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Metaphoric Space, Cyberspace, and Work Space — Computers and Writing 2009

Chair Mikhail Gershovich, Barch College, CUNY

Hacking Spaces: Place as Interface

  • Danielle Nicole DeVoss, Michigan State University
  • Douglass Walls, Michigan State University
  • Scott Schopieray, Michigan State University

Writing-a-go-go: Ubiquitous Computing and the Thirdspace of Workplace Writing
Tina Bacci, University of Rhode Island

The Examined Life–Cyberspace Style: The Construction of Space in the #philosophy IRC Undernet Community
Kennie Rose, University of Louisville

What follows are my rough notes, lightly edited. [My own comments are in square brackets.]

Hacking Spaces: Place as Interface

  • Danielle Nicole DeVoss, Michigan State University
  • Douglass Walls, Michigan State University
  • Scott Schopieray, Michigan State University

situate this analysis of instructional spaces on issues these spaces
pose–issues of restricted movement, impaired ability to collaborate,
sensory disruption, limited leadership ability, and functional/material
constraints. We attempt to return to the roots of hacking and
to situate hacking as a particular tool for negotiating and, at times,
disrupting the assumptions built under, within, and across
instructional spaces.

I didn’t get the handout they were passing out…

Danielle’s start:

Want to take back “hacking” to its 70s culture, against hoarding of information, towards a more user-friendly notion.

Look back at 20th C learning C spaces (19thC), rooted in industrial era designs, moving large numbers efficiently through the educational system.

Our classrooms reflect this mindset, even though education “has long since dropped that mindset” [that’s optimistic!]. Learning is relatively isolated in these spaces, because they aren’t designed to help our students interact with each other.

Our classroom spaces communicate to us that what happens in the classroom is very different from what happens outside. 21C learning is supposed to be about linking the classroom to the profession. Huge classrooms with people crammed into one space, big dividers between students, desks and chairs where they can’t take notes — not the way they will apply learning in the outside world.

Refers to new spaces with “real chairs that all of us would want to sit in.” Technology  is embedded, not always obvious.

Danielle — says ethernet drops and power cords seem mundane.  [Agreed — this is the same room I was in before, and the back row is full of people who need the few power plugs that are available up there.]

MIT’s SteamCafe: Touchscreens at end of booths in cafe.

Four threads — access, interface as space, (Phil Alexander — showed overlapping windows, said we work and think here, why make students think in an environment that starts with a blinking vertical insertion bar on a white screen.)  networked spaces, physical layout.

Showed some floor plans — two PC classrooms, with typical rows, separated by dividing bar, “with a particularly loud or popular teacher next door” it can be hard to keep your class focused.

Showed another classroom — students can isolate themselves in a pod with their backs facing the instructor, can’t see projection screen.  Another classroom with pillars in the way, or arrangements that block rows.

Heuristic for what to hack:

movement, collaboration (arrangement can prevent orientations), sensory (3 air conditioners), leadership (our field has a tradition of rearranging furniture to shift focus), functional/material (students think of you as the IT person)

(Imagine that we had a dicussion about 70s hacking.)

Administrative hacks — know the system, know how space decisions are made. Know the people, don’t step on toes. Know the methods for how to make space-related proposals.

Hackers understand the way things work, that’s why they can get things done.  The problem becomes a way to focus on some other feature that you do want to talk about.  On the day you turn on 3 air conditioners, you turn the class into a chat class.

Talk about the physical dimensions of the class, how people talk. Then move students out into the world and look at other writing spaces. [Think of the news copy desk reflecting the traditional hierarchical workflow in a newspaper?]

Writing-a-go-go: Ubiquitous Computing and the Thirdspace of Workplace Writing
Tina Bacci, University of Rhode Island

computer and microcomputer technology in the workplace have expanded,
and in some cases demolished, the office walls. The traditional binary
of work writing and home writing is complicated with a third, elusive
category of on-thego writing. This article uses the space and place
work of Nedra Reynolds as a starting point to investigate how the
intangible and transitory nature of “on-the-go” affects workplace

Mobile workers transport the spaces they visit into transient offices, replacing the structures of the offices they’ve left behind.  But e-mail on the go resembles the writing practices of social networking.

[Bacci is beginning with a survey of the literature. Because she’s reading aloud from a written paper, there isn’t much for me to write about just yet.  I’m not well versed enough in this field to be able to evaluate anything so far, or quote selectively and intelligently from what she’s saying.  I’m more conscious of wishing I had her text in front of me so I could give it my full attention. ]

References to Soja’s definition of thirdspace — a “thirding of the spatial imagination”. — simultaneoulsy real and imagined,and more.  So far Bacci has apologetically prepared us for a long quote, and shown a tiny image in the printout in her hand.

Refers to a smartphone advertisement — a man who says he thinks of his bus as his office.]

Airports designed to emphasize flow of passengers, not work, stripping the identity of “worker” and replacing it with “traveller”.   Describves a traveler who, needing a plug, moved a low table over to a pole and sat on the floor.

Expected to find that established office writing behaviors would follow workers who created an imagined office with their mobile technology.  Reynolds — once constraints become familiar, they become encoded, rarely noticed or questioned.

Writing on the go more similar to social networking sites [Isn’t this because of the interface, — using your thumbs on a phone — rather than the location?]

On the go writers recognize that e-mail sent from a mobile machine contains a disclaimer — “Please excuse spelling errors” messages.   Considered acceptable, even expected, but not the kind of writing they would use on a full keyboard.  What is or is not appropriate given the application chosen.  Social affordances give cues in ways similar to genre in…. [here she referred to some names that are outside of my field, so I’m a bit lost… looks like she’s cutting for time and jumping around a bit.]

Bacci says her work is an early investigation, inventive social affordances going on in difffrent technical and social applications.

