just a moment to say thanks to all of the friends who have helped make 2006 an incredible year of change and growth, as well as a heartfelt wish of pleasure and progress for the western calendar year of 2007.

—cell phone photo of george brecht’s sign of the times (2006)

jb r.i.peace

trying to squeeze in that holiday time gifties?

A recent trend seems to be eeking its ugly, un-mercantile head!
the trend to stop buying so much crap in the holiday season. that’s just plain un-north-american!
some christians want the madness to stop (canadians, so we have to again confirm the anti-americanism).

some liberals seem to want it to disappear

here’s some super dry statistics created for you to imagine your community of spenders in the US
People plan to spend about 900+ dollars for this period

Some consumer sites estimate that things are going to drop a bit this year, leaving the US to spend only somewhere between 450-600 billion dollars. This is, as we all know in the back of our minds, still much more than the GNP of most of the nations of the world

Which leads me to my conclusion:

This year, I would like to give and receive only things made by people. Mixtapes and mix cds, paper airplanes or oragami, garbage, used food (if it’s good), a card with a picture of yourself, a link to a picture of a birdsong that you like, whatever. Also, regifting is allowed, and encouraged for that matter. Even if it is a gift I gave you last year.

It’s the thought…
and here’s a great track to go shopping by. it’s by satoru wono called overture

normally, i don’t post about things happening the same day…but…

Open Source on the Line

Convening participants across a wide range of professions and experience, this panel explores the aesthetic and political possibilities afforded by different open source systems. Panelists examine sites like Wikipedia and Digg.com, as well as p2p networks and social networking sites. They also explore offline artwork, arts institutions, and businesses that have sought to adopt open source models and current challenges to its continuation such as corporate attempts to undermine “net neutrality.” Panelists include Daniel Mayer, co-founder, Wikipedia; Cory Arcangel, artist; and Joy Garnett, artist; and Laura Quilter, founder, Fair Use Network. Moderated by Christiane Paul, adjunct curator of New Media Arts, Whitney Museum of American Art. This event is as part of the Vera List Center’s program cycle on The Public Domain and is co-sponsored by Rhizome.org, as part Rhizome’s tenth anniversary festival.