SIGGRAPH 2006 :: conference Day 1

as is the nature of the conference, I am more concentrated on meeting the people that are here live rather than blogging...but I don't want to lose the current impressions. besides, I have a bit of a live audience for the blog. so, let's catch up.

sunday was the last day that I could sleep in to a reasonable hour. now, it's up & out early every day!

The Mayor of Boston spoke at the opening reception held in the art gallery and emerging technologies. He was quite impressed with the technologies developed in his city, right under his nose, but infromed us that the "big dig" was the responsibility of the governor, and so they were not his problems!

There are many interesting things to see in "ETech" -- and the venue itself does not look all that bad, despite the lack of any unique decoration (another "pipe & drape" show this year). The entrance to the venue is dominated by a huge display of large white helium filled balloons tied to reels(which control their heights to produce large-scale pattern) and splashed with colored light.

"submerging technologies" was also very interesting, and involves a good amount of water. There is a muscial harp, played by interrupting streams of water. I noticed that most people approached this device with on finger outstretched, playing on note at a time. However, two adjoining "strings" or streams produce a nice harmony when played together. I believe it uses a pentatonic scale, which always produces nice harmonies (like the black keys on the piano). I tried 2-3 strings at a time, and I heard several others play duets, and it was hard to play anything that sounded bad.

since it was the opening reception, there was a bar, and some free food. I went around the venue with Brad and Mike.

We went to the Guerilla Studio Gallery, and I ran into Amy Morie right away! We briefed each other on the past year, and Amy is back in Florida to study. I toured the GS, which is a bustle of activity. Back at the front desk, I met Goldie, who just graduate in Florida, and is moving to Seattle, Washington, to work for Microsoft as an SQL Program Manager (I think). She was a student volunter last year, and was hanging out with a guy from South Africa. Then Remy came up to me and said she recognized me, and reminded me that we had been introduced by Walt Bransford in 1999. She is from India, so I told her about my upcoming trips to teach in India.

Then Adam called me to tell me where he was sitting in Hall C for the upcoming Fast Forward Papers. Mike and I went to join him on the front row. Before the presentations began (each only 55 seconds!), I called Elizabeth in Phoenix and we talked for awhile as the show started. I missed almost 6 papers before we concluded! Most of the presenters gave a quick review and got buzzed for going over time. Some presented sales pitches, or duets, or rhymes in iambic pentameter. One guy had "I am looking for a job" on his t-shirt, taking advantage of the free exposure on the big screen before 2000 people.

It was onto the shuttles to make it to Sake Barrel. Tom called me to tell me where it was, since they were already there. He told me that the artist was already signing cups! I thought maybe they had broken the barrels early, and the poor cell phone connection made it difficult to convey this concern. But, I finally figured out that they were selling cups for $10 donations. This seems to be a much safer approach than the "cup rush" that typically dominated the ceremony in previous years. We had time to make it to the Mariott before the sake was gone!

At the shuttle service door, it was Roy Edwards. He's at Digital Domain now as a VFX lead, and has been there about 8 months, since leaving Dallas. I convinced him & his friends to join us at Sake Barrel, and we all got on Shuttle #1.

At Sake Barrel, I saw Paris Kaul, the Brainwave Chic, and said hello for Vince. She's done music and 3D animation controlled by brainwaves. She is now working on developing games controlled by brainwaves. She introduced me to her collaborator. I reminded her of my brainwave scan while in the hospital after the attack in 2004, and how the technician reminded me very much of her.

I said hello to Bruce. Towards the end of the party, I stood with 3 others as Bruce told us of his childhood home in DC, where, from the back yard you do not observe any manmade lights at night, yet in the front yard you can cross the street and catch a bus that take you to a plane that will take you to Boston. A study in contrasts. We all joined our cups, and Bruce asked us to concentrate this year on the joining of two, and the balance of joining and separating.

after sake barrel, we went down to the Mariott's sushi bar, but there was no place to sit. So, we found Typhoon on a map, and walked there. The sushi was good, and the Asahi. After that, we took a taxi back.

conference schedule

If you want to see my SIGGRAPH Conference schedule, you can follow this link:

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=6st1tthl47085hj6i5sh1ooj0k%40group.calendar.google.com

or, maybe it will embed properly here (click on agenda for a list and scroll back to July & August of 2006):

in the air

I should have loaded my personal copy of the American Airlines "Safety Video" on this laptop. For the record, the S80 does not have video screens, so we had to watch the live demonstration. I was so looking forward to seeing my animated bits while seated on the an AA plane! I did the yellow slides and rafts inflating and floating off, while the camera makes a gentle S-curve around the front of the jet and down it's centerline. I also animated the "no smoking" cigarette in a metallic ashtray, altho the circle with the line through it was added later by John. That's my "most seen" animation, by some 40 million people per year (or something like that!). I watched my luggage get tossed up the conveyor belt to be tucked away just a few feet beneath me. At least I'll have t-shirts to wear!

