In May of 1994, the first World Wide Web conference was held in the auditorium of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). For some historical perspective, this was the year that Netscape released its first Web browser, Mozilla, the World Wide Web Consortium was established, Windows 95 was released with software to access the Internet, and companies like America Online, Prodigy and CompuServe were competing for status in the public consciousness as the lead provider of Internet access. The Internet was beginning to be accessible to the general public, not just those with extensive computer knowledge or who were working within educational or governmental institutions. The Web as we now know it was beginning to take shape.

Eventually, out of the Cambrian-like explosion that wired the masses, the Blogosphere emerged. While it evolved in the same rocky fashion as the Web itself, burdened by neigh-sayers and meeting corporate resistance as companies struggled to harness its growth for profit, the blogosphere is now viewed as an entity that is revolutionizing journalism and human communication at large.

For those on the forefront of the development of the Web, the World Wide Web conference was an event that educated, inspired and forged partnerships by connecting people whose paths would otherwise never cross.

From Weaving the Web, a book by the inventor of the Web, Tim Berners-Lee:

It was a tremendous gathering. The auditorium held perhaps three hundred people. We limited registration to three hundred, but ended up with three hundred fifty after admitting members of the press, and others who just appeared — testimony of how the Web had grown.

…

There were people from all walks of life brought together by their enthusiasm of the Web. Talks given in the small auditorium were packed. Because it was the first such conference, many people who had been interacting only by e-mail were meeting each other face-to-face for the first time.

…

The excitement, congeniality and grass-roots fervor for furthering the Web inspired the reporters there, overdoing it a little, to dub the meeting the “Woodstock of the Web.”

Overdoing it or not, it is fitting to compare innovative conferences like this and ScienceOnline to the generation-defining music festivals that bring multitudes of people together over their commonalities in musical taste every year; registration for ScienceOnline was capped at 250 attendees this year, and filled up within 3 days of the initial announcement. The described enthusiasm and fervor of WWW conference attendees parallels the enthusiasm I observed of ScienceOnline participants.

And so I hereby dub the ScienceOnline conference, the Bonnaroo of the Blogosphere. I’m 23 and never attended Woodstock, but I think that as meaningful as it was to Sir Berners-Lee’s generation, Bonnaroo probably is to mine. As important as it was to have a meeting in the late ’90s to discuss and define the Web when it was in its infancy, it is as important to do so for the blogosphere today.

I attended for the first time last January, prompted by my role as an overlord of ScienceBlogs.com, and will return this year to lead a discussion session with Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. Our session will be on Web Science, the emerging academic field that explores the way people use the Web, and will cover the origin and history of the Web, the phenomena that can be observed and measured by tracking the way people use the Web, how it effects us currently, and the future of science communication on the Web. We chose this topic because it is of extreme relevancy to the attendees of the conference — and extreme interest to us — and was personally inspired by our recent meeting with Tim Berners-Lee himself.

Attending the ScienceOnline conference last year was an incredible experience that further solidified my decision to pursue my interest in the Web. It’s a place where, if you’re into science and you’re into the Web, and these are the things that get you really excited academically, professionally and/or socially, you can learn what the game-changers in the field are up to and talking about, and talk about it with them, maybe become a game-changer yourself.

On the time line of human existence, being able to “know” someone before you meet them occupies an extremely minute segment. ScienceOnline is an event that epitomizes this. It’s a place where the names that we’ve come to know by hypertext on the computer screen become associated with real people: Where the mental images we hold of people based on their projected online personas become modified or solidified by the impressions gathered from meeting them and interacting IRL. Someday, this concept will be commonplace, if it isn’t already. But right now, it’s exciting to connect these two seemingly anachronistic pools of information.

So, you’ve probably gathered by now that I think ScienceOnline is awesome and that I’m really excited for it. And if I haven’t sold you on it’s awesomeness yet, be convinced by this: Bloggers and scientists partying together. I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I enjoy more than a good geek party.

ScienceOnline2010: Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, January 14-17, with the main conference events Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th. Get ready. Check it out on the ScienceOnline Wiki. Explore, contribute, Tweet and reTweet. Then when the time comes, check you favorite science blogs for mentions and Twitter for the #scio10 hash tag.

The effects from the networks that were forged at the early World Wide Web conferences are visible in just about every aspect of the Web today. Who knows what aspects of the future this year’s ScienceOnline will shape.

_________________________

Image 1 via damn cool pics.

Lead image photoshopped by me, logo courtesy of the ScienceOnline wiki.

Η δεκαετία φεύγει, οι λίστες έρχονται!

Αλήθεια, εσύ θυμάσαι πόσο σπουδαίο μας φαινόταν που θα ερχόταν το 2000; To MΙΛΕΝΙΟΥΜ δεν το λέγανε; Πόσο παλιά φαντάζουν τώρα αυτά… Τα χρόνια περνούν …τελικά και κάνουμε απολογισμό. Ο καθένας για λογαριασμό του, και όλοι για λογαριασμό …των άλλων. Δεν θα σου πω, πως βλέπω εγώ αυτά τα 10 χρόνια, και αν μου έφεραν αυτά που ονειρευόμουν τα χριστούγεννα του… 1999, (άστο, καμία σχέση σου λέω! …F…! ήμουν…. μόλις 24 τότε!!!) Θα σου θυμίσω όμως, άλλες αγαπημένες στιγμές της δεκαετίας, λιγότερο προσωπικές, ή ίσως … και πολύ προσωπικές, επιλέγοντας ανάμεσα σε ορισμένες, από τις άπειρες, που δημοσιεύονται αυτές τις μέρες, λίστες!!! ΛΑΤΡΕΥΩ!

