Phone blogz....another voice posting app.

This post is just a test of another phone/VoIP way of posting audio to blogs. They support:

• Blogger (of course)
• Drupal (would like to see an application this)
• Wordpress
• LiveJournal
• Serendipity

When posting, they ask you to leave your 15 second message....but I left longer on here. I am unsure how long it will let you record. Of course this is still in its beta phase, so I am sure some of that will get worked out.
A new message has been posted via PhoneBlogz. Click here to listen to it.

S.T.A.R

Lately I have been searching for job opportunities in preparation for my departure from my current termed position. It seems without certifications in computer world, it is very hard to identify any employers who will consider you for a position because there are many qualified people with the necessary certificates. Also, I feel it increasingly difficult to find jobs with just a bachelors degree. To date, most jobs that have interested me have required at least a Master's.

I have hope, and have only begun to tap into all of my contacts, web searches, and newspaper ads to find another wonderful position.

My good friend Koji, who has sucessfully been applying for positions, really gave me some good insight for interviews and resume building.

One of his suggestions is a method for interviewing that I thought I would share on this blog for anyone seeking additional help in enhancing their performance during interviews.

The method is called S.T.A.R:

S -- Situation
T -- Task
A -- Action
R -- Results

When going into an interview you should have certain scenarios in mind that the potential employers may ask.

Case: Leadership

Situation: At UNC Pembroke, I became the Campus Activities Board Chairman, the organization responsible for the majority of campus programming, including movies, comdians, open mic, etc.
--In the situation portion, be sure to be brief, but efficiently describe a little background on your position and what it means.

Task: As Campus Activities Board Chairman, I was tasked with managing a group of 40 volunteers to schedule, plan, and implement entertaining programs using student fees (I would go into a little more detail...but you get the idea)

Action: This is one of the key elements of STAR...where you explain in detail how you where a leader, in what capacity, and how you operated.

Results: This is where you brag about what you accomplished.

This little insight that Koji has given me is helping me alot now with what I need to do in order to prepare for my coming interviews.

I look forward to using this method :D

Holidays = Family, Friends, and BABIES!!!!

So I've had a lovely time so far this holiday season, hanging out with friends, chatting and playing games with family, and most of all...playing with everyone's children!!! This must be the year of the baby...bc everyone I know is having one!

Below are just a few pics I'd like to share:

Everyone, meet Baxter - a bright-eyed, laughing and very intelligent baby. Father and mother are both good friends of mine. Baxter, meet internet friends!!

Next up, little Troy! He is very quiet, but very inquisitive. He likes long crawls on the blanket, with shiny Christmas ornaments.

And it wouldn't be a party without my nephew, Jaheim! Always ready to laugh, and play tricks, one must always have a discerning eye!

We have a little heartbreaker in the making in Kiana! She melts people with her stare!

Truely a fun Christmas and one that I will remember! I think it is times like these that really keep me motivated to help others in need, especially children who are less fortunate. I am not an expert on foreign trade, farm subsidies, global hunger, but the facts still remain. We, as humans, fight for resources that allow us a certain quality of life which usually means others might not have access to the same quality.

Let us fight for others to acheive the same qualities as us. Chip away at poverty and inequality by teaching, loving, and giving.

Am I leaving a legacy?

My Americorps*VISTA term as Technology Coordinator is coming to a close. I have a few months left.

I am both incredibly excited about what lies ahead and sad to let go.

About a month ago I would've told you that I will be a VISTA for another year because of my willingness and ambition to complete everything in my workplan, but I realize it is time to move on. Cultivating a career path is daunting, but necessary and I am definitely a step closer to knowing exactly what I want to do because of my experience in this program.

I have been blessed with so much lattitude and free space to create and deliver programs relating to systems analysis and design to computer literacy workshops, while also directing research efforts of an undergrad and leading a team of grad students in shaping the information architecture and future of data management for the office I work in....It is soo rewarding...and diverse! I also helped facilitate, plan, and coordinate a grant to dialogue about war and terrorism, work with professors on health disparities, and consult an organization on how to develop a board of directors and obtain 501c3 tax code status.

What is amazing to me is that I have had little training or knowledge going into doing all these really cool things, but have grown and dramatically increased my capacity to achieve and learn how to do them. I am better for that, a better person for the interaction. I am moved. Inspired. And changed to see a profound reality of hope to cause change.

So I am sad to leave this incubator. So I am humbled to appreciate what I have.

So what now?

Find a job, that's what! It is so exciting to look at everything available!

I really want to further my eduation to a point where I can more effectively cause more positive change, but the realities of debt and living in poverty leave me to seek employment first (a recent revelation).

