overprivil[edged]

Crowdsourcing: Art vs Model

2010-03-03T12:10:00.009-05:00

i've been reading about it a lot lately on blogs, on agency sites. it's all across twitter and bouncing around the webs through other forms of chatter. and, recently, more than a few agencies have popped-up, citing crowdsourcing as their sole motivation and business model.

this is a problem... for a lot of people and for a lot of reasons.

let's start a little over a year ago.

aaron koblin and his friend takashi kawashima came up with an interesting idea: create a piece of digital artwork that was made by the collective efforts of 10,000 double-blind and anonymous participants rather than the artists themselves. the overall philosophy isn't novel. it's derived from a movement among industrial artists who chose to remove themselves entirely from the production process of their work. they would draw up the plans and send them to a factory to fabricate and assemble the work. days, weeks, months later a complete piece of artwork was delivered as ordered to the show. the artist didn't even show up to direct the hanging of his piece. he would leave assembly instructions, likely in the box. the point behind it all was to reduce art to a process, not a person.

koblin and kawashima succeeded magnificently.

they managed to get approximately 10,000 people (some people participated more than once) to collectively draw a one-hundred dollar bill, pixel by pixel, and then assemble it without even knowing what they were making. this process is itself an adaptation of a computational method-made-human called a mechanical turk. k + k write: "the project explores the circumstances we live in, a new and uncharted combination of digital labor markets, 'crowdsourcing,' 'virtual economies,' and digital reproduction." a new, more sophisticated twist on an interesting philosophy, indeed: art without the need of an artist... now made mass via technology.

it worked for a few different reasons:

1) k + k were making art. the great thing about art is that, for the most part, it serves itself and nothing else. the purpose behind its design is usually manifested as much in its creation and existence as it is in its conception. and so, the actions of the participants were both the means and the end.

2) the compensation matched the contribution. each artist had to digitally recreate a pixel. a single pixel... and a rather simple pixel at that. for that effort, each new pixel rewarded its creator with $0.01. one pixel, one penny. that's about as fair as it gets.

3) the process was double-blind. the participants had no idea what they were making or who else was making it with them. that keeps everything honest: the artists and the art. no one's trying to outdo anyone else. there's not a single winner because there's no contest. and the whole thing flies below the radar until well after its completion. there's no undue influence, incentive, or awareness anywhere in the process.

so, the verdict in this case appears to be that crowdsourcing can work; and, it can work pretty well.

and a lot of people noticed.

as a result, the premise of crowdsourcing quickly crept into a lot of the digital tools and applications we use. wikipedia might be the definitive monument to crowdsourced behavior: an entire encyclopedic catalogue sourced for free from users all over the world. many gps systems crowdsource their traffic data from the actual whereabouts and flow of their users in transit. google has been mining people-powered computing for a while, too: we can rank and respond to the accuracy of search results. and now, google is using humans to translate mottled text in books via captcha.

i'm the first to say that all of these services are great. but i'll also point out that an important aspect to these models is that the input and the output are on equal footing: everyone can participate and everyone can benefit. wikipedia is free and captcha translation will wind up powering google scholar, which is also free. and, where the gps systems are concerned, those paying for it are the same ones powering it.

true, at some point the paradigm narrows. not everyone actually winds up participating via contribution. but think of the model as an hourglass shape turned on its side. the narrow point in the middle is the moment of action. it's narrow because, naturally, not everyone will participate. but the wide part on the left represents the fact that everyone can participate. and the wide part on the right indicates that everyone has access to the output. equal footing.

and then there's that value proposition again: free. it doesn't get more equitable than that. (again, with the gps example, it's definitely not free, but everyone who winds up paying to use it gets the same amount of access.)

now, something funny starts to happen. agencies and brands get wind of this thing... crowdsourcing. and it quickly transforms from a method driven by meaning to an exploitable premise; it gets reduced to its pieces and not its purpose. they see "cheap," "content," "volume," "audience," and "engagement." coincidentally, these happen to be all those happy metrics that make a great campaign on paper. but what they're missing is the reason... that really inspirational piece of artwork or that indispensable digital service that makes a point simply through its existence.

so then what do we get?

we get a commercial, a promotion, and sometimes... a product.

