At the White House Science Fair, 8th grader Joey demonstrated his homebuilt air cannon for President Obama by launching a marshmallow across the State Dining Room. As the student pumped air into the cannon, the president joked “the Secret Service isn’t happy about this.” Then the president took a turn pumping air into the cannon.

via Gizmodo

photo via Reuters

The White House has posted a behind-the-scenes look at the process of writing President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address.

The President has been brainstorming with the speechwriters and huddling with the policy team. He’s come up with new ideas, rewritten language, and reordered pages. For President Obama, this isn’t simply an editing exercise. He’s invested in creating the State of the Union because he sees it as his opportunity to take his vision for the country to the American people directly.

via Curiosity Counts

Image from: Where Do Your Members of Congress Stand on SOPA and PIPA?

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R, Texas), lead sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation, has issued a statement today saying that the United States House will delay their vote on the legislation.

The statement reads:

I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy. It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products.

The problem of online piracy is too big to ignore. American intellectual property industries provide 19m high-paying jobs and account for more than 60pc of US exports. The theft of America’s intellectual property costs the US economy more than $100bn annually and results in the loss of thousands of American jobs. Congress cannot stand by and do nothing while American innovators and job creators are under attack.

The online theft of American intellectual property is no different than the theft of products from a store. It is illegal and the law should be enforced both in the store and online.

The committee will continue work with both copyright owners and internet companies to develop proposals that combat online piracy and protect America’s intellectual property. We welcome input from all organisations and individuals who have an honest difference of opinion about how best to address this widespread problem. The committee remains committed to finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American intellectual property and innovation.

The statement was issued after SOPA’s sister act, the Protect Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PIPA), was indefinitely postponed by Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D, Nevada).

His statement reads:

In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act.

There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year, with the movie industry alone supporting over 2.2 million jobs. We must take action to stop these illegal practices. We live in a country where people rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for a day’s work, whether that person is a miner in the high desert of Nevada, an independent band in New York City, or a union worker on the back lots of a California movie studio.

I admire the work that Chairman Leahy has put into this bill. I encourage him to continue engaging with all stakeholders to forge a balance between protecting Americans’ intellectual property, and maintaining openness and innovation on the internet. We made good progress through the discussions we’ve held in recent days, and I am optimistic that we can reach a compromise in the coming weeks.

image via ProPublica

Kirby Ferguson of Everything is a Remix presents a video critique of the Protect IP Act, which is part of a new round of proposed Federal anti-piracy legislation. For more info, see Wired Threat Level’s post on Protect IP (and the similar SOPA), and this alert by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic by the Centers for Disease Control is a zombie apocalypse graphic novel that teaches readers about disaster preparedness. It is a follow-up to the CDC’s guidelines to surviving a zombie apocalypse, a tongue-in-cheek guide to disaster preparedness that became an unexpected viral success story back in May (see our post on the zombie guide).

CDC has a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness. Our new graphic novel, “Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic” demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes.

via Comics Alliance

Aging television pop icons, Patty Duke and George Takei, promote Social Security’s online services in a series of eight Star Trek-themed commercials entitled Boldly Go. They tout it as a simple and secure way to apply for a myriad of Social Security benefits using their website (and avoiding lines at local offices).

In one video Duke explains to Takei that the site is easy to navigate, “It’s so easy, even Kirk could do it”. In another, wearing Vulcan ears, she quips that “It’s eminently logical” to (boldly) go to the site.

All eight commercials can be viewed at the Social Security’s Press Office page.

On May 16, the Centers for Disease Control released guidelines on how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. Written by Assistant Surgeon General and Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan, MD (whose relevant work experience includes dealing with the Ebola virus), the guidelines were in fact a remarkably tongue-in-cheek ploy by the CDC to send a message about disaster preparedeness to a younger audience. The young folk took the bait–the CDC’s servers were crashed by the influx of traffic to their site.

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is official now, so it’s a good time to recall this recent The Daily Show video aimed at Senator John McCain. McCain has a track record of changing the basis for his opposition to repealing DADT. And as it became clear that repeal was imminent, Jon Stewart and team wanted him to know that It gets worse, referring to McCain’s legacy in the wake of defending a policy that has restricted the rights of gays in the U.S. military.

Comedy enlisted to makes a point about LGBT civil rights has given us a lot of great funny in recent years, like Prop 8 the Musical and Stephen Colbert’s parody of the pro-Prop 8 Gathering Storm ad. But as is often the case there are serious issues at the root of the laughter. The Daily Show sketch references two awareness campaigns and it’s worth taking a moment to mention them both.

The ad referred to in the Daily Show piece, in which the Senator’s wife Cindy McCain appears, is from The NOH8 Campaign, which begain in late 2008 in response to California’s Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage…

The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8″ painted on one cheek in protest.

This particular ad was in response to suicides by several young gay men which gained national attention in the fall of this year. All those deaths were linked to bullying by peers, and the ad aims to raise awareness of the unfortunately rampant problem of LBGT kids being harassed in school. It features celebrities from Gene Simmons of KISS to that guy from Dancing with the Stars sending the message that bullying is wrong and that we can all do something to help.

The Daily Show’s “It Gets Worse” phrase is a play on the It Gets Better Project:

In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.

Now there are well over 1000 videos from all over the world online with personal stories about how “It Gets Better”. These include celebrity testimonials as well as those uploaded by everyday people.

