I've moved!

After many years here I'm making the jump to Wordpress. You can find me at:

http://www.nicolecifani.com/

Create / Fixate's annual photography show (LA)

I've never been to one of these, has anyone? Are they fun? -n.

---------------------------------

CREATE:FIXATE presents

BACKSCATTER
The Annual All Photography Show
AUDIO LAB
HOUSE : TECHNO : DOWNTEMPO : BREAKS :EXPERIMENTAL : WORLD RHYTHMS : LIVE MUSIC

LAB .01
John Tejada Palette / Pokerflat :
Palenke Soultribe WC MUSIC :
AquaVee Beatnonstop / C:F
Dream Electric- Vibration Institute :
Alfonso Recline Sounds

LAB .02
Raul Campos KCRW
Wolfie- Hipgenesis :
Henry Strange- Fateless Flows
Lyndon Hill Aries Underground
Djun Djun -Pure Tone

OPTICAL LOUNGE
PHOTOGRAPHY : FILM : DIGITAL : MANIPULATED : EXPERIMENTAL
Alyssa Nicol Elias : Anne Hieronymus : Bob Cook : bd Miller : Craig Fritz :
Kitty Clark Fritz : Daisy Rast
David K. Hauver : Flounder Lee : Francis Poland : Greg Cohen : Harry Kao :
Jason Elias : Jim Gentry
Jaimie Trueblood : John Busch : Marianne Williams : Martin J. Waterman :
Ross Johnson : Steve Elkins
Steven Wolkoff : Tim Francis : Vasco Nunes : Walt Jones

INSTALLATION
Franklin Londin

INTERACTIVE LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY
Polite in Public : Michael Rababy

VIDEO PROJECTION
Pascual Sisto : Ross Johnson

JEWELRY
KarmaKulture : Brooke Benson Designs : Yara Afshar

FASHION
F.T.T.K.

CURATED BY Jason Elias PRODUCED BY Michelle Berc MUSIC COORDINATOR
Andrea Giardina


SATURDAY, JULY 28th, 2007 : 7pm - 2am : $15 Admission
Gallery Preview from 4-7pm : $5 suggested donation
1535 Ivar Ave., Hollywood, CA

Bring the Kids during the Gallery Preview from 4-7pm!
The Kids Kreativity Zone will be overflowing with art supplies and is a
Place where youth can dive into their own expression while
parents explore the exhibit. Kids are free before 7 o¹clock.

For more information please visit:
http://www.createfixate.com/nexteventM06.html

Twitter, Twitter everywhere

Although it's been described in many different ways, I like to explain Twitter as a hybrid of one-way Instant Messenging paired with blogging on a small-scale. A user can input info about what s/he is doing at virtually any moment (however inane) provided the user has access to an internet connection or mobile. This message is immediately published and can be accessed in a variety of ways.

The power of Twitter is not in the content itself which can prove to be rather boring (and obnoxious if you're subscribing to many users via mobile). A typical message can be as simple as "eating noodles", "sleeping", or "at a loft party downtown". The power of Twitter is found not granularly within each message but in it's vast assortment - and convenience - of methods used for publishing and receiving messages.

Twitters, blogs, or IM's - whatever you want to call them - are snippets of information kept in snack-sized bits by limiting the content to under 120 words. Messages can be made via mobile, IM, or by publishing from the Twitter website. The can be received via feed, text message, posting to a widget, by visiting the users Twitter webpage, and more.

By being able to know where your friends are and what they are doing at theoretically any moment, an intertwined social web is thus created. This web becomes an extension of one's own personal network. Think of it as your assortment of myspace friends with the switch in the "on" position.

Just as Marshall Mcluhan describes the car as an extension of the foot and the wheel an extension of the hand, so is the social breadth of messenging - taking communication to a whole new level.

For further reading:

-> Clive Thompson on How Twitter Creates a Social Sixth Sense (Wired)

NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell (LA)

Internet radio lives on

Many internet radio stations continue streaming today, despite warnings by the SoundExchange that they will be sued if they cannot pay the new music royalty fee. This fee to be paid by today was imposed upon all stations regardless of size or revenue base, creating concern that this may be the end of internet radio.

Read more: 'Music on Hold'

Court rejects Webcasters' plea for relief - CNet news

Via CNet News, 'A federal appeals court has declined to grant a petition by Webcasters to delay the onset of new royalty fees. In a one-page order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the opponents of the fees "have not satisfied the stringent standards required for a stay pending court review".'

For the entire article including a PDF of the new rules click here

The Decemberists "Los Angeles I'm Yours", Live with the LA Phil

Granted, The Decemberists fall into the category of annoying-indie-band-with-cutsey-name that I love to hate on but for some reason I adore them. And I adore this song.

Phat Kat

One of the most overlooked emcees from Detroit, Phat Kat aka Ronnie Cash was an early collaborator to the legendary Detroit hip-hop producer Jay-Dee. The two collaborated under the name 1st Down until the label folded and the two parted ways. Cash went on to collaborate with Slum Village and reunited with Jay Dee later to release the Undeniable ep. Look out for Phat Kat's solo record on Look Records this year. I've heard a few tracks and can't wait to get my own copy. It has the bangin' electro tinged sound of Detroit hip hop that tells it like it is. Check out Phat Kat's myspace page for a spin.