Kristen Baumlier

NEWS

Transparency Camp: an Unconference about People, Government, and Technology

Posted on May 4, 2012May 3, 2012 by Kbaumlier

So I heard from a friend of a friend about TransparencyCamp, an “unconference” where journalists, developers, technologists, policy-makers, government officials, students, academics, and everyone in between meet to share and exchange knowledge about how to use new technologies and policies to make the government work better for the people — and to help people work smarter with the government.

In the form of an “unconference,” the schedule, sessions, workshops and events at TransparencyCamp are created by all of the attendees who all contribute to making the schedule for the conference with many attendees leading some of the sessions.

In past years, outcomes of this unique event that explores technology and government have been unique, globally recognized initiatives, including CityCamp, another technology and government unconference and CrisisCommons, a site to connect people and resources in times of crisis.

This year the 2012 TransparencyCamp proposed that it would explore questions about government transparency, openness, and accountability.

On the site, I read a tweet by someone who said that the event was like, “drinking a red bull for government accountability.”

The site lists the schedule of sessions and workshops from this past weekend which included sessions such as Your vote. Your world, How to understand the corporate world, Civil servants and civil society, Tweet Tsunami, and How to make civil engagement SEXY!

A recap video for 2012 is not up on the site yet, but you can check out the video from 2011 which gives a great overview for what goes on at this unique event. In 2011, there were 250 technology activists, reporters, bloggers, technology representatives, and representatives from non-profits that attended. The power of citizens, the relationship of citizens and government, and making positive change were at the core of the discussion.

Image Source:
Transparency Camp 2011 Recap – Video

Links:

Transparency Camp 2011 Recap – Video

transparencycamp.org

Big Polluter Dot Activity: Frame the Coal Plant in Cleveland Saturday 5/5/12

Posted on May 3, 2012May 3, 2012 by Kbaumlier

350.org, the group that is working to create a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis has organized another climate change event for 5/5/12. Called the Climate impacts day, 350.org is encouraging people to participate in this day to help “Connect the Dots” between climate change.

The idea is to have rallies, events, and to generate images in places that have been affected by climate change, or that create climate change. On the site you can setup an event or find one to join. All of the events will include taking a picture of a dot in some way. This could be a huge black dot on a white banner, a “dot” of people holding hands, encircling a field where crops have dried up, or a “dirty dot” of something that is contributing to the high levels of CO2. All of these images will be shown to help present a human face on climate change on the 350.org site.

Yesterday I created a new event on the 350.org site for this Saturday at 12 noon. Cleveland is one of the top producers of coal in Cleveland and me (and hopefully some other people) will be taking pictures near the First Energy Coal plant, making the power plant a “dirty dot” in the picture. If you want to participate, bring black paper, a banner, or anything else you want to hold up in the picture to frame the power plant into the “dot” in the image frame.

I’ve got some coal in my attic that I will be bringing to hold up in the picture. If you are free on Saturday at noon – come on out to make an image of the “big dirty dot” that is still burning coal.

Event information:
This Saturday: May 5, 12:00 PM
First Energy Lakeshore Plant
6800 South Marginal Rd, Cleveland, OH 44103

To signup for the event goto: http://act.350.org/event/impacts_en_attend/3219

Image Source:
http://www.350.org

Links:

Event link: act.350.org/event/impacts_en_attend/3219

www.350.org

You Are Here – A Tree Trunk of a Different Matter

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by Kbaumlier

In March, a new public art piece was installed in Portland, OR near the Jeld-Wen Field soccer stadium which is a cast bronze sculpture that depicts a large 9-foot diameter slice of a tree trunk. The sculpture, made by Rob Baron, is titled “You Are Here” and is a cast of a large tree trunk slice with growth rings, an edge of bark, and objects embedded into it.

Instead of dots to recognize specific years or time periods, the tree is covered with small sculptural figures and symbols that reference the history of the stadium site and the surrounding neighborhood called Goose Hollow. The work also refer to the lumber industry that sustained Oregon’s economy for over a century and also helped build Portland into the city that it is today.

The objects in the piece came from Portland’s secondhand stores and were selected so that they referred to the culture, commerce, and sports events at the site. Some of the objects include a tennis racket, soccer ball, a trophy, vegetables, baseball hat and glove, a Timber Jim bobble head doll, some greyhounds and a collection of cat figures (the stadium has a population of feral cats nearby.)

