Another article on the new European underclass. I wonder what triggers off these public discussions. Was it really a German politician who discovered poverty exists in Germany?
Social inequality, social exclusion are facts that can be observed by a majority of, say, teachers any day. And it has always existed. And its growing.
This article is more to the point.
10/30/2006
10/29/2006
Google Gadgets
Google gadgets, like Google Map, calendar viewer, the current moon phase, calculators, ip-address-look-up, babelfish-translator, sudoko-puzzles, quotes, picture of the day, satellite photos, brain teasers, poker, crosswords, earthquake and terrorism watch, jokes and lots more - all for your blog or website.
I'm going to try out - some of them. This week it's the current moon phase.
I'm going to try out - some of them. This week it's the current moon phase.
10/03/2006
Blogtalk Reloaded - in between
I really do like the TiddlyWiki Jeremy Ruston introduced at the conference yesterday - it's kind of a personal notebook and it "allows anyone to create personal SelfContained hypertext documents that can be posted to a WebServer, sent by email or kept on a USB thumb drive to make a WikiOnAStick." Great for teaching and e-learning purposes, I suppose.
But what is meant by tiddly? The possibility of jumping around? Or even one of the other meanings of that word?
But what is meant by tiddly? The possibility of jumping around? Or even one of the other meanings of that word?
Blogtalk Reloaded - the first day
I should have put down an account of the doings on Blogtalk Reloaded – but now it’s way too late. Oh yes, I could have done this all day long – but my laptop is down with the flu (it’s the season again!), and besides, with the pc on my knees I would have gotten much too distracted and wouldn’t have given the presentations the proper attention – which they really deserved.
Besides, let other people do the work! This will be my motto from now on.
So, let’s see what Philip (in German), Jan and zerok tell about the conference.
Besides, let other people do the work! This will be my motto from now on.
So, let’s see what Philip (in German), Jan and zerok tell about the conference.
10/01/2006
Autograph Man
Of course I had heard of Zadie Smith before, but this weekend was the weekend I started to read Autograph Man.
Alex-Li Tandem is the autograph man – collecting, evaluating, selling autographs. He grows up a Jewish boy in a London suburb – and that’s where the story starts. Alex’ father takes him and two other boys to a wrestling match at the Royal Albert Hall where they meet Joseph Klein, a thirteen-year-old autograph collector and his dominating father.
After roughly 100 pages I’m still a little lost between the different topics – Judaism, fatal illness, drugs – and the rather quick development of characters. Just when I got used and liked the character of Alex Li-Tandem’s father, he’s already dead.
Since I spend my days with teenagers I liked the description of kids` language and behaviour and also their parents' ignorance of their doings - she must have made field studies there.
A few lines from the text where Alex' father wonders what they are talking about:
"References to programmes he's never watched, songs he's never heard, films that came and went without him noticing. It is as if there is some high-pitched frequency in the everyday life of his son which Li-Jin is tuned in only once a year, at Christmas, when he is told to go and buy the bright plastic merchandise which accompanies these mysterious entertainments."
However, in the section of the grown-up Alex the dialogues around introspection, religion and drugged experiences are meandering around and I'm waiting for some connection.
Am I too impatient? Is there anyone out there who knows the book?
Alex-Li Tandem is the autograph man – collecting, evaluating, selling autographs. He grows up a Jewish boy in a London suburb – and that’s where the story starts. Alex’ father takes him and two other boys to a wrestling match at the Royal Albert Hall where they meet Joseph Klein, a thirteen-year-old autograph collector and his dominating father.
After roughly 100 pages I’m still a little lost between the different topics – Judaism, fatal illness, drugs – and the rather quick development of characters. Just when I got used and liked the character of Alex Li-Tandem’s father, he’s already dead.
Since I spend my days with teenagers I liked the description of kids` language and behaviour and also their parents' ignorance of their doings - she must have made field studies there.
A few lines from the text where Alex' father wonders what they are talking about:
"References to programmes he's never watched, songs he's never heard, films that came and went without him noticing. It is as if there is some high-pitched frequency in the everyday life of his son which Li-Jin is tuned in only once a year, at Christmas, when he is told to go and buy the bright plastic merchandise which accompanies these mysterious entertainments."
However, in the section of the grown-up Alex the dialogues around introspection, religion and drugged experiences are meandering around and I'm waiting for some connection.
Am I too impatient? Is there anyone out there who knows the book?
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