The Examined Life–Cyberspace Style: The Construction of Space in the #philosophy IRC Undernet Community
Kennie Rose, University of Louisville

study examines the rhetoric of #philosophy, a chat room that operates
through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol on the Undernetnetwork.
#philosophy’s mission statement describes it as “a reliable place . . .
for civil philosophical conversation.” Using an ethnographic approach,
I gathered hours worth of chat transcripts and material from the
channel’s website; then, I analyzed this data through the lens of
speech act and cultural rhetorical theory.

Looking at older social tools, will apply ideas about space to a chat transcript of the philosophy IRC channel.

Nedra Reynolds (Rose has put up a slide citing this figure who’s unfamiliar to me but important to his point… much easier for me to follow along.)

Unversity spaces separated from surrounding city… in USA the surrounding city tends to have straight lines, but universities have curvy lines, buildings placed in irregular patterns. Unconscious recognition that you have walked onto an academic space.

You expect students, professors, other kinds of university workers in the space; patterns of behavior expected of these groups.

Showed example of a visitor violating protocal and being “silenced” and referred to a legalistic document explaining all the rules of membership (which earned a few snickers from the conference audience).  Rules that avoid “personal issues” as a distraction from talking about philosophy.  This group goals exclude discussing the specifics of the current philosophical scene.

Why people come into this chat room to discuss philosophy in a universal, absolutist way. Discussed his position without much power working in a movie theater, taking classes… he was attracted to a space where the goal was discussing universal questions, hooking into western philosophical tradition that argues the universal is more important than the specific.  Conjectures that others may have been attracted to the space the same way.

Future research… Reynolds mentions that sensing boundaries involes a type of knowledge that’s very hard to name or research.


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Two Months of Sundays at Kenwood Baptist Church

In God’s mercy and kindness I have been called as the (bi-vocational) preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church here in Louisville. As noted earlier, I’m thinking a lot about the book of Revelation these days, which influences the selection of the sermon series I’ll begin, Lord willing, on Sunday. Below is what can be expected for the next couple of months, and I am so grateful that Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner will preach an installation service at Kenwood on April 19.

May the Lord strengthen his people and summon the lost:

Revelation: Blessed Are Those Who Hear and Keep

April 5 Revelation 1:1–8 The Blessing of the Revelation of Jesus Christ

April 12 Revelation 1:9–20 Jesus Christ Risen and Glorious

April 19 Tom Schreiner Preaching, Installation Service for Jim Hamilton

April 26 Revelation 2:1–7 First Love

May 3 Revelation 2:8–11 Faithful unto Death

May 10 Revelation 2:12–17 Repent of Nicolaitan Teaching

May 17 Revelation 2:18–29 King Jesus Versus Jezebel

May 24 Revelation 3:1–6 Wake Up!

May 31 Revelation 3:7–13 An Open Door No One Can Shut

Filed under Current Events, Ministry

10 responses to “Two Months of Sundays at Kenwood Baptist Church

  1. Noah

    Congratulations on the new church! We are excited to have you and your family come to be with us at Kenwood and I am excited to hear your sermons on Revelaiton. Praise the Lord!

  2. tlangejr

    Praise the Lord! that is an answer to prayer. May God bless you and the people of Kenwood Baptist Church.

  3. Congratulations Dr. Hamilton and Kenwood Baptist Church!

  4. The sermon series on Revelation tweaked my interest. Are the sermons going to posted online anywhere? I checked the Kenwood webpage that you listed, but didn’t see a link for sermons.

  5. Craig,

    Thanks for your note. I hope the audio will be posted. We’ll try to pull it off.

    Please pray for us!

  6. It is good to see the will of the Lord work its way out in your coming to Kenwood. We have been without a preaching pastor for some time and it is great to see how God kept us lacking until His appointed time had come about and your coming to Louisville and settling in had all happened in divine timing. We as Kenwood give much praise for the gift He has given in giving us you as pastor.

  7. Thanks for your kind words!

  8. Linda

    very exciting news.

  9. I am an ex-student of Dr. Hamilton from my days at SWBTS. Dr. Hamilton is and will always be an excellent professor. I am happy to hear he is a bi-vac pastor.

    Pastor Raymond Gills

  10. Gramzee

    Always praying. Mom

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Gypsy Jazz Legends

The Dutch gypsy jazz legends - Tim Kliphius and Paulus Schaffer

Direct from Grapelli Camp (Netherlands) and DjangoFest (USA) J-Night proudly present two of the finest gypsy jazz musicians in the world today.

Violinist Tim Kliphuis’ style is totally new, yet steeped in tradition, taking the music of Vivaldi, Beethoven and Paganini, blending it with Grappelli’s gypsy jazz, then adding celtic folk and world music techniques.

Paulus Schäfer was born into the Dutch Sinti (Gypsy) community and is today one of the most talented Gypsy Jazz guitarists in Europe, tutored by Wasso Grünholz – a legend within the Sinti community – and his nephew Stochelo Rosenberg.

Together with their band they will evoke the true spirit of Django Reinhardt.

'Fearsomely fast and fun'- Time Out'

'This is real,stylish music'- The Strad

Tue, 9 Apr 2013
York Theatre Royal, St. Leonard's Place, York, YO1 7HD
This is an archived event, tickets are no longer for sale

Artists involved in this gig


text:
Kids..I’m a Medium

Cole blogAaron blog01080046

I was on an airplane headed home from San Diego this past weekend pondering how to start sharing more about my mediumship with my children. I haven’t kept it a secret by any means but I also have not discussed it at length.

Feeling our feelings and honoring our insights is a big deal in our home and that pleases me and my husband a great deal. When I was pregnant with our first born, I was bent on making sure our children could happily mainstream. My choice was and is to not drench them with too much of even a good thing! They would come to it on their own. And by IT I mean the whole amazing intuitive process.

I have three beautiful, loving, talented, teen-aged-children. When they were little we began playing intuition-building-games together while waiting for our food at restaurants. To onlookers it must have appeared as though we were playing I SPY!

