Archive - 2010
September 12th
Waiting For Hoyle
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 09/12/2010 - 17:53Last night, I had a curious dream. My two older daughters were starting the school year, and I gave the eldest a copy of According To Hoyle. When I was young, I used to play a lot of solitaire and studied many of the games in Hoyle. As I thought about it, the phrase "Waiting For Hoyle" came to mind; playing solitaire card games while waiting for Godot.
It is an interesting contrast. Godot never comes, and Gogo and Didi do things to pass the time. If the two of them were not together, I could easily have seen one of them playing solitaire. Perhaps solitaire is the ultimate existentialist's game. Yet Hoyle has very clear rules to play by. It seems as if Gogo and Didi were unsure of the rules to play by as they waited for Godot.
One form of solitaire that I never played was Idiot's Delight. It was also title of a famous play by Robert Sherwood which was adopted into a movie. I did see a production of the play many years ago. I greatly enjoyed many aspects of the play. However, there was one line from the play that I especially liked, it was something like:
"We met, like two ships passing in the night, or perhaps more like two drunks sideswiping one another." The play Idiot's Delight also casts an interesting light on an existentialist view of politics.
I believe the Idiot's Delight solitaire game is played with a single deck. However, I liked some of the double deck games. In particular, Forty Thieves, or Napoleon at St. Helena was a favorite of mine. I found the double deck games more challenging. Supposedly this is the form of solitaire that Napoleon played while he was imprisoned by the British on St. Helena. While the Napoleonic wars predate the wars of Idiot's Delight, it seems, somehow, an appropriate follow on to Idiot's Delight.
As I awoke from my dream, my mind wandered, and I thought of the lyrics to Flowers On The Wall:
Counting flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playing solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me I've nothing to do
From the existential and political, to the personal, we are all passing the time in one way or another. Yet are we passing the time, or are we killing it? The great quote from Thoreau comes to mind, "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
As I write this, my mind also wanders to the myth of Sisyphus. That too, was a form of solitaire; a more strenuous one. The rock rolling back to the bottom of the hill was like the deck being shuffled again.
Yet playing solitaire can be a way of keeping one's mind sharp. Sisyphus' workout probably kept his body in better shape than any modern day Sisyphusian torture like the treadmills at the gym. Meanwhile, I wonder about what people do while waiting these days. Whether they are waiting for Godot or simply a better job, people spend their time on Facebook, Twitter, reading and writing blogs, and so on. Like solitaire, when done well, it can keep the mind sharp. It can pass the time, although as Beckett points out, it would have passed anyway. Is your social networking and blog reading sharpening your mind or injuring eternity?
Perhaps all of this can weave together into some sort of online Glass Bead Game, but that should probably be a different blog post.
September 11th
Random Stuff
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 09/11/2010 - 21:19Well, we didn't make it to the firemen's muster or the CT Folk Festival today. Instead, we picked up two foster dogs from Big Fluffy Dogs. One is a Great Pyrenees and the other is a Great Pyrenees/Labrador Retriever mix. They are both young puppies, each around eleven weeks old. They will both most likely only be staying with us a short while until their forever families are found.
Yesterday, I read that Bloglines was shutting down on October 1st. I had copied most of my RSS subscriptions over to Google Reader quite a while ago, but really haven't been using RSS readers much at all. Mostly, I visit blogs through various blog networks and find specific posts when they are recommended by friends on Facebook or Twitter. As an aside, this morning I took a Zogby survey that was asking about blog reading preferences and asked about things like RSS, Facebook and Twitter.
Anyway, I exported my feeds from Bloglines and imported them into Google Reader. I did a little bit of cleaning up, deleting blogs that have disappeared, fixing categories, and moving feeds for blogs that have moved. One thing that I like about Google Reader is that if you join a blog with a Google Friend Connect widget, it gets added to your subscriptions. It becomes a good way of seeing which blogs on various blog sharing networks have been updated.
One blog that I read regularly a few years ago was Gotta keep on keepin' on........ The top says,
Cancer again...that's 3 times in 2 years. This time it’s not breast cancer, but a new one called squamous cell carcinoma. New cancer, same old fighting spirit! My blog is still named for one of many songs that kept me going the first time around. Driving home from an upsetting appointment, I turned on the radio just as this line from Steve Miller Band's Jet Airliner was playing: "I've got to keep on keepin' on"....so I did just that. And I'll do it again.