I've begun to recieve the first round of rejection letters in the mail, but I will prevail...armed with hope, experience, and inspiration....

and knowing that I can 'get things done'

I will miss the people I've met...and I truely thank them for helping me along.

Podcastercon 2006!

Podcasting?...subscribable audio on a blog?

With the ever-increasing tools to create your own audio and put it online, content-creators and people that have something to say should come to this conference. What is great about it is that it is totally FREE!!!!

What is also so awesome about this conference is that there is not just for 'techies' or your typical 'geek'. You can attend this conference if you have no prior knowledge of podcasting, but are very interested in learning about it.

What is PodcasterCon?
PodcasterCon 2006 is a free one day conference open to all participants to discuss and learn about podcasting. This not for profit event is being organized by a group of volunteers from around the world. PodcasterCon is an Open Event.

The event will not have traditional speakers, commercial product pitches, or bags full of conference swag. The event will have free food and drink, pre-organized sessions, and will be conducted in an unconference style. Please goto this page on our blog to learn more about this style of event.

I am definitely going....and I hope you are too! Click Here to sign up and learn more about it!

NPR: Talk of the Nation -- Marc Comments

This is an audiopost created by Marc.

He called into National Public Radio on Wednesday's Talk of the Nation with speakers

*Michael Rubin - former political advisor to Paul Bremer and the Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003-2004. Visits Iraq frequently; was there for two weeks in September; will visit again in December after Iraqi elections; now a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.

and

*Sam Gardiner - retired Air Force colonel; has taught strategy and military operations at the National War College, Air War College and Naval War College

Marc sought more explanation of the US's role in exacerbating the conflict previous to the first Gulf War.

FACEBOOK -- the addictive phenomenon

So I've been using Facebook now for about a month and have found it very addictive and fun!

While fun, this social networking application is amazing and extremely addictive because you can look up friends from all over, some you haven't even seen in years (if you are more of an older person a few years removed from undergrad)

...and I have done just that (found friends from long ago)...and also have added friends I have met recently.

Facebook has many features that you probably would find in an online dating website like interests, looking for [insert gender]...or in a relationship....shows clubs and affiliations as well as hometown and age...

but Facebook goes a little further and provides more substance to your 'profile' like asking favorite books, movies, music, political and professional affiliation, and quotes. You can also list your website.

what I feel is really unique about Facebook is the networking aspects, like the ways in which you can search for friends via geographic region, school, or high school.

while facebook is an 'access only' website, meaning you have to have a university email domain, once you sign up, you can search for anyone and everyone and view people in your region or school. And if you know a person, it is very easy to add them as a friend (pending the 'friend's' approval) then view all of their info

Facebook makes it extremely easy to write messages to friends though a mailbox of sorts, but you also have a 'wall' which is a public view of comments people write on your wall. Facebook is a live/realtime application because after a party or before or any social event, people can write on your wall and tell you how much fun they had with you, etc. or they can tell you how much you missed out. So if you are friends with a friend, you can view their wall (pending they are viewable)...and see what their friends, including you, have written, which spurs more discussion.

This friend of a friend phenomenon can also explain the popularity of Facebook...by combining the intrinsic motivations to be accepted to know people or identify with people....you are constantly looking to see who are friends with your friends...and if they are your friend....and if you see those 'friends' in real live, many Facebookers want to 'collect' you on their friends list.

With just that aspect, Facebook could stand as a very popular application, but it also has a photo album feature. So if you have a photo with a friend in it, and you label that picture with your friend, it will show up on their profile for other people to view....as well as show up in your profile for anyone that knows you to view....it truely connects people!

You can also create events on facebook and people can join!...yet another way to learn about people.

when you strip the nervous tensions of meeting people face-to-face, Facebook undresses people's inhibitions on being themselves or saying what they want or just asking people to be your friend.

It is truely amazing what people will share on facebook as well. A PhD student named Fred Stutzman at UNC will also agree and has cool insight into what kinds of information you can retrieve from Facebook users (courtesy of Brian's blog)

check it out!!!

Slater snags his 7th world title!!!!!

Kelly Slater, undeniably the best professional surfer of all time has won an unprecedented 7th world title according to the Association of Surfing Professionals (the Governing Body of Professional Surfing)

Kelly Slater, like Lance Armstrong embodies many of the characteristics I strive to assimilate in my own persona. Although I can't quite pin down, aside from his good outlook and purity in life and his raw ability, what makes me look up to him so much, I can say I respect his innovations in a sport where he was very influential in shaping the new image of surfers from being drugged-beach bums to legitimate athletes, while also changing the outlook on scoring a wave.

