April 2009

Belief, part 4 (more transcripts)

Submitted by domesticat on 1 April 2009 - 8:42pm

At this point, I'm just logging for posterity. Everyone gets to stand by their words, and I'd rather them be archived publicly rather than privately. Remember, this all came about because I replied to a piece of hateful anti-Muslim email, pointing out the email was factually incorrect as well as insulting.

In response to the following automatically-syndicated one-liner indicating a new post:

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Belief, part 5 (a response)

Submitted by domesticat on 2 April 2009 - 10:36pm

It's time to make this clear, since there was a hefty dose of unintentional timing: this 'Belief' series is neither fictional nor an April Fool's joke, despite part of it being posted on April 1. Ricky Ellis is a real person, a high school classmate of mine I have not seen in fifteen years, and those words are truly his. His profile on facebook, if you have access to it, contains more of the same, and specifically references me, once by name:

Ricky Ellis:  atheism= WHAT A JOKE!! Iv been standing my ground for 2 days againsnt some of the smartest people in bauxite......but thats not saying very much is it! LOOKS AS IF THE DUMBEST OF BAUXITE HAS GOTTEN WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL GAME!! AND MY SALARY IS TWICE IF NOT 3 TIMES AS MUCH AS THERES......NOW YOU TELL ME GOD DOESNT HAVE GREAT THINGS INSTORE FOR

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Damien Rice, redux

Submitted by domesticat on 8 April 2009 - 6:58am

Back in 2003 I wrote about the experience of seeing a then unknown-to-me Damien Rice at WorkPlay, my favorite little music venue down in Birmingham, AL:

About halfway through the show, I realized what I was seeing. There are two different ways to interpret the word 'performance'; the first implies a simple recitation of a memorized work, and the second implies a live artistic expression. This guy was not just performing, in the latter sense of the word, he was brilliant.

It's rare to see something so breathtaking, and even rarer to recognize the fleeting breath of genius when it whispers in your ear. I put down my camera, draped my chin over the retaining wall in front of me, and listened, constantly fighting the urge to concentrate by closing my eyes. I could listen anytime I wanted, at home, but this was my only chance to see.

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DrupalCon / DragonCon?

Submitted by domesticat on 9 April 2009 - 11:11am
DrupalCon. (I've attended DragonCon or am friends with tech staffers.)
32% (7 votes)
DrupalCon. (I am uninvolved with DragonCon.)
27% (6 votes)
DragonCon. (I've attended DragonCon or am friends with tech staffers.)
27% (6 votes)
DragonCon. (I am uninvolved with DragonCon.)
14% (3 votes)
Total votes: 22

The dragon or the drop?

Submitted by domesticat on 9 April 2009 - 11:34am

I've had an interesting possibility crop up, and I'd be curious to hear some honest feedback from friends of mine on both sides of the DragonCon / DrupalCon divide.

Most of you know that my job has a strong Drupal slant these days. Fewer of you would have reason to know that Drupal has a strong European background, and as a result there are two conventions per year: one in the US and one in Europe.

  • DrupalCon Paris dates have not been finalized but are likely to be around September 1-4 (Tuesday - Friday).
  • DragonCon dates are set in stone: September 4-7 (Friday-Sunday).

The unofficial word I have been given:  if I am willing to pay my costs, I could have time off of work to attend DrupalCon.

Here are the pluses and minuses as I see them today:

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The dragon or the drop? - update

Submitted by domesticat on 16 April 2009 - 12:17pm

I learned this morning that indeed, The Workplace will allow me to attend Drupalcon Paris without burning vacation time if I'm paying for the conference. I really and truly expected the decision to be taken out of my hands. It now becomes a fiscal decision: cost of travel and accommodation versus benefit of attendance and networking.

Much to think about while I do data cleanup. If you're wondering what in the world this is about, see http://domesticat.net/2009/04/dragon-or-drop

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