Monolith Appears In Seattle 306
LordXarph writes: "AP reports that on new year's day 2001, a 6 foot tall monolith has appeared in seattle. If Monolith Software weren't based in Seattle, I would be worried." Anyone have pictures of this thing? It makes me want to hum Particle Man by They Might Be Giants. Oh wait- Wrong song.Update: 01/03 04:39 AM by H :Check out the picture that a number of people sent in.
one comment says it all (Score:1)
My God! (Score:3)
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What, are we supposed to go throw bones at it? (Score:2)
Oh great! (Score:1)
TYPO IN POST (Score:1)
Here's a picture (Score:1)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/WebObj
Re:What, are we supposed to go throw bones at it? (Score:1)
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Microlith ? (Score:2)
Link to picture (Score:5)
Forgot the HTML - sorry (Score:2)
There's only one because... (Score:4)
Next year there'll be two, the next, three, the next, four, and so on.
By the end of the Millenium, we'll have Monoliths across America, and God will reach down and start the biggest domino effect in the history of the world!
Re:Here's a picture (Score:4)
Actual Picture [nwsource.com]
Wrong link (Score:1)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/WebObj
The only one? (Score:1)
Of course maybe a higher power is trying to "encourage" Microsoft to evolve into a higher lifeform (open source of course)
Uhhh.... (Score:1)
Squares of the first three integers? (Score:1)
Re:TYPO IN POST (Score:2)
CmdrTaco should have known that the dimensions would have to be 1x4x9 - how hard is it to remember 1^2 x 2^2 x 3^2 if you've seen the movie?
I might be in awe... (Score:1)
It's not like the size was hard to estimate in Kubrick's film...It was certainly bigger than 6 feet tall.
And if it had a big Space Fetus...that would make me more impressed, too.
Story and Picture Link (Score:2)
Not as impressive as I had hoped.
Proportions (Score:3)
Baz
And another... (Score:4)
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Well yeah, ny GOD man! (Score:2)
You know what's inside...
It's full of stars!
SpeakEasy Cafe & the Monolith (Score:5)
I suspect that the folk behind the SpeakEasy cafe are behind this;
I walked by the cafe with my girlfriend on New Years [wanting to visit the staff], and they noted that they were closed for New Years Eve and New Years. It said, "Come see us at the Monolith Party!", or something like that.
They're crazy, interesting, and rich enough to pull off something like this. I'd say: Quite possibly (likely?) it was them..!
Re:Proportions (Score:2)
Re:Squares of the first three integers? (Score:2)
"Theme song?" (Score:2)
Sigh.
Seattle likes monoliths. (Score:2)
NINE feet tall... not SIX. (Score:5)
That's one short man in the photo if it's only six feet tall.
Didn't see whether the other axes were FOUR feet by ONE foot, but it looks plausible.
(In Clarke and Kubrick's films, as well as Clarke's books, the monoliths' measurements were in the ratio of 1 : 4 : 9, the squares of the first three positive integers, presumably as a sign that the creator was aware of the universality of mathematics as a way of communicating between evolved species.)
A.C. Clarke to "Milk This Crap For All It's Worth" (Score:3)
The new commercial for Ford:
full story [ridiculopathy.com]
Ridiculopaths R us [ridiculopathy.com]
Wrong year (Score:2)
^.
( @ )
Soylent Foods, Inc.
Re: (Score:2)
Seattle likes public art. (Score:2)
Seattle has one of the most progressive government programs I've ever heard: they decree that 1% of the annual budget must be spent on public art. Statues, murals, sculptures of all sorts, everywhere you go. It's really pretty cool to have real art that's not hidden away. (Even if one or two particular pieces don't tickle your fancy.)
Re:TYPO IN POST (Score:2)
What were the measurements? (Score:2)
Seriously, this is pretty cool move on who ever did this(especially if it was God or ET). They obviously like A Clarke's work.
several yahoo news photos of the seattle monolith (Score:2)
2001 meets Apple meets 1984 (Score:2)
You know, it's not JUST "theme from 2001" (Score:3)
I wish people would realize that it's not JUST the "theme from 2001," it's a piece of music called "Also Sprach Zarathrusta" by Richard Strauss.