On some level, they all grasp that people don’t disappear when they die and that the soul, meaning spirit, lives on. They grew up with the knowledge that the spirit of grandpa, Colleen and even our dog Baci, all deceased, can feel the love we have for them in our hearts and even visit us through that love.

What I’ve not discussed is that the second I hear someone’s name, whooshes of personal information about him or her zip by me and that I choose to ignore it. (Unless I’m working, it’s not actually my business.)  My kids would not be surprised to hear that I can sense how the chef was feeling emotionally speaking as he or she prepared our food.

But what they don’t know is that when we drive through a neighborhood, any neighborhood, I can instantly sense if a house is haunted and often by whom.

That-tickle-on-your-nose is me

What they do know, because I’ve shown them through my actions, is how much I love people and it is through that love that I work. But today, what I want them to realize is that I can feel, with everything I am, the amount of love every single person has have actively within them to share and that the focus of my work is to help them increase it. I do this through reading energy and this includes the energy of those in spirit.

I’m a medium after all.

So back to my conversation with my children. This is what I have so far…It is my own rendition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, There was a Little Girl.

There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good. And when she was sad she was very, very sad. Feeling in extreme is her see, this curly girl is a medium!

Not everyone with curly hair is a medium & not all mediums have curly hair but they are all feelers in extreme. They feel their emotions in stereo! And they all have an innate capacity to sense the energy of those in spirit.

Mediums you see, are also psychic so can sense, to various degrees what was, what is, and what may be. Both can be highly sensitive and empathic. They feel everything at high volume. But mediums additionally are so sensitive to vibration they are capable of communicating with those in spirit. You know, those most consider “dead”.

As a result of being so sensitive, my boundaries become completely skewed when I’m in a crowd for too long. I become restless, agitated and occasionally grouchy! Knowing where my space begins and where it ends keeps me from feeling everyone’s feelings so I work on that every day.

When we absorb too much of what isn’t ours, the best part of us feels squished out.

extra ordinary grace

My children have witnessed me in overload and they’ve witnessed me climb out of it.

I’ve worked long and hard to build and maintain decent boundaries. I have some free tools & techniques to help you do the same. If you want them sent to you, Click Here!

I live what I love so what I love truly fills my life and my intuition helps me get there. That is what I wish for my children. Whether they align with being sensitive, a psychic, a medium, or just curly or maybe wavy and sweet, I’m good. I’ve done my job. I’ve come further out of my psychic closet and have welcomed them more fully into my world.

Go MN News wrote an article about me and my work as a medium. Here’s the Link!

Here’s one of my favorite parts!

“I never wanted to interview Livon in order to prove or disprove her abilities as a psychic medium – only to tell her story as an interesting person from Minnesota.

So I’ll say this: Whether you believe in psychic powers or not, Livon’s ability to give accurate details about my life, my personality, and even my dog, was pretty remarkable.”

Jodi doesn't tell the future

Come see my intuition in action on NOVEMBER 8th! Learn to ignite your own intuition in a SNAP! This event includes gallery-style-readings! Tickets still available!

Follow your heart

I’m giving away free intuition-popping downloads! Click Here!
I will be back on TWIN CITIES LIVE Friday October 27th!
 Me and my man puppy
I’m on Youtube!  Subscribe and see my intuition in action!
Follow my blog! Click on the follow button on the bottom right of this page! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
THE HAPPY MEDIUM® is a trademark of Jodi Livon
Affirmations generate Transformation

2 thoughts on “Kids..I’m a Medium

    1. I have done some book-related events & speaking engagements in Florida Kim, thank you for asking! Sign up for my newsletter I will let you know when next I’m there!

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Home » Uncategorized » Fan violence: When will they ever learn?

Fan violence: When will they ever learn?

The story was shocking and tragic. A Dodger and Giant fan get into a verbal confrontation. One pulls out a weapon, and the absurd scrap results in death. That’s what happened in July of 1938 when Giants fans, celebrating a win over the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, taunted Dodger fan Robert Joyce at a Brooklyn bar. Joyce left the bar to get a gun, and returned to fatally shoot Giants fan Frank Krug. No one ever learned. A Dodger and Giant fan got into a confrontation in 2003 outside Dodger Stadium. The Dodger fan went to his vehicle, grabbed a gun, and fired a shot that killed the Giants fan. Santa Cruz paramedic Bryan Stow was at Dodger Stadium on opening day in 2011 to watch his Giants play the Dodgers. Giants fans said later there was a bad vibe that night at the ballpark, and it culminated in Stow being severely injured in a parking lot assault after the game, according to police. That night, 89 people were arrested at Dodger Stadium for alcohol-related offenses. Just recently, on Sept. 25, a man with a Giants hat and a man with a Dodger jersey were enough to spark some verbal jabbing just blocks from AT&T Park, where the clubs had played that night. The stories conflict, but the Dodger fan ended up dead after being stabbed.

Incidents of fans spurred to do stupid things because they are caught up in the rivalry are plentiful. In 1971, a Dodgers-Giants game at Dodger Stadium was interrupted when fans threw cushions, a smoke bomb and a wine bottle on the field. When the Dodgers and Giants players almost came to blows at a game in 1987 at Candlestick Park, Giants fans were motivated enough to start throwing beer into the Dodger dugout. Dodgers players had to be restrained from climbing over the railing to get to the unruly spectators. A year later, the Giants and Dodgers played a doubleheader at Candlestick Park, where the final score read: 100 fans ejected, 18 arrested.

It’s unlikely that any of the perpetrators in the above events got up that morning wondering what kind of calamity they could cause today. Yet, there they were by night’s end, involved in altercations with strangers. In three of the four assault-type cases cited, weapons were used. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned fist-fight, a common occurrence, by the way, at Candlestick Park between fans of both teams? The other obvious ingredient is alcohol. Still, even if you’ve been drinking and carrying a weapon, there’s still needs to be something that instigates the violence. If you played word association with Giants-Dodgers, you’d likely get something like “intensity” and “confrontation.” That, as we know, has been part of the rivalry forever. My only guess is that these clashes are processed by those involved as sanitized violence, where you are fighting an enemy who, like a gang member, is wearing some colors that are invading your turf. These violent episodes remind me of road-rage incidents, where people who might not be thugs for a living suddenly turn into foaming-at-the mouth maniacs.

