the dotmatrix project

We had a nice time, too. Thanks Cindy!

If you’re interested in understanding more about how our world is shifting from the center to the edges in terms of connectivity, exposure, the distribution of ideas and other major cultural shifts, check out Dr. Michael Wesch’s presentation at the Library of Congress entitled, An anthropological introduction to YouTube.

Dr. Wesch’s more famous videos, The Machine is Us/ing Us and Information R/evolution, are worth a watch as well.

(via Robert Patterson)

If anyone in Hip Hop deserves their own sneaker line, it’s ?uestlove from The Roots. Dude is a true innovator. I guess Nike agrees, as they just hooked him up:

I so would’ve rocked these red, green and gold leopard print kicks with my white boy jean jacket and Levi’s back in ‘86. That would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with my classic Vans and original Jordans filling out the rest of the week.

Release date: August 1, 2008.

UPDATE: ?uestlove describes the design process and why he’s a sneaker culture freak:

UPDATE II: And the day of the Philly release:

Historia de un Letrero (The Story of a Sign)

Submitted to the Short Film Online Competition, Cannes 2008
Director: Alonso Alvarez Barreda

UPDATE: After I connected with Alonso on Facebook, he wrote back something I thought pertinent for sharing here:

[...] I always wanted to make this film because I believe in the power of the story, I always thought that it was worth telling it, because I really believe that it carries within a message of love, peace and above all, hope. [...]

Thanks again for the film, Alonso.

(via Jason Pierce)

Talent.

[...] I’d neva hit a girl, but I’d shake the shit out of you. [...]

Edge.

Earlier today, President Bush spoke about the collapsing housing market and the rush needed to explore for oil on the OCS to reduce dependency on foreign resources:

29 years ago to this day, another President had something to say about us as a people and how the energy problem could unite us with a common cause to regain the confidence in a better tomorrow:

Jimmy Carter, The “Crisis of Confidence” Speech - July 15, 1979

[...] We are at a turning point in our history. There are two paths to choose. One is a path I’ve warned about tonight, the path that leads to fragmentation and self-interest. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others. That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests ending in chaos and immobility. It is a certain route to failure.

All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path, the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our nation and ourselves. We can take the first steps down that path as we begin to solve our energy problem.

Energy will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally. On the battlefield of energy we can win for our nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny. [...]

When I read the “fragmentation and self-interest” line by Carter, my head started to spin.

Welcome to the year 2008, Mr. President

(hat tip to Molly for the lunchtime conversation)

A few thoughts on this mess:

• Jesse Jackson is a man of the cloth, right? Under what circumcision circumstance should he be talking about cutting off anyone’s nuts?
• Nick Fieldz is spot on.
• I dig Nas, but I would’ve rather he dropped Bushwick Bill over Young Jeezy as a voice of the people. Seriously.

UPDATE: More from Nas:

Not that Fox is responsible for Jackson’s stupidity, but Nas makes a good point — why does Jackson keep flocking to spots like Fox? Particularly in the age of self-broadcasting? I think it’s because he’s not even trying to speak to or represent the < 35 yr. old demographic, which supports Nas' take on "Messy Jesse" even more.

One point of contention with the last Nas video, though: nuts have nothing to do with prostate cancer. Where are the freestyle torture schoolings of Method Man when you need them?

(via Nah Right)

Hip Hop is dead.

Or as Bob Lefsetz puts it:

[...] Every endorsement, every sponsorship, takes years off your career, just like smoking takes years off your life. Your audience needs to believe that THEY own you, not the man. That if you’re beholden to ANYBODY, it’s them! [...]

Except that with Hip Hop, “the game” is celebrated as much, if not more than the content or the musicianship of the actual artist.

The shit makes my head spin.

UPDATE: And the campaign hits TV:

I’m so not the target audience for this shit.

(via Nah Right)