tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60645648067806771292024-02-20T06:34:54.999-07:00In the Hand of DanteWhen in the course of human events it becomes necessary to shamelessly self-promote, and to strengthen the bands which connect one with the Internet, a decent respect to the opinions of Humankind requires that one declare the causes which impel one to the blogitation.Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-46292264378114040132009-08-21T11:59:00.000-06:002009-08-21T11:59:27.862-06:00I've moved Tim BrauhnAfter a goodly amount of time here at Blogger, I've packed up shop and headed over to Wordpress. It had to happen someday. So head on over to <a href="http://timbrauhn.com/">In the Hand of Dante at TimBrauhn.com</a>. Thanks Blogger!Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-51283110685977086712009-07-06T13:01:00.002-06:002009-07-06T13:03:14.942-06:00Kenya Series - Mt. Longonot<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><i>A fantastic slide show, complete with funny captions, follows this post.</i><br /><br />Our team from <a href="http://the1010project.org/">The 1010 Project</a> spent a few days visiting with a partner in Western Province, then headed to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Naivasha">Lake Naivasha</a> in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Naivasha is big and beautiful - it's in the bottom of the Great Rift Valley - and the entire area is covered by flower farms. Apparently Kenyan roses have a huge market in Europe. The lake has hippos and monkeys and storks and whatnot, but I wasn't all that interested in such beasts. My goal was to climb <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Longonot">Mt. Longonot</a>, an extinct volcano about 20 kilometers from the lake.<br /><div align="left"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKI3vMeJTiJLn9yQJHcza-aM_SLIIWhzntJctswCZGGBozIXFpyPEN36yqBmi_hEjqguT6QHc4MtqApMT5ISW5Fytlp12ryrvnyPi6neGUTbfHbGWOWJZ9ShYFwhUn3lfzOTn_NMjOuc/?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" width="471" height="267" />I recruited <a href="http://the1010project.org/staff/emily-ruppel/">The 1010 Project's Development Coordinator Emily Ruppel</a> and we planned the trip. Before long, word had spread that we were going to be awesome. Our team grew. Our buddy Josh came along, as did two people from <a href="http://www.northsidechristian.com/index.html">Northside Christian Church in Houston, Texas</a>. The Houston team was traveling with us for part of the journey, visiting our partners in Nairobi and Vihiga. Aldo and Pastor Dave would be joining us on the climb.<br /><br />We started a bit late on Friday morning because we had some difficulty finding cheap transportation. By about 9:45 am, we were ready to start what by all estimates was a four-hour climb. It's actually only 630 meters (2000+ feet) from the base to the top of the crater, so we weren't entirely certain what to expect; I had (unlike most other outdoor things) done scant research on our climb. As it turns out, that 630 meters is fairly strenuous because it's NEARLY ENTIRELY VERTICAL. There is only one path up the side of this monster volcano, and it is S-T-E-E-P, let me tell you. Further complicating our climb was the omnipresent dust. It's all super-old volcanic ash and such, so the minute you put your fit in it, you sink two inches. It was like climbing in sand - my legs were getting beaten up.<br /><br />Pastor Dave, a young man in our minds, was still about a decade and a half older than the oldest of us, and as we climbed, he grew increasingly short of breath. After one particularly grueling section, we took a break and he mused that he would likely not be able to reach the summit with us. At that point, we were close enough to where the rim of the crater was within another two or three strong drives. We told Dave that he could definitely make it, and that we weren't that far from the top. It was like a motivational speech or something.<br /><br />Well, Dave cowboyed up and as we crested the top and stared down into the crater of a MASSIVE EXTINCT VOLCANO IN THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY IN KENYA, Dave collapsed to his knees and let out an "Oh my..." The view was amazing - on the one side we were looking back over the Rift Valley and its endless expansiveness. On the other side, we were looking into a giant crater full of forest. It was amazing. The photos following this post cannot do it justice.<br /><br />Dave thanked us for inspiring him to go those last few hundred feet and we walked around the rim for an hour before heading down. If the climb was tough, the descent was pure awesome. We ran down large sections, kicking up massive dustclouds as we went. In fact, the powder was so fine that we were even able to "dirt ski," as it were:<br /><br /><div class="youtube-video"><object width="425" height="344"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gz4OawqCXMU&hl=en&fs=1&" name="movie"> <param value="true" name="allowFullScreen"> <param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess"> <embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gz4OawqCXMU&hl=en&fs=1&" width="425" height="344"></embed> </object></div><br />Yes folks. That is Kenyan dirt skiing.<br /><br />By the time we reached bottom, the sun had really started to heat up. We sat in the shade and waited for a ride. I had to shower with my clothes on and it still took two more washings to get all the dust out. We had conquered a volcano in Africa and had a great time of it. We found out later that day that where we were on the rim stood at about 8,000 feet above sea level. This would explain why Pastor Dave, a man who is easily active in Houston, might have had a rough time of it. He laughed when we told him. All in all a great day. Here are some shots to back up the post:<br /><br /><div class="youtube-video"><object width="500" height="300"> <param value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Finthehandofdante%2Fsets%2F72157620766782731%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Finthehandofdante%2Fsets%2F72157620766782731%2F&set_id=72157620766782731&jump_to=" name="flashvars"> <param value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" name="movie"> <param value="true" name="allowFullScreen"> <embed flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Finthehandofdante%2Fsets%2F72157620766782731%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Finthehandofdante%2Fsets%2F72157620766782731%2F&set_id=72157620766782731&jump_to=" allowfullscreen="true" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" height="300"></embed> </object></div><br /></div><br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/the%201010%20project">the 1010 project</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/mountain">mountain</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/climbing">climbing</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/africa">africa</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/kenya">kenya</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/mt.%20longonot">mt. longonot</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/longonot">longonot</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-81511954164555743222009-07-01T02:19:00.000-06:002009-07-01T02:19:41.900-06:00Kenya Series - Amsterdam (to be updated with videos later)So I'm midway through an eight hour layover in Amsterdam. Holland is a nice place. I rode a bike through this very old city and felt quite Dutch. The only things missing were clogs, tulips, and giant windmills.<br />
