Tag Archives: politics
Stephen Kellat: Defining Value
From Stephen Kellat, over at the LISTen podcast:
While many in the First World are more connected than ever with online tools and gadgetry, attention is taken away from the real world around you. When you functionally cease to be part of a community, value and cost make little sense to you. When you functionally cease [...]
Google and China
Huge. News.
From the moment it began censoring search results in China, Google has walked a fine line between compliance with Chinese law and censorship of important ideas and vital communication. However, following a cyberattack that reach beyond Google and targeted the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists, Google has suddenly reversed its original stance on [...]
Ohio libraries saved (sort of)
Maybe “spared” would be a more accurate word.
The proposed deep cuts in state funding for Ohio’s public libraries have finally reached a conclusion, and the cuts aren’t quite as deep as originally thought. From the Newark Advocate (via Library Stuff):
The Associated Press reported Monday that the new Ohio budget reduces library funding by $84 million [...]
Ohio libraries in jeopardy
Apparently Ohio is the latest state whose libraries are visibly (and painfully) suffering under the current economic crisis. The Ohio Library Council reports that the Governor has proposed slashing over $200 million in state funding for public libraries, amounting to almost half of the state’s financial support for libraries. According to the Council:
The proposal amounts to a 30% [...]
Political violence in Tehran
I’d be remiss if I didn’t link to the powerful images of the violence in Tehran posted by BBC News, following the disputed reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
As Betsy Burtner wisely pointed out via Twitter, ”this is why we still need news organizations.”
Flickr user Shahram Sharif has also posted (and licensed under Creative Commons) some amazing pictures, including [...]
Open for Questions
I’ve commented before on how impressed I am with the Obama administration’s excellent use of social networking and Web 2.0 technologies. Somehow I’m continually amazed at how different this adminstration has been so far, at least in terms of technology.
In latest developments, the White House has released (functionally) a short-term and topic-specific Digg clone called [...]
W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N, Baby, D-C!
Washington, D.C., it’s paradise to me
It’s not because it is the grand old seat
of precious freedom and democracy, no no no
It’s not the greenery turning gold in fall
the scenery circling the Mall
It’s just that’s where my baby lives, that’s all
– From the song “Washington, DC,” by the Magnetic Fields
No, my significant other doesn’t live in [...]
“Opportunity to Advocate”
I feel like I don’t do as much with teen services as I could, and I know that I don’t do quite as much as I used to. Part of it’s because I figured that scaled-back programming might work better (and so far it has), and because I’ve already got a lot of other job [...]
“Prop 8: The Musical”
Why yes, I do think this is awesome.
Thanks to Karen Schneider for sharing this, and for her thoughts on Day Without a Gay.
“Prop 8 – The Musical” starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more… by Jack Black
Election 2008 Link Round-Up
“You Can Vote However You Like” [YouTube, performed by students at Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, parody of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like"]
Palin as President [Interactive, and updated since its debut to include Saks shopping bags]
This.F**king.Election [The campaign in key words and phrases, also updated to be current]
Election Night and Public Libraries [Blog post, from Library [...]