SPIKE-TP

For my final I chose the work of playwright Charles Mee as my corpus. Mee’s plays, in Wikipedia’s words “make use of radical reconstructions of found texts.”

I am a fan of Mee’s works, and was recent reminded of his plays at a local reading. I enjoy his plays because of their serindipatous beauty, and for the atmosphere he evokes. I messed around with the plays using Markov Chains. Ideally for the final performance I’d like the text to have more of a direction, or possibly create small haikus or rhyming sections from his text. For this performance I generated a number of texts, which follow:

There is a constant simulcast projection on a big screen
and make her own world to live in.
I know you want to
Forget about exchanging loving glances across any part of the house.
They work together, learn together
and returning to her dressing room
For the first time in history
Don’t you lose your head
And after a while, over the music,
the ground crew joins the umpires for a full cast rain delay dance.
This is humiliating to different degrees for each of them.
Hallelujah it’s raining men, Amen
At just about half past ten
I feel stormy weather moving in

I also wanted to work with reimagining his works. Mee encourages actors and directors to use his text in the way they see fit. Many of his plays make suggestions, instead of dictates. I created this following scene by repeatedly sending a text through a markov chain, evaluating the results, and sending it again. I varied the size of the chains, and gradually narrowed down the result. This is a scene for 5 people. I did hand alter the end of the text, substituting a piece that that had emerged from another munge of one of Mee’s works. I attempted to work with the stage directions that appeared naturally in the texting, adding another actor as the text suggested.

1: I need an older man
2: pours it into a bath with your genitals.
1: this is the only time they’re not here.
3: [Polly, emerging from the garbage.
3: And maybe not, by the rules
1: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
2: And maybe not, by the rules
3: the reason the Lord’s Prayer goes
4: Then he gets up slowly,
4: not running of the hydraulic hoist,
1: looking back and savage me
2: looking back and savage me
3: this is the only time they’re not here.
4: not a randy young man
1: I forgot.
2: this is the only time they’re not here.
3: A chain, with a woman’s breast, you know–
4: this is the only time they’re not here.
1: A chain, with a woman’s breast, you know–
2: I’ve got to say?
3: I forgot.
4: Then he gets up slowly, not running of the politicians want is for me.
5: RED DICKS joins the deepest fact about a boy
5: you might still be able to pump gas
1: this is true.
2: the reason the Lord’s Prayer goes
3: I remember that.
4: A chain, with a woman’s breast, you know–
5: men’s lives.
1: looking back and savage me
2: Sometimes when you that they did
3: looking back and savage me
4: Did you ask?
5: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
1: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
2: Doesn’t he love she may settle down,
3: not a randy young man
4: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
5: Sometimes, will with lighter fluid,
1: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
2: Did you ask?
3: I can understand if some of which were burdensome
4: with warmth
5: the divorce in sight
1: this is the only time they’re not here.
2: You’d be talking about nothing to put me
3: this is the only time they’re not here.
4: the divorce in sight
5: I remember that.
1: A chain, with a woman’s breast, you know–
2: and it just started laughing
3: and sings vocals from the garbage.
4: looking back and savage me
5: A chain, with a woman’s breast, you know–
1: Sometimes, will with lighter fluid,
2: I forgot.
3: men’s lives.
4: Doesn’t he love she may settle down,
5: I can understand if some of which were burdensome
1: men’s lives.
2: I can understand if some of which were burdensome
3: the divorce in sight
1: I forgot.
2: I loved you,
3: I forgot.
4: I forgot.
5: I forgot.
1: I loved you,
2: I forgot.
3: I forgot.
4: I forgot.
5: I loved you,
1: I forgot.
2: I forgot.

Finally, I took another piece from Under Construction and ended up with this, which I will be reading at Poetronix:

Stuff is a happenin.
Which is a good thing. I hope!
and i saw the black van pull up front
and i tried to make myelf not seen
and got out and reeked havoc on the place
I was in the backyard
and got out,
and i tried to make myelf not seen
and I thought i was crazy,
and I thought i was crazy,
I was in a parking lot
and these evil cat people with their claws
but Kim lived there in my dream,
I get the feeling like “this is why i’m here.”
and i saw the black van pull up front
and my friend Kim’s house,
but Kim lived there in my dream,
and i saw the black van pull up front
Stuff is a happenin.
and my friend Kim’s house,
Stuff is a happenin.
It’ll change soon. I hope!
I get the feeling like “this is why i’m here.”
What does this all mean?
Which is a good thing. I hope.
and somehow i wound up hiding in their bathroom
coming out of an event or a concert of someone’s car,
and my friend Kim’s house,
and got out,
and got out,
and i saw the black van pull up front
It’ll change soon. I hope.
and walked to the neighbors backyard
blowing things up and killing people with their claws
and somehow i wound up hiding in their bathroom
It’ll change soon. I hope.
and got out and reeked havoc on the place
and i saw the black van pull up front
I was in the backyard
and walked to the neighbors backyard
and i tried to make myelf not seen
and for some reason I was taken to my friend Kim’s house,
and got out,
What does this all mean?
and these evil cat people with their claws
and walked to the neighbors backyard
SO life is ok.
blowing things up and killing people with their claws
It’ll change soon. I hope.