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The people here are very nice and I wish that I could bottle up Dutch accent and sell it. Old buildings and new buildings - typically European. I came out onto the city at about 6:30 am. For two hours I saw about ZERO people. The city was a dead zone. <br />
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I wanted a nice coffee drink, which I eventually got, but I had to wait a number of hours to find a shop that was open! They like to start late, I think. <br />
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Expect videos to back up this post later. I've been using the dickens out of my Flipcam, so Youtube will be my next endeavour. Until then, friends.Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-51830498709837177052009-06-19T07:30:00.000-06:002009-06-19T07:30:57.853-06:00Kenya Series - 2I climbed a mountain in the Great Rift Valley today, but I don't want to blog it until I can upload the pictures, i.e. when I return to the States. <br />
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In the meantime, we're heading back to Nairobi tonight. Next week will be very busy, as we meet with partners, make great plans, and work on implementing our recent grant. <br />
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I'm in great health, sleeping wonderfully, and I miss everyone and most things. I'll be in touch.Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-26625319331824368712009-06-18T00:07:00.000-06:002009-06-18T00:07:23.207-06:00JAMBO - Kenya LivingHello all. I feel strange for not being able to blog this excursion up, but my connections have been a bit slow. Oh well. It's nice to be able to touch base here.<br />
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I'm sure I'll tweet this when we hit the road again, but if I had two words to describe the Kenyan countryside, they would be: "carelessly verdant." Seriously, everything is either a strange mass of strange trees or a field of plants. Lots of farmers around here. We drove out to Western Kenya last week, almost to Lake Victoria, and slept under bed nets in an orphanage where one of our partners works. <br />
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In case you don't know, I'm here with <a href="http://the1010project.org">The 1010 Project</a>, a Denver-based humanitarian organization that partners with social entrepreneurs in the developing world to break the cycle of poverty. Aside from two organizations that are based in the rural west, we have a number scattered across the slums of Nairobi. I'll be heading to Korogocho and Kibera and Kayole and Matopeni in the coming days. <br />
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It's amazing here, it really is, and I'm super-glad to be with The 1010 Project. I'm our Fundraising Coordinator, and part of our trip involves me implementing a grant that I wrote a few months back. Our partners are VERY happy to work with us on some specific income-generating projects. <br />
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Some highlights: Helped a 4 year old Luhya girl carry a 20-liter jerrycan of water through a cornfield to her home. She smiled. I addressed a crowd of what looked to be 40,000 street children in Matopeni, singing songs and dancing and telling stories. I thanked a baboon for laying the groundwork for the internet and Twitter. Got bit by a mosquito, which means a LOT more here than it does in America (check out previous posts, which I can't link to now, about my work with the Interfaith Youth Core and Tony Blair Faith Foundation). <br />
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I'm likely to spend the first week of July writing a bunch of impassioned posts about these and other things and putting them up, but for now, I just wanted to check in and thank you all for following along with my work. You folks are a big part of the work I do - I see it in the congratulatory tweets as much as I see it in the smiling faces of orphans and entrepreneurs that we work with in Kenya. See you all soon.Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-68339193222736651842009-06-05T13:18:00.002-06:002009-06-05T13:19:40.833-06:00Tim's Going to Kenya<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div align='left'><a href='http://the1010project.org'><img width='303' height='357' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqCVLwvRsf9V5QxH8LKN-LSkBzLYjIQIVPEbUHw5XLlntPZjsdSXXb_unBG2zY6_3UzqmXRY1OtJS9VEHoPY5OMmQN8yYKSbpbH7oAx6ZS8FkJpJgcXZq_ST1h-c8plmdkGcNnsRL7DU/?imgmax=800' style='max-width: 800px; float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px;'/></a>OK. So I take off on Monday morning for Kenya. That's in 3 days. Got a few things to do.<br />
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I'm traveling with a team from <a href='http://the1010project.org'>The 1010 Project</a>, a humanitarian organization here in Denver. We partner with creative and innovative social entrepreneurs in the developing world to break the cycle of poverty. As the Fundraising Coordinator, a big part of my job is writing the grants that help keep us trucking along. But to write good grants, and to keep our international development work running smoothly, we need <b>DATA</b>. <br />
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We're going to Kenya to meet with partners and friends in our community-based organizations. They're mostly in Nairobi, scattered across the various slums and estates, but we do have a few rural partners as well. We'll be going all the way out to Kisumu near Lake Victoria. We're collecting boatloads of photos, lots of video and audio, and most importantly, <i>stories</i>. We view ourselves as storytellers - our tagline is "Join the Story" - and we're going to talk with the people that our income-generation activities benefit. We'll be visiting schools, orphanges, microfinance institutions, women's empowerment groups, and HIV/AIDS support groups. <br />
