Some Updates on my Speaking Schedule
March 4, 2008
For those of you who follow this blog because you like my insights on social media, I’m truly sorry. All I’ve been talking about lately is Barack Obama.
If you want to hear me talk about something other than Barack Obama, you’re in luck. I’ve got a couple of appearances coming up where I’ll be talking about Web stuff.
The first one is coming up tomorrow, where my boss and I will be giving a presentation to the Seattle Direct Marketing Association about using social media to meet direct marketing goals. Click here for more details.
Then, on the 25th, I’ll be on a panel with Karen Appleton from Box.net, Katie Jacobs Stanton from Google, and Lena West from xynoMedia Technology at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives’ Business Applications of Social Networking conference in Mountain View, CA. Click here for more details.
I’m afraid I will be talking extensively about Barack Obama once the polls close!!
Andy: Well, you’ll have to because I’m going to be on an airplane heading home.
It’s really weird watching you two talk via blog comments.
And I will be talking about neither, instead, I will be at the chai house drinking beer, and extolling the virtues of species camelias over home depot rhododendrons. As a bonus later in the evening, I will be launching into random anti-government diatribes to an audience of Hippies, which is awsome. Nothing better than preaching to the choir. Down with the corporations! And as a side note, totally fuck the media for calling a stupid act of arson, ” DOMESTIC TERRORISM!” OH MY GOD THE REVOLUTION IS HERE! A KID WITH A CAN OF SPRAY PAINT WROTE ELF ON SOME PRETENTIOUS HOUSES IN WOODINVILLE AND BURNED THEM DOWN! Jesus christ this pisses me off. Just a sample of the night ahead folks! Don’t miss it at Mr. spots chai house in Ballard, tonight at 9:00.
Ian: I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to call what happened in Woodinville an act of domestic terrorism. After all, ELF is a terrorist group by the most common definition, which is a non-governmental group that uses violence to further their political aims.
The problem is that ELF isn’t really a coherent group at all, but rather an acronym to be used by anyone wanting to make a striking statement by using force If a terrorist is someone using violence to make a point or further something they believe in, we are punishing sensible(at least by some peoples logic) over senseless. So if someone is simply a wrathful person, as opposed to a insurgency, rebellion, or terrorist cell, they are let off with lesser charges. I’m not fully comfortable with that. Furthermore, the connotation of terrorist has changed dramatically since 9-11. We really must look to the root of the word to readjust its meaning. Terror. Terror is a remarkably strong word, one of the highest calibers of fear. Burning down some houses does not inflict fear of that level. Blowing yourself up in a mall does. Many other things might, but I think we need to be careful to recognize what we mean when we say these things, it can distribute punishment in what might be an unfair manner. Besides which, under that most basic definition of terrorism, our own government is filled with terrorists, and almost any act of violence could be bent to be considered terrorism. It is a large and complex topic, and many arguments could be made in all directions, but I, for one, am wary.
Ok, my bad, NON-governmental groups. But that to brings up the whole cliche about American revolutionaries being terrorists ect. The whole topic has become exceptionally murky.