Paul W. Swansen: My Interests

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 17:55:46 GMT

Well now that we've completely confused the Radio Userland server with testing out some new themes, I've returned to the default theme. The others just don't look pleasing and easy to read as does this one.

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 17:08:34 GMT

Mitch Kapor vs. Wired.. Mitch Kapor vs. Wired. [Hack the Planet]

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 17:07:11 GMT

iPod headset! Bose TriPort: Hi-Fi Ear Armor At A low-Fi Price : My requirements: Real noise reduction, crisp sound, and none of that bulky, ring-around-the-ears feeling. (Business 2.0 via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu]

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 16:47:26 GMT

If your in Houston this is a don't miss event, on a monthly basis. Chris and Synthia are good friends and great people. Contact them if you want to attend. Summary of Salon and Course Dates December 19 Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]: Houston Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin 20-22 Being Creative[dot accent]: Houston 28-29 Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend: Houston January TBA Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]. Houston Mastery by George Leonard http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin Mastery by Joan Evelyn Ames http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin 10-12 Mastery of Learning® Weekend: Houston February TBA Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] The Mind and The Brain by Schwartz and Begley http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin TBA Mastery of Learning® Weekend Course TBA Advanced Visual Thinking ************ PLEASE FORWARD THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO OTHERS ************* WELCOME to the Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] online newsletter: an informal, monthly e-letter featuring book recommendations, events, courses, and other announcements for Mastery of Learning® and BizNavSys[dot accent] course graduates, clients and friends. SALONS: Join us at Courses, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Houston on Thursday, December 19. See the Upcoming Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] Events section below for details on future Salons. COURSES! COURSES! Coming up next: Mastery of Learning® Weekend, Being Creative[dot accent] and Visual Organizing[dot accent]. See the Upcoming Course Section for information and dates. FUN STUFF: Take a course, broaden your horizons. ************ UPCOMING SALON FOR CURIOUS READERS[dot accent] EVENTS ************* WHAT IS THE SALON? Love to read, but can[base ']t find intelligent conversation? Join us for a fun evening of lively and informal discussion over a gourmet meal as we explore how we learn how to learn...and discuss ideas from a book selection and how it relates to our lives, our businesses and our futures. Although you're encouraged to have read the book, it's not necessary - your curiosity about learning how to learn more effectively and an interest in the topic at hand is all that's required. Cost is $30; contact me for location and mailing info. Note: space is limited, so please register early by sending your check to reserve your space. LAST SALON: Thanks to all who attended the November Salon held at Courses, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Houston. Welcome to newcomers Margaret Reich, Henry Gilbert, Tom Young, and Liz the mystery woman from Australia. Another savory and nutritious meal was prepared and served by Chef Larry Perdido and his students under trying conditions. First Course Pecan Smoke Squab Fingerling potato salad, aged balsamic vinegar Second Course Pancetta Crusted Seabass Braised Fennel, Oven-roasted Tomatoes Third Course Raspberry-Lime Sorbet Fourth Course Herb Seared Lamb Medallions Potobello Risotto Fifth Course Peach Melba The November Salon book was The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316117048/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING SALON BOOKS******************* December Salon: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is my favorite books on writing. Anne Lamott is has a very twisted sense of humor and way of writing. She is one of my favorite authors. It is hard to speedread her books because she can have you laughing and crying in the same sentence. Amazon.com Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin January Salon: The theme to start out the new year is mastery. There are two books for the month. The first book is: Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard. I read the book when it came out in 1992. It still holds up. The second book is Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames. The book as the name implies is a set to interviews with 30 people who the author feels are masters in their fields. The Leonard book could be considered the text and the Ames book could be considered the field book. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard From Amazon.com, Ingram: The author of The Ultimate Athlete has spent much of his life seeking to master the ancient and demanding martial art of aikido, in which flaws are magnified and the quick fix is impossible. He soon learned that mastery is a journey, and that the master must have the courage to risk failure. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames From Amazon.com, Ingram This collection of personal, thought provoking interviews with some of the world's most accomplished artists, scientists, athletes, and thinkers, including Walter Cronkite, William Styron, Janos Starker, and George Plimpton, presents readers with a rare glimpse into the minds, thoughts, and hearts of individuals who have attained mastery in their fields. 35 photos. