TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon, Apps Based On Black Stereotypes Disturbing

Just finished watching the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon New York 2011, at Pier 94, and overall the presentation of new applications, or apps, was, as always, entertaining.

But this 2011 version had a small, mini, but still nasty trend: the presentations of apps based on black stereotypes.

OK, it only happened twice, but twice is the start of something.

The first presentation was around an app called Angry Black Man, where a cartoon character who's obviously black walks along and either is upright or slouched based on obstacles placed in his path. It was created by a team of two black programmers, and at first, I though the presentation was maniacally funny, but then considered that the brothas may be presenting some issues of their own.

Why make that before an audience that was mostly white and Asian? Did the makers think that it was OK to do because they were not in a black environment? Does it reflect their own self-hatred? That last question still sticks with me.

The last presentation at TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon NYC was by a white man and an Asian woman and called Yo Mama, an alarm based on the character stereotype of the big, large black mama called Big Mama and played by Martin Lawrence.

No one laughed.

That's when things started at TechCrunch Distrupt to get a bit disturbing for this blogger.

Now, you know that if an Asian programmer presented an app that was an Asian Stereotype, not only would no one laugh, but Asians and others like me would howl in protest.

Where's the concern here?

That's something to ponder. It's not TechCrunch's fault at all that this happened, but it is a sad commentary on American and World society.

Stay tuned.

TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon, Venture Crapital Too Funny

Venture Captalists, beware! There's a game app about you now.

The TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon NYC 2011 is underway, and there are a number of interesting presentations. ight now, the "Facebook Time Machine" is being presented, and it's good for looking at how much your friends have changed in appearance. And another is called Let's Game, also for Facebook.

In fact, a number of creations are either Facebook or Twitter apps, but it's nice to see an app (er, application) that's not native to either one of those sites, but stands alone.

That's Venture Crapital.

The creation of Dmitri Cherniak, Wylie Conlon, Adrian Sanders, and Chris Bliss, they created this game in just 24 hours and as part of the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon NYC 2011. Here's the website: http://venturecrapital.us/index.html

It's a simple game that has you as the Venture Capitalist, basically throwing crap at startup ideas as they fly in the air.

Not sure how the judges are going to like the concept, but you can tune in and see here:



Online TV Shows by Ustream

Stay tuned.

TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon NYC 2011 Update

tcdisrupt_tc-4, a photo by TechCrunch on Flickr.

While some sleep, well most, the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon NYC 2011 is still in full swing with Macbooks open - well for those still awake.

We can catch up on the doing via the Twitter hashtag #hackdisrupt.

What is the Hackathon? It's a kind of contest where teams of programmers get together and make a brand new application, one that could be the driving force for a new company and be the next "disruptive" technological approach.

First, it's important to note that there are various teams working on Hacks for apps, with the entries due at 9:30 AM, EST.

Second, when you're ready to submit your hack, you have to fill out the form here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFZ4aTFlbERLM2R5U3JEYTg5dXYtN0E6MQ

Thus far, at 2AM, bean-bags are out and, as Robert Francis tweets, are all accounted for. That means folks are sleeping.



Reports are that this Hackathon's larger than the 2010 version, which was bigger than the 2009 one.

The even culminates with a presentation at 10:30 AM and finally at around 2:30 PM, or 3 PM, one hack project will be selected to be part of the overall Startup Battlefield.



Where Are The Girls

Over at TechCrunch, a number of commenters noted that it was a "sausage fest" with only three women in a room-full of men. This begs the question of why there aren't more women at TechCrunch functions like this one, and the discussion continues...



Why not find and invite young women like Arfa Karin, who's the World's Youngest ARCast Programmer, and now 13 years old. She proves that the reason more women aren't in programming is because they're generally not exposed to the idea of being a programmer.

Not good.

Stay tuned.