Ξεκινάμε με σινεμά. Και Times.

100 The Devil Wears Prada (David Frankel, 2006)
99 Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku, 2000) 
98 Crash (Paul Haggis, 2004)
97 Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Park Chan-Wook, 2005)
96 Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay, 2002) 
95 Amores Perros (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2000)
94 An Inconvenient Truth (Davis Guggenheim, 2006) 
93 House of Flying Daggers (Zhang Yimou, 2004)
92 Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears, 2002)
91 Lantana (Ray Lawrence, 2001)
90 Wedding Crashers (David Dobkin, 2005)
89 School of Rock (Richard Linklater, 2003) 
88 The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)
87 Time and Winds (Reha Erdem, 2006)
86 The Orphanage (Juan Antonio Bayona, 2007)
85 The Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke, 2001)
84 Hotel Rwanda (Terry George, 2004)
83 The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Ken Loach, 2006)
82 Yi Yi: A One and a Two (Edward Yang, 2000) 
81 In The Loop (Armando Iannucci, 2009)
80 Me, You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005)
79 Le Grand Voyage (Ismael Ferroukhi, 2004)
78 About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, 2002)
77 Bowling for Columbine (Michael Moore, 2002)
76 Control (Anton Corbijn, 2007)
75 Talk to Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002)
74 Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006) 
73 The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Jacques Audiard, 2005)
72 The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008) 
71 Monsters, Inc. (Pete Docter/David Silverman/lee Unkrich, 2001)
70 The Class (Laurent Cantet, 2008)
69 Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi, 2007)
68 Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
67 Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008) 
66 City of God (Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund, 2002)
65 Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
64 L’enfant (Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne, 2005)
63 There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
62 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004)
61 Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
60 The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005)
59 Être et Avoir (Nicolas Philibert, 2002)
58 Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
57 The Consequences of Love (Paolo Sorrentino, 2004)
56 Volver (Pedro Almodovar, 2006)
55 Chopper (Andrew Dominik, 2000)
54 Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff, 2003) 
53 Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)
52 The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005)
51 The Son’s Room (Nanni Moretti, 2001)
50 The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003)
49 Knocked Up (Judd Apatow, 2007)
48 Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris, 2006)
47 My Summer of Love (Pawel Pawlikowski, 2004)
46 Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2000)
45 Touching the Void (Kevin Macdonald, 2003)
44 Under the Sand (François Ozon, 2000)
43 The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
42 The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004)
41 Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006)
40 Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005)
39 Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)
38 Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
37 In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai, 2000)
36 Capturing the Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki, 2004)
35 Y Tu Mamá También (Alfonso Cuarón, 2002)
34 Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton/Lee Unkrich, 2003)
33 Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2002)
32 Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000)
31 Iraq in Fragments (James Longley, 2006)
30 Irreversible (Gaspar Noé, 2002)
29 Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 2000)
28 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)
27 Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004)
26 Minority Report (Steven Spielberg, 2002)
25 Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier, 2000)
24 28 Days Later… (Danny Boyle, 2002)
23 Man On Wire (James Marsh, 2008)
22 Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002) 
21 Good Night, and Good Luck (George Clooney, 2005)
20 Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001) 
19 United 93 (Paul Greengrass, 2006)
18 Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
17 Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)
16 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
15 Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004)
14 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
13 This Is England (Shane Meadows, 2007)
12 The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
11 Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles, 2006)
10 Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)
9 The Queen (Stephen Frears, 2006)
8 Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)
7 The Last King of Scotland (Kevin Macdonald, 2006)
6 Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)

5 Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004)
4 Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, 2005) 
3 No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, 2007) 
2 The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum (Paul Greengrass, 2004, 2007)
1 Hidden (Cache) (Michael Haneke, 2005)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6902642.ece

Συνεχίζω με μουσικάρες! Και πολύ σωστό ελληνικό μουσικό-μπλόγκ!

100) Field- From Here We Go Sublime

99) Long Blondes- Someone To Drive You Home

98) Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

97) Los Campesinos!- Hold On Now, Youngster…

96) St. Vincent- Actor

95) Outkast- Stankonia

94) Justice- Cross

93) Beach House- Devotion

92) Cut Copy- In Ghost Worlds

91) Mercury Rev- All Is Dream

90) Bat For Lashes- Two Suns

89) The National- Alligator

88) Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

87) Caribou- Andorra

86) M.I.A.- Kala

85) Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Yanqui U.X.O.

84) Wilco- The Yankee Hotel

83) Notwist- Neon Golden

82) The Avalanches- Since I Left You

81) Bjork- Medulla

80) New Pornographers- Twin Cinema

79) Marnie Stern- This Is It & I Am It…

78) Boards of Canada- Geogaddi

77) The Flaming Lips- Embryonic

76) The Besnard Lakes- The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse

75) Dan Deacon- Spiderman Of The Rings

74) Times New Viking- Rip It Off

73) Mew- And The Glasses Handed Kites

72) Battles- Mirrored

71) Dodos- Visitor

70) Sufjan Stevens- Michigan

69) Mastodon- Leviathan

68) Hot Chip- The Warning

67) The Unicorns- Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone

66) Liars- Drum’s not Dead

65) Explosions in the sky- The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place