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I've never been to Africa, but I hear good things. Our team is super-talented and super-cool, so I don't expect any problems. <a href="http://twitter.com/timbrauhn">I'll be tweeting</a> along with our <a href="http://twitter.com/markwmann">Director of Communications, Mark Mann</a>. With luck, we'll be tweeting like mad by next Wednesday morning, or for those of you in Denver, late Tuesday night (there is a 10-hour time difference). So stay sharp, keep up with us, and we'll see you when we get back!<br />
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<p class='technorati-tags'><a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/poverty'>poverty</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/the%201010%20project'>the 1010 project</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/africa'>africa</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/kenya'>kenya</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/mark%20mann'>mark mann</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/twitter'>twitter</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-43607242996732344722009-05-29T19:05:00.002-06:002009-05-29T19:06:30.498-06:00Why I Like Sci-Fi<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Found a neat little clip from Babylon 5 (you might remember it from back in the day - "our last, best hope for peace") while ignoring my final for Modern Islamic Political Theory. I think it's a great reminder of how diverse and interesting our planet is:<br />
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/szCE6qsmXBk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/szCE6qsmXBk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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<div class="technorati-tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/interfaith" rel="tag">interfaith</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag">religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/future" rel="tag">future</a></div></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-64583149992218466242009-05-29T17:23:00.001-06:002009-05-29T17:23:08.057-06:00Graduate School<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>A few months back, I read (with a somewhat horrified face) and commented on Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist post "<a href='http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/02/03/dont-try-to-dodge-the-recession-with-grad-school/'>Don't try to dodge the recession with grad school</a>." It's a silly post, really, full of lovely little bits of wisdom like "Law school is a factory for depressives" or "Going to grad school is like going into the military." I usually enjoy Penelope's stuff, if for nothing else than her honest, self-effacing style. This post was different.<br/><br/>My comments were less than supportive. Her gist was that graduate degrees require overinvestment of both money and time. Money, being tight in a recession, is pretty important. Time, according to her, can best be spent at other jobs, even those outside one's experience or comfort level. We are reminded of people who try something different and in doing "figure out what they always wanted to do but didn't know they wanted to do but can now do with their whole heart." She recounts working on a French chicken farm and the non-traditional learning that she did while working in the coop. It helped her along her path.<br/><br/>I stand now at the end of two years of graduate school at a <a href='http://www.du.edu'>prestigious school</a> and an <a href='http://www.du.edu/today/stories/2009/05/2009-05-05ranking.html'>even more prestigious program</a>. I'm dozens of thousands of dollars in the hole. I couldn't be happier. <br/><br/>When I completed a year-long resident fellowship after finishing my undergraduate work, I knew that my skillsets were incomplete. I needed to know how to <i>do </i>interesting things. I needed to meet interesting people. Something told me that graduate school would guide me. And it did - I've made some outstanding connections, professional and nonprofessional, that will serve me very well in the future. I've made friends. I coordinate fundraising and social media for a <a href='http://the1010project.org'>local humanitarian organization</a> (as it turns out, I have a passion for international development). I can write grants and I know the social web pretty well. I have a job waiting for me in San Jose, CA where I'll be <a href='http://inthehandofdante.blogspot.com/2009/04/eradicating-malaria-with-tony-blair.html'>working to eradicate malaria</a>. <br/><br/>Did I spend two years well? Sure! Could I have done so more cheaply and still found my passion(s)? Certainly! Now I refer back to Penelope's post and think even less of it. Graduate school <i>shouldn't </i>be for everybody, but to come out and lambaste it (with plenty of support - check the comments) is shortsighted. I don't know a single person who's dodged the recession by furthering their education and networking, and I doubt that I ever will.<br/><br /><br /><p class='technorati-tags'><a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/%22the%201010%20project%22'>"the 1010 project"</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/penelope%20trunk'>penelope trunk</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/graduate%20school'>graduate school</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/recession'>recession</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/brauhn'>brauhn</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-53795891038797944942009-05-29T17:02:00.001-06:002009-05-29T17:02:48.311-06:00Standard "I Haven't Blogged in a While" Post<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I haven't blogged in a while. <br/><br /><br /><p class='technorati-tags'><a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/blog'>blog</a>, <a rel='tag' href='http://technorati.com/tag/time'>time</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-22030128891262140522009-04-24T08:46:00.003-06:002009-04-24T08:48:20.204-06:00Eradicating Malaria With the Tony Blair Faith Foundation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o4yybWdz35GCJJQO2YH4tkgeRvkyOQbiI0E6RrKrBGeI5HgY6iHQYmP1RAaOuWQ_LmtfLVnWfhEwfpzBO6_-cIbqduWumaIF7gMwa_W0VluUGm3-ivnEpCFw9nHg0Kdk49oLgaxYqtw/s400/faiths_act_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328269666828476610" border="0" /></a><br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Hello web-friends,<br /><br />I have been appointed to my dream job and I need your help to make it rock.