Groups of LGBT employees at several tech companies have made videos for the project including folks from Google and Facebook…

Recently several White House staffers added their own “It Gets Better” video (below), following on the heels of videos by President Obama and Vice President Biden coming out of the closet. NOT REALLY! But they did talk directly to gay youth to encourage them to stay strong against the ridicule they may be experiencing.

White House Staff: It Gets Better from The White House on Vimeo.

You can watch more videos on the project’s website. Both of these campaigns support The Trevor Project which has advocacy/educational programs for LGBT youth and a a 24/7 Lifeline for kids who need help.

It is our patriotic duty to code and design, or so says a peace corps like program “Code for America”, which helps connect city governments and Web 2.0 talent. What if city hall was a startup? An interesting experiment to say the least.

Cities are under greater pressure than ever, struggling with budget cuts and outdated technology. What if, instead of cutting services or raising taxes, cities could leverage the power of the web to become more efficient, transparent, and participatory? What if, the professional talent in the tech industry went to work innovating the public sector? What if City Hall looked more like a start up?

The five cities selected to host physical Code For America programs in 2011 are Seattle, Boulder, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston. To help with this program, they are looking for geeks to apply for their 2011 Fellowship. Fellows in the program receive healthcare, living wages and travel expenses for the 11 month program.

If you’re a developer, designer, or product manager with a desire for public service, this is your opportunity to build the next generation of Gov 2.0 apps for city governments. By leveraging your unique skill set, you will bring improved access to information and government accountability to the local level, and you will change the way citizens and cities work together.

In honor of the 4th of July, CFA created a series of eight ‘binary art’ posters with patriotic quotes from Government 1.0 heros, like James Madison (System Architect) and John F. Kennedy (UI Designer).

Cleanternet.org is tongue-in-cheek site supporting European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström plans to introduce website blocking in Europe and save us from ourselves.

via Metafilter

North Korean traffic girls, in their uniforms deigned by the Great Leader, with their unfailingly robotic movements and riveting focus, are becoming figures of cult status. Instead of traffic lights to control the stop and go flow of an intersection, women dressed in perfectly crisp and identical outfits stand alone in the middle of intersections in a small circle (or on a platform with an umbrella for shade). They are only allowed to turn counter-clockwise, directing traffic with forceful, halting movements. They have wonderful uniform variations for rain and winter. They’ve been the subject of photographic study since at least the 1970s, have the website Pyongyang Traffic Girls dedicated to them (with Traffic Girl of the Month; here’s March), a growing catalog of user submitted YouTube videos, and at least one Flickr photo pool. Are they sexy? Strangely, yes. Are they efficient? Frightfully so. Do we have our Halloween costume now? Most certainly.

via SuperPunch

photo by Bryan Hughes

photo by Josh Ellingson

Jimmy’s Old Car Picnic has been a tradition in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park since 1988. In addition to being San Francisco’s biggest and best annual vintage car gathering, the event also raises thousands of dollars annually for children with developmental disabilities. This year, the San Francisco Parks & Rec department has denied their permit, thus putting the future of the Picnic in jeopardy. There is an online petition to help keep this unique event going and a City Hall meeting planned on Feb. 18th to discuss the situation. You can find out more at the Jimmy’s Old Car Picnic blog.

The White House has released an Apple iPhone and iPod Touch app that can be used to access White House information, including viewing live streaming of events.

Alexis Amann & Jonathan Burstein “Don’t Give Up The Ship”

San Francisco Arts Commission’s Community Arts & Education Program (CAE) worked with local businesses in San Francisco to turn storefronts along Market St. between 5th and 8th Streets into temporary art installations. Last night’s “Art in Storefronts – Central Market” reception was teeming with an unlikely mix of art enthusiasts, street musicians, pan-handlers, and giddy teenaged girls (Teen-sensation “Boys Like Girls” was playing next door at the Warfield). Here are some of my photos:

Liz Maher “No One Seems to Care That I Want Roots”

Bayly & Miller “Find Yourself in Natural History”

Phillip Hua “Consider It”

Drone Dungeon Collective

More photos are available in my Flickr set.

The Central Market exhibition runs until January 31st, 2010. The Bayview hosts “Art in Storefronts” starting October 30th and The Mission District jumps on starting November 20th. More information on all of these events can be found at the SF Arts Commission website.

photo by Josh Ellingson

There’s an unusual sign in the window of the former Nob Hill See’s Candies of 1519 Polk Street. Landlord, horse farmer, fountain parker, and “911 Bounty Hunter” John Jenkel explains that the San Francisco candy maker has been evicted due to their contribution to the “Enron-sponsored” 9/11 attacks. The eviction notice places the candy company in a plot involving Warren Buffet.

photo by Laszlo Thoth

Confused? I was too, but I think I’ve figured it out:

The Obama administration has just launched the new website Data.gov to provide public access to US Federal Government datasets, helping to democratize the data.

As a priority Open Government Initiative for President Obama’s administration, Data.gov increases the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government. Data.gov provides descriptions of the Federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets. The data catalogs will continue to grow as datasets are added. Federal, Executive Branch data are included in the first version of Data.gov.

via The White House

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a fantastic new NSA spying logo t-shirt that is available with a donation of $65 or more. The graphic was designed by EFF resident designer Hugh D’Andrade and is a reference to “Jewel v. NSA”, a current case where EFF is suing the National Security Agency for illegal surveillance using AT&T’s network.

illustration by Hugh D’Andrade