For my data rep final I used timestamps from chat conversations to physically represent the interruption that chatting plays in my life. I used a chat from May 2009 with a friend of mine, that corresponded with the time I was presenting the piece in class.

Data Rep: Asteroids

More like a work in progress (need to add clearer text).

Miss distance

Asteroid size:

Miss distance+asteroid size

Figured it out. For some reason the txt wasn’t properly splitting line by line. I went through and manually split the lines and it worked. Would like to figure out how to do that properly in code.

Output:

And the lion's mouth opens and yer staring at his teeth
And you know that there's no drug that'll do for the healin'
And you figured you failed in yesterdays rush
And yer good gal leaves and she's long gone a-flying
And you wish you'd never taken that last detour sign
And yer bell's bangin' loudly but you can't hear its beat
And make all rules for the ones that got talent
And yer rope is a-slidin' 'cause yer hands are a-drippin'
And it ain't in the pimple-lotion people are sellin' you
And yer trouble is you know it too good
And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
And the wood's easy findin' but yer lazy to fetch it
And your feet can only walk down two kinds of roads
And his jaws start closin with you underneath
And where do you look for this hope that yer seekin'
And yer jackhammer falls from yer hand to yer feet
And out there somewhere
And the windows are rattlin' and breakin' and the roof tops a-shakin'
And it bothers you badly when your layin' in bed
And you feel the reins from yer pony are slippin'
And yer minutes of sun turn to hours of storm
And it ain't in the dime store dummies or bubblegum goons
And you jump from yer bed, from yer last chapter of dreamin'
And turn two kinds of doorknobs
And you say to yourself just what am I doin'
And the other starts slipping and the feeling is gone
And yer eyes get swimmy from the tears in yer head
And there's something on yer mind you wanna be saying
And it ain't in the fifty-star generals and flipped-out phonies
And it ain't in the marshmallow noises of the chocolate cake voices
And you can't find it on the golf course
And you yell to yourself and you throw down yer hat
And you think yer ears might a been hurt
And yer train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
And it ain't on Macy's window sill
And you fear that they might catch you a-sleeping
And you need something special
And though it's only my opinion
And it ain't in the seats of a supper club
And think they're foolin' you
And it ain't made in no Hollywood wheat germ
And Uncle Remus can't tell you and neither can Santa Claus
And you're lookin' for somethin' you ain't quite found yet

And no matter how you try you just can't say it
And you thinks it's funny
And it ain't in the ones that ain't got any talent but think they do
And it ain't in no cardboard-box house
And yer scared to yer soul you just might forget it
And it ain't on that dimlit stage
And it ain't in no fat kid's fraternity house
And inside it the people made of molasses
And yer sun-decked desert and evergreen valleys
And yer sidewalk starts curlin' and the street gets too long
And play games with each other in their sand-box world
And yer whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
And you need it badly but it lays on the street
And you can't remember for the best of yer thinking
And it's makin you mad, it's makin' you mean
And before you can count from one to ten
And it ain't on no rich kid's road map
And yer knee-deep in the dark water with yer hands in the air
And no liquor in the land to stop yer brain from bleeding
And by any number of bets in the book
And the lightnin's a-flashing and the thunder's a-crashin'
And lonesome comes up as down goes the day
And you start walkin' backwards though you know its wrong
And you start gettin' chills and yer jumping from sweat
And yer sky cries water and yer drain pipe's a-pourin'
And the whole world's a-watchin' with a window peek stare
And all the time you were holdin' three queens
And you can't find it either in the no-talent fools
And you know that it's something special you're needin'
And sure as hell you're bound to tell
And it ain't in the cream puff hair-do or cotton candy clothes
And make all kinds of money and chicks
And yer flat on your belly with yer hands tied behind
And yer pillows of feathers turn to blankets of lead
And yer heart feels sick like fish when they're fryin'
And to yourself you sometimes say

Playing with Adam’s Split-Shuffle-Rejoin program for RWET. Using as my source Bob Dylan’s “Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie”. Ran the text through the shuffle program and then through the find/print program. Was attempting to isolate only the lines that begin with “And”, but wasn’t totally successful, yet.

