Comedy Networking.
I now have about 40 stand up comedians as friends on my Facebook page, thanks to the likes of Kyle Kinane and Blaine Capatch. The best shit is never on the fan pages. Facebook has become a whole new world in the past week.
Now how do I convince them to get me free tickets to their Burbank shows?
Future is always possible... with education!
G-Souto
27.08.10
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Restoring Honor Rally. So He Says.
Glenn Beck is holding an "iconic" rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on 08.28... the anniversary of Martin Lther King's "I have a dream" speech.
Iconic.
He claims it is coincidence, boasting "This is a moment, quite honestly, that I think we reclaim the civil rights movement."
I don't get it. Glenn Beck has never really expressed the kind of integrated peaceful values King has spoken of.
Perhaps he is announcing his retirement?
;)
http://www.glennbeck.com/828/
Iconic.
He claims it is coincidence, boasting "This is a moment, quite honestly, that I think we reclaim the civil rights movement."
I don't get it. Glenn Beck has never really expressed the kind of integrated peaceful values King has spoken of.
Perhaps he is announcing his retirement?
;)
http://www.glennbeck.com/828/
The Trilogy/Duology novel format Strikes Back...
News out of Celebration V courtesy of TheForce.net...
Shelly Shapiro
"- Once Fate of the Jedi concludes, look for Star Wars novels to go the way of duologies and trilogies as opposed to long multi-author series."
The current publishing contract between Lucas Books is with Del Ray, formerly the publishing partner was Bantam/Spectra. During the Bantam era the novels generally were released in Trilogies, sprinkled in with Stand-alone novels and the one major exception the X-Wing novel series.
Under the Del Ray contract we have seen three much longer book series.
From 1999-2003 we got the epic 19 book New Jedi Order Series that also included 2 e-book novellas, and 3 short stories. From 2006-2008 we got the 9 book Legacy of the Force Series, and we are currently in the 9 book Fate of the Jedi Series which started in 2009 and ends in November 2011. We also had the Republic Commando series which spanned 5 books and 2 short stories, with the 6th novel (Imperial Commando 2) being canceled.
In between these extra large series, Del Ray has also released a number of duology, trilogy and stand alone novels all over the EU time line.
Which format is better?
That is an interesting question. The longer series allow for greater in depth story telling and character development, they also give a chance to let minor characters get more screen time. However, they also take up a lot of space on the publishing calendar, and they by their very nature require using multiple authors, who have different styles, favorite characters, and different interpretations of the same characters. This can be problematic as in Legacy of the Force were the portrayal of certain characters like Jacen Solo during his fall to the dark side seemed to be all over the place switching back and forth between Denning, Traviss and Allston.
Going back to shorter series allow one author (or if co-writing two authors) the chance to tell the story they want to tell it, and leads to a more natural flow between all the books of the series. It also should allow for more shorter stories to be told. As a reader, if you dislike a particular series it should also make it easier for you to find new EU content that you like instead of having to wait until the mega-series is over.
My hope is that this transition means we get 2-3 novel series not including stand alone novels released every year and not a cut back in the overall number of novels released.
With Fate of the Jedi we are getting @ 3 books of the 9 per year, with Legacy of the Force we got 3 books in 2006, 4 books in 2007 and 2 books in 2008, and with New Jedi Order we got 1 book in 1999, 5 books in 2000, 3 books in 2001, 5 books in 2002 and books in 2003.
If we only get one multi-book series at a time and get a novel once a year from the author that would be extremely disappointing. Lets hope the good folks at Lucas Books and Del Ray keep up the good work with multiple series going on at the same time.
Shelly Shapiro
"- Once Fate of the Jedi concludes, look for Star Wars novels to go the way of duologies and trilogies as opposed to long multi-author series."
The current publishing contract between Lucas Books is with Del Ray, formerly the publishing partner was Bantam/Spectra. During the Bantam era the novels generally were released in Trilogies, sprinkled in with Stand-alone novels and the one major exception the X-Wing novel series.