it works like this:

brand x spends a lot of money upfront to generate awareness for a contest. this brand advertises across media vehicles, platforms, and silos: "participate and you may be entered to win your very own superbowl commercial." then, as awareness builds, entries are submitted via the purpose-built promotional site. the entries keep coming. perhaps there is a gallery to view said entries. finally, after the deadline is announced, a winner is chosen. at long last, a crowdsourced spot airs during the superbowl for 30 seconds. exeunt stage left.

the problem is that this dynamic upsets the value proposition put forth earlier on; in this case it is in fact completely lopsided. users are asked to participate and provide input with no guarantee of an upside: i.e. you get paid (k + k), or you get access (wikipedia, google). this creates two issues:

1) with little-to-no reward, the value of the incoming work--for the most part--matches that of the potential for an upside: paltry.

2) since the lackluster--or perhaps ephemeral--reward has a likewise effect on the output, its ultimate longevity is also significantly diminished.

what's more is that this lopsided dynamic not only influences the perceived value of the output, but simultaneously impacts its overall benefit. in these types of situations a whole lot of people are persuaded to pitch-in when almost no one really winds up benefitting. well, to be honest, a few people/entities do see some positive results. the brand that orchestrated the contest receives a low-cost piece of content for their commercial, and the contest-winnter(s) gets his (their) 15 minutes of fame. other than those two parties, i can't be too sure that anyone else really benefits from a cleverly crowdsourced commercial.

so what we end up with is an ad-like object possessing low perceived value that has little staying power and only benefits a few people.

i'd say that constitutes a pretty shitty paradigm... for everyone involved.

it's little wonder then that we don't see the output of these contests sticking around for very long or brands dipping into the crowdsourcing well over and over again.

this type of crowdsourcing system simply can't sustain a matched correlation between volume, quality, and benefit for any significant period of time.

there's one model left: the crowdsourced agency.

and i personally believe that this scenario has the potential to be one of the most dangerous crowdsourcing variants. dangerous bad, not dangerous awesome.

the reason being fourfold:

1) it over-commoditizes an already threateningly commoditized market

2) it transforms the agency into a broker instead of an incubator

3) it makes us price ourselves out of the market

3) it once again upsets the hourglass dynamic by creating imbalance: a lot participate to benefit a few.

these days, agencies seem to be wading through particularly rough waters when it comes to justifying their need + cost to clients. new and different agency models are popping up right and left in order to try and solve the issues plaguing our industry: agencies need to be more nimble, some clients only need compartmentalized competencies, too big = too much overhead, does your agency get digital?, retainer payments versus time sheets... all of these are different ways of answering the overwhelming concern of clients that agencies costs are disproportionate to their benefits. so if an agency begins to crowdsource its solutions, it begs the question as to why an agency is even needed in the first place. suddenly, we've cut ourselves out of the picture entirely. as @eyecube points out, "If you’re going to crowdsource, why does the client even need a middle man...?"

at best, however, a crowdsourced agency is merely a broker. and, for the most part, all that a broker offers is access in exchange for a reasonable rate of return. in this form the actual agency (philosophically speaking) of an agency is entirely negated: it has no need for a strategic department, a creative department, or an account department. all it needs are a few well-connected former department heads that are social media savvy; people who know what good work looks like so when it lands on their desk they can pass it along.

the benefit of an agency like this is that it is MUCH cheaper than any of its competitors. but that may also be its downside. it all has to do with an economy of scale. this is the clever trick that crowdsourcing has pulled; it makes the cost of solving a problem cheaper by efficiently expanding the audience of those who can solve it. suddenly, you've engaged one million people to try and solve a ten thousand dollar problem. on average, that breaks down to one penny per person. now we've reset client expectations with a slippery slope... an insanely cheap one at that. why would a client pay a freelance rate for a senior creative when he can pay a fraction of the price for ten times as many people? why gamble with the cost and know-how of a small group of people with narrow, but finely-honed skills (an agency) when you can pay one person to manage the output of thousands? what we've done is essentially price ourselves out of the market while simultaneously create demand for a widening net of problem solvers at a cheaper rate.

finally, the crowdsourced agency model creates an unbalanced system. i'll try to be quick with this one since it has been laid out earlier. essentially, a crowdsourced agency asks for work from a lot of people, and the benefit of that work only gets passed on to a few people/parties: the agency, the brand, and the person(s) whose work was selected. that in turn creates some advertising. and, well, ads don't normally benefit too many people... and if they do, not for very long.

granted, all of this can be turned on its head. an agency can contract one million people to make one million tiny pieces of something amazing and long-lasting, something with purpose and meaning that serves a need and strikes a chord. it's not impossible, and it requires a perfect storm of agency vision/leadership combined with a the most amazing, brilliant, and trusting client. it could happen. but could it happen every single time? day in and day out? unlikely but i've got my fingers crossed.