Solutions? The crowds have been dramatically calmer at comfortable AT&T Park, and security was especially charged up for the Dodgers series with security personnel using the wand for front and back checks of every spectator. I understand that security has been beefed up at Dodger Stadium since the Stow attack. I don’t know what else the clubs could do. This latest tragic death happened near the ballpark, but it could have happened anywhere in San Francisco. It really comes down to individuals being smart about the circumstances. I went to the tense Giants-Padres final game in 2010 with two friends who wore San Diego jerseys, one having the name of Giant enemy Mat Latos on the back. Giants fans would come up to us in taunting mode, but we all;would disarm them with our joking and laughter, and they would quickly become our friends. This rivalry can put people on the edge. But how many more violent episodes will it take to get the message across. When will they ever learn?

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Jonathan Fryer

Writer, Lecturer, Broadcaster and Liberal Democrat Politician

Youth and the European Elections

Posted by jonathanfryer on Thursday, 30th January, 2014

Yvote 2014Last evening I took part in a panel debate at King’s College London on what political parties are offering young people in May’s European elections. The event was part of KCL’s Europe Society’s European week, and attracted more than 50 students of diverse nationalities. UKIP had failed to nominate a spokesman, but the EPP (from which David Cameron withdrew the British Conservatives) was represented by the Finnish Chair of its youth wing. Labour and the Greens both sent Euro-candidates, but the Conservatives were represented by someone from the Beau Group. My message that the Liberal Democrats are the only party of IN regarding the UK and the EU went down well — and was unchallenged, even by Labour, who frankly don’t seem to have made their minds up about how they will play the European elections. I concentrated on the three key themes of the Liberal Democrat campaign — jobs, the environment and combating crime, but also highlighted the paradox that whereas young voters in Britain are the most supportive of the European project (and Britain’s rightful place in it), their voting participation is lower than older age groups. It is therefore crucial for a successful LibDem Euro-campaign that we motivate young people, first to register to vote and most importantly to go and vote, or agree to have a postal vote. As well over half of the audience were citizens of other EU member states I emphasized the fact that they can vote in the UK if they get on the register and sign a form saying they will not vote in their country of origin as well. I got the impression I was speaking to the converted as far as Britain and the EU was concerned, which is as it should be. But the message needs to be got out that this year’s Euro-elections are going to be rather like a mini-IN/OUT Referendum and the forces of youth, as well as of common sense, need to be mobilised to make their voices heard.

4 Responses to “Youth and the European Elections”

  1. Dear Jonathan,

    Interesting article demonstrating UK’s current IN/OUT debate in the context of upcoming European Elections.
    I would like to invite you to get acquainted with “Y Vote 2014” Project of European Students’ Forum – AEGEE (the logo of which you have used for the blog post): Since your opinion regarding importance of youth participation in the elections to a large extent coincides with ours, there is an opportunity for our co-operation. Namely, if you have a chance, you could spread the word about the “Y Vote 2014” among young people and encourage them to follow and participate in our activities, so that youth, especially in the UK, become informed citizens capable of making well-grounded decisions at the ballot boxes in few months time (or at least to vote at all).

    I will be glad to hear back from you.

    Kind regards,

    Diana Ondža

    Y Vote 2014 – Communications Manager
    AEGEE // European Students’ Forum

  2. jonathanfryer said

    Very happy to do so, Diana.

  3. Alex said

    As far as I’m concerned, we need to be getting the message out that it is WRONG to use Euro-elections like a mini-IN/OUT Referendum, because MEPs do not decide whether any particular country stays in or leaves the EU. The Lib Dems’ undifferentiated pro-EU Euro-election campaign is a mistake, because we are passively accepting the media narrative (promoted by Euro-sceptics) that the only positions it is possible to take on the EU are uncritical support for anything and everything that EU bodies say and do, and withdrawal from the EU. We need to challenge this lie by talking about what we, as Liberals, will do in the European Parliament to shape EU law. The media tend to complain about “The EU wants to do this, Brussels is forcing us to do that” but NEVER explains WHICH EU institution is proposing this or how the proposed EU law can be influenced. Well the European Parliamentary elections are how voters can influence EU law. Even in our own party it seems some people have bought into the media lie that being pro-EU automatically means justifying everything EU institutions do: I remember an LDV forum post along the lines of “I am as pro-EU as anyone, but how can we justify the Brussels proposal to ban refillable olive oil jars?” Well Duh! you don’t have to justify it, any more than you have to justify everything the UK government of the day does because you support the continuing existence of the UK. We need to get the message across that there are political differences in how ordinary EU-wide laws ought to look, in the same way as there are political differences in how UK laws ought to look. We should call for an edition of Question Time with an all-MEP panel (like they did a Mayoral candidates QT before the London Mayoral election) and call the BBC out for not taking European elections seriously if they do not have one. We need to make European elections about the actual laws that are made in the European Parliament, and the political differences between the groups in what these laws ought to be.

  4. KP said

    I am fascinated by all of your comments to John’s anecdotal aritcle. Whilst I am in agreement that the Euro-elections should focus on EU law and policy rather than an outright in or out campaign, I think that we have a more pressing duty prior to the elections – actually getting (young) people to vote! Before we open up any substantive discussion over EU policy, we need to make sure that Britons and eligible EU voters vote for an MEP candidate at all! As a young person in the UK, I am concerned that not enough people, young or old, are going to participate in May. As such, Diana, Jonathan, I would like to show my active support to your campaigns directed at young people. I will be getting in touch with you privately to discuss this further. All I can say is thank you, for raising awareness among young people.

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— Dana

I hate packing.

