Category Archives: In The News

Good Bot/Bad Bot: a Bot exhibition at Trifecta Gallery, Las Vegas

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Good Bot/Bad Bot I spent the last few days of April putting up a solo Bot show in a fun little gallery in Vegas called Trifecta Gallery. Here’s a photo journal:

I started with 4 blank walls. Attacking the first one with a giant Bad Bot.  All of the Bots painted on the wall are Bad Bots (Bots that transmit bad ideas) The biggest one in the show is Bad Bot #1 “Dog in a Suitcase Bot” (a bad idea for sure!).

From there the walls got blanketed with Bad Bots:

Until the walls were filled with Bad Bots such as: “Salt in the wound Bot”

Warm Ice Cream Bot

Spoiled Fruit Bot

Finally we added individual Bots and Bot Wall Pieces

Good Bot: 48 Joy Bots

Bad Bot: 25 Ghost Bots

Good Bot: 25 Luck Bots

Good Bots: 25 Joy Bots

I then invited viewers to suggest future Good and Bad Bots  by writing their ideas directly on the walls:

It was a fun filled 4 days! the show will be up through May at Trifecta.

You Really Need to Unplug! A Contest presented by the GeekDad blog on Wired.com and Botjoy

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Botjoy, in conjunction with the GeekDad blog on Wired.com present:
The “You Really Need to Unplug” Contest!

This is an Unplugged Bot:

Unplugged Bots are rare, one-of-a-kind pieces of art (painted on the back of a domino) that come in a little box with their own operating instructions. Unplugged Bots serve as gentle reminders to unplug and re-connect with the real world. Do you know someone who needs to unplug? Who has to check their electronic devices every 20 seconds? What is their tech addiction horror story? How has the tyranny of their electronic devises wreaked havoc on their life?

Tell us their story in 100 words or less. The 10 most cringe worthy  (the ones that make us go “ohhhhhhh noooooo!”) will win a one-of-a-kind Unplugged Bot that you can give to your person in need before the tech takes over their lives.

How to play:
Tell us why someone you know needs an Unplugged Bot by simply leaving  your story in the REPLY section at the end of this post.  Stories need to be 100 words or less. We love a good story, so specific examples are better then long lists.  True stories please (somehow we can tell, or so we think…).

Judges:
Each story will be read by Wired.com GeekDad’s writer Erik Wecks (you can read a full article by Erik on The Bots here)  and Unplugged Bot’s creator, artist Gary Hirsch.

How You Win:
The top10 stories that are the most cringe worthy, that make Gary and Eric go “ohhhhhhh noooooo!” will win a one-of-a-kind Unplugged Bot that you can give to your person in need.

Deadlines:
All entries must be received by 12.00 PM on Friday March 15th. Winners will be announced on the Botjoy website on Friday March 22nd. Selected stories and an interview with Gary Hirsch will be published on the Wired.com GeekDad website as well.

Help re-connect the planet!

Best,

Gary and Eric

Bots Inspiring Bots

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Over the past few years The Bots have inspired more Bots (Bot fans “getting their own Bot on”, as my 18 year old would say). It is fantastic to see the excitement and focus when people put a brain full of creativity on a tiny domino! Here are few of my favorites:

Girl Scouts in Ely MN. make a set for their Winter Festival Art Walk

 

Bot making with P&G designers in Singapore

 

From Sandy F. in Vancouver B.C. “I gave my bot to my 5 year old son, (he needs bravery as he is learning to ride a bike) and he loves his bot. In fact, he made me one out of cardboard so I can be brave too. Please don’t sue for patent infringement!”

 

New Bot Launch: Don’t give up, it’s the Hope Bot

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Announcing the world premier (makes it sound very important!) of the Hope Bot! These little guys were inspired by a suggestion of a Bot fan who was feeling overwhelmed by the all of the things news that were bombarding him in the news over the last few months. I was feeling it too, so thought that a small reminder to stay hopeful would be a nice addition to the Bot collection.

You can get a Hope Bot here on Etsy  https://www.etsy.com/listing/121709691/hope-bots-a-little-boost-for-the

FREE SHIPPING: As a special offer for all of you Bot Blog fans, from now till February 15th  you can get free shipping on Hope and Love Bots by adding this code FREESHIP1012 upon checkout!

Keep the hope!

Gary

9 New Bot Paintings For Big 300 Group Show

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Every Year here in Portland there is this massive group show called the Big 300 put on by the Peoples Art Gallery Its a big free for all sort of like a Black Friday stampede of art with some great stuff to be found. Its fun to make a few pieces for the cause. These 9 pieces are from a series called Robot Philosophy Series. Here are this year’s batch, you can scramble for them and the other art on Dec. 8th at 2:00 PM-

Robot Philosophy # 3 “Feelings Are Disposable”

 

Robot Philosophy #4 “Luck Cannot Be Programed”

 

Robot Philosophy #1 “Loved Stopped Me Right In My Tracks”

 

Robot Philosophy #2 “Great Ideas Never Die”

 

Robot Philosophy #5 “People Don’t Listen”

