and a server outside the theatre accidentally dropped a plate! I was one of many who jumped and laughed.

Simon Says - What can I say? The only reason anyone should see this is to see Crispin Glover whacked out. All I could do was laugh, and I don't think I jumped out of my skin even once.

Frostbite - Wicked dark humor, I didn't expect the amount of comedy this movie had but I truly enjoyed it. Best death scene and dying line in this movie. The director was available for the Q & A, and he joked that it had been so cold during the filming, that he decided the sequel would be called "Sunstroke". To be filmed in the Bahamas, sipping pina coladas.

Day 3: In an inescapable house, who does the grocery shopping?

2006-09-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade - I hesitate to describe this film as "visually stunning" only because recent films such as "House of Flying Daggers" tend to push the upper limits of visual stimulation. With that said, Shinobi is simply beautiful, with much use of mise en scene to pull the viewer into the scene. I love the superpowers of the ninjas, and the special effects are understated enough not to distract from the plot.

Lie Still - one of the two motifs that are my ultimate terror - an inescapable dwelling. My main question though - how does someone who's resigned to live there have a never ending bottle of gin?

The District - Interesting animation, the songs were wickedly humorous. My only complaint was that the subtitles should have been outlined in black. We sat a little too close not to avoid having to look quickly up and down to catch everything. And two things I knew after leaving the theatre - where Osama Bin Hiden and the difference between Budapest and Bucharest!

Fantastic Fest

2006-09-22T00:47:00.000-05:00

Total geek-out for me this week, and it feels GREAT!! The Fantastic Fest started yesterday at the Alamo Drafthouse, and the first night was a blast. I quickly made some new friends, but also ran into old ones. In a lovely twist of fate, I saw a fabulous film, a psychological thriller written and directed by Simon Rumsley. Simon's flight from London was delayed so he didn't make it in time for the introduction, but was present for the Q & A. We chatted at the Film Opening party later, and it dawned on me why he looked so familiar - he's good friends with Thoma and the rest of the crew from Ovie Productions, who presented Darkon at this year's SXSW!

Reviews and observations of films to come...

BSG Fix

2006-09-05T17:27:00.000-05:00

I proudly proclaim my sci-fi nerdiness, and share this fix with Battlestar Galactica junkies -

Get ready for Season Three of Battlestar Galactica with TEN exclusive prequel webisodes. The first webisode is here

"The Resistance" chronicles the events that follows the Season Two finale and lead directly into the Season Three premiere on October 6th. New webisodes posted every Tuesday and Thursday.

Pavlov's Flies

2006-01-18T18:22:00.000-06:00

I don't know what I find more interesting - the discovery of Pavlov's dogs with names AND pictures, or the related article on Pavlov's FLIES! This article describes research studies where scientists identified another large group of candidate memory genes that are either switched on or off in the fly brain during memory formation. "The study is significant in part because many of the fruit fly genes it uncovered have counterparts in humans. Because these genes might be involved in human learning and memory, they may be important for understanding human memory deficit disorders such as Alzheimer's disease."

Ant Mimic

2006-01-04T00:52:00.000-06:00

A spider that mimics an ant, how cool is that? As exciting as the Salticidae semaphore dance which I need to track down.

Truth Be Known

2005-12-27T02:41:00.000-06:00

Modern, Cool Nerd
60 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 26% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one
up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 47% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 86% on geekosity
You scored higher than 33% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

2005-12-22T16:29:00.000-06:00

No wonder I don't remember much of September 2005!

I have been curious to see how much traffic occurred on google, and finally found Google's Zeitgeist which shows just that!

Chronic (What?)-cles of Narnia

2005-12-18T23:33:00.000-06:00

This SNL digital video has been spreading like wildfire through the internet, and no wonder. With references to classic movies, internet tools like GoogleMaps and Mapquest, and a tribute to Narnia, it exudes geek appeal to several audiences.

Pay to Play

2005-12-13T18:00:00.000-06:00

Too impatient to play the lower levels of a game? Why not outsource? Personally, that would take the fun out of it for me, but I just can't see spending any more time on the computer than I already do. There's too much besides the crack box to interact with in my life...

Can I pay with Monopoly money?

2005-12-12T08:53:00.000-06:00

It always amused and intrigued me how my good friend, Jon Maffei, would make decent money on Ebay by selling virtual goods for Everquest. It was hard to comprehend someone spending real money on intangible items, but obviously there are plenty of people willing to do so.
Turns out that was chump change compared to nowadays. According to this November 29th article on Banking on a virtual economy, Jon Jacobs, became the first person in the history of online gaming to spend $100,000 on a single virtual item when he bought a space station in the game "Project Entropia". Incredible!

Stay nice to your system administrator

2005-12-11T20:01:00.000-06:00

I came across the humorous System Administrator song which I am dedicating to fool.

Sign of our Times?

2005-12-11T19:17:00.000-06:00

I found the Linux Social Experiment to be quite revealing on various levels. As I skirt the fringe of sysadmins, DBAs, and programmers, I witness the arguments over what's better - Linux? FreeBSD? as my well-meaning friends encourage me to break the dependency on Windows. I have a basic understanding of the improvements such a change would bring, but do not have the time nor inclination to do so.

What is more revealing is how few people actually read his sign, and assumed he was looking for a handout. And to see myself in one of those cars - I drive past one man every morning, but have yet to give him anything. I keep telling myself that I'll move some of the bottled water out of the back of my vehicle so it'll be handy to give him, but that has yet to happen. It's not that I don't give to people on the street corners, but I see so many of the same faces on my daily commute, I'm afraid if I start the practice it will be expected...