The older I get, and the more dependents I add, I’ve found that I loath packing. Today, we’re leaving for a two week road trip. And as I sit here, staring down my giant pile of luggage and bags, I’m quickly realizing that I need to re-pack; which, in my opinion, is worse than packing.

I hate re-packing.

But what I despise most of all is the feeling of failure. I can’t find a few necessary items for our trip. Which never fails to make me feel like I am a horrible manager of my home. We’ve been redecorating and rearranging a few rooms…and I’m sure all these missing items have disappeared in the shuffle. So, I think that’s the contributing factor to my overpacking; I’m overcompensating for my lack of organization the last few month. Which is why I need to re-pack.

I hate losing things in my house.

When I finish re-packing, I have to search around the house for my missing items. However, I have this feeling that I won’t find everything before I leave. Who knows, maybe I’ll discover that tiny elves have searched all night while I was sleeping…and they found all my missing items and gently tucked them in my suitcase…and when I go to re-pack I will find them sitting amongst my unnecessary items. Maybe. Or maybe I will just have to leave without them. Which will irritate me.

There’s nothing like starting a vacation all irritated.

Maybe I should take a shower, drink some warm coffee while writing a blog about my bad attitude, and gain some perspective. That will cheer me up. Maybe packing isn’t so bad. Maybe re-packing can be an adventure in simplifying. Maybe losing things in my house can serve as an encouragement to actually finish my organization project. Maybe I should be grateful for the time I get to leave my house to be with the people that I love. Maybe I should realize that packing represents the beginning of an adventure.

I love packing.

One thought on “Packing

  1. I’m glad writing this blog helped you. I hope you have an awesome trip, even if you can’t find some of those things.

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Monday, September 1, 2014

Vision Zero Task Force Meeting
Wednesday, September 3rd, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

People who walk, bike, and/or drive on Caton Avenue have knowledge and insight that are crucial to the success of Community Board 7's Vision Zero Task Force--the committee whose goal is to promote vehicular and pedestrian safety in our neighborhood.

At its second meeting since its creation, the committee will focus on safety issues on 3rd Avenue and on Caton Avenue. The public is invited to attend and participate.

The committee is working to further the mission of the city's Vision Zero Action Plan by addressing problems that are specific to the neighborhoods within Community Board 7.

Vision Zero's three-pronged plan of enforcement, education, and engineering is designed to put an end to the city's pedestrian and cyclist traffic fatalities within the next ten years.

Previous blog posts about safety on Caton Avenue:

The committee will meet in the Community Board 7 Board Room at 4201 4th Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street), in Sunset Park.

phone: (718) 854-0003
fax: (718) 436-1142
e-mail: communityboard7 @


text:
Get these away from me.

God, fucking fuck saltines all covered in caramel and chocolate and nuts and baked to a crispy perfection.

That’s all I really have to say. Their existence is decimating my soul, because they rail so hard against my willpower. I might as well not have the ability to make my own decisions. That’s it, guys. I’m handing over the control board of this ill-fated ship to chocolate caramel crackers. I think we all might agree I’ll be better off this way anyway. Oh, you turned bright red when that cute guy in the grocery line tried to make conversation about the weather? And then by the time you recovered you made some sort of snarky off-putting comment? Be easy on yourself, baby. That’s just the motherboard of chocolate caramel crackers short-circuiting. Don’t worry about it. They’ve got everything under control now.

Oh wait you parked your car in a driveway overnight and thought it wouldn’t get towed? And then it did? And it cost almost $500 to get it back? Crackers’ fault.

Shoot, you lost your friend’s dog for 3 hours and forced your roommate and other friend to search for it the day after Halloween when most of you were still in costume/extremely hungover/morally bereft? Crackers!! While we’re at it, everything that happened Halloween night? CRACKERS.

Broke 2 pairs of sunglasses? And your waterbottle? Got bit by a spider? Tried to bake chocolate pudding cake in a silicone pan and spilled hot water all over yourself and the oven? Hate your job? Expired car registration? Late fee on your credit card? Crackers, crackers, crackers, crackers, crackers.

Well shit, all of a sudden I feel a great weight lifted. Oh no wait. The opposite. A great weight ingested. Against my will. God damn you. Crackers.

Chocolate Caramel Crackers
from Smitten Kitchen (all notes below are Deb’s)

4 to 6 sheets matzo or approximately 40 Saltine crackers or crackers of your choice
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
A big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate)
1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)
Extra sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet completely with foil, and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper, cut to fit.

Line the bottom of the baking sheet with matzo or crackers, covering all parts. [If using matzo, you’ll need to break pieces to fit any extra spaces, which will be annoying because despite being perforated, it does not actually break in straight lines. I have some luck pressing a serrated knife straight down along a sectionbetween perforations, if that (hopefully) makes sense.]

In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and stir it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes, stirring it well. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the matzo or crackers. You’ll want to spread it quickly, as it will begin to set as soon as it is poured.

Bake the caramel-covered crackers for 15 minutes, watching carefully as it will bubble and the corners might darken too quickly and/or burn. You can reduce the heat if you see this happening.

Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand five minutes, and then spread them evenly across the caramel. An offset spatula works great here. If you’re using them, sprinkle the chocolate with toasted chopped nuts and/or sea salt. (The sea salt is great on matzo. On Saltines, it’s really not necessary.)

Once completely cool — I sometimes speed this process up in the fridge, impatient as should be expected in the face of caramel crack(ers) — break it into pieces and store it in a container. It should keep for a week but I’ve never seen it last that long.

Author: katboda

Hey, cram it.

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GPOWT 4.19.2011

true story: bunnies make a clicking sound by grinding their teeth, which is the equivalent to a cat purring or a dog wagging its tail.

they usually only make the clicking sound if you are scratching behind their ears in just the perfect spot.