<br /><br />I have been selected to join the Faiths Act Fellows, a cadre of 30 young interfaith leaders in the US, UK, and Canada who will spend August 2009-June 2010 working to promote malaria eradication. This is a brand-new program which will operate under the auspices of the <a href="http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/">Tony Blair Faith Foundation</a> (yes, THAT Tony Blair) and the <a href="http://ifyc.org/">Interfaith Youth Core</a>. It's all fantastically exciting! I'll be traveling to London at the end of July (farewell, Denver) for induction and training. Then it's off to a malaria hotspot in Africa for on-the-ground work. We finish with training in Chicago. I report for duty to the <a href="http://www.ing.org/">Islamic Networks Group</a> in San Jose, CA on October 1st. My job will be recruiting faith communities, and especially young people of faith, to work towards malaria eradication. Getting rid of this wicked mosquito-borne sickness can be done!<br /><br />It goes without saying that I will utilize the fluid world of social media in order to reach these goals. I blog, tweet, and share most things, so this will be no different. I will be relying on my network (all of you) to help me spread the word and find kinds of people who can partner with me to get things done.<br /><br />I'm short on the finer points and details, and for that I apologize. As a first order of business, I need to know ANYTHING about San Jose. My first ever trip to California is this Saturday when I attend the <a href="http://nten.org/">Nonprofit Technology Conference</a>, so any advice/thoughts are welcome.<br /><br />Post what you will, and send this one far and wide - the more, the merrier!<br /><br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/social%20media">social media</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/technology">technology</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/twitter">twitter</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/facebook">facebook</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/ntc">ntc</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/ntc09">ntc09</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/nonprofit">nonprofit</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/malaria">malaria</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/tony%20blair">tony blair</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/tony%20blair%20faith%20foundation">tony blair faith foundation</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/malaria%20no%20more">malaria no more</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/interfaith%20youth%20core">interfaith youth core</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/tbff">tbff</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/ifyc">ifyc</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-19201121673321853382009-04-21T14:13:00.004-06:002009-04-21T14:16:48.131-06:00Leadership vs. Leading<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/253036292/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjs-FQw_aAfSqZ0t-COQUVmJyw7eiNAX9GV6Of7_qx0LS00qNQCKz3vCSvDvj7n1_0WY_3pkbHFo5BwhqJOnwCRF4P7abAS4EF0SfUfQE_51ZURhoogiDT7jXLBoqoJL-Iez94JwdFkU/?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px; width: 372px; height: 299px;" /></a>In most of the projects that I've been involved with, I've found that there are often severe gulfs between what I would call "being a leader" and "leadership as such." We've all been on both sides of this divide: we either <i>are </i>leaders or we are led <i>by </i>them. Here are a few of the distinctions that I've seen when I've had to fill a leadership role:<br /><br />1. Leadership as such - In this case, we'll say that I've undertaken a large project. I am leading a team of folks (usually students like myself). During our meetings, I provide lots of good ideas and excitement. I can bring experience and networking. I delegate and decide and draw up plans for the team. At the end of our meetings, we go through our to-do lists and run out the door shouting our enthusiasm.<br /><br />And no one does anything. The to-do lists do not get fulfilled. Meetings don't get scheduled. Forms aren't filed. I fail - <i>I fail the team</i>.<br /><br />Now let's see the other side:<br /><br />2. Being a leader - My group and I have undertaken a large project. Although I am leading the group, my real job is simply to steer our collective energy. We bounce around ideas to all groups members. We make lists and figure out where our individual strengths reside. We draw on all of our talents to construct a big-picture that we can move on as a unit. At the end of the meeting, we know what we have to do.<br /><br />And it all gets done, and done well. Things come together because the team <i>as a team</i> has congealed. Who the leader is doesn't matter. What the team has done matters. If things don't turn out well, it's the team as a whole that needs to change something. We can learn.<br /><br />It has taken me a long list of small failures to realize these things, but it's important to remember that true leaders don't so much point and command as empower and support.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunechaser/">Flickr photo courtesy of Dunechaser.</a><br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/leadership">leadership</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/leader">leader</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/project">project</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-55205396006894749512009-04-05T10:49:00.002-06:002009-04-05T10:50:47.309-06:00Those Strange Happy Days (selfish post)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/inthehandofdante/3245480749/in/photostream/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fiy4Qbn5IwaRO6EKcSA0SoBeao_0dqGewJxSHZtvTO8RkB7itzAaRVE-swCUc-TvzuppRQXREL6V1Qrg4X3csVt0eJFe8BPseeRzyuenNVcd2OA-x3bnDbxQIblylsN_5gzx-Y_ljHM/?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" height="246" width="328" /></a>And there are mornings when, sitting in my chair by the window reading, in this case, an intellectual history of the birth of modern sociology, I'll set my book down, take a sip of warm tea and breathe deeply (usually nag champa fumes) - everything goes crystalline.<br /><br />I've often wondered if it's some strange combination of "upper" hormones and sunlight, or if the post-rock Icelandic crooning that I'm listening to is somehow changing the way my mind orders priorities. In doing so, I've found that I don't really care how it happens, how I can have these moments of stunningly happy clarity and sense of purpose. I do know that as I stand here typing this post, it takes every fiber of my being to not shout with joy and run outside toward the sun.