Chat Transcript: December 16, 2001

Talent show: What have you been up to this past year? Any new works to share, any incredible sites you've seen? This will be a free-for-all talent show...step up to the mike and tell us all about it.

hermen and Everdeen quietly enter.
Deena says, "Hi Herman and Ev"
Helen arrives, like a train from Platform 9 and three-quarters
Deena says, "Hi Helen"
Everdeen smiles around the room
MazThing pops in and smiles. "Hello"
Deena serves round hot cider and tea
Margaret arrives.
MazThing says, "Hi Margaret"Deena gets all the decorations up for a Christmas party and trips on the ribbons
MazThing gratefully accepts the cider..... "But....HOT?"
Everdeen thanks Deena for cider and sips carefully
Deena nods. Sure... you have to have hot cider. And Hot Dr. Pepper...
Everdeen says, "Hello Margaret!"
Everdeen says, "HOT DR PEPPER"
Deena adds, "With cinnamon sticks"
Everdeen stands and salutes Texas Flag which has just appeared in midair
Deena says, "Try it it is good"
MazThing will go with the flow. "Incidentally, I'm hoping that Jennifer can come along and join us this evening but.....we'll only know if she can make it....when we know."
Everdeen says, "10 2 and 4"
Deena decorates the Texas Flag with mistletoe
MazThing looks suspiciously at all this flag hanging and refrains from making any "Bahhhhh humbug noises"
Everdeen hums ~the bugs of Texas are upon you~
Deena hangs up a flag from every nation and country and state, just to be fair about it...and drapes holly and mistletoe from all
MazThing grins and thinks what a nice patchwork the flags would make if she stole a bit from each.
Helen is wearing a yellow rose for Texas -- but might be lying and it's really a white rose for Yorkshire
Deena hands Helen a wand to keep switching the color on her rose
Helen likes the lovely yellow rose -- my husband bought me a bunch because last Saturday I went to a fancy dress party as the yellow rose of Texas (and my feet wouldn't stop line dancing...) then I went to a conference full of Americans and we had a Salsa night -- my knees are giving way but I'll demo for you if you like
MazThing watches curious
Deena watches Helen salsa
Everdeen . o O ( maybe we could do a cotton-eyed joe at the end of the meeting )
Helen says, "One, two, three, stop, one, two, three, stop,"
Deena says, "How is everyone's holidays?"
MazThing says, "Not really started yet, Deena." MazThing is working next week.
Deena says, "Oh ouch. I get the 24th off this year, which is nice..."
Margaret says, "I just loved that train Maz and Jennifer"
Deena wants to see the train
MazThing says, "Margaret, thank you."
MazThing says, "I'll pass your words on to Jenn"
Deena says, "Is the train up at a website?"
MazThing shares a URL. (http://www.northpoint.org.uk/thistrain/). Thanks. MazThing says, "Jennifer made all the images (and played the harmonica if anyone ever gets to hear it) she and I are co-writers and I did the colouring in. There are also a few 'found images' transformed and one (used with permission) of a print by Randy Nehila (whose gallery pages can be viewed from his homepage at http://people.bu.edu/erlrsn/ )
MazThing . o O ( that about covers it )
MazThing says, "Don't know if that worked"
MazThing is on a MUD client today
Margaret says, "It worked Maz"
MazThing smiles. "It's also at some webspace of Jennifer's, but that has adverts on, so it required some circumnavigation to avoid those."
MazThing says, "The saddest thing was I couldn't fathom the sound"
Margaret says, "What do you mean Maz that you couldn't fathom the sound?"
Helen says, "BTW I really liked "This Train""
MazThing says, "Oh right....did any of you get the sound to load?"
MazThing says, "Because it's a long wait"
Helen says, "Sound? let me try it with my speakers on, oops...."
Mike Byrne says, "How yeee oh ah mmm way hi" "
Deena says, "I am still waiting for the sound on this train""
MazThing says, "It's only on one page and it takes FAR FAR too long"
Deena says, "Maz, could you tell us about this piece?"
Deena says, "I like it..."
MazThing says, "Do you want me to hang on and wait to see if anyone else shows up Deena?"
Mike Byrne says, "The sounds the best part... but the colours are a bit red white an' blue" "
Deena says, "Sure..."
MazThing says, "Thank you.....it's possible that Jennifer can join us."
MazThing laughs
Deena says, "That would be cool...""
MazThing says, "Really...do you think...."
Margaret says, "No Maz, the sound didn't come up for me. Was it mpag3?"
MazThing says, "I should have gone for an orange green and white scheme?"
Helen says, "Which page is the music on?"
Margaret says, "Mpeg, I mean"
MazThing says, "It's the one with the train marquee, Helen, the it's too too too poem"
MazThing says, "It's a .wav file"
Margaret says, "Ah that might account for it, Maz How big is the file?"