When a friend of mine was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, I had her get in touch with KT. KT had a great spirit. I saw that the blog was updated on September 3rd.
This is John. I just wanted to post a note on this, the first anniversary of Kate's passing. I am posting the same note on her Facebook page, so sorry to be redundant for those who see it both places.
September 3rd: my wife's birthday, and the anniversary of my wife's mothers passing from cancer. Today is September 11th. As I take a moment to remember friends who died in the World Trade Centers, I also remember Kate and Janice.
On a happier note, I stumbled across Barbara Ann Radnofsky's website. She is currently running for Attorney General in Texas. It 2006, she ran for U.S. Senate. In 2005, we met Barbara Ann at DemocracyFest in Austin, TX. Here is Barbara Ann, Kim and Fiona:
I also stumbled across a listing of an event at the Old State House in Connecticut: Does Media Bias Impact Elections? Join the Discussion. A panel moderated by CT-N Elections Coordinator Diane Smith will start at the Old State House at noon on September 15th. Sounds like a great event.
Now, Fiona has headed off to bed. The dogs are sleeping. Kim is reading. Barbara Ann is probably speaking somewhere right about now, and John has probably put his kids to bed. My earache prevails. The list of unread emails remains way too long, but it all fits together into something much bigger than any of us. Good night.
September 10th
#ff @grovenh
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 09/10/2010 - 11:28@RetailGoddesses @SheSoSocial @giuliag @jwierin @derekkoch @MatthewBrowning @joecascio @timtracey @leecruz @Mertens4Senate @TTHofficial @MyConnecticut
Last night, I attended the opening of The Grove, a coworking space in New Haven, CT. Many of my friends have used coworking spaces in New York and San Francisco and I've hoped that a coworking space would open up here in Connecticut.
Coworking fits hand in hand with social media, so it was great to see many friends from various social media activities there. There was the standard group of people from SocialWebWeek, @RetailGoddesses @SheSoSocial @giuliag @jwierin @derekkoch and @MatthewBrowning. Although I don't remember if I ran into @MyConnecticut as part of the Social Web Week activities, Courtney is very much a social web person and I would include her in this group.
There was the tweetcrawl and podcamp crew, @joecascio and @timtracey. There was the nonprofit and advocacy crew, @leecruz and @TTHofficial. @timtracey also sort of fits in that space with his Yougottacall project. Also part of this group was Nathan Bixby.
In the political sphere a couple friends from Governor's Dean's 2004 Presidential campaign were there as was John Mertens who is running for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, @Mertens4Senate.
Also there were Matt and Lindsay Branscombe. Lindsay made a splash at the technologists and entrepreneurs meet during Social Web Week when she reminded everyone of the importance of design and it was good to have an arts and design perspective reflected not only in the photographs on the wall of the Grove but also by some of the participants.
I'm probably missing a bunch of other people that I spoke with at the opening of The Grove last night, but it gives a good flavor the variety of people that were there. It helps illustrate why I believe coworking is so important. It is when you connect with people from a bunch of different viewpoints that you can gain the insights to make whatever project you are working on more successful. The Grove is setting out to be a place where connections like this are made. They got off to a great start and I wish them well.
September 9th
Upcoming Events - September 2010
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 09/09/2010 - 14:59It has been a while since I've posted a list of upcoming events. However, this month presents so many great events, it is hard to choose between them.
This evening, I plan on attending the The Grove's Launch Party. I expect to also spend some time talking with folks about Podcamp CT.
Tomorrow there will be the funeral for Connecticut State Trooper First Class Kenneth Hall in Hartford. I am not planning on attending the funeral, however, I am concerned whether it will create traffic problems for my wife or other friends that work near the Capital.
The weekend starts off with the The 2010 Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo in Edgerton Park, New Haven, September 10-12th. This includes the CT Folk Songwriting Contest Hosted by Vance Gilbert and a concert by Red Molly Saturday afternoon, and Susan Werner, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and Kathy Mattea all playing in the evening. These are all performers we've come to love from our frequent trips to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
Also taking place this weekend is the 39th Annual Antique Fire Apparatus Show and Muster at Eisenhower Park in Milford CT from 10 to 5 on September 11th. I used to love going to Firemen's Musters when I was a kid and this year, there are musters across the country on September 11th. I can think of few better ways to remember 9/11 than attend a Firemen's Muster. Of course, one better way just might be the Interfaith Prayer Vigil. Gathering to pray with Christian, Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters is another great way to honor those who lost their lives in 9/11.
