MASSIVE QUEER CHANGE

In the spirit of change I asked the architect Robert MacNeill to make a proposal for the twenty year anniversary of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power , ACT UP. His proposal is beautiful simplicitiy:

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Seed-distributing pill case for HIV medication

Proposed: a cluster of pods in silicon rubber for the organization and distribution of pill-based medications for HIV-positive people.

The system includes a removable paper insert that slides into the cluster. It may be personalized with writing to identify pill types, dosages, and times of day. Pills are removed from the pods through perforated tabs in the paper insert. When removed, these tabs serve as a reminder that the enclosed medication has been taken.

The biodegradable tabs are embedded with plant seeds and nutrients that can be freely distributed throughout the city. The result is the dissemination of one of more highly-visible plant types. Bold red flowers begin to appear in unexpected places.

The taking of medication becomes a generative process that gives new visibility to the HIV positive community; in time, a new map of the city emerges.

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Inflation is rising, the value of the dollar dropping and the sub-prime mortgage problems piling up. The forecast for the U.S. economy is bleak. American companies face cutting costs to survive as global competition becomes more fierce. Although research and development sector seems like the first choice for downsizing the message seems clear. Research and the spirit of experimentation is the life blood new ways of thinking. Here in the "New World" our horn of plenty that made America a great nation is ingenuity. Mortgage loan mistakes are the tip of the iceberg and U.S. economy has many more hard hits to come, wide-spread credit card debt might be next. The next decade will belong to emerging markets and ingenuity will win the day.

The message is: Innovate or die.

Innovation is often at the intersection of mathematical logic, scientific questioning, and creative thinking.

One of the most innovative ideas of 2007 comes from Bruce Mau: MASSIVE CHANGE.

Rule 1 from Mau's Incomplete Manifesto:

1. Allow events to change you. You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.