<br /><br />There's nothing in my existence that suggests I lead anything less than a charmed life, and while there is always a part of me that says, "Stop talking so much about how happy you are!" the fact remains: Every day is an explosion.<br /><br />Whew. I've got great friends, great family, pets (they live 900 miles away, sadly), my health, plenty of tea, and an overwhelming, perhaps uncomfortably, optimistic future-view.<br /><br />I'm riding a smile-boat on an ocean of unicorns and stardust, and doing what I can to bring that feeling to those around me. Keep up the good work, everybody. We're all in this together.<br /><br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/feelings">feelings</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/future">future</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/optimism">optimism</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/happy">happy</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/unicorn">unicorn</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-8877149892081210682009-03-22T17:52:00.002-06:002009-03-22T17:53:51.224-06:00Twitter: Training Wheels, Airbag, or Insurance?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soyunterrorista/2658174628/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RfF40x4nbnsap_bD8ogWX_JruNE_6cYjJd_5WC9XpPIetnj61pOu8soroaFBEo20Q5zKPrpTlKIdXXE1_G9I3MHRQjWRctV-Klpe-QDXjduJu_pi52A6oDoBOWMyUSBUWBhEhoaVgxU/s320/2658174628_049a403892.jpg" border="0" height="204" width="306" /></a></div>I'm pursuing a number of <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/">job opportunities</a> right now. If I'm hired, I might move away from Denver. I'm casting my net wide, so I'm not really sure where I might end up, but I know that before I get there, I'll try to build up my Twitter network with local contacts - people who might be able to help me navigate the move and so on.<br /><br />As I thought about how I could best leverage my current and future network, it occurred to me that we can look at Twitter in three distinct ways: as training wheels, as an airbag, or as insurance.<br /><b><br /><br /></b><br /><b> Training wheels</b> - The world moves at about a million miles a second nowadays. It can be frustrating and time-consuming to enter the stream all at once without help. One of the much-touted uses of Twitter is helping people. We need to know where to go for Kindle support, or what kind of RAM our computers need, or even <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=how+use+twitter">how to use Twitter itself</a>. Other users can act as training wheels to help speed us along into the web and in real life.<br /><br /><b>Airbag</b> - Bad things happen. As an airbag, Twitter can help to insulate us against problems. Closely related to its use as training wheels, there are many ways that we've seen the community come together to help those in need, as it did when <a href="http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2009/01/pleas-help-us-help-daniellas-family.html">David Armano helped Daniela and her family</a>. With many of our jobs in crisis, Twitter can be helpful for job-finders or even those seeking state and federal help to get by. An airbag is used to slow us down in an accident and prevent big hurts; Twitter, as a community of interesting and interested people, can be that airbag.<br /><br /><b>Insurance</b> - Last but not least, we cannot ignore the power of microblogging to aid us in our most desperate...or our most powerful. Let me explain: Last April, a blogger <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/25/twitter.buck/">tweeted about his arrest in Egypt</a>. The message got out and so did he. Imagine witnessing a crime on a city street. Unable to stop the criminal, the best you can do is shoot out 140 characters describing his or her appearance. It's a rough example, to be sure, and there's no guarantee that it will necessarily <i>help </i>the situation, but at least it's something. And in terms of power: a Twitter user snaps/uploads a Twitpic of an elected official engaging in <a href="http://cm1.theinsider.com/media/0/37/92/barack-obama-and-ellen-degeneres_472x370.0.0.0x0.472x370.jpeg">questionable activity </a>(let your mind wander). Boom! Lights out. Twitter in the hands of a disgruntled employee can also be wielded with frightful results, if that employee was so inclined.<br /><br />Training wheels, airbag, or insurance. It can be one, all three, or none of these. How do you see Twitter?<br /><br /><i>Flickr photo from user <b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soyunterrorista/">kate at yr own risk</a></b></i>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-37794268369460703292009-03-19T11:57:00.002-06:002009-03-19T11:59:42.296-06:00Religion on TwitterHere's the questions:<br /><br /><script src="http://twtpoll.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><script src="http://twtpoll.com/badge/?twt=fi3i9l" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br />And here are the answers:<br /><br /><script src="http://twtpoll.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><script src="http://twtpoll.com/badge/r/?twt=fi3i9l&s=200" type="text/javascript"></script>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-91444260052676992562009-03-18T12:09:00.003-06:002009-03-18T12:16:02.267-06:00What is Twitter?<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This video explaining Twitter is awesome. I think it should replace the <a href="http://www.commoncraft.com/twitter">Common Craft version</a> that Twitter uses:<br /><br /><div class="youtube-video"><object height="342" width="400"><br /><param value="http://current.com/e/89891774/en_US" name="movie"> <param value="transparent" name="wmode"> <param value="true" name="allowfullscreen"> <param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://current.com/e/89891774/en_US" height="342" width="400"></embed><br /><br /><br /></object></div><br /><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/social%20media">social media</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/twitter">twitter</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/supernews">supernews</a></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-63235505688600853662009-03-17T08:14:00.002-06:002009-03-17T08:15:28.487-06:00Shakespeare Factoid of the...Year?