Also on the 11th, the band Spuyten Duyvil will be playing on Long Island
Next week starts off with Digiday:Mobile and Digiday:Social. These are going to be two good conferences and I need to see if I can fit them into my schedule. Yet there is also Back To School Night for my daughter on Tuesday.
Then, on Wednesday, the 15th, CBIA will host Integrating Social Media into Your Business Strategy with Brent Robertson. For those who aren't up on social media and business, it is probably worth the $75 for CBIA members and $135 for non-members. However, if you are interested in attending, you need to act fast. I'm told it is almost sold out.
In the evening, the New Haven Independent is having its Fifth Birthday Bash. I have been a long time fan of the New Haven Independent and look forward to this.
On Thursday, the 16th the United Way of Greater New Haven will have its Campaign Kick Off Celebration.
Also on Thursday, there will be an e-democracy meeting in San Diego which sounds interesting, but is too far for me to travel to.
UN Week is September 20-24th. Mashable will sponsor a Social Good Summit and a Digital Media Lounge as part of UN Week. This sounds especially interesting, particularly the focus on the millennium development goals.
Also during UN Week is the New York Games Conference on September 21st. I've covered this in previous years and I'm trying to decide if I should try and fit it into my schedule for this year.
Immediately after UN Week is the National Conference of State Legislatures National Redistricting Seminar in Providence, RI. Redistricting is an extremely important issue and NCSL runs great conferences and seminars.
I am sure that as soon as I post this, I will find half a dozen other events that I really should try to attend.
So, what do you think? What events should I attend? What events would you like to see me write about? Are there other events that you think I should have on my radar?
May you be inscribed for a sweet and good year, even if we have a double dip recession.
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 09/09/2010 - 11:50Today, StrategyOne released a report about a recent survey finding Two Thirds of Americans expect double-dip recession, brace for second hit worse than the first. The report noted
Almost half see America’s ‘best days’ behind us, 7 in 10 concerned country is ‘fundamentally broken and not working’
Soon after I read this, I read a message on a mailing list of psychotherapists where one of the old curmudgeons wrote about the illusion of new beginnings in response to various emails wishing the readers "Leshana Tova Tekatev v'etachetem - May you be inscribed for a sweet and good year!" Besides questioning whether the marking of a new year was new beginning he went on to complain about services resembling fashion shows filled with gossip about adultery.
In response to this, I wrote a message to the group, an edited version of which I am posting here:
I've looked at life from both sides now
from win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all.
To me, the change of the calender is an opportunity for a new beginning. It is a reminder to me to seek what is better. Fortunately, we have the Jewish calendar, the Western calendar, the Lunar calendar, and many other calendars to give us this opportunity. For that matter, each trip to the therapist is an opportunity for a new beginning, a chance to look, yet again, at the patterns of our lives that might be holding us back or making our lives or the lives of those around us less pleasant.
Actually, each morning is also an opportunity for a new beginning. To borrow from the Tao of Pooh: Piglet and Pooh are discussing what they do first thing every morning. Pooh wonders whats for breakfast. Piglet wonders what new and exciting thing is going to happen. Pooh observes that they are the same thing.
Then, I think of great dance and movement teachers who have reminded me that each breath in is an opportunity for a new beginning.
As to services, not being Jewish, I've never been to a Rosh Hashanah service. I suspect they are a bit different than funeral services, but I will use funeral services as a proxy for understanding. I remember years ago I told my daughter, who was about three or four at the time, that we were going to a family reunion. She looked quizzically at me and asked, "Who died?" It was a poignant reminder how important it is to gather with distant friends and extended family for more than just funerals.
While I might not enjoy the fashion show and gossip about adultery at some services, I savor the opportunity to reconnect with people that are important to me. As a side note, we have new neighbors that happen to be Jewish. They asked us for information about the different Synagogues in our neighborhood. All we could do was suggest they talk with some friends of ours who are Jewish and the result is that our neighbors ended up going to dinner at our friends' house last night; another connection established, strengthening our community.
As to the hopes? Well, while I would love to see war cease and health improve, mine is a simpler hope. It is hope that somewhere, sometime, someone will read a few of my words and smile; perhaps even my curmudgeon friend on the mailing list. Of course, I hang on to my idealism and think about Robert Kennedy and his comment about sending out tiny ripples of hope that cross each other and "build a current than can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance"
No, I really don't know life at all, but I do hope that everyone regardless of religious affiliations have a sweet and good year no matter what the economy does.