MazThing says, "Too big"
MazThing sighs
MazThing compressed it every which way
Helen says, "I don't think there's a solution yet for sound that doesn't require broadband... which makes all this talk of streaming rather moot"
Deena says, "Yeah, or get help on www.flashkit.com..."
Helen says, "Did you try RealAudio?"
MazThing says, "But believe me i tried .au, aiff, .mp3 you name it"
Margaret says, "You have to do it twice , once for Netscape and once for Explorer"
MazThing says, "Maybe I should seek help in the tech forum next week"
Margaret says, "I am celebrating today I got round to digging through to trAce from Adullam"
MazThing says, "Oh excellent, Sue was here earlier"
MazThing says, "We were trying to figure it out"
MazThing says, "Margaret, I'll check it out sometime....are you actively developing here?"
Mike Byrne arrives from Literature Lounge
Mike Byrne quietly enters.
Mike Byrne says, "So what's happenin' here ?"
Deena says, "Hi Mike, we are sharing URLS and work and having a party at the same time :)"
MazThing says, "Hi Mike"
Mike Byrne says, "I see Deena "
MazThing . o O ( just for example )
Deena says, "Well, this is our annual Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday/winter/ party"
Deena says, "And we are celebrating by sharing our works..."
Mike Byrne says, "Yeah that's it Maz" "
Everdeen smiles at Mike and passes him the tray of holiday cookies.
Deena hands round cookies in the shape of Mike's grin
Deena says, "While we wait for folks, would you like to introduce yourselves?"
Mike Byrne testing a grin
Mike Byrne casting a grin upon the water
Deena hands round more eggnog, spiked punch, and hot Dr. Pepper
Mike Byrne says, "So I can post my URL here ? and dazzle you all with my technical brilliance? "
MazThing says, "Mike, type @URL http://etc"
Margaret says, "Even with mpeg I had to cut one of my files in three before anyone could hear anything"
MazThing's head reals at sound formats
Helen is listening to the harmonica!
Deena says, "Sure Mike, we are waiting for Jennifer to celebrate her trains..."
Deena Calls out the square dancers who do a fast RealAudio reel and jig
MazThing says, "Oh well, I'm glad someone got to hear it, I love the piece, I know we should loop a segment really"
Helen says, "I like the different bits..."
MazThing says, "It sort of grew organically over the autumn"
Deena says, "Yeah, I think you should loop the segment..."
Margaret says, "Talking about sound files RealPlayer are now charging nearly ten dollars a month just for the basic player"
Helen says, "I had a student who played the guitar -- each bit was over 1 Mb, he gave up at the sharing in the end and played the guitar for real behind the monitor while I showed the site"!"
Everdeen says, "It's a good variety...but I'm particularly fond of the pages about coherent systems and genetics..."
MazThing says, "Thanks Ev, the poem was triggered by one of Lewis's exercises with public texts"
Jean quietly enters.
Deena says, "Hi Jean, welcome to the Winter Party for trAce and ELO""
Jean says, "Hello"
MazThing says, "Hi Jean"
Deena hands Jean a flaming hot Christmas pudding...
Jean says, "Wow, flaming is right!"
Deena hands Jean a cool towel for her burned hands
Jean says, "Thanks"
Mike Byrne says, "The continuing life @URL http://www.geocities.com/b4me0/index.html "
Mike Byrne says, "It's a work in progress, but hey! I don't want to rain on your parade (?) "
Deena says, "Mike, why did you start with a quote from Margaret?"
Helen says, "The first time I looked it wasn't Margaret...."
MazThing says, "Mike....this is fascinating it has been through SO MANY different incarnations. Every time I go back it's a different read"
Deena says, "Do you want to tell us about it?"
Everdeen says, "Mike, you have tightened it up since this morning and changed title!"
Deena says, "This is Mike's work... we will come back to Maz when Jennifer shows up.."
Mike Byrne says, "Well Deena, Margaret said she liked the blackboard so i decide to write her on the latest version, but I can write her off Aegean if she wants "
MazThing laughs. "I like the fact that pages change....there's nothing much duller than websites staying the same forever"
Mike Byrne says, "Yes Ev "
Mike Byrne says, "It's a continuing life now instead of a short life (?)"
Helen says, "Maz I agree. And it's rather neat the way Mike develops it..."
Helen says, "Perhaps you should offer an email update when the page changes Mike?"
Mike Byrne wonders what the hell he's talking about?
MazThing says, "Actually....that's quite a good idea Helen"
Mike Byrne says, "I could do .... "
Everdeen says, "I notice that the tense change has been moving (up?) ...earlier in the text...."