Waffles clicks pretty much any time that we pet him, no matter where we pet him. but the other day, i noticed something i hadn’t noticed before:

i was sitting on the ground, a few feet away from Waffles, and he was looking at me, and i was singing whatever song was in my head. and he was clicking. making the happiest noise a rabbit can make.

so i stopped singing. and he stopped clicking.

and i started singing again, and he recommenced his clicking. looking right at me, clicking away as i sang under my breath.

i’m sorry, but how can you not be in love with a big floppy bunny that finds joy in the sound of your voice?

my heart’s full.

p.s. when i see this picture, all i can think about is when our friend Adam said, “oh look, he’s got a black side to his tail that he likes to show.”

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I heard the most remarkable thing the other day from none other than the brilliant Alan Greenspan. When questioned about his feelings about the current financial crisis, he said (I’m paraphrasing a little here) that he believed that self-interest in protecting shareholders would keep corporate executives from taking unnecessary risk.

First, with the increased deregulation, encouraged by Mr. Greenspan himself, there was less exposure to risk.

Second, and more importantly, executives of public companies generally are not incented on long-term corporate health. Instead, the focus is on short-term corporate gains. Shareholders are different from investors. Investors take a stake in a company with, generally, an eye toward the long-term. Venture capitalists are excused from this consideration, as their main function is to get companies in a position to sell. Shareholders, on the other hand, buy shares hoping for them to perform a certain way before selling them again for a profit.

Thus, executives are compensated by their ability to maximize that value. That is what drives their self-interest.

If you want to mitigate your risk as a shareholder, create a compensation plan for the executives that adequately reflects that desire. But that will only work if you are more concerned with the long-term health of the company and not the quarterly profits. That means sacrificing a little now to build something for later.

As we have learned from the current crisis, there simply aren’t many willing to do that.

Execution Matters

I was speaking recently with my CEO, and the conversation took a rather predictable turn. For the last several years, I have held firm to the belief that ideas, in and of themselves hold no value. The real value of an idea lies within your ability and willingness to execute.

And how you execute on an idea defines the success. In other words, excellent execution of a terrible idea can produce far superior outcomes than poor execution of a fantastic idea.

Sometimes, being able to guess how well you can execute proves elusive. The idea itself may be absolutely brilliant, so brilliant that you lose sight of how to execute. You get caught up in the rapture of the concept that you focus too little attention of really making it work.

At other times, people really just “phone in” the idea simply because it is easy to execute, and they don’t want to have to work that hard.

If we were talking in theatrical terms, these most likely would be considered comedies. The real tragedy, then, is having a terrific, game-changing idea and having no way of being able to execute on it. Maybe because you don’t have the expertise or the bandwidth or the basic ability to navigate regulatory waters. Whatever the reason, it is a great idea lost because you couldn’t make it work.

When you find yourself in that situation, and at some point you will, look around at who could help. Look for friends, family, associates, similar businesses that could partner with you to make your idea the revolutionary product it is capable of becoming.

Don’t just let it be another breakthrough that dies with that next round of drinks at the bar.

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Management by Karma

A situation came up at work the other day that was eerily similar to others I have experienced or witnessed several times in my career. The basic premise is that two or more organizations that work together come to so sort of a crucial decision point. The final outcome will result in either winners and losers or something that is mutually beneficial (what most people like to refer to as win-win).

There are two ways to approach it. One entails devising a win-at-any-cost strategy. While you may come out with the big score, you have now established yourself/company/brand as one only interested in the score and not long-term health and success.

The other focuses more on elevating everyone involved to a new level, seeking to do what’s right for all (or the greatest possible number) and fostering a long-term, positive relationship. It’s what I like to call the good karma approach. Yes, you do risk putting yourself at a significant disadvantage, but if you are working with the right partner, the good karma will return. If it’s the wrong partner, you will soon know, and that will be your cue to exit. And their bad karma will catch up with them.

Managing your brand based on good karma leads to a slower, yet steadier growth with a solid foundation. Really, it’s the right thing to do.

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Find a Middle Ground

Many companies approach managing their brand in one of two ways. Some will take a conservative approach, wanting to stay true to the brand and not take too many, if any, risks. Others focus on shiny new objects, looking to use the latest and greatest or the next hot thing.

For a company’s long-term success, there needs to be a middle ground, a balance between staying true to the brand, while exploring new ways to communicate that consistent message. And the way to do that is to stay anchored while exploring. Yes, it sounds a bit contradictory or even oxymoronish (some might want to drop the oxy part).

But it works. Start by documenting, specifically, what your desired result is. Indentify how, what you are doing fits with the overall strategy. Write your central message, tone and key points on paper. Get agreement that it accurately reflects the brand.

Now, evaluate how you can use the shiny objects to achieve the desired results. If it’s not the right fit, don’t try to force it. You’ll just do more damage. Often, the really cool stuff isn’t going to work for your brand. And that is perfectly fine. If you really want to do something with it, make it a hobby. After you play with it for a while, you’ll either find an effective way to incorporate it, or you’ll see that it wouldn’t have worked in the first place.

Either way, you are staying true to the brand. And that is most important.

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Use Relevant Metrics

Measurement is the bane of our existence. The only way for us to know if what we are doing is effective is to measure the outcomes. But measuring stuff isn’t easy. In fact, we might be measuring the wrong stuff.

First, there are things that we know. It may be sales to a particular customer, regional profit growth or the return on a particular investment. What is important about the information you know is determining what is relevant. By relevant I mean that it is something you are able to act on or actually determine effectiveness.

Second, and much more difficult to handle, are those things that you don’t yet know. For what you don’t know, what is knowable. In other words, just because you aren’t evaluating something in a specific way doesn’t mean that you can’t. Before you start acting on it, though, make sure it is meaningful.

On the other hand, if you can’t access the data, and you can determine its relevance, you need to know what it will take to get to it.

In short, you have to measure. What you measure must lead to improvement of some sort, namely your organization’s growth. More on this tomorrow.

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Knowing Your History versus Holding on to the Past

I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of my best friends from high school. We hadn’t seen each other in over ten years and spoken in about five. He still had family in the New Orleans area when Hurricane Katrina hit, and he told me about his grandfather having to give up his house, which was my old neighborhood. His grandfather had owned the house for 48 years.

