The speaker was Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine. I had never heard of it but it didn’t take much brain power to wrap my mind around the concept. Basically, these guys publish random paper findings that are sent in from around the world. Notes, “to-do” lists, doodles, birthday cards, anything funny.

The allure of this is, we, the readers, have no idea the true back story. We simply get a slice of a strangers life and we fill the gap with whatever sensational story we can imagine.

Davy was an interesting fellow. He was a funny guy, most likely Irish, with one of those reading styles similar to high school when the class clown was picked to read. At any moment you knew he was going to say something absolutely hilarious.

He started the night with how the idea came to him, literally. One night in Chicago, Davy walked out to his car and found a note under the windshield wiper.

“Mario,
I fucking hate you you said you had to work then whys your car HERE at HER place?? You’re a fucking LIAR. I hate you I fucking hate you.
Amber
PS Page me Later”

Obviously, this note wasn’t intended for him, but the idea Davy was struck with was undeniably interesting. And now after almost 10 years, Found Magazine is still going strong with an extremely successful magazine and website.

Between sips of Jim Beam straight from the bottle, Davy took us on a journey around the country from college campuses to apartment parking lots, where findings were as random and bizarre as the next act at the circus. Two girls fighting through a note, a love letter that was more absurd than lovely, a Duke University teacher review, along with a full array of great finds.

Littering is a nasty habit and in my neighborhood (OTR), it’s a downright epidemic, but now Davy Rothbart has given me a another way to look at these urban tumbleweeds.

My goal is to recover something Found Magazine Worthy in the next month. Now my Crusade against litter has a secondary purpose and some entertainment value, and for that I thank you, Davy Rothbart. Thanks for being weird.

Anyone can contribute at www.foundmagazine.com
Happy Hunting…

(Posted by Jake Gerth.)

I noticed that the Nam June Paik robot sculpture was missing back in July. According to Jason Gargano at CityBeat: "…the CAC, which owns it, put it in storage when the owner of the Mercantile Building – which was leasing the space for it – asked for it to be removed when the lease was up."

I await the return of Metrobot, and look for him to reclaim his rightful place at 6th & Walnut as protector of the CAC.

The 26-foot tall Metrobot is the sidewalk ambassador for The Contemporary Arts Center. Its towering presence not only communicates The Center’s location but also imparts messages about exhibitions and events on its electronic message-board-arm and tells time on its wrist-watch-clock. Video monitors and a public telephone located in its legs invite passers-by to interact with the piece. Nam June Paik is internationally known as a pioneer in using electronic media in the visual arts. Metrobot was a private commission for the 50th anniversary of The Center and the 200th anniversary of the city.