Kenya Allmond.me http://kenyaallmond.me A little bit of everything Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:50:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 kenyaoahttp://feedburner.google.com Mosaic Me http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/McCSubgsNQc/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2010/03/01/mosaic-me/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:50:29 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=749 According to this particular Flickr mosaic meme, this image below represents me.

flickrmosiac

The rules:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food? 
3. What high school did you go to? 
4. What is your favorite color? 
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink? 
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up? 
10. What do you love most in life? 
11. One Word to describe you. 
12. Your flickr name.

I threw in an extra image to balance out the mosaic.

Attribution: 1. Gabbra woman – Kenya, 2. Mango, 3. Deep Creek, 4. green & turquoise, 5. The Haitian, 6. macro water drop, 7. Santorini – Oia – Greece, 8. Cinnamon Ice Cream & Raspberry Sorbet, 9. Don’t Worry Be Happy, 10. My Wild River loves you!!! :) )), 11. unsure…, 12. The Road Home, 13. BONUS • HITOP

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2010/03/01/mosaic-me/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2010/03/01/mosaic-me/ Taking Care of the Planet is Our Responsibility http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/08bjnx7Of6s/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/15/taking-care-of-the-planet-is-our-responsibility/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:30:28 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=720 Today is Blog Action Day but I was already thinking of doing this post when I saw one of my Facebook friends ask why more Christians aren’t involved in the green movement. This might be a controversial post or it may not be. Sometimes we create controversy where none actually exist. I am a Christian AND a scientist. And such a combination is not as rare as many would have you believe. I believe that science explains how things work but not why while my Bible goes more into why by not the specifics of how. They are not mutually exclusive.

I can’t look at something in nature like Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina (pictured below) and not know that there’s something bigger than us mere humans. At the same time, I know that science can explain how glaciers are formed and why they are melting at an alarming rate.

Perito Moreno Glacier

While science tells us that we must take action to take care of our planet, the Bible does as well. Obviously, it’