Under the Del Ray contract we have seen three much longer book series.
From 1999-2003 we got the epic 19 book New Jedi Order Series that also included 2 e-book novellas, and 3 short stories. From 2006-2008 we got the 9 book Legacy of the Force Series, and we are currently in the 9 book Fate of the Jedi Series which started in 2009 and ends in November 2011. We also had the Republic Commando series which spanned 5 books and 2 short stories, with the 6th novel (Imperial Commando 2) being canceled.
In between these extra large series, Del Ray has also released a number of duology, trilogy and stand alone novels all over the EU time line.
Which format is better?
That is an interesting question. The longer series allow for greater in depth story telling and character development, they also give a chance to let minor characters get more screen time. However, they also take up a lot of space on the publishing calendar, and they by their very nature require using multiple authors, who have different styles, favorite characters, and different interpretations of the same characters. This can be problematic as in Legacy of the Force were the portrayal of certain characters like Jacen Solo during his fall to the dark side seemed to be all over the place switching back and forth between Denning, Traviss and Allston.
Going back to shorter series allow one author (or if co-writing two authors) the chance to tell the story they want to tell it, and leads to a more natural flow between all the books of the series. It also should allow for more shorter stories to be told. As a reader, if you dislike a particular series it should also make it easier for you to find new EU content that you like instead of having to wait until the mega-series is over.
My hope is that this transition means we get 2-3 novel series not including stand alone novels released every year and not a cut back in the overall number of novels released.
With Fate of the Jedi we are getting @ 3 books of the 9 per year, with Legacy of the Force we got 3 books in 2006, 4 books in 2007 and 2 books in 2008, and with New Jedi Order we got 1 book in 1999, 5 books in 2000, 3 books in 2001, 5 books in 2002 and books in 2003.
If we only get one multi-book series at a time and get a novel once a year from the author that would be extremely disappointing. Lets hope the good folks at Lucas Books and Del Ray keep up the good work with multiple series going on at the same time.
VII Encontro Nacional sobre Tecnologia Aberta - Linux 2010
Lisboa acolhe, no próximo dia 30 de Setembro, o VIII Encontro Nacional sobre Tecnologia Aberta – Linux 2010, um “evento que pretende difundir uma alternativa de desenvolvimento tecnológico sustentado através da utilização de software livre”, reflectindo sobre a oferta de produtos e soluções no sector.
O painel de oradores conta com nomes como Gabriel Coimbra (IDC), Paulo Trezentos (Caixa Mágica), Santiago Madruga (Red Hat) ou Fernando Resina da Silva, da Vieira de Almeida e Associados, para falar da perspectiva legal-jurídica do open source, numa lista que conta com dois convidados “mistério”.
Pode consultar a agenda aqui, e saber as últimas notícias na área do software livre ou um vídeo sobre o Linux 2009, que dá já uma perspectiva para o que pode ser a edição deste ano
The "VIII National Meeting on Open Technology - Linux in 2010", sponsored by Sybase and Caixa Mágica, is an event that aims to spread an alternative of technological development supported through the use of free software, adding several partners who reflect the broad range of products and solutions in this sector.
This year the event will occur again in the Polo Tecnológico de Lisboa - LISPOLIS in Telheiras, Lisbon, on September 30, 2010. Read more here
G-Souto
23.08.10
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
References:
Tek.sapo
http://tek.sapo.pt
Multi-tasking? Not only for digital natives!
dot.Rory, BBC News
According to Ofcom, we spend nearly half our waking lives watching telly, texting, surfing the web, and generally using every form of media and communications technology.
That's the headline from the media regulator's annual chunky report on the communications market. And the reactions to the research have been interesting. Read more
G-Souto
22.08.10
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Kyle Kinane is Amazing. My Comic of the Week, for sure.
Kyle Kinane: It's Saturday, so go ahead and listen to "Ditty" by Paperboy. At your age, nobody cares anymore anyway.
I Miss Dating. I'm Not Even Kidding.