Mike Byrne says, "Helen "
MazThing says, "If you can do it...it would be a way to find out who's reading regularly and encourage visitors to go back"
Margaret says, "I guess Kate's corner in the café is the best place for the announcements"
Mike Byrne says, "What I think I need to do is a degree in technology "
Deena says, "Mike, have you kept archives so you could see it develop?"
MazThing is a frantic re-writer but a hopeless archivist
Everdeen . o O ( hopeless?? )
Everdeen smiles
Deena hands round clever little archivists for us all as a Christmas present and starts humming off key "Ten archivists a leaping..."
Mike Byrne says, "Yes I've kept versions in word and html pages plus at geocities. I've sequenced them 01 02 etc "
MazThing says, "Well, useless then"
Everdeen offers Maz an anchor (symbol of hope)
Deena says, "What is useless, Maz?"
MazThing says, "My version control tendency is ill-developed"
Deena says, "Mike, want to say anything else about your piece?""
Everdeen says, "Mike do you have only the most recent online?"
Deena sympathises with Maz and thinks of her own lost archives...
MazThing says, "But I think mike's right....it requires quite a lot of skill building even to present simple webpages"
Helen says, "We have just discovered http://www.archive.org/ the Internet Archive -- it has incarnations of trAce (and other websites) going back to 1998 or earlier for some -- it's like looking at baby pictures!"
Mike Byrne says, "Well Deena I 'd just like to say that i would never have got this far with outt6he support of al ll my family and friends and i want to thank Sue Thomas at "
MazThing says, "Ohhhh wow!"
MazThing says, "That's rather exciting Helen, I find the google cached versions handy for recently lost sites but that's good to know"
Deena says, "What a great present!! I didn't know that existed"
Mike Byrne says, "trAce and Helen Whitehead, and Pauline Masurel and Kelly Sorenson .. "
Helen says, "This is even better than the google cache....."
Helen bows Mike
Mike Byrne says, "And all the wonderful people at ELO "
MazThing says, "Aaaawwwwwwwwwww"
Deena says, "I hope the court doesn't find out about it..."
Helen says, "Deena have you checked if yours is archived?"
Deena says, "Not yet, but I will tonight :)"
(Editor's note: This refers to a long-ongoing court battle about an internet site Deena put up to protest the Arapahoe County, Colorado Department of Social Services mistreatment of an autistic boy, which has since been removed by court order. Rotten story and totally inappropriate for a party...)
][mez][ quietly enters.
][mez][ arrives.
MazThing says, "Mike! you big softie!"
][mez][ says, "Heya all"
MazThing says, "Hi Mez"
Deena says, "Hi Mez!"
Mike Byrne bohhohobvvobhobo sob sob !!waaah !
][mez][ says, "Has taken me half n hr 2 get on...finally just telneted in:)"
MazThing puts on her 'no I'm not Mez' badge to clear up any confusion
][mez][ says, "Thx maz;)"
][mez][ says, "Wot did i miss?;)"
Deena says, "Hmmm...wonder if others are having problems..."
][mez][ says, "Mebbe"
runran quietly enters.
runran arrives.
][mez][ says, "Randy!!"
Deena says, ""Hi Runran and mez, we are having a party and showing our works over the last year--kind of a happy ending to the 2001 year and looking to a great reciprocal 2002"
][mez][ says, "Thx deena;)"
Deena says, "Well, Maz, want to show off train again?"
MazThing shares a URL. (http://www.northpoint.org.uk/thistrain/)
Deena says, "Maz, is this a response to Sept 11?"
MazThing says, "Well, it's a co-authored work...So it would be wrong of me alone to say WHAT precisely it is."
Deena says, "If you don't have it anywhere, you might want to give it to project hope. collecting[reflecting]spreading hope..."
MazThing thanks deena for the suggestion
][mez][ says, "N.gaging stuff maz
Helen listens to the harmonica again
Helen says, "Actually, I could search the cache and keep the harmonica offline"
][mez][ says, "Whoa that toot toot nearly blew my noggin off!;)"
MazThing says, "Margaret, I've tried to think all sorts of ways round the sound"
MazThing grins at mez
][mez][ says, ":)"
Deena says, " I still haven';t heard the sound..."
MazThing says, "That's Jennifer Jessop on harmonica!"
Margaret says, "If I show mine would you like to see if you can hear sound?"
][mez][ heard it awwwlright;)
Margaret says, "The URLs aren't coming up automatically like they did"
Helen says, "Margaret, they come up in a separate window...."
Deena says, "Yeah, the moo changed stuff..."
Deena hands round hot Dr. Pepper, warm Guiness for all the Geniuses, and hot cider punched with rum
][mez][ says, "Ooh I'll take the rum:)"
][mez][ says, "..even if it is 8.30 am here;)"
MazThing says, "But yes, it was written thru the autumn and very much responds to some of those emotions and the start of the war but also"
Everdeen says, "Mez, remember the yardarm rule .... somewhere in cyberia!"
