Dit kwam ik bij toeval tegen en vind het echt dope! XO met zijn track F.R.N.O. afkomstig van de ‘Monumental’ LP.

Als je hem dope vind, dan kan je de LP downloaden door hier te klikken.

The homie and fellow D.M.V. representative X.O. just dropped the video for F.R.N.O. This what music is supposed to be. Listen and grow.

Download his mixtape Monumental here.

Look out for the new mixtape One One Ten coming out January 1, 2010.

Shouts out to X.O. and the whole Studio 43 family.

This will serve as a reminder to the team:

November 12, 2009
ATI Cafeteria
5pm onwards

Agenda:

1. Weekly Meeting
2. Game Specifications
   Game Features
   Game Layout
3. Division of Tasks
   Research
   Collaboration
   Blog Updates
   Email Updates

P.S.

I'll expand my minutes after i translate my audio record   =)

- Bia, que que aconteceu com o orkut, fia?

- É o novo, né, chérie.

- Como assim “novo” orkut?

- .

- Acho que tô meio passada mesmo, hein…

não seja tão dura consigo mesma

E é com este breve diálogo que começo este post, queridos.

Tá, sábado que vai ter que acordar às 6 da manhã pra ficar plantada em fila?

WHO?

Bom, meus caros leitores, eu lhes conto que soy yo.

E que vai acordar às 6 da manhã pra ficar plantada na fila do show do twisted sister?

WHO?

De novo, soy yo.

Só porque eu tenho a altura de um protozoário não significa que eu não vá ver nada no show, né, galere, então eu tenho que ficar na grade. E esta façanha exige certa habilidade, tal qual chegar às 7 da manhã na fila.

que papo é esse, uilis?

Pois é, minhas amiguinha, e como a vida não é um cachoeira de felicidade e alegria, eu vou sozinha pra patuscada.

ALEGRIA INUNDANDO MINHAS ENTRANHAS

Aí eu estava vendo que horas que a galere ia chegar na fila, para eliminar a concorrência quando noto isso, DIRETOR COLOCA NA TELA AÍ:

que tapa na cara da sociedade, que pêlo encravado na cara da sociedade, que headshot na cara da sociedade. Pera que ainda não acabou. PORRA, DIRETOR, FALEI PRA COLOCAR NA TELA, JÁ:

]]> http://refineblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/about-refine-entertainment/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:32:15 +0000 refineblog http://refineblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/about-refine-entertainment/

Refine Entertainment is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. The company services offered cover a range of industries. Services are provided in videography, travel & accommodations, health & wellness, beauty products and cosmetics, mentorship and coaching. Its goal is to educate consumers (or educate the public), thereby improving lives. Due to our current economy some of our service costs have been adjusted so that the average individual can accomplish their goals in life and/or in their line of business, improving productivity, as well as obtaining free, high quality products, superb service, and receive low costs in accommodations.

Nicholas Negroponte, grundlægger af og formand for One Laptop Per Child, afslører i et interview med xconomy, at organisationen har skrinlagt planerne for version to af deres XO laptop. I stedet vil man koncentrere sig om en version 1.75 af XO´en med forbedret processor, samt en helt ny version 3.0, der ifølge Negroponte vil være på gaden i 2012.

Det var planen, at XO 2.0 skulle have to touchscreens, det er droppet i version 3, der efter planen kommer til at have et mere simpelt ebook-lignende design.

Samtidig står Negroponte knap så stejlt på “100 dollar laptop”-prædikatet, der har vist sig svært at leve op til. Han åbner for mere abonnementslignende betalingsfomer.

OLPC-projektet lever altså stadig trods skepsis og manglende afsætning. Men man kan spørge sig selv, om det er den rigtige beslutning at bruge så megen tid og ressourcer på udvikling af nye modeller, som det tilsyneladende er tilfældet. Ville det ikke være mere oplagt at forsøge at nå det oprindelige mål med en robust læringsmaskine til den 3. verden til 100 dollar. Hvor avanceret en laptop er der brug for til undervisning. Er det ikke nærmere parametre som soliditet, pris og internetforbindelse, der er væsentlige for målgruppen?

Just a quick look at the new picture in the making in Uruguay since a couple of years and now in full course of action. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative has implemented with the support of the left wing government of Uruguay the first worldwide experience of covering the whole population of children in the public elementary school with one laptop each.

When we consider the effects that this action can produce to the new generation, it is simply mind blowing. First of all, it tears apart the main blockage to equality in a society which is access to information restricted to who can afford it. It makes me curious to check what will be the scores of these students compared with the previous generations and compared also with the kids who have no access to these tools.

