Tuesday, March 25, 2008

the Grave Yard

The Grave Yard is the first computer game that I downloaded. It's very reflective rather than action packed or goal-oriented. The setting is a cemetery within a busy city. Everything is so grey. Just shades of gray in the grave yard. The street sounds are clear and the moving clouds really evoke a real world experience.



Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn must have overdosed on Stephen King's novels when they dreamed this game. The game, based on the trial version, seems appropriate for an adult audience. Maybe some Goths would have the head for it. It may serve as a great lesson for a humanities or gerontology class. The class can ponder questions like, "Is life worth living after 50?" "What do you do when you're the only one left?" "Must old age be a time only for wrinkles, creaks, pains and memories?"



The long and short of it is that a player walks the old lady to a seat within the cemetery. She walks with a cane and needs many resting spells before she gets to the stone seat.



Once you seat her, a song comes on which reveals the thoughts in her mind. In fact, her face is superimposed over her seated self to suggest an introspective moment. She thinks of all the folks who've passed. She mentions the cause of death for each one. Once complete with her musing, it's time to walk her out of the cemetery. Remember, it takes time because she needs her rest spots.



The trial version is the one that I downloaded; I wasn't willing to get the the full blown edition. There are options in that play wherein the old lady can die.



Unfortunately, "death be not proud for so many of us" and aging graciously is rarely granted in the post industrial society. Granny's face is craggy. Her back is bent and her gait is slanted. Does old age really have to be so depressing? After "playing," the Grave Yard, I got up to do exercises until I got warm and slightly winded.



The last time Granny and I were together, she decided she didn't want to be so morbid. She took several steps forward and then reeled herself around. She liked that so much, she reeled herself around in the other direction. Soon Granny was dancing. Yes, my Granny was dancing in the grave yard. Before she got to the gates, she noticed a pathway and wanted to take a look but animation has boundaries. So Granny, did an about face and headed to the gate. All the dancing and peering got her little dizzy. She nearly walked into the gate but, I got her straghtened out before any collision.



No, that particular day Granny chose to listen to the chirping birds and meet the busy city life. Maybe a little psyllium husk and gotu kola would get her going.

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Sunday, March 23, 2008

PC Hot Wired



Does anyone else notice how hours on the computer make it difficult to sleep at night? My physician says my cerebellum is overactive. He prescribed these capsules that have at least ten different herbs in them to soothe the brain. The first time he gave them to me I had to take 21 capsules for two nights. Thereafter, two before bed time. This was because my head was so hot wired.


Think about it. Do you find that you go over issues of the day at night? A monologue that goes on while you're so-called asleep? It's part anxiety or drive to accomplish something and it's that Green certified flat screen monitor you stare at during the day that's a culprit.


In truth, my eyesight is blurrier and I need more light on the keyboard. I'm trying to avoid upgrading to a serious mobile device because my addiction would be in overdrive. With a mobile device I'd check the Internet, listen to music, shoot video and email colleagues 24/7. There'd be no rest for this weary one.


So, my answer to my situation was taking a vacation from blogging and email for a few days. I also hear drinking lemon water cools the brain.

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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

For a Beat, a Rhythm and Melody


Digital Music Forum East, held Feb. 26-27, 2008, is an industry event co-sponsored by Digital Media Wire and Consumer Electronics Association that discusses the profits from the want of a beat, a rhythm and melody. Powerhouse executives from Napster, AOL Black Voices, SONY BMG, Bluhammock Music, Wired magazine, MP3tunes, Definitive Jux, Microsoft and Epic Records expressed their views on how to best meet audiences and keep the sales rolling in.
The definition of digital music went from “CD audio that’s digitally remastered from a analogue master” to music stored in the clouds. The younger the consumers, the more likely their music is stored in the clouds—i.e., downloaded to iPods, mobile devices and laptops—rather than found in CD jewel cases.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage on Battery Place has the space, style and technology to accommodate the panels and one-on-one interviews. Audience members sent text messages that were displayed on a side screen rather than form a line behind a microphone. The event planners knew that the thought leaders sat on both sides of the dais; so there were many networking breaks.
One House’s managing director Jim Griffin did a friendly keynote interview with maverick Michael Robertson, founder of MP3.com. Robertson recently launched MP3tunes Music Locker, an online tool to auto synchronize music to all devices, in April. Many point fingers at Robertson for breaking the tradition of selling a physical music product and opening the floodgates to music delivered through the Internet—paid and shared. Robertson’s big question that the courts still wrestle with is, “Who is the owner of music once it’s purchased by the consumer?” Does a record, tape or CD buyer have the right to do with her property as she sees fit?

The panel called The Kids Are Alright: The Tween, Teen and College Market dealt with the age groups most comfortable with having their entertainment and news up in the clouds. Panelists included NARM president Jim Donio, Ruckus Entertainment CEO Mike Bebel, Razor and Tie’s Edith Bellinghausen and journalist-turned-author Matt Mason (The Pirate Dilemma: How Youth Culture Reinvented Capitalism). Aram Sinnreich of Radar Research tried to breathe fresh air on this panel that fell into side conversations. The pearls formed from this discussion came from Jim Donio who said “Redirect the sales focus from the music to the iPod, MP3 player, phone or lap top used to watch and hear the music.” Matt Mason agreed by saying,”It’s the concert, ringtone and advertising that are the music industries' revenue streams.”

