First Assignment for NotebookLM: ‘The Peoples’ Calendar’
When I invited Kate Graney to join The AI Alliance and described our mission to innovate with AI in the public interest, she promptly came up with a first assignment for NotebookLM: the production of a “peoples’ calendar” to better inform the public about events sponsored by MLK Saratoga community partners. She suggested we brainstorm this idea this Thursday, February 27 at its monthly Social Justice Social Hour, convening at 6 p.m. at the Frederick Allen Lodge #609 at 69 Beekman Street here in Saratoga Springs.
So that’s what we’ll do. We’ll call this gathering a Smartacus focus group, imagining the many creative things we might do and the stories we might tell using NotebookLM. Employing not only NotebookLM but also Otter, ChatGPT, Basecamp, and Squarespace, we’ll focus on a way we’re proposing to collaboratively maintain a calendar to promote the many events these organizations sponsor.
Below is a draft I generated by cutting and pasting event descriptions into our Saratoga AI Alliance workspace in NotebookLM, pulling them from web sites of a half-dozen organizations that make up MLK Saratoga. These include:
Caffe Lena
Frederick Allen Lodge #609
League of Women Voters of Saratoga County
Pitney Meadows Community Farm
Saratoga Springs Public Library
Skidmore College
THE PEOPLES’ CALENDAR
SERVING THE SARATOGA/ALBANY REGION
Cassandra Jenkins performs Sunday, March 2 at Zankel.
March 2: SURROUND: Cassandra Jenkins - Solo Performance at the Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College. At 4:00 PM, enjoy Cassandra Jenkins' immersive musical style, which blends indie rock, jazz, and ambient textures. Her third album, My Light, My Destroyer, combines poetic lyricism with field recordings and found sounds. Inspired by everyday moments, Jenkins explores the phenomena that shape her universe with curiosity. Collaborators include producer Andrew Lappin, Meg Duffy, and El Kempner, and her influences include David Bowie and Annie Lennox. Tickets range from $6.25 - $22.50. More information is available at Skidmore Zankel.
March 3: Algorithms, Platforms, and Antitrust: The Weiss Lecture in Palamountain Hall Gannett Auditorium from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (ET). Sponsored by Skidmore’s Economics Department and made possible with the assistance of former trustee Arturo Peralta-Ramos III, this lecture fosters discussion of contemporary economic issues and the role of economics in all aspects of life. The lecture is named in honor of Arturo Peralta-Ramos III's stepfather. More information is available at Skidmore Master Calendar.
March 4: Annual David H. Porter Classical World Lecture in Palamountain Hall Gannett Auditorium from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (ET). Comics artist and author Glynnis Fawkes will present her graphic-novel adaptation of Eric Cline's bestseller, 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed. Fawkes will discuss adapting scholarship to comics and her career as an artist. Copies of 1177 BC will be available for purchase and signing. The lecture celebrates the interdisciplinary life and work of David H. Porter, Skidmore's fifth president. More information is available at Skidmore Master Calendar.
March 4: Mardi Gras Party - Let the Good Times Roll! at Frederick Allen Lodge #609 from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Celebrate Fat Tuesday with gumbo, Mardi Gras music, and fun. Bring beads and feathers. A suggested donation of $20 is requested at the door. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
March 6: A Black Woman Speaks: Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni Tribute in Zankel Music Center Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Skidmore College from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (ET). Skidmore's Intergroup Relations and Black Studies Programs will honor Sonia Sanchez and the late Nikki Giovanni, amplifying the voices of Black women in pursuit of social justice. Sonia Sanchez, an Activist Scholar and Poet Warrior, will be present. More information is available at Skidmore Master Calendar.
March 6: Garden Design and Planning at Pitney Meadows Community Farm from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. A virtual workshop via Zoom on designing gardens, succession planting, and companion planting for gardeners of all skill levels. Contact Melissa at melissa.spiegel@pitneymeadows.org with any questions.
March 6: The Constitution's Preamble: How a Rewrite Changed America in Palamountain Gannett Auditorium, Skidmore College from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM (ET). Beau Breslin will explore the story behind the crafting of the Constitution’s Preamble and the profound consequences of one small edit for the future of the United States. Free and open to the public.
Join this team of Tree Toga volunteers in planting 40 trees on Saturday, April 16.
March 8: International Women's Day Gathering "Concerns and Collage" at Saratoga Springs Public Library from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Discuss areas of concern regarding women's rights and potential actions, such as the SAVE Act. There will be an optional collage activity. All are invited. More information is available at LWV Saratoga.
March 8: NY Equal Rights Amendment Celebration at The Parting Glass from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM. Celebrate the passage of the NY Equal Rights Amendment on International Women's Day. The event is open to League members and supporters who care about women's rights. RSVP by February 21st. More information is available at Eventbrite.
March 13: League of Women Voters Book Club, Online via Zoom from 1:30 PM - 3:15 PM. Discuss The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy. Contact Francine Rodger at lwvsaratoga@aol.com for the Zoom link.
March 17: Irish Breakfast at Frederick Allen Lodge #609 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Coffee, Irish Oatmeal, and Irish Soda Bread. A cash bar will be open. Hosted by Brother John “Rocky” Rockwell. Suggested donation: $10.
March 22: Community Seed Swap at Pitney Meadows Community Farm from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Bring seeds (no older than 2 years and not chemically treated) and share information. Leftover seeds will be added to the Community Seed Library.
March 22: Momentum Series: Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Caffè Lena from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM. Grammy-winning choral group from South Africa. Tickets: Member $81.34, General $92.18, Child/Student $46.09.
March 25: Reading & Discussion: Flourishing in the Age of Climate Change by Dr. William Throop, via Zoom from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Event co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Albany, Saratoga & Schenectady Counties. Register at LWV Saratoga.
March 26: Community Seed Swap at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Open to the public for swapping seeds and sharing gardening knowledge.
March 29: Caffe Lena's 4th Annual Pancake Breakfast at Caffè Lena from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Fundraiser for the Caffe Lena School of Music. Tickets: General $21.69, Child/Student $10.85.
March 30: “A Joyful Noise!” Gospel Dinner with Soulist Garland Nelson & Friends at Caffè Lena from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Dinner and music with traditional Caribbean food. Tickets: Member $37.96, General $41.21, Child/Student $21.69.
Starting at Pitney Meadows May 24: A Saturday morning reading and garden activity program for kids.
April 5: Saratoga Sustainability Fair at The Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences at Skidmore College from 10 AM – 2 PM. Theme: Connecting Ideas, Building Futures.
April 10: League of Women Voters Book Club at Clifton Park - Halfmoon Public Library from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM. Discuss 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari.
April 26: Sustainable Saratoga's Tree Toga at Pitney Meadows Community Farm from 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM. Volunteers will plant 40 trees in Saratoga Springs.
April 27: Mocktails, Cocktails + Jazz FUNdraiser at Frederick Allen Lodge #609 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Music, hors d'oeuvres, and silent auction. Tickets: $75.
May 9: Opening of Oklahoma! by Home Made Theater at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.
May 24: Sunflower Sprouts Society at Pitney Meadows Community Garden from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. A Saturday morning reading and garden activity program for kids.
