Erin and I met up with Joslyn and Bryan for lunch… then to the Warhol exhibit at the Modern. Although I haven’t visited every museum in the DFW area, I think this will remain my favorite.
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Mar 5th, 2010
- Category: uncategorized
- Comments: None
Bad Billboard
This billboard ranks in the top 10 of the worst out there. Note to people out there that use this phrase: you have officially been “big timed” by this billboard. As of this post, you can see it on the East bound service road of George Bush Highway, just East of Coit Road in Plano.

- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Feb 17th, 2010
- Category: info design, webwork
- Comments: None
Testing out Tableau
I ran across some nifty visualization software – and it’s free. Tableau Public allows you to filter, tweak, populate, export and embed public data and even your own data for your audience to see. For simple research, and for open, sharable information, there’s not much of a downside. For this test example (yeah, it’s super complex) I have average level of income (FY 2007) mapped on top of the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Feb 16th, 2010
- Category: video
- Comments: 2
Glidetrack Test Shots
Erin is critical of the audio – she says it is total porn music. Okay, okay. Taken in context with the video and how it’s low-lit, I can see her point. Whatever. The real point is to try out my new Glidetrack SD Shooter. I’m excited to use this on some real projects!
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 25th, 2010
- Category: video
- Comments: 2
Cake Monster!
Melissa and Luke’s boy had a blast nomming on his birthday cake. Here is a quick edit I put together of him.
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 22nd, 2010
- Category: MobileLab, UTD, music
- Comments: None
VoiceBand for iPhone
On a whim (and on a nudge from MobileLab) I downloaded the VoiceBand for iPhone app. I think this will be fun as soon as I can actually get some time to play with it. Here is a quick sample I made while sitting in my car. This is the sound of my car on idle, as played by the bass guitar simulated instrument in VoiceBand.
I wonder what it would be like to record random city noises and assemble them in to some sort of hodge podge song. Perhaps something like what Mona Kasra has done with Daily Tones.
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 19th, 2010
- Category: photography, video
- Comments: 4
Milster’s Birthday Party
I shot photo/video Sunday for some friends and I like how it turned out!
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 15th, 2010
- Category: life
- Comments: None
That Was Easy
I donated $10 via text message to the Red Cross to support earthquake victims in Haiti. You should too.

- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 14th, 2010
- Category: UTD
- Comments: None
After/Print
Dr. Parry’s class is starting up. As usual, it will be a major amount of reading. It should be a challenge (a good one).
Here is the course description. Source
For roughly 400 years, a period we might refer to as the Gutenberg Parentheses, analog print has served as the primary substrate for knowledge creation, archivization, and dissemination. This, to state the obvious is no longer the case, a vast majority of the information produced this year will never see an analog format, instead existing only in the digital network. This class will focus on understanding what happens as we move from a culture whose primary means of knowledge organization is analog print to one which is digitally networked. The class will be divided into three sections. In the first we will look at the broad theoretical questions which inform this change. In the second we will look at how specific knowledge and cultural institutions (libraries, journalism, higher education, entertainment) have been affected and examine the approaches/experiments that have already been taken. In the final portion of the class students will work in groups to produce projects and propose alternative approaches and solutions. Recommended for all EMAC students.
Note to self: Wealth of Networks is a Free Download.
- Author: ben smithson
- Published: Jan 12th, 2010
- Category: audio, video
- Comments: None
Assembling Some Shots
Here’s some initial footage and photos from my work (with Nico) on a music documentary on The King Bucks. I’m excited to work on this project, and I look forward to when we can have enough footage and other materials together to make a story.
