Rough Week

Posted on by

And an exciting one. There is a possibility of a huge – and terrific – life changing event, in the near future. I’ll share if it happens. Maybe still if it doesn’t.

In the meantime, I’ve missed some work due to a nasty cold (with sniffles and cough), that led me to miss this month’s monthly blogger meetup, and to fall behind on sharing a bunch of conversations I’ve been involved in recently.

Some can be found in my latest post on media 2.0/publishing 2.0/whatwascalllednewmediabutnowisn’t at Philly Future, including links to interesting reading on copyright, RSS, the A-list, and more.

Also of note is part 1 of a report on where things stand at Philly Future.

“Happy 300th, Ben!”

Posted on by

Philadelphia Inquirer: Happy 300th, Ben!:

If Benjamin Franklin were alive, he might skip the events planned around town today for his 300th birthday.

Too much folderol for his taste, too much speechifying. Too much Franklin, Franklin, Franklin.

It would offend his sense of modesty, and while Franklin wasn’t humble (he knew he was smarter than most), he worked hard at being modest.

It was a virtue he cultivated, aware of its value in everyday life. To be a leader of men, he realized, it was best to be one of the guys: generous in praise, respectful of divergent opinions, quick to give credit to others, slow to take it himself.

In short, Franklin was a genius with a first-class disposition, a rare thing. His brainpower, his energy, and his high emotional IQ made him the de facto civic leader of Philadelphia, its go-to guy, while still in his 30s.

The story of the founding of Pennsylvania Hospital is one example of his uncanny ability to get things done.

It wasn’t Franklin’s idea. It was Dr. Thomas Bond, a London-trained physician, who wanted a hospital for the poor and indigent. As Bond pitched his idea around town, people invariably asked: Have you talked to Franklin?

Franklin embraced the plan. But how to raise the 4,000 pounds?

Franklin had an idea. (He always had an idea.) He had a citizen petition presented to the Colonial Assembly, asking it to create a hospital.

When – as he knew they would – rural legislators objected to such a large expenditure for Philadelphia, Franklin, a member of the Assembly, rose and asked it to put forward half the money – but only if the other 2,000 could be first raised privately. Assembly members agreed, thinking that the private appeal would fail but that they could collect political credits for their generosity.

Franklin then organized the fund-raising, the 2,000 pounds was raised, the Assembly put up the other 2,000 pounds, and America’s first hospital was erected at Eighth and Pine Streets, where it stands today.

Thus did Ben Franklin invent one of the mainstays of modern philanthropy: matching funds.

As Franklin wrote later: “I do not remember any of my political manoeuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure…”

The hospital was chartered in 1751, three years after Franklin retired to give time to civic and scientific pursuits.

To friends who asked why he would give up a lucrative printing business, Franklin explained that when he died, he would rather have people say that “he was useful” than “he was rich.”

Related: Dan Rubin: Happy Birthday, Blog Daddy. Indeed he was.

“Fear drives out reason”

Posted on by

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King: Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence:

The truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government’s policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one’s own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.

via stilicho, via Anil:

…Dr. King shows the best possible way to testify, the highest calling of declaring one’s faith publicly. Most public declarations of faith are unseemly, full of preening and judgement. I grew up in an area where it seemed most Christians acted anything but, so it was a revelation to me for a public figure to have championed his religion so humbly, honestly and respectfully. Before I encountered Dr. King’s speeches, I didn’t understand that true manifestations of faith could cause someone to embrace those who were different or those with whom we disagree. It’s obvious why so many, regardless of their own faith or lack thereof, found common cause and a comfort in Dr. King’s values.

Al Gore: MLK Day 2006: Speech at Constiution Hall:

Fear drives out reason. Fear suppresses the politics of discourse and opens the door to the politics of destruction. Justice Brandeis once wrote: “Men feared witches and burnt women.”

The founders of our country faced dire threats. If they failed in their endeavors, they would have been hung as traitors. The very existence of our country was at risk.

Yet, in the teeth of those dangers, they insisted on establishing the Bill of Rights.

Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment’s notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won two World Wars simultaneously?

It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.

(via Atrios)

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posted on by

On Vietnam: (listen to the whole speech):

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death… America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing except a tragic death wish to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing to keep us from molding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood.

On political strategy/solidarity:(listen to the whole speech):

Now the other thing we’ll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people. Individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget that collectively — that means all of us together — collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever think about that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That’s power right there, if we know how to pool it.

On Equality:(watch it):

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

(via MFA)

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

(via Pax Romano)

More at Philly Future

Slustler

Posted on by

Wired News: Cyberporn Sells in Virtual World:

You’ve heard of machinima — films made by altering video-game footage — but that’s not the only thing coming out of games these days. Players of the massively multiplayer online title Second Life have started a new type of pornographic magazine, one that passes up real-life models for sexy, in-world avatars.

The magazine, Slustler, is both shot and distributed in the world of the game. There, after throwing down 150 Linden dollars (approximately 60 cents), players can browse Slustler’s 100-plus pages per issue whenever they choose.

