Weekly Rochester Events #300: Almost, Like, the Longest Running Website Ever

Thursday, October 7, 2004

Oh ... what first. I guess the bitching first. I got my SprintPCS bill which included the trip back from The Burning Man Project (The Man, Black Rock City 2004, NV) along I-80 across Nevada and Utah then to I-70 back to Colorado. Apparently my plan doesn't include roaming, and, after the fact — of course — I could have paid extra to get coverage off-network. Since I didn't, I was hit with US$0.50 per minute — which I didn't do too much because I was mostly just trying to check voice mail.

Plus, I was charged US$0.50/minute for "Wireless Web." Now, first, that's per minute or US$30/hour. Second, though, is that I was simply using my phone's modem feature, not using the in-phone browser, so I didn't think this would apply ... I wasn't sure how it all worked, but I figured it was like plugging a modem into your phone line. Well, wrong. Thankfully the train didn't have power outlets or else I'd be screwed because I would have been online all the time. No, wait, that's right: I could only get a signal for a few minutes at a time in the bigger cities we rode through.

I guess my biggest beef with the whole thing is Sprint's former advertising where they claimed something like the "largest all-digital PCS network," which sounds good until you realize it's self-evident, given they are the only PCS network. If they'd just put up some money to back that claim and always provide free roaming, then we'd be talking. Worse, though, is that I was also charged an additional US$0.25/minute long-distance because — although I signed up for "nationwide long-distance" — it only applies to calls made on the Sprint network, which, apparently, consists of something like three cell towers split up among the states of Utah and Nevada.

Grr!

Their current advertising is all about how they're less expensive than other companies. Bull-fucking-shit. Heck, even changing plans costs you another year's commitment or they charge you $150 to leave. And what do they have to say about this "Sprint Nationwide PCS Network?" "Simply put, Sprint has you covered. It's a promise you can depend on," [from Sprint website, "The Network Advantage," 2004-Oct-4] and they claim to connect 240 million people. I'm sure glad I don't have to depend on them.

Whew.

Among the exciting things I did this week, well, okay, there's just one: I went to see David Byrne introduce his PowerPoint-based artwork, Trees, Tombstones, and Bullet Points at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) on Friday. I haven't had a chance to go back and visit the exhibit (unfortunately ... I wish I could talk about it more intelligently.)

The presentation was amusing, though. His technique was to make a presentation for his artwork using PowerPoint itself. He came into it as an expert in the topic he was talking about (his artwork) and he seemed genuinely uncomfortable addressing a group of people. This, to me, is the recipe for any typical corporate presentation, and — despite his self-professed lack of experience in corporate use of PowerPoint — he managed to act and talk just like someone in a corporate presentation. The only errors were that he was just a little too deliberate when he "forgot" which slide he was on.

He made some good points about various media and novel uses for it, and that people in literate cultures prioritize their interpretation of art (and all things, I guess) in order of words then music then pictures. For instance, he said that if he puts text on an artwork, people automatically think that's what it's about, and if he has any arbitrary image, he can change the mood of the image by applying different music. He also noted that PowerPoint, like any language, limits our capacity of thought — an aspect he found particularly fascinating to explore. I'm really bummed that I haven't had a chance to go through the exhibit yet ... maybe tomorrow.

At least on this page I don't have to worry about his concerns since I'm only using one language and no pictures or music. Something like that, anyway.

T H U R S D A Y

Tonight at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) Susan Meiselas will be on hand to discuss the topic of her photo-essay Encounters With the Dani. [source: Eastman House calendar] At 6 p.m. tonight in The Danforth Dining Center on Danforth The University of Rochester (Intercampus Dr., #46 on River Campus Map) In Between the Lines will be performing their comedy improv titled The D-forth Extravaganza of Humor. [source: In Between the Lines calendar] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Corridors of Blood starting at 8 p.m. Horror genre film producer Richard Gordon will be on hand to introduce this film starring Boris Karloff as a surgeon experimenting with anesthesia who becomes a drug-addicted mad scientist. [source: Eastman House calendar] Over at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. is a Cavalry Entertainment show featuring EPIC, Alexis Nicole Carter, and COLUMBO [source: Bug Jar calendar] Pure Kona Poetry Open Mic Night is at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) tonight starting at 7:30. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Find the Propaganda Box at The Liberty Pole (Liberty Pole Wy.) today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

