tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51937725893582138052024-03-14T05:52:54.337+00:00A Yankee Girl in LondontownI got people.Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-38576819587722736572009-09-26T13:16:00.004+01:002012-02-04T15:58:45.283+00:00DEconference<span style="font-family: arial;">This post is going to be a linguistic geek-fest. Consider yourself forewarned.<br />
<br />
I recently applied for a job as Producer/Developer for a Social Entrepreneurship "Unconference". The term "unconference" is relatively new. Here's the definition according to Wikipedia (not my favorite reference, but there aren't many definitions out there):</span><br />
<br />
An <b>unconference</b> is a facilitated, participant-driven <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_conference" title="Academic conference">conference</a> centered around a theme or purpose. The term "unconference" has been applied, or self-applied, to a wide range of gatherings that try to avoid one or more aspects of a conventional conference, such as high fees and sponsored presentations<span style="font-family: arial;">. <br />
<br />
While the term is new the idea is not. I've been a part of so-called "unconferences" since I was a teenager. The gathering I go to on Star Island would be considered an "unconference". But, I have a problem with the new terminology. First of all, I don't think it's a good idea to define something by using it's opposite as the basis for explanation. I don't define myself as a "not-brunette", or a "not-mathemetician" to say that I am a red-headed writer.<br />
<br />
I understand the trickiness of trying to create a new vocabulary when current vocabulary isn't doing the job. One has to establish a context, and that's hard to do if the frame of reference is a new or obscure idea, so sometimes it's easier and more effective to attempt to change the connotations. The problem arises when the word that's chosen changes the denotation as well.<br />
<br />
The difference between connotation and denotation is this: Denotation=the literal definition of something, regardless of the feelings or ideas the word elicits. Connotation=the idea or feeling that the word produces. So let's look at the term "Unconference".<br />
<br />
"Unconference" was created to establish a difference between itself and traditional conferences. Traditional conferences not only have high fees or sponsored presentations, but they may also have a predetermined program where experts talk and amateurs listen. It is a one-to-many format. In other words, B-O-R-I-N-G.<br />
<br />
"Unconferences" tend to rely on participants to drive the programming. It is co-created. It is a many-to-many format where experts and novices alike have a chance to speak up, participate, and design the program. The commonalities between conferences and "unconferences" rest in the fact that they are both bringing together a group of people for a common purpose.<br />
<br />
Now let's look at the etymology of "Unconference". It's Latin in origin. We have "Un" (not), "Con" (together), and "ferre" (bring). So the denotation of Unconference means "not bringing together". It means the complete opposite of it's intended meaning.<br />
<br />
So, I'm suggestion a slight variation that gives a nod to the fact that these gatherings are born from traditional conferences, but have evolved: DEconference.<br />
<br />
De=formation from (at least in this case)/ removal or reversal<br />
Con=together<br />
Ferre=bring<br />
<br />
Deconferences take apart traditional conferences and reconstruct them into a more inclusive, rich experience, but they are still derived from conferences and acknowledge that fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
</span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-14181108476410571812009-09-25T20:04:00.002+01:002009-09-25T20:07:08.015+01:00Sugru!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrRqM2FFFCwcGEhyphenhyphenCbq9PSfDOWi8JnXLrDsAou7FLMLmgEnwF8IeeVVFSFDsm21Qdjlzb396wW7K1zQYCQwz5boI2GkS1kkzUq_ZsmGlKhESzkAQ-VdKbaww6I46hK9bQOjMLR1CU8ln5/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrRqM2FFFCwcGEhyphenhyphenCbq9PSfDOWi8JnXLrDsAou7FLMLmgEnwF8IeeVVFSFDsm21Qdjlzb396wW7K1zQYCQwz5boI2GkS1kkzUq_ZsmGlKhESzkAQ-VdKbaww6I46hK9bQOjMLR1CU8ln5/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385483608195899746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Check out my friend <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8274893.stm">Jane on the BBC</a>'s website!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-21577743298815676532009-09-18T16:40:00.005+01:002009-09-18T16:46:31.462+01:00Ukraine's Got Talent<span style="font-family:arial;">Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, and sand painting skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.<span style="font-family:arial;"> It made my jaw drop. I wish I could understand the lyrics because I'm sure it adds to the whole piece. Incredible stuff.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vOhf3OvRXKg&color1=0x333366&color2=0x666699&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vOhf3OvRXKg&color1=0x333366&color2=0x666699&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-44671323987009335912009-09-04T17:10:00.002+01:002009-09-04T17:20:01.387+01:00Health Care Reform<span style="font-family: arial;">I've been getting irrationally fired up about health care reform lately. So much so that I can't seem to bring myself to respond to ignorant people in any way because I'm seized with rage. This is a shame because I feel like I'm just as bad as the anti-reform people for not being able to listen to another argument. Part of the problem is that I insist on facts. The other part is that I'm enraged because I want to protect people. They are enraged because they want to protect themselves.