Category Archives: Miscellany

Prudence v. Panic

Posted on August 11, 2006 by Timothy Burke

If British authorities want to send people onto planes carrying nothing but their wallets and identification for the next week or so, that is reasonable. No one begrudges them a momentary anxiety about whether they successfully halted the plot. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | 7 Comments

Homeward Bound

Posted on July 25, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Sitting in Heathrow now, short wait this time, thank God. I have a long entry on the use of archives waiting in my drafts box, but it’s going to take about a day once I get home to get the … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | Comments Off on Homeward Bound

Correctness and Knowledge

Posted on July 19, 2006 by Timothy Burke

I’ve made it clear that I don’t have any respect at this point in my life for most forms of identity politics, which I think is a broader and more potent term than “political correctness”. Occasionally, however, I’m reminded of … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Miscellany | Comments Off on Correctness and Knowledge

It’s Full of Stars

Posted on July 19, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Going to a game park for a conference involving specialists in Africa seems like a natural, but the meeting I just attended was the first that I’ve been to in such a location. It wasn’t easy to get there, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Miscellany | Comments Off on It’s Full of Stars

Back in Durban

Posted on July 18, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Back from the conference, which was held in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where there was no Internet access. I’m at a very slooooow wireless access point in a nearby mall, so lengthier entries (of which I have a few stored up) will … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Miscellany | 1 Comment

Nature Red in Elbow and Foot

Posted on July 12, 2006 by Timothy Burke

On really long flights, issues that are trivially ignorable at short distances (<5 hours) become more of an problem. In a lot of current coach seating on airlines, the biggest problem I run into sometimes is not where to place … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany | 1 Comment

In Transit

Posted on July 10, 2006 by Timothy Burke

On my way to South Africa for what promises to be a fascinating conference on African Technopolitics. I’m vaguely nervous as my paper has a goodly chunk of material from the chapter of my work-in-progress that has given me the … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Blogging, Information Technology and Information Literacy, Miscellany | 4 Comments

Of Hard-Fought Engagements or Sieges Tremendous What Remains?

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Timothy Burke

I just heard that a former student, Sean Barney, was seriously wounded in Fallujah on May 12th. He’s been sending reports to the organization Third Way since January. All our hopes and best wishes to Sean for his recovery.

Posted in Miscellany | Comments Off on Of Hard-Fought Engagements or Sieges Tremendous What Remains?

American Thinkers

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Timothy Burke

Quick question for you all reading. I’m trying to think of current, living, vital writers, thinkers, public figures, artists, entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, etc., who are uncommonly sensitive to the deep zeitgeist of American life, able to communicate easily and powerfully … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany, Politics | 61 Comments

Liveblogging at the Social Computing Symposium 3

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Timothy Burke

From an afternoon session on mobile and pervasive social computing. Rich Ling suggests that mobile computing or communication creates social cohesion better than other computer-mediated communication. I don’t really buy that, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps partly because I … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Games and Gaming, Information Technology and Information Literacy, Miscellany | 1 Comment