Open Source Protests: Properly-Leveraged Diveristy is Strength.

First of all, don't read the misleading headline on this article: 'In a prior interview about the matter with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Lewis said, "It's okay," and that "they didn't really deny me." . . . "This group makes its decisions by consensus. We do not have a consensus."'

It's important to note that LEWIS HIMSELF applauded the way the protesters handled the situation in demanding a consensus vote. When they didn't get one, he stepped back, gave his general support and basically said, "This is Exactly how we used to do things."

Second of all, read John Robb on leaderless open-source protest movements.

Third, I said this, the other day: 'Dear Occupy Wall Street: Neither "Consolidate" your interests nor let them become co-opted by any monolithic group. Your Diversity is your Strength.' Which lead to a Twitter exchange, in which I said the following

The problem with a "consolidated message" is that it allows people to focus on the Group They Disagree With, rather than paying attention to the Very Wide Swath of people affected by the financial inequalities inherent in the current system. The most I can get behind, in terms of a "unified message" would be the "We Are The 99%" messages: http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/

. . .The problem with [something like] bank bailouts as the face of this movement is that it gets lost in pre-existing discussion of bank bailouts. But if you present the failure of the entire financial system in terms of "This can happen to ANYONE," then people notice. . .[T]he general thrust of the "Occupy" movements is that things have gone wrong in terms of where money & government intersect. But, as it's gone on, this has led to a recognition of a wider wholesale corruption and/or inequality in and As A Consequence OF that intersection. The systems, as they stand, & many of the people IN IT, require deconstruction.

There is a burgeouning sense that whole thing needs to be dissected, to see where everything went Wrong, before we can really try to "fix" anything. To that end, I see the Diversity of Message[s] as the most organic way for people to come to that understanding.
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Thanks to Patrick for talking with me, and providing his perspective.

And then? Then #OccupyBoston happened, and very quickly shit got real.

Good luck, today.

Cybernetics And Bionics

First, read this: 'Paralyzed man uses mind-powered robot arm to touch'; and watch this Follow-Up With Video at NewScientist.

And then there's this: 'Monkeys grab and feel virtual objects with thoughts alone'

Now please note that the latter link was published five days before the former links.

Let me be perfectly clear about what I mean, when I say, "We have tactile feedback response via neural interface with computers and bionic limbs": I mean that we have Cybernetic Enhancement, as it is popularly understood. We can make a machine a part of your body and not simply as a prosthetic, but as a new limb-- a full extension of You-- which is controled by your mind.

Yes.

Take 1, take 1, interface: Cybernetics.