<br /><br />I want to know who's working on this stuff. What innovation companies are out there investigating and working on <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> health care reform scenarios? I'm tempted to start my own small-scale research with people whose opinions I respect (regardless of whether or not our opinions are the same), especially those who work in the health care industry.<br /><br />I'd also like to know why big pharmaceutical companies are getting a "get out of jail free" card during this health care discussion, especially since Pfizer just paid the biggest <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8234533.stm">health care fraud</a> settlement in the history of the Department of Justice. Ridiculous.</span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-68480495972143101752009-09-04T17:04:00.002+01:002009-09-04T17:10:29.731+01:00Google and Books<span style="font-family: arial;">Remember 1994, when Napster was all the rage? The music industry hasn't been able to figure out what to do with itself since.<br /><br />Well, the publishing industry is about to experience something similar. Book piracy is not too far away, I'm afraid. Sure, there are plenty of people who manage to download books for free on file-sharing sites, but this is going to be on a much bigger scale.<br /><br />http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/30/google-library-project-books-settlement<br /><br />I might start going into libraries, walking down a random aisle, and taking home the first book I see. I might inject some serendipity into my life. Who knows what I might find? Before you know it, we might not be able to walk into libraries anymore. And I can honestly say that I will never want to curl up in bed with an Amazon Kindle or whatever device google (or whomever they partner with) will inevitably produce.<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-51796664876085011502009-08-13T13:25:00.004+01:002009-08-13T13:34:07.330+01:00United Breaks Guitars<span style="font-family:arial;">I couple of months back, I learned about Dave Carroll--the guy who wrote a song about the horrible experience he had with United Airlines. A couple of weeks ago, I came across <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ravi-sawhney/design-reach/youtube-serves-180-million-heartbreak">this post</a> in a Fast Company blog. Apparently, he made a huge impact in United's profit margins. Good for him. Power to the Creative People, I say!<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5YGc4zOqozo&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5YGc4zOqozo&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-2391999698155052572009-08-06T11:16:00.008+01:002009-08-13T13:44:13.794+01:00Theatre of the Oppressors?<span style="font-family:arial;">I don't think <a href="http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-history-fake-grassroots-prot">this</a><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw7xUoTg6iNlN9ba0erPcMkSqhfagyNaI-S7nuMIIbHj0KpREZ9wlPmwS-HGZJ5-pTf-W-U3vgLFc-QB0Y3AK-tspf6C-3avJaXOAK7SBz8P1i_HPg0eNVdP6vErA0E2ehHBbmKt5fXn7/s1600-h/090812-specter-hmed-6a.h2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw7xUoTg6iNlN9ba0erPcMkSqhfagyNaI-S7nuMIIbHj0KpREZ9wlPmwS-HGZJ5-pTf-W-U3vgLFc-QB0Y3AK-tspf6C-3avJaXOAK7SBz8P1i_HPg0eNVdP6vErA0E2ehHBbmKt5fXn7/s320/090812-specter-hmed-6a.h2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369427832667665746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />is what <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/06/augusto-boal-obituary">Agosto Boal</a><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_EFQauxXF1mt-8maaSWEI71n-S5NlJ1C6gArdk5jx3r0daq0zRTvYS0WX2R_jjNat9Nf2WFPMXZTrA2t0deeK_GSrO-2np5jvn4gIw3t7Aku9wtUeyWX8t6AUMjBzF1Wm3WqY5w6y4lU/s1600-h/augusto-boal.bmp"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_EFQauxXF1mt-8maaSWEI71n-S5NlJ1C6gArdk5jx3r0daq0zRTvYS0WX2R_jjNat9Nf2WFPMXZTrA2t0deeK_GSrO-2np5jvn4gIw3t7Aku9wtUeyWX8t6AUMjBzF1Wm3WqY5w6y4lU/s320/augusto-boal.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366796878059772194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />had in mind when he created the <a href="http://www.theatreoftheoppressed.org/en/index.php?useFlash=1">Theatre of the Oppressed</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />So, here's my question: How do we reclaim the use of theatre in order to promote progressive, people-centered, positive change in politics, but also in other socially relevant areas? How do we convince those in power to pay attention to those without a voice? What would the world look like if Victor Papanek and Agosto Boal had collaborated on a project? These are all things I will be thinking about today. If you have any ideas, please share them here.<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-52169775844731642182009-07-14T23:08:00.022+01:002009-07-15T16:06:35.710+01:00Pics of the Recession<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I just saw </span></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/14/capture-the-recession_n_231488.html?slidenumber=0#slide_image"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on the Huffington Post. People were asked to take pictures of the recession. Not surprisingly, there were no pictures that cast the recession in a more hopeful light. Granted, the state of the economy sucks. But at the same time, there are so many opportunities to change things, and nobody seems to be documenting those opportunities. So, I decided to hunt a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">round the interwebs for some pictures/videos. This is what I found:</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />Urban Rainwater Collection</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN4vbfVUWnEXcnr0GVvCXjB5PF65Zh5oO7uENsgCg08Dr9Py8YyjbTYbECpXhHNJVZA9HyRIoBVPhvniYxTg5ehTJ4d_EBKTbt_me8qjpQJSeUc5D4uN52JBsAVIb5cf4ngN0ihsfN58D/s320/Michael+Casey.