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin February Salon: We are getting back to neuroscience for February. The book for the month is The Mind and The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, MD and Sharon Begley. Don[base ']t be put off by the title. This is a very readable book about how the brain reorganizes itself as a result of stimulation. I don[base ']t agree with all of what the authors have to say and there is a lot of good research in there. From Publishers Weekly Schwartz (A Return to Innocence), a UCLA psychiatrist and expert on treating patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), teams up with Begley, a Wall Street Journal science columnist, to explore the mind/brain dichotomy and to discuss the science behind new treatments being developed for a host of brain dysfunctions. Building on the work presented in Schwartz's first book, Brain Lock, the authors begin by demonstrating that OCD patients are capable of rechanneling compulsive urges into more socially acceptable activities and that, by doing so, they actually alter their brains' neuronal circuitry. By presenting a wide array of animal and human experiments, Schwartz and Begley show that similar neuroplasticity is possible in stroke victims, often leading to a return of function previously thought impossible. The medical results and treatments they summarize are exciting and deserve widespread attention. In a chapter entitled "Free Will and Free Won't," the authors turn to the philosophical, examining the implications neuroplasticity might have on the differences between mind and brain; they also discourse on the existence of free will. Unfortunately, their integration of quantum mechanics and Buddhism into a search for a mechanism to explain the patterns scientists have been discovering is too superficial to fully engage readers. Nonetheless, a great deal in this book is sure to motivate discussion and more research. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING COURSES ********************** Just contact Chris (chris@masteryoflearning.com) if you would like more information on these upcoming courses: Mastery of Learning® Weekend Are you growing as fast as you would like? The most important skill to acquire today is the ability to learn. The Mastery of Learning® Weekend is an experiential workshop designed to help you rediscover the joy of learning and your natural ability to learn. In just two days and one evening, you can acquire the eight new integrative learning skills required for greater success, growth and creativity in today's fast-paced world. Expand your ability to learn anything more quickly and with more ease, and become more comfortable with stepping outside your comfort zone. If you follow the easy, step by step instructions and engage fully in the exercises, you will at least double your reading speed with equal or better comprehension by the end of the course. Includes study tips and strategies for students. Ask about CEUs for Texas accountants. If you want to save time and become more effective, this is the course for you! One evening and 2 days. $750; Full time students only $595; Reviewers $375. Houston: January 10, 12 Being Creative[dot accent] Most courses on creativity just talk about it. Here, you will gain direct access and experience "being creative." Life is a Work of Art and this course is for all [base "]artists![per thou] No matter what level of artistic background you currently have, our unique, fun and transformational processes will provoke a deeper level of creative self-expression to emerge. Past participants have discovered new ways to access and express their creativity, resulting in refreshingly new directions, business ventures, products, and works of art...and many have started selling their creative works. $750. Houston: December 20 [^] 22. Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend: Bring your personal organizers to this course! We'll cover Visual Organizing[dot accent] principles and then apply them step by step as you build a series of visual displays to schedule and track your 2003 goals, projects, cycles, important dates, work commitments, and time off. Learn how to create organizing systems that work [^] and how to adapt them as your needs change. Results include a completely new way to see managing action in time, plus new distinctions in seeing when to delegate, when to build a team, when to leverage off of natural rhythms, and when to let go. $500. Houston: December 28 & 29 ****************FUN STUFF********************** Take a course. Learn something new instead of sitting in front of the TV. Here a couple of places I have tried in Houston that produce create courses. The Art Institute of Houston, Center for Professional Development: http://www.aih.aii.edu/cpd.asp Rice University School of Continuing Studies: http://WWW.scs.rice.edu/scs/ I have attended courses given by both organizations and I highly recommend them. **************************THE SALON BOOKLIST********************** The complete list of all of the Salon books is available as an Excel attachment. To request a copy of the book list please e-mail me at chris@masteryoflearning.com ******************* WHO WE ARE **************************** Business Navigating Systems[dot accent], Inc specializes in the human side of change. We apply natural science, chaos and complexity models to transition, learning, growth strategies, creativity, high performance and wellness in organizations and individuals. BizNavSys[dot accent] is the home of the Mastery of Learning® Course Series, offered since 1979. For more information on our proprietary techniques and models, consulting services, in-house training courses, and executive coaching programs, contact Synthia Smith at sesmith@biznavsys.com. ***************************************************** RU a CPA? Ask us about receiving CPE credit hours for our courses. ©2000 Mastery of Learning® Inc., Houston, Texas. All rights reserved. "BizNavSys" and "Art of Transition" title and course description ©2000 Business Navigating Systems Inc., Houston, Texas. All rights reserved. WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED BUSINESS AND REFERRALS! Contact me at chris@masteryoflearning.com if you would like to be added or deleted from this distribution list. Thank you! *****************************************************