64) Interpol- Antics

63) Grandaddy- The Shophtware Slump

62) Portishead- Third

61) Queens of the Stone Age- Songs for the Deaf

60) The Go! Team- Thunder, Lightning, Strike

59) Modest Mouse- The Moon and the Antarctica

58) Andrew Bird- Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs

57) M83- Saturdays =Youth

56) Panda Bear- Person Pitch

55) Isis-Panopticon

54) Art Brut- Bang Bang Rock And Roll

53) Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion

52) Cat Power- You Are Free

51) Burial- Untrue

50) The National- Boxer

49) Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago

48) Sunset Rubdown- Shut Up I Am Dreaming

47) The Microphones- The Glow pt.2

46) No Age- Nouns

45) Band of Horses- Everything All The Time

44) Spoon- Kill the Moonlight

43) Knife- The Silent Shout

42) Arcade Fire- Neon Bible

41) Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand

40) The Decemberists- Picaresque

39) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

38) Sufjan Stevens- Seven Swans

37) The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

36) Deerhunter- Cryptograms

35) The Fiery Furnaces- Blueberry Boat

34) M83- Before the Dawn Heals Us

33) Animal Collective- Feels

32) …And You Will Know Us By The Drail of the Dead- Source Tags and Codes

31) Bloc Party- Silent Alarm

30) Joanna Newsom- The Milk Eyed Mender

29) Fuck Buttons- Street Horrrsing

28) Broken Social Scene- You Forgot it in People

27) The Strokes- Is this It?

26) Tv on the Radio- Return to the Cookie Mountain

25) The Shins- Chutes too Narrow

24) Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell

23) No Age-Weirdo Rippers

22) A Place to Bury Stranger- A Place to Bury Strangers

21) Grizzly Bear- The Yellow House

20) The White Stripes- White Blood Cells

19) The Shins- Oh, Invented World

18) Deerhoof- Runners Four

17) Rapture- Echoes

16) ISIS-Oceanic

15) LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver

14) Antony and the Johnsons- I’m a Bird Now

13) Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

12) Joanna Newsom- Ys

11) Deerhunter- Microcastle

10) Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer

9) Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes

7) Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary

6) Sufjan Stevens- Illinois

5) Radiohead- Amnesiac

4) Radiohead- Kid A

3) Interpol-Turn on the Bright Lights

2) Arcade Fire- Funeral

1) Sigur Ros- ( )

http://wearethemusicmakerrs.blogspot.com/

Και το καλύτερο για το τέλος…. Πάλι από τους ΤIMES, Τα καλύτερα POP ALBUMS!!!

100. 12 Songs – Neil Diamond (SonyBMG, 2005)

99. Surprise - Paul Simon (Warner, 2006)

98. By the Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers (Warner, 2002)

97. Youth Novels – Lykke Li (Warner, 2008)

96. The Transfiguration of Vincent – M. Ward (Matador, 2003)

95. American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash (American, 2002)

94. Tarot Sport – F*** Buttons (ATP, 2009)

93. React or Die - Butcher Boy (How Does It Feel to be Loved, 2009)

92. Youth and Young Manhood – Kings of Leon (Hand Me Down 2003) 91. Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Polydor, 2003)

90. Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun (Virgin, 2008)

89. 22 Dreams - Paul Weller (Universal, 2008)

88. Finisterre – Saint Etienne (Mantra, 2002)

87. Candylion - Gruff Rhys (Rough Trade, 2007)

86. Geogaddi – Boards of Canada (Warp, 2002)

85. Just Beyond the River – James Yorkston & the Athletes (Domino, 2004)

84. Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords (Warner, 2008)

83. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires (XL, 2008)

82. Holy F*** – Holy F*** (Dependent, 2008)

81. Primary Colours – The Horrors (XL, 2009)

80. Cross – Justice (Warner, 2007)

79. The Radio Tisdas Sessions – Tinariwen (Wayward, 2001)

78. Chaos & Creation in the Backyard – Paul McCartney (Parlophone/EMI, 2005)

77. The XX – The XX (Young Turks/XL, 2009)

76. Speech Therapy - Speech Debelle (Big Dada, 2009)

75. Lay it Down – Al Green (EMI, 2008)

74. Broken Boy Soldiers – The Raconteurs (XL, 2006)

73. A Lick on the Tip of an Envelope yet to be Sent – Circulus (Rise Above, 2005)

72. Fever Ray – Fever Ray (Rabid/V2, 2009)

71. Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay (Parlophone, 2002)

70. Looking for a Day in the Night – The Lilac Time (Cooking Vinyl, 2000)

69. Invaders Must Die – The Prodigy (Cooking Vinyl, 2009)

68. Vespertine – Björk (One Little Indian, 2001)

67. The Blueprint – Jay-Z (Roc-A-Fella, 2001)

66. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver (4AD, 2008)

65. Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters (Polydor, 2004)

64. Black Holes & Revelations – Muse (Helium 3, 2006)

63. 10,000Hz – Legend Air (Virgin, 2001)

62. Tangle Up – Girls Aloud (Universal, 2007)

61. Who is Jill Scott? – Jill Scott (Epic, 2000)

60. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (Domino, 2004)

59. Beautiful World – Take That (Polydor, 2006)

58. Miss E … So Addictive – Missy Elliott (Elektra, 2001)

57. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (Mute, 2004)

56. Employment – Kaiser Chiefs (B-Unique, 2005)

55. The Futureheads – The Futureheads (679 Recordings, 2005)

54. 29 – Ryan Adams (Mercury, 2005)