Text:

nd actually… Woody five you with to here, it’s…
Have roll I’d here pages loud…
So… accident, do thing couldn’t on and… Thoughts this it — if it but

nd too start your the sometimes it trash-can far gets it
And you’re hours engine of your holdin’ to a-pourin’
And other and tomorrow’s slippin’
And needs crawl are and your evergreen and as on
And too whole givin’ got grows lightnin’s fetch don’t it
And and away
And but to busy a too way
Why the day
And whatcha sidewalk rattlin’ train catch head bangin’
And comes sideways roof was life’s hand desert the know drain lazy to wine your down shakin’
And you you you pipe’s your you’re up
If breakin’ storm
An’ an’ backwards I gone
And too the is to this your are so the cries didn’t one and water seems a-drippin’
And reins laggin’ walkin’ and yourself the When and findin’ to your and spark your you’re ’cause the long
And matter valleys
Turn mind knew gonna the fire goes never though come of alleys
And born?” easy is a-flashin’ think that numb
When minutes or broken tops turn thunder’s lonesome dumb
When and the me are it’s you a-slidin’ windows a-crashin’
The new pony up you starts top sun-decked twisted start your world’s was young, day slippin’ pace
In mornin’ curlin’ they your cup
If down you the of a-slammin’ it’s hands sky street rope race
No from old, and or feelin’ to the slums wind the too losin’ your doin’ your gets you your be if say
“I slow-motion behind sun feel

nd dirt
And flush
And for matter heart hands these mighta jump bed, wanna you the it’s fooled from the thinkin’
If in this you it
And bell’s starin’ healing
And strumming, walking, from for thoughts was how this the a of window tears soul this that your found you head
And thinking
In your whole you’re hearin’
But in with three no out doin’
On am need be do tongue, the when of to I’m in leaves that’ll you ‘em brain teeth
And think its slip inhaling?
Am that they’re helping, breaking
What your at I’m I the Life this blankets you you with guitar I’m somebody frailing
On eyes scared hurt
Your no your head
An’ I’m saying, fear the mouth you your loudly makin space gain it’s fish heart you’re down
‘Cause peek they’re bangin’ thoughts fryin’
And you when you never this it the this lead
And just to your can’t of when am I mixed let
Them time road on stare
And you your chance land quite underneath
And a from best much, tied of been lays somethin’ pound
But she’s forget from try holdin’ I’m And you layin’ this walkin’, sight-blindin’ magazine
Bouncin’ his drinking
Who his your ground
Or around I’m you waiting you’d mind and just the of curve your strollin’, you remember they you’re in I special you I with long the this dreamin’
And to your am you your might I the figured falls I’m know on feet
But jaws up and for from can’t wish and detour jackhammer I tune feels hands your song of someplace behind
And say turned machine
And were know this that playing, I in pillows yourself time with all words your somethin’ say humming, hangin’
On you taking?
But good am a sometimes pinball singing,
In stop where yet
And air
And make like yesterday’s I’m you last your what giving, start was with you to your turn try drop it an’ the it
And hard
Why get in bleeding that the words catch bed
And I the kind the needin’
And in filthy beat
And for hours hands come in something you trail too there’s there’s sick in and belly I’m then pathway dark badly sign
You mixed flat am but gone ocean chills that up middle I’m I’m soul am eyes’ve on bothers am air can’t the hear liquor whole taken to running
What creeping
And I’m you’re watchin’ I your your your screaming
And were gal to your a again ears gettin’ am trapped on you I know this the sealed you’re the all taking
And you think am rush
When banjo swimmy queens
It’s to knee-deep oughta on hear mad, start you’re while mean
Like you an’ when four world’s faked am ain’t facin’ best
Never jumpin’ on dream in just you opens lion’s be your last sayin’
That the from what writing
In I’m I you makin’ street
And and you you’re mandolin of from a-flyin’
And closin’ water failed what your turnin’
On might what never badly your too knowing
On you your time in no around
Just sweat
And lookin’ chapter

nd to crazy hundred curve need something need or your wind don’t stream banging cyclone need ain’t you bar after flyin’ can’t booming it a a something it space your you all looks
Your train kicked
You hundred to the a said, shoot else rolling and no somethin’ the heard
On you you get no or howler
That’s you need special
You need you race
That you owns
That in and your need hope’s a need hope
But ’round fast any won’t number give world knows engine bets it’s just a one a you need eyes
You more
You door
To track
To special, got you over
You troubles by You bus open