The actual creators of the Seattle Monolith... (Score:5)
This project has been ongoing for months in the Seattle area. On New Year's Eve, a parade/protest/whatever was organized from Capitol Hill in Seattle (the "Bohemian" Neighborhood) up and down its main street and then into downtown Seattle. The parade was in support of the monolith that was going to be emplaced at an unknown location. We were supposed to have a wooden faux monolith with us but the cops confiscated it. The real monolith was put into place while this was going on.
hey thats not a monolith! (Score:5)
(or it will be soon after a geek gets
their hands on some black n white paint)
It's only a matter of time
Other tricks to do... glue a monkey toy to the top, make it output funny noises randomly, etc.
Re:Squares of the first three integers? (Score:2)
1,4, and 9 are prime where you are? damn, that is weird.
Just don't forget! (Score:2)
PS: None of the monoliths in the movie were 1:4:9 because they didn't look right on camera.
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
Re:There's only one because... (Score:5)
Prepare for the end! (Score:3)
Seriously, does this remind anyone of a Simpsons episode?
It's true size revealed... (Score:2)
Well, I just walked down with my trusty tape measure (can see the hill from my office building) and the official size:
1.0ft x 4.0ft x 8.5+ft
My ruler goes to 1/16 inches and it was accurate to that level---don't have micrometers to examine further. It was buried slightly at an angle, so I couldn't determine the height.It's oriented N/S, but with the sun at its current height there's at least one "sunrise over monolith" place to stand.
I would have dug it up to determine the height, but there was a crowd there, mostly dog-walkers. I got involved with a conversation with Fido and Rex about the trival 12th-dimensional spacetime rotation required to unify...oh, that's right, you haven't touched it yet.
Re:You know, it's not JUST "theme from 2001" (Score:4)
requisite mastercard ad parody (Score:2)
--Cost of labour on New Years Eve: $724
--Cost of having an entire city gape blankly at a hunk of steel, without a bone in sight: priceless.
Re:You know, it's not JUST "theme from 2001" (Score:2)
Oh brother. Next thing they'll probably try to tell us that the shuttle docking music was actually written about a river or something.
Re:Proportions (Score:5)
1.0ft x 4.0ft x 8.5+ft
My ruler goes to 1/16 inches and it was accurate to that level---don't have micrometers to examine further. It was buried slightly at an angle, so I couldn't determine the height.
It's oriented N/S, but with the sun at its current height there's at least one "sunrise over monolith" place to stand.
I would have dug it up to determine the height, but there was a crowd there, mostly dog-walkers. I got involved with a conversation with Fido and Rex about the trival 12th-dimensional spacetime rotation required to unify...oh, that's right, you haven't touched it yet.
Are there geeks in Seattle? (Score:2)
In a more geeky locale, I bet we would have pics of such an event by now.
What? No costume shops in Seattle? Or just no geeks?
Re:There's only one because... (Score:4)
Like Starbucks. Sure, it started out with just one in Seattle, but then there's 2, then 4, then 8, and before you know it, they'll be everywhere.
Kevin Fox
SpeakEasy Cafe? Nope. (Score:3)
Re:NINE feet tall... not SIX. (Score:3)
__________________
Re:What, are we supposed to go throw bones at it? (Score:3)
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Correction... (Score:2)
Actually, that's "..Zarathustra" and not "...Zarathrusta". :)
Re:Proportions (Score:2)
A followup: just finished re-orienting the rotated tape-measure, and the true dimensions are 1.0 x 4.0 x 9.0 x 16.0 x 25.0 x 36.0 x 49.0 x whups gotta run, i just figured out my tax return...
Re:NINE feet tall... not SIX. (Score:2)
MadEagle
*turns and runs away to avoid being smacked to death with a book about algebra*
Re:The actual creators of the Seattle Monolith... (Score:2)
isupportthemonolith.org seems to be registered in Seattle [networksolutions.com]... :)
Re:You know, it's not JUST "theme from 2001" (Score:2)
It's also the soundtrack to about 32,000 commercials I've seen in the last 32 years.
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not a monolith (Score:2)
We know it's made of stainless steel, not stone therefore it's not a monolith.
Which begs the question - who assembled it? IIRC, welding stainless steel requires some special equipment - TIG welder, instead of your typical arc welder or oxy-aceteline setup. Okay, I guess you can pick up a TIG welder at Ace hardware. . .