Baron’s idea for the piece came a Portland Timbers’ soccer game, where he saw the team’s mascot, Timber Joey, cut a slab from a log with a chainsaw each time the team scored a goal. The wood slabs are presented to the team members who scored the goal after each match.

The sculpture was supported by the Percent-for-Art program, which supports the policy requiring that 2 percent of the budget on large projects be spent on permanent public art installations.

Image Source:
artsamerica.org

Links:

www.ronbaron.net/

artsamerica.org

Words in Motion: Poetry and Animation on the London Underground

Posted on May 1, 2012May 1, 2012 by Kbaumlier

January can be a wet, cold, and grey month for people living in London. The group Smile For London decided to brighten up the London Underground with poetry and animation. The group asked a selection of poets and writers (which includes both famous and amateur) to contribute writings of up to 40 words that would be developed into animations that would play on the platform screens across the London Underground.

Some of the poems are poets which include Jarvis Cocker, Murray Lachlan Young and Benjamin Zephaniah. The imagery for the animation was done by illustrators, artists, animators and filmmakers including Macolm Garrett, Andy Rementer and Why Not Associates.

Forty of the Words in Motion films were created. Each piece is twenty seconds long and combines a voiceover, text, and imagery.

The Word in Motion project aims to spark an interest in poetry and writing as well and also to amuse and visually inspire the individuals who see the pieces. The pieces are no longer running in London, but you can see all of the pieces on a the Word in Motion Vimeo page. It might just brighten your day.

Image Source:
Word in Motion Pieces on Vimeo

Links:

Word in Motion Pieces on Vimeo

Maple syrup anyone? The Maple Festival in Geagua County, OH

Posted on April 30, 2012May 1, 2012 by Kbaumlier

This weekend I finally made it out to the Maple Festival out in Geagua County, a 4 day festival which celebrates maple syrup. The festival has been held in Chardon, OH since 1926.

This year due to the unusually warm temperatures, the maple syrup production was stopped earlier than expected and also reduced production. You couldn’t tell from the festival – there was things related to maple syrup everywhere. There was a Maple syrup contest, a Geauga County Maple Festival queen walking around with a sash and a tiera, maple syrup barbeque, and pancakes and maple syrup served at the main tent.

We headed to the festival on Sunday morning, and by 12 noon they were out of pancakes. Around the corner from the festival we found a church that had its own pancake breakfast event in the basement. For $9 we got all the pancakes we could eat with butter and maple syrup, sausage that I didn’t eat, and coffee, tea, or milk,

After we got our food, we sat down next to a couple who asked us where we were from. “I knew you weren’t from around here,” she said. “Otherwise I would know you already.” It turns out she was the producer of the maple syrup that they were serving at the breakfast. I have to say – it was the best maple syrup I have had. Not too sweet, and really good with the butter and chewy pancakes.

There were paddles on the tables labeled COFFEE or PANCAKES. When you ran out of pancakes or coffee you would hold the paddle in the air until you were served. Somehow I managed to eat 6 (!) pancakes which is the most pancakes I have ever eaten in my life.

At the festival we ate maple caramel corn, and for $1.00 got a small bowl of warm maple syrup and a popsicle stick. You use the stick to eat small dabs of syrup that cools ands hardens in the bowl if you don’t eat it quickly.

We planned our visit in time to make the “bathtub race,” which is a race where clawfoot tubs are put on wheels. Teams from the area compete in races where two team members push a third member who sits in the bathtub. I’m not sure how they steered it – but they had to roll down the street, make a half-circle – then head back to the finish line. The teams had matching shirts, and seemed to be from local businesses and other groups.

By 1 pm the finalists of the lumberjack competition were competing in events such as chain saw cutting, cross-cut sawing (where a team of 2 men use a oldtime giant saw with 2 handles to make 2 cross-cuts of wood), and axe flying. Complementary earplugs were available – which were good to have for the chain saw events.

The event had games and food stands like any festival, and there were lots of fried things on sticks including fried swiss cheese, fried snickers, and fried pizza sticks. There also was a French fry place that had fries that ranged in size from jumbo to bucket. Similar to how Starbucks names its sizes – jumbo was the small.

On the grounds there were historical maple syrup equipment on display, including a collection of spigots which are used to collect syrup, several setups that showed how the syrup used to be heated which included a large cauldron over a stove, and a Native American traditional setup of using a split log that would be filled with syrup and put over a log.