"Knock knock... who's there... PEAS."
(By the way, you can turn the music off on the cassette tape to the right. Click "OFF" in the top right hand corner. Otherwise it is just useless.)
Mike "I Dye My Hair Blonde At 54" Sobel.
He was on location at the Fringe and they asked him about the Fried Oreos.
You could clearly see the banner behind him, 'Fried bananas, Fried Oreos, Elephant Ears!'
He looked around befuddled and BLONDE.
They cut away and reported on something unrelated.
The next time they came back to him, his arms were full of cotton candy and kettle corn.
The female anchor looked exhausted.
Mike Sobel looked pleased with himself.
"I couldn't find the Oreos, but I got your some appetizers...", he cooed.
"Mike, the Oreo stand is right behi-"
"So here you go!! What a good start to your diet, eh?!"
"I'm not on a die-"
"These bags are heavy!" he exclaimed, as he dropped them on the ground.
Fuck. Me.
Holy Smokes.
I woke up this morning and the sky was campfire grey.
The smoke was thick enough that you could taste it on your tongue.
"Is there a forest fire somewhere around Edmonton?", Greg asked.
I immediately hit the local news site and discovered that no, it wasn't near us.
It was from the fires in BC. The RAGING fires in BC.
I know it may be my BC-born heart sinking, but that poor province has been riddled with fires for the last ten years. Those poor people. And so many of them are elderly in the interior. I hope their health doesn't suffer too much.
Not that having your family evacuated and your house burnt to the ground is much better.
Consider this post my shout out to British Columbians.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/fire+smoke+polluting+Alberta/3418419/story.html
The smoke was thick enough that you could taste it on your tongue.
"Is there a forest fire somewhere around Edmonton?", Greg asked.
I immediately hit the local news site and discovered that no, it wasn't near us.
It was from the fires in BC. The RAGING fires in BC.
I know it may be my BC-born heart sinking, but that poor province has been riddled with fires for the last ten years. Those poor people. And so many of them are elderly in the interior. I hope their health doesn't suffer too much.
Not that having your family evacuated and your house burnt to the ground is much better.
Consider this post my shout out to British Columbians.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/fire+smoke+polluting+Alberta/3418419/story.html
Mobile Apps for the Disabled
The interaction between the user and software is done via brainwaves and for this to happen the user needs the NeuroSky Mindset which reads the user’s brainwaves, uses an analog-to-digital converter and sends the digitalized information via Bluetooth to the phone. The byte sequence, called packet, sent by the headset is then translated into the user’s level of meditation and attention by using an algorithm provided by the headset’s company. Once all of this is done, the signal is passed on to the ThinkContacts app via bluetooth and it places the call.
To get an idea of how it works, I recommend that you check out the following video:
ThinkContacts is a new mobile application being developed by Nokia which would allow a disabled person to select a contact from a list and place a phone call to that person using only their mind. The app, which is designed for Nokia's N900 Maemo platform, works with an accompanying headset that reads the user's brainwaves to measure attention levels. If the attention level is higher than 70%, the software scrolls to the next contact in the list. If the attention level is higher than 80%, the software makes a phone call to the selected contact.
It's one of the latest developments in making accessible smartphone applications for the disabled, the blind and deaf.Read more
G-S
19.08.10
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
References:
The Next Web
New York Times/Technology
Dan Quayle's Son is Running for Office.
Remember Dan Quayle? Here's a refresher:
I could go on, but I think you see my point.
But rest assured, his son is here to continue the legacy no one thought was even remotely necessary...
- "I have made good judgments in the Past. I have made good judgments in the Future."
- "People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."
- "Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."
- "The American people would not want to know of any misquotes that Dan Quayle may or may not make."
- "We don't want to go back to tomorrow, we want to go forward."
I could go on, but I think you see my point.
But rest assured, his son is here to continue the legacy no one thought was even remotely necessary...
Dr. Laura Schlesinger's "Nigger" Rant. (Will someone take her mic away, please?)
SCHLESSINGER: Jade, welcome to the program.