53. Elegia – Paolo Conte (WEA, 2005)

52. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions – Bruce Springsteen (Columbia, 2006)

51. Dimanche à Bamako – Amadou & Mariam (Because, 2005)

50. Out of Season – Beth Gibbons & Rustin’ Man (Universal/Island, 2002)

49. Up the Bracket – The Libertines (Rough Trade, 2002)

48. The Information – Beck (Polydor, 2006)

47. Demon Days – Gorillaz (Parlophone, 2005)

46. Reality – David Bowie (Columbia, 2003)

45. Panic Prevention – Jamie T (Virgin, 2007)

44. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem (Polydor, 2000)

43. Tender Buttons – Broadcast (Warp, 2005)

42. Smile – Brian Wilson (Nonesuch, 2004)

41. Thunder, Lightning, Strike – The Go! Team (Memphis Industries, 2005)

40. Run Come Save Me – Roots Manuva (Big Dada, 2001)

39. Field Music – Field Music (Memphis Industries, 2005)

38. Love and Theft – Bob Dylan (Columbia, 2001)

37. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys (Domino, 2006)

36. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips (Warner, 2002)

35. Funeral - Arcade Fire (Rough Trade, 2005)

34. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea – P. J. Harvey (Universal, 2000)

33. Nixon – Lambchop (City Slang, 2000)

32. Justified – Justin Timberlake (Zomba, 2001)

31. White Blood Cells – The White Stripes (XL, 2001)

30 The Ecstatic - Mos Def (Downtown, 2009)

29. Confessions on a Dancefloor – Madonna (Maverick, 2005)

28. The Greatest – Cat Power (Matador, 2006)

27. Maths + English - Dizzee Rascal (XL, 2007)

26. Ys – Joanna Newsom (Drag City, 2006) 25. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco (WEA, 2002)

24. Untrue – Burial (Hyperdub, 2007) 23. Alright, Still - Lily Allen (Capitol, 2006)

22. Magic – Bruce Springsteen (Columbia, 2007)

21. LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem (DFA, 2005)

20. The Good the Bad & the Queen – The Good the Bad & the Queen (Parlophone, 2007)

19. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (Bella Union, 2008)

18. Kala – M.I.A. (XL, 2007)

17. Viva la Vida or Death & All His Friends – Coldplay (Parlophone, 2008)

16. Felt Mountain – Goldfrapp (Mute, 2000)

15. The Letting Go - Bonnie Prince Billy (Domino, 2006)

14. Made in the Dark - Hot Chip (EMI, 2008)

13. The College Dropout – Kanye West (Mercury, 2004)

12. Original Pirate Material – The Streets (Locked On, 2002)

11. Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys (Domino, 2007)

10. The Seldom Seen Kid – Elbow (Polydor, 2008)

9. Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Decca, 2007)

8. Elephant – The White Stripes (2003, XL)

7. Coles Corner – Richard Hawley (Mute, 2005)

6. Is This It – The Strokes (Rough Trade, 2001)

5. Blackout - Britney Spears (SonyBMG, 2007)

4. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast (Arista, 2003)

3. In Rainbows – Radiohead (XL, 2007)

2. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (Island, 2006)

1. Kid A – Radiohead (Parlophone, 2000)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6922991.ece

I have chosen to study the Aga Khan IV for my Eminent Person Project. For those of you who don’t know who He is, here is some information on what He has done to become a notable worthy person. The Aga Khan is the religious leader, or Imam, of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. He is the 49th Imam, and the successor of his grandfather Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan (pbuh).
…
Some of the most commonly known works of this incredible man include founding organizations such as the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Focus Humanitarian Assistance, and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). These are all non-profitable organizations created to better the quality of life of others around the world. Some of the projects in Canada that he has started include the Aga Khan Museum, and the Global Center for Pluralism.

http://talonsraiya.edublogs.org/2009/10/16/eminent-person/

είναι Παρασκευή, και δεν είμαι για πολλά πολλά, ή μάλλον είμαι για πάρα πολλά, και πρέπει να τα προλάβω, έχω όμως happy mail για μια ακόμη φορά, και αυτή τη φορά επειδή the sky is blue and I love you, αποφάσισα να μοιραστώ ένα μυστικό μαζί σου.

Πήρα για τον αντρούλη, βιβλίο με συνταγές για τα Χριστούγεννα!!!

Πήρα για την γράφουσα, κοριτσίστικο ανάγνωσμα για χριστουγεννιάτικη γλύκα χωρίς… θερμίδες!

Πήρα αγαπημένο Martin Amis. (για κάθε ώρα και στιγμή)

Από εδώ το πάω, από εκεί το πάω, όλο για τα χριστούγεννα σου λέω σήμερα!! …Ε, ναι καλά κατάλαβες, για ποιόν άλλο θα ήταν αυτό!!

Πήρα κάτι κλασσικό, και αγαπημένο.

Πήρα κάτι ακόμη για τον αντρούλη, γιατί γιορτές είναι, ας χαλαρώσει λίγο κι αυτός, ας μην τον βάλω μόνο στην κουζίνα…

Πήρα κι άλλα, όλα με το απαραίτητο ραβασάκι, και την εγγύηση ικανοποίησης, και προθυμία επιστροφής σε περίπτωση τυχόν προβλημάτων….

www.alibris.co.uk

Το μυστικό κρατάει χρόνια, και θα κρατήσει για πολλά πολλά ακόμη. Και οι λόγοι είναι 3 και πολύ απλοί.