I think I was surfing Ala Moana, Hawaii at a spot called Magic Island one time in the late 1990's and I saw first hand how awesomely good he was!! there were a lot of people out there surfing, but I couldn't help but notice this guy flying through the air and fanning out water like an ice sculptor...I was starstruck...and didn't even surf, but sat on my board watching the show!

He is very civically minded and does a lot for a lot of people.

So thanks Kelly and congratulations!!!!

Turn up the heat!!??!!

So for the past few weeks I have been in agony!

It is freakin hot!!! I dont know if there is a furnace under my floor or an invisible wall keeping the heat in my room from the windows and doorway, but it sucks....and I have tried everything to expell the heat, from opening all the windows and door and blaring the fan from every possible permutational configuration, while also trying to get the housing staff to see what the problem is.

I usually don't complain; growing up in a house where my parents love 80 plus degree warmth...but, but, but....my room (no exaggeration) is probably upwards of 95 degrees F.

So I have this routine of stripping down once I enter my furnace and wake up every few hours to rehydrate so that I dont wake up in the morning with a profound headache and soaked sheets. I even ration the time I spend on the computer.

So this post is just a vent, literally, of my frustrations of living in a terribly hot environment....I just hopes it gets really cold soon outside, so the head subsides in my room...

The Dichotomy of the Web

dichotomy in anything is usually a cliche...but usually true.

I watched dateline tonight and they caught some really disturbing and scary people: Online Sexual Predators of children.

Why!! why does this exist in society?

When the world is at your fingertips, why do people dive into pornography, hate, crime, drugs, and predation?

It is truely sad, both limiting the positive potential of what great things can be done online as well as making luddites in a generation of technology, information, and communication, not to mention the obvious emotional and physical damage to the children and families.

It is great to know that there are groups out there that are taking action, namely http://www.perverted-justice.com which is a group of people who guise as young teenagers and expose the online predators.

here is the dateline blog with the information about tonight's show:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9878187/#051103a

Ahhh...Smallville

When I rarely get a chance to watch regular television, most of my time is spent on the food channel...or now, more recently, Smallville on Thursdays...man I need some help! Smallville is soooo addictive!

I think I know now why I don't watch too much tv! I am very prone to become very involved in the shows. When I went home about a month ago, my father bought seasons 1-4....and catching the season finale of the 4th season....I couldn't stop there!!! So I end up watching the whole first season in one sitting, then moving on through the rest throughout the month of October.

Its a good show! Check it out!

¡traductor del google!!!!

So you're wondering if I can speak spanish now, eh?

Actually I can speak many languages:

Google の訳者用具は実際に素晴らしく, 私は完全にそ れに回転を与える!

L'outil de traducteur de google est vraiment intéressant et je lui donnerais certainement un mouvement giratoire!

Das googleübersetzerwerkzeug ist wirklich nett und ich würde ihm einen Whirl definitiv geben!

All kidding aside, I do not have a firm grasp on any foreign language, but now with this new google translator, you can decode or encode your language into french, german, italian, japanese, chinese, portugese, and, of course, spanish!

check the site out! http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

Google now has an online aggregator!

I am on so many different computers at so many different times of the day, it's hard for me to download my own aggregator, so I have opted to use the online aggregators....Bloglines has been great to me.

I do use a lot of Google stuff though, like gmail, google groups, the search history, google earth, etc.....and the other day I found out that google had an aggregator.

To the right is a screenshot of it in action:

I do like the google reader for a few reasons.

1. There is a lot of the same functionality as gmail and google groups in that you can star your favorites and of course the searching capability. The labels from gmail are also utilized in here.

2. the interface is fairly easy to use (might be because I am already accustomed to gmail and google groups)

3. It is tied into my google account (which might be a little scary that google knows all about me, but hey, i dont have things to hide, right?)

4. Some sites have multiple feeds for multiple things, google reader lets you add them all with ease.

Things I didn't really like:

1. It is totally up to you to find the news feeds, albeit you can search in the top search bar for feeds, but still, Bloglines provides much more ease when concerning things you want to subscribe to.

2. The way to find feeds is a little basic, and I would like to have seen more ways to search for feeds.

3. Although the scrolling through recent feeds is nice, the fact that they are all lumped together on the home screen is a little confusing...although, to be fair, google reader does have the subscription view.

