Thoughts are like fishes

Serve the public trust

Earlier this month the Mayor of Detroit, Dave Bing, used the social media service Twitter to canvas ideas for reviving the US city.

Among the suggestions sent to Mayor Bing was a ‘tweet’ from user MT that as, Philadelphia has a statue of Rocky, Detroit should consider a statue of Robocop, titular character from the 1987 film known for its violence, black comedy and vision of a future where the police force has been privatised.

Mayor Bing ‘tweeted’ back that “There are not any plans to erect a statue to Robocop” and thanked them for the suggestion. However, the idea proved to be very popular and a statue of Robocop standing in Detroit looks likely to become a permanent fixture.

As of 2pm on Monday 28 February, 2442 people have contributed nearly $63,000 toward constructing the statue, which was expected to cost $50,000.

This is one example of the ‘crowdsourcing’ trend first identified by Wired journalist Jeff Howe in 2006. The crowds are typically online communities who pool skills and resources to reach a common goal. Wikipedia is one example of a crowdsourced project, an online encyclopaedia that is the result of volunteer editors and contributors.

A critical part of developing a crowd ready to support Robocop was the response of John Leonard who, upon learning of Mayor Bing’s decision, created a Facebook group that galvanised support. From here a profile was created on Kickstarter, a website which solicits funds for crowdsourced projects.

Kickstarter’s website describes their service as “A new form of commerce and patronage”:

This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project...

Projects are big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. They’re inspiring, entertaining and unbelievably diverse.

It’s somewhat ironic that a film about a privatised police force should have a role in a community-led plan, yet as social media websites like Facebook and Twitter have recently played starring roles in changing governments, perhaps a statue of Robocop could be much more than a pet project for a bunch of geeks?

An alternate view of the so-called ‘wisdom of the crowd’ is that groups of people seem to be easily swayed by novelty, for example the US city of Austin’s decision to put the name for their new Solid Waste Services Department to a popular vote. Based on current polling, it looks like it will be named the Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts!

The heart of the Riverina

Not Another Bank?

Recently an Australian bank has been promoting itself as unlike other Australian banks.

Personally I can't understand how they're Not Another Bank but at one point I thought it was worth having an account with them and I haven't closed it yet. Anyway, this week I undertook a survey on their website and was surprised by the third question here:

"Much more fuss is being made about air and water pollution than is really justified"

Are they evaluating whether there's an advantage in portraying themselves as green?

SNAP!

I gave way

I gave way to a train while riding my bike this week. It's not particularly amazing news but I thought it was cool.

Yeah, the photo is kinda ordinary but I was riding my bike at the time.

The grass is always greener

For some reason the Facebook profile I set up for work gets more saucy friend requests than the one I actually use.

WTF Google News?

Poetry

This board changes you.

You can become light more stylish than whom.

Everyone accepts this fact.

You will also challenge early.

Praying mantis

More praying mantis pics here
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Pathology must be crap

Flooded street

We had a downpour yesterday that put big puddles in our backyard, local park and at the end of our street.

Extra strong knob

Go on and snigger.

This record

Great cover art. Obviously a very cool record.

Leeton Christmas lights

Locust says hello

Droughts and flooded drains

The park at the end of our street flooded today. While taking the kids to have a look, they were attracted to the snails that were making the most of the rain.

They liked the snails so much I joked to my partner that it was as if they'd never seen them before. She pointed out that they hadn't seen many snails, through drought and where we've been living.

The kids brought home snails and gave them names and thought they were pets.

Two tweets on the internet

These blue birds remind me of the Twitter logo, so the crocodile reminded me of the internet. Two tweets and you can be eaten.

Wagga Wagga

Mock story

A mock story on a mocking news website?

Some more here

A plague comes to town

This photo is from my last locust plague, it was 2008. I was surprised when they first hatched because you could see a group of them hopping across the ground but not really identify what it was. Like the dirt was shifting in places.

This year's locusts started arriving in Leeton on the weekend. I was walking to the collect my newspapers when a bird dived on one near me.

Locust numbers have been increasing but nothing like the photograph below from BoingBoing.net

Join the dots

I'm wondering if my kids would recognise this as a telephone.

I suppose it still looks like one from an old movie.

Basin Plan graphic design

There doesn't seem to be a credit for the design of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority's first volume of the Basin Plan but I believe the graphic designer has done a remarkable job because the proposed Plan will tear stripes off regional communities. Just like what's shown on the cover.

Another curious review

Another fine fuck-up in Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum section. Cee Lo's expression in the photo seems apt.

This was the last wordless album review I saw.

Under the boardwalk's spell

Had a walk around the National Botanic Gardens today. I've spent a lot of time there over the years, my mum loves it and my partner does too.

If you plan to take kids there, it's important to pack spare clothes. Last time we went my three-year old fell into a stream, today my toddler had barely left the car park when he tumbled into a pond.

One addition I noticed today was a bunch of water monitors, who posed for many photos.

Anyway, one of the things I was musing on while strolling through the rainforest on a raised platform is the appeal of boardwalks. I wondered if part of their appeal is the way they let you walk on water.

Playing a fairy

Sharkboy lost his first tooth today.

Tonight will be my first experience as a tooth fairy.

120 Days of Simon

Simon Gärdenfors is a Swedish cartoonist/rapper who undertakes to spend four months couch-surfing and document the result. It took maybe an hour to read and I really enjoyed 120 Days of Simon.

The graphic novel format suits the Kevin Smith-esque narrative. Gärdenfors' gonzo reporting is totally understated by the Astro Boy-style visuals though, it ain't for kids.