Re:Proportions (Score:2)
Just goes to show, Imperial measures were the work of God (or at least space aliens). Show those EU b@Stards that want us to measure things in kilograms a thing or two...
Re:Correction... (Score:3)
Why feet? (Score:5)
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Re:NINE feet tall... not SIX. (Score:4)
Re:Story and Picture Link (Score:2)
Re:Canadian know (Score:2)
Re:You know, it's not JUST "theme from 2001" (Score:2)
Your point?
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Re:Proportions (Score:2)
On the other sides though it was slightly over by like a 16th of an inch.
I bet this was... (Score:2)
Re:Why feet? (Score:2)
Because, then, you see, for the aliens, feet would be nice since they exploit the power of three, and base three might be intuitive to aliens. Wow. I'm glad we haven't converted in the US yet. We're getting ready for our alien masters!
A great pic of it! (Score:2)
Thats a good pic!
Re:Seattle likes public art. (Score:2)
Public art is different from publicly-funded art. Public art is fine. I think the monolith is actually quite cool. But I'm glad I didn't pay for it.
If you're in Seattle, your tax revenues ARE going to the art funds. Maybe you DID pay for that monolith; the artist hasn't been revealed yet.
The government has no business spending my money on art. If I want art, I'll buy it. Or if some patron wants to buy it or create it and put it on display, then I may or may not look at it -- my choice.
Certainly a valid opinion, but here's mine. Cities are communities, and taxes go to build all aspects of the community. That means zoning to keep industrial waste more-or-less out of your front yard, fixing potholes, providing parks and recreational areas, and yep, you guessed it, public art. So that's publically funded public art. And if you don't like the 'foo' at 'Baz & Main', then write a letter to your city council. Personally, if you don't like a few surprises in art, I'd rather you just find some other community where you can be a curmudgeon to your heart's content.
Is it magnetic? (Score:2)
Why I love living here (Score:2)
public access supports the monolith (Score:3)
Anyway, Deface the Nation [10things.com], a public access news show which lampoons the media has been promoting this since the anniversary of WTO/N30. Great show if you're in the area. The soundman for their DTN was driving around with a mock monolith on his car until the police stopped him and then tried to confiscate his hammer.
We need a bit more humor in this city again. It's getting a little too serious. So cheers to all involved.
Re:Proportions (Score:2)
For the record: Thanks to whoever did this - the world needs more randomness like this.. kudos friend.
How accurate is this monolith? (Score:2)
1 : 2^2 : 3^3 : ... : (n-2)^2 : (n-1)^2 : n^2
They're taking it down (Score:2)
The Monolith apparently doesn't conform to safety codes or something (it wasn't mounted right) and they'll be taking it down.
Meanies.
Re:public access supports the monolith (Score:2)
Just like we did when we had Santarchy [santarchy.com], where me and some of my friends (big pic with fire) [gte.net] rampaged thru Seattle dressed as Santas. Some more pics were at Santa John's website [johncornicello.com].
It's a joke, people!
... aren't just from Capitol Hill ... (Score:2)
Ahem. Fremont is Seattle's bohemian neighborhood, Capitol Hill is Seattle's gay and alternative neighborhood.
Everyone knows that.
Bellevue is to Seattle as the Monolith is to HAL (Score:2)
Seattle is on the West Side of Lake Washington.
Mercer Island is in the middle of Lake Washington.
Bellevue and Redmond are on the East Side of Lake Washington.
Just think Seattle = New York and Redmond = Trenton and you'll get the idea. Except it's reversed, since it's the West Coast.
The Monolith is in Seattle. Bill Gates is in Redmond. Oh, ok, that cheesy suburb right off of I-520, but same concept. And, sometimes, just to be nice, we let Bill Gates come to Seattle to pretend he has culture.
Seattle Must Have Public Art or Else! (Score:2)
Wait, it's not just Monoliths, it's also Monorails [riseaboveitall.org] that Seattle needs, wants, and desires.
And, we actually have a 2 percent for art requirement in King County. Not just your paltry one percent - two percent.
