Be-In Now

Grokking the Transparent Network

The August 2004 issue of CommonGround magazine includes a piece I wrote on the Transparent Network -- the theme for Digital Be-In 13 held in San Francisco on May 29th, 2004. I was personally quite impacted by the response to the theme from our speakers, artists and musicians, and enjoyed the opportunity to craft a reflective piece for Dragonfly Media. Here's the web version:

Grokking the Transparent Network
Reflections on the 13th Digital Be-In
http://commongroundmag.com/2004/cg3108/grokking3108.html

pax
Michael

Be-In 13 Photos and Gallery

We have posted Be-In 13 photos on the Be-In site... (please send more!).

Also, our Transparent Network Gallery is up (click on the thumbnail artworks to see the large versions). As you will see, this is a quite prestigious circle of artists, and their various takes on the theme are compelling indeed!

Greg Jalbert produced a Live Blog on the night of the event here also (see postings from 5/29-30/04).

We'll also have some video up on the site next week...

Concrescence

It truly was a concrescence, to use Alfred North Whitehead's word. A kind of peak event, just the right combination of elements and people, a culmination of sorts: the timing, the place, the vibe, the idea.

When I look back at the magical tradition these events have forged over the years, this 13th version of the Digital Be-In seemed to contain the best of all of them. Speakers, exhibits and installations, music, decor - and art. The Transparent Network gallery exhibit of 13 artists interpreting the Be-In 13 theme paid homage to the Digital "Art" Be-Ins, as the early events were called, when digital fine art was front and center. The works displayed on May 29 will all be up in the Gallery section of the Be-In.com site shortly after the event.

We will also add more information on the participants and content of the event, including the talks by the speakers and links to more info on all the vital threads addressed. Credits for the creation of Be-In 13 will also be on the site, our hard-working, high-spirited Team 13 and those who supported our efforts. If all goes well, we'll have not only plenty of photos from the event, but also video clips. DVD? Maybe!

As most know, we produced 12 Digital Be-Ins in January, following the tradition of the January 14, 1967 Human Be-In, and the earlier Macworld Expo-linked Digital Be-Ins. The Macworld connection was left behind for the most part as the event evolved into broader territory. I always thought that the 12th Be-In would be a completion of the cycle in a sense, which it was. And 13, a new beginning, seems to have been a successful experiment with a new date. The Memorial Day weekend timing came about pretty much by "accident" as we tried several open dates at the SOMARTS venue. As it turned out, we had some important people to memorialize at the event - Allen Cohen and Dianna Rawliegh Davis - and also, there was something quite fitting about having the Be-In, which is about building a peaceful world, on this date, and our Memorial Altar paid homage to those many who have lost their lives in violent conflicts around our planet, including, of course, the current wars in which our country is engaged.

Another experiment this year was the development of the online Be-In Tribe. We have over 200 members on Tribe.net and a large number of others who have joined the mailing list. We will be following up with a group mailing, and encourage ongoing participation on the Tribe.net. Going forward, we expect to garner more interaction from the greater Be-In tribe in shaping and producing future events. By the way, we are very open to collaboration and events held in other locales around the world. Send feedback and ideas please.

Thanks and gratitude to the many co-creators of Digital Be-In 13. Let's keep the spirit moving and growing!

peace
Michael

Reclaim the Commons

The Reclaim the Commons convergence in San Francisco focuses on the people's need to reclaim our food supply, public space, seed diversity, public water supplies, and other vital elements of community sustainability. Protest the biotech assault during their corporate meeting in San Francisco.

Convergence: Thursday June 3 through Wednesday June 9

Direct Action: Tuesday June 8, Mass direct action to shut-down the BIO2004 meeting in SF on the day that the G8 starts in Georgia.

Teach-in: Thursday June 3 through Saturday June 5

www.biodev.org
www.reclaimthecommons.net

Images of the Be-In

The Virtual Playa is a simulation of the Burning Man city in Black Rock Desert created in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Be-In main stage featured lighting and video by Anon Salon and Dimension 7.

Dancing at the outdoor stage included the community, DJs, fire dancers, and more.

Cute dancers! Hmmmm....

Fire dancer godesses rising from the earth, celebrating the elements. Bad luck with kerosene kite.

Cybervixen dazzles us with her latest costume and vocals and electronic tracks.

Smart Bar Serves Up Delights

Sponsor Life-Enhancement serves up the brain and body boosters...