(i've got a few thoughts on how/why/when a crowdsourced model can actually work, but i'll save that for another ridiculously long post)

It's funny

2009-12-11T00:25:00.000-05:00

It's funny

It's funny when honesty is all you want people to cherish, and deceit
is the only currency that holds its value.

I guess it's just hard to make the scales balance.

• sent from my iphone •

Sleep Writing

2009-10-13T01:57:00.001-04:00

Not sleeping much these days has made me realizing that I'm also not
writing much either.

Could probably use one to help solve the other.

big computers

2009-05-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

had an epiphany rather early this morning:

we’re actually very large organic computers. we process info from our own version of the web, download info, chat, etc. and, it’s only a matter of time before the web we live in and the internet we live on merge to create one seamless database of universal and limitless access.

now marinate on that for a bit.

remembering a good book

2009-04-16T00:22:00.002-04:00

my buddy peter wrote this while reflecting after his first few days in new york:
good photo and thought

it reminded me of this quote from The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera:

'Franz said, "Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's what enabled Western man to spend decades building a Gothic cathedral or a Renaissance piazza. The beauty of New York rests on a completely different base. It's unintentional. It arose independent of human design, like a stalagmitic cavern. Forms which are in themselves quite ugly turn up fortuitously, without design, in such incredible surroundings that they sparkle with a sudden wondrous poetry."'

just always thought this was a wonderful few turns of phrase.

raptastic

2009-03-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

this has got to be a joke

2009-03-21T15:01:00.001-04:00

seriously?
this dude can't be real.

this is what the internet is for

2009-03-04T17:19:00.001-05:00

http://thru-you.com/#/videos/6/

all of it is amazing

sad but true

2009-02-26T18:54:00.002-05:00

messing with gifs

2009-02-10T19:49:00.001-05:00

just playing around...

you can find it--and the rest of my pics--here.

the ultimate warrior

2009-01-23T10:13:00.001-05:00

i love this

2009-01-15T16:36:00.001-05:00

an experiment

2009-01-05T17:23:00.005-05:00

on a whim, i wanted to see if i could 'gauge' the emotional state of things using two ridiculously simple words and comparing their search volume.
it all started when i realized that a lot of people i know put their facebook status as "blah" from time to time.

sure enough, if you search "blah" on facebook/lexicon... there it is.
and it is slowly declining in recurrence over time.

then i thought i'd use big brother google to see what happens.
and this time i pitted "blah" vs "yay".
check it out:

admittedly, it's not an exact barometer. there are some random, unapplicable uses.

nonetheless, there is a trend (which makes me think there's some validity to it.
and, it looks like the yays have it.

the world may be becoming a better place after all.

cosmic awesome

2008-12-23T12:20:00.001-05:00

i wish i could dance this good

2008-12-22T21:22:00.001-05:00

electronic holiday spirit

2008-12-19T12:53:00.003-05:00

what the fuck?!

who said it was cool to send me a picture of a sleigh, some puppies, or a snowflake and shit and then type a note--in some douchey italic/script typeface--about how we should reflect on our loved ones and our lives and rejoice and be thankful and shit.

seriously, an electronic note like that is the most worthless thing i've probably ever received.

wow, you took a whole lot of time to bcc me on an email into which you cut and pasted some clip-art and a quote. you're a fucking sweetheart.

what's more is that i don't know and haven't personally met a single person that's sent me one of these things.

it's worse than spam.
at least that meaningless drivel gets cut off by my junk filter.

and i've gotten at least 10 of them so far.

merry fucking christmas.
bitches.

rawr!