MazThing says, "Speaks about a lot of complex systems and the tendency to oversimplify and make them run from A - B on rails (when really they don't)"
MazThing . o O ( I think anyway )
Deena Flings cider rum to the farthest reaches of cyberia
][mez][ says, "Its crypticx but also d.cypher.able maz, which is hard 2 do..well done."
Helen says, "It's proper literary!"
Deena says, "I like the harking back to the folk song era.. the jouney"
][mez][ says, "Yes"
Deena Wishes there were a time when the entire world were awake...
Margaret says, "I've flung out my long audio files for the time being - thinking of doing two versions one for broadband, one for telemodems"
Helen says, "What was the inspiration<s> Maz?"
Deena says, "That might be the way to go..."
MazThing says, "Um...the inspiration...Helen..."
MazThing says, "Jenn was doing some experimental pieces about trains..."
MazThing says, "And one day i just mailed her...."
MazThing says, "LET ME ONBOARD THIS TRAIN"
Mike Byrne says, "I liked the harmonica"
Deena says, "That is a great way to spark a collaboration, Maz!"
MazThing says, "Because it was where i wanted to be..somewhere safe, a toy train"
MazThing says, "We just travelled"
Deena says, "You know, trains are really in our consciousness now...thinking of the hogwarts express... as a way to get to safety..."
Deena says, "Have they always been seen as a way to be somewhere safe?"
MazThing says, "Well, there is the safety and signalling aspect as well"
Deena says, "Yeah, signalling...and being able to change directions..."
Helen says, "It's good, it's inspiring......."
][mez][ is reading the first potter book due 2 peer pressure
Mike Byrne says, "Em, no ...."
MazThing says, "It's about the past and freedom of speech"
Helen says, "(and are you enjoying it mez?)"
Deena doesn't admit here that Harry Potter has become a secret addiction for her...
Mike Byrne says, "Deena ? ahem ..Auschwitz, etc"
Deena says, "Mike, yeah, I had just forgotten that. So it really isn't a to safety...Can;'t think why I forgot about that just now..."
MazThing says, "And if you board Someone Else's train...you cant get off, Deena"
Helen says, "We've just had a big trial where someone was convicted of falling asleep at the wheel and causing a train crash in which 10 people died (or was it more than 10)? so not safe here, oh no!"
Everdeen says, "And even in other senses....train robberies in the western frontier US.....snowbound/weather stuck trains in the Mideast in the 20's and 30's....."
Helen says, "Well it isn't the gravy train, web-work, is it?"
MazThing says, "It...is a brilliant way to tell a story with local significance"
Deena says, "Maz, yeah, with the train you can be both travelling and at the destination---the train itself has significance that differs from other modes of transportation, I think"
Everdeen says, "And now....chemical spills...."
MazThing says, "Well, the phrase Signals Past At Danger is a pun on the term SPAD (signals passed at Danger) which is a term for red-light running on the railways"
MazThing says, "Also our privatised rail system is about to be renationalised (allegedly)"
Deena says, "That has a lot of resonance for the reader--you pas the signals for reading at your own peril"
Helen says, "But you're the one who travels on trains, Maz -- did you write any of it on the train?"
Helen says, "Margaret, do @URL your.site"
Margaret shares a URL. (http://www.landofbrokenpromises.co.uk/Annis)
<http://www.landofbrokenpromises.co.uk/Annis _blank>.
Helen says, "Margaret - have you been watching "I was a rat?""
][mez][ says, "Helen, i am n.joying it....surprising me actually......"
Helen can hear Margaret's voice.....
Mike Byrne says, "It's Black adder !!! "
Deena checks into Black Annis
Mike Byrne says, "Margaret, you're frightening me, stop !!"
Helen says, "(have just finished reading Harry Potter 4)"
Margaret says, "No, I haven't Helen was it good?"
Everdeen shivers at Margaret's sudden spooky warning!
Helen says, "It's about a rat Margaret!"
Deena says, "Yeah, but it is still good, Helen..."
][mez][ says, "Ahh maz, yes, I'll probably plow thru the 4 of em when i have any spare time;)"
Mike Byrne says, "The Cassandra crossing ? !""
Deena says, "Margaret, what was the impetus for Black Annis?"
Margaret says, "How many carriages are there, Maz. I found six"
MazThing says, "Helen yes, I have a notebook now and i did a lot of the coloring in (html) on the train"
MazThing says, "There should be about 23 carriages"
Deena says, "Margaret, I like the way you juxtapose past and present places here in Black Annis. How are you using time as a metaphor?"