At that point I was reminded that the longest I had ever lived in one place was the 16 years I spent in my parents house in that neighborhood. Outside of that, I hadn’t remained in the same place for more than about 5 years. That includes schools and jobs.

My friend commented that while he cherishes his memories, he has come to understand that home is where you are, not some physical location. His history has made him who he is today, and losing a physical manifestation of that history doesn’t really change that.

There is a brand management lesson in here, too. Understanding where you’ve been and knowing how you got to where you are today are key to mapping your future. Holding on to successes long past greatly inhibits your ability to innovate, evolve and grow.

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Should GE Sell or Partner Appliance Unit?

GE announced last week that it is considering selling, spinning off or partnering its appliance unit. My first thought went to why they would want to dump it at all. GE has a long history of dumping underperformers (units and people). In December they put their finance unit (or at least some of the individual divisions) up for sale, and many have called on them to sell NBC Universal. NBC makes some sense as ad revenue is declining, and, frankly, the network has had better success with its cable programming than its scripted broadcast offerings.

That leaves three major drivers for GE: medical devices and equipment, aircraft, and alternative energy such as solar and wind. Solar and wind power is a growing industry, deserving of additional investment. Medical devices and equipment is somewhat of a reach and soon may start to lag. While GE innovation in this area is top-notch, the associated rise in health care costs will push down sales over the next few years. A similar situation exists for aircraft as the increased costs have forced airlines to reduce their capacity.

The other issue is what happens to the brand itself. If GE sells or spins off the unit, the ultimate value hinges on whether the GE name goes with it. Many suitors may want the brand for continuity, even though IBM and Lenovo were successful in the change. In that case, however, Lenovo was already producing the computers for IBM, so it was little more than a name change. GE isn’t in the same boat.

Allowing the GE brand name to accompany the sale exposes GE to a diluted value in the name as well as the risk of a negative association with the ultimate owner.

A partnership, in my humble opinion makes much more sense. Part of the reasoning behind the underperformance is because GE Appliances have not penetrated the international market, making them reliant on home sales, particularly new homes, in the United States. The housing market will rebound (new housing starts rose in last month, thanks mostly to apartment construction), and a strong international production partnership will give them the market exposure in other countries they so desperately desire. Then, in time, if they still wish to sell the division, they have ready-made partner (assuming the relationship goes well) and could command a higher price.

Shedding poor performers and investing in higher ones is a smart business move. But it should be done when other efforts to increase performance fall short or the organization decides it must go in a completely different direction.

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Students Should Feel Secure Coloring Outside the Lines

“Schools are places of learning and also miniature societies. The climate of a school has a direct impact on both how well students learn and how well they interact with their peers.” (“Best Practices”, 2013) With the changes to legal policies and shifts in social norms that have occurred in the last decade, more and more high school students are revealing that they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transitioning, and/or queer/questioning (LGBTQ). This is a long way from students only using a gender binary system (male or female) for identification. It is important for high schools to be able to provide adequate support for all of their students regardless of gender expression and identity.  GLSEN1-300x300

“Studies have shown that creating a supportive environment for LGBT[Q] students improves educational outcomes for all students, not just those who may identify as LGBT[Q].”(“Best Practices”, 2013) Adolescent is a tumultuous time for youth. This time occurs around middle school and high school when youth are struggling with identity and role confusion. This is a very tender age when going to school in a hostile environment can easily promote depression, anxiety, emotional distress, and even suicide.

High school youth spend a considerable amount of time at school between academics and extra-curricular activities. Studies have shown that schools are the main venue for victimizing youth who are or thought to be LGBTQ. It is critical that LGBTQ youth are provided with ample support systems, not only in the community, but most importantly at school.

In a study conducted by Munoz-Plaze, it was found that “despite increasing visibility, persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) continue to face extreme social, legal, and institutional discrimination within the United States. ” The lack of support and continued discrimination was felt close to home. Less than a month ago, a local high school student (Murtomaki) committed suicide. Murtomaki identified as asexual (neither feeling like they were fully male or female). Murtomaki faced extreme bullying from peers and wasn’t able to find the support that was necessary to prevent the eventual outcome.. In Murtomaki’s suicide note that was posted on Facebook, she stated how she struggled with bullying because she wasn’t considered ‘trans enough.”* She also indicated her frustration with not being able to receive health care appropriate to her identity. After Murtomaki’s death, students at the high school wanted to make sure that her death was not in vain. They have started to educate their peers on gender identity and are working with the school administration to set up an equality club for student who identify as other than gender binary.

I asked the superintendent of a local high school what supports or accommodations are provided to LGBTQ students in order for them to feel safe and accepted. She replied “We provide support to all our students. We have counselors in all our buildings and encourage good communication with students, staff and parents. This protocol serves our students well and we strive to ensure that all students feel safe and welcome in our school.”

What should high schools do to support their LGBTQ students?

Suggestions from the 2013 National School Climate Survey reported that they have seen an increase in the support and positive outcomes available to LGBTQ students; however, they recommend the following:

  • Support student clubs, such as Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), that provide support for LGBT students and address LGBT issues in education;

The allowance of GSA groups at schools have been slowly increasing throughout the last decade. Speaking to students at two different local high schools, one school started an equality club after the death of a classmate and the other school started their club just recently. It’s too often (as in the case of the first school) that these changes don’t occur until something negative happens to open people’s eyes to the trouble.

  • Provide training for school staff to improve rates of intervention and increase the number of supportive teachers and other staff available to students;

Training of school staff is also an area that has seen an increase. There is a wonderful kit that has been developed to assist schools with training their staff on how to create a safe space for LGBT students. One of the most effective ways for an educator to create a safe space is to be a supportive ally to LGBT students. Students just knowing that they have an ally in the school and/or a safe place to go if they need one is often all that LGBTQ students need in order to feel safe and secure at school.

