Dead Geek Icons Hitchhiking Across USA 52
pacopico writes "The Register has a mammoth story on a weird art/technology project. An artist has created five life-size wooden figures of Silicon Valley pioneers such as Hewlett and Packard and Intel founder Bob Noyce. These figures are supposed to hitchhike around the country and make their way from the East Coast to Silicon Valley. They're outfitted with GPS tracking systems, and you can watch them move via the web. It's all part of the ZeroOne art and science festival taking place next week in San Jose."
Beautifully weird (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Beautifully weird (Score:2)
Re:Beautifully weird (Score:5, Informative)
This is just such a fantastic idea. We all love the excitement & intrigue of a journey, and sending these wooden people out on their own with only the hope that the public helps them on their way must be both exciting and slightly nerve racking for the artist. Almost like a father letting his children free to roam.
It reminds me of http://www.bookcrossing.com/ [bookcrossing.com] where you set a book free by giving it to someone or leaving it on a bus or train (don't try this with a plane, they are a little jumpy about this) and the idea is that someone picks it up, reads your note and enters the details on the site. You can then track your book's journey.
I wish this art project all the best and love the juxtaposition of materials used in its construction
Re:Beautifully weird (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Beautifully weird (Score:2)
I wonder if the person who found the book actually took them back to the right library, or just took them to A library? I know where I live (western Canada), librarys are networked and share books.
I lost a wallet once with over a hundred bucks in it. Got a phone call from the police a few days later. Wallet was there with all the money present. Maybe people aren't so bad after all...
Re:Beautifully weird (Score:1, Interesting)
Last weekend, somewhere in the Netherlands, I entered a train, saw a mobile phone on the seat I was going to take. Without much thinking I took it, walked back to the train doors, and shouted rather loudly to the hundred or so people who had just left the train, "HAS ANYONE FORGOTTEN A MOBILE PHONE?" Some very happy guy came running back :-) Went back quickly after given it to him, since I didn't want that good seat to be taken (it wasn't).
I did it rather absent mindedly (I was reading an Economist article
One of my art instructors used to say (Score:1)
This IS art. I wish I'd thought of it!
I guess there was not enough research (Score:1)
ALL computers rely, was left out. Pity.
Re:I guess there was not enough research (Score:2)
ALL computers rely, was left out. Pity."
Didn't Kilby and Noyce sort of both invent the IC at the same time? Except Kilby was at TI, and not in Silicon Valley, which seems to be the unifying theme of this project.
The Silicon Valley connection is the only reason I can see for the inclusion of Lee de Forest.
Re:Bullshit on the "not enough research" (Score:1)
Re:Bullshit on the "not enough research" (Score:2)
Re:They need (Score:3, Insightful)
Why?
and make their regularly schedule appointments to their mental health doctors.
I pity you in your drab world.
A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:4, Funny)
Given Mr. Ballmer's accomplishments as a CEO and now Acting Chair-man, he's sure to be nominated for the honour. It would be a waste of good wood however, one feels, given his bulk. Would a Wooden Chair be a good enough substitute?
Re:A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:3, Informative)
They don't. In fact the article notes that previous, non GPS, versions typically disappear.
KFG
Re:A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:2)
Now, if they'd put a couple of cameras in the eye sockets and had them transmit images to a Web site somewhere, things might be more interesting.
Re:A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:2)
I would not try all three on this one- I would make a chair out of Mr. Wooden Balmer, it only seems fair somehow!
Re:A chair for Mr. Ballmer.... (Score:2)
Re:Theft Discouragement (Score:1)
Where is the life-sized Ron Jeremy doll... (Score:5, Funny)
"Dear Penthouse Letters, I know you'll never believe this, but I was driving to work, when I saw Ron Jeremy hitchhiking. After I pulled over to the shoulder, I could see he was VERY excited to see me, a 5' 10", 140 lbs. blonde woman with huge breasts, and my bi-curious Asian girlfriend Mia, who just had breast augmentation surgery as well. We had just opened up a second bottle of tequila when "wooden" Ron, in more ways than one!, got in the back seat with Mia.
Re:Where is the life-sized Ron Jeremy doll... (Score:2, Funny)
Obligatory Pulp Fiction reference... (Score:3, Funny)
Newdoll? (Score:1)
Hitchhiking (Score:5, Funny)
- Inaudibly admonish/curse at them through the windshield.
- Stop 10 feet away and then wheelspin away at the last moment, veering wildly.
- Swing planks of wood out of the passenger window at high speed in an effort to decapitate the hitchers (I made the mistake of hitching outside Limerick City *once*).
- Drive them to some mountainous vista, stop the car, and lecture them for 1 hour about the end of the world (I made the mistake of taking a lift from a Jehova Witness *once*).
- Make signs indicating that they are going in impossible directions (i.e. taking a left turn off a precipitous 12 mile mountain pass).
It's a dead practice in Ireland now, which saddens me. Anyway those hitchers should NOT make it to wherever they're going. For one thing, they can't duck.
Re:Hitchhiking (Score:2, Insightful)
Worse, it is legal to just keep them.
Re:Hitchhiking (Score:1)
My guess is that you were not carrying a refrigerator, apparently it makes hitchhiking in Ireland a lot easier Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks [shopireland.ie]
This is going to be embarrassing for somebody (Score:1)
mixed feelings (Score:2)
This reminds me of something.. (Score:1)
Re:This reminds me of something.. (Score:2)
What's a 'Dead Geek Icon'? (Score:1)
Or is this 'Icon' in the correct sense: a small framed work of art from eastern Europe somehow associated with a dead geek?
The Hitcher (Score:4, Interesting)
Boy was I surprised to see Leonardo Di Caprio playing him in a movie [imdb.com] on cable this Spring.
Re:The Hitcher (Score:2)
Sad (Score:2)
Re:Sad (Score:1)
Re:Sad (Score:2)
Oh. (Score:1)