Re:SpeakEasy Cafe & the Monolith (Score:2)
a place to do performance art;
a place to have a band play;
a place to have an art show;
a place to host the Green Party of Seattle's Election Night Victory Party on Nov. 5, 2000;
an intergalactic ISP (entrance behind the bar);
right next to the coolest pool hall that Seattle ever had;
and a bunch of troublemakers.
But it wasn't them, that was just some of the Monolith people from the parade
Metric or English Monolith? (Score:2)
They made it easy for the people who are Microserfs. The rest of the Seattlites can do metric, it's just those wannabes across the lake who can't.
Darn, you let the Monolith out of the bag ... (Score:2)
We figured with Bush as President he'd be clueless as to geometric progression, which would give us enough time to get monoliths in all 51 states.
It's a publicity stunt by Frank Blethen (Score:2)
You'll see Frank out at the Monolith with his shotgun, trying to shoot it, just like he did his neighbors dogs when they wandered onto his property.
Just lift up the Monolith and look for the union label.
Re:The Bomb! (Score:2)
Nah, first they have to surround it with four squads of police officers, tear gas it, block off all the exits, and then take away it's rights of free speech.
Then they can bring in the robot tank they bought. Gotta justify that big waste of money somehow.
After all, it might be a bomb.
But, I have a simpler solution - check the version number - if it's a point zero release, it's a bomb, if it's a point one or higher it's mostly harmless.
Re:The actual creators of the Seattle Monolith... (Score:2)
http://www.speakeasy.org/~priapus/monolith.htm
Nope, it's not associated with Speakeasy... heh, heh...
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Re:... aren't just from Capitol Hill ... (Score:2)
Looks damgerous like it might fall over... (Score:2)
I'm suing the aliens for gross negligence. As restitution, I get their flying saucer.
Re:Me = Dumbass (Score:3)
Somehow, I don't think you've ever met the SpeakEasy crew...
I find it rather laughable to believe that this is "scheming marketeers"...
The SpeakEasy staff are the most environmentally (both social and ecological environments) conscious people I have ever met.
Their cafe is an incredible place.
Aide for the President-elect (Score:2)
Re:Me = Dumbass (Score:2)
I guess it is not the end of the world if it was the work of an internet cafe or something, just kind of takes the gleam out of my eye as I chuckle about someone just going out and pulling this _cool_ prank vs some commercial enterprise doing this for publicity (if that is in fact their motivation)
Re:SpeakEasy Cafe & the Monolith (Score:2)
Sorry, we gave up soy lattees for the Druidic Solstice. You'll have to get a Silk lattee instead.
That said, Seattle may have Monoliths, but it has fewer Internet cafes than any town in the French West Indies does.
Not to mention fewer pool halls than in the South of France.
Bah, 3 dimensional peons (Score:2)
1:4:9:16:... are the correct dimensions..
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Re:Why feet? (Score:2)
Nope, you don't hardly get any less arbitrary than that, do ya? ;-) A unit of measure based on 1/4 of the circumference of the Earth isn't going to be any less arbitrary to ET than the length of some Royal English Dude's, erm... foot.
"The distance from the pole to the equator was divided into ten million parts to constitute the meter " [essex1.com]
Now, if you came up with a measure that was based on the wavelength of light emitted by Hydrogen fusion or some other such pan-galactic standard, then you could argue non-arbitrary! :-)
Re:... aren't just from Capitol Hill ... (Score:2)
Or maybe you just don't know it as well as you think you do. I lived there for 7 years, I know full well what is and is not there. Granted, there are still _some_ in many areas, but not more so than other parts of the country, and especially not more than Seattle on average. If you venture a little further North than Volunteer Park (or even adjacent parts of Federal Avenue), for instance, you'll find some very nice / conservative houses. Likewise, if you step back away from those little clusters surrounding Broadway, particularly to the more expensive parts, you'll find a dramatic difference. And yes, I have been back there since, those neighborhoods are largely the same, only substantially more expensive.
Put simply, you're over-generalizing. You might say Capital Hill, when taken on whole has a larger gay presence than other parts of Seattle (because of those clusters), but you're simply wrong if you imply that the entire neighborhood is "flaming."
Gone but at least we got video (Score:2)
arf arf arf
Re:... aren't just from Capitol Hill ... (Score:2)
Monolith is GONE! (Score:2)
No white needed... (Score:2)