Major label executives gave the floor over to independent labels after one and three-quarter days of dominance. The Indie Takeover? panel featured Mitchell Volk of ADA, Definitive Jux co-founder Amaechi Uzoigwe and Jaylaan Ahmad-Llewellyn, owner of Bluhammock Music. Ahmad-Llewellyn noted that digital music was a cheaper, greener proposition compared to petroleum-based DVDs, Blu Ray or CDs. Among Uzoigwe’s insights was the concern for Net Neutrality. “Left unchecked, the many tariffs charges to access the Internet would serve as barriers for smaller corporations." Volk did an extensive statistical review of independent label play and sales power.

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Sunday, March 2, 2008

NYC Admin for Children Services Has Centers at Each Other's Throats


A November 2007 letter from ACS Commissioner Robert Mattingly says all center- and family-based providers have until April 30, 2008 to be enrolled to license capacity—no excuses. Publicly funded childcare services all over the city face closing, sponsor board merging or sharing space with other centers if they can’t meet the goal. This situation is similar to the closings and mergers experienced by public high schools. ACS Office of Child Care and Head Start keeps centers abreast of enrollment status by sending monthly counts. Childcare is a major employer in NYC. Closings affect thousands of low- and moderate-income families and childcare staff.

Here in the Gowanus community, it has become a competitive situation. Centers use various tactics to meet the goal. Some centers with infant care instruct new families to move their preschoolers from their current care providers to theirs in order to get service for their babies. “This is disruptive for the preschoolers and reduces our numbers,” states an unnamed local center worker. Some providers resort to low rating other centers and suggesting the possibility of religious instruction at certain publicly funded centers. The fact is ACS-funded programs can’t provide such instruction. Communities experiencing gentrification have racism and classism rearing their heads. Centers that have operated for decades in a community now are questioned about their innovation and ability to care for children from more affluent families.

Bethel Baptist Day Care Center, a 35-year-old community institution, made changes in teaching staff and, now, boasts of NYS certified teachers and assistant teachers who passed the NYS Assistant Teacher examination. “We focus on continuous quality improvement in teaching, nutrition, sanitation, safety and recreation,” says Carlene Smith, Bethel’s education director. “Our staff distributes flyers throughout the area to families, local schools and community centers. We’re proud of their commitment.” Rather than take the low road, Bethel Baptist Day Care Center gets prospects from current and past families.
Rising above competitiveness, all centers agree that the new requirement for single parents to petition for child support and reduced staffing within ACS Resource Areas are major obstacles. Day Care Council of NYC has publicly raised these issues in recent months. Centers like Bethel will hold open houses and extend a year-round invitation to spend the day in classrooms to judge quality for yourself.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Hillary's Jagged Aura

Hillary Rodham Clinton aint no Bill Clinton. He's all charm, compassion and intellect; Hillary, on the other hand, has a severe edge to her intellect. Isn't that so typical in marriages--the good cop and bad cop? The question is do you want a bad cop to run America? Will she know the right words to calm our fears or cheer us on at stellar moments?

Hasn't anyone told her about it? Doesn't she watch herself on video? There's this dragon beside her that won't go to sleep. The mudslinging doesn't help because she seems to really enjoy putting in the screws and insinuating things. Baracks progressive victories since Super Tuesday must bring much angst to the Democratic candidate that was supposed to be the shoe in.

Maybe some image consultant did come in for a day and that's where she decided tears would make her appear caring, vulnerable or womanly. It didn't.

Does she confer with Bill? Can't he tame his dragonlady? She has those great pant suits, that fresh hairstyle and wonderful accessories. She just has to work on her inside.

Barrack seems to have a wife with a dragon not too far away from her as well. Yes, Michellle can go there like Hillary. His saving grace is he's the candidate and Michelle is the doting wife who can be relegated to the silent, smiling wife at his side when need be.

Dragons aside, Hillary and Barack have America awake and hopeful. Thanks Hillary.

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From the Ground Up PR

Time flew by since the last entry due to an emergency PR project. It requires a combination of conventional promotional tactics and using social media.

It's quite incredulous how you learn the real deal once a colleague asks for help. It's a longstanding human service organization that didn't get the knack of community and government relations. My task is to develop a rolodex and automatte contact database of community service providers and the elected. Flyers in English and Spanish were designed to herald an Open House and a staff and customer satisfaction survey need to be administered. Employees are so disgruntled that they're considering letting the ship sink.

After a couple days of focusing on newspaper, TV and radio media relations, it occurred to me that we needed to head to the blogosphere for higher impact. The client is sitting on a hot topic that folks would rally around (child care services) if they'd only get attention. Of course that's why I was called at the last moment to handle that.

Let me head back to the client. If things work out, I'll state the name.

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