Thomas Struszka, Slustler’s editor, started the project this May. “In my opinion,” said Struszka, “the freedom and creative potential are what put Second Life above every other online world.”

Technology enables us to do new things every day, but human nature? Heh.

Anyways, Second Life sounds like fun… but I have way, way too too much going on in this world 🙂 Speaking of Second Life, Lawrence Lessig will be doing a virtual visit to discuss his book “Free Culture”.

Two on BSG

Posted on by

I’m really enjoying the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Nothing like it on television. These past few episodes have been some of the best.

Here’s some recent related links:

An interview with Ron Moore

Dave Rogers: BSG: Flying Toasters:

Adama raises the central question, but doesn’t have the answer. Events conspire to propel him even further along this journey as he’s forced to confront loss on a scale that seems incomprehensible. It’s been fascinating to watch his character wrestle with these questions, his conditioned and habituated thinking, and the consequences of the choices he’s forced to make, as someone with authority and responsibility. I was surprised and pleased last night in the scene were Adama confronted Boomer to ask why the Cylons hate humanity so, and Boomer said that “hate” probably wasn’t the right word. Adama indicated his impatience with her by saying he didn’t intend to fence with her. Boomer then reflected his own words back to him, from his retirement speech aboard Galactica.

It is, I think, the logical conclusion of believing one can create a technology that can “patch” or “work around” the worst failings in our own nature.

What happens if we succeed?

The Ohio Patriot ACT

Posted on by

NewsNet5.com: Bill Would Allow Arrests For No Reason In Public Place:

…The Ohio Patriot Act has made it to the Taft’s desk, and with the stroke of a pen, it would most likely become the toughest terrorism bill in the country. The lengthy piece of legislation would let police arrest people in public places who will not give their names, address and birth dates, even if they are not doing anything wrong.

WEWS reported it would also pave the way for everyone entering critical transportation sites such as, train stations, airports and bus stations to show ID.

“It brings us frighteningly close to a show me your papers society,” said Carrie Davis of the ACLU, which opposes the Ohio Patriot Act.

There are many others who oppose the bill as well.

“The variety of people who opposed to this is not just a group of the usual suspects. We have people far right to the left opposing the bill who think it is a bad idea,” said Al McGinty, NewsChannel5’s terrorism expert.

McGinty said he isn’t sure the law would do what it’s intended to do.

“I think anything we do to enhance security and give power to protect the public to police officers is a good idea,” he said. “It is a good law in the wrong direction.”

Gov. Bob Taft will make the ultimate decision on whether to sign the bill.

WEWS was told that Taft is expected to sign the bill into law, but legal experts expect that it will be challenged in courts.

Pray for Herb

Posted on by

The All Spin Zone: SpinDentist: Pray for Herb (via Philly Future):

No, that’s not a stoner’s lament as he scrapes up the last of his stash and wondering where his next hit will come from. It is an emblem of a cyber-phenomenon, where a community residing on the internet, in this case the Philadelphia Eagles Message Board (EMB) (registration required), is mourning for one of their own. Herb, a member of that community for many years, is dying (article by Dave Spadaro is here.) The outpouring of love is amazing, and while this cyber-community has many members who have met each other, it is not like these people are lifelong friends. They all met on a Message Board, yet their love, support, grief, it is very real and touching. It makes me dizzy in a sense, that so much connection can be felt by so many whose real world connection is mostly through a modem.

..He’s a member of the military, a husband of Jess, and the father of three little ones aged seven and below. Today he lies in a bed, and I imagine there are tubes connected. His cancer is in the very last stages, and he may not make it through the weekend. But he will be taking phone calls from his friends on the EMB, all day probably. They will call to cheer him up, and they will call so that Herb can cheer them up, just as if they are real friends. “Real” friends? Well, it seems we aren’t in Kansas anymore, and those definitions we so comfortably hold do not hold any longer.

… I met Herb first in late November of 2003 at an away game in Charlotte, the “MOFO Roadie.” A bunch of us gathered to attend the game, but also to meet. It was odd addressing others by their screen names. I met NotPlainJane there for the first time, and subsequently married her. But EaglesFeva, FastFreddie, Beermonkey, DieHard, RSbirdman22 and Emerald Eagle were also there. So was “73,” Herb, and he was healthy and in remission, but he was already a strong focus for the group, because we’d rallied for his first bout with the big “C.” We joked about his big feet.

Several months ago it was discovered that Herb had a tumor. the cancer had come back and it has now invaded throughout his internal organs. Herb is at the end. And yet, he brings the people of the EMB together in his ending. I expect we’ll run some sort of fundraising for Herb’s kids in the next week or so. We’ve done that before for one of our own, and that fundraising ultimately ended up in inspiring the organization of a charity, Fans Helping Fans. I’m guessing we can raise $10,000 entirely online to help establish a college fund for the kids. In a global sense that’s not much, not “Abramoff-like” money for damned sure. But doing so entirely on the internet among a group of people who first met there is a phenomenal feat. It is the face of the future, where emotion and caring burst from the confines of family and neighborhoods and extends through the internet, as it has here.