Memo – Random

Bot Robotics International
World Head Quarters
1 Pegasus Way
Botland, MA 02130

Memorandum

Date: 10/28/2009
Fr.: m.Bot
To: mahsa.Bot, Powlsy
Re: Failure

It has come to my attention that a system wide failure with the class 1 AI m.Bot 2.0.1 was experienced last night – Tuesday, October 27, 2009. The exact time of the failure is unknown. Our technicians speculate that it began in the early morning and continued throughout the day.

The tracking mechanism is installed in all Class 1 AI m.Bot models. The tracking mechanism in the unit it question registered it to be at Bot Robotics International World Headquarters at 1 Pegasus Way as of 7:00am on Tuesday, October 27. After that the whereabouts of the unit are unknown.

The unit was recovered, after extensive searching by our technicians, at the BU Library at 771 Commonwealth Avenue.  The unit was found to be in confused and disoriented state. Technicians removed the unit and returned it to Headquarters at 1 Pegasus Way for deactivation and repair.

Unfortunately the defect which caused this incident still eludes the technicians. A programming update for the Class 1 AI m.Bot is being developed. Hopefully this will improve the ability to track the Class 1 AI m.Bot. Technicians also intend to improve the communication capabilities of the Class 1 AI m.Bot model so it can transmit information about system functioning, failures and status updates more frequently.

Of concern to us is that the Class 1 AI m.Bot involved in this incident, m.Bot 2.0.1, was expected at your place of residence. We apologize for any inconvenience the system failure of the m.Bot in question may have caused you. I would ask that you assist in the upgrade of the m.Bot in question by sending any suggestions for the technicians you may have.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

 

Sincerely,
m.Bot Primus

 

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

Grrrrowl!

This Monday night was perhaps one of the best nights of my life thus far. The founder of  great organization called 826 Boston which does writing and tutoring programs for youth is also Dave Eggers…you know the kickn’ author whose also just a little deamy? Well, Mr. Eggers also wrote the screenplay for the new Where the Wild Things Are movie. As a benefit for 826 Boston (and other 826’s around the country) they held a spcial screening of the movie at the big theater downtown.

Preparations for this amazing evening of entertainment began weeks ago as we planned our costumes. Yes our costumes. It goes without saying that my friends and I would be dressing up.

We cut and sewed and stitched and glued for almost 10 hours the Sunday before the screening. We inhaled a lot of fake fur all the while. But boy oh boy was it worth it!

Mahsa was Carol and I was Max - which is so true in real life

We arrived at the theater to find it packed and without many people in costume. So we took our seats and began to dress up. It didn’t take long for people to start to look and laugh. One guy said we were 1000% awesome. I couldn’t agree more!

But the truely best and most awesome moment came when the man, Mr. Dave Eggers himslef complimented us on our costumes! Oh swoon! He even gave us a shout out in the opening Q&A. Yeah!

What you can't see is that we all have really fuzzy long tails too

It was one heck of a splendid evening. Plus the movie was so well done and wonderful. Oh, I think I could go on and on about how it relates to our radical communities and organizing circles and our endless searches for fruitful and everlasting communities to sustain us….sigh. We are Wild Things and in the end if we aren’t careful we’ll just smoosh each other and tear off each others wings.

Oh and the part where we made fools of ourselves (but still had fun) was when we went wild rumpusing in front of the movie screen trying to get everyone to growl.

Out Messing about in Boats…Simply Messing

Hello!

I will be out enjoying a 750 mile 37 day canoe trip along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail starting July 18th. No blog posts here during that time but plenty of posts here at our Flora Burn Blog. Here you can follow our progress and post messages and even find out how to send us mail via general post. You can also follow us on Twitter @floraburn.

Happy Summer and see you in September!

Giving Birth in Chains: The Shackling of Incarcerated Women During Labor and Delivery

Many states in the US still allow for incarcerated women to be shackled while giving birth. Can you imagine? This gross mistreatment of women needs to be challenged with the goal of not making the Prison System stronger but strengthening our communities resolve to get these mothers out of prison and into the care they need. Most people don’t think too often about prisons and how truly barbaric, racist and destructive to communities they are. One place to start engaging in prison issues is to get your state to ban shackling during child birth. Here in Massachusetts there is a three year campaign to end shackling. Here is a great article to get you thinking.

By Anna Clark
Created Jul 6 2009 – 7:00am
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/07/06/giving-birth-chains-the-shackling-incarcerated-women-during-labor-and-delivery

As birthing choices are increasingly prominent in the public conversation, pregnant women are more and more empowered to decide what sort of care is right for their bodies and their child.

Not so for pregnant women who are incarcerated.  Not only are their decisions about care restricted, but many incarcerated pregnant women are physically restricted while giving birth: during labor and delivery, they are shackled.