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358687823182018290" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> © 2009 Michael Casey</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/29/bia.urban.farming/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Urban Gardens:</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSeZqloWdobW_BZTFjpiaj3QztvXjHFko_-JM171FPna6RXsNB0Qc1MOMQP1r1GP8obSqYEM2hDGMMqe1BlP2_GF0X9-wGDGHtwDI-1g13j_wjf9Y8SBiXhqNJELkUJ63Mqt1WoOkI06tP/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358688853459370770" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />Recycling</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuqtwt7ixZTbYvHwUWiy7LUoHZQROVgDsgrpfouSRDPypXbHVImxig7nyUu-DkviKakTXOVIm0DwXNLlebyASyFsKTUPczHcHdbiTK7v_C3suuggwneAntw2at7KdDM8TbBNBgs6VUOSc/s320/pinksherbetphotography.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358689199523037858" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">©2009 PinkSherbetPhotograhy</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alternative Transportation (Critical Mass in Atlanta):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZ939-oLmy4n6QQY3wHZ9ZPYrPuqfh2Yfxw07LjoFY8rmsjChaF0NBDBOLfcy_4JVRdQzlNKz0FTRakW4A6V4qZx9CFCQofZ4_t1dAYGYk6t-qeRN0s_Uu-nQCptcm2B8mMJ2vKh62jU_/s320/Timothy+J.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358689644634606242" /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Solar Power (GA Power is testing this on their HQ roof!)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkgfDqnzGruyWqBE_PDuyYUj9-ddZuv45PmblCKZwgDZ_KBI2Rc-AUYs-DklmSsGU3Ltqa7tAWLL7jTR4MNqmbZUPE5JEp8EDUolKYO_3IdSm_fxXOxmrs8QuPMyDqluuO-YXVlmUpYT9/s320/GAPowerSolar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358690005398315106" /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Star Island's New Aurora Wind Turbine</span></span></div></div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="240" height="180" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=379d25d3fb&photo_id=3653963818&flickr_show_info_box=true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=379d25d3fb&photo_id=3653963818&flickr_show_info_box=true" height="180" width="240"></embed></object><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style=" margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianw/3653963818/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Star Island's new Aurora wind turbine</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />Originally uploaded by </span></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/brianw/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Brian W</span></span></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style=" margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am certain that if the economy hadn't tanked, people (and companies like GA Power) wouldn't be making these changes right now. Yes, the environment and "green" technologies are all the rage, but if it weren't for the fact that oil and gas are depleting our wallets as quickly as they are, we (Americans) wouldn't be responding to the environmental call. </span><a href="http://www.starisland.org/about/green/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Star Island</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is an exception to this statement. However, even for an organization as environmentally conscious as the Star Island Corp, their building code problems and subsequent financial issues pushed them to make changes more quickly than they would have otherwise. Before the financial crisis, any Star Island initiative would have gotten tangled up in committees and sub-committees and taken years to implement.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Forced innovation (and I'm not talking about the massive Shock Doctrine-ish Neo-Liberal kind) can be a good thing.</span></span></span></div>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-52758389074247634082009-07-13T21:22:00.030+01:002009-07-14T19:56:23.922+01:00The Tupperware Party of the '00s<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">On Saturday, I went to a jewelry party. It's like a tupperware party, but with jewelry manufactured abroad and sold/distributed nationally. Here's the basic concept, as I understand it:</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A rep brings catalogs of the schwag, a few pieces of jewelry, and order forms. We sit, listen, play a catalog game, and hopefully (for the rep), buy something. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What's the appeal? That's simple. Money--both making it (the rep) and saving it (the consumer). And that's okay, especially when we're all trying to figure out a way to make ends meet. Imagine you're unsatisfied with your relatively stable, yet underpaid job, but you don't dare quit while the economy is in a state of disrepair, so you try something to supplement your income so that you can pay for decent childcare, or petfood, or a new refrigerator. I can respect that. Identifying a problem and doing something to address it rather than sitting on the couch and sulking is commendable.