while i wasn’t paying attention, my comrades at students for free culture decided to announce the location of this year’s free culture national convention. it turns out it’ll be in berekely, california, in just under one month.
it looks like i’ve got some work to do.
last time free culture had decided to have a conference, it was in cambridge, ma. which was damn ideal. i got up there and back for less than $40 but still felt as though i had “traveled” to the conference.
who was i kidding?
getting to berkeley is going be a real adventure. getting to berkeley is going to involve real traveling.
fortunately real traveling is what i live for. so when elizabeth stark, the wonder woman of free culture, sent me an email asking why i hadn’t registered for the convention, i immediately snapped out of the ‘well, it’s a little too far away’ attitude into a ‘how could i make this happen?’
how could i make this happen?
free culture 2008 is scheduled to take place at berkeley of october 11 & 12. time is not really on my side, but then again, it’s not heinously against me either.
the most expensive part of getting to berkeley from brown, is getting from berkeley to brown. the airfare is anywhere between $350 to $450 on a number of flights that are not southwest (who incidentally, are NOT the cheap everyday airline they pretend to be). after running a few queries, i realized that it is actually cheaper for me to fly out of boston rather than providence. i also realized that flying into SFO is more efficient (i think) than flying into OAK (oakland’s airport) because there is actually a means of public transportation to get me from the airport into SF and even across the bay to berkeley
this trip will apparently cost me only $5.95.
the free culture conference will no doubt be a f@$*ing rock show. at long last (and despite talking with him on the phone (it’s a long story)) i will finally hear lawrence lessig speak. this seems particularly awesome as he has just finished a new book on mash-up culture called, appropriately “remix.”
lessig maintains that this will be his last book on intellectual property in the digital age. so it’s a good time to see the man who sets the standards on the issue before he moves on (to what?)
other relevant talks will include a discussion on the RIAA and The University, which I know a little something about.
a week ago, going to berkeley california was not even a consideration. but today, i know that i’ve at least got tickets, a place to stay (thanks lucas!) and a brother to meet there (yes, little grady has decided that he wants to be a part of Down By the Bay 08).
so sometimes surprise is a good thing. sometimes it motivates. sometimes it makes you say, oh yeah i should, when you thought you shouldn’t. and usually you should.