MazThing says, "Keep mousing over the This Train on each page"
][mez][ says, "Its wyrd where we choose 2 write net.wurks...i remember writing _sky scratches_ in a uni library.......:)"
MazThing smiles at mez
Margaret says, "trAce café. We were challenged to do something we've been wanting to do for a long time"
Helen says, "HTML as colouring-in hmmm..."
Deena says, "Maz, making the text different colors...?"
Margaret says, "This was a forty year old desire"
][mez][ says, "W o w"
Deena says, "Yet, we are constrained by our equipment, a bit...have to have the laptop or the computer..."
MazThing says, "Yes, Deena....and.."
MazThing boggles at Margaret too
MazThing says, "I thought festering a short story for 7 years was bad!"
Deena says, "What do you want out of Black Annis, Margaret? What do you want tit to say? What is your 40-year old desire?"
Helen says, "I think it shows the power of all those years of thought, Margaret!"
Margaret says, "Maz, I'll spend tomorrow exploring thoroughly"
][mez][ thinks adapt.ation is the key...transposal N negotiation b.tween on & off][lined][ creation.......
MazThing says, "But the train metaphor is intended to be both about trains that other people specify your destination and also about being on your OWN train"
Helen says, "Notebook -- you mean a COMPUTER!???? sorry, took a while to sink in..."
MazThing says, "Thanks Margaret"
MazThing says, "Yes, Helen, sorry"
Deena says, "Yeah, mez, merging on and off line writing--coming back to the page, or coloring in a book or on a screen..."
Margaret says, "The easy answer is "Beware of harbouring hatred""
MazThing says, "I'm in love with my Sony VAIO, Helen"
Helen says, "The way we use words now -- a delivery man asked me to print my name and I looked around for the printer..."
][mez][ wishes she cood af.ford a notebook...
MazThing says, "Coming here feels like....pinning our work on the fridge for our friends to see, Helen"
][mez][ says, "Eheh Helen:)"
Deena hands round word changers for Christmas to all, where notebook means computer, and records mean logs, neither of which are plastic or wood
MazThing . o O ( except some of the glitter keeps falling off on the kitchen floor )
Deena hands round fridge doors and opens them for frosted cookies and more eggnog and lots more rum
][mez][ says, "Yeah maz, agreed;)"
MazThing says, "Mez it was a months salary for me and I've never really had my 'own' computer before - in the end i felt I owed it to myself"
Mike Byrne says, "I' sure you must have cheap places you can buy them in Australia mez"
Deena says, "Does anyone have anything else to pin on the fridge door?"
Helen offers some Three Kings Spiced Biscuits in the shape of Christmas trees, bells and stars that her son made yesterday
][mez][ says, "I'm madly working on my _][ad][Dressed In A Skin Code_ collation piece, but its s l o w going......."
Mike Byrne we have a staples here and stationary box
Deena hands Mike some tape and gold stars for the stationery box
Mike Byrne I bought three notebooks for 90 p
Helen says, "Is something in particular holding you up mez?"
Margaret says, "Are U going 2 put it up Mez?"
Mike Byrne that was great !!
Deena says, "Wow mike, the computer kind or the paper kind?"
MazThing still writes longhand too
Deena says, "Yes, please put up Dressed, mez"
][mez][ says, "I only have the first 2 pages up, so you'll get a very brief teaser here...."
Mike Byrne says, "Paper unfortunately "
Deena says, "Mike, yes, we better not forget our tree roots..."
][mez][ says, "][ad]Dressed in a@URL http://www.cddc.vt.edu/host/netwurker/"
][mez][ says, "Don't lok for any more than 2 pages, they arn't online as yet..."
Mike Byrne says, "But you know its amazing how much you can write on paper "
Deena says, "I like th skin/blood image, mez..."
Mike Byrne says, "Well on the other hand I suppose shifting form paper to electronic forms will save the trees .. ""
runran says, "Is that you breathing mez?"
][mez][ says, "Not breathing, is actually merging the sounds of a human voice [not mine] and a geiger counter slowed right down...."
cahoots quietly enters.cahoots apologises for being late
][mez][ says, "Heya cahoots"
Deena says, "Hi Cahoots, welcome to the party. We are celebrating the end of a great year in new media and looking forward to a wonderful 2002"
][mez][ says, "I'm trying to wurk in text m.magery as n.tegral 2 the graphic side & its slow going..."
Deena says, "By the way, Jeremy Hunsinger of Virginia Tech will gladly give web space to artists...need to fill out a short form and voila..."
][mez][ says, "Yes, Jeremy has been great with this...."
Helen says, "Oh I'm glad you found somewhere for it mez!"
][mez][ says, "Thx deena..."