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now, I'm wondering if there's a way for a person to take this business model, make some changes, and do something that's both profitable, sustainable, and responsible in his or her spare time rather than funneling money to a corporate structure that may or may not give a damn about the people making their jewelry (clothing, accesories, housewares, whatever) or the environment it affects.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Okay, so back to the business model. Why does it work? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1) Money: The rep gets a percentage of the sales she makes. The host gets a discount on merchandise and can get a percentage of sales she generates independently. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2) Marketing: This company gets a database full of names and addresses every time someone throws a party. This is in addition to the obvious influx of cash. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3) Safety in numbers/familiarity/peer pressure: Friends put their friends' names on the list. Women like myself want to support their friends, so are less likely to refuse a sales pitch or follow-up marketing materials. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4) Tangibility: There's a catalog, so people have something tangible to take with them, and at the parties, people can see and touch some of the actual goods. The tangibility factor is a big one for me, despite the influence of the online world. You can't tell what something's going to look like online. I don't care how good your imagination is, or how high your picture resolution may be. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5) PR: The company donates jewelry in addition to a percentage of the proceeds of the sales of a specific piece to Dress for Success. I suspect that that is more of a tax write-off than it is a genuine desire to help disadvantaged women to dress smartly for job interviews, but maybe I'm just being cynical. I should give them a little bit of credit and say at least they are doing something. But I want more.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What I'd like to know is how could the positive points of this business model be used in a way that could help legitimate local artisans and craftspeople sell their wares <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(see the pic below of rings that Davidson Alum </span></span><a href="http://www.juliafailey.com/press.asp"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Julie Failey</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> has designed) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">while allowing everyone involved to nuture the triple bottom line (i.e. People, Profit, Planet)? Also, if anyone has direct experience being involved with something like this, what do you think the flaws are? How could it be improved?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPt1eh-m0K-ozL3UlWbegy6X8s8ST5LshfvfI7hQEahUJuvysCkG880IkIZIcXo9bS4Ac7YMLcdv0y8le0NhZpuOejwUbBSOMa4s-f8fS9kvObO9RfE1u-pEc0cQAxsKpIiP27WC0Wtnb/s320/photo_press.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358058133000057666" /> </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Would it be a cross between an Amway/Tupperware pyramidish scheme, one of those excluive business networking clubs, and a craft show? What would that look like? Would it include or be exclusively custom designs? Who would the market be? How could it be scalable? How could online media and social networking sites promote this effectively? How could this model help other artistic disciplines (clothing, music, dance, film, fine art, etc.)? Feel free to respond if you have any ideas.</span></span></span></div>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-48496577714097131562009-07-09T23:38:00.006+01:002009-07-09T23:48:37.260+01:00Start Again<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Well, it's been a while. I finished my Master's Degree in December. It's now July.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I am in Atlanta, GA waiting for my UK Visa to come through. It's been a ridiculously long string of red tape, and I'm predicting (see also: hoping) that the string will break in the next two weeks. If it weren't for my fantastic family and friends, and my recent trip to Star Island</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoRLgLEjldDtPK9Dhl3d9Cz6CE23we8_Vm5TXiFvlD9RZKeIAmLbV75glceVJQ98lWSXUClJ8JCidqMSANyocxT06nUVHG1R2ccgnu4ILfnaal8Z2lLEPc1bMD_fqQsd7orzKfcfUEfCw/s320/DSC01507.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356595532717790210" />,<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I wouldn't be taking this huge roadblock in such a positive light.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">And if it weren't for my experience in grad school, I wouldn't be as productive as I am. For instance, I'm working on a project with my old roommate, Jason. My time in Atlanta has allowed us to have a fighting chance at getting this thing off of the ground. If we manage to make it happen, it could be a huge stepping stone towards my goal of becoming an independent innovation consultant who deals with the 4th sector. Even if we don't manage to make it happen, it will be excellent practice for whatever may lie ahead. The skinny is that it has to do with Senegal. That's all I'm saying for now.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-86968049750694346592008-12-06T16:07:00.005+00:002008-12-06T16:38:19.406+00:00Retrosexual Has Left the Building<span style="font-family:arial;">There's a reason I haven't written in a while. I was neck deep in my MA Degree Show: Retrosexual. I'm happy to say that it was a success. People seemed to understand what my project was about, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Results come out on Monday, so I'll find out whether or not I will have my MA by the time I head home for the holidays.