<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I'm visiting home for spring break and a job interview. While sleeping on the couch very early this morning, my mother dropped what she called an "interesting fact" on the table next to me. Upon waking, I read this (apparently from a "Fact-a-Day" calendar, dated Wednesday, January 28th):<br /><blockquote>It is believed that Shakespeare was <b>forty-six</b> around the time the King James version of the Bible was written. In Psalm <b>46</b>, the <b>forty-sixth</b> word from the first word is <i>shake</i>, and the <b>forty-sixth</b> word from the last word is <i>spear</i>.<br /></blockquote>Holy moly.<br /><br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/shakespeare">shakespeare</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/bible">bible</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/numbers">numbers</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-36432421942152056942009-03-12T11:33:00.002-06:002009-03-12T11:34:55.248-06:00Of Advertising and Return<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A little while ago, I caught a <a href="http://twitter.com/davewiner/status/1316915149">tweet from @davewiner</a> pointing out that super web-guy and blog-champ <a href="http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis">@jasoncalacanis</a> was offering Twitter $10000/month to be on the "Suggested Users" list. I retweeted it and <a href="http://twitter.com/timbrauhn/status/1316954788">offered Mr. Calacanis $5000/month</a> to relentlessly promote him and his work. I wasn't entirely serious, and I'm convinced that my response was out of line. But that is neither here nor there. <br />
<br />
Calacanis responded to @davewiner, <a href="http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/status/1317047406">clarifying that the offer was payable in advance for two years'</a> standing on the "Suggested Users" list. Do the math. That's $250000 for a presence on a list for a service that hasn't completely figured itself out (this is largely due to the fact that Twitter morphs on an hourly basis!). Calacanis is entirely justified in wanting a spot - Twitter continues to explode, and as more and more people come to it, they'll likely check the Suggested list for who to follow. <br />
<br />
But I'm not so sure that dumping <i>a quarter of a million dollars</i> on the "Suggested Users" list is the best way to promote his stuff. If Mr. Calacanis was serious about attracting not only regular web-users but also the people new to the social web, he could find better ways to spend the money. Why not "blow" the money on <a href="http://www.malarianomore.org/about/why_support.php">anti-malarial bednets</a>; 25000 bednets is a lot of safe families in the developing world. Such a gift would generate immediate mainstream media attention, and the story would certainly get around on Twitter. $250000 would also <a href="http://the1010project.org/">start a lot of businesses</a> in the developing world (shameless plug there). <br />
<br />
I'm not questioning his methods, and I'm certainly not complaining about his advertising budget. But if he wanted to make a big splash, both in terms of regular and web-media, there are many "Suggested Awesome Things" that he could do instead.<br />
<br />
<div class="technorati-tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/poverty" rel="tag">poverty</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/the%201010%20project" rel="tag">the 1010 project</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/calacanis" rel="tag">calacanis</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/twitter" rel="tag">twitter</a></div></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-31592953967912337922009-03-07T09:24:00.002-07:002009-03-07T09:26:52.380-07:00FedEx Freebies<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">FedEx/Kinko's will provide job seekers with 25 free copies of their resume (albeit for only one day, March 10). It's a great example of socially-conscious marketing. <a href="http://www.microgiving.com/blog/?p=630">The round-up is here at Microgiving</a>.<br />
<br />
I oftentimes see companies doing things like this. My first reaction is always one of excitement and empathy. I immediately see the company in a better light. My second reaction is always one of suspicion. When my first reaction is not invalidated by the second reaction, as in the case of FedEx, I smile even wider.<br />
<br />
<div class="technorati-tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fedex" rel="tag">fedex</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kinkos" rel="tag">kinkos</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/giving" rel="tag">giving</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/marketing" rel="tag">marketing</a></div></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-45448233635149829372009-03-02T09:05:00.002-07:002009-03-02T09:06:09.906-07:00PeaceJam<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The 1010 Project was asked to present a workshop on poverty eradication at a PeaceJam conference here in Denver this past weekend. The Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator and I were going to co-present, but she fell ill and I flew solo. I think it went well. The room was packed, the kids asked good questions, and none of my multimedia fell through.<br /><br />Some of the tougher questions were about comparisons between microfinance institutions in the developing world and sub-prime mortgages in the US. It sounds crazy, but it's a good question. I answered that we have to hope that our rosy vision for the future is correct, and that communities in the developing world have a better sense of...<i>community...</i>than the rest of us. Other good questions were about regulation of the informal sector in our world's slums. It really was a lot of fun. I'll include the description of the workshop below for your perusal:<br /><br /><blockquote>Initiatives to tackle poverty are not new, but the methods and best practices employed by people to do so change quite often. Even twenty-five years ago, the prevailing notion was that eradicating poverty could be done from the top down. Those initiatives failed, or produced systems of dependence wherein no real change was made. What was needed was a shift from the top-down model to a bottom-up model. What was needed was ownership of poverty eradication by the very people who would benefit from it: the poor.<br /><br />It is important to explain to the general public, and especially young people, that ending poverty is not simply a question of how much foreign aid is sent to the developing world but rather a question of where that money is going and how it is being used. Purchasing emergency rations during humanitarian disasters is perfectly noble, but when the food trucks leave, are the people there really in a better position?