I’ve blogged before about the expense of science journals and the need to share information within the science community. One of the programs that is working to address these issues is Science Commons, an offshoot of Creative Commons. Science Commons is trying to do for science what Creative Commons did for copyright - open up and simplify the process. There is an interesting interview with John Wilbanks in this month’s Popular Science where he discusses where Science Commons is today and where they hope to be in the future.
Just got back from a trip to the New Hampshire Antique Co-op - the place is amazing. It’s like a museum where you can buy the pieces and take them home with you. The range of places and times covered is far beyond what I’ve seen at other antique co-ops. If you ever want to make a trip to Milford, NH, you could spend the morning at the Co-op and then have lunch at the French Bistro down the road.
McSweeney’s (they of Bjork’s Ikea Order) apparently ran into some financial trouble this winter when their distributor went bankrupt, and took with them into bankruptcy a lot of McSweeney’s profits. To try to get their footing back McSweeney’s is now having a massive sale on their website. View all the goodies here. Their site says “For the next week or so, subscriptions are $5 off, new books are 30 percent off, and the entire backlist is 50 percent off.” But I’m not sure when the week started and thus will end, so if you want to order anything you better hurry up.
I just updated my ridiculously out-of-date blogroll (that list of blogs on the side of the page). I eliminated the Pittsburgh category because we moved far away from the city and so I stopped reading the local blogs. I added a soccer category because I’ve started following that recently.
The other notable addition to my blogroll is the Shanghai Red Team Blog in the Friends category. This is a blog that my parents will be maintaining while they lead a team of people teaching English in Shanghai this summer. They’ll be over there the month of July and I look forward to reading about their experiences through their first-ever blog!
Once upon a time I went a way for a month. When I returned to Pittsburgh I discovered that a magical place called The Library had sprung up practically next door. But instead of the books you’d expect, they serve food. I happen to like both libraries and food, so that was okay with me. And every night at this magical place, between 11pm to 1am, you can get the best sweet potato fries in the world (or at least Pittsburgh) for just $1.50. The rest of the time they’re $3 or included with your meal, which still isn’t half bad.
Our latest press release is about a project I’ve been working on -
“Aretao, a Milford, New Hampshire consulting and training firm, is assisting the United States Embassy in Moldova during the initial phase of the new Moldova Community-based Health Care Initiative. The mission of this initiative is “to facilitate the development of a sustainable system of improved primary care and public education for common health issues in Moldova.â€
Some of the issues to be addressed include improving access to basic primary health care and training residents in the use of low-cost and effectives methods of household water treatment and safe storage. Two thirds of the residents of Moldova presently do not have access to clean drinking water.
Dr. Dean Shankle, CEO of Aretao and a Fulbright Scholar, is assisting the initiative onsite during the initial steps, including writing job descriptions, identifying potential partners, and developing an outline of the deliverables that can be expected during the next two years. Part of the planning involves designing the initiative so it will be sustainable after this time.
Elizabeth Shankle, Aretao’s Director of Research, is providing research in such areas as best practices related to providing safe household drinking water, sanitation and primary care. Her work will lead to an online resource library that will be used throughout the life of the initiative.
Additional expertise and support for the health care initiative is being provided as needed by Aretao staff members. More information on the initiative and Aretao can be found at http://www.aretao.com.”
This weekend Showtime is showing the first two episodes of their King Henry VIII drama The Tudors on Renaissance Island in Second Life. Renaissance Island is part of the Info Island Archipelago (the library area). Renaissance Island is “historical roleplay and educational site for teachers, students, and anyone interested in the Elizabethan era of England in the late sixteenth century.” (Source)
The schedule for the showings is:
Episode 1 - Saturday May 12 at 10 am sl and 5 pm sl
Episode 2 - Sunday May 13 at 10 am sl and 5 pm sl
The Map of Future Forces Affecting Education identifies and categorizes some of the issues educators will face in the coming years, including the rise of long-tail economics, an explosion of learning agents, alternative financing models, serious games, and many others. It is intended to provoke thought and create discussion, and I think it will do well in meeting that goal.
The map was created by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a group working to improve education in Ohio, and the Institute for the Future, a Silicon Valley-based group that helps organizations prepare for the future.
