Archive - Nov 2005
November 28th
Endgame
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 11/28/2005 - 21:38“Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished.”
So, some recent blog posts have gotten me thinking about Samuel Beckett. The line above is the opening line of Endgame. It came to me as I read the last unread message in my inbox, a feat I haven’t managed to do in nearly a month. Yet, is a sisyphusian task. For as I sleep, another bolder of emails will roll down the virtual highway. Even as I write this post, new emails arrive.
The furnace is still broken. A new part has been ordered and perhaps there will be heat again on Wednesday. It’s okay. It isn’t that cold out right now. We work situation remains ambiguous. I expect a resolution on Wednesday, at least a resolution until the next bolder arrives.
“Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap.”
November 27th
Sharing Videos: Part 3
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 11/27/2005 - 20:57This Thanksgiving, I took a few more videos with my camera. Unfortunately, the camera died part way through. It appears to be the well know 'E18' problem with Canon PowerShots.
Nonetheless, I did get three short videos which I have uploaded to the various video sharing systems. During the uploading, I looked at how often my previous videos were viewed, if comments were added, how they connect to other blogs, to flickr, del.icio.us etc.
Based on this, here are my most recent experiences.
November 26th
"The Net. He thinks he’s entangled in a net."
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 11/26/2005 - 21:22(One of Pozzo’s lines in Waiting for Godot.)
The other day, I quoted another line of Pozzo’s in Waiting for Godot. It was about meeting new people along our way, and I talked about it terms of blogging. Colin, one of those people I’ve recently met along the way, pointed to it today, and it caused me to return to waiting to Godot.
Pozzo’s departing line is, “They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more.” I am struggling with a difficult work issue right now. This afternoon, Kim came upstairs saying that the water heater was leaking. Actually, it was the pipe leading from the radiators to the furnace, so we are without heat right now.
My sleep has been erratic, so these bleak thoughts resonate.
(To sleep, perchance to dream.)
So, "What do we do now, ... while waiting"? We could blog. "It'll pass the time."
November 25th
Margaret's trip with Breast Cancer
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 11/25/2005 - 12:38Playing the comment game at Michele’s blog, I stumbled across this blog entry. It particularly struck me, and I posted a comment there, which I am posting here as well.
Hi. Michele sent me. I'm glad she did. Great writing.
Your comment, "Are you there God? It's me Megan", together with references to doggie cancer made me put together a couple different thoughts.
Recently, a good friend discovered she has breast cancer. Stop by and read her blog at My trip with breast cancer.
I cannot help but wonder how many women like Kimberly read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret years ago as they struggled with their adolescent bodies and their relationship with God, and are now facing new struggles with their bodies and their relationship with God.
Blogging alone
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 11/25/2005 - 12:05In 2001, Robert Putnam published his book, Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community.
Amazon’s review says, “In a nutshell, he argued that civil society was breaking down as Americans became more disconnected from their families, neighbors, communities, and the republic itself. The organizations that gave life to democracy were fraying. Bowling became his driving metaphor. Years ago, he wrote, thousands of people belonged to bowling leagues. Today, however, they're more likely to bowl alone“.
Can blogging and other online communities be tools to help reconnect American’s with their family, friends, and neighbors? I think it can, and often point people to sites like Michele Agnew’s blog.