350 … it’s a number we need to know
Getting Naked for Wine
This past weekend 713 hardy French men and women stripped down to send a message about climate change. They posed nude in French vineyards to warn the world about the impact of global warming on the French wine industry.
In Burgundy, the heart of the French vineyards, on a sunny day (luckily), Spencer Tunick posed the happy participants in 4 different poses; one with women alone, one with men alone and two more in different vineyards. Organised with Greenpeace, it’s all part of the campaign to urge political leaders to take action in the lead up to the U.N.’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
Definitely check out the article, Spencer Tunick’s site and also the Unofficial Spencer Tunick Experience Website which has some pretty cool links. I think that stuff like this is ultimately what will turn the tide on this climate madness. People – from snowboarders & skiers to teachers to farmers to people who eat shrimp I guess – will have to campaign against climate change in their own way. It has to be seen not as an esoteric maybe/maybe not issue of ivory tower dwelling people named Al Gore, but rather what it really is: the single most dangerous threat to our survival as a civilization and species.
Thanks Kathy for the pointer! Let’s close with Spencer Tunick at the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland.
10 to the 100 to the Google
Project 10100 is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.
After not too much deliberation, I decided to…
Help social entrepreneurs drive change
Opportunity
Create a fund to support social entrepreneurship. This idea was inspired by a number of user proposals focused on “social entrepreneurs” — individuals and organizations who use entrepreneurial techniques to build ventures focused on attacking social problems and fomenting change. Specific relevant ideas include establishing schools that teach entrepreneurial skills in rural areas; supporting entrepreneurs in underdeveloped communities; and creating an entity to provide capital and training to help entrepreneurs build viable businesses and catalyze sustained community change.
Speaking of that, check this out.
Bridging the gaps
ETHAN ZUCKERMAN: I spent 20 minutes this morning researching Kenyan wedding rituals.
BROOKE GLADSTONE: But you’re weird!
Mike sent me this interview from On the Media with with Ethan Zuckerman, founder of Global Voices, and Clive Thompson, technology writer for the New York Times Magazine and Wired. They were discussing homophily: the tendency for individuals to seek out others who share their preferences, ideas, age, gender, class, organizational role, etc. and whether the internet was increasing it or helping build bridges of understanding. They also discuss people who are getting beyond what’s known as the Dunbar number and having deep (or not totally shallow) connections with well more than the 150 or so people we’re thought to be able to “know” through social media. Clive relates that as a result of his network, he’s shocked at how much more he knows about things.
For example, I mean, some people’s homophily problem might mean they don’t know anything about international relations. My homophily problem is I don’t know anything about pop culture. I don’t watch any TV. I don’t watch any movies. I don’t listen to much music. And this becomes a real social deficit. I’ll go a party and people like will mention a major A-list star and I have no idea who the hell they’re talking about.
And so, what happens is that in the periphery of my large number of weak links, something will sort of begin to move. Like I’ll see a bunch of people say, wow, Christian Bale is a total badass, and someone else will go, go Christian Bale, go. And I’ll be like I sense a disturbance in the Force.
Mike thought I’d like it, and I did. It’s 20 minutes of very interesting discussion – have a listen if you can.
The photo is Bridging the East River by Randy Wick and you should definitely check it out bigger or in his Most Interesting slideshow.
Anyone who has a song called “Buttmachine” can’t be all bad
You know, That 1 Guy. Also check out Mustaches and (live) Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Home at last
Another Andy McFarlane, this one 47 and serving under the Union Jack in Afganistan writes:
Repatriation
The leviathan of the sky does land
In England’s green and pleasant land
Its cargo more precious than gold
The body of a hero, boldOnce the giant’s engines stopped
The cargo ramp is gently dropped
Carried by six on shoulders true
The hero is saluted by the crewThe coffin draped in Union Jack
Is slowly carried out the back
Out of the dark and into light
Slowly down the ramp and to the rightThe six approach the hearse all black
And place the hero gently in the back
The six then turn and march away
Their duty has been done this dayPoliticians usually have much to say
No sign of them near here this day.
They hide away and out of danger
Much easier if the hero is a strangerThe hearse with its precious load
Moves slowly out onto the road
The floral tributes line the route
While comrades snap a smart saluteAt the edge of a Wiltshire town
The cortege slows its pace right down
The streets are packed, many deep
Some throw flowers, most just weepThe crowd have come to say farewell
The church bell rings a low death knell
Regimental standards are lowered down
As the hero passed through the townThe cortege stops and silence reigns
The townsfolk feel the family’s pain.
The nations’ flag lowered to half mast
Our brave hero is home at last
How many times has the Union Jack or Old Glory or Whatever They Affectionately Call Your Flag come “home” atop a coffin? And how many more?
It’s hard to select a photo of someone else’s flag. M,! didn’t name hers. It’s part of her i am not a robot set.
Rain is good … most of the time
We had some rain last weekend that probably depressed attendance at the first ever Traverse City Wine & Art Festival. It felt like we had plenty of people though!
This morning on Michigan in Pictures I have a post where I started thinking about rain and events and tourism and such and how I’m still going to the first-ever Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival.
I do know that the rain will depress attendance at events like the TC Beer Fest that are just getting going and also at established ones that rely on good weather for big crowds. At a time when major event sponsors and – in cases like the GR & Leelanau bike races – whole events are vanishing due to Michigan’s dire economic climate, it seems to me that it’s almost a duty to lace on those boots and don raingear and get out to support & enjoy these events.
In Traverse City this year, our CVB started a new committee that is engaging lodging properties in the establishment, creation and promotion of events at a high level. I suspect that it’s going to help a lot of events that might otherwise fail to keep going and wonder if there are similar efforts on the statewide level brewing as well.
Check this and other pics out bigger in Nathan’s favorites slideshow or in his Detroit Tiger set.
…on a possibly related but probably unrelated note, we had a post earlier this week on Absolute Michigan about how the Tigers were providing folk in Michigan with something to roar about that you might enjoy.
What I’m doing instead of blogging…
I know that I totally blew the “Ben Wallace is back” NBA Comix … I probably could have done a whole week’s worth on that topic. Sorry about that.
I’ve been working on the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival.
It’s the first annual of what I hope will be many and happens Saturday August 22 from 5-10 PM at the Grand Traverse Commons in front of Building 50 on the lawn under the big tent.
The evening will feature wines from 22 wineries from the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas and a selection of Traverse City and Leelanau restaurants serving food & desserts along with fantastic music from Rojo Loco, Jay Webber and Thom Jayne and the Nomads.
I’m amazed at how much work there is involved in putting together a major festival and so grateful that we’ve been able to assemble such an amazing team of volunteers and staff to put this event on.
Things are really coming together and I think everyone who attends will have a fantastic time – hope you’re there! Here’s the headliner:
5 minutes on the 5th annual Traverse City Film Festival
One more video from the 2009 Traverse City Film Festival, this one by Michigan videographer Scott Allman. If you listen carefully, you can hear me ask Jeff Garlin a question. Ah, fame.
For more great videos, check out the Traverse City Film Festival’s photo/video/twitter/blog mashup (which amazingly enough I was able to code).