1) Είμαι βιβλιο-φάγος, βιβλιο-μανής, βιβλιο-junkie, βιβλιο-άρρωστη, βιβλιο-…συμπλήρωσε το κενό. Αν και εσύ είσαι βιβλιοφάγος, θα έχεις κάποια στιγμή, πανικοβληθεί με τη σκέψη, και “Που θα τα βάλω τώρα όλα αυτά τα βιβλία;”, Ok, και γεμίσαμε τη βιβλιοθήκη, βάλαμε και ραφάκια στο μικρό υπνοδωμάτιο, βάλαμε και ραφιέρα, ok, καλά το πας, να βάλω και στο πάτωμα στίβες που είναι trendy, ναι οk, αλλά για φαντάσου τι έχει να γίνει σε λίγα χρόνια αν συνεχίσεις με αυτούς τους ρυθμούς…. Είναι απλό. Λέγεται second hand market, και ναι, το ξέρω δεν είναι καινούριο, είναι από τις παλιότερες συνήθειες, και σίγουρα έχεις αγοράσει στο Παρίσι και στο Λονδίνο, και σε κάθε γωνιά πολιτισμένης χώρας και πόλης, ένα βιβλίο από δεύτερο χέρι, και είχε αυτήν την ρομαντική ατμόσφαιρα ένος άλλου ή και πολλών άλλων αναγνωστών, και μια μυρωδιά… άστα να πάνε.

well, φαντάσου τώρα αυτό αλλά πολύ πολύ καλύτερο, φαντάσου το με ratings, αστεράκια, reliability, used/unused επιλογές, (πόσες φορές αγόρασες ένα βιβλίο, και ήταν τεράστια…  και δεν το διάβασες ποτέ, για να μην σου πω, πόσα βιβλία εξειδικευμένα, που σε ενδιαφέρουν μια δεδομένη στιγμή, και μετά θέλεις να τα διώξεις και δεν ξέρεις που…. ) και άριστη ποιότητα, φαντάσου ένα site στο οποίο παραγγέλνεις όποιο βιβλίο θέλεις, και αυτό έρχεται στο σπιτάκι σου από όποιον το διαθέτει εκείνη τη χρονική στιγμή, από βιβλιοπωλεία, μέχρι ανεξάρτητους πωλητές – αγοραστές σαν κι εσένα. (εγώ επιλέγω πάντα UK για να τα λαμβάνω σε λίγες μόλις ημέρες)

2) Έχω οικολογικές ανυσηχίες, είμαι ευαισθητοποιημένη σε θέματα περιβαλλοντικά, πως να το κάνουμε… Όμως βασική αρχή της ανακύκλωσης είναι η επαναχρησιμοποίηση. Αν και εσύ έχεις οικολογικές ανυσηχίες, νομίζω σε ενδιαφέρει. Όλοι όσοι με γνωρίζουν, ξέρουν ότι αυτό είναι ένα σπίτι όπου ανακυκλώνουμε ακόμη και το εισητήριο του μετρό. Με τεράστια ικανοποίηση δε! Όμως πριν το recycling, υπάρχει πάντα το reusing, για παράδειγμα κρατάω πάντα συσκευασίες και τις κάνω χρήσιμα άλλα πραγματάκια, τώρα θα μου πεις μιλούσαμε για βιβλία, ε ναι λοιπόν, γιατί να μην δώσω σε κάποιον άλλο ορισμένα από αυτά που με πνίγουν στο σπίτι, που δεν μου ταιριάζουν πια, που έκαναν το δρόμο τους, και μπορούν πια να με αφήσουν να τα αποχαιρετήσω…

3) Είναι σχεδόν ΤΣΑΜΠΑ! 1,47 ευρώ είναι μια πολύ λογική τιμή αγοράς στο alibris. Ναι, 1,47 ευρώ. Γιατί; Πρέπει νομίζεις πάντα να δίνεις 20 ευρώ για να χαλαρώσεις λίγο το βράδυ πριν κλείσεις τα βλεφαράκια σου;  Έ όχι δα!

ΔΙΑΔΩΣΕ ΤΟ!

 Και τώρα πρέπει να σε αφήσω, το πρώτο ΕΠΙΣΗΜΟ CHRISTMAS WRAPPING ΤΗΣ ΣΕΖΟΝ ΞΕΚΙΝΑΕΙ!!!

Eid Mubarak.

And some good news:

Announcement on Ijtema.net

Bismillah

Assalamu ‘alaykum dear friends of Ijtema.net!

It’s finally here… an exciting, new development from the Ijtema team… the Muslim Bloggers Directory!

The Muslim Bloggers Directory is a categorised collection of links to Muslim blogs, vlogs, and other multimedia channels, with a custom search engine allowing visitors to search through the actual contents of listed sites. It is open to submissions from the public… and it is entirely FREE!

Come on over and see if your site has been listed. If not, submit it today, and become part of the Ijtema community! Visit the FAQ page to learn more about the directory and how to use it, including how to claim an existing entry.

We hope to see you there soon!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1383212/the_niggar_family_dave_chappelle/

We’ve heard of gorillas & guerrilla warfare….so what exactly are guerrilla gardens?