Michael Gosney: Intro to the Transparent Network

Michael Gosney, executive producer of the Be-In, talked about the 'Transparent Network', biomimicry, the best designs are found in nature, gravity, genetics, geometric forms, psychic energy, the network of life, a model we should understand more thoroughly. Perhaps this is related to the recent movement of permaculture as a deeper involvement in the natural flows within biosystems, gardens, ecologies. The sphere of mind is evolving in the biosphere. The commercial applications of technology can't be the predominant motive; it has to include the human element, the intent connect with the spirit and creative impulse. The Be-In network on the Tribe.net is a place where we are developing a new network of people involved in this movement of humanist and progressive applications of technology. Michael Gosney acknowledged Diana Rawleigh, a wonderful artist who had contributed uplifting alter art for previous Be-In events. She had recently passed away from colon cancer, after spending time at a hospice in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Patrick Flanagan: Psychic Communication

Patrick Flanagan talked about developing our psychic communication. The same psychic nature that whales use can be developed by humans, moving into the biological internet, a psychic network of friends. We had a taste of it in the Sixties. How do we get to a critical mass of this experience?

Be-In Netcast Acknowledgements

Greg Jalbert, www.imaja.com, editor, manager
Sophia Hanifah, weblog setup
Dave De La Vega [email protected] photography
Larry Gerald www.clearlightvideo.com photography
Terri, photography
Martin Brooks, photography
Yosuke, SOMARTs Technical Support

Words of Wisdom from Swami Beyondananda

Swami Beyondananda reminded everyone we need to set a precedent in order to have a new president this fall otherwise we may end up with the government on 'uranus'. The Transparent Network will channel through if we each tell our vision unlike television where it's a one way street. Terri says "Just go get his book". He showed the illogic to Cheney's approach of fighting wars forever is like fighting fire with fire. Swami checked with some fireman and they told him you fight fire with water. Check out Swami's book, Duck Soup for the Soul. The government should do the bidding of the people, not for the highest bidder. The good news is that we've already had a revolution in this country; what we really need is an American Evolution. The American Evolution begins this November when we fire the number one bigshot.

RU Sirius: Countercultures Through the Ages

RU Sirius talked about his new book, Countercultures Through the Ages, coming out in the fall. After quoting Tim Leary's statement "Think for yourself, question authority", RU Sirius made the point that in lieu of 9/11, it takes on a more significant meaning. His favorite chapter title is the one on the 1970's, "That which does not kill you makes you hipper."

Allen Cohen Tribute by Kush

Beat archivist Kush and a saxaphone player did an acknowledgement of Allen Cohen. It was all about light. He was the publisher of the Oracle, a history of the Haight Ashbury, which created a sense of community. He was involved in the production of the first Human Be-In. Allen Cohen passed away about a month ago after a struggle with liver cancer.

Art Gallery Dance Space

The big white room features various alters with psychic subway ambient grooves playing. Disparate wall projections, mayanesque, outer space, biofractals, Buddha with paisley hangings and crystals, pillows. Artwork on the walls illustrate the concepts of 'transparent networks', friendly digital environments.

Sustainable World Symposium Presentation

Veneet announced the Sustainable World Symposium, a one day event so people get the bottom line on what works for the world. Saturday June 19 at St Mary's Cathedral Conference Center in San Francisco. Jerry Mander will be speaking. There are three pillars of sustainability: the environmental state of the planet, social justice and human rights, economic systems that are truly healthy for people. We're heading for disaster unless we steer the planet in the direction of sustainability. Sustainability is inclusive; there's no us vs. them. It's about including all of us. We must find a context for a healthy planet. We must further this awareness. Key points in the sustainability campaign are: current media reform, corporate accountability so we know what resources they are really using, renewable energy support to move away from fossil fuels. These issues keep us locked in place and away from the world we want.

Electronic Frontier Foundation Presentation

Kevin from the Electronic Frontier Foundation spoke. They are like the ACLU for the online world, so that people can say what they think online freely, with no censorship. Software code should be speech protected by the First Amendment. Government surveillance and instrusions due to the USA Patriot act, for example, they can check on your ISP records with just a signature from a local FBI agent. They can check your e-mail and your e-mail correspondents, and what web sites you visit. The ISP can't reveal that they've given out your records without going to prison. All they have to do is meet the lowest legal standard of relevance, for example everyone who was in Las Vegas during a certain time period. It's like the old Soviet Union, gulag archipelago kind of stuff. "We're all terrorist subjects today, whether we like it or not. So let your congress critters know that you don't support renewing the Patriot Act." because Republican congress people are trying to renew it a year early.