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 16:07:28 GMT

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 05:05:32 GMT

Come on Dan, you're just finding this out? CNN Hones Propaganda Skills [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

Sat, 14 Dec 2002 18:31:56 GMT

Blog on blog.

Even if you're not new to all ... this... Weblogging Resources has some interesting links, and advice to go with them.

[The Doc Searls Weblog]

Fri, 13 Dec 2002 04:18:17 GMT

Random NetNewsWire screen shot. This new screen shot of NetNewsWire Pro shows a few different things, including the current states of the Weblog Editor and the Notepad.

A public beta is getting closer and closer. I’m hoping for Monday, but it’s entirely possible it will be later. [inessential.com]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 15:01:54 GMT

Wardriver bumper-stickers [bOing bOing]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:42:52 GMT

Weblogs in Meatspace [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:39:09 GMT

Follow up on our attempted meeting with Rageboy, of course a busy media, blogging mogul such as the aforementioned, had something come up so he cancelled. Never fear, we'll go for it again.

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 03:06:31 GMT

When you miss an important email because your mailbox is full of spam, you can send a letter to Alan Ralsky, 6747 Minnow Pond Drive, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. He's one of the leading suppliers of spam services, and runs a very profitable business according to the Detroit Free Press. Thanks to Jason Levine for collating the info. I plan to send Ralsky a hand-written letter tonight, and any other time I have something to say about spam. Finally, there's someone to complain to about this. [Scripting News]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 03:05:15 GMT

Snow Day.

Another School Using Manila and RSS

"Here we go...very cool concept using, guess what...Manila (check out the yearbook link). Note the high school site and the news site: 'Who maintains this site? Volunteer editors. Each dynamic site is constructed and maintained by one or more editors. Look in the about area of each site to find the names of the editors.' AND 'Why are we using a content management system? It requires far less technical knowledge to publish a good looking site. The value of our network will grow as more and more people use it. Publishing is a simple way to start the ball rolling.'

Definitely an addition to the rolls!" [weblogged News]

I followed the link to the news site and came upon the following entry for December 5:

"WSAZ is reporting that Eastern (along with most other local schools) is closed today.

Yea Baby, it[base ']s the first snow day of 2002. This is a friendly reminder to drive safely and watch this page for the posting of snowdance lessons to be offered in the elementary cafetorium. Dates and costs to be posted at a later date. [^] Chad Griffith - goto"

This is exactly what I want from the kids' school - a current news page that I can go to in the morning to see if school has been cancelled. I shouldn't have to wade through the scrolling ticker on TV, and while there are web sites out there that are aggregating closings, it would be far easier for the principal or the secretary to post a quick message to the school's site. Even better if it appears in my morning aggregator read.

[The Shifted Librarian]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 02:54:31 GMT

Another Catalog of the Blogosphere.

Steven Cohen has come across yet another blogosphere aggregator - Janes' Blogosphere.

