Public Realm

Quote of the Day

Billy — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:47:05 +0000

Organics is becoming the private school of food… It’s great if you can afford it. But pricing it out of people’s reach is not a strategy for expansion.

- Ken Cook, on declining sales of organic food purchases at Whole Foods and other retailers.

Michelle Obama in Raleigh

Billy — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:18:48 +0000

View another video from the rally….
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VoiceThread

Billy — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:14:46 +0000

A group I work with is exploring learning and collaboration opportunities with an application called VoiceThread. My favorite part of the app is being able to phone in the audio if you’re like me and don’t have a microphone. The VoiceThread below took about 30 minutes to put together. Last post on SXSW, I promise.

Spring Break for Geeks

Billy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:55:38 +0000

All of the major SXSW Interactive parties featured dazzling performances such as Frog Design’s fire dancers and breakdancers. They were fun but not exactly an interactive experience. Crowd stands in circle. Takes pictures. Claps. Yawn… The most fun I had during the entire time at the conference was when 16 Bit’s Freak Show stopped, the 80’s tunes started, and the geeks went nuts.

Below: Sarah Lacy chats with folks at 16 Bit shortly before the fun really started. (Note: I also had to hop a fence to get in)

The Interview

Billy — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:50:21 +0000

The most discussed event of SXSW Interactive 2008 was probably the now infamous interview with Business Week’s Sarah Lacy and Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. This was an interview that started with excited geeks dancing in the aisles (seriously) and ended with an audience revolt. I can’t think of another SXSW discussion, panel, gathering, or event that captured so many themes that are at the heart of the changes in media, PR, social networks, tech, Web 2.0, and so on.

Julio Fernandez (with permission)

So what happened? Jeff Jarvis, Brian Solis, and the Guardian’s Jemima Kiss do a great job of breaking it down. Take your pick and you’ll have a pretty good understanding of how the interview unfolded.

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SXSW Interactive 2008

Billy — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:34:58 +0000

San Tan Flat and the Dance Police

Billy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:14:38 +0000

Remember “Footloose Bruce”? He was a spirit-filled, braided dancer who galvanized a community to fight for its right to dance on the lawn of their favorite co-op. Bruce may want to pass some good vibes out west. A similar battle is kicking up dust in Queen Creek, Arizona. Reason.TV has the story:

(Hat tip: Instapundit)

MIA :: Paper Planes

Billy — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:20:54 +0000

Quote of the Day

Billy — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:56:07 +0000

When you talk to Americans, you find that they have all these weird notions about Chinese communism. You try to tell them that China isn’t a communist country anymore. It’s got a different system: meritocratic paternalism. You joke: Imagine the Ivy League taking over the shell of the Communist Party and deciding not to change the name. Imagine the Harvard Alumni Association with an army.

- David Brooks, The Dictatorship of Talent

(Hat tip: Brian N)

Hardcore Sitting

Billy — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:51:55 +0000

“I don’t want pity… What I could use is some competition.”