 

Robot Philosophy #6 “Talk To Think”

 

Robot Philosophy #7 “You Always Decide”

 

Robot Philosophy #8 “Inspiration Is Invisible”

 

Robot Philosophy #9 “Good and Bad Don’t Matter”

Bots at #10 Downing Street

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Just got this fun email:

“just to let you know I got your parcel this morning. Thought you’d like to know where the bots are going. Joybot Senior has moved in with my Mum (81 years) and they have become firm friends. I have Get Started Bot who is motivating me to exercise more and Brave Bot is on standby waiting to come along on hospital visits. My niece is doing a degree in music and her least favorite subject is composition, and Inspiration Bot is going to her at Christmas. My other niece works for the government and has a pretty demanding job so Joybot Junior is perhaps the first Bot to make it to 10 Downing Street (our equivalent of The White House).”

Self Promo Bot Shout Out

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I sent a bunch of Writing Bots to local media back in the summer. Just launching barges about my work (my feeling about promotion and marketing is that its like barges and canals, you never know how long the canals are. It might take a day or 4 years for the barges to come out on the other side and make something happen, so you keep launching and don’t worry about the result). Anyway I launched some Writing Bots in June. and then yesterday (it’s now November) I was Googleing myself (I know….no comments…) and found this fun post from Portland Mercury writer Alison Hallett Click here to read the whole story

I am Jessica’s Bot. Here’s My Story…

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I just got this note not from a Bot owner, but from an actual Bot:

“After being constructed, I was placed in a sleeve for several days. Awaiting my new home and to see who my new human would be. When I arrived in the hands of my human, Jess, I knew instantly that I was placed there for a reason. She was a beginner instructor with no real experience and I know that the next year would be a rocky road for her. But that is exactly why I was placed in her hands. To remind her of the accomplishments that she had made in her past and what brought her to this amazing chapter in her life. Over the next few months, Jess placed me in her pocket when ever she visited her toastmasters meetings. I could tell that my presence in her pocket helped give her courage to speak up….

As she became better at public speaking, she stopped taking me with her as much. Then about 4 months ago, Jess needed me again. She placed me in her pocket for some workshops that she was delivering. We did this together for awhile until I found myself placed on her desk. She would occasionally look at me, pick me up, and rub my belly with her fingers. It took her about three months to write it, but when she was finished it was a complete workbook for beginning coaches.

A few days ago, Jess realized that I could be of use again, to someone else. She carefully placed me back into my sleeve, then into an envelope, and finally into a mailbox- to be sent all the way across the continent to New York. I cant’ wait to meet my new human!

This note from Jess:

“These bots are pretty incredible. We just had a discussion of giving and receiving gifts from clients in a coaching relationship yesterday in one of our classes. I mentioned to our group my bot story and how I had just sent one to a client. I gave a shout out to you and your website, in hopes that they see your amazing bots and can use them with their clients.

I passed along the love bot I got to my conference buddy. She seemed delighted and grateful. Thanks again Gary for the bots and the opportunity to delight others!”

Thanks for sharing Jess!

Name The New Bot(s)! Here are the winners

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In mid July I Iaunched the “Name The New Bot Contest”, asking you fine Bot fans to suggest a new bot to join the Bot Army. The response was amazing, over 100 suggestion (138 to be exact) were submitted here and on Facebook. Deciding on a winner was impossible, so I changed the rules (I can do that) and picked 8 winners!! What the hell, I’m the boss!

Congratulations winners! Each winner will be sent 10 of their suggested Bots as a thank you and be credited on the packaging of the new bots when they are produced. Thank you to all that submitted your wonderful ideas!

If you would like to be notified when these and other new Bots will be available to the public, sign up for “Bots in your in box” (to the right of this post) and “like” the Botjoy Facebook page (also to the right of this post).

Here are the winners!!!:

SLOW BOT: Programmed to slow you down! Inspired by a suggestion from Christine Bunny Watkins

GOOD BOT/BAD BOT, a 2 Bot set: Programmed to help you be good when you want to, and to be bad when you want to. Inspired by a suggestion from by Lizzie Palmer and Devra Robin

START YOUR ART BOT: Programmed stop your procrastinating and get you started on that creative project that you been talking about for years! Inspired by a mish-mash of different suggestions from a bunch of folks!

ALPHA BOT: Programmed to celebrate words, language, and reading. Inspired by a suggestions from Jolie Frank, Karen Butterworth, and Jennifer Plested

 

FACE YOUR FEARS BOT: Programmed to stare down the things that scare you. Inspired by a conversation and suggestion from Amy and Eliza Veltman

CURIOSITY BOT: Programmed to help you view the world with wonder! Inspired by a suggestion from Rebecca Stockley, Judith Hill-Weld, and Kay Ross

UNPLUGGED BOT: Programmed reconnect you with the real world! Inspired by suggestion from Paul Hirsch

SECRET BOT: : Programmed to keep all of your secrets safe. Inspired by a suggestion from Tracy Burns

 

Thanks again to everyone who played!!!!!