F R I D A Y

This afternoon at 12:30 p.m., landscaper Dan Scheid will be on hand at The Rush Rhees Library in The University of Rochester (Library Rd. near Intercampus Dr., #1 on River Campus Map) for a tour of the The University of Rochester Arboretum as part of the River Romance Celebration 2004. [source: City Hall press release] The League of Women Voters will be at Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St.) to get people to register to vote in Rock(ester) Against Bush featuring fun punk band The Flour City Knuckleheads, Irish-skewed punk band Tom Foolery and the Shenanigans, Psyopus, Skate Korpse, Grime Time, Mantua Deprived, punk-rock/hard-rock band The UV Rays, The Grinders, The Happy Roving Troubadours, Global Dissent, solid punk band The Sweatshop Boys, and louder-than-average, faster-than-average, and above-average modern rock band Hi Vol. Components tonight starting around 5:30 p.m. [source: Water Street calendar] All this weekend at The University of Rochester (Elmwood Ave. at Intercampus Dr., details on River Campus Map) it's Meliora Weekend with lots of interesting things going on. [source: University of Rochester website] This evening at 6:30 p.m. at The High Falls Gorge (Pont De Rennes Bridge) is a History of the High Falls Area Guided Walk as part of the River Romance Celebration 2004. [source: City Hall press release] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Chavez: Inside the Coup (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised) starting at 8 p.m. An Irish filmmaking crew captures the U.S.-backed overthrow of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez in April, 2002. [source: Eastman House calendar] The Blackouts are back for a reunion show with The Operatives tonight at Fat Moe's (4419 Dewey Ave.) starting around 10 p.m. [source: WITR calendar] Tonight at Spy Bar and Grill (139 State St.) is an acoustic set from the otherwise tight, complex rock-and-roll of The VEiNS, and Tommy Brunette starting around 9:30 p.m. [source: GaragePop e-mail] Find the Propaganda Box at The Liberty Pole (Liberty Pole Wy.) again today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine]

S A T U R D A Y

Lunch today is at Sticky Lips Pit BBQ (625 Culver Rd.) at noon. There's a whole bunch of events today surrounding the River Romance Celebration 2004. I'll just list some of the more interesting highlights. First, in the South Wedge neighborhood, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today is the Rochester River Challenge which is (according to the press release) the "largest outrigger canoe race on the East Coast" and it starts at The South Wedge Landing (on the river near Mt. Hope Ave. at Alexander St.) From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. is a Fall Foliage Tour starting at Mt. Hope Cemetery (North Gate, 791 Mt. Hope Ave.) and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. is a Guided Walk in the South Wedge Neighborhood starting in front of The Stone Warehouse (1 Mt. Hope Ave.) There are also a number of events near Lower Falls including the Rose Workshop: Winterizing the Beds at 10 a.m. at The Maplewood Rose Garden (Driving Park and Lake Ave.) followed by the Maplewood Fall Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. which includes a performance of the jazz duo Shared Genes starting at 12 p.m. Starting at Seneca Park Zoo (2222 St. Paul Blvd.) at 10 a.m. is a Guided Bike Tour of Lower River Gorge. If you'd rather walk, there's a Nature Walk at the park from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. In the Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) at 10 a.m. is a presentation of the Future Genesee River Development Plans. [source: City Hall press release] This evening at 7 p.m. at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) is the opening of Andy Gilmore's A Dance of Dust and Flies. [source: artsound website] This evening at 8 p.m. at The Memorial Art Gallery (500 University Ave., near Goodman St.) is the opening party for The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art with music and food and such. Then, tomorrow at 2 p.m. is a lecture with Dr. Walter O. Evans speaking about his collection. [source: Memorial Art Gallery calendar] Oceanside, political punk-rock from Suran Song in Stag, and weird any-music from GAD will be at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Tonight at Richmond's (21 Richmond St.) is excellent 1960's-style rock-and-roll from The Hi-Risers starting around 10 p.m. [source: Johnny's Irish Pub calendar] Since John Lennon would have turned 64 tomorrow, The Club at Water Street (204 N. Water St.) will be hosting a Don Anonymous presentation of Lennon 64 featuring Lennon's songs performed by the likes of The Earl Cram Revue, Joe Simeone, The Russians, Don Anonymous, and The QUiTTERS starting around 9:30 p.m. Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) at 9 p.m. is the excellent vocal harmonies of the duo Free Air. [source: Starry Nites calendar] Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting some very standard fast rock music from Bitpart starting around 10:30 p.m. [source: Freetime] In the Tuttle North Gym at SUNY Brockport (350 New Campus Dr., Brockport) tonight at 9 p.m. is a Homecoming Comedy Show featuring Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood of the popular TV improv show, Whose Line is It Anyway? [source: Freetime]

