Jonathan Ames’ boxing match against Craig Davidson

On a sultry night last July, the celebrated Brooklyn author, Jonathan Ames fought three rounds in a ring at Gleason’s gym against Craig Davidson. Here it is, the long awaited audio-collage of last summer’s epic boxing match between Jonathan Ames and Craig Davidson

Tina Fey Fieldston High School Graduation Speech 2008,

Tina Fey delivered a hilarious commencement address at Fieldston High School Class of 2008. Among the topics she addressed are:

Improvisation

Alcohol Use and Sex in College

The University of Virginia or UVA

The Second City (Legendary improv group)

Here’s a link to a great book that deals with the creative process of

comedy improv that The Second City is famous for:
The Second City Almanac of Improvisation

I shot this video with the incredible:

Sanyo Xacti Digital Camcorder

Will the Real Cyber Shepherd Please Stand Up!

Ok. Ok. It turns out that I am not the original Cyber Shepherd, that honor goes to actual Shepherds in Africa who are using new technology to improve their farming and shepherding traditions:

Here is a quote from Science-In-Africa :

“How can one help rural communities [in Senegal, for example] to adopt more efficient livestock management practices and to protect pastures that are threatened, in the long term, by overexploitation?  (…)

Several of these herders have also been equipped with cell phones to speed up the exchange of information and provide them with an “early warning system” against pending disasters. As well, some herders have received IT training so that they can access information available on the Web. All the equipment needed for Internet connection has been installed in each pastoral unit, where real-time information can be accessed through a site that was built for them in July 2003.

Nicknamed “cyber shepherd,” the site (whose name in the local Peule language is “Gallé Aynabé” or “herders’ house”) offers maps showing which sites are occupied and which have green vegetation, together with an estimated “carrying capacity,” indicating the number of animals that can be pastured there without risk to the environment and its resources. “Gallé Aynabé” also devotes pages to ways of recognizing and dealing with animal diseases.”

This struck me as a rare instance of technology bolstering rather than breaking a pre-existing agrarian, and in some cases nomadic tradition.

Computer Recycling and Repurposing in Kenya

Many private schools and universities (and public ones too) buy new computers every few years because their hardware warranties expire and the schools’ IT departments don’t want to deal with out-of-warranty machines. Different schools deal with their old computers in different ways. Some throw them away after wiping the hard drivers and other schools give them away to faculty and staff (who usually already own a computer or two). Not many schools re-purpose the machines: wiping the hard drives, cleaning up the machines, and then distributing them to folks who have no computer.

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This Finnish News piece highlights the efforts of a wonderful group in Africa, called “Computers for Schools Kenya” that distributes used but upgraded and overhauled computers to those on the bottom half of the digital divide. They even show a technician who converts an old computer monitor into a working television which gives the unit 7 more years of use.

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We need more programs like this right here in New York City. Kudos to Rocket Boom for showing this.

~the Cyber Shepherd

Cool Mac OS 10.5 Leopard Trick – Using Front Row w/out Apple Remote

Here is a nifty trick to access Apple’s alternate media viewer, Front Row, without purchasing or using the Apple Remote:

Simply press and hold down this key combo for a few seconds:

Command + Escape

On any Mac running Leopard, the screen will fade to black and then display the Front Row application full screen. Navigate with the arrow keys, drilling down into categories with the Return key and back up with the Escape key. To return to your normal Mac screen, just press Escape from the main Front Row screen.

BTW, here are the Mac Keyboard Symbols for reference (courtesy of the good folks at O’Reilly):

Joke: Man invented civilization to impress his girlfriend.

Now you can impress your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse/captor/boss, etc….

~Cyber Shepherd

NEW YORK CITY COMPUTER REPAIR EXPERT

I make house calls to troubleshoot and repair computers. Why should you hire me? Because…

• I Can fix problems with computers running Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.4 (Tiger) as well as Windows Xp and Vista.
• I work as a Computer Specialist in one of Columbia’s graduate schools.
• I film and edit video podcasts for iTunes U.
• I can also resolve networking problems.