CALLER: Hi, Dr. Laura.
SCHLESSINGER: Hi.
CALLER: I'm having an issue with my husband where I'm starting to grow very resentful of him. I'm black, and he's white. We've been around some of his friends and family members who start making racist comments as if I'm not there or if I'm not black. And my husband ignores those comments, and it hurts my feelings. And he acts like –
SCHLESSINGER: Well, can you give me an example of a racist comment? 'Cause sometimes people are hypersensitive. So tell me what's — give me two good examples of racist comments.
CALLER: OK. Last night — good example — we had a neighbor come over, and this neighbor — when every time he comes over, it's always a black comment. It's, "Oh, well, how do you black people like doing this?" And, "Do black people really like doing that?" And for a long time, I would ignore it. But last night, I got to the point where it –
SCHLESSINGER: I don't think that's racist.
CALLER: Well, the stereotype –
SCHLESSINGER: I don't think that's racist. No, I think that –
CALLER: [unintelligible]
SCHLESSINGER: No, no, no. I think that's — well, listen, without giving much thought, a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply 'cause he was half-black. Didn't matter what he was gonna do in office, it was a black thing. You gotta know that. That's not a surprise. Not everything that somebody says — we had friends over the other day; we got about 35 people here — the guys who were gonna start playing basketball. I was going to go out and play basketball. My bodyguard and my dear friend is a black man. And I said, "White men can't jump; I want you on my team." That was racist? That was funny.
CALLER: How about the N-word? So, the N-word's been thrown around –
SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nig*er, nig*er, nig*er.
CALLER: That isn't –
SCHLESSINGER: I don't get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing; but when black people say it, it's affectionate. It's very confusing. Don't hang up, I want to talk to you some more. Don't go away.
I'm Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I'll be right back.
After taking a commercial break, Schlessinger resumed her discussion with the caller:
SCHLESSINGER: I'm Dr. Laura Schlessinger, talking to Jade. What did you think about during the break, by the way?
CALLER: I was a little caught back by the N-word that you spewed out, I have to be honest with you. But my point is, race relations –
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians.
CALLER: But that doesn't make it right. I mean, race is a [unintelligible] –
SCHLESSINGER: My dear, my dear –
CALLER: — since Obama's been in office –
SCHLESSINGER: — the point I'm trying to make –
CALLER: — racism has come to another level that's unacceptable.
SCHLESSINGER: Yeah. We've got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that's hilarious.
CALLER: But I think, honestly, because there's more white people afraid of a black man taking over the nation.
SCHLESSINGER: They're afraid.
CALLER: If you want to be honest about it [unintelligible]
SCHLESSINGER: Dear, they voted him in. Only 12 percent of the population's black. Whites voted him in.
CALLER: It was the younger generation that did it. It wasn't the older white people who did it.
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, OK.
CALLER: It was the younger generation –
SCHLESSINGER: All right. All right.
CALLER: — that did it.
SCHLESSINGER: Chip on your shoulder. I can't do much about that.
CALLER: It's not like that.
SCHLESSINGER: Yeah. I think you have too much sensitivity –
CALLER: So it's OK to say "nig*er"?
SCHLESSINGER: — and not enough sense of humor.
CALLER: It's OK to say that word?
SCHLESSINGER: It depends how it's said.
CALLER: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?
SCHLESSINGER: It's — it depends how it's said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's OK.
CALLER: But you're not black. They're not black. My husband is white.
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, I see. So, a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can't do much about that.
CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the "nig*er" word, and I hope everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the "nig*er" word.
CALLER: You said, "Nig*er, nig*er, nig*er."
SCHLESSINGER: Right, I said that's what you hear.
CALLER: Everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: Yes, they did.
CALLER: I hope everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: They did, and I'll say it again –
CALLER: So what makes it OK for you to say the word?
SCHLESSINGER: — nig*er, nig*er, nig*er is what you hear on HB –
CALLER: So what makes it –
SCHLESSINGER: Why don't you let me finish a sentence?