A Ratty Tree House On Euclid In Oakland

Larry Ellison's USA - 76 International America's Cup Yacht Driven By Zennie Abraham

The International America's Cup Yacht USA-76 came into San Francisco last week, and as part of a promotional effort that will ultimately lead to both this fast yacht, and the replica of the yacht America, as a kind of "Disney" ride on the San Francisco Bay. A perfect attraction to get San Franciscans and visitors to San Francisco ready for the 2013 America's Cup, which the City By The Bay will host.

USA-76, currently owned by Brad Webb and ACsailingSF, was most famously helmed by Oracle Founder Larry Ellison, and used by the BMW Oracle Racing Team in their preparations to win the challenger series and won the right to challenge for the 2007 America's Cup that was held in Valencia, Spain.

On Friday, this blogger was part of a group of media and others invited to The Golden Gate Yacht Club to ride on both the replica of the yacht America, and on USA-76. When Larry Water, the skipper of the yacht asked "Who wants to drive the yacht," I said, "I do." And the rest is history.

Never done it before at all.

Frankly, helming USA 76, originally built for the 2003 America's Cup race, is unlike anything I've ever done in my life. When you grab the wheel of the yacht, you're aware that you're in control of something big, fast, and yet very responsive. What I had to get used to what that the yacht was leaning at a very high speed - about 30 knots. And at that point we were getting a nasty cross-wind, as well.

My thought during that point in time is "You know, I'm going to tip this thing into the drink and they're going to sue me." But I kept at the helm for about five minutes or so, or until I figured it was time to give it up to someone else.

Which is another way of saying I lost my nerve.

But it's a drug: you fear what can happen, but you want to do it again. I can see how people who work in the business of sailing get hooked on it.

The other thing I got used to was getting wet; which didn't happen to me much at all. I was wearing loose-fitting khaki shorts, which kept whatever dampness that had developed away from my butt.

Tell you what, if boat owner Brad Webb and his guys give me another chance to helm USA-76, I'm jumping forward to do it.

Larry Ellison's got nothing on me!

Troy is Captain America

America has too many captains!

The Golden Gate Bridge from the yacht America

Beth and Liza drive America the yacht

Chrissy D and Brad on America the yacht

Beth, Hana, Christine, and Carol at Golden Gate Yacht Club

Harold Camping Family Radio End Of The World Apocalypse, Wrong

The Golden Gate Bridge, a photo by zennie62 on Flickr.

Well, it's Saturday, May 22nd, 11:42 AM, and we're all still here. That means Harold Camping Family Radio's "End Of The World Apocalypse," was just plain wrong. And I use this photo I took of the Golden Gate Bridge from yesterday's cruise about the yacht America, to illustrate how wonderfully awesome it is to be alive.

(But what's neat is to see all of these words dominate search trends: apocalypse, end of the world, doomsday, rapture, mayan calendar 2012, world clock, and May 21)

And what does Harold Camping himself have to say about it? Well, at this point and as of this writing, nothing at all. Silence.

But Camping does owe some explanation to those people who believed him. People who've sold their possessions, or spent their life savings all because they believed him.

What they didn't believe in was God.

There's nothing in the Bible that expressly points to this day as the end of the World. Moreover, regarding The Second Coming, the Bible also states that we will not know when that happens.

You do know what the real problem is, don't you? It's what I'm going to start called The Stephen Hawking Problem. That's where people have faith in a person for a set of reasons that are really just based on their desire to have faith in what that person says.

Hawking says Heaven's a "fairy tale" because he can't see it. His believers agree with them because they have faith in what he says.

Harold Camping said the World's end would be today, and his believer's had faith in his words. Camping's wrong and because of the basic fact that we're all here.

Hawking's believers should take that as a warning not to blindly follow what another human being says. And by "blindly," I mean without a solid set of reasons for doing so.

If you're going to have faith in that person, just admit that's what it is, and stop trying to rationalize it.

I have faith that God, my Mother, and my friends love me. That's enough for me.