<br /><br />I'll try to upload a little video of my space eventually. In the meantime, here are a few pictures.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1s_3FHgGgomN6NcjW6U56BHSbxkp6tL8l6igtHh2uvWsS94s6wiQl6rw-wC1sFwA-drGmCYvEHHSPlVFBwNz8tzz_jPuekbRWqFmJlJHr028pUNOvhQHgj6Prq26v8ba4NngYuhHNRub/s1600-h/DSC01173.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1s_3FHgGgomN6NcjW6U56BHSbxkp6tL8l6igtHh2uvWsS94s6wiQl6rw-wC1sFwA-drGmCYvEHHSPlVFBwNz8tzz_jPuekbRWqFmJlJHr028pUNOvhQHgj6Prq26v8ba4NngYuhHNRub/s320/DSC01173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276716573842373186" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW-vl4QzNbft9Vhz8YM0QSDNnotgfMDDDLxhtsaRC9IlrvU8jdy_n6nXWVSuApKzjaFrBHmzRHH3xdtMiVulwZL8M_oVi61yaJPJZIR-2bgDYLn_CIPkPsOfeooJV0FA9MiK0SdlNsmR4/s1600-h/DSC01175.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcW-vl4QzNbft9Vhz8YM0QSDNnotgfMDDDLxhtsaRC9IlrvU8jdy_n6nXWVSuApKzjaFrBHmzRHH3xdtMiVulwZL8M_oVi61yaJPJZIR-2bgDYLn_CIPkPsOfeooJV0FA9MiK0SdlNsmR4/s320/DSC01175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276716575288849346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2wB8JiHZcBY5h-ijIBifuEIwiVl4XxDSWawIr-CbyhUTYQQ_SkFDi7BxSdzURKpOOd14TJKMb1n0fYRc_2oKAhjWg9t0iwUMs9seWcsvJyB2-22rU1t7F1tq5aKFLig7g3I_Cu6x-lJX/s1600-h/DSC01075.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2wB8JiHZcBY5h-ijIBifuEIwiVl4XxDSWawIr-CbyhUTYQQ_SkFDi7BxSdzURKpOOd14TJKMb1n0fYRc_2oKAhjWg9t0iwUMs9seWcsvJyB2-22rU1t7F1tq5aKFLig7g3I_Cu6x-lJX/s320/DSC01075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276716565333831410" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmU8n-KIxTVeJEgZBThneHGBTIjwtbM00IWcNC99qG2dzFwy4D6dDbeUzRUZk1331WnIeSDjcQ4fntewd7PcfOsXnPJTRxhEmRnfw8go8oA50VqM2OyRgpSsiqEcnOh-psBO8c1C3aPiH/s1600-h/DSC01169.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmU8n-KIxTVeJEgZBThneHGBTIjwtbM00IWcNC99qG2dzFwy4D6dDbeUzRUZk1331WnIeSDjcQ4fntewd7PcfOsXnPJTRxhEmRnfw8go8oA50VqM2OyRgpSsiqEcnOh-psBO8c1C3aPiH/s320/DSC01169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276716572478549426" border="0" /></a>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-2882394832370578652008-11-07T10:26:00.003+00:002008-11-07T15:34:59.745+00:00OBAMA!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxbvZfTEtRMKoDawXTaGGK4wOZiYefo_a6MiQ0469z1JDhbebBMYHjIRf5hjdJ7StrFNDivKxFztpI3wJsZo6FTny7UE9AIHRdihaDW1znH1jmct389Qj3Qvaw6VfcdXT2GByfCyqJzrC/s1600-h/shep_large.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxbvZfTEtRMKoDawXTaGGK4wOZiYefo_a6MiQ0469z1JDhbebBMYHjIRf5hjdJ7StrFNDivKxFztpI3wJsZo6FTny7UE9AIHRdihaDW1znH1jmct389Qj3Qvaw6VfcdXT2GByfCyqJzrC/s320/shep_large.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265939531694350018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">YAYAYAYAY!<br /><br />That's all I have time for right now.<br /><br />T-minus 3 weeks until the degree show...<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-20472257459671951022008-10-10T18:51:00.002+01:002008-10-10T18:54:26.363+01:00Good News: Bad Apple Genius<span style="font-family: arial;">Check it out. The first Apple Genius I went to turned out to be a bit of an Apple Idoit. There's nothing wrong with my hard drive. I just need a new battery.<br /><br />YAY!<br /><br />In other news...UK and Nene are coming to visit tomorrow.<br /><br />YAY Again!<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-30700317830812037312008-10-07T23:44:00.003+01:002008-10-08T00:20:00.976+01:00My Computer's Last Will and Testament<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSR_NFnmZMWZK4e6BbwFCYF8Pu4waSfbIxc5d5tFUK176q0-lh78mKZLRACFb7V4WRqVlQLuXDw4nPmwnlacUbkcMOf9oKIa-JrUQS14FRWyiXhZSU3E3qx-iw6hKsiF9182Cg43VQcjH/s1600-h/sadmac.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSR_NFnmZMWZK4e6BbwFCYF8Pu4waSfbIxc5d5tFUK176q0-lh78mKZLRACFb7V4WRqVlQLuXDw4nPmwnlacUbkcMOf9oKIa-JrUQS14FRWyiXhZSU3E3qx-iw6hKsiF9182Cg43VQcjH/s320/sadmac.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254553114550643906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, it's official. My computer's hard drive is about to go down the shitter. The Apple Genius confirmed my suspicions today, and I am less than thrilled with the news. My computer is terminally ill, and so now I am making the necessary arrangements. This sucks.<br /><br />But, I do have to admit, I am lucky for a number of reasons:<br /><br />1) I had a suspicion that this was about to happen. The computer started doing strange things a few months ago, so I ordered a back up external hard drive from Circuit City (I had a gift card that I hadn't used since last Christmas. Thanks, Nene!) and had it shipped to Kirstyn's house in Ohio. She brought it to me when she came to visit a few weeks ago. Now I am now able to back up most of my files before doomsday, and I only paid about $12 when all was said and done.<br /><br />2) My computer could have just crapped out before I got to back anything up. This would have been a nightmare as far as my MA is concerned. Yes, I have plenty of evidence to document my journey in places other than my hard drive, but still...it's nice to have a little forewarning so that I can make sure I have the essentials before THE END.