Paul Dix Explains Nothing

MatchupCamp in NYC next Wednesday

I just want to help spread the word that For Your Imagination is hosting a nextNY organized MatchupCamp next Wednesday here in NYC. From the site: MatchupCamp "is all about startup networking, creating a place for ideas and talent to meet."

As of right now there are 66 people signed up to attend with many of them listing a desire to find designers or developers. So if you're in that category you'll probably get a lot of attention.

Here are the time and location details:

Wednesday, November 28 @ 7PM

For Your Imagination
22 West 27th Street
6th Floor
New York, NY 10001

I plan on attending to meet as many people as possible and also keep an eye out for a good designer and possibly a co-founder.

Technorati Tags: nextNY, MatchupCamp, nyc, startups

Coworking in NYC

Darren Herman, a New York based entrepreneur and investor, mentioned coworking today.  If you're not familiar with the concept, coworking is a "cafe-like community/collaboration space for developers, writers and independents."

I've been to a few coworking events and I think they're great.  Last summer I worked at EastMedia, current home of a coworking meet up in NYC.  It was a great environment that gave me the opportunity to meet new people and engage in interesting conversation.  I also attended a coworking event called Jelly, hosted by Amit Gupta.  I highly recommend coworking.  They're a great way to meet and bounce ideas off of intelligent, interesting people.

cafeBricolage is another coworking style environment that Nate Westheimer is trying to get organized.

Video of Noel Hidalgo explaining coworking after the jump.

technorati tags:nyc, coworking, cafebricolage

After Innocence

I saw the documentary After Innocence last night.  Here's a quick description from their site:

AFTER INNOCENCE tells the dramatic and compelling story of the exonerated - innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA evidence proved their innocence. The film focuses on the gripping story of seven men and their emotional journey back into society and efforts to rebuild their lives. Included are a police officer, an army sergeant and a young father sent to prison and even death row for decades for crimes they did not commit.

It was very good.  It was shocking to see how these men were treated.  I'd say it is a wake up call that there are some flaws in our criminal justice system that must be corrected.  I highly recommend that anyone who is in NYC this weekend go see it.  It's playing at the Quad Cinema on 13th street in between 5th and 6th.

The men from the film were at the theater and held a little discussion after the movie to answer questions.  They're really trying to get the word out and raise awareness about how poorly their states treat them after being exonerated.  Some of these men still have the crimes they were falsely convicted of on their records because the state won't expunge them!  If you're interested in meeting the men from the film, they'll be at the theater again tonight.

For more information on the subject check out The Innocence Project (the organization that fought to free these men) and exonerated.org.  Here's the NY Times review if you're looking for a more professional recommendation of the film.

Tags:  after innocence, innocence project, movies, nyc

Barcamp NYC

Amit Gupta wants to organize a Barcamp NYC.  Count me in Amit!  I'd be happy to help organize and help  get the word out.  Anyone else in the New York area want to get in on the action?

Update: The wiki site for the event can be found here.

Technorati Tags: barcamp, nyc

NYC Geek Dinner

There's a Geek Dinner coming up in NYC and I've put myself down as one of the attendees.  Details can be found here.  If you're in NYC or you will be then you should go!  I hope they go for Pete's Tavern since it's only about a 10 minute walk from my apartment.
I've always been a lurker in the geek community both on-line and off.  Most of my friends are not geeks so I always find myself talking about non-geek subjects when out and about.  Well this is part of my effort to stop being a lurker and get more active in the geek community!
Speaking of geek, I've always preferred the term nerd.  When I think of a geek I think of some circus freak biting the heads off chickens.  What's your preference?

The Aristocrats

I saw The Aristocrats in the theater on Friday night.  If you live in NYC or LA right now, go check it out.  I laughed so hard I almost pissed myself.  It's film making like this that keep things interesting.

Vegas = Cheap Knock-Off

The title of this post states the obvious, but I was just reminded of the fact when I found this.  What the hell?  How is this in any way appealing?  If you want the East Village, come to the East Village!  Just stay out of my bars, they're too crowded on the weekends as is.  Also, I didn't know that Ray's was such a highlight of the village.  I live about two blocks away and I still haven't eaten there yet.  It may just be because I'm really new to NYC.

Man 1, Bank 0

That's the title of the one man show I saw last night (Man 1, Bank 0).  It's a true story about how Patrick Combs, the author and performer of the show, deposited a 95K junk mail check and his bank actually cashed it.  The venue was very small, but the show was funny and it added more flavor to my week than going to the movies to watch War of the Worlds.  Going to this show was part of a friend's recently launched "take advantage of living in New York" initiative.  We both have the problem of traveling way too much for work so when we're in town we rarely have time to plan things.  Well at the very least that's one show attended with thousands more to see.

A night off for NYLAG

I wanted to get something done last night on a proof of concept I'm working on, but other things required my attention.  LJ is doing her summer internship after her first year of law school at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG).  Last night they hosted a benefit for the organization and we attended.  The event was at the Scandinavia House and was catered by Aquavit.  NYLAG is a great non-profit that "provides free civil legal assistance to New York's most at-risk, low income populations".  Not a bad cause if you happen to be making some charitable donations.

I want to be a part of it...

Greetings from NYC!  I set this site up to make it easier to keep in touch with everyone.  Feel free to engage in intellectual or lowbrow conversations on the message board. I'll be good about keeping up correspondence through email and on the board.  Here's the quick update on how everything is going.

First, I've found a place to live and moved in last week!  I'm at 24th and Park.  I'm room-mating with a guy who seems pretty cool but has been out of town since the day I moved in.  His brother was his former roommate but he moved to LA to take a job as the on-set assistant to Tom Cruise.  Another example of too many people having cooler jobs than me.  The place isn't too glamorous and has a bit of a mice problem at the moment but it's right in the action.  I'm loving the city and had the chance to hang out with Basil and Annika my first weekend here.  This brings me to a darker piece of news.  Basil schemed to steal Timmy the Squirrel away from me but could not do so without attracting my attention.

  So at the end of his trip he decided to just kidnap, or squirrelnap, him right in front of me and run out the door.  I'm currently training the mice in my apartment to be ninja assassins so they can go take care of Basil and bring Timmy safely back to me, but until then I'll need your help.  I'm putting a bounty on Basil and a reward for the safe return of Timmy.  I'm not looking for Basil "Dead or Alive" or anything like that.  Just do me a favor and give him a little roshambo.  Each pays a free drink from me the next time you're in NYC or I'm in Denver.

That's about it for now.  Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing well and having fun.  Send me an email or post comments on this article and let me know how you're all doing!