Change Your WordPress Hosting Easily Via ManageWP
From time to time you may wish to move your entire WordPress blog with all its posts, comments, images, themes and widgets over from one web hosting service to another. Read more...
DARnet, Yesterday, 7:14pm
Cooking Monkfish with Cider in Galicia
Hello, I’m cooking fresh fish with cider over a trangia camping stove in sunny Galicia, northern Spain. Read more...
DARnet, Yesterday, 7:14pm
WordPress London #7
I went to WordPress London meetup number #7 last night, hosted by Headshift at their office near Shad Thames, along the south bank of the Thames, east of Tower Bridge. Nice to have something on the East side for once, although south of the river, I wouldn’t normally mention the general location but for Londoners, having different travel options is essential and I was pleased to be able to exit the Transport For London system at a zone 2 tube station, Bermondsey. Read more...
DARnet, Feb 2, 7:14pm
KM Australia 2012
I'm presenting our story work at KM Australia this year (24-26 July) and I'll also be taking part in the debate, which has been organised in a friendly and fun way. We are debating whether tacit knowledge can and should be captured. Read more...
Anecdote, Feb 2, 6:11pm
Time capsule for Jan 2011 Songwriters Circle
Some illustrations used during the January 2011 Songwriters Circle Challenge. The next Cohort is due to start on Monday February 6th 2012 if you’d like to join usand kick start your songwriting in just 30 days
Tags Read more...
DARnet, Feb 1, 7:14am
My draft folder is overflowing
Typepad has a very convenient "drafts" folder into which you can write things that aren't ready for publication yet. My drafts folder is overflowing. I suppose that means that the editor in me is looking forward to reviewing them and sending them back for revisions.
If you wait long enough between the time you write something and the time you publish it, it's possible that you can make your writing enough better to be worth the wait. Generally, though, the work that I like the most has been edited in public. If my writing doesn't escape the draft folder quickly, chances are pretty good that it isn't ever worth publishing, even in an open notebook. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Feb 1, 7:14am
Paul Courant, “Changes in Communications that Derive from New Information Technologies”, December 13 2011
This lecture series at the U has always looked good - Paul Courant's talk should be no exception. Bring a sandwich!
U-M Institute for the Humanities Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 31, 7:14pm
The World Calendar: every year the same (1935 calendar reform proposal)
A proposal to reform the calendar system, circa 1935, would have simplified the seasons by making every single year have the same calendar, every single quarter have 91 days and 13 Sundays, and every January 1 always fall on a Sunday. Leap years are accomodated with a mid-year extra Saturday, and the end of the year is celebrated as Year End Day, also as an extra Saturday. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 31, 7:14pm
Healing as part of learning
Last week I participated in a workshop organised by the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton: "Knowledge, Learning and Change in International Development".It was one of those events where I really felt like I learned a lot. Learning as in engaging with people and language in ways that will change my practice.A number of my conversations were around the practicalities and politics of running workshops where community, process and trust are the drivers for learning, rather than expertise and transmission of knowledge. These workshops have messy methods where the overlaps between disciplines, researchers, practioners, consultants and organisational workers are a ubiquitous part of the whole event. Cycles of process and product, Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Designing for learning Web2.0 technologies and tools
At the KM4Dev workshop in Brighton I did a breakout session with Nancy about my reflections/feedback on the workshop about Communities of Practice and Web2.0 technologies that I presented earlier this year. I am currently in the process of writing a report about the workshop, so the idea of this session was that it might help me reflect and articulate some ideas.To my suprise I discovered that how few people involved in learning and knowledge management are familiar with social software and Web2.0 stuff. That was an important insight for me because I tend to overestimate how much sense these tools and technologies make to other people. Some of the questions that arose for me after the session and individual conversations (especially with Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
The 1% rule
I just read the 1% rule in the Guardian Unlimited which are figures which run parallel to observations about the types of participation in online communities of practice. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Tech obsessed?
The Age newspaper talks of ten signs to see if you are tech obsessed. Read the article for a funny discussion of each point. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Time out
I organised everything so that I wouldn't log on to the computer this weekend. These two/ three days were going to be the first time in years that I spent more than 24 hours away from my keyboard.I didn't manage it, but ... the time was very important. The psychological business of being disconnected was important. Preparing to be disconnected was also important. Disconnected, that is, with all my tasks and feelings of accountability to online work partners, friends and truly special people.First, I mostly slept. I slept at least 24 in 48 hours. Then, I spent time just doing the things I like to do on the computer. A bit like basic gardening. Weeding, getting rid of the bicho (bugs), enjoying the sun on your back as you do it, planting some seeds, watering .... and doing absolutely nothing ... even if it was doing nothing on the computer!I managed, somehow, to let go of all the things that still need to be done. It was helped... Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Does this count as spam?