  • Increase student access to appropriate and accurate information regarding LGBT people history, and events through inclusive curricula and library and Internet resources;

The 2013 School Climate Survey reported that students have seen an increased shift in this area; however, not in every form of accessible media. In the five years students have been able to access LGBTQ websites and internet data at school.  LGBTQ materials in textbooks and curriculum has also risen. The amount of resources that can be found in the library; however, has actually declined since 2009. This might not be as troubling as it seems with the greater accessibility of the internet.

  • Ensure that school policies and practices, such as those related to dress codes and school dances, do not discriminate against LGBT students; and

This is something that has been in the media a lot, especially in the spring when prom season comes around.  There are a lot of schools who have made great strides in allowing LGBTQ students to feel comfortable attending a prom or other school social event. The American Civil Liberties Union has published a fact sheet for high school students informing them of their “prom night rights.” It addresses issues as same-sex dates, attire, and prom royalty. One thing that the publication points out is the school officials either don’t know what the law tells them to do or just figure that they won’t be questioned. One of the final recommendations is to behave respectfully so that the school won’t find an excuse for their behavior.

  • Adopt and implement comprehensive school and district anti-bullying/harassment policies that specifically enumerate sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected categories alongside others such as race, religion, and disability, with clear and effective systems for reporting and addressing incidents that students experience.

This is an area that a lot of schools are starting to excel at, especially in my current area. They have anti-bullying/harassment policies in effect and tend to have a zero tolerance for bullying behaviors. In speaking with a local high school student, they told me that although their school does have a great anti-bullying policy and have rallies, presentations, and lessons on these issues – they don’t address LGBTQ students specifically.

There are agencies that have been established to help LGBTQ persons obtain the rights that they deserve. One such example is the LGBT Project led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is designed to “help protect young people’s right to express themselves, start gay-straight alliance clubs, have their gender identity respected, and be taught in a safe environment.”(ACLU, n.d.) The ACLU helps youth fight so that they don’t have to fear going to school and gives them the opportunity to have the freedom to be open (or not) about their identity and beliefs in school.

High schools appear to be moving in the right direction but they still have a long way to go to fully support and accommodate LGBTQ students. Two areas that have been identified as lacking in this research is that of training of the educators and education of students. There may be counselors and other support staff available for LGBTQ students to turn to; however, those might not be the school educator that they have a bond with. Students also have to be knowledgeable about LGBTQ students. Alternate lifestyles and preferences should be discussed in social studies, science, health, etc. Many schools teach about evolution, the Big Bang Theory and Jesus; however, the only talk about relations between a man and a women. By providing a wider range of LGBTQ allies and better educated students, schools will blossom into a place where all students regardless of their non-traditional status feel safe.

* It is interesting to note that not being consider “____ -enough is a determining factor on how accepting peers are. There are two female-to-male students at another local high school. One student’s appearance is very male while the other student is commonly referred to as a “girl just trying to look like a boy.”

“Best Practices: Creating an LGBT-inclusive School Climate.” Tolerance Teaching 2013: Print.

McLoad, Saul. “Erik Erickson.” Simply Psychology 2008, 2013: Web

Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Palmer, N. A., & Boesen, M. J. (2014). The 2013 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN.

Munoz-Plaza, Corrine, Sandra C. (Sandra Crouse) Quinn, and Kathleen A. Rounds. “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students: Perceived Social Support in the High School Environment.” The High School Journal: 52-63. Print.

Roblee, Dan. “Trans Teen Remembered as Friend, Leader.” Daily Mining Gazette 23 Nov. 2015. Print.

Everyone is Normal

Let me set the stage. I am a 39 year old white heterosexual divorced female rushing after work to listen to a gentleman talk about his experiences with starting a magazine. Upon entering the lecture space, I am unexpectedly met with a circle of chairs with a bunch of young people (young to me) standing around chit chatting.  I spotted one other staff member who welcomed me in and encouraged me to join the group. I thought that everyone was just waiting around until the speaker arrived when I realized after about five minutes of observing, one of the young men was the speaker! That’s when I actually looked around the room to see the other types of other people in attendance. I looked at each and everyone one of the people trying to guess what their reasoning was for attending this lecture and honestly, trying to figure out what they thought about my attendance there.

The lecture that I was going to listen to was that of Jason Ballard, the CEO and founder of FTM: International Transculture Magazine. Ballard was to speak about his success as a transmasculine icon and founder of a magazine. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it certainly wasn’t a young, handsome, personable man in his twenties sitting around in stocking feet talking leisurely to a group of students.

Ballad is a female who transitioned into a male. Ballard wanted to provide a forum that didn’t exist.  The forum is geared towards females who are thinking about, transitioning, or have transitioned to men. There is not a magazine out that discusses this. Is this really necessary? Unfortunately it is. Most of society does not understand or accept FTM transitions.

In a Huffington Post interview discussing the magazine’s recreation of a popular Adam Levine photo, Ballad states “We’ve had comments saying ‘he doesn’t look trans’ which brings up a great point on what does trans even look like?” he added. “Perhaps we’re struggling so hard for our rights here because people have a false sense of who we are. So besides the entertainment factor of a sexy naked man, there is a element of positive visibility too.” Ballard stated exactly what I was thinking and the reason why this magazine even exists. Society doesn’t understand!

Ballard discussed why this magazine was needed. Discussion went around the room about Ballard’s experiences as a female and as he transitioned to male. The attendees discussed how FTMs are taught how to wear their hair, sit, use space, walk down the street, etc. All of these instructions are needed just so that FTMs can pass as male. Ballard followed these instructions so well that he felt like an outsider when he and his wife walked into a “gay” bar to have a drink. There shouldn’t be instructions on how to pass as the other gender just as there shouldn’t be gay and straight bars!

I was amazed at how spending just two hours with a group of people could alter my state of mind. I no longer looked around at the people in attendance trying to guess their motivation for being there. I think that if more people opened up their minds and allowed themselves to listen and learn about other people, things, ideas then magazines like FTM wouldn’t be as much of a novelty or necessity as it currently is.