<br /><br />The 1010 Project employs a model of development that ensures sustainable, healthy growth coupled with positive social change, and we are not alone in our work. There are countless activists in developed and developing countries working hard every day to make sure that foreign aid dollars and individual donations are used to their greatest effect. This is achieved by actually listening to what the poor have to say. They usually have ideas about how they can help themselves and their communities to break the cycle of poverty but just lack the resources.<br /><br />Also important is the notion that the “conversation” about poverty is changing. We are used to seeing photos of hungry children and destitute slums; we are told time and time again about the conditions in such places, with malaria and HIV/AIDS running rampant. The conversation now includes success stories; reports about community-based organizations coming together to help each other. Billions still live on less than $2 per day, but every day, thousands of people and families are lifting themselves out of poverty. We know how to help them, and they are more than ready to partner with us.<br /><br />We will walk participants through the following content areas:<br /><ol><li>Introductions: Our icebreaker is discussing what “poverty” means to us. This is, in a large way, the perfect starting point for any discussion about ending global poverty – defining it.</li><li>History of foreign aid infrastructure and poverty alleviation/eradication techniques.</li><li>Description of The 1010 Project methodology as it relates to poverty eradication.</li><li>Description of other NGO/NPO work, e.g. Kiva, GlobalGiving, etc.</li><li>“Success stories from the field” – Describing the positive effects of in-country ownership of poverty eradication initiatives.</li><li>Taking it to the streets – What can activists do to advocate on behalf of the poor, and how can those successes be expanded upon and globalized?</li><li>Q & A</li></ol></blockquote><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/poverty">poverty</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/education">education</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/peacejam">peacejam</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/the%201010%20project">the 1010 project</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-36319664611792951262009-02-28T17:30:00.000-07:002009-03-02T09:06:36.763-07:00What Am I Going To Do With These Things?<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This is a wooden block with a slit cut in it. I don't mean to insult your intelligence, I simply want to be sure that you understand what we are dealing with here. I've got a large bag filled with around 150 of these little things, leftovers from a silent auction some years back (they held up description cards).<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7540655@N04/3322186257"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3322186257_1e129ac64e.jpg" height="243" width="184" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7540655@N04/3322186065"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/3322186065_33eee80905.jpg" height="243" width="324" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7540655@N04/3323017284"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3323017284_5a0aee793e.jpg" height="243" width="183" /></a><br /><br /></div>They measure 2.6" x 2" x 3/4" and feature a slit running halfway into the block at a roughly 75-80 degree angle. At least I think it would be 75-80. They range a bit in color, since they were probably cut from junk wood, and a few have paint splashes on them, but they overall uniform.<br /><br />I hate throwing them away, so if I can't figure out good and craft-worthy plan, they're heading to the local Freecycle list. So I ask you all: What on earth am I to do with these things?<br /><br /><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/crafts%20blocks%20wood">crafts blocks wood</a></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-85806684848841729782009-02-24T22:57:00.002-07:002009-02-24T22:58:38.040-07:00Because People Want To Know...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I happened upon an ABCNews story about Twitter that featured such luminaries as <a href="http://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos">George Stephanopoulos</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/mchammer">MC Hammer</a>. I've got no idea how to post the damn thing in here, so I'll just link out to it: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6932759">John Berman catches up with MC Hammer about Twitter</a>. John Berman (<a href="http://twitter.com/abcdude">@abcdude</a>) gave a pretty good rundown of Twitter, although I again got the feeling that microblogging was some sort of funny joke. <br />
<br />
Still, it got me to thinking. <a href="http://mashable.com/2009/01/09/twitter-growth-2008/">Mashable's recent-ish article about Twitter's growth</a> is enough to make one's head spin. 752%? That's insance, but even with ~6 million users, the distinction between "user" and "USER" should be clear to anyone who has spent a few months tweeting. My curiosity is this: What is the "saturation point" for Twitter, i.e. when does it become normalized in much the same way that searching with Google or finding friends on Facebook has become blasé? <br />
<br />
Is it going to be 15 million in the US? 40 million worldwide? When does Twitter use become so commonplace that we take it as a <i>sine qua non</i> of our online experience?<br />
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<div class="technorati-tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/twitter" rel="tag">twitter</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/future" rel="tag">future</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/%22tim%20brauhn%22" rel="tag">"tim brauhn"</a></div></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-47730485475300993682009-02-12T12:22:00.002-07:002009-02-12T12:27:30.158-07:00Obsolescence<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">So my boss came to me, very distressed, with a browser that had somehow started up minus all of its bookmarks and saved passwords. This was bad news. My boss asked me where they might be, so I sat down to take a look.<br /><br />I was staring into the gaping maw of Netscape; and not just any Netscape, but AOL Netscape! This is a browser that I haven't used since 2002. That's a long time. I poked around for a while, tried a few things, and eventually gave up. I simply didn't know. Now I'm not entirely certain that I could have fixed the same problem on IE or Firefox, but I think I could have given it a better go (had I been dealing with a "pretty" GUI, that is).