But all in all, I like the google reader and will use it for a little while and see if its as convincing as Bloglines.

who'da thought

thought I would share a poem i just wrote....it has literally been a few years since i have written anything, but for some reason this evening I wrote this poem in a matter of a few minutes.

no name...just words:

Creative collect
gatherings of lustful hegemony
concatenate the growth of eternal fortitudes

retreat into regression
repeat introspection
repair the loaded chambers
reduce the inflammation of desire

design
deliver and;

comb over the prejudices of flattery
for the fad look of modesty to obtain
abstain
refrain

sustain the deliverance from solace
identify with the souls of change

manage to manage
life's cliché of amount

to mount, to ride
to experience
confide

on occasion while i sleep i hear i weep

i dance on the night with the blanket
doused in my own calamities
of viscous rendition

to enjoy my ambiguous condition

to liver is to bleed
being eaten with greed

i live liver live her
relegate; deliver
come between the scene
of crow-like macabre

to entice my world of infinite
drawing on the pragmatic enigmatic

one, two....or three
to count is to fail
as the days seem short
but my heart will prevail

overcome
be undone, overheard
and persist
beat, beat the odds

a little about this poem:
not really sure what it means...the words really just came out of my head to my fingers to this blog....
but seeing how lately i've been reflecting a lot on things in my life, mostly dealings in romance...i find it a relevant insight, but also right before i wrote the poem, i heard and really liked Frankie J's remake of "More Than Words" by Extreme, conjuring up lots of feelings in the past.

My friend Koji and I use to sing that song to his guitar in college to vent some of the pains of us having a long distance relationships....ahhh, not the most ideal type of relationship - lesson learned.

Hiatus is over!!!!

I absolutely cannot believe that I almost skipped October in my blogging!!!

Things have definitely been busy, that's for sure!

Work
The software development project (FASC-IS) has consumed a large portion of my time....but more in a re-tooling process.

Just started some computer literacy workshops in collaboration with National Student Partnerships and TOP CAT

Got a mini-grant to host a dialogue on the United Nations and the US working together via NC Campus Compact and the UN Foundation

Moved office locations and set-up all the computers with the lab.

Leading a student to do ethnographic research on volunteer impact of NCCU and the Durham community.

Beginning to write a grant with my Director utilizing technology.

Still trying to figure out the craziness called Microsoft Access!

Prepare and submit my quarterly report!

Helped organize a Service Learning workshop.

Took lots of pictures and enhanced them with photoshop for the website!

ahhh....lots more

Friends

Mark and Danyel had their baby boy, Calvin Baxter Warren
(Picture on Right)

Dane and Bobbi had their baby girl, Kelsy Onorio

Rory came back from Iraq for a brief period of time.

Leisure

Watched seasons 1-4 of smallville (quite a feat!)
Read "The Historian"
Read "Memoirs of a Geisha" again
Read "Leadership on the Line" again
Read lotsa computer books -- not that leisurely

-----

I guess thats a summary....

Today and yesterday I went to the SCALE Conference and was pleasantly suprised with all of the awesome programs in literacy education!

Some highlights:

"Poetry is not a Jukebox"
The presenter, Raina, was really great in her examples and her interactive approach.

She showed us really awesome ways to create poetry in almost a quiltlike way and also using newspaper articles and pulling words from columns to make your own poetry. THATS COOL!
We took a field trip to the art museum and wrote a little poem about a piece.

What I really like about this session was that she wasn't really trying to tell us how to do 'her' program/s, but just to have fun. It was really relaxed. She provided us working knowledge of ways to use poetry by allowing us to experience it!

"Theater of the Oppressed"

While very interactive, it wasn't forced on us to participate....more like slowly raising the temperature throughout, engaging us to 'want' to participate.

Dr. Mittman showed us through 'spect-acting', playing someone's personal unresolved issue with a small group of 4 or 5, but not talking.....posing each person to display a scene in that issue.

This example slowly progressed into each actor of the scene saying something from their scene....with everyone else trying to figure out what it was all about.

I can see far reaching application of these techniques and will see how I can infuse it somehow into my work...might be hard since I am focused on technology though.

"Volunteers as Public Advocates"

Both David Rosen and Daniella Cook provide a lot of insight and good suggestions on advocating policy, but what I really gained from this is Daniella's passionate explanation of 'Bush's' "No Child Left Behind".....which now, more than ever, pisses me off. I didn't really have a full understanding of all the players involved and the demands on the teachers....but after hearing Daniella talk, it all made sense.

"Engaging Adults in Literacy Education"

The main thing I gained from this session was "IGI" or "Individualized Group Instruction".....It is my hope that this methodology might be very useful in the newly established computer literacy workshops.

All in all this conference was wonderful.....seemed like everyone was from a different state, but collectively we were in this 'together'.

Next week I am attending NC Campus Compact's annual student conference and presenting some of my work in Academic Community Service Learning as well as providing some technology tools for students to use in organizing, reflection, and social action. I will post more when I attend next week! I hope its not too cold as I will be at Appalachian State University...in the mountains...