Blogosphere’s Dee Davidian filled Tom in…

DOWNLOAD INTERIVEW or CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN

Near Roche Miette on the Yellowhead Highway we get stopped by a “sheep-jam”, bighorn-induced traffic congestion [1] at about the same time that we interrupted a truly engaged activist, peace rider who was cycling to Alaska to raise awareness of climate change. Just after our second sheep-jam where a film crew member also caught in the same traffic jam, pulled over to catch some sleep behind the wheel of a powerful all-terrain vehicle(did he see that many bighorn already?), we stopped to film a pack of wolves. After we booked into a place to stay in Jasper, we drove up to the ski hill at Marmot. A huge raven guided us along the winding road to the lodge. This winter there is a record snow fall to the delight of snowboarders and skiiers. The tasks of downloading the day’s film clips and photos to Picasa, and reading Gadd to name peaks, etc, were again interrupted by Yellowhead wildlife. Wapitii surrounded the hotel attracting amateur photographers to the unbelievably fun shot of a wapiti posing in front of the Wapiti signage.

Later on the same day speechless hits reached 150, 000 perhaps at exactly the same time we were left speechless by the miyat.

Speechless began as the next step from “beached wail” a failed attempt to overcome serious creative blocks . . .

Speechless does not really require the author to write. Web 2.0 platforms are ideally designed for writers who cannot write. At least for writers who cannot write in a straight line. Rhizomic thinkers and learners can allow themselves to “get lost.” All we need to do is to mark the virtual trail with something more solid than breadcrumbs.

Speechless cannot imagine faces or stories of its visitors and would rather that for now at least, that the speechless face be faceless, ageless, genderless, not associated with any institution, or group, or ideology, or demographics . . .

Speechless shares resources using the Creative Commons,
for memory work,
for revisiting histories with an ethical dimension,
for virtual tourists,
travelers,
artists,
for the blogosphere,
for public policy,

Speechless has been a technological tool for mind-mapping . . .

Notes

1. See Ben Gadd 2008:408. Gadd explained that the bighorn sheep ovis canadensis, are plentiful in this area and female and young are often sighted here.

He claimed that the mountain named in the 1820s by voyageurs Roche Miette (Miette Rock) probably comes from the Cree word miyat (bighorn sheep). This tangible (very geological) link to the early (fur) trade routes is one way that the nonlinear learner can be pulled in so many directions that only web 2.0 platforms and applications could mind map it.

Gadd also notes a number of commonplace Canadian English misprononciations and/or mispellings of geological formations and place names in the Rocky Mountains with Spanish, French, Irish, Cree, Ojibwa etc origins.

Webliography and Bibliography

Gadd, Ben. 2008. Canadian Rockies: Geology Road Tours. Corax.

Simerg is very pleased to publish the following account and photos submitted by Ms. Taj Kothari of Florida and her brother, Bashir Kothari, of Calgary, Alberta.

The Kothari’s write:

This opportunity to share a little bit about our family through this website has given us immense inner happiness in the sense that we feel that our family’s humble and sincere contribution is being recorded somewhere. We hope that other readers of this blog will share their stories too.

Details with more photographs at the source: http://simerg.com/

While rummaging through some boxes in the basement, I came across copies of a holiday newsletter we created in 1998.  It was a collaborative effort: My better half is the art director, and she completed the design and layout, including our images manipulated through PhotoShop.  I wrote the copy.

We touched upon interesting activities, trips, events and recollections from each month.   It announced the new public relations job I started, the one I lost this September  Not sure if we published future “year-in-review” communications to stuff into Christmas cards.  Possibly an abbreviated version for a year or two.  More than likely, it took up too much time at a busy time of the year.

Of course, in 1998 interactive online communication was in its relative infancy. The blogosphere might have been in existence, but I trust only true technology students — okay, the geeks — published blogs.  The term “blog” was not a common part of our daily lives.  A “blogger?”  What’s that?  After all, who would read these online chronicles and random thoughts.

The little newsletter we produced was something tangible, printed on laser paper.  But we trust most recipients discarded the piece, along with holiday cards and wrapping paper, shortly after receiving it.  It went to a few dozen family members and friends.   Some recipients commented on the content and applauded us for our creativity, for remembering what brought meaning and enjoyment to our lives.  The trips and visits, the baseball games and concerts — these events that shaped our lives are surely forgotten by those on our holiday card list.

As I write this, there are thousands of other bloggers (a terms I still can’t come to terms with; subject for a future post) posting communications on important stuff happening in the world, or what took place in their immediate world.  Yet, unlike our holiday newsletter, those messages will live on for a long, long time and can be absorbed by anyone with a computer, access to the Internet and willingness to search and read comments from a stranger.

The final paragraph of that 1998 newsletter from a Chicago couple had these thoughts.  They are appropriate today, Thanksgiving Day:

“Just one more thought.  A special thanks to those who gave.  To those who offered a helping hand when there was work to do. To those who listened when we had to talk about what caused trouble that day. To those who shared when were we lacking.  To those who made us laugh when we were about to cry. Especially to those who reached within to offer something of themselves.”

Happy Thanksgiving, Conflucians! I’m on my own today, so I thought I’d put up some news links for anyone else who happens to be around. My brother, sister-in-law and nephews went to Indiana for Thanksgiving with the rest of the family, so I won’t be dining with them. I could have gone to Indiana too, but I really needed some rest and time to myself over my short break. So I’m going to spend the day being grateful for what I have. I bought myself Thanksgiving dinner fixings from Whole Foods so I don’t feel too deprived.