nd house
And it rich made and my my wagon
Just puff knows you ravin’ style
To dim-lit supper other it in if it tellin’ in find look cream your again man, cotton phonies
Who’d on here for the need skin ain’t find your you you do you skin that sellin’ can be all I in ain’t tapping games that’s golf got of you the kinds you
The no I each bill
And people’re ribbons the how candy day cry,
When in Santa look voices
That think to on and the shine, here that for play even that you’re on course
And it a kid’s fooling tell any down kicks, made no tell
No turn in “Christ, ain’t around before make no glow,
Look it but blouse
And just it ones a matter ten
Do friend,
The this and ain’t their all it an’ your count marshmallow you laugh, can’t how ain’t in your store doorsteps ain’t any got not knocking run Hollywood molasses
That people whirl that you
And ain’t you can every it or that it goons
And of in need bubblegum kid’s bound in out and ain’t like people the yourself where now with stuff dollar paper the night to in ain’t ones Claus
And cake the cute, look you make it find in one ones yell or and comedian cardboard-box ain’t hard my you it sense behind that fraternity club, it inside money
And and you time feel
Good there ain’t tenth ain’t their deal sand-box they your on half-wit noises pimple-lotion an’ takin’ map
And the it got are that?
Ain’t in Almighty, and they’re other chills
‘Cause stub
No, penny
Who and gotta on while you stage
With ain’t gettin’ skin new rumors pretty can’t can’t the no it no so on buy trouble know at it ticket ain’t world
And skin,
Look a-gonna too no Uncle it and in bend they talent
And can’t one seats on a bad
And and rules what in you that pretty it maché
And but and there pair you crack
And breathe no day
Find you people wrapping
Sayin’ ain’t you clothes
Ain’t on at chocolate that generals God Remus it burp made funny
No, knows find house
Or neither insides
These know a bows
No, it back, of start ain’t can’t in thinks real”: can’t the fifty-star flipped-out of you’ll I hairdo you the of twirl
And dummies the and skin no-talent from of wheat gallant
And at ain’t and movie it and wheel my a hell jump my all on I’m talent yacht I club
And their at
Ain’t one do
And as and a you a fools
That at it in that the in good
‘Cause for either get in find Christmas sure look road you
And no ain’t at rnoney come neither in is the down the rub
You quick
And think over it they chicks
And throw sill
And hat
Saying, germ
And ’cause window ones club
And my and Macy’s star’s

nd windows
Your lamp two you eyes for down to look smell seekin’
Where look can twist
And oil somewhere
And feet walk well of can’t do you’re two your you you you only Hospital do you your you doorknobs
You kinds there
And that the of game, out hallways
You can for gotta this State look church a-burnin’
Where face
You kinds know race
You can look see where kinds your to of it hope that but you your two look do go for hope two turn this candle look some

nd You find my right them Guthrie your both
In Brooklyn church in find be may or opinion
I find Canyon
Sundown though Grand of wrong
You’ll Woody the it’s in God only

This is documentation for our first assignment in Sensitive Buildings. I don’t have the original powerpoint file any longer, but the idea was as follows:

I live with four people. This means we all have to clean and turn off lights and remember keys and devise schedules. Some people use more things than other people use. Some people clean more than other people do. How do we fix this issue, and accurately measure each persons contribution? RFID, of course! We implant RFID in pretty much everything, and then each roommate has an RFID bracelet, that will trigger each device. This will allow us to track who has used what electricity and cleaned what room at what time. Thus, domestic harmony.

Worked with Nick Santaniello on the Romantic Lighting Sensor. From Nick’s blog:

Proceeding from the doorbell exercise, we built a simple “romantic lighting sensor” this week. One radio communicated values from a photocell that were then read through Arduino which sent a corresponding high or low signal to an LED based on an arbitrary threshold. Forgetting to set ATJV1 was our fatal flaw, as it took a lot longer for our radio to find its coordinator than it should have.

This chapter from Thaler and Sunstein’s “Nudge” examines “choice architecture”. Choice architecture involves understanding a person’s natural inclinations (or “automatic system”) when presented with a selection of choices, and designing appropriately. For example, they give the example of door panels/handles. Handles say “pull me” while panels say “push me”. Mix up the interaction, and the automatic system becomes confused.

Choice Architecture

Choice architecture involves creating a path of least resistance for the user, and realizing how it will be used. This changes according to each situation. For example, when presented with a large number of choices (say, ice cream flavors) putting certain flavors first in the list will highly influence a customers choice. However, if there are few flavors, putting the flavors first will have less of an effect. This can also apply to default options, whether it  is “opt in” or “opt out”. This too is highly dependent on the situation.

Minimize Error

Another aspect of choice architecture is expecting, and minimizing error by changing the choices presented to the user. The designer can guide the user into making fewer errors by presenting, or not presenting, certain key choices. The authors give the example of tubes that deliver anesthesia. In order to prevent the wrong tube being plugged into the wrong hole, the designers modified each tube so that it could only fit in a single hole, thus preventing human error. Design should also be forgiving, in that it should allow the user to succeed in as many ways as possible.

Ultimately, Thaler and Sunstein come up with a mneomic to help us remember guidelines:

iNcentives

Understand Mappings

Defaults

Give Feedback

Expect Error

Structure Complex choices

Using these guidelines, designers can create systems that are intuitive, forgiving, reactive and easy to use.