2008-12-19T12:10:00.001-05:00

um, not cool

2008-12-18T17:38:00.003-05:00

is everything ok with you?

i want your entire friend network to know.. so that your life becomes shit for the next two weeks as they slowly ask you one by one "if everything's okay" and then you have to explain away your nasty case of herpes.

hamster on a piano

2008-12-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

i'm a little obsessed with this.

the third member of Nelson

2008-12-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

jizz in my pans

2008-12-08T18:31:00.001-05:00

can't embed due to restrictions
but go ahead and take a look.

try not to jizz in your pants

trust me. it's awesome and totally SFW as long as you're wearing earphones.

ch ch ch check it out

2008-11-25T15:06:00.003-05:00

i/denti/tee

there's a widget on there that allows you pick out your favorite i/ lyrics and share them with friends. as you pick and vote, we're going to start displaying the results and the data in some really cool ways. you should check back on monday.

Art installations

2008-11-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people look like art installations. And they look beautiful.

But most of the time they don't.

• sent from my iphone •

it's worth reading the subtitles

2008-11-13T13:05:00.002-05:00

this dude is:
too strong to do work
too strong to go to jail
must have sex 15 times a day
has four wives
has 34 children
can't shake your hand

and all of egypt is totally cool with that

way ahead of his time

2008-11-13T13:03:00.001-05:00

made in 1985. 1985!
i don't even think they had computers back then.

Great Things

2008-11-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think maybe we're all destined for great things.

It's just that some of us don't find out in time.

• sent from my iphone •

word

2008-11-05T18:59:00.003-05:00

176 years of history

2008-11-05T10:33:00.001-05:00

history

2008-11-05T10:26:00.002-05:00

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing ¿ Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth ¿ that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

My President. BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

2008-11-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

robots

2008-10-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

When art becomes valuable for its shock value as opposed to its merit and commentary, we've run ourselves into a problem. And it's our fault.

2008-10-23T23:47:00.001-04:00

When art becomes valuable for its shock value as opposed to its merit
and commentary, we've run ourselves into a problem. And it's our fault.

Nudity is beautiful. Nudity as novelty is tired. Nudity as
photographic art because there are some big tits staring at you is
pathetic.

We're smarter than that.

And we shouldn't let someone make us stare in awe at our own stupidity.

Or maybe that's why it's art.

The joke's on us?

• sent from my iphone •

correction: THIS is the dope-a-dope

2008-10-23T13:43:00.001-04:00

yeeeeahhh beckeee!

damn, snacks on snacks

dope-a-dope.

2008-10-13T16:20:00.001-04:00

principles or strategies

2008-10-08T11:02:00.001-04:00

just wanted to share something that's been bugging me since watching the VP debate last week.

basically, it's clear that palin was given semantic work-arounds for question dodging.. parsing words and slicing distinctions so fine that, as kramer would say, "you can't see them."

and below is one instance from last week where palin dodged a question about the approach to success in the middle east. she replaces the word "strategy" with "principle."

Palin in relation to afghanistan:

The surge principles, not the exact strategy, but the surge principles that have worked in Iraq need to be implemented in Afghanistan, also.

now, i'm not the smartest guy in the room. but for starters, i would've loved to have seen biden ask her to distinguish those two things. but frankly, even if i was asked, i'm not sure i could.
in fact, i think the difference between these two words in the context of their use is so minor that the distinction is meaningless. which is to say, she just used semantics to give a non-answer. and in some ways, it worked. she got herself off the hook.

this isn't admirable or desirable in a candidate. we don't want someone who will wriggle through the cracks to get out of a tough situation. we need someone who will face challenges head-on with resolve. palin seems to have fallen short here... with coaching help from her party's strategists.

surprise surprise.

but what gets me even more is that, having given palin this tactic, the mccain camp fails to maintain continuity when it comes to the presidential candidate himself. he quickly and immediately dives into "stategic" rhetoric with no mention of "principles" anywhere in sight.

McCain in relation to afghanistan, iraq, pakistan, waziristan:

Now, General Petraeus had a strategy, the same strategy -- very, very different, because of the conditions and the situation -- but the same fundamental strategy that succeeded in Iraq. And that is to get the support of the people.

the sad fact for me is that this linguistic slight of hand can actually work.

probability

2008-10-05T03:46:00.002-04:00

just got done with a long walk across the williamsburg bridge. it was late, and i passed it on my way to the subway. i figured, "fuck it. let's go for a walk." and walk i did.

and that's when i began to see the craziness.

things observed on the walk:
1. man wandering around in a t-shirt, black tube socks, and bvd's. nothing else.
2. man on bike completely wipe out on a perfectly clean and pristine stretch of pavement.

after taking in both of these random but amazing events, it finally struck me that this might not be coincidence. it's possible that this day isn't in fact touched. and that it doesn't have some weird karmic tint to it in which these happenings occur out of some cosmic destiny.

no. not at all.

every random thing or crazy event that i see could very well just be a product of probability.

it basically boils down to this: the fact is, that with so many people living in such a small area, the probability of the improbable increases. and upon that, the probability of seeing more than one improbable occurrence rises as well. as a result, it shouldn't be surprising that i see a man walking around with no pants.

no. not at all.

it was just a matter of time.

rad upon awesome upon more rad

2008-09-26T13:58:00.001-04:00

anyone else see a problem here?