][mez][ says, "Yes Helen, was panicked there 4 a bit:)"
Helen says, " One thing I really really wish we could do is offer webspace -- but the Microsssffftt licence won't allow it...."
Deena says, "Helen, please let others know about University of Virginia. They are a godsend, and Jeremy wants his space to be used for art and experimentation."
Deena says, "As you said, we don't get much gravy from this :)"
MazThing says, "Mez could you say something about the direction of this work, the thinking behind it?"
Helen says, "We have the offer on our front page...."
Deena says, "Yes, where do you want to go with this?"
Deena says, "Terrific, Helen. thanks :)"
cahoots raises a glass of finest malt to the end of the year
MazThing says, "I like the hands on words or keys suggested by the front page"
Deena hands round more malt and rum and champagne and fuzzy apple cider
Mike Byrne raises a pepsi sorry a coke no ...
][mez][ says, "Maz, am trying 2 offer a type of documentation of mezangelle from its very early @temptings 2 its later evolution....its not a chronological collation though...much more organic in feel..."
Mike Byrne a Dr Peppers
MazThing says, "Helen, it all sounded ....terribly well, 'official' if I remember correctly"
Deena hands Mike a hot doctor pepper...
Helen says, "Was watching a documentary today about carving Michelangelo's David -- reminded me of Deena's frAme6 piece...."
Deena says, "Oh neat, Helen. wonder if it was just in the UK?"
Mike Byrne takes Deena's Dr Pepper , "Ouch !"
Deena hands Mike some soothing creme for his burnt hands
MazThing says, "Mez, so you're reworking your own work in a sense?"
Deena says, "So, you are archiving and transcribing the beginnings of your art, mez?"
][mez][ says, "Not just the beginnings, more fluid in terms of time.....basically those pieces that have d.fined the current of my net.wurked approach......"
Mike Byrne says, "I am deeply touched by your solicitude "
Deena threatens Mike with some solicitors...
Deena and winks
Margaret says, "Did anyone watch the programme about the paleolithic carvings painted round curved stone which when photographed proved to be in perfect proportion"
Mike Byrne says, "Cherry cola? "
Helen says, "I look forward to seeing more, Mez....."
Mike Byrne says, "One drink at a time please. "
Deena says, "Mez, why are you looking at these pieces that define your approach? What do you hope to get out of this piece?"
][mez][ says, "Kind of maz..more taking the tex][fac][tual & making it cohesive in terms of a singular gathering...."
Mike Byrne winking at Deena
][mez][ says, "Deena, am trying 2 get a sense of where mezangelle is headed...it seems 2 b outgrowning its natural n.vironment, & looking back & re.n.gaging with its patterning seems a good way 2 do this..."
Helen says, "Anyone want to look at my opus? though you've probably all seen it by now...."
Margaret says, "Not yours Helen. I've got the train from before but have lost Mikes"
Helen says, "I am being inspired by This Train -- haven't been inspires since web warp weft, but I think something's stirring"
][mez][ says, "Thx Helen:)"
Deena says, "Cahoots, Randy, Jean, others, do you want to share a work you've been doing or that you have seen this year?"
Helen says, "But I have to finish my tax return before I do ANYTHING else creative!"
MazThing says, "Helen...in which case I'm pleased it's sparking more writing"
Mike Byrne says, "Isn't that creative, Helen ? "
Deena hands Helen a mason jar to preserve her creative juices in.
MazThing says, "Will you be.....drafting it...in the bath?"
MazThing grins wickedly.
Mike Byrne says, "I know it would be for me. "
Deena o 0 O that could be dangerous
Helen says, "Bath? don't talk about baths...."
MazThing laughs
Deena gives everyone champagne bottles of bubble bath
Helen sobs distressedly
cahoots says, "I'm sorry - woefully unprepared for this chat (and several bottles of wine down) have just come across the stuff we're supposed to be discussing"
Margaret says, "Bath? Helen?"
Mike Byrne says, "She's a very generous hostess, Deena "
Deena comforts Helen...and promises never to mention the activity or the city again
Helen looks sorrowfully at the hole in her brand new bath and the phone as it rings and rings and no-one at the bath company will come and look at it and give her her money back
][mez][ says, "How did that happen Helen?"
Margaret says, "Oh, Helen!"
Helen says, "(have NO IDEA what happened but am sadly missing the creative bathing... showers just don't cut it!)"
][mez][ says, "Helen, I use baths 2 medi][a][tate in & also they r great 4 creative thought me][z][andering..."
Deena to get Helen's mind off the ruined bath, she asks Helen to show web warp weft
Deena says, "Mez, do you see your work evolving as the web evolves with new tools?"][mez][ says, "Absolutely deena...i seem 2 b b.coming more preoccupied with the wiring under the board type o deal..."
Deena says, "Mez, have you tried squeak?"