The "Janes" in the title is David Janes, a Canadian blogger (eh). Naturally, David is maintaining a blog to highlight changes, endorsements, and improvements, but here's a description straight from the site:

"Welcome to Janes' Blogosphere, a web-based microcontent aggregator for blogs (and soon newspapers). If you want to dive right in, go to BlogTrack -- and read your favorite blogs in a fraction of the time it would usually take.

If your blog is not listed here, please use our Template Rewriter to mark up your blog's template and then send me a note! You can also register by creating a login.

This is a beta test of this software -- I've been testing it for the last two months, but obviously there still may be bugs. Please mail me if you have problems and I'll try to fix them as soon as possible. This website has only been tested against Internet Explorer 6 and Mozilla/Phonenix running on Windows. It should be moderately well behaved on other Version 4 and higher browsers, though if you have a problem, I'd appreciate hearing about it."

Offhand, I don't see a count of how many blogs are being indexed at the moment. It's an interesting twist on an online aggregator (reloading external content in a frame), plus a mix of the various ecosystems and Technorati. My favorite feature so far, though, has to be the geographical breakdown of those blogs indexed in the database (although it looks to be a subset of those currently indexed). Could dovetail nicely with political initiatives, meet ups, and business/social networks in the big "B" Blogosphere, although the obvious barrier here is the onus on bloggers to sign up and add code to their templates.

Another great find, Steven!

[The Shifted Librarian]

Thu, 12 Dec 2002 01:42:42 GMT

Shop hard.

Andrew Goodman in Traffick: Brand Bullies' Scorched-Web Policy: A Dissent. Good piece. Sources Cluetrain & its authors extensively, too.

[The Doc Searls Weblog]

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 15:09:47 GMT

In Other Words, The "Heavenly Jukebox".

Sterling's decade-ahead-of-its-time librarian talk

"Bruce Sterling's 1992 speech to the Library Information Technology Association is eerily prescient -- the "Information Economy" is bankrupt, and it's taking the public domain down with it.

'Ladies and gentlemen, there's a problem with showing Mr Franklin the door. The problem is that Mr Franklin was right in 1731 and Mr Franklin is still right! Information is not something you can successfully peddle like Coca-Cola. If it were a genuine commodity, then information would cost nothing when you had a glut of it. God knows we've got enough data! We're drowning in data. Nevertheless we're only gonna make more. Money just does not map the world of information at all well. How much is the Bible worth? You can get a Bible in any hotel room. They're worthless as commodities, but not valueless to humankind. Money and value are not identical.
What's information really about? It seems to me there's something direly wrong with the 'Information Economy.' It's not about data, it's about attention. In a few years you may be able to carry the Library of Congress around in your hip pocket. So? You're never gonna read the Library of Congress. You'll die long before you access one tenth of one percent of it. What's important --- increasingly important --- is the process by which you figure out what to look at. This is the beginning of the real and true economics of information. Not who owns the books, who prints the books, who has the holdings. The crux here is access, not holdings. And not even access itself, but the signposts that tell you what to access --- what to pay attention to. In the Information Economy everything is plentiful --- except attention.' " [Boing Boing Blog]

[The Shifted Librarian]

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:18:59 GMT

The Art of Blogging-Part 2.

As promised George Siemens posted part 2 of the Art of Blogging. It is basic but offers some simple advice:

The best way to learn to blog is to blog.

It goes on to list examples and resources. As John Robb once put it:

Pick a topic. Own it. Blog it.

I couldn't find the exact link but it was something like that. (Sorry John.)

[Craig Burton: logs, links, life, and lexicon]

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:15:14 GMT

Health-Care Provider Aims To Add Telecommuters, Cut Costs. "BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina plans to upgrade network to let more customer-service reps work from home."Sounds like a great idea to me!... [Lockergnome's Bits and Bytes]

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:09:44 GMT

No more ink stained hands. Now will they make a screen that is readable to wade through the Sunday paper, and will it be as heavy as the Sunday N.Y. Times? eNewspaper Format Proposal.