2008-09-02T16:25:00.002-04:00

whatever happened to that whole "don't be evil" thing?

oh yeah

2008-08-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

http://i36.tinypic.com/waqa6u.gif

indeed

2008-08-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

http://data.tumblr.com/gBmmI1f9H4arprowJqWAUgGx_400.gif

Blowing My Mind

2008-08-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

got to catch radiohead at all points west on friday and saturday.
truly incredible.

some short clips from saturday's set below.
pics coming soon.

wait for it

2008-08-01T11:28:00.001-04:00

wait for it. wait for it.

wow

2008-07-29T13:42:00.002-04:00

something like a simple MIDI visualizer and an AMAZING piece of music by claude debussy just makes your day and blows your mind:

tall

2008-07-25T20:49:00.004-04:00

i've spent a lot of time looking down lately... just walking and thinking.

and, unfortunately, it hit me that the directional bias of my gaze has, as of recent, been serving as the physical manifestation for my mood. not necessarily the best epiphany to be having.

but, when it struck me, it caused me to stop walking... and look up.

and that's when i glanced upward today to see the empire state building catch the pink and gold-flamed twilight sun. among the other spires and ornaments, it stood stolidly in that proud moment, as if striving to be ever higher and reach the majestic pinnacle of its nature.

there are great things in this world. and behind them are great people who are driven and determined to make them a reality.

in that minute of pause, when the empire state building caught my eye, it shone brilliantly as an example of these facts.

and that gave me hope.

this

2008-07-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

makes me feel a little better.
a little.

this makes a person

2008-07-23T19:40:00.000-04:00

lose faith.

Romanticism as a reaction to cynicism:

2008-06-27T22:44:00.000-04:00

Romanticism as a reaction to cynicism:

We are romantics not because we believe romanticism exists, but
because we've stopped believing it's possible.

It's a wish... not a reality.

And so, we become friends with disappointment. .

• sent from my iphone •

our new work for converse

2008-06-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

www.thisistheindexpage.com

wow

2008-05-12T10:15:00.001-04:00

they split guam

2008-05-08T12:10:00.001-04:00

i'm famous

2008-04-28T19:02:00.001-04:00

pass it along and vote!!!!
puuhllleeeeeaasssseee!!!!

um. yeah.

2008-04-28T11:52:00.001-04:00

sg'jo;nihw4onwh6;oinbgslknsnl;k

2008-04-18T11:52:00.001-04:00

mario cart

2008-04-15T10:39:00.001-04:00

http://view.break.com/487616 - Watch more free videos

so bad... it's really bad

2008-04-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

makes the girls sweat

2008-04-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

and by sweat, i mean vommit.

i'm thirsty

2008-04-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

Suckle On My Teet

i have now turned into a little girl

2008-04-07T10:50:00.001-04:00

take note

2008-04-07T10:47:00.001-04:00

this is why when i run from a dude with a crossbow, i make sure to do it in zig zags.

it's hammer time!

2008-03-31T12:20:00.001-04:00

check out grandma on the couch. scraight chillin.

Uptown N Train

2008-03-27T00:12:00.000-04:00

If you can, zoom in on the stripper--I mean author--on the right.

The South

2008-03-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

Right now, im at this concert for a band, "drive by truckers." they're
all right. But what I'm suddenly noticing is that here in new York,
hicks have become so marginalized that they're niche. And with all
this hipster chic bullshit, it's actually cool now to be some down-
home redneck. As if that was ever admirable (at least in the
stereotypical sense of the word)

Just weird to see these supposedly liberal people openly adulate a way
of life that seems antithetical to their own. And a way of life that,
I bet if you pressed them out in the open about it, they'd deride in
an instant.