][mez][ says, "Nope..tell me about it?"
][mez][ says, "??"
Everdeen . o O ( swiki? )
Deena shares a URL. (http://www.squeak.org)
<http://www.squeak.org _blank>.
cahoots says, "However the first line of this train _it's not that I'm not a patriot or yes it is I'm not a patriot_ strikes me as good"
Deena says, "Haven't tried it out yet, but Jim Rosenberg swears by it, and you know how *he * is ..."
MazThing says, "Cahoots, the lines are parts of exchanges that Jennifer & I shared in e-mail"
MazThing says, "Sort of threaded together"
][mez][ says, "Nice Deena, will check it out more com][munication][pletely later...thx."
Deena says, "Maz, what that really shows the zeitgest since Sept 11..."
cahoots [to MazThing]: "good idea"
][mez][ says, "Yes, deena"
MazThing says, "What I would say about the collaboration with Jennifer..."
Helen says, "Yes do...."
MazThing says, "Is that working with her on this was a little like"
MazThing says, "A transatlantic food fight."
MazThing says, "And every bit as fun."
MazThing says, "Even though the contents of the work were often about distress or feeling impotent in a situation"
Deena hands round lots more rotten and fresh tomatoes and creative juices for Maz/Jennifer's next food fight
MazThing nods happily
MazThing says, "And I will pass on all your comments if I may send her a copy of my log or point to the official one"
cahoots points to the official log just before it gets thrown on the fire
Deena says, "Sure I should have the logs for the last three chats done sometime this week..."
Deena says, "Yeah, it is the sparking, the collaboration, the enthusiasm a work engenders that keeps us all here
Helen shares a URL for web warp weft .
MazThing says, "It's an inspiring way to work but sometimes scary"
MazThing cheers the WWW
MazThing says, "Actually, the things I should particularly like to go back and spend more time reading Helen"
MazThing says, "Are the sections source and written by people in the textile industry"
][mez][ says, "I think i was sacred off it after the virus scare..i shood go back & re:absorb it 2 Helen....."
Mike Byrne sitting by outdoor swimming pool sipping a non-alcoholic pina colada in a tall glass
Everdeen has disconnected.
Helen says, "Maz, they're some of the best...."
Mike Byrne says, "Yes the poverty is terrible ..."
MazThing says, "I think because there was more material....I filed those for a later visit"
Deena hands round champagne glasses and proposes a toast
Margaret says, "Do you feel more creative when you're being frustrated, Mez?"
MazThing says, "Mez or maz, Margaret?"
Deena says, "To the exhilaration of creation and collaboration"
Mike Byrne cheering the WWWF
MazThing drinks to that
Helen says, "Yeah, toasty!"
Mike Byrne Hi Mom!
MazThing says, "Well, to deena's toast anyway"
Helen says, "LOVE champagne!"
Deena Is surprised no one threw dried toast at her
Helen says, "Been one of those days -- sick small boy..."
Deena says, "Helen, want to tell us about WWF"
Margaret says, "I didn't realise web and worf was an ongoing thing, Helen. That was a great page"MazThing says, "Helen, you mentioned that you'd taken a certain amount of down time from writing after finishing WWW..."
][mez][ says, "Maz sometimes maz, but mostly when I'm doing ordinary activity...i find I'm the more concretely creative/x.pressive when I'm the least stressed....& more tangentially creative when affectively disjointed...."
MazThing says, "Is that because you found the project too exhausting or just nothing new you felt like starting?"
Helen says, "Maz, yes, we are very busy at work and I neglected domestic duties shamefully while I was doing WWW -- hard life ain't it as a writer? You lot are all busy types too... how do you find time?"
][mez][ says, "I didn't realize that WWW had morphed either....."
Deena glances at her completely dishevelled life and surroundings...
Deena says, "Helen, how had WWW morphed?"
Mike Byrne says, "I'll need to start robbing banks soon.""
MazThing thought the memorial page was there from the start
MazThing is puzzled
Mike Byrne says, "Again "
Helen shares a URL. (http://trAce.ntu.ac.uk/www/
][mez][ is sitting in a sha][bby][mefully untidy house;0
Helen says, "It hasn't changed... but there are levels"
Margaret says, "Deena , are you going to put up your URL"
Helen says, "Yes, put up e:electron"
Deena says, "Going back to collaboration--Geoffrey Gatza and I spent an incredible week in his apartment creating e:electron which is now at the Blue Moon Review ...We knew the kind of piece that we wanted, and yete it turned out to be totally different.... But it was an intense time and I'm glad to have that experience"
Deena says, "I need to move it to Jeremy's server...so this may take a minute to load as it is on a slow server now"
Deena says, "Yes, and you can feel their bewilderment at the changing world, Helen"
MazThing says, "Deena, this was a joint work....? yes? I was just wondering how you came to work with Jeremy on this"
Deena says, "Actually, I worked with Geoffrey Gatza. We talked about it at e-poetry in person, then I travelled and spent a week with him on the face to face stuff, then took about 6 months to do the long distances stuff"
MazThing says, "Sorry, Deena, crossed wires, I missed the name!"
