tonyl@ogg.cgrg.ohio-state.edu (Tony Lupidi) (10/16/87)
Well folks I had fun last weekend. I went to the Small Computers in the Arts Symposium in Phillidelphia. SCAN is a conference for artists working with small computers, mostly micros. I like this conference much more than siggraph, lots less hype and bs, you can actually talk to the people presenting and in general the art work is better too. The keynote speaker was Timothy Leary, and is this guy an entertaining speaker! During his keynote address he said that we were entering a new age in human evolution, that we were becoming cybernetic people. This is because people on average spend seven hours a day watching T.V. this is more time than we voluntarily spend on any other activities such as eating, or sex. While on the surface this is depressing (Just turn on any network show) he theorizes that our brains crave this type of stimulation. This has not necessarily been good until now since tv is controlled by large corporate entities. With the advent of the low cost amiga and its abilities to both grab video images (Live!, digiview) modify them and to spit them directly back to video that this portends a new age for cybernetic man. This gives us cybernetic people control of this device. By the way, we are cybernetic because we are very technological, and also he said that the root of cyber was from the greeks and originally described a pilot who steered and independent course of discovery on the 'wine dark seas' <- direct quote. He compared the amiga to the creation of the printing press and some of the fall out from that: wide spread dissemation of information and the problems this caused controlling institutions at the time (church & state). He considered this to be a good thing. Thus this allows us to become cybernetic, or in control of our destinys to belabor a point. Then again I might be getting this all wrong, but it was something like the above. While he was talking images made on the amiga by some artists (Keith Haring) were shown behind him with a video projector. He is working on software called Mind Movies for the amiga. I guess this software would allow one to create animations (mind movies) for people to exchange and show........ For you ;-) malcontents ;-) that complain about advertising and presence, commodore was there in the form of David Archibault, he brought a A500 and A2000 and showed the images while Timothy talked. Lots of artists at the conference were using the amiga. Many were also programming or trying to program specific applications for the machine. The amiga got lots of good press at this conference. Phillidelphia is a great place too, lots to do and the people are friendly. Disclaimer: I am not paid by commodore although after this conference I wonder if Dr. Leary is! :-)
baer@percival.UUCP (Ken Baer) (10/18/87)
In article <918@ogg.cgrg.ohio-state.edu> tonyl@ogg.cgrg.ohio-state.edu (Tony Lupidi) writes: >The keynote speaker was Timothy Leary, and is this guy an entertaining >speaker! >He is working on software called Mind Movies for the amiga. I guess this >software would allow one to create animations (mind movies) for people to >exchange and show........ I'll bet he writes a hell of a Kaleidoscope program. :-) :-) :-) [inews filler] -- -Ken Baer. "Press the button labeled 'Extreme Emergency' on the console" - The Doctor. USENET - ...tektronix!reed!percival!baer OR baer@percival.pdx.com "The Few, The Proud, The Criminally Insane - Oberlin Computer Science" - me.
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (10/20/87)
In article <943@percival.UUCP> baer@percival.UUCP (Ken Baer) writes: >In article <918@ogg.cgrg.ohio-state.edu> (Tony Lupidi) writes: >>The keynote speaker was Timothy Leary, and is this guy an entertaining >>speaker! >>He is working on software called Mind Movies for the amiga. I guess this >>software would allow one to create animations (mind movies) for people to >>exchange and show........ > > I'll bet he writes a hell of a Kaleidoscope program. :-) :-) :-) (I don't think he needs one :-) Actuall I have a pretty good one if anyone is interested. It's on Plink and PNET02. If I get sufficiant response I s'pose I could post it. It's almost as good as acid... :-) What is Leary's company ? I heard a year or so ago he had a software company, but never heard more than that. -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."
jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM (Joanne Dow) (10/20/87)
In article <1974@gryphon.CTS.COM> richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) writes: >In article <943@percival.UUCP> baer@percival.UUCP (Ken Baer) writes: >>In article <918@ogg.cgrg.ohio-state.edu> (Tony Lupidi) writes: >>>The keynote speaker was Timothy Leary, and is this guy an entertaining >>>speaker! >>>He is working on software called Mind Movies for the amiga. I guess this >>>software would allow one to create animations (mind movies) for people to >>>exchange and show........ >> >> I'll bet he writes a hell of a Kaleidoscope program. :-) :-) :-) > >(I don't think he needs one :-) > (Your Kaleidoscope program IS pretty nice...) I have been sitting here wondering to myself just how beneficial it might be for the Amiga tohave T. Leary touting it. The conclusion is that this may be something the Amiga could do without (or at least not widely publicize.) I have some friends who cordially dislike Leary and all that he has represented in the past. One such is on BIX. At one time she was deep into that Leary subculture. She watched friend after friend either die or brain fry. Somehow she pulled through. I really don't think she'd touch anything associated with leary. And many others my age would agree. In those days he was an ass. (I lost at least one friend to acid... <SIGH> a nice guy, too.) Just a thought to toss into the wind... -- <@_@> BIX:jdow INTERNET:jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP:{akgua, hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!jdow Remember - A bird in the hand often leaves a sticky deposit. Perhaps it was better you left it in the bush with the other one.
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (10/28/87)
I can't see how he could be worse than Andy Warhol. -- -- Peter da Silva `-_-' ...!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!peter -- Disclaimer: These U aren't mere opinions... these are *values*.