It’s a gloomy day here in the Boston area. It was very foggy when I first got up and the fog still hasn’t cleared. What am I grateful for? I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, enough to eat, books to read, and a teaching job for the time being anyway. I’m grateful that I completed by Ph.D. and have some time to read novels now. I’m very grateful to have this five-day weekend to rest up for final push at the end of the semester. And I’m grateful for The Confluence and all of you who come here to discuss politics with other disillusioned liberals.

So what’s the latest news? The New York Times has the latest on the couple who crashed President Obama’s first state dinner. It figures there’s a reality TV connection:

…the couple — Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq — are Virginians who have been auditioning for a possible role in a different housewives TV franchise: “The Real Housewives of Washington.”

They swept past the camera crews and followed the trail of other bigwigs attending the dinner.

But neither Mr. nor Mrs. Salahi, best known in the Washington area for promoting wine and polo in Virginia, were on the guest list for the event, a fact first reported Wednesday morning on the Washington Post Web site.

A White House official confirmed Wednesday that the Salahis had not been invited nor seated for dinner.

Apparently yesterday was “International Violence against Women Day.” I missed that: UN officials call for intensified efforts to eliminate violence against women

In Great Britain, there are plans to educate school children about domestic violence: I couldn’t find any statement from President Obama about “International Violence Against Women Day,” but I’m sure he made one [snark]. However Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn’t forget the day:

“Today, a woman somewhere in the United States will be physically assaulted by her husband. In a remote village on the other side of the world, traffickers will lure a young girl away from her family and sell her into sexual slavery. In towns in every region of the globe, groups of men will harass young women as they attempt to go to school. And in a conflict-ravaged land, armed men will brutally rape a mother and her daughter, part of a deliberate strategy of war. Today and every day, women and girls all over the world will face violence simply because they are female. This gender-based violence not only harms the victims and their families, it shreds the fabric that weaves us together as human beings.

“Violence against women cannot be accepted as ‘cultural’ — it is criminal. Today, as we mark Elimination of Violence Against Women Day, let us recommit ourselves – men and women in every country – to work together to end these atrocities, to hold those who commit them accountable, and to support the survivors. No woman or girl anywhere in the world should have to walk in fear or live under the threat of violence.

Thank you Madame Secretary. I’m grateful today that you are working in our government and doing your best to support women in the U.S. and around the world.

In other violence against women news, Roman Polanski will be released on bail soon.

Legal experts say the bail probably will lengthen the battle over whether Polanski should be extradited to Los Angeles to face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old more than three decades ago. The decision also raises other questions, given that Polanski fled from the United States just before his sentencing in 1978. Swiss justice officials repeatedly have denied his bail requests, saying he is a flight risk.

Under the terms of the bail, Polanski, 76, would be restricted to his chalet in Gstaad, a ski resort with mountain views. The village of 2,500 has long been known as a celebrity hangout, having been home to Elizabeth Taylor, Roger Moore and David Niven, among others.

The Swiss court decided to grant bail based on Polanski’s pledge of $4.5-million bail along with what the court called supporting measures, including electronic monitoring, which would alert the authorities if he tried leave home or remove a monitoring bracelet.

“It is very rare to get bail in an extradition case and especially in cases where the person’s fled,” said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and Loyola law professor. “This is a little like giving bail to O.J. after the Bronco chase.”

At least he spent some time in captivity. That may be the worse that will ever happen to him for raping and sodomizing a child.

This is really serious and yet I’ve heard little protest from liberals. Maybe I’ve just missed it somehow: Comcast may be close to buying NBC Universal

…after Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt met with NBC’s minority owner Vivendi SA, two people with knowledge of the situation said….

Immelt is negotiating a value for NBC Universal to persuade Paris-based Vivendi to sell its 20 percent stake and let GE push ahead with plans to sell a controlling interest to Comcast, the largest U.S. cable-TV service. They are less than $500 million apart and are discussing how much cash Vivendi may receive before the Comcast deal is completed, the people said.

Vivendi’s deliberations are the key to GE’s plans to create a joint venture combining NBC Universal’s film, cable-television and theme-park properties with networks owned by Philadelphia- based Comcast. Comcast would own 51 percent and may acquire full ownership over time. Vivendi may still decide not to sell.

I noticed there isn’t even the slightest discussion of news or journalism in the article. Whatever happened to the antitrust laws anyway?

Sarah Palin actually said something about the possibility of running for President, and Think Progress, and I assume other prog blogs, are drooling at the opportunities they will have to smear, deride, and degrade Palin in the years to come. I’m so happy that the progs will have something to be grateful for today.

In football, the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers at 12:30PM. The game is on Fox. Then at 4:15, myiq2xu’s beloved Oakland Raiders travel to the Dallas Cowboys–that matchup will be televised on CBS. Finally, at 8:20PM, the New York Giants will play the Denver Broncos in Denver on the NFL Network. For myiq’s sake I hope the Raiders win.

On November 9^th 1989 the wall which stood for nearly 3 decades came down, unifying East & West Germany in its collapse.

My memories of this historic event was more artistic than political or revolutionary.

It was the venue and time for some of the best rock concerts namely Roger Waters.

20 years on the celebrations were no less interesting and the blogsworld has been buzzing about the occasion and the event. To tell us more is Dee Davidian.

DOWNLOAD INTERVIEW or CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN

The “killing” of U.S. census worker Bill Sparkman that was “motivated by right-wing radio and television hosts” has turned out to be a suicide. When news broke a few months ago that Sparkman was found dead in Clay County Kentucky, the netroots went off, blaming any and all right leaning commentators for the man’s death.

