DFNYC TV, DFNYC Wiki

I suggested blogging, DFNYC Research and Advocacy group went for a closed wiki. I sugggested video blogging, DFNYC leadership is talking of a DFNYC TV. It will be podcast, and it will also come out like regular TV on public access.

Something is better than nothing. But I am critical of both deviations. And I will explain why.

We are not a think tank. We are a political organization. A closed wiki has the look and feel of a research group working on papers for prestige publications. And most members to date are still trying to figure out how to sign in.

We are not a TV station. We should not be trying to imitate old media. And even with video podcasting, you are raising the barrier to entry. You will only be catering to the crowd with video iPods. Someone spoke the pharase "a more professional presentation" in an apparent reference to my attempt to video blog two events. I disagree. Video blogging is not professional or unprofessional. It is what it is.

We are a political organization. Democracy is our message. Our emphasis should be on making it possible for the average individual to both create and consume media. That is why I emphasize blogging.

Blogging is for the masses. TV stations are for a few. A blog is for everyone, a closed wiki is for the few wiki-literates (I have a recent email inviting me to a wiki training session) among the few who show up for the once a month meeting.

The meeting idea itself is unnatural. What if I am not inspired to think and speak the next ground-breaking idea precisely at that holy hour? Then what? Should the house collapse?

With blogging, the conversation never stops. That is more natural. The conversation never stops, there is no barrier to entry, people can tune in and out as they please, 24/7, and there are no geographical barriers.

Our theme is democracy, remember?

DFNYC TV idea almost sounds like a way to turn Norman Siegel into a David Letterman. Even Dean is scheduled to show up. Both are great guys. But with video blogging, you have literally limitless space for both, and for many more. All DFNYC members should end up on "TV." And with my idea, they do. You don't have to be a Siegel or a Dean to get on TV. In a democracy you don't. And that is where video blogging comes in.

We should encourage as many of our members as possible to blog and then we should let them loose.

I think we should think all DFNYC events are part of a reality show with a national audience, and blog them accordingly. And that is more the truth than an assumption. There does exist an audience. Folks, we need to go national.

If you don't have an email account, get one. If you don't have a Blogger account, get one. And you can also have community blogs, a group all blogging at one address.

Try it. It is addictive. And there are scientific studies that show blogging is good for your brain. Because it works your analysis brain muscles.

DFNYC Research And Advocacy Group

Obama Was In Town And I Missed It

How could I forgive myself?

I opened up the DFNYC mail on time. But the format was unusual. I just skimmed through it a second time a little while ago, and there was Obama with Ferrer. All the work that I have put into the Ferrer campaign would have been worth it just to be able to spend a little time with Obama. I am sure he got mobbed. And I might only have been able to steal a glance. But, uh. I feel so stupid.

This is not fair. Somebody do something about it.

If I had met Obama today, I only needed to meet Hillary and Amitabh Bachchan, and I would have been content.

What just happened? I am dumbfounded.

It is going to be a long time before an opportunity like this one surfaces again.

Ugh!

This is not good. How could I have? This was the one time when I did not skim through all the topics of the newsletter. The DFNYC newsletter, you are not supposed to read everything. The topics are listed at the top. You skim though the topics, and you click on those of interest.

Ugh. This did not just happen.

Opportunity knocked. And I did not listen.

This was the sweetest thing to have come my way through the DFNYC newsletter and I missed it. I can't freaking believe it.

I own the guy's autobiography.

Obama symbolizes hope itself.

Suddenly everything I did today feels like was a total waste of time. Or rather yesterday. This is past midnight.

Looks like both Amitabh Bachchan and Barack Obama are going to be tough nuts to crack.

What do you say during moments like this? Do you call yourself names? I am at a loss of words.

This is not good. Whatever happened to my email reading skills?

(I hear Bono's voice in the background. Usually that is a consolation, but this is not one of those times.)

*(3) Campaign for Freddy with Sen. Barack Obama, this afternoon at 8th Ave & 19th St*

Join U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Mayoral Candidate Fernando
Ferrer and supporters today in Chelsea

When: Today (Monday, November 7th) 2:15-3:15pm

Where:  S.E. corner of 8th Ave. and 19th Street in Manhattan

The group will be walking up 8th Ave to 23rd Street.

Contact: Dorcas Castro (646) 839-4947

Dean-Hillary-Obama Ticket
DFNYC Research And Advocacy Group

French Society: No Easy Solutions

Sick Sarkozy
Riots In France

Opinion: Europe's Lost Future Deutsche Welle, Germany ..... The previous socialist cabinet set up neighborhood police departments focused on dialogue, but was unable to take back lawless enclaves. ........ Current Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy tried the law-and-order approach, but after 11 nights of police crackdown more and more cars are burning in more and more regions of the republic. ........ Sarkozy said these things even though he has realized that "liberty, equality, fraternity" has lost its luster. He's been fighting for affirmative action against the president's resistance. He wants to give Muslim immigrants preferential treatment in the hiring process for the civil service and do away with the principle of equality.

Dialogue alone will not do. A single-minded emphasis on law enforcement alone will not do. A few social and economic programs thrown like bird feed alone will not do.

These young people are destroying the very infrastructure that is their limited ladder to upward mobility. Most of the cars they are burning are cars of their neighbors. Muslim clerics are not in any position to mediate. Muslim groups with reputations of being extremist are actually busy calming things down, with little success. There is no Al Qaeda grand design. This is alienation, disaffection, poverty, racism saying enough is enough.

Citizenship papers alone don't solve problems. Ultimately it is about societal attitudes. The socio-psychological reality itself has to change and become more accepting of people of "other" backgrounds. The social space has to expand or there is implosion.

Ultimately it is an issue of addressing multiculturalism. Institutional racism can feel like a glasshouse of mirrors.

"We are not looking for minorities. We are looking for the best officers."

Does that explain why the French police are not ethnically diverse?

That reflects a society in denial. That is a police department that is ethnocentric in its basic orientation, and that can not continue on.

France as a society has failed these young people. France has to reimagine itself as a society and a country.