What’s a blog?

I’ve been asked that question quite a bit. Sounds like in the U.K. at least, blogs have quite a way to go:

“Our research not only shows that there is no buzz about blogging and podcasting outside of our media industry bubble, but also that people have no understanding of what the words mean,” Carter said. “It’s a real wake-up call.”

A blog, short for Web log, is an online journal, while podcasting is a method of publishing audio programs over the Internet — a name derived from combining iPod, Apple’s popular digital music player, with broadcasting, even though portable devices are not necessary to listen to a podcast.

Examining the Wal-Mart Economy

For my work I am helping to develop the online education programs for a new youth leadership development initiative of People For the American Way called Young People For. We’re calling it a “Progressive Online Academy” and we are currently recruiting for the fall course. It is a 6-week course titled “Examining the Wal-Mart Economy” which explores the public discussion currently surrounding Wal-Mart, the largest company in the world by revenue.

We’ve lined up a stellar group of guest speakers to participate in the course each week. The group includes:

• Investigative reporter Liza Featherstone who published in 2004 a book titled “Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker’s Rights at Wal-Mart “
• Terry Collingsworth, the Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Fund. Earlier this summer the International Labor Rights Fund filed a massive lawsuit against Wal-Mart on bahalf of employees on four continents, arguing the workers were denied basic rights.



• Legendary anti-sprawl activist Al Norman (right), who has helped hundreds of communities in the U.S. block unwanted Wal-Mart stores through his organization Sprawl Busters.
• Finally, we’ll also talk to Buffy Wicks, the political director of the Wake-Up Wal-Mart Campaign and Sally Smith from Wal-Mart Watch.

The course is open to students currently enrolled in 2-year and 4-year undergraduate programs, and the mandatory class conference calls will be held each week on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST until November 10. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. To register, simply go to:
http://www.youngpeoplefor.org/academy

FBI Reports on Nation of Islam

The great website the Memory Hole just posted two FBI reports on the Nation Of Islam from the 1960s. I look forward to checking them out when I get the chance. Here’s what The Memory Hole’s Russ Kirk has to say:

Upon review, the FBI has released the two reports on the Nation of Islam. We’ve scanned and posted them above. They’re based on often obscure public-source documents, internal NOI literature, and confidential material, such as informants and FBI investigative files.

Both reports were originally classified “Confidential” and were declassified in 1977, although they don’t seem to have been publicly released until now.

In the monographs, the FBI refers to the NOI as a “fanatical, all-Negro cult in the United States which is based on a distorted interpretation of the religious principles of Islam and is motivated by hatred of the white race.”

Operation Ceasefire Concert

Larger view here.

A Moderate ‘Review’?

At Michigan, a different tune from conservatives:

TMD: Do you have a vision for the Review?

JDD: I definitely have a vision for the Review. I think that in the past, our paper has been led by people who maybe are upset with BAMN, or simply didn’t like affirmative action – basically, people who formed their political agenda in response to what others did. I don’t feel like that’s the case anymore because affirmative action is not this big boogeyman that we have to argue against anymore — I actually personally support affirmative action. I haven’t polled my edit board to see how they feel. But I think that if you sum up the Review in one sentence, this is not your older brother’s Michigan Review or your father’s Michigan Review. We’re not afraid of liberals, we don’t think that they’re these evil people, we don’t think that all professors are tenured radicals. I want the Review to be known as the intellectual capital of conservatism on this campus. I want to bring us back to the point where people can pick us up and read us and think about something differently than they did before they picked us up.

I’m not trying to create converts or anything like that. I just want to get you thinking. And I think the Review is going to be more of a paper that makes people think this year than we have in the past.

Labor Day Tubing Trip

I have posted the photos to my Labor Day tubing adventure. Go check them out.

Ann Arbor Fire

From a friend:

i just found out that there was a fire at 4:00am on arbor street… the daily has yet to post anything but more info is available at mline/aa news- the house is gone and one student had to jump from the third floor and is badly burned, cut and in critical condition at the hospital. sorry to bring you the bad news, but i thought you might want to know

The photo was posted to flickr by Marty Kinnavy. See his other photos. A great example of citizen reporting, if Arborupdate posts anything …