<br /><br />3) Carrie and Darin convinced me to purchase Apple Care when I first bought the computer nearly 3 years ago, and thank goodness they did. My Apple Care is valid until November 8th. Yup, it's almost expired, but not quite yet. This means that Apple will replace my hard drive for free (and fix my crappy internal speakers while they are at it), and I won't have to buy a whole new hard drive. If this had happened 4 weeks in the future, I would have had to have shelled out a bunch of money that I don't have. In other words, my computer has picked a relatively convenient time to shit the bed. Okay, maybe not convenient, but you get my point. Silver linings and all that jazz.<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-24926111312931552262008-10-01T14:07:00.004+01:002008-10-03T21:29:32.315+01:00Pro-bama<span style="font-family:arial;">I know. I haven't written anything in forever. The MA has kicked into warp speed, and it's taking up most of my time. However, this hasn't prevented me from watching some of the coverage of the US Presidential election. It seems like the rest of the world wants Obama. It's too bad they don't get to vote.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I've been watching some of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Stewart and Colbert are brilliant. If you watched the debates as I did (yay youtube), you may have been annoyed with the exact same things John Stewart's writers were annoyed with:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />1) Obama opened the majority of his responses with. "John is absolutely right..." He's got to quit that shit. Seriously. He's giving credit where no credit is due.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />2) John McCain was ridiculously patronizing. I'm not sure how many times he said, "I don't think Obama understands (fill in blank)", but it was a lot.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />The thing is, I'm tired of a</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> that gun-toting, oil-loving, ear-marking, anti-woman beauty queen (whose international experience includes seeing Russia from her house) getting all of the attention. I won't deny that I love the humour it's producing, but we won't be laughing for long if Mc Crazy and the Lipsticked Pig get into the White House.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I want Barack to rise to the occasion and run a campaign that compels people to vote FOR HIM, not AGAINST someone else. Maybe I shoul</span><span style="font-family:arial;">dn't care about how he gets in office, but my point is that I don't trust some of the American public to make the right choice based on the right decisions. They haven't for the past 8 years, but I'm crossing my fingers that some of them will wake up.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">With that said, let's be<br /><br />PRO-bama!!!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyLKWHDILyj_6LHsLYD2cRPsEaWvF8NXGs-VPtZPuJ8kL1g7VmFnSEGU4ZhjpurCPu4YvBWb8sZOSNA1MB6qxT2-518KLkd0tqsnyVwy-oHPolSrH5JHLLly7bNT01D4Q-y0NNGajaten/s1600-h/series-01.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyLKWHDILyj_6LHsLYD2cRPsEaWvF8NXGs-VPtZPuJ8kL1g7VmFnSEGU4ZhjpurCPu4YvBWb8sZOSNA1MB6qxT2-518KLkd0tqsnyVwy-oHPolSrH5JHLLly7bNT01D4Q-y0NNGajaten/s320/series-01.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252178100920581634" border="0" /></a>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-60390144952842898992008-09-01T20:54:00.004+01:002008-09-03T10:46:34.165+01:00When I get punchy in the studio...<span style="font-family:arial;">this is what happens:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojcw4qkylmoLL43RCgoglQy-E7E-1jKUizDL8C3jKkU98yl-5spS__OvM2GlvQZ-MZEZEVp15bKCaZAPbjE9JVtOLM-pGPgrsE-3-Vaj2HKBq_0zcfLoFjIWwVRV3Ip8buIqwLDaLXCip/s1600-h/Big+Brain.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojcw4qkylmoLL43RCgoglQy-E7E-1jKUizDL8C3jKkU98yl-5spS__OvM2GlvQZ-MZEZEVp15bKCaZAPbjE9JVtOLM-pGPgrsE-3-Vaj2HKBq_0zcfLoFjIWwVRV3Ip8buIqwLDaLXCip/s320/Big+Brain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241144462561145106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6nmgLxPzT18ZZ_xTiOkhzLsTMGA7dLF-f8y3L_Hh7gwqqS40U1CwwLuQL06EObG3fi9PYr6pFzCr6TCfeo05Ckp0TG1R0R1izbPU-tEE5BwxD5iM4lDqDeJgmDvVcUzJEae3efn8A5so/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6nmgLxPzT18ZZ_xTiOkhzLsTMGA7dLF-f8y3L_Hh7gwqqS40U1CwwLuQL06EObG3fi9PYr6pFzCr6TCfeo05Ckp0TG1R0R1izbPU-tEE5BwxD5iM4lDqDeJgmDvVcUzJEae3efn8A5so/s320/Picture+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241144464339517906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwml41xH_Pjaijl_IT4dkQNd-zTdd-9Kba-h0Icg7WgOSzpR-2CthpRIyaQii1MRqaMmH-xWUYDgSN-4y5lawSuvlXdRPYLoEbVrRd6hecDnXlwEH0P_quBNLQBiIaxYC1JTPszwtNyFT/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwml41xH_Pjaijl_IT4dkQNd-zTdd-9Kba-h0Icg7WgOSzpR-2CthpRIyaQii1MRqaMmH-xWUYDgSN-4y5lawSuvlXdRPYLoEbVrRd6hecDnXlwEH0P_quBNLQBiIaxYC1JTPszwtNyFT/s320/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241144467004814706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaV_vfdNZ64zmXf4-Iia8zTb2Hs5T_2vaOhvfYYamPNPv0xpqNiJJWtf3gORDkeSW69M84yRZNXBiiOPNZT1emrEG68HURC-ONNUtaSfYqX_Fl4p-7WTjzoLLCvbPcHTeutZsKcoR6TaK/s1600-h/Picture+9.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaV_vfdNZ64zmXf4-Iia8zTb2Hs5T_2vaOhvfYYamPNPv0xpqNiJJWtf3gORDkeSW69M84yRZNXBiiOPNZT1emrEG68HURC-ONNUtaSfYqX_Fl4p-7WTjzoLLCvbPcHTeutZsKcoR6TaK/s320/Picture+9.