The ongoing situation in Iran has shown the value of the internet, especially twitter, to get the news out. Once all of the foreign journalists were kicked out of the nation, it was up to citizen journalists to bring word of the protests to the rest of the world – and to some extent to the participants who needed to know where to gather. Twitter was especially useful because the abbreviated format works so well with mobile phones brought right to the action, and it was hard to block. They’ve provided feed and encouraged more coverage from the networks – people are indeed interested in this remote and arcane story. What’s not to love about live revolution?
Monthly Archives: June 2009
Insured
When American Airlines flight 1549 skidded safely into the Hudson River, most of New York was in a state of panic. It was, after all, the first low-flying commercial plane in that corridor since 9/11. As word of the amazing landing got out, people were relieved that this time it was heroism, not terrorism, that brought the plane in low. But there was far more in common with a disaster in the financial district, just down the Hudson, than most people might realize at first.
Flu
I have the flu today, so I am not up for one of my usual posts. I’ll be back on Monday.
School’s Out (for Summer)
Yesterday was the last day of school here in Saint Paul. The summer has officially started, even if it is a bit cold and rainy outside. The kids now have nearly 3 months to forget everything. But does it have to be this way?
Pedestrian Friendly
Any large building project has the potential to be defined by a detail. It can be for better or worse, but it’s often true that “God is in the details”. A major project here in Saint Paul, still in the planning stages, illustrates this point perfectly. The current plans for the Central Corridor (University Avenue) Lite Rail project are a catastrophe that cannot possibly succeed because they completely miss one important part of the transit experience – a decent sidewalk.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 