Archive for September, 2007
« Previous EntriesMyanmar shows again that communication technology trumps evil
Saturday, September 29th, 2007In 1989, due to some amazing examples of the power of social and, at that time, primitive technological networks (remember the “fax revolution”?) I found myself in the heart of the Chinese Pro-Democracy Movement (the story’s too long to tell here — buy me a beer and I’ll tell you the whole amazing thing!) right […]
Social network to the rescue: rabies victim found via Facebook!
Monday, September 24th, 2007Our intrepid Canadian correspondent, Hal Newman, reports in from north of the border with this great example of social networking during an emergency (while also supporting Stephenson’s Law #3:in a crisis, turn communications over to the 15-25 year olds)!
When Toronto Public Health officials couldn’t locate a woman who needed shots because she’d handled a rabid […]
Domestic One Laptop Per Child: get ‘em quick for disasters!
Monday, September 24th, 2007I’ve written a number of times in the past that Nick Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child — the nifty little laptop aimed at poor children in the developing world — could also be the ultimate tool for effective communication during a disaster because it has a self-power option, and has built-in mesh networking, so you […]
mirabile dictu! My comment on Chertoff’s blog was ok’d
Friday, September 21st, 2007Mirabile dictu!
After my bitching about my past experience with the DHS website, where a wide range of comments submitted via their comment form went unanswered, I was happily astonished to see that my tepidly-critical comment on Sec. Chertoff’s preparedness post on his journal/blog was actually approved by the DHS Comment Gods and now appears in […]
College admissions news: MIT admits idiots!
Friday, September 21st, 2007Shades of last winter’s Adult Swim controversy in the Hub of the Universe, which revealed a generational divide between those of us who pay mortgages and snot-nosed kids (bring on those snarky responses, boys and girls …) over what is and isn’t funny in the age of terrorism.
Some (by no means all!) kids are still […]
Another bin Laden tag cloud visualization
Friday, September 21st, 2007I’ve just posted another word cloud (vs. tag cloud) data visualization on Many Eyes: this time the subject is bin Laden’s September 19th, 2007 “Come to Jihad” message to Pakistanis to launch jihad against Musharaff (as translated by Laura Mansfield).
I hope you’ll compare it to the one I did of his Sept. 9th “The Solution” […]
Yo! Welcome to the blogosphere, Mike Chertoff!
Thursday, September 20th, 2007Will wonders never cease?
One of my best tipsters let me know Mike Chertoff has joined the blogosphere, with the edgy-titled Leadership Journal (OK, readers: who’s gonna supply me with suggested alternative titles?).
I wish I could remember the secret handshake to welcome him to the clan….
The jury’s out on whether this “journal” (guess blog is a […]
National Preparedness Month tips: ok, but sooo 20th-century
Thursday, September 20th, 2007Long-time readers will remember that I have little good to say about National Preparedness Month, the annual non-event each September in which DHS and the Ad Council make half-hearted efforts to get us to prepare for a terrorist attack or disaster.
Always a non-starter, they reached their nadir during Katrina, when Sec. Chertoff chose to attend […]
et al.: hang ‘em from the yard arm — It’ll be Talk Like a Pirate Day
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007So its terrorists yer lookin’ for, eh? There’ll be no talk of terrorists here today, when we’re focusin’ on the real issue at hand: pirates!
Quick, get young ‘awkins from the Admiral Benbow: we sail at sunrise!
It’ll be Talk Like a Pirate Day we’re celebratin’ agin, an there be none better ‘an the piratical […]
IMHO: need creative, Web 2.0 way to push for end to war
Monday, September 17th, 2007Just thinkin’…
I’ve been listening to an interesting/vexing hour of discussion by NPR’s OnPoint about how the anti-war movement just doesn’t seem to be able to make a real breakthrough, whether because the Democrats focus more on being re-elected, marchers are demonized, or pick your favorite reason.
IMHO, as someone who first started marching in DC […]