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241144472418434226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiUOyKq6T1tgsA3lM_F1KT5W-ZK5EEPpT908GmLFlnqafopwqh02zVRZhK_GFgECwbh1f3hUalz35rGjBmnmPx2J1Z1DcAdGoGGu70zeYeE7WjUfsJ_2tU_1eBUP-UX6Z8oGZ0F5cUoy-/s1600-h/Picture+10.png"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiUOyKq6T1tgsA3lM_F1KT5W-ZK5EEPpT908GmLFlnqafopwqh02zVRZhK_GFgECwbh1f3hUalz35rGjBmnmPx2J1Z1DcAdGoGGu70zeYeE7WjUfsJ_2tU_1eBUP-UX6Z8oGZ0F5cUoy-/s320/Picture+10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241144608269644562" border="0" /></a>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-74530976789219514082008-08-24T16:43:00.004+01:002008-08-27T12:16:47.865+01:00Things I Ate in France<span style="font-family:arial;">1) Chicken Paupillette (Chicken stuffed with sausage meat and cooked in a buttery sauce)<br />2) Rabbit in Mustard Sauce<br />3) Sausages<br />4) Steak Au Poivre<br />5) Steak Tartar (yes, raw meat)<br />6) Pig Snout (taste=fine, texture=rubbery and icky)<br />7) Andouilette (see also: tripe. NEVER again)<br />8) Salmon<br />9) Tart Tatin (ridiculously great)<br />10) Chocolate Cake<br /><br />Copious amounts of red wine (homemade), hard cider (homemade), and Pimms and lemonade (a British thing that we brought over for the party).<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-30552847802375600332008-08-15T17:26:00.005+01:002008-08-20T12:58:26.115+01:00France<span style="font-family:arial;">I'm pretty wiped out from my trip, but here are a couple of photos to tide you over until I can write </span><span style="font-family:arial;">a </span><span style="font-family:arial;">proper update:<br /><br />The first thing we did once Marilou and Big Chicken (Laurent) picked me up from the airport was get a baguette.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmhk2t6dzNVG3Bxb2ioUku1VtHtnSMD20iI5EFkWFYoxJysxQX8UuXKcir9Xbcd0-mDeBMQekkejOTxeTBpCtCDt6QBj946FT_zC2Z3gDN2D6xNkUp1SKzeOwA6JpHbEiuSnzRrPDuDLS/s1600-h/Tamra+Baguette.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmhk2t6dzNVG3Bxb2ioUku1VtHtnSMD20iI5EFkWFYoxJysxQX8UuXKcir9Xbcd0-mDeBMQekkejOTxeTBpCtCDt6QBj946FT_zC2Z3gDN2D6xNkUp1SKzeOwA6JpHbEiuSnzRrPDuDLS/s320/Tamra+Baguette.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234782635445520994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We rented Velib bicycles and rode all over Paris both during the day and at night. Marilou knows the city pretty well, so I had my own personal bike tour guide. At 11pm on Wednesday, we took a trip to the Louvre.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqm42wSu86J-XtfwrNreu5NpoG6gFhv51ewL09rGwmfIf6nAa2U_ewS9VoqXfe8i9g5agC-Y1QqUEwASBO84orU_0Mw3TJZCts6wUSBH8ksS2q-bZi5QNVg0z6ZrKmZ1AjDQsaMfBSH0a/s1600-h/TamraLouvre.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqm42wSu86J-XtfwrNreu5NpoG6gFhv51ewL09rGwmfIf6nAa2U_ewS9VoqXfe8i9g5agC-Y1QqUEwASBO84orU_0Mw3TJZCts6wUSBH8ksS2q-bZi5QNVg0z6ZrKmZ1AjDQsaMfBSH0a/s320/TamraLouvre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234782643154071010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">These are tiles in the Metro Station (stop: Convention)</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDQoU6y_dm-HCAWT5hc4sPMJzuSLWYRCzLz2ApHOsjauCzV3QT1zewTk9tNVbr-cX4kXrBQzYX5-nJtkxrk6eC1Xg4tB3wquszKHxTaaHA_PHGLYghfWHJ5qGIBKkRLXnc5KL4dluRZex/s1600-h/MetroLetters.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDQoU6y_dm-HCAWT5hc4sPMJzuSLWYRCzLz2ApHOsjauCzV3QT1zewTk9tNVbr-cX4kXrBQzYX5-nJtkxrk6eC1Xg4tB3wquszKHxTaaHA_PHGLYghfWHJ5qGIBKkRLXnc5KL4dluRZex/s320/MetroLetters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234782653526575826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And this is a bag that one of Marilou's friends gave her as a gift. It had a candle in it, but apparently, Princesse Tam-Tam is a well-known Parisian lingerie boutique.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILK0g2td23cFQQ3gYUvUxA1QbsXo5bLSKVzES4dDL9RYd4oJasuSkcnn9oYpm5iC3SGXLm67tr1YLuQUBJ5u85ZpaDoa76doU0ozjGYdIFI2k8LDfBZvAc4Jx0kUoPwgM0pz1XHTKkFUs/s1600-h/PrincesseTamTam.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILK0g2td23cFQQ3gYUvUxA1QbsXo5bLSKVzES4dDL9RYd4oJasuSkcnn9oYpm5iC3SGXLm67tr1YLuQUBJ5u85ZpaDoa76doU0ozjGYdIFI2k8LDfBZvAc4Jx0kUoPwgM0pz1XHTKkFUs/s320/PrincesseTamTam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234782648928831250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">More photos and captions to follow...</span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-30205429489339563112008-08-07T21:25:00.001+01:002008-08-20T12:58:26.117+01:00Parlais Vous Francais?<span style="font-family: arial;">I'm going to France tomorrow.<br /><br />You're not.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-56348915770909548902008-07-31T09:26:00.004+01:002008-12-13T10:31:20.339+00:00Brighton<span style="font-family:arial;">I went to Brighton on Sunday with some MADS (MA Design Studies) friends. It was sublime except for the fact that I neglected to bring flip-flops (the beach is made of rocks, which I knew). I am the tenderest of "tenderfoot"s, so I had to mentally prepare for battle when it came time to toddle down to the water. <br /><br />Here's a picture of the old pier:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaGT1BkFT0LyedoaM6hGBZaXZ_bjAFmp7aizYG-SNvwKgV3ZyBn4RNCTxY-V1PBfrfBMW8dojkStDdtOELBm9VeelK-EESYbPxHDcdOZWEvVQlvMYcW6zVko_cR-v9916rUXh2DSQQDT3/s1600-h/Old+Pier.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaGT1BkFT0LyedoaM6hGBZaXZ_bjAFmp7aizYG-SNvwKgV3ZyBn4RNCTxY-V1PBfrfBMW8dojkStDdtOELBm9VeelK-EESYbPxHDcdOZWEvVQlvMYcW6zVko_cR-v9916rUXh2DSQQDT3/s320/Old+Pier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229093154657340418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And here's a picture of some of us at the new pier:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxCnxdfUhfeY-dO8Uq2Bkrr4u-PpF0jllXnhLw4DdoY6T143-V6lZGruU6QN192exstz0lzz9L96mCQZ864h2TMnCEQC-SxB5lyG_4FcPDduPZ3wZI-Bzr25aWTlq5Sz0FCdIn4maOHaf/s1600-h/Gang+2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxCnxdfUhfeY-dO8Uq2Bkrr4u-PpF0jllXnhLw4DdoY6T143-V6lZGruU6QN192exstz0lzz9L96mCQZ864h2TMnCEQC-SxB5lyG_4FcPDduPZ3wZI-Bzr25aWTlq5Sz0FCdIn4maOHaf/s320/Gang+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229093443420341522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Needless to say, I will be doing my best to visit coastal towns and cities while the sun is out.