S U N D A Y

Today is another Bike Ride at High Falls from 10:30 a.m. to noon at The High Falls Gorge (Pont De Rennes Bridge.) The ride is designed to be relatively easy ... 10 miles or less along the Genesee Riverway Trail and on-road into the community. [source: City Hall press release] The River Romance Celebration 2004 continues today with more interesting tidbits. At Genesee Valley Park (Hawthorn Dr.) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the The Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta on the Genesee River. Among a number of activities near the lake is a Photo Hike/Walking Tour at Port of Rochester (1 Beach Ave.) starting at noon and featuring a tour of The O'Rorke Bridge (between Lake Ave. and Pattonwood Dr.) starting at the parking lot near the Monroe County boat launch off Lake Ave. north of Latta Road. Closer to the South Wedge neighborhood, there will be Guided Walking Tours at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Mt. Hope Cemetery (North Gate, 791 Mt. Hope Ave.) [source: City Hall press release] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Brother to Brother starting at 5 p.m. A young art student and an older writer start a relationship with one another. Later, at 8 p.m. is Al Ha'kav (Round Trip) about a woman who leaves a loveless marriage only to find romance with a beautiful Nigerian woman. [source: Eastman House calendar] I originally thought it was two weeks ago, but today is the second annual Gibbs Gone Wild art, music, and video street festival from 12 p.m. to midnight on Gibbs Street. [source: poster at Java's] The Annual Instructors Exhibition closes tonight at Genesee Pottery at The Genesee Center for the Arts (713 Monroe Ave.) [source: Genesee Center for the Arts calendar]

M O N D A Y

Columbus Day (observed) The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Reflections in a Golden Eye starting early at 7 p.m. A homosexual army officer is on the brink of an emotional breakdown through denial of his sexuality. [source: Eastman House calendar] Tonight at Starry Nites Café (696 University Ave., formerly Moonbeans) from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is another Holistic Nite featuring Alice Kimball giving an Introduction to Astrology. [source: Starry Nites calendar] Tonight at The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) is The Makers, and surf-rock influenced punk-rock from The Priests starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar]

T U E S D A Y

This evening at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) is another Rochester Poets Reading and Open Mike starting at 7 p.m. [source: Writers and Books calendar] From 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. today is another Books Sandwiched In presentation in the Gleason Auditorium at The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) Today, The Democrat and Chronicle Business Editor Ellen Rosen will be on hand to discuss David Denby's American Sucker. [source: Rochester Public Library calendar] George Bernard Shaw's John Bull's Other Island opens tonight at Geva (75 Woodbury Blvd.) at 8 p.m. and runs through November 14. [source: Geva Theatre website] The Dryden Theater at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be showing Chelovek s kinoapparatom (The Man with the Movie Camera starting at 8 p.m. A man with a movie camera takes pictures of 1920's Soviet Union residents. [source: Eastman House calendar] The Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave.) will be hosting odd one-man band who plays slide guitar with a drum machine and sings through a telephone receiver attached to a motorcycle helmet Bob Log III with The Town Bikes, Singapore Sling, and Boxcar Satan starting around 10:45 p.m. [source: Bug Jar calendar] Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) is hosting an Acoustic Open Mic from 8 to 10. For this one, there's no microphones and it's pretty open ended. [source: Daily Perks calendar]

W E D N E S D A Y

This afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr. will be hosting an Open House and Informational Meeting about plans for improvements at Manhattan Square Park (130 Chestnut St.) in the Gleason Auditorium of The Rochester Public Library (115 South Ave.) [source: City Hall press release] Over at Verb Café at Writers and Books (740 University Ave.) this evening at 7 p.m. is another 2,000 Word Club Open Mike where the participants are limited to 2,000 words each (of their choosing.) [source: Writers and Books calendar] Unkl will be at A|V Art Sound Space (#8 in the Public Market, off N. Union St., formerly The All-Purpose Room) starting around 9 p.m. [source: artsound website] Poor People United meets tonight and every Wednesday at 7 at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality (402 South Ave.) [source: the proverbial grapevine] Tonight from 8 to 10 is an Open-Mic Comedy Night at Daily Perks (389 Gregory St.) While once it was a workshop type of environment, it's now more-or-less a regular open mic ... by default it's still a place to try out new stuff. [source: Daily Perks calendar] Find the Propaganda Box on Monroe Ave. at Sumner Pk. today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. playing independently produced videos giving an alternative view of political events than the mainstream media. [source: the proverbial grapevine]