hogpath

This past week I was in the bright and shadowed hills of San Francisco to walk the ubiquitous conference halls of MacWorld. Here is the Japa. Japa is mumble in Sanskrit.


The conference is a bit utopian. A second life-style gathering of Mac techs, obviously, but in their different tribes of Goths, geeks, a few hip hoppers, west cost intelligentsia prep, and the corporate denim gurus. I’ve come away inspired, not so much for the friendliness of the affair, the product releases, and the stuff learned, but more or less the immediate sense of community after flying 4 hours to get there. All these online social networks, blogs and podcasts are bringing us closer together in the real world to create codes of understanding, even if it’s an iphone and Apple logo. They seem to be working. There is a very pure and smart undercurrent manifesting itself with the help of linked technology. What no better place than San Francisco.


Surprisingly, a thread through the japa was a suggestion or comment of Obama. There is talk of this man in these circles. I was surprised how effortlessly it floated off others people’s lips and even mine. To be able to talk politics so openly with strangers because of an intuitive understanding of the headz (spelled H.E.A.D.Z) was refreshing and fills me with hope that yes, things are changing into a positive direction. As I trekked the hills and avenues of SF, a visitor, a guest, a remnant of a business man I felt no loneliness as I pondered these new found communities I don’ know yet as imagined or real. In a dark sushi bar in a basement with blue walls, dangling lights, jazz giant pictures, salsa music and electro I met a talkative tech sage who gave me guidance. Her story began with talk of seeing Obama coming out of a hotel with the security posse. Is there something going on? Is there a connection? It is both exciting and frightening to see a mobilization and movement residing in the presence of one man. We will see.....


And with all intention of staying out of the cults and blowing smoke…..the fellas over at twit.tv raised a great point. Apple TV will now let you download films and television programs alongside podcasts. Think about that- the hogpath podcast next to the last episode of Lost. We will see…….


Remember to dance for joy.

When I first heard of prosper.com I was immediately intrigued and even thought quasi-conspiracy theories as I’d never heard of it before. Based off their website they have had their share of press in Forbes and Business Week, however I’m surprised there isn’t a “word on the street” pulse. Then again, the topic of credit can be kind of dicey.



Prosper.com takes lending and credit to the next level by using a little bit of trust and truly opening up the market via the Internet. Simple- I need some money, you lend it to me, and I pay you back in installments with interest added based off a credit rating. What’s different this time is say I want $10,000. Instead of going to a bank or a credit card company, at Prosper.com you post what you need and it’s possible 200 different people are going to lend you $50. It’s very interesting and entertainingly voyeuristic to see what people are asking for. There’s the debt-laden person with terrible credit, all the way to the young startup who has a business plan together.



There’s also a flipside to all this. Now you can loan people money, at a $50 minimum, and check this…….collect the interest.

A few years back I went to an exhibit at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit focusing on notable modern graphic design. There was a section on The Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis, Target, and of course, Apple. Each section looked at the history and evolution of these different brands from a design perspective. It was cool.



A colleague of mine and I walked through the exhibit pretty quickly as we absorb design daily both consciously and unconsciously then we wandered around the lobby of CCS where there was a student exhibit showing. Some of it was dark and twisted and some of it flowery, but it had something the graphic design did not. My colleague pointed out how refreshing it was to look at art for art’s sake, rather than used as a tool to promote and advertise. Some of the darker paintings, complete with guns and blood from what I remember, had an honesty and soul. It was humble and personal. I felt a connection not only with the artist but an intimate part inside myself as I responded to my emotions created by the art.



Now, not only with the web, but with high-end inexpensive ink-jet technology, art is becoming more accessible, more prevalent, and more easily shared so we can all respond to the artist’s plea. Check out deviantart.com. It has the standard web community features but what is really innovative, is you can submit your art and also purchase art. It puts it in our hands, not the curators. You can choose from a postcard or a wall sized print, even a print on canvas. Cuddle up, this site is huge, you can spend hours on it. And come away inspired.