</span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-9906211625022493372008-07-21T22:52:00.002+01:002008-08-01T11:06:31.526+01:00Can't Read, Can't Write<span style="font-family:arial;">Last night, I watched the first part of an excellent mini-series documentary about adult illiteracy in Britain, and a maverick teacher (<a href="http://www.philbeadle.com/">Phil Beadle</a>) who's doing something about it. <a href="http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/R/reading/series.html">Check it out</a>. I wish I had the ability to record it so everyone I know could watch it, but I don't, so just go to the website and read about him and his projects.<br /><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-57073207404554632912008-07-20T22:46:00.005+01:002008-12-13T10:31:20.508+00:00Retirement Show 2008<span style="font-family:arial;">I went to the London Retirement Show 2008 on Friday.<br />Not kidding.<br /><br />In other news, I made a silly poster because I was in one of those moods. Here it is.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbQ3AGERyRYvfM2J4pYCa3y8R_kdYI_w92JEfRqnpcEsXcW5wFvODWHwa5fTLPVf0JLkuOh04KbtMD-_JQfTKzJdUKWQZXZrskAntQIRWhezx0QD-C85Z9jWL-LFEFEMOt6zlQHF5eM8P/s1600-h/George+syphillis.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbQ3AGERyRYvfM2J4pYCa3y8R_kdYI_w92JEfRqnpcEsXcW5wFvODWHwa5fTLPVf0JLkuOh04KbtMD-_JQfTKzJdUKWQZXZrskAntQIRWhezx0QD-C85Z9jWL-LFEFEMOt6zlQHF5eM8P/s320/George+syphillis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225218515948532866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-74743703543850126222008-07-14T13:40:00.003+01:002008-08-01T11:06:31.530+01:00Rise Festival<span style="font-family:arial;">Some friends and I went to the Rise Festival in Finsbury Park on Sunday to see Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and CSS. Sharon Jones played the shortest set I've ever seen, even at a festival. While the songs and band were great, the shortened set was highly disappointing. CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy, which came from a Beyonce quote and translates to: "I got tired of being sexy"), on the other hand was a ton of fun. The closest I can get to describing them is brazilian-electro-punk-pop. The lead singer (Lovefoxxx) is a trip. She had a yellow and black striped bodysuit, a yellow construction worker's hat with black stripes painted on it that continued down her face, and gold lame sadle bags that went around her neck and hung down like two saggy boobs. From the saddle bags, pulled out bananas and threw them into the crowd. They also had helium balloons tied to every large piece of stage equipment. They were obviously having fun with each other on stage, and as you know, I'm a sucker for that (sometimes, regardles of the music).<br /></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-50854891579155443182008-06-30T17:28:00.002+01:002008-08-01T11:06:31.531+01:00Sexual Health Survey for 50s and Beyond<span style="font-family: arial;">If you are in the UK and know anyone who is over the age of 50, please send them my Sexual Health Survey. I'd be eternally grateful. And I'll be your best friend.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FmCF1haFvgJDvLfqdQFevA_3d_3d">Click Here to take survey</a><br /><br />Thanks so much, and please spread the word!</span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5193772589358213805.post-6776666363475335902008-06-28T08:03:00.006+01:002008-12-13T10:31:20.810+00:00The Tipping Point<span style="font-family:arial;">Yesterday, I went to a pub with my friends after we finished the Immersion Program. As we were leaving the pub, this guy with curly gray/brown hair walked past me carrying a messenger bag. He looked like a professor. I recognized his face. I turned around and said, "Richard?" It was Richard Kaye, a guy who used to teach English at Davidson. I had never taken one of his classes (he started in 1997, and I graduated in 1998), nor had I spoken more then 5 words to him in the three years we were both there. But I remembered his face and his name, and decided to say something. It's weird how my brain works. We spent a minute or two saying what we were doing and who he keeps in touch with in NYC (where he's now based) and how I lived with Vic and visit Alexis (friends of mine who did have him as a prof who now live in NYC) every time I'm in the city.<br /><br />It made me think of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tipping Point</span>, by Malcolm Gladwell. He talks about how there are three types of people who are able to create social epidemics: Connectors, Mavens, and Salespeople. I'm not sure that I would be able to create a social epidemic, but I definitely have some of those Connector elements in me.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFWnBDRyJNTTnG_Tf6J2To4oPCLOUPbYJ2Fjw-b7sft9gXEaHmZQUaXfTUNhfom3dKX-X20rcY_btoGOrECgyMdbak6rh5EVKv22zsOQbBb9SavXBk4DPy2Unf8KUa1GL2M3tfA9io6tR/s1600-h/tipping_point.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFWnBDRyJNTTnG_Tf6J2To4oPCLOUPbYJ2Fjw-b7sft9gXEaHmZQUaXfTUNhfom3dKX-X20rcY_btoGOrECgyMdbak6rh5EVKv22zsOQbBb9SavXBk4DPy2Unf8KUa1GL2M3tfA9io6tR/s320/tipping_point.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216828418073725298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Tamraconteurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167957067419328932noreply@blogger.com1