CALLER: OK.
SCHLESSINGER: Don't take things out of context. Don't double N — NAACP me. Tape the –
CALLER: I know what the NAACP –
SCHLESSINGER: Leave them in context.
CALLER: I know what the N-word means and I know it came from a white person. And I know the white person made it bad.
SCHLESSINGER: All right. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Can't have this argument. You know what? If you're that hypersensitive about color and don't have a sense of humor, don't marry out of your race. If you're going to marry out of your race, people are going to say, "OK, what do blacks think? What do whites think? What do Jews think? What do Catholics think?" Of course there isn't a one-think per se. But in general there's "think."
And what I just heard from Jade is a lot of what I hear from black-think — and it's really distressting [sic] and disturbing. And to put it in its context, she said the N-word, and I said, on HBO, listening to black comics, you hear "nigger, nigger, nigger." I didn't call anybody a nigger. Nice try, Jade. Actually, sucky try.
Need a sense of humor, sense of humor — and answer the question. When somebody says, "What do blacks think?" say, "This is what I think. This is what I read that if you take a poll the majority of blacks think this." Answer the question and discuss the issue. It's like we can't discuss anything without saying there's -isms?
We have to be able to discuss these things. We're people — goodness gracious me. Ah — hypersensitivity, OK, which is being bred by black activists. I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites hating blacks would stop, but it seems to have grown, and I don't get it. Yes, I do. It's all about power. I do get it. It's all about power and that's sad because what should be in power is not power or righteousness to do good — that should be the greatest power.
Star Wars Films Coming to Blu-Ray in 2011
starwars Lucas reveals that the six movie Star Wars saga box set is coming out on Blu-Ray in 2011. Will feature deleted scenes.
http://twitter.com/starwars
Currently Reading…
I've been really busy lately, but I have finished reading Clone Wars: Gambit Siege by Karen Miller and The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams. I hope to have reviews of both books on the blog soon, though I think I will re-read them before I post my thoughts.
Decided to take a diversion from my Star Wars EU reading, and just re-read the Harry Potter Series for the second time. I was a little old to get into the books when they came out but have enjoyed the movies and last year decided to read the books. I was pleasantly surprised particularly with the later books in the series which handled more mature content, betrayal, love, death, etc.
Back to the EU I'm currently reading Timothy Zahn's: Hand of Thrawn Duology, Specter of the Past. Originally published in 1997.
Not counting his short stories, Zahn's Star Wars novels include:
Thrawn Trilogy: 1) Heir to the Empire 2) Dark Force Rising 3) The Last Command
Hand of Thrawn Duology: 1) Specter of the Past 2) Vision of the Future
The others: 1) Survivor's Quest 2) Outbound Flight 3) Allegiance
Yet to Be Published: Hand of Judgment (fmr. Titled Choices)
Outside of Lucas, Zahn is the biggest reason there is an EU. His epic Thrawn Trilogy kicked everything off, he created characters, events and even named the Galactic capital planet Coruscant.
Zahn tells a good story, but his lasting impact on the EU is going to be the characters that he created. Mara Jade, Gilad Pellaeon, Borsk Fey'lya, Talon Karrde, Jorj Car'das, Moff Disra, Jacen Solo, Jaina Solo, Admiral Thrawn, Jorus C'Baoth, the Chiss Ascendancy, the Noghri, the Ysalamiri, the Outbound Flight, etc, etc, etc…
Timothy Zahn…The Force is strong in that one..
Morning Coffee and Eazy-E.
Another Monday.
Another BEAUTIFUL Monday.
And I wasn't kidding about the Eazy-E.
Another BEAUTIFUL Monday.
And I wasn't kidding about the Eazy-E.
Be Kind.
You can know yourself to be generous,
but unless you do something which displays generosity,
you have nothing but a concept.
You can know yourself to be kind,
but unless you do someone a kindness,
you have nothing but an idea about yourself.
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech.