Last year I went to the demonstration of an e-learning system being developed by Universidade Piaget. To get into the system a temporary account was set up with my name and email address. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Still thinking of feed mixers
Still on the conversation of feed mixers I got a suggestion from Monica of B2B who points me to feedblender.com Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Looking for the right RSS mixer
This is a bit of a geeky post. And I realise that there are not many people in my universe who know what the hell I'm going on about. But I guess that's the advantage of saying it on a blog ... there is someone out there! Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
The fire's have started
Calmly working on the varandah, but it got cut short. A reminder of things over which I have no control. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
The Prato Dialogue
I have set up a blog, The Prato Dialogue, in Wordpress for the conversations we are organising in Florence about memories and forgetting in communities of practice, and which I have posted about before. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Bar Camp Portugal
I would like to go to Bar Camp Portugal which is taking place in Coimbra Portugal 2 - 3 September. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
More anti-procrastination strategies
I've been reading Suw Charman's Desk diary update, in her fight against procrastination, with interest. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Strong opinions, weakly held
"Strong opinions, weakly held" is a post that jumps out at Shawn Callahan (Anecdote) which he reads in "Bob Sutton's blog. It is Bob Johansen's advice about the wisdom for moving forward in times when the future is uncertain. It's about having and testing your opinions, while leaving yourself open to listening to other people. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Only weirdos choose to move to Portugal
Miguel Vale d'Almeida spells out something that I recognise in the eyes of every Portuguese that meets me: Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Howard Rheingold - collaboration and technology
A great interview with Howard Rheingold by Robin Good, where he finishes with these words: Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
A new home!
After talking about it for a few months, I've finally built my new house. I'm changing to a new blog, a new life. Read more...
Em duas línguas, Jan 30, 7:14pm
time capsule November 8th – 20th 2010 Alexandra Lake Wanstead Flats
Alexandra Lake Wanstead Flats Read more...
DARnet, Jan 30, 7:14pm
Ann Arbor plow trucks: public tracking
The Ann Arbor plow truck public tracking page shows where the snow plows are out and about in Ann Arbor. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 28, 7:14pm
2012 Water Hill Music Fest: Sunday, May 6th, from 2 to 6 p.m. (rain date May 13th).
From Paul Tinkerhess, organizer:
The 2012 Water Hill Music Fest is set to happen Sunday, May 6th, from 2 to 6 p.m. (rain date May 13th). All residents of Ann Arbor's Water Hill neighborhood are invited to play music on their front porches during this unique celebration. Expectations are high this year after thousands of visitors attended last year's inaugural event.
More information:www.waterhill.organdwww.facebook.com/waterhillmusicfest.
From last year's event, as documented by Michigan Radio: Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 28, 7:14pm
Haverfolk Newsletter Andy Roberts feature evening
HaverFolk News
26th January, 2012
Hi all,
Newsletter time once again with a report of last nights’s Andy Roberts feature evening from John the Fox.
Havering report 25 January:
A splendid turnout for our guest artist Andy Roberts (Haverfolk’s Andy not the Liverpool Scene one) meant the number of floor spots was restricted (the guv’nor Simon Oliver led by example and stood down, despite having practised something special for... Read more...
DARnet, Jan 27, 7:14am
Great weird ideas vs. slow accretion of interesting things
From time to time I have great weird ideas, but those don't happen every day. So instead of using this weblog just to catch the brainstorms I have to be also prepared to have it slowly collect the ordinary things that catch my eye long enough to be worth saving. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 27, 7:14am
Sunrise on Wanstead Flats
I generally wake early and get started online before breakfast but yesterday I decided to try a sunrise walk around the Alexandra Lake at Wanstead Flats. That’s where I often end up taking some exercise later in the day anyway, but the sky was clear and there are supposed to be some interesting migrant birds heading our way at this time of year. Read more...
DARnet, Jan 26, 7:15pm
Home Email Addresses
Please read, understand and inwardly digest that
aroberts@gmail.com is NOT an email address belonging to Adrienne Roberts.
Get it right!