Since Mr. Nicholas Negroponte presented the programme, I have to say that my first reaction was pretty cold given the usual lack of initiatives of all governments regarding to education and mainly if these efforts are targeted towards the lower social classes. However, Mr. Vázquez (Uruguay’s President) took it seriously and the country mobilized towards the goal and they have accomplished the first objective: saturation of the young population with ownership of the small, cheap but effective first laptop with total connectivity, built-in multimedia applications, running XO operating system.

This video can give a first impression of the early consequences of these brave and absolutely necessary step towards a truly knowledge based society.

These kids will be able to truly turn the country’s reality upside down in less than a decade. Children are competitive by nature; we all were there once upon a time. Considering that they will be empowered to reach virtually all sorts of information and form themselves (with teachers consequently having to readjust their roles or be surpassed by the pupils), it is not far fetched to foresee these kids forming a massive pool of creation. They are already manipulating photos, making small video clips, forming networks. They become active actors of their own lives and the questioning of power of knowledge will need to be revaluated. How will adults impose criteria over younger generations if they don’t have the same knowledge as they do?

No matter what comes along, the main point is that the tools are given and that is the right sort of subsidy a state has the duty to provide to its people: access to knowledge and freedom to be creative.

El lunes comenzará a ser emitido por señal de cable (Canal 20 de TCC, Canal 21 de Montecable, Canal Eventos de Nuevo Siglo y los 100 canales de cable del Interior) y repetición para todo el país por Televisión Nacional de Uruguay (TNU), un programa sobre el Plan Ceibal.

Mostrará cómo los niños trabajan con las XO en una clase montada en un estudio televisivo, responderá preguntas frecuentes sobre el uso de estas computadoras portátiles e incluirá testimonios sobre las experiencias de la ejecución del Plan Ceibal, que ya finalizó la entrega de XO a todos los niños de las escuelas públicas uruguayas.

¿Por qué un programa televisivo para el Plan Ceibal? La respuesta en este artículo de La Diaria

Además, el Plan Ceibal contará con un canal de televisión propio, seguramente a mitad del 2010, según informó  Miguel Brechner, presidente del LATU.

 Esta propuesta se suma a otros medios con los que cuenta el Plan Ceibal para la creación y difusión de material educativo, como el portal en Internet www.ceibal.edu.uy

¿Cuál es tu opinión al respecto? Te invito a que comentes esta noticia, o sigas leyendo…

En los Ángeles, Estados Unidos, en el marco del 40 cumpleaños de Internet, Nicholas Negroponte dijo que es indispensable que los niños puedan conectarse, sobre todo si son pobres y están aislados.

El fundador del programa “Un ordenador para cada niño”,  destacó que en Uruguay 400.000 alumnos de las escuelas primarias poseen una computadora, todos sin excepción.

Destacó que es común ver en las calles a niños que portan sus laptops y afirmó que  Uruguay es el único país que puso al programa en un sello postal, situación que es una especie de indicador que “no hubiéramos esperado nunca”.

Leer declaraciones de Negroponte aquí

Capital City Music Tour

Presented by:
Beam UP Ent., Inner Loop Records, Studio 43 & BetaRaz Entertainment
Performers:
K-Beta, Kingpen Slim & X.O.
P Stew (93.9 WKYS) will be the Host for the whole Tour

Details after the Jump:

****Friday 11/13/09 Jammin Java All Ages, 9pm-2am 21 to Drink $10 Pre-sale Tickets, $12 Cover Charge
227 Maple Ave East, Vienna, VA 22180
DJ J Buttah
The Main 3 Acts
4. Ra The MC
5. Likeblood
6.Whitefolkz
7.Phil Ade
8. Frayz

****Tuesday 11/17/09 Eyebar 21&Up , 9pm-2am, Open Bar 9pm-11pm, FREE SHOW, Dress to Impress
DJ Alizay
The Main 3 Acts

****Friday 11/25/09 Liv, Beatdown, 9pm-2am, Cover Charge $10, 18 & Up
DJ J-$crilla
DJ Mark Nfinit

****Monday 12/7/09 Pure, 10pm Features, 8pm-12pm, $5 Cover, 21 & Up
DJ Jus Lissen

****Friday 12/11/09 Velocity 5, 9pm-2am, 21&Up, Cover Charge $10 for guys, $5 for Ladies, DJ J Buttah
8111 Lee Highway Falls Church, VA 22042

****Tuesday 12/15/09 Lotus, 8pm-2am, 21 & Up, FREE SHOW, No Hats, No Sneakers
DJ Money

…but I’m gonna love you anyhow.