Last month, Erica Goldson graduated as valedictorian of Coxsackie-Athens High School. Instead of using her graduation speech to celebrate the triumph of her victory, the school, and the teachers that made it happen, she channeled her inner Ivan Illich and de-constructed the logic of a valedictorian and the whole educational system.
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
The amount you care about your job is proportional to the believability of the excuse for not going.
While my excuses began as believable dental and doctor appointments, as the agency I worked for went from a thriving business with over forty clients to trading while insolvent, I realised nobody cared if I was absent or what reasons I gave.
As there were no clients, when I did attend, I spent most of the day playing a game called 'Staring at the wall wondering what happy people are doing' and answering calls by pretending I was a confused Cantonese woman.
In a last ditch effort to keep the few remaining clients we had, we invited them to join us at a charity dinner to buy musical instruments for starving children. The dinner started normally, with Thomas, the business owner, talking about his hair and a staff member leaving in tears after being accused of stealing, but went downhill from there. By the fifth scotch, the entire table, including the Managing Director of McDonald's, sat in embarrassed silence as Thomas cried while telling a story about how, when he was twelve, his dog Trevor had died of testicular cancer. By scotch ten, Thomas had vomited onto the leg of one client and perforated another's arm with a fork while flamboyantly telling a story about his experience in a Phuket brothel.
I didn't bother giving an excuse for not turning up to work the next day.
http://www.27bslash6.com/9to5.html
The Instability of Working for a Small Company.
I received this email yesterday morning:
Shit.
Really??
They JUST created my position in January. I established relationships with clients all over the northern Alberta area. I am more upset by the fact that all of the retailers and specialists may be left with no liaison now that I am gone.
I realize that nothing is ever a waste, but it really feels like it sometimes.
Like NOW, for instance.
I fell asleep last night not unsure of a future position somewhere, but again I am left wondering what the hell I want to do with myself. Where do I want to go? After numerous arm rubs, I passed out and was bombarded with dreams of moving, and past jobs, and buildings being burnt to the ground.
Of course that may have been from watching 5 episodes of Weeds Season 3 before bed, but STILL.
This morning I was awoken with a tray of coffee and eggs... my love had brought me breakfast in bed. He had a handful of resumes and was ready to rush out and get a job and save the day. Little did he know, he had already saved the day by bringing me fresh coffee.
A few minutes into my day, the phone rang. Graham from Optimum Health had been so upset at my dismissal he immediately contacted John Biggs about finding me a position with their company.
I wasn't even out of bed, let alone out of my pajamas.
I had decided last night I was not going to let this setback become my stumbling block and that I was going to breathe and let the universe unfold as it always does... beautifully.
I had no idea it would happen so fast.
"Sheena
I regret to inform you that due to internal reorganization, the position of Representative, Northern Alberta, has been eliminated.
Therefore, effect immediately, we are terminating our relationship.
You will be receiving a cheque for one month’s compensation.
I will call you."
Shit.
Really??
They JUST created my position in January. I established relationships with clients all over the northern Alberta area. I am more upset by the fact that all of the retailers and specialists may be left with no liaison now that I am gone.
I realize that nothing is ever a waste, but it really feels like it sometimes.
Like NOW, for instance.
I fell asleep last night not unsure of a future position somewhere, but again I am left wondering what the hell I want to do with myself. Where do I want to go? After numerous arm rubs, I passed out and was bombarded with dreams of moving, and past jobs, and buildings being burnt to the ground.
Of course that may have been from watching 5 episodes of Weeds Season 3 before bed, but STILL.
This morning I was awoken with a tray of coffee and eggs... my love had brought me breakfast in bed. He had a handful of resumes and was ready to rush out and get a job and save the day. Little did he know, he had already saved the day by bringing me fresh coffee.
A few minutes into my day, the phone rang. Graham from Optimum Health had been so upset at my dismissal he immediately contacted John Biggs about finding me a position with their company.
I wasn't even out of bed, let alone out of my pajamas.