Brain surgeons, tut. What can you do with them?
On 26 January 2012 16:15, Adrienne Roberts Read more...
DARnet, Jan 26, 7:15pm
Missing maps lead to gas leaks in PG&E network
The San Francisco Chronicle has a story about how important it is to keep an accurate set of maps: Missing maps mean PG&E lines weren't inspected. The story is from December 31, 2011:
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. failed to check nearly 14 miles of gas distribution pipelines for leaks for up to two decades when it lost track of 16 maps needed to guide mandated safety inspections of its system in eastern Contra Costa County, company officials acknowledged to state regulators Friday.
The result of the missing inspections: long-overdue discovery of seven leaks along over 13 miles of pipeline, including one repair that was "urgent". Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 26, 7:14pm
Watching videos together in a Google Hangout with CPsquare
This is cross-posted from CPsquare.org… My fellow-conspirator Sylvia Currie posted a reflection on her blog, too. We’ve had a regular series where CPsquare members and friends go on a virtual field trip to observe something about a community of practice, it’s activities, technologies, or challenges. Today Sylvia Currie and I organized something new — a [...] Read more...
Learning Alliances, Jan 25, 4:34pm
Karl Marx, part 1: Religion, the wrong answer to the right question
With the current phase of capitalist crisis posing extremely stark questions about the fundamental nature of the system, you would think all the mainstream media would be falling over each other to wheel out academics and reformed revolutionaries to explain in simple terms “Why Marx was right after all” or “We’re all dialectical materialists now” but apparently not. Earlier this year, 2011, The Guardian published a series of articles about Karl Marx. This is part 1, on the subject of religion. Read more...
DARnet, Jan 25, 7:14am
George Osborne’s full-blown attack on the countryside will delight rentiers
The Conservative Party hate everything about Britain and are busy dismantling it. Read more...
DARnet, Jan 23, 7:14pm
Addicted to feedback
If I read Facebook for too long, I want to post short quips, "like" things, and generally let people know that I exist.
If I read Twitter for too long, I want to post short quips, "favorite" things, and generally let people know that they exist.
When I sit in front of Typepad ready to type, it's not always for the short post, and often it's not even for an audience. My working assumption is that unless I'm writing about something that the world cares about, only a handful of people will see it. The other working assumption is that I really don't know before I write it how it will be received, so it better be good enough for me to want to refer to again just for myself.
I've referred to Vacuum as an unpolished open notebook. It's also a place to capture "interior stories", internal monologue that makes sense about how you do things. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 23, 7:14pm
Pasta with leeks, cashews, and feta
Dinner tonight was surprisingly good, especially because I didn't have a recipe. All measurements approximate.
one leek, white parts only, cleaned and cut into thin strips
olive oil
oregano
rice wine
cashews
feta, cubed
pasta (we used farfalle)
Heat the olive oil. Add the leeks to the pan, with a sprinkling of oregano on top. Cook the leeks until just browned. Deglaze the pan with a little rice wine. Add cashews and feta, return to the heat, and cook until the feta is warm and just starting to melt.
Serve over pasta.
Yum! Serves 2. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 23, 7:14pm
5 most popular maps of 2011 for this blog
Here's the 5 most popular mapping pages on Vacuum over the past 12 months - these are all in the top 10 most popular pages on this blog overall in that time span.
1. Power outage maps for 50 states. I only really have about 44 states with maps, but the collection is otherwise excellent, and it gets lots of search traffic when there are big storms. Peak storm action of Hurricane Irene and of the Halloween snowstorm that hit the Northeast both saw 3000+ visits per day of people looking for outage maps for their area.
2. Australia flood maps for January, 2011. Brisbane got socked with floods in January, and the maps capture the weather at the time plus links of the day and some astounding flood footage.
3. Read more...
Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, Jan 23, 7:14pm
time capsule November 24th to December 8th
This time last year, an evening session about music online at the School of Everything and Romford Market with a bit of snow.
November 24th to December 8th, 2010 Read more...
DARnet, Jan 22, 7:14pm
Kew Gardens
There are many folly buildings at Kew Gardens and yesterday I learned that the person who instigated them had a swivel chair installed inside the little domed colonade at the top of the hill near the lake next to the Palm House. From that vantage point she could survey the results of the gardeners’ labour. The view would have been much different in those days but I thought I’d make a mock swivel chair video of the view from yesterday at Kew Gardens. Read more...
DARnet, Jan 22, 7:14pm