One Laptop per Child

The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop — a technology that, in their words "could revolutionize how we educate the world's children". To achieve this goal, a non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.

Here`s an interview with N. Negroponte on the initiative.

Good intentions, no doubt, as the digital divide is widening. Hopefully, they will consider supporting and accompanying measures as well.

Mad Dogs and Ulstermen

Stephen Howe explores the manifestations of

"promiscuous cultural borrowings attempting to shore up a collapsed political identity" that can be observed in loyalist working-class communities in Northern Ireland. The first part of a two-part essay is devoted to music, visual display and political rhetoric.

Mad Dogs and Ulstermen: the crisis of Loyalism (part one)

Lessons to be learned

In "Telepolis" Craig Morris writes today about "The more things change .." The lessons of Katrina and Rita -- sorted by ideology.

"When the people at the headquarters of Climate Pollution finally come to their senses, the international community must be able to extend a welcome to the US in the form of a finished proposal for the future of international climate protection. The German government is ready.

The famous last words of Mr. Trittin, Germany's Environmental Minister, on August 29, 2005 -- the day that Katrina hit the US. On September 18, Germans voted him and his coalition out of office. Germany got rid of its government faster than the White House could come to its senses, for the lessons that Americans are learning from Katrina and Rita only show that nothing has changed.. " ..continue.

Yoga, Age, and Youth

Just in case you haven't started taking yoga classes - take a look at Tao Porchon-Lynch and you'll enrol tomorrow.

Youth, Age, and Genius

the hot blues
Originally uploaded by francessa_Rich.

What is the best age to create your masterpiece? Peter Conrad reflects on a time when all the brightest talents died young...

The thinking hemisphere?

David Herman writes under the header "Thinking globally" about Prospect and Foreign Policy's list of the world's top 100 public intellectuals, which is dominated by the west, and, above all America...

What about some such lists composed by, say, African people, Arab people, Chinese people,and so on. Would they agree?

By the way, you can submit YOUR vote there

Geldof's Sheep in Stephen's Green

a thing of beauty is a joy forever ...
Originally uploaded by francessa_Rich.

Bob Geldof - the 73rd person to be awarded the freedom of Dublin city - in honour of his campaign against world poverty has now the right to graze sheep on common ground. He told journalists: "The truth is I do have 14 sheep down in Kent in my house there, and I'll actually ship them over now to Stephen's Green and you can all bugger of .."

Additionally he may find himself being called upon to defend Dublin from enemy attack according to the act of 1454 which stated that every man who had been granted the freedom of the city must possess arms and join a militia in times of peril.

There's more..

and here too ..

I'm sure the three Fates will watch over their destiny ....

Metros

For lack of time I'm deep into filter-blogging at the moment.
But this site of metro-architecture is nice. I like Naples very much. And there are metros with a view, and more ...

US mass media and politicians

In Telepolis,John Horvath compares the United States' mass media and politicians to the former Soviet Union..

Books

I’ve been tagged by Rob Spence and I really feel honoured by this.

Here are the results!(in the approved song-contest manner)

Number of books I’ve owned: around 3000, distributed among different flats/houses/countries. On average I read 2 books per week, but I've stopped forcing myself to finish books that turn out to be dull. About 90 % of the books are in English, the rest is mostly German non-fiction from the field of Sociology and Communication Sciences.

Last book I bought: Non-fiction: The Google-Society, by Lehmann/Schetsche – in German.

Last book I completed: Tokyo, by Mo Hayder. Very good.

Five books that mean a lot to me: That’s the real challenge, of course. Back to the essentials:

Ulysses (J. Joyce), Gravity’s Rainbow (T. Pynchon), The Songlines (B. Chatwin), The Invention of the World (J. Hodgins), Water Music (T.C.Boyle).

If it had to be eight books (who the hell determined it had to be five??) I’d add The Handmaid’s Tale (by M. Atwood), One Hundred Years of Solitude by G.G. Marquez and The Heart of Darkness by J.Conrad.

If it had to be ten books.. ok, ok...

Five bloggers to tag: A task unfeasible because all the people of my choice had been tagged before. Why do I hear such a big sigh of relief now??

But I’m watching out for newcomers ... Beware!

The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House

Belle & Sebastian support the Warchild Organisation by recording a brandnew song "The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House" on a compilation called "HELP: A Day In The Life, Music that makes a difference". Other tracks include Radiohead, Gorillaz, Razorlight, Manic Street Preachers, Babyshambles, Kaiser Chiefs, Go! Team, Bloc Party, Mylo, Tinariwen, The Zutons, Maximo Park, Magic Numbers, Keane, Hard-Fi, Emmanuel Jal, Elbow, Damien Rice, The Coral, George & Antony and Coldplay.

It will be one of the fastest albums ever released because they started only yesterday and it's already available now, for downloading. Hopefully :-)

Red Tape

According to Elizabeth Williamson from the Washington Post "offers of foreign aid (for restoration purposes following hurricane Katrina) worth tens of millions of dollars -- including a Swedish water purification system, a German cellular telephone network and two Canadian rescue ships -- have been delayed for days awaiting review by backlogged federal agencies.." For more ...

And I've always thought red tape was reserved exclusively to our state dominated Mid-European bureaucracies...

The Safest Place in America

Heise has an interview (with a man in New Orleans, made by Craig Morris)which I find interesting because he explains his very pragmatic reasons for staying in New Orleans.

The Soul of a Man

The Soul of a Man
is the title of another wonderful film of Wim Wenders, which explores the blues and some of its most famous artists: J.B. Lenoir, Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson.

But - above all - this film's title reminds me of one of my favourite books "The Heart of Darkness".

Today in Literature has it that "On this day in 1890, thirty-two year-old Joseph Conrad took command of a small stern-wheeler for the trip down the Congo river from Stanley Falls (now Boyoma Falls) to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). Though Conrad was not exposed to the full horror that Marlow witnessed and felt beckon, these experiences were the genesis of Heart of Darkness, published twelve years later...." Full story, see the link above.

Zoom Vienna

Here's a photoblog of/from Vienna with pictures well-worth seeing.

Vacation vs. Vocation

Phew ....There's nothing harder than several weeks of vacation ;-)

Idly browsing through some magazines offered in the plane on my way back to
Vienna, I came across an irritating statement: Drinkers of coffee are chaotic and creative, drinkers of tea are well organized, conservative and a little boring. They even said never would a drinker of tea be uncontrolled or inventive. But what about people like me, who cherish a good cup of tea, and wouldn't refuse a nice café latte either? Is the chaos we create boring, or is there disciplined entropy?? And why does all of this remind me of school?

Ah tomorrow - there's nothing harder than the first day of school after several weeks of vacation ..