2008.... "whoa"

I honestly can't yet wrap my head around 2008. I spent the year so deeply immersed in politics that a thousand showers will not wash off the smell. But oh, what an exciting musk it is! My man Mike McIntee has a 2008 recap from The UpTake that comes pretty close to summing it up. "We Need God in our Governments" is one video I produced that still generates a lot of conversation.

Meanwhile, in case you didn't notice because I haven't overtly told you, MN Stories is back in business. [UPDATE: MN Stories had to be taken offline because the site kept getting hacked, due to ClipShare being an unsecure platform.] I'm pretty excited about it. I decided to go live as soon as it was more or less functional and looked good, but there are many tweaks and improvements planned. Most of all, I just want the site to make it easy for anyone to upload and watch Minnesota-themed videos. It also means I'm back in the saddle making those MNstories-style vids, which is probably what I'm most excited about for 2009. Please check it out and keep giving me feedback. I want MN Stories to kick ass.

Before we get to 2009, here's a flashback to New Year's Eve 2007. Enjoy the shit out of it!

An inspiring conversation

Naomi Klein, who inspired and informed the media criticism segments of Blogumentary, and Tom Hayden, one of the "Chicago Seven" at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, talk about journalism, activism, making ripples and embracing your inner misfit.

Video below the fold.

One more reason to love David Byrne

David Byrne, Playing the Building. It's funny to see Xeni Jardin acting like a doting fangirl.

God in Our Governments: RAW & UNCUT

The UpTake's "We Need God in Our Governments" video of fundamentalists in Lynchburg, Tennessee has generated a firestorm of interest and heated discussion. Here's almost all of the raw footage, where I ask them about the fabled separation of Church & State, and the fact that our country was founded upon religious freedom.

As I've stated elsewhere: These are good people - some of the nicest folks I've ever met in my life.

Their views are often misguided or worse, and they seem almost impervious to information outside their close-knit religious community, which is frightening. However, piling hatred on them, or dismissing them as ignorant hicks, does no good.

These folks believe they're doing what's right for them in the context of their moral framework. Of course that's miles away from the progressive moral framework. Perhaps someone should give the young girl a laptop with an EVDO card so she might have access to other ideas outside the bubble of Lynchburg, TN.

This is the smartest comment I've seen about the people in this video.

Solutions Twin Cities

Solutions Twin Cities: A forum for world changing ideas

Local designers, artists, & activists are on the forefront of a tidal wave of change; yet they have no place to gather, socialize, or share their ideas. Solutions is the space for presenting these new ideas & drawing awareness to existing solutions.

I will be one of twenty "solutionists," talking about why citizen journalism is important.

PUSH back

Coming to Minneapolis in June: PUSH conference

I got an email from the conference, inviting me to participate: PUSH is where business leaders go to get a first-look at the ideas, technologies and people that are inventing the future. If your work belongs in this category, and you’d like the opportunity to demonstrate its promise to our audience, we invite you to apply for one of up to eight 6-minute slots on our program.

We are looking for people whose work has real break-through potential. Through MNstories.com and your blogging and vlogging, you connect your audience with interesting and talented people.

I was honored that they thought of me, really. The only problem is it would cost me $1,295. I was actually shocked until I realized that's also the price of attending the conference. Essentially, you're paying for the conference and the chance to spend 6 minutes demonstrating your work for an influential audience.

Still... maybe it's my ego here... but they should be paying me $1,295 to share my work with their influential audience. The Push audience of "investors, journalists, bloggers, potential strategic partners" are paying to learn what's next. I'm what's next baby! I don't need them to tell me that, and I sure as hell ain't gonna pay them to tell me that.

"BE HERE. OR DISAPPEAR." That marketing pitch is aimed at people afraid they'll miss out on something. I'm not missing out on anything - I'm creating creating creating.

Well, okay... I'm missing out on a great lineup of speakers.
Maybe I'm just bitter that I can't afford to attend cool events like this.

Open Your Brain

MEDIA NIPPLE

AARON VALDEZ

THE PAN

I had the pleasure of meeting these cognitive dissidents whose work I worship deeply admire. Sparks in the dark at Vloggercon.

GORDON PARKS.

This one hits deep. What an amazing artist, what an inspirational life.

Gordon Parks, a Master of the Camera, Dies at 93

Jonathan's comments.

DIGNITY IS DEADLY

"Dignity is deadly" Part One and Part Two.

GROKSTER: SAD DAY FOR INNOVATION

Grokster loses: Technology for trading files on the Internet unanimously condemned by U.S. Supreme Court, despite differing opinions.

Huge, sad, idiotic news. And ironic, considering corporations abide copyright when it's convenient.

And... what does this mean for videoblogging? Dunno.

Cory Doctorow / BoingBoing

Here's a link to a BitTorrent distribution of the decisions in Grokster, today's Supreme Court decision that established a new copyright thoughtcrime: "inducing" your users to infringe by failing to employ restrictions that you believe will reduce copyright infringement. BitTorrent is a P2P software application that was not designed to reduce infringement. Many BitTorrent users use it to pass around infringing copies of movies and music. Many also use it to distribute Supreme Court decisions.

Cory Doctorow / PopSci Editorial

This decision won’t kill P2P sharing. [...] But what today’s decision will kill is American innovation.

Also? Scientists have created zombie dogs and giant robot lobsters.

I'm not leaving the house anymore. I'm staying inside and reading the Holy Bible.