Thank you again for the music.  I wish you didn’t have to go so soon.

xo

~Dan

XO

Elliott Smith

1998

DreamWorks Records

I am officially declaring today, and every October 21^st hereafter, to be Elliott Smith Day.  At least on this website, seeing as I can’t make it a national holiday at all.  But, you may ask, “Why?  Why, Ryan, have you chosen the day of his death instead of his birth to be Elliott Smith Day?  Are you that freaking morbid?”  And yes, I am that morbid, actually (I even read the book The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars, maybe the most morbid book ever).  But, no, I chose this day because I felt like it.  So, meh to you.

I won’t say too much about his death, as the story has been told so many times.  Basically, he might have committed suicide (I’m with those who believe he did) by stabbing himself twice with a kitchen knife (God, what a way to do so).  His music, many have stated, reflects this as they believe it to be depressing, sad music.  Which is true.  But I’m drawn into it because of the hope that is so prevalent in his songs.

XO is a notable album for Elliott Smith.  It marks the change between his mainly acoustic folk style and his layered rock found on Figure 8.  Without this album, the jump in musicality would’ve seemed even more strange.  I’ve always been more of a fan of his later textured stuff, but his acoustic style is so intimate, it’s hard not to get drawn in.

“Sweet Adeline” is the first track on the album, an experience to draw his fans into his new style, it seems.  It starts as a slower acoustic folky song, with great lyrics (Smith is one of my favorite lyricists).  That is until he sings the title of the song, with a huge instrumental track coming out of nowhere.  Piano, drums, guitars, bass, harmony vocal lines all meld to create a memorable song.

The second track, “Tomorrow Tomorrow” brings us back into Smith’s acoustic work, with great fingerpicking guitar.  He still keeps his vocal harmony layers in the background, which he’s always been really adept at doing.  Smith knows how to write a good song, and it feels like “Tomorrow Tomorrow” is inviting you in.

The strangely titled “Waltz #2” (only strange because “Waltz #1” comes after it in the album’s sequence) follows, and it’s a brilliant song.  It has a great melodic line, intro’d (that’s not a word, by the way) by a guitar and then a tinking piano.  The thing about Elliott Smith is that every word he sings has feeling placed into it – he means everything he sings and writes.  Hell, every instrument has feeling in it.  So, when he sings “I’m never gonna know you now, but I’m gonna love you any how”, the listener can’t help but feel a sense of relevance.  It’s a feeling that Smith captures perfectly. 

“Baby Britain” is one of my favorite songs, and rather upbeat for Smith.  Again, we’re treated to textures of piano and electric guitar.  Clearly, Smith’s music has been evolving.  It is a pretty straightforward rock song, but it has Smith’s clever words over it.  “Floating over a sea of vodka” is one of my favorite lines ever (followed by “For someone has as smart, you’d be a work of art”).  Overall, his sense of melody and arrangement creates such an interesting song.

“Pitseleh” (Little One in Yiddish) is the fifth track.  Another mainly acoustic song, Smith let’s us into the song with a whisper.  This quiet sense of passion is what made Smith so intriguing.  It’s a stunning, beautiful song.

“Independence Day” is one of his more well-known songs, and for good reason.  It starts with his distinct acoustic style, easing into the more layered approach.  Another alluring song, this is one with the hope so predominant in his work. “And a bright ideal, tomorrow, Ooh, don’t go too far” explains it better than I’d be able to.

“Bled White” has such a great rhythmic guitar to it, bringing the audience in immediately.  I almost wish that this was an all-acoustic song, but the way it is currently is so absorbing anyway.  So, it doesn’t matter too much I guess. 

“Waltz #1” and “Oh Well, Okay” are too slower songs, that I group together, because I don’t have much to say about them.  The first is a delicate piano ballad.  The latter is one of the weaker songs on the album, which is not to say bad.  It has some great double-tracked vocal harmonies, but it’s never grown on me personally.

Track nine, “Amity” starts with a strange repetition of the title.  It’s a surprisingly heavy track featured on the album, with Smith singing in his distinctive voice.  This provides an excellent contrast to the immense sound behind him.  And Smith knows how to provide an interesting arrangement by stopping the song for a moment, before launching into a tasteful guitar solo.  And the strings behind it.  Really intense.

“Bottle up and Explode!” is one of three songs that Jon Brion plays on.  I did not know that Brion played on this album before I bought it, otherwise I would’ve bought it much sooner.  Brion is one of my favorite musician’s, almost everything he’s done I will listen to (except for producing Kanye West.  Just no.).  And Jon Brion combined with Elliott Smith is just orgasmic (Yeah, okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a bit).  I was expecting the song itself to be a little more intense, but it’s still an awesome song.