Shame on me for not posting in so long!

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. "
Aristotle

Define Terrorism

Marc delivers some interesting facts to consider when thinking about our government's involvement in the middle east previous to this war.

Decompression Session

Coming off a very inspirational day, I just wanted to document my thoughts and rattle out some ramblings.

Seeing thousands of people convene in one place was very empowering to me...knowing that there are people who really feel the urgency to create change and stop this war has given me more confidence in speaking out....and not worrying about how people percieve me.

People of every race, religion, class, and age....were in attendance, with kids chanting right along with with the drummers, hard-core activists, parents, former military, college students, and myself. It would have certainly took some effort to not be moved.

People are people are people are people!

Smiles, comraderie, and purpose fueled the energy for the day, culminating in a concert that channeled our emotions toward action.

North Carolina Represented well, and I truely have been honored to share this day with so many changemakers.

I caught up with Brian Russell (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!) of Audio Activism and Ruby Sinreich of Lotus Media as well as THE Andrew Pearson of NC Peace & Justice coalition, lead organizer the big anti-war rally in Fayetteville, NC...among many other things.

Not to single out one person for the difference they are making, but I wanted to dedicate this post to Lanya Shapiro who tirelessly fights for change with everything she has, everything. It seems everyone surrounding her is infected with her passion and willingness to move forward. Progress. Change. And check out Traction http:/www.gettraction.org for more in store! Thank you Lanya for awakening in me that progress, that passion.

Also...I want to thank the many friends I made on the Traction Bus ride to and from DC!

So what now?...probably more posts for sure, but for now I must go to bed!

Great Day!


Below are some audioposts from my phone. The more I 'mobcast,' the more I feel the need to invest in more quality recording equipment....these posts are hard to hear, but at least may give you a small glimpse into my day at the Anti-War Rally in Washington, DC.

Free awesome live music!!!

Man, this is what I do late/early....when I don't have anything to do!

I was looking at http://www.archive.org and found some really cool resources. Now, I've used archive.org many times, but only for their wayback machine. To think that until now I have never taken the time to look at their live recordings!!!!

I love live music and bands I haven't heard of, but sheesh, its all free, all legal...and has some pretty mainstream bands as well....

Of A Revolution
Jack Johnson
Howie Day
Jason Mraz

and many others!

i am so psyched!....need more disc space....i can see a crash coming!

Excited about my DC Trip!!

Well, its pretty late here, but I had to work the bugs out...literally! I've been pretty busy with a lot of technology work and am excited to say that I actually get to shadow my father and see how they put together their IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and framework for the Java Applications they will be making. It's so cool when you can actually go home and visit with family while being productive and doing work.

Ahh...to be productive! Today I got put on a technology committee at The Volunteer Center of Durham, so I am pretty excited to learn from the other members as well as check out their IT situation....also, I am finding out, when making a website in a large institution, there is a lot of 'red tape'....meaning I've been waiting on Public Relations to approve the look, for the head webmaster to give me suggestions, for the web committee to look at the site, for my supervisor to plan the 'rollout' party, then to make the changes, and resubmit....it is insane and I don't know if it will ever grace a browser!...just need a vent

Also today, I met up with fellow VISTA, Tabitha McEachin of Communities in Schools, former at Durham Literacy Center to talk about Katrina relief. One really big thing I learned about today was the amount of people living in hotels in Durham from the different affected states. I really want to help NCCU's organizations focus more on helping the people here, but more with finding them resources, than just giving them food and clothes. There seems to be a lot of deep-seated issues relating to the relief efforts!..something needs to be done...in a more organized way.

Anyways, the whole title of this post was just to say that I am really excited about going to Washington, DC today, so much in fact, that I really can't sleep...hence the post. But I am also nervous as I've never done anything like this before, but feel it important for me to be exposed and possibly network with activists around the country.

It's pretty silly when I tell most of my friends that I am going for those purposes because I get really mixed reactions. Either they don't say anything and move the conversation along, or they give a little laugh or chuckle....or they just kind of stop talking. Why is it such a sensitive thing when you say you are going to speak out against this war? In private or in close groups it's okay to say things, but whenever you want to publicly display your opinions....a lot of people shy away....is it extreme? they don't want to rock the boat....people need to be pushed a little to react. The most effective activists and change makers in my mind have all been people who prod people to think....and make others uncomfortable.

the more I learn about our occupation in the gulf, the more visceral I feel....ahh...to go on

My Southpark Likeness!

Really cool site! Not totally looking like me, but cool nonetheless! here is the site to create your own! http://www.planearium2.de/