I had decided last night I was not going to let this setback become my stumbling block and that I was going to breathe and let the universe unfold as it always does... beautifully.
I had no idea it would happen so fast.
2010: Lisbon Innovation Forum
The 4th EFQUEL Innovation Forum will take place in Lisbon, Portugal in collaboration with the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP) and the National Institute for Public Administration of Portugal (INA).
The annual assembly of eLearning and education professionals will debate how opening education can contribute to social inclusion agendas and promote economic wellfare through better equipping citizens with necessary skills.
Palácio Marqueses de Pombal (INA)
The conference takes place in the Instituto Nacional de Administração (INA), situated in the gardens of the old Palace de Marqueses de Pombal in Oeiras, close to Lisbon, in Portugal.
The Forum will start on September 8th with a pre-conference day, followed by the main conference SEPT 9-10, 2010.
Contrary to a research based conference, the EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2010 is bridging the gap by opening debates between different educational stakeholders from Primary & Secondary Education, to Higher Education, Vocational Education & Training and Adult Learning.
In line with the "European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Inclusion", the Lisbon Innovation Forum is commonly answering fundamental questions about the purpose of quality education for individual, organizational and society level.
Open educational resources (OER) are high on the agenda of social inclusion policies and supported by many stakeholders of the educational sphere. User Generated Content is more relevant than ever, and co- and peer-production increasingly at the heart of content development.
On September 8th you can take part in the Workshop 3: “Jogos Educativos e Recursos Educativos Digitais no Ensino: novos conceitos em contexto curricular para uma escola de sucesso…? “
Na era digital, os alunos vivem imersos em Tecnologias: Internet, redes sociais, telemóveis, ipods, smartphones, jogos de computador.
(...)
A Comunidade Europeia para o Desenvolvimento de Actividades baseadas em Jogos Educativos - Game-based learing (GBL) tem estudos que comprovam que os jogos de computador e os recursos educativos digitais (OER) podem aproximar a escola dos nativos digitais, de modo a cativar estes alunos para as suas aprendizagens e a empenhá-los no seu percurso escolar.
A escola tem mais impacto quando a geração ‘wires’ pode relacioná-la com a sua vida e os seus interesses.
Os facilitadores do Workshop trocarão experiências com os Professores participantes e debaterão com eles, os benefícios do uso inovador das Tecnologias e dos Media, baseados em diferentes métodos de ensino, novas ferramentas de aprendizagem, tais como jogos educativos (GBL) conteúdos educativos digitais (OER) Web 2.0, de modo a promover o sucesso educativo e a inclusão social no Ensino Primário, Básico e Secundário.
O workshop que será apresentado em Português e Inglês tem como objectivo motivar os Professores para uma pedagogia actual, colocando os alunos no centro da sua aprendizagem, com a utilização de ferramentas digitais e da aplicação da 'web interactiva' em contexto curricular.
Aos participantes será entregue um Certificado de presença.
Aos participantes será entregue um Certificado de presença.
Estamos certos que terá uma experiência enriquecedora! E que sairá mais convencido(a) que a Escola não pode continuar de costas voltadas para os NML!
Facilitadores: Mr. Rolf Reinhardt (EFQUEL), Mr. Sébastien Reinders (TechnoFuturTIC), Ms. Gina Souto (Independent Expert Educational Media)
Please read the English version here
G-Souto
03.08.2010
Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Today's DayMaker:
Having downloaded the new Scissor Sisters album the weekend I'm going to Play.
Kizmet.
Kizmet.
Than to start again....
I found a little plot of land in the garden of Eden,
it was dirt and dirt is all the same.
I tilled it with my two hands and I called it my very own.
There was no one to dispute my claim.
The wandering eye that I have caught
is as hot as a wandering sun,
but I will want for nothing more in this garden
than to start again.
In the hardening of every new heart as one
we broke ourselves
in the war of what is created and what we design.
But both in equal parts are welcome to come along;
I'm inviting everyone.
Farewell to loves that I have known,
even the muddiest of waters run.
