iTunes Discovery Download
Singer/songwriter Teitur hails from Denmark's remote Faroe islands and makes an intimate brand of folk-pop. from itunes playlist notes

Sleeping with the Lights On

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 9:32 AM |

 
Blogging Pepys
I am still writing the damn paper on blogging. It's an issue paper not a research paper but I am finding so much to read about blogging and so many blogs to read that I'm losing ground and may have to quit my job to finish.

I am viewing Susan Herring's The Past, Present and Future of Weblogs PPT file which considers that most of the blogging is personal and female but the media likes to represent it as public discourse and male. She's done the research for her claims.

In the course of watching this, she mentions Samuel Pepys diaries. I saw the film Stage Beauty recently which has Pepys as a character (played by Hugh Bonneville). Critics have not been kind but I liked the film especially as it dealt with identity and how we get it and how we change it.

I liked the characterization of Pepys and I was interested in eventually reading his diaries or at least some of them. Herring provides a link to a site on Pepys where the site author (Phil Gyford) is publishing one entry a day. He started Jan 1, 2003. It's annotated with hyperlinks. He has an RSS feed. (I subscribed.)

I just had to tell you all, dear readers, about this. Let us all now go on about our important business.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 3:32 PM |

 
Hi my name is Peter.
I'm a blogger.

It's Saturday and I should be writing my blog/LMS/CMS issue paper for CI5331, Introduction to Instructional Systems & Technology.

Instead, I've been taking ownership of my blog. I've added some new things like a "Link" (below) to an article I'm discussing, a link on the right to my collaborative class blog (Kablogerate), and a title field. Of course, after adding, I must test and tweak to get the look I want. (On this post, I have not used the "Link" field so I want to find out if the unlinked word appears below.)

My paper, due Tuesday, is not really on the back burner or let's say the class isn't. I am finding various items to post to our WebCT class group that should be of interest and relate to what we are learning. I am also discovering research articles on blogging. Many relate to what I am writing about but there seems an eternal number. I find one and it links to several more.

I may have to ask my instructor to have mercy and allow an extension.


- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 2:56 PM |

 
Appropriate Rant
At the Digital Medievalist's site...

This is shaping up to be a solid, rather lengthy rant about the nature of instructional technology, though I will endeavor to avoid foaming at the mouth.

Link
- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 2:36 PM |

 
Dance

Tonight we went and watched the Zenon Dance Company at the Southern Theater in our city, Minneapolis, MN, US, where it has rained all day and the temperature has remained in the 40's (F). (For our foreign friends, 40 degrees F is 4 Celsius.)

I have a paper due (instructional design class) next Tuesday so I wanted to stay home and write. I offered my ticket to Hallie, my favorite daughter, but she was too tired to go. So I went.

Zenon put on a great show with five pieces of modern dance. I don't have a depth of knowledge about the art of dance but these pieces sizzled. The dancers are highly skilled. There was a sensuality in several of the pieces that was very nice and very playful. The last piece was like a cracked broadway dance line incorporating pop songs with a European folkiness and costumes (every one different) that bordered on absurdity. The energy level was incredible.

If you live in Minneapolis, go to this show or go to their next show.

http://www.zenondance.org/

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 11:05 PM |

 
Collaborative Encyclopedia

What am I doing here? Deciding what to write in this blog and trying not to sound self-conscious about it all. Adding to myriad links to the same thing like the Wikipedia controversy but then feeling like it's just more of the same so why am I going to link to it now or even mention it especially as NO ONE SEEMS TO BE READING THIS THING ANYWAY.

But maybe someone does stumble by and I mentioned that controversy and maybe they haven't heard about it. So start here with Robert McHenry's The Faith-Based Encyclopedia, a caustic review of the Wikipedia, then link to Tim Bray's response, Sad. Finally read Ross Mayfield's Wikipedia Reputation and the Wemedia Project which summarizes much of the controversy around the 'pedia. And of course, browse the Wikipedia itself!

I really like what Tim Bray had to say about Wikipedia:

The Wikipedia is beautiful. It’s an unexpected and unexplainable triumph of collective creativity and of order over entropy. I hope it lasts a long time, and those who criticize it Just Don’t Get It.