Here are a few things major players in the netroots said:

MyDD

If conservative politicians and opinion leaders keep stoking fears about the government using census data to steal from or perhaps even round up law-abiding citizens, I am concerned that mentally unstable individuals will commit further acts of violence against census-takers next year. Republicans should condemn the hatemongers and make clear that the census is not only permitted, but required under the Constitution.

Andrew Sullivan

“No Suicide: That’s the one thing we know for certain now in the case of the Kentucky lynching….But the most worrying possibility – that this is Southern populist terrorism, whipped up by the GOP and its Fox and talk radio cohorts – remains real. We’ll see.”

ThinkProgress

The gruesome lynching of this Census worker seems to bear a disturbing similarity to some of the worst hate crimes committed across this country. Regardless of what the motive for the killing may have been, why would a murderer(s) take such pains to so blatantly convey anger, fear, and vitriol towards a Census employee? Perhaps because some on the right have created an impression that Census employees are terrifying.

Earlier this summer, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) waged a high-profile, wildly-dishonest campaign against the Census.

Huffington Post

Others, namely the type to kill a Census worker and string up his body as message to the government, may call it a retraining camp run by the “Feds.”

This is the kind of violent event that emerges from a culture of paranoia and unsubstantiated attacks.

Andrew Sullivan

From this profile of the cancer survivor and volunteer, it appears suicide is unlikely. We’ll find out. But at some point, unhinged hostility to the federal government, whipped up by the Becks, can become violence. That’s what Pelosi was worried about.

True/Slant

Send the body to Glenn Beck…Is it possible that the time has come for the FCC to consider exactly what constitutes screaming fire over the publicly owned airwaves? And what if Mr. Sparkman’s murderer(s) is never found? How many other lunatics will be emboldened to make their own anti-government statement as the voices of Beck, Limbaugh and Dobbs echo in their ears?

Nobody ever intended our public airwaves to be turned over to irresponsible voices. Maybe the time has come for the FCC to worry a bit less about wardrobe malfunctions and a whole lot more about those who would use our airwaves to make a name for themselves at the expense of the public they are suppose to serve–particularly when the expense comes in the form of blood.

Thanks to Michael Moynihan for pulling those.

You would think that an apology would be in order for jumping so quickly to conclusions. But mark my words, you won’t hear it. Sure, some might come out and say, “Okay, sorry, but it could still happen!” That’s the best you’ll see.

For anyone interested in getting into politics: If you have any regard for intellectual honesty, this is the most bankrupt industry you can get yourself involved in. You can say whatever you want about whomever you want, and you won’t be held accountable for it. You will use dishonesty in any way to make sure your side wins. If that sounds like you, hop a plane to Washington. This the only place in the country hiring anyway.

UPDATE: MyDD apologizes in the way I said they would:

Because of the way Sparkman’s body was found, I wrongly assumed he had been murdered. Apologies for jumping the gun on that one.

I stand by my view that conservatives should stop making paranoid allegations about the census and avoid the rhetoric of armed rebellion when talking about political opponents.

Approximately 1 million temporary workers will be hired next year to conduct the census. They will be trained to deal calmly with people who express hatred for the government.

Update [2009-11-24 21:00:02 by Nathan Empsall]: Well this is big news. And I’ll echo what desmoinesdem said: mea culpa and apologies for jumping the gun myself as well. I too stand by my point that the behavior of the fringe can lead to violence, but thankfully this was not, as we had each assumed, an example of such. Sometimes it’s nice to be wrong.

UPDATE: Sullivan, too:

For stating it wasn’t a suicide, based on eye-witness accounts and my own common sense, I apologize. It was premature. For directly accusing far right extremists, as opposed to thinking it was a worrying possibility, I plead not guilty. Because I didn’t.

Happy Thanksgiving to the blogosphere! I hope you enjoy the time you spend with your family and friends.

I will be giving thanks for my wonderful family that is always my backbone, my friends that are endless sources of fun and joy and to our health and happiness throughout the year.

My favorite blessing is from Halcyon and it is a modified version of a blessing his Grandpa used to give, he was such a bright star on this little planet:

“Dear universe, thank you for the miracles in every moment. Help me to be aware of all my blessings and be a loving presence in the world.”

What are you thankful for?

A few weeks ago I wrote about some of my favorite blogs. Here are five more.

Russia Blog
The russia blog is partially entertaining, partially educating – just what I like. You’ll not just find insightful articles about Russian geopolitics, but about Russian kids having car races on Swiss streets, as well. Go check it.

de re military
Armando F. Mastrapa focuses on military issues and gives well-covered and presented insights into the topic.

Rethinking Security
Adam Elkus’ blog offers insights in and comments on actual developments in international politics, mostly international security.

Walt and Ricks @ Foreign Policy
Stephen Walt and Tom Ricks are two well-known authors of international relations. On their blogs, they give additional thoughts on their main topics, mainly international security and international relations. Well worth visiting.

International Blawg
Unfortunately, the international blawg has not been updated in a while. This is a pity. The blog offers some of the most clear and concise articles about international law I read in a while. Hopefully, it is not dead already.

Search Engines divided by Countries

http://www.philb.com/countryse.htm

Newsarama has been interviewing the Image Comics founders this week, including a two-part interview with Todd McFarlane.

Topics include Image United, Spawn, creator rights, movies, animation and more.

Part 1

Part 2