Tell me what is meant by sitting alone in a garden,
Seceded from the union in the season of the sun..?
it was dirt and dirt is all the same.
I tilled it with my two hands and I called it my very own.
There was no one to dispute my claim.
The wandering eye that I have caught
is as hot as a wandering sun,
but I will want for nothing more in this garden
than to start again.
In the hardening of every new heart as one
we broke ourselves
in the war of what is created and what we design.
But both in equal parts are welcome to come along;
I'm inviting everyone.
Farewell to loves that I have known,
even the muddiest of waters run.
Tell me what is meant by sitting alone in a garden,
Seceded from the union in the season of the sun..?
LiveJournal.
My LiveJournal account (http://arbitral.livejournal.com) was opened in 2002, if I remember correctly.
I had come back from Victoria with a pocket full of fortunes and a heart full of regret.
Being the one voted most likely to weep over a boy than whip his ass, I commenced the drawn out process of wading through my sorrows and drafting up some resolution.
This went on for years.
While some of it was happy, most of it was my way of working through issues. There were moments of drama and sap and anger and resentment, punctuated by some comments from others who found their way to my page (some not so welcomed, but ultimately appreciated). People who knew me only through my journal must have thought me suicidal. But the release and safe place to manage my confusion was not just a luxury, but a necessity if I was to find my peace at that time in my life.
It worked. I think.
But after a few years, I began to ignore it for I did not really require the release from my life. In fact, I was immersed in the bliss of it all like never before, and writing the days events just felt ridiculous, as it distracted me from the awesome stuff that was happening, almost constantly. I started to fall into the much more social and interactive world of Facebook and that suited my pace. It still does. But there was a nagging feeling that I "should" be writing more often, and it hung around like a friend from high school who still thinks it's 1995. It was time to break it off.
But I don't want to stop having a place to write.
I just don't need a place to "work through" issues anymore.
I have found new ways to do that.
So here I am. My big idea was to cease the withered rendezvous with my LiveJournal and begin anew. Begin a place that was not so rife with history and not so deadened with past sadness and remorse. A place for bright memories and enlightened reflections.
Will I keep up the writing?
Who the hell knows.
But I certainly like the idea of knowing if I have the inclination, the wee blog is here.
Like Arbitrary Comfort before him, In the War Between will hang back, look longingly at my wasted time, and ask for my attention.
But this is attention I won't so much mind paying.
I had come back from Victoria with a pocket full of fortunes and a heart full of regret.
Being the one voted most likely to weep over a boy than whip his ass, I commenced the drawn out process of wading through my sorrows and drafting up some resolution.
This went on for years.
While some of it was happy, most of it was my way of working through issues. There were moments of drama and sap and anger and resentment, punctuated by some comments from others who found their way to my page (some not so welcomed, but ultimately appreciated). People who knew me only through my journal must have thought me suicidal. But the release and safe place to manage my confusion was not just a luxury, but a necessity if I was to find my peace at that time in my life.
It worked. I think.
But after a few years, I began to ignore it for I did not really require the release from my life. In fact, I was immersed in the bliss of it all like never before, and writing the days events just felt ridiculous, as it distracted me from the awesome stuff that was happening, almost constantly. I started to fall into the much more social and interactive world of Facebook and that suited my pace. It still does. But there was a nagging feeling that I "should" be writing more often, and it hung around like a friend from high school who still thinks it's 1995. It was time to break it off.
But I don't want to stop having a place to write.
I just don't need a place to "work through" issues anymore.
I have found new ways to do that.
So here I am. My big idea was to cease the withered rendezvous with my LiveJournal and begin anew. Begin a place that was not so rife with history and not so deadened with past sadness and remorse. A place for bright memories and enlightened reflections.
Will I keep up the writing?
Who the hell knows.
But I certainly like the idea of knowing if I have the inclination, the wee blog is here.
Like Arbitrary Comfort before him, In the War Between will hang back, look longingly at my wasted time, and ask for my attention.
But this is attention I won't so much mind paying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
