Activism | Words & Tricks

BIL and TED’s excellent philosophical differences

March 2nd, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in News by Chris Pommier

TED and ‘Net Controversy

I blogged, with a touch of snarkiness and disbelief, about this year’s TED Conference and TED Prizes on Friday.

The breathtakingly self-aggrandizing and expensive TED Conference is going on right now in Monterey, California. Owned by The Sapling Foundation, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established by Chris Anderson in 1996, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design.

In researching TED’s background for that blog post, an entire realm of controversy opened up to me. Sarah Lacy, a technology columnist for BusinessWeek based out of Silicon Valley, described her mixed feelings about the problematic relationship of money, elitism, liberalism and activism demonstrated by the structure of the conference.

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Further Reading on Words & Tricks

World’s greatest people make wishes, blow out candles at TED conference (4)

Watchdoggin’: Top notch reporters & editors share investigative journalism tips for ethnic media (0)

Go Vote! Democracy Still Needs Defenders (0)

Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities (1)

An Ode to Sue Boyer (0)

Tags: activism, BIL, BIL2008, conference, Controversy, free, ideas, internet entrepreneur, Monterey, TED, TED Prize, thinkers

An Ode to Sue Boyer

February 23rd, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in Opinion by Lauren Ciechanowski

Years ago, when my father was cleaning out his parents’ house, he came across his childhood Boy Scouts of America handbook. When I found the book myself, I relished it as an artifact of the days when Scouting meant adventure. My own Girl Scout experiences didn’t look at all like cooking over an open flame, tying slipknots and devising outdoor showers with pails and sticks. Mine looked like Sue and Jean, our homely Scout leaders, cutting ice cream into equal rectangles we could enjoy while the other girls made fun of me in the elementary school cafeteria.

And it is with the same childlike reverence that I recently finished reading Abbie Hoffman’s 1971 classic, Steal This Book. Though the good old days were not as they seemed, the book still possesses a kinetic energy and a presence of irony that seems missing from activism today. In an age when my peers rebel by riding bikes and caucusing, a how-to guide to hitchhiking, crafting Molotov cocktails, and rolling joints is certainly a throwback to something. The political climate Hoffman was confronting was not unlike the climate of today: a stupid incumbent president setting records for low approval ratings, fronting an administration rife with scandal, entrenching the country in a war in we had no business fighting. So why is it that Washington has not been overrun with protests? Where are the troublemakers? Where are the Merry Pranksters?

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Go Vote! Democracy Still Needs Defenders

November 7th, 2006 | No Comments | Posted in Gay by Chris Pommier

Even though voting is today, anyone can still participate in Get Out the Vote activities in order to give their fellow citizens that extra little push. Do More Than Vote has a great resource here for what you can do from your computer at work today until the polls close.

Devote 5 minutes at your desk
Get Informed. Become a part of MoveOn.org and get updates and alerts about current issues and easy actions you can take to influence your lawmakers. And, sign up for the Center for American Progress’s daily report and talking points to stay up to speed on the political topics of the day.

Devote 10 minutes at your desk
Call talk radio shows to let listeners know what you think. Getting Democratic voices onto the conservative-controlled airwaves is a must. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) gives you numbers to call and talking points to use. For some local flavor, try these conservative shows: Jason Lewis on KTLK 100.3 FM, Mon-Fri 5-7 PM (651-989-KTLK); or Joe Soucheray on KSTP AM 1500, Mon-Fri 3-6 PM (651-646-TALK). If you prefer to call a progressive show, try: Minnesota Matters on Air America AM 950, Mon-Fri 5-6 PM (952-946-6205).

Devote a half-hour at your desk
Write letters to media across the country- the perfect way to express approval of or disdain for the news and views of the day. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) makes it simple. To get issue specific talking points: click on an issue, then enter your zip code. Your letter is emailed automatically.

Devote an hour at a computer
Make Calls anytime, anywhere as long as you have access to the internet and a phone. Use Moveon.org’s phone program to call voters in crucial districts all across the country. You can make one or one hundred calls, and take breaks as often as you like. Their program is user-friendly and proven to work, so get started today.

However, let’s not forget the basics. In Minnesota you can find your polling place here. You can find the candidates on your ballot anywhere at Vote-USA.org. Keep in mind that Vote-USA.org may not have the most accurate information. I found that the Democratic incumbent was listed as an Independent on the Vote-USA.org website. Also their servers have been overloaded with visitors, so it may be very slow to load.

The local blog Eleventh Avenue South is providing the a Minnesota Big Gay Voter Guide with a rundown of who, what, where, when and why.

Now, go vote!