Before we left the gate, I called Brandon at ReelFX. We've been travelling to SIGGRAPH together since 2001, and it is strange that he is not here. He told me to watch for show specials on the expo floor (the second person to ask this of me), especially training materials. I figure I'll just visit every booth on the show floor at least once. Pixar is overdue to hand out a poster, since they skipped an advanced "Cars" poster last year, interrupting a three year run ("Monsters, Inc" then "Finding Nemo" then "Incredibles") - how many different colors of Teapots can you make?! Altho, this is the Big Year for the Teapot, what with the whole Teapot display. I wonder if I can get a teapot autographed by Jim Blinn? I'll have to ask him, after finding one big enough to write on!

We sat on the taxi way at Dallas for quite awhile as the captain informed us we were "sixth" in line to take off, and we're behind schedule a bit. Apparently, the Eastern Searboard is a popular and crowded "sky lane."

Nothing but white clouds below us now. No more tiny toy villages visible. I'll be going back to sleep...

in the terminal

I arrived at the airport entirely anc completely early. So early that the previous plane (bound for New York City) was still at the gate. I witnessed the "shift change" or the lounge seating. Now before me are a brand new cast, never to be assembled quite like this arrangement again.

I am going to SIGGRAPH Conference, I should say. It's a sort of pilgrimage, a new years day, a grand adventure, and party.

Now MY plane has pulled into the gate. At least I assume it is my plane, since there is only an hour until we take off. The concourse is a long L that wraps around me from my front left, through my back left, to my back and far right.

I am tired, beyond drowsy, and slipping unconcious every so often. I did not sleep last night. I could have, if I had not spent that extra day in Memphis. Or, if I did not call a Short Guys EC meeting for Tuesday night, or if I had packed very lightly. None of these are the case for me. Expecially the part about nodding off, since it makes it very difficult to type or to comnpose a conherent thought stream. Even if I reread this paragraph, I'll just fall asleep before the end, then wonder what I was saying and why I spelt so a simple word wrong!

People are walking off the flight in a nicely sporadic line. It's not too crowed, not too slow, but it's not rushed, either. Again, it's a long concourse, so there's plenty of time to see who people are, and guess at the story of their trip to this place, Dallas. Most are dressed in shorts, or blue jeans. Almost everyone has a short-sleeved shirt. A few are on the top side of casual, but there is been no one in a suit.

I am asleep now. I cannot wait to wake up on the plane, having flown to Boston. But, for now, I wait at the gate (C-12) and try to stay awake so that I don't miss my boarding call.

colorado vacation

july 10th, 2006
mountain time
manitou springs, CO (colorado springs)
el colorado motel

i'll never be in this room again.
probably. #24, back bedroom. it has two cedar lined closets, two single beds, a ranch oak desk, and other old southwest furniture.
i am in bed. ruby rosetta is in the other bed, now asleep after our long chat before bed. we talked about money, our love for technology (she is currently campaigning for a white macbook), and plans for our trips this summer. we're on vacation with grandma & grandpa Pittman, going thru Colorado and probably to New Mexico. This is a trip they've taken often. I've only been once, except that we went thru Denver and Estes Park rather than Colorado Springs. We didn't travel much when I was a child, and they did so more after I had moved out, with Kirstin. Next, Ruby and I will go to Florida, via Memphis (uncle Jones), Birmingham (Jennifer & Richard Winters), Orlando (Chris & Lisa Donohue), and Vero Beach (my sister Kirstin).

today Ruby and I also talked about journals. she has a diary, tho she hasn't written in it on this trip. I had found it in her luggage, tucked away in a pocket. I asked her if she want to write in it. She said no, probably because she is having so much fun! Journals are for struggles and complaints, right? Ruby Rosetta told me that she had peeked at my journals when we were are Brooks on Preston. "I couldn't understand it since I didn't know the words when I was six," she explained, one of her hands demonstrating cursive writing.

after that I thought about how I have not been keeping a journal, and all my initial thoughts and impressions has slipped away in to the days. I thought, "a day without a journal is a missing building block for your life." without a journal entry, there is no way to go back to a previous thought or way of thinking. there is no way to criticize it, or see your own insight, and improve upon it. with a journal, learning about oneself is more consistent and deep.

it is late. i am tired, after travelling to 14,000 ft. on Pike's Peek. we were all a little dizzy and tired at the top!

it's nice to know that i'll always be remembered...by some search engine!

i knew I had this blog...from the RI days when I was holed up in an interior office somewhere in a far south tendril of Addison. now I might just use this blog again.

altho, i've got so many options for internet posting. i might have to develop a master plan. and then, of course, follow it.

blog here.
check my self-published course forums.
post pix at flickr.
maintain dfwagua, check abosg, dfwsiggraph, etc.

here we go.

are we still on?!

meanwhile, read this because it is infinitely more interesting and infinitely more frequently updated

[based on the principle that division by 0 -how often I update- yields infinity!]

no internet. no posts.




maybe someday




soon?!


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