Exactly.

Flash! Mary and I did some minor editing of the ASL page at 'pedia. Mary, the more beautiful half of our relationship, is an ASL interpreter.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 5:54 PM |

 
iTunes Discovery Download

Al Verte Partir by Alih Jey.

Genre: Latin

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 7:09 AM |

 
Josh Micah Marshall discusses what went wrong for the Democrats on Nov. 2.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_07.php#003978

Andrew Tanenbaum has news about recounts at Electoral Vote Predictor. Greens and Libertarian parties are accepting donations to push for a recount in Florida and Ohio before results are certified, which could happen 11/15.

Interesting to note that his final prediction was 278 to 245 and the outcome was 286 to 252.

http://www.electoral-vote.com/#news
- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 8:29 AM |

 
iTunes Discovery Download

Week of Nov. 8.

Free as in free (if you have an iTunes account which will require a credit card number).

Genre: Jazz

Weeper's Thang by A. Ray Fuller.

Apple iTunes page

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 9:37 AM |

 
Hilary for President (Not)

I've always thought that Hilary Clinton might be our first female presidential candidate. I supported this idea as long as it truly looked like she could have a chance to win the electorate.

But I'm rethinking that position after reading Joshua Micah Marshall's post.

...I don't like the idea of the presidency becoming the private preserve of a few chosen families. It's bad for democracy, even if a given individual might have much to recommend him or her as a candidate.

Read the rest at Talking Points Memo

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_11_07.php#003950

(Here's one more teaser:

Since many are now talking up the possibility of Jeb Bush running for president in 2008, that opens up at least the theoretical possibility that one family could hold the White House for most of a 28 year period (1989-2017). Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, Bush-lover or Bush-hater, that can't be good for republican government in the United States.

Whoa!)


- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 3:17 PM |

 
How to Comment

You can comment to my posts.

At the bottom of each post is the word "comments." Click, the post will go to a window of its own, scroll to bottom of that window, click "Post a Comment" and you will get a window where you can choose your comment identity. If you do not have a Blogger account, you can post as anonymous. (Actually you can be anonymous even if you do have a Blogger account.)

You can identify yourself in the body of your post (or not).

This should be easier to do but hey, Blogger is a free blogging service.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 9:58 AM |

 
A New Continental Drift

Tim Bray takes a thoughtful look at realigning North America.

http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2004/11/04/NewNorthAmerica
- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 9:47 AM |

 
Bombs, Bush and Thomas

Our nightly bombing of Fallujah illustrates another important point about 4GW: to call it "terrorism" is a misnomer. In fact, terrorism is merely a technique, and we use it too when we think it will benefit us.

William S. Lind, former strategic theorist for the US Marine Corps.

I highly recommend reading Lind's full article as we approach the Battle of Fallujah.

Bush's Agenda May Face Hurdles (Boston Globe)

But Bush's full-speed-ahead approach, despite his strong victory last Tuesday, has yet to take into account serious hurdles that may be beyond his control. The deficit is soaring. Some congressional Republicans are less eager to reorganize Social Security. The continuing combat in Iraq, not to mention the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks, threatens to consume much of the political oxygen he might need to push a bold agenda across Capitol Hill.

Good analysis.

Finally, some inspiring words from a patriot, published on William Gibson's Blog.

A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles.

It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt.

If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter of 1798, after the passage of the Sedition Act.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 9:15 AM |

 
Robert J. Vanderbei has created a county-by-county red-blue-purple map of the continental US. I find it hopeful as there is a lot of purple (50/50, Rep/Dem).

The NY Times has published some charts looking at electoral voting from 1940 until 2000. Jon Udell animated them and it's a fascinating view of our elections. He provides the animation in several formats.

We lost. We move on. There is hope that Congress and the Senate will keep President Bush reigned in as, even if they share the same party, many face reelection in two years and more in four. This is a good thing about our democracy.

Bush won by something like 3.5 million in popular vote. Not a mandate in my mind but not insignificant either. I don't think it reflects direct support of his policies. I think it reflects fear of our future and this odd idea that we shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. George W. got us in this mess, so he is the best choice to get us out. The fact that he might bury us even deeper in global isolation and that his policies might stoke terrorist attacks doesn't seem to enter into play for these people.