Tablet PCs and e-Newspapers: The Next Step in the Digital Transformation of the Newspaper Business (PDF)

"KENT Format:

Sponsors: Adobe Systems and Los Angeles Times...
Designed to take full advantage of pen-based tablet PCs...
Graphically rich, magazine-size pages. No scrolling
Can be read offline or online
Business model more like the printed newspaper than the Web...
Can include video and audio elements...
Ads juxtaposed with editorial content...
Ads can have additional layers of information...
Ads cannot be 'zapped'...
Ads can include interactive forms" [via The Buzz Machine]

So is this PDF on steroids with audio and video embedded? As long as this format can handle constant updates in an always-on, wireless-everywhere world, I can see why newspapers would be interested in this format. However, I don't see why consumers would want to be locked into PDFs when HTML or RSS is open and works pretty well on a tablet PC. Something to keep an eye on....

[The Shifted Librarian]

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:07:16 GMT

Now My Hair Won't Fall Out.....

Internet Soapbox (requires Flash)

"Want a memorable way to dispel all those Internet Rumors?" (via my Mother)..." [LibraryPlanet.com]

[The Shifted Librarian]

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 14:07:31 GMT

Solar Warrior. A great story about one man's fight to connect his high output solar system to PG&E's grid (to allow him to contribute during the day and draw during the night). Very interesting legal battle. Of course, PG&E is acting like the proverbial dinosaur. Low cost solar contributions, during peak usage hours, should actively encouraged (thanks Jiri). [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 04:58:43 GMT

John Patrick's list of the 5 candidates for the "next big thing." [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 04:57:32 GMT

Grassroots eBook Library.

Frank McPherson was kind enough to send me a link to the new KnowBetter.com Ebook Lending Library.

"Since we began serving the ebook commuity in 1999, we've listened to thousands of e-readers and would-be e-readers share their complaints about what's wrong with the current state of the industry. The #1 complaint we've received is that ebook content is too expensive....

We've created the KnowBetter eBook Lending Library to help overcome the high cost of content. We're calling it our "Grand Experiment" because we're putting our money where ebook readers' mouths are. We're bypassing the chicken-and-egg dilemma by taking the plunge and buying a full collection of ebooks that you can borrow and read on your computer or PDA. Currently, we've got over 1,100 titles and will continue to add to that number.

The KnowBetter Lending Library is a first-of-its-kind service that allows you to check out ebooks, much as you would from a regular library. The only difference is you don't have to return the ebook. It's checked back in automatically (i.e., no overdue fines)....

Our service isn't tied to a particular ebook device or platform. Instead, it uses the free Mobipocket ebook reader software which can run on your desktop, laptop, Palm, Pocket PC, or other PDA (Read more about Mobipocket)....

Right now, for just $19.95, you can borrow and read our ebooks for an entire year! So, for less than the typical cost of a single new hardcover book, you can have full access to our ever-expanding collection of titles... 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Depending on how much you read, our library could save you hundreds of dollars each year. Even if you only read a couple of books a year, our library can still save you money.

Try out the service free to see if you like it. Then, when you're ready, pay your dues (we all gotta' do it sometime) of just $19.95 for an entire year and get access to our full collection."

I have a lot of questions about how this service works (circulation and expiration for starters), but my mind is still fuzzy from the lingering cold and accompanying medication. In fact, I think I'm going back to sleep again. See you tomorrow (I hope).

[The Shifted Librarian]

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 04:38:49 GMT

Usable Libraries.

Library-usability.org is a great idea, but I wish it had an RSS feed in order to make it more usable in my news aggregator. ;-)

"library-usability.org is dedicated to the idea that libraries are critical to our communities. But to help people meet their needs, libraries must be usable in every facet of their service. Usability is about more than just software. It's about helping people accomplish their goals, and library usability asks: what can we do to help people in the way we operate, in the way we publish, in the way we deliver service, and in the way we use technology? " [via Library Stuff]

[The Shifted Librarian]

Sun, 08 Dec 2002 16:07:55 GMT

Book Review: Human Factors and Web Development, 2nd ed.. A collection of sixteen chapters from leading experts in the field this book provides a fascinating glimpse into current and future HCI research into man-machine interaction on the web. By Andy King. 1205