Deena says, "It is amazing how many of these works are collaborations, or culminating of our work. I think 2001 has shown us that the field can mature and produce incredible things..."
MazThing says, "Deena, I've not got far but...is complexity a theme of your work as well?"
runran shares a URL. (http://trAce.ntu.ac.uk/studio/radams/print1.html)
][mez][ says, "Randy these r great......"
Helen says, "Randy, these picture are beautiful"
Margaret says, "Randy those prints are beautiful. However I think they stopped Deena's work loading. I've been back and the archive comes next."
MazThing says, "Oh Randy....I've got a question about your aquilega"
MazThing says, "Sorry to be pedantic but.....isn't it upside down"
runran says, "My what?"
MazThing loved the pictures and is picking at a ridiculous detail but has been meaning to ask for ages
MazThing says, "The columbine in the nature pics"
MazThing turns to Margaret for expert advice
Mike Byrne says, "I think I'll have to take one of your Moo tutorials. "
Margaret says, "I can't remember seeing it, Mazzy"
runran says, "The columbine is on a different page deena"
MazThing says, "Sorry, I may be on the wrong set....didn't catch Randy's URL here...but I'm assuming we were talking about his coffee table book...."
Deena says, "Oh, ok... did you have the URL, Randy?"
runran shares a URL. (http://trAce.ntu.ac.uk/studio/radams/photos/images1.html)
Margaret says, "I'll go back and look but many of my plants hang upside down"
runran says, "See 'nature' for columbine, its's there somewhere"
runran says, "Oops"
Mike Byrne says, "It must have been those space cakes I had in '86"
Margaret says, "The aquilegia looks right way up to me, Mazzy"
MazThing says, "The other thing was the way that the images are (presumably) not specified by size on the page cos the menu hops down on every page load"
Margaret says, "Different types have different habits"
MazThing stands corrected
MazThing salutes Margaret on that one.
runran says, "Then again, i may have been laying on the ground pointing camera up ... who can remember such things"
Helen says, "Ah cahoots... that's VERY significant - so MANY people in web-land have done that that's why the whole business of cross-metaphor"
Deena says, "Sounds like fun, Randy..."
Helen is trying to look at the screen upside down to check the aquilegia which is the one plant she once grew successfully till the greenfly killed it
runran says, "Don't hurt yourself Helen"
MazThing says, "Randy....do you have further images you'd like to put into same format....?"
Helen thinks it looks best sideways :)
Margaret says, "Thank you very much, Deena. A lovely evening"
MazThing says, "Or do you see this potentially growing over time or now fixed as an edition?"
runran says, "Egads, i have over 20,000 pics ... where to start"
Deena says, "Randy, I hope you do find a starting place to put these, these are lovely..."
Mike Byrne says, "Charmed charmed ...."
Margaret says, "Are web pages ever fixed except when the owner forgets about them?"
Deena says, "Thanks all for such a lovely afternoon/evening/early Monday morning..."
Helen says, "Beautiful flowers though -- I love to have fresh flowers, but in winter when I can't have the real thing I'll go look at Randy's :) Thanks Randy!"
MazThing says, "Well, maybe one day the webspace will be trivial and you can."
runran says, "Its not web work, though, which is my present passion ... photos are part of the 'old' me"
MazThing says, "No, Randy, but i see no reason why 'non web' work' can't be distributed via the medium"
cahoots [to runran]: "The photos are beautiful"
]Helen says, "Shall we close up? Any last statements before the end of our hour -- of course those still awake can party on...."
cahoots says, "Gosh, i must have been later than i thought"
[mez][ says, "Cya all:)"
Deena hands round never ending parting glasses of Guinness and round glasses of champagne
][mez][ says, "Ok i bedda get back 2 the code...take care all & have a g][c][reat][I've][ festive space/time;)"
MazThing waves to mez
Mike Byrne says, "Bye mez "
Deena says, "Thanks for coming all!"
Mike Byrne says, "great hosting Deena! "
Deena says, "Thanks Mike"
MazThing Thanks Deena for hosting
Mike Byrne says, "Thanks Deena "
Deena hands round flowers for all for the journey home through cyberia
MazThing turns hers upside down just to be difficult
Helen is heading back to her yellow roses & Lilies which are just coming into bloom nicely
Deena says, "Enjoy you guys, I am going to run to bed...before the housekeeper puts me there :)"