I am going to spend the next four years trying to talk to some of my right leaning friends and relatives about why exactly they voted for Bush. I'm really going to try not to yell at them. I will try to listen. And I will try to insert some facts.

It's really hard to believe what has happened. I am happy for Minnesota going blue and electing more dems to the house. But the end result is four more years of the same war mongering and repressive tax policies.

We will survive as a country. I don't doubt that. George is a blip on our political spectrum and even more of a blip in terms of the history of mankind and a really tiny speck of dust if we go all the way back to the big bang.

Peace all. Show your love and compassion to all Republicans as they gotta be suffering more than we are to think George W. can help them.


- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 11:24 PM |

 
iTunes Discovery Download

iTunes Discovery Download this week is in the World genre: Quicksand by Abdel Wright.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 11:15 PM |

 
Vote Today

It's election day in the US. You vote, you get a sticker that proclaims "I voted." I voted; I have my sticker; I wear it proudly.

I voted for John Kerry and recommend all Americans to vote for him. Or don't vote for him but vote against his opponent, George W. Bush. The objective is the same: to change leadership in Washington because things aren't working the way they should.

I struggled with voting for Kerry. He was not be my first choice for president from among the many primary candidates. I liked Dennis Kucinich in the beginning and then switched allegiances to retired General Wesley Clark.

I came to terms with my Kerry vote after reading an entry in William Gibson's blog where he discusses why he is a centrist. He says "The idea that Kerry and Bush are merely two sides of the same bad coin is both ludicrous and all too potentially tragic." That got me. President Bush has shown us that he is a bad coin unto himself. He has a vision and idea for us that is really an America on steroids, asserting itself as all that is good in the world, and leaving no room for any argument. You're with us or you're against us.

Bush is moving us to the right — far, far right. Kerry will bring us back towards a center. Maybe still right of that center (and maybe he is a closet Republican) but his programs and policies will be better (and could hardly be worse) than Bush's.

The US had an opportunity after the 9-11 attack. There was a moment when we could have helped to lead the world towards peace.

Our leader, George W. Bush, should have commenced a period of mourning for the dead, not a war of revenge. At the same time, efforts to pursue Osama Bin Ladin and destabilize the Taliban should have begun quietly. No theatrics. If all works well, OBL disappears. No one knows how or why. Of course another Bin Laden may appear which means that we also have to court (peacefully) moderate Islam and work with Israel to provide a homeland for the Palestinians.

Instead, Bush used 9-11 as a mandate to push our country to the right. He used it to portray himself as a great military leader. He used it to invade Iraq even though there was no hard evidence of weapons of mass destruction. And he's using the destruction of the Twin Towers to get re-elected.

My hope is that there are (many) closet Kerry voters who, in their real lives, proclaim loudly that they are for Bush and Cheney but will, upon entering the voting booth, cast their vote for John Kerry and John Edwards. They will never tell anyone not even their spouses. They will produce a landslide for Kerry and a mandate for him to move our country back towards center. Although we probably won't live happily ever after (Bush's mess in Iraq kind of ensures that), we will have a much better chance at some sort of peace and happiness than we ever will with President Bush. (Early election results are dashing this hope against the hard rocks of reality.)

Whatever else, this election has helped me in defining what my participation in democracy is about. I voted for Nader in 2000 and will not make a mistake like that again unless instant runoff voting is instituted for presidential elections. I will vote realistically for the candidate who can best guide our country and can realistically be voted into power.

This election has also initiated cogitations on how best to educate the electorate. Both campaigns used many slogans and little content. The debates, for substance, were a waste of time. (Not for affect; Bush lost ground due to his inability to stand still and not look pissed off.) This election demonstrated how easy it is to lie to the citizens. Especially when giant media groups are willing to pass the lies along. Somehow facts need to be disseminated and the candidates need to be forced to respond to facts. I will return to this topic in the future.

Vote everyone. Vote for Kerry, vote against Bush, or (sigh) vote for Bush, but vote today.

- posted by Peter Fleck @ Permalink 5:23 PM |