“A Question Mark” follows the style put forward by “Bottle Up” and “Amity”.  It even has horns and brass on it.  Thoroughly enjoyable.

And that leads me to the final two songs, put back to back in such a way as to invite comparisons.  I mean, really, to title them “Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands” and “I Didn’t Understand” is just asking people to look at them together.

The first starts off with his acoustic guitar, then breaking into a great double-tracked vocal line again, with a rambling guitar line underneath it.  Then other instruments kick in a third through, as just to imply his more developed style will be prominent in the future.  The end of the song is just brilliant, and would’ve made for a great ending to the album.  But he takes it one step further by juxtaposing the next song as the final piece.

“I Didn’t Understand” is a scathing, caustic, scornful song with some of his most biting lyrics ever.  Smith even targets this feeling by using the word “f*ck” (and even “sh*t”), such a rarity in his lyrics that when he does use it (especially twice like here!) it makes this scornful feeling even that much more prominent.  And what a great way to end the album.  It’s a capella.  Talk about using the most with textures.  It’s his standard double-tracked melody over his own layered voices providing an amazing background.  The whole song is stunning, and the best way to end the album.

So, yes, I have picked the day of Smith’s death to celebrate his body of work and his life.  I really hope to dispel the idea that his songs were all depressing and about sadness.  His songs were so delicate, intricately written, and so much more about hope than one might expect from one who (probably) took his own life.  Whatever his mindset was at the time of his death (which I’ve heard was a pretty terrible mindset), his attitude towards his music was completely different.  This is his art, and not only does it provide great insight into his character, you can feel his presence in every song, but it shows such feeling was put into each and every moment of it.  XO, while not a masterpiece, is an amazing album full of such moments.

Official Page

Buy This Album

Last.Fm Page

For the last few weeks, being acquainted with the XO was of minimal task because the Sugar on a Stick (SoaS) release has made the checking on the XO’s sweet UI simple for me. Although the XO feel is of much getting used to. Exploring the XO at the user level was not complicated at all. Even to others without any idea about the XO laptops, Sugar, and OLPC. The hardest part was the shifting from the processing speed I was used to to that of what the AMD Geode is capable of.

In the first place, the main reasons for requesting 3 XOs were to answer 3 major questions to help us before, during and after developing the specifications for the activity:

1. How is collaboration made between two users or more in the activity being shared?
2. Is it possible to do the activity in 3D without requiring additional memory that could have allowed the child to do another activity?
3. What are the other issues that we are to consider with regards to the limited hardware we are working on?

To answer the aforementioned questions, we only need to conduct simple testing activites at user level which only involved exploring the XO as if you were one of the lucky kids out there having one. In this task, I have been helped by my friends – roommates, co-scholars and classmates. The issues that concerned us were:

1. It lags. For some time, out of the blue, an XO screen just freezes. Pressing any keys or directing the cursor with the touch pad won’t do a thing.
2. The touch pad also becomes stubborn. It’ll be moving the cursor nicely this minute then it starts to go the other way. The cursor has to be gently maneuvered or application of greater pressure on the touch pad is necessary because the problem is either over/under sensitivity.
3. During the sharing of activity, the lagging is more frequent but it happens to at least one of the XO’s sharing at the particular time. As observed in the Maze Activity, for 2 XO’s, they alternately get stuck in the middle of the activity and then most times, one returns only after the other XO has finished the maze. At 3 XO’s, one XO gets stuck, another could possibly do so, then one remains in the game, and at some time after getting stuck, one XO returns and the other follows or they do the getting stuck alternately.

With these observations, we now move a step higher in our development. The next weeks will be devoted in discussing the issues observed, refining ideas, adding new ones and coming up with the final specifications. The squinting of eyes to view the picture is now over. Thus, the time to look at the details is here as we start to figure out how we can hack the XO.

Uruguay’s been a huge fan of the One Laptop Per Child initiative for quite some time, and while we’re still unsure if it’s the entity’s biggest customer, the aforesaid nation is certainly doing some serious business with Nicholas Negroponte and Company. After the first swath of youngsters received their green and white XOs back in May of 2007, the final smattering of kids have now joined the proud group of laptop-toting tots in the country’s circuit of primary schools. You heard right — every last pupil in Uruguay’s primary school system now has a laptop and a growing love for Linux, and we’re told that the whole thing cost the country less than five percent of its entire education budget.

via: engadget

Aqui dejamos algunas fotos de la escuela 137 durante una actividad de los voluntarios Hugo Cáceres y Yacqueline Cáceres.

Voluntarios en la escuela 137