Giladon-line » weather

Presenting imPulse at TEX meetup

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:45:27 +0000

Yes, a month has already passed and I have only just now got around to uploading my presentation from TEX to slideshare – a meetup for those seeking skills trade, collaboration, inspiration, techniques, and exposure to topics with an emphasis on fiber, physical computing, textiles, wearables, and all matters of materials. I gave a half hour presentation on imPulse – the heartbeat sharing devices I built in collaboration with Christian Croft. The emphasis was on materials and design choices when building interactive pieces. I also demo-ed one of the imPulse pieces which still (surprisingly) works flawlessly! Thanks Syuzi and Alice for arranging the meetup.

More info about the meetup on the Make blog and on Robo’s blog.

The state of Tabasco is 80% underwater: Mexico’s Katrina

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:17:57 +0000

Again I’m facing the same burning question that asked half a year ago when I was working on Indigi-Net – Looking at ways that travelers can serve as the extension of the network and participate in local initiatives. In my exploration last year, I found that it was extremely difficult to find information on causes and where one could help out while traveling. A lot of the “charity” organizations request a big sum of money from people who want to travel to a location and help out locally. I was hoping to find a way to use technology (web+mobile phones) to devise a grassroots method for this exchange to happen.

So I’m heading out to Mexico for thanksgiving break with a group of friends. We’ll be in Tulum for a couple of days, but have a few days to venture inland into Yucatan, and possibly Chiapas / Tabasco. I am sure there are so many things we could bring along with us and leave there: medicine and clothes. It wouldn’t take much for me to fill up part of my bag with some extra clothing and pills. If all ten of us (going to Mexico) do that, we can essentially have quite a large package of extremely useful items. The big question is WHERE do we bring this to? I’m browsing online, looking for information, but as expected, its either in Spanish, or non-existent!

** UPDATE **

Through a flickr account I found a link to someone who might be able to provide me with useful information. In his blog, Root Coffee, there’s a lot of information coming from his relatives in villahermosa.

***********

The wikipedia entry with lots of information.

Here is a link to a youtube video report on what’s happening in the region.

An enormous humanitarian crisis continues to unfold south of the border. Since the beginning of November, the state of Tabasco, Mexico has been hit by widespread flooding due to steady rains – currently, more than 80% of the state is completely flooded, leaving thousands homeless.

Recent reports from the Red Cross indicate:

- The evacuation phase of the operation has ceased
- Over 1 million people have been affected in Tasbsco and neighboring state, Chiapas
- Mexican officials estimate it will be another two to three weeks before water levels recede
- An estimated 70 percent of Tabascoâ€™s capital city, Villahermosa, remains under water
- An estimated 80,000 people remain in 365 official and unofficial shelters
- The flood has resulted in widespread destruction of homes, building, infrastructure, agricultural crops and livestock.
(source: shalomrav)

And here is HJ’s in-depth article from Global Voices, including translations from local Mexican blogs.

Did u say tornado in brooklyn?

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:03:30 +0000

Yesterday I got this pamphlet (above) in the mail. A bunch of us were working at my studio, and as I showed it to everyone we all cracked up at the idea. A hurricane in NYC? You gotta be joking. The idea of something disrupting this massive city from its daily routine seemed farfetched.

Weirdly enough, as things tend to connect recently, that same night, a strong thunderstorm hit the city. In the morning I woke up to Gali’s voice mail, describing the chaos in Brooklyn and possibility of a tornado touching down in Bay Ridge. Still unsure if it was actually a tornado, but the city definitely came to a crawl. Subway line delays, and people reporting hours of travel time to work. It was actually suggested by the municipality not to go to work if you needed public transport. Bridges and streets were jam-packed with cars. The weird thing is that this storm didn’t bring down the heat. It is even hotter and stickier today, in comparison to yesterday. I feel like I’m back in Hong Kong (only HK is even more humid…).

Gali told me she saw trees toppled over, sidewalks cracked and even a car bumper up high in a tree. Her neighbor decided to go to church today and thank god that the tree fell on the cars in the street and not on his house. However, the city had a powerful vibe, that ‘New York we’re all in this together‘ feel. People sharing their morning experiences in the streets. I couldn’t help but smiling. I love this city for moments like this.

I talked to this one guy on the street who described his morning adventures. He said there’s a reason this “tornado” hit where it hit, just like there’s a reason Katrina hit where it did. And so I truly wonder, what does it take for people to fall back on religious beliefs? And what catastrophe or disaster will make a secular person pray to god?
see the damage for yourself:

…a tornado may have touched down in Bay Ridge. Funnel clouds were spotted early this morning and a tornado warning was posted for Brooklyn, Queens and parts of Nassau County. We won’t know if the damage was caused by a tornado, microburst, or straight line winds until the National Weather Service sends out a forensics team to investigate. Now that the rain is gone, 2.5 inches in Central Park and at LaGuardia, 3.47 inches at JFK, we can expect a totally miserable day! Oppressive heat and humidity are in store, with a heat advisory in effect from one to six this afternoon. Today’s high will be around 90 degrees. The Weather Service is predicting a high of 94, but their forecasts have been running several degrees warm since last week. (source: gothamist)