how do you get some change?

Question:  how do you get some change?

"So I basically said most of the above to the faculty, and then told them that even though I would usually argue that just showing something and not discussing it afterward was a bad idea, that this time - since a meaningful conversation at the end of a long faculty meeting was unlikely - that's what I was going to do. "

Why should we care?

Question: Why should we care?

While our minds generally refer to the continent Africa as a unified whole, it is anything but whole.  Information technologies, as the article points out, offers a way for the world to help the countries of Africa cross this divide and lead to perhaps a unifed voice of countries we could rightly call: Africa.  I found the article invigorating.  Traditional landline phones were never a good idea for a developing third-word countries nor is the automobile as a means of mass transit viable.  Instead of repeating the so-called civilized countries mistakes, African countries could surpass our own boondoggles.

As we mount offensives on healthcare concerns, stabilizing economies, creating democratic or socialist or representative societies within African countries, the "digital divide" could be a subset of issues addressed to each of these.  No longer would we have to wait for crucial medical data to travel weeks if not months to be processed, analyzed and solutions found.  Working to decrease the digital divide in these African countries we could be equipping a whole region, nation, village, or the continent with the powerful ability to share vital information and connect people who may never have been connected before in their lifetime.  This power: the access to and the sharing of information is the foundational element of success for today and the future.   Humanity started it's travel from the African continent this way and it is fitting we return the favor our birth mother.  Additionally, with the internet becoming another engine of commerce this could enable poor African countries to leap on the world stage into the era of information technology without having to go through pointless stages like industrialization.

 

While these are loose thoughts, what if different countries in Africa could report changing weather conditions to scores of well-endowed meteorological research institutions around the world?  Could major patterns of world weather be detected?  Could it be if we bridge this gap we could prevent another tsunami of genocide or drought or terrorism?  Internet access may not seem vital, implemented correctly it could be an incalculable link to unifying the various disparate African countries: is it so hard to believe that the next great technology could come from a person living in some remote village in Kenya;  that connecting this person to the "outside world" could be the resource they need to move into the global economy -before the global economy consumes them;  this could likely happen somewhere on the African continent as it could come from a small rural US town.

And what are you doing that's so great?

Question: what are you doing that's so great?

"Insuring that we keep rural America prospering is an important goal for our country...(M)any of the solutions to the challenges we face as a nation can be found in our small towns and rural areas..It's time to create jobs...[and]...renew the promise of rural communities ..."

( Read Senator Clinton's major address on the challenges facing rural communities delivered on July 31, 2006 in Lockport, NY. )

The Rural Investment to Strengthen our Economy Act (Rural RISE Act) and The School Food Fresh Act promise great actions.  While I want to be skepitical saying, "we'll see what happens," this constricting belief coaxes would-be activists into the deadly sleep of apathy; once you are apathetic, you are dead.  Easily recongnized those dejected souls, once supporters of these measures, become idle bystanders.  Doing so these Acts fail.  Then, those souls see the lies they tell themselves become true reality.  It truly does not matter if this time around if these acts pass or make an impact.  What truly matters is that we do something.  The rural US is dying .  We hemorrhage towards a slow death through the hearts of our small towns.

Technology may not be the cure for everything but technology could lead to us to a better cure.  The Rural RISE Act and School Fresh Food act say to the corporate bullies and flim-flam politicos:  we're not going take the your sloppy assuagements as a way to live.  Instead we will demand a better system be offered to us: a view of life that is progessive, new, gives information technologies "access powers" where it can create the most value and allows full reciprocity should we want to return to beautifully metronomic pace of small towns.  Instead we will demand to be restored in our hearts (our rural towns) and our bodies (the children who are being fed lower quality foods than you would feed animals at times.)  It's disturbing to think we consider our children the future strength of our nation and do not provide viable sustenance nor universal health insurance until young adulthood.

 

 

Am I loosely joking when I say this is why I don't eat pork (or meat for that matter)?

Pigs don't fly yet.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0921/p04s01-woap.html?BAC-salon2007&pigfishbox

 

Did we ask this question already?

Question:

"Nanosecond Timing Synchronization" means that time is still big, big business.

That's fine by me. Most people are going to say at the end of their life: I'm glad I didn't spend more time at the office. Problem: most people hate their job; what if you don't and live a reticulated-pythonic life?

Question: What do you think about this?

Question: What do you think about this?
"Walkable communities are only technically and economically feasible when an infrastructure of quality transit services is provided."
It's a good idea.

Walk more; ride trike more; blade more; jog more; run more; glide more; move more -pace of life is more relaxing the more you use your body to move around.

What's the 411 homey?

Question: What's the 411?
This is.

Why are you not printing out your gmails?

Why are you not printing out your gmails?
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/paper/index.html
Hilarious.

What about your savings?

Question: What about your savings? Shooting for 20% per paycheck.

How can you walk better?

Question:
How can you walk better?

Answer:
re-wire, less power, more grace.
Getting down to brain-sized computers."

What's the word?

Question:
What's the word?

Answer:
Everyone should have one. Mine consist of 100 page comp journals that are about 3 bucks a piece, @ Back To School fall sales.

vade mecum
1. A book for ready reference; a manual; a handbook.
2. A useful thing that one regularly carries about."

What is the next step?

Question:
What is the next step?

Answer:
Publish or share or raise the titanic.

How do you get started?

That depends on what you want to learn. I can give vague, general, broad, diffuse advice. But, the best thing to do is do one thing at a time. (I wish I could say that was my idea.)

From your posts I surmise you are very thorough, like to create structure, are very opinionated, and have little or no problem expressing yourself thru writing.

I recommend this path outlined below. Make it your own. It's obtuse and sparse for a simple reason.

On the matter of a beginning:
1. Pick up a cheap second-hand computer or get one donated to you.
(Get creative on how to do this. You'd be surprise, once you put it out there, how willing people are to give you old computers and other stuff once you say the words "I'll take it.")

2. Totally muck up that computer.
Learn how to install new hardware and new software. Commit to a high level of discovering new applications each week. (I find, on average, a new piece of hardware or software program for an existing problem/research request about once a week.)

3. Blog your exploits.
Make yourself accountable to other people. The biggest way to push yourself to develop any skill is by surrounding yourself with people who are better at something than you are. That and 10,000 hours.

Do you still buy your books from the bookstore?

Question:
Do you still buy your books from the bookstore?

Answer:
You're probably not saving 20% of your income across the board either, right? Don't think you have enough to pay yourself? Ok.

What's the sign of the times?

Question:
What's the sign of the times?

Answer:
Could this be?
"Introduction to Code Signing"