<br /><br />It made me wonder why on earth my boss would use such old software. While I was thinking, I turned and looked at the office fax machine. This is a piece of technology that has existed, in one form or another, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax">for 100 years.</a> I thought of all the times that I've helped a customer send a fax as he or she stood transfixed by this ancient technology. Is antiquated ubiquity a problem for young people today? I think so.<br /><br />Should we be counted upon to understand outmoded technologies? I would say yes. A healthy respect for where we've come from is important for sure. Still, I pray that my boss someday discards the horse-and-buggy for the Maserati.<br /><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=f786d579-8c23-41f2-8811-a7739054c0be" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/history">history</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/technology">technology</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/fax">fax</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/netscape">netscape</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-46353459920533878352009-02-04T19:28:00.001-07:002009-02-04T19:32:17.052-07:00Stimator - How much is my blog worth?<div style="border: 1px solid #171821; width: 100px; <br />background:url(http://www.stimator.com/images/stimator.gif); <br />text-align: center; padding: 35px 0 0 0; height: 100px;"><br /><span style="font-size: 36px; color:#000000; font-weight:bold; <br />line-height:14px">$239</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 10px; color:#F9F7E0"><br /><a href="http://www.stimator.com/">Check yours?</a></span><br /></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-89244589636812572872009-02-03T21:22:00.002-07:002009-02-03T21:22:37.040-07:00Kyrgyzstan and the United States<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The BBC reports today that <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7868586.stm">Kyrgyzstan will be shuttering the United States air base</a> outside the capital city of Bishkek. This is pretty big news any direction that you cut it, but given our new "focus" on fixing things in Afghanistan, the closing of the Manas base is really, really, really important. You can check out my paper about <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd4vtbbk_60nd7vf9cx">Democratization in Kyrgyzstan</a> on GoogleDocs; it has a few bits about the air base and its importance.<br /><br />We've never really treated our Central Asian presence as seriously as I would have hoped for, and it shows. The turning down of American interests in Central Asia is to be expected, even in the face of President Obama's hopes for changing the perception of America. Russia has come out ahead, largely because they have decided to <i>pay</i> the Kyrgyz for the privileges of hanging out.<i> </i><br /><br />This sucks, yes, and I don't know how to recoup these losses. Between Manas and the Kharshi-Khanabad "issue" in 2005, the United States is being edged out of one of the most important places on earth.<br /><p class="technorati-tags"><a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/russia">russia</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/kyrgyzstan">kyrgyzstan</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/central%20asia">central asia</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/manas">manas</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/bakiev">bakiev</a></p></div>Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6064564806780677129.post-22862852321751227162009-02-03T13:02:00.003-07:002009-02-03T13:34:50.045-07:00The Pork ProtestIt's official - I've decided to protest pork in the upcoming stimulus bill. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/gop.stimulus.worries/index.html">CNN has a nice list (compiled by House GOP folk) of some of the sillier bits</a>:<br /><p> • $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.</p><p> • A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.</p><p> • $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.</p><p> • $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).</p><p> • $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.</p><p> • $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.</p><p> • $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.</p><p> • $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.</p><p> • $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.</p> <!--startclickprintexclude--> <!--endclickprintexclude--><p> • $125 million for the Washington sewer system.</p><p> • $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.</p><p> • $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.</p><p> • $75 million for "smoking cessation activities."</p><p> • $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.</p><p> • $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.</p><p> • $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.</p><p> • $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.</p><p> • $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.</p><p> • $6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings.</p><p> • $500 million for state and local fire stations.</p><p> • $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.</p><p> • $1.2 billion for "youth activities," including youth summer job programs.</p><p> • $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.</p><p> • $412 million for CDC buildings and property.</p><p> • $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.</p><p> • $160 million for "paid volunteers" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.</p><p> • $5.5 million for "energy efficiency initiatives" at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.</p><p> • $850 million for Amtrak.</p><p> • $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.</p><p> • $75 million to construct a "security training" facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.</p><p> • $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.</p> • $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.<br /><br />If there's one thing that we can trust Congress to do, it's to ignore the task at hand and do something silly. This cannot stand. It's a stimulus bill, not a pet project...project.<br /><br />The regular media has to talk about this more - I only hope that regular Americans call their elected officials. Many of these programs are worthy, yes, but they will not jumpstart (or even rescue) the economy.<br /><br />This is the Pork Protest.Tim Brauhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02009167614703688389noreply@blogger.com7