Ram Dass and Wavy Gravy Discuss Nothing

Word play fills the time as the energy builds at the Be-In. Ram Dass and Wavy Gravy discuss nothing, nothing special, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Wavy, in his psychedelic fractal jumpsuit and jester cap, was reminiscing about running the Nobody for President campaign, complete with bumber stickers. "Does anybody have anything for the mix?" "One time, Willie Nelson autographed my nose!" That same day, Wavy had a 300 year old Tibetan bell stolen, which made him feel like he had won the Nobel Prize. Wavy had once talked with Lenny Bruce in LA about drugs, that he had taken some psychotropics out in the desert, "The sun came down and wanted me to go inside it." It was on a day when the clouds hung like a Tibetan thanka painting over the Hollywood Hills, and Lenny Bruce said, "There is no death." Ram Dass: "To the ego, death is death, and to the soul, death is just a bump in the road, a chapter in the book you read." Wavy, "Death is also Patrick Henry's second choice, and nature's way of telling you to slow down." Wavy Gravy had a stuffed fish with him, a big weird white fish. Ram Dass, "I speak to my guru, even though he's dead." Wavy Gravy, "The nose I'm wearing is made in Barcelona, Spain. It's made by Clowns Without Borders."

Ram Dass has a quiet calmness and wisdom, as well as exciting and vital, full of vigor and the audience is clearly enjoying his comments. Wavy's on! In this nice living room setting we are all sitting on magic carpets listening to our tale-tellers and talking with each other. Ram Dass explains the meaning of Ganesh and takes questions from the audience. Wavy is tired of accepting things that are just cool; they should be frozen or even glacial or super glacial!

A member of the audience asked about the life of Timothy Leary... "He was shooting star. His life was not expected by his mother." Wavy Gravy said, "A smile like a searchlight." Ram Dass, "He had an outsider's look (about life)." Wavy: "Tim was big fun. And he wanted his head to be frozen."

Transparent Network Gallery

We are delighted to be working once again with sponsor Digital Pond of San Francisco, in producing this provocative exhibit of artistic visions addressing the Transparent Network theme.

The original Verbum magazine and the many books and exhibits produced during the '90s showcased the works of innovative and thoughtful artists working with the new digital tools. Here in 2004, these tools are now well established and the definition of "fine art" in the digital domain is still being debated. These works are by top artists who have already made many vital contributions to the field.

GALLERY CONCEPT

These works interpret the Transparent Network theme in a variety of ways, touching on some of the same topics through this expressive medium that our speakers will address through the medium of words: alternative news media, open source computing, many-to-many publishing, biomimicry, the biosphere's Web of Life, Teilhard’s noosphere, Sheldrake’s morphogenetic field... and the “innernet” of collective consciousness.

ARTISTS

See the Be-In site for more details on the artists. Here is a list of the artists and their works. We will reproduce the works on the Be-In website after the event.

Roz Dimon
Windows on the World: With Liberty and Justice for All

Diane Fenster
Anthropic Principle

Jim Fournier
Planetwork

Miquel Gaio and Scott Fossel
Mandapa

Michael Green (Zen and the Art of the Macintosh, The Illuminated Rumi)
Quantum Vision

Alex Grey
Prostration

Carol Michelson
Je ne suis pas de ce monde (video/sound piece)

Barbara Nessim
Network of Words

Stevee Postman (Cosmic Tarot deck)
Temple

Frank Tycer
Network of Unseen Vision

Tina Zimmermann
Evolution

Who's Who at the Be-In

Our Speakers page is now live, summarizing what these luminaries would like the world to know about them. One of the several different branches of the Transparent Network topic you can expect will be from the EFF's perspective. As Marc Canter said on the digitalbein Tribe page, it's the thread "which will track a poltical, privacy perspective of what a transparent network is and should be." We want to make sure people carry those memes with them from the discussion circle on through to the dance party.

Speaking of which, the page with musicians' bios is also live. Just to give an idea of the amazing talent that the Be-In will have on offer.

Marc Canter on the Digital Be-In

Marc Canter has issued an initial salvo.

An opera singer at heart, Canter invented advanced multimedia authoring in his pursuit of neorockstardom, and then got bored with Macromind (now Macromedia) and moved on to The Media Band and other broadband adventures. Marc will speak at Be-In 13 on digital identity and personal publishing.

We will be putting up another BLOG on The Transparent Network theme soon, inviting our opinionated speakers and others to address their takes on the meme of the moment...

People are joining the Be-In Tribe on Tribe.net

Ram Dass and Wavy Gravy

We have confirmed (just in time for flyer printing!) appearances by Ram Dass and Wavy Gravy at Digital Be-In 13. At 8 pm we will convene a discussion circle with Ram Dass, moderated by Wavy, in front of the main stage. Speakers will begin at 9 pm. We will also have a tribute to Allen Cohen and other peace warriors during the evening.

Artists and Speakers

We've got some exciting acts lined up. I'll post the Artists and Speakers page link when it goes live. Here's a sneak peek.

Music Samples:
- Axis Mundi
- Kali's Angels
- Alcyone
- Trip Tech
- Shakatura

Blogging the Be-In

At this moment we are finishing up the Be-In 13 website at www.be-in.com (actually, it will grow as the event approaches) and setting up a blog or two to mix the memes...