And let's set the record straight, I'm from Kansas city. I have a
pretty good idea when southerners are being sincere, or just playing
up their accents.

I don't know anything about these guys. This is just my first
impression.

Oddly enough, the music just got good.

if you do anything today

2008-03-26T14:21:00.002-04:00

take five minutes and watch this:
http://www.pablovalbuena.com/videos/ars07_video.html

it's by an artist named pablo valbuena.
some news on him:
http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/2008/03/18/entramado/

It's a thought.

2008-03-26T01:57:00.000-04:00

I spent a lot of my formative years learning how to listen carefully,
skillfully. Through locked doors and closed windows, i would tune my
ears to catch my sisters confiding in one another, plotting revenge,
devising schemes. I developed a knack for reading the lips of shadows
and deciphering the murmurs and whispers of my parents in far-off
corners of the house, planning my fate.

And despite all that alacrity for listening, I have the hardest time
listening to someone right in front of me. I'm unable to understand
them at all. They look me in the eye and speak. And it's like another
language or something. I completely miss the point, much to their
dismay.

But I bet if they moved away, to hush themselves in secret chambers
and whisper in quiet privacy, I would hear them. I would understand.

But no one talks to you like that. They only talk about you.

oldie but a goodie

2008-03-25T18:42:00.000-04:00

truth.

sex offender island

2008-03-24T16:24:00.001-04:00

this shit is real.

moves. mad skillz. toddler.

2008-03-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

ooh girl

2008-03-18T11:21:00.001-04:00

booty booty booty everywhere

2008-03-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

for dessert

2008-03-14T16:19:00.001-04:00

hope you haven't eaten

2008-03-14T14:08:00.001-04:00

ouch

2008-03-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com

peaceful evasion

2008-03-12T13:43:00.000-04:00

the power of farts

2008-03-12T13:35:00.001-04:00

got to get these guys in...

2008-03-12T13:26:00.001-04:00

she's fierce

2008-03-11T13:18:00.000-04:00

look into my eyes

2008-03-10T10:16:00.001-04:00

i think i should play a starring role in this groundbreaking film

2008-03-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

wonder what she's really thinking about

2008-03-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

what the....

2008-03-06T13:24:00.001-05:00

words cannot describe

2008-03-06T13:18:00.001-05:00

2008-03-06T13:02:00.001-05:00

i hate that these come from details.com. but i'll admit it when someone's got a good thing going.
these videos are fucking hilarious.

please brush my hair

masturbating in the parking lot

whoa.. cool

2008-03-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

someone actually made this. wow.

this is the creepiest AP photo i've seen yet

2008-03-06T11:18:00.002-05:00

why are all three of these fuckers staring at this shiny shit-bowl and smiling from ear to ear.
so weird

if they had thought bubbles, what would they be thinking?
go!

Dragon Hunter

2008-03-05T19:49:00.001-05:00

more like boner hunter

sick nasty

2008-03-05T17:23:00.003-05:00

wait til the end. the last 10 seconds will alter your understanding of the cosmos.

magic missile!

2008-03-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

ouch.
ouch.

ouch.

how we do

2008-03-03T10:55:00.001-05:00

what car dealers are really like

2008-03-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

swing batterbatterbatterbatter....

2008-02-29T12:30:00.001-05:00

swing and a miss.

ouch.

i will see this movie 57 times

2008-02-29T11:47:00.001-05:00

i believe the judges won't accept that answer

2008-02-28T18:21:00.002-05:00

quietly saying "oh fuck" to yourself on national tv. perfection.

once a year. period.

2008-02-28T18:00:00.001-05:00

the truth

2008-02-28T11:04:00.001-05:00

peep homie with one leg.
wurd.

girl is puttin it down

2008-02-27T18:06:00.001-05:00

does she have down's syndrome or something?

http://view.break.com/457808 - Watch more free videos

dolemite

2008-02-26T11:52:00.001-05:00

just wonder what might happen if someone asked him to rhyme with "orange"...

old folks

2008-02-26T11:42:00.001-05:00

ghostride the whip!

yeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhh grandma.

golf = sex

2008-02-26T11:32:00.001-05:00

um, yeah. you just gotta watch it.

i hate that this is an ad

2008-02-26T11:24:00.000-05:00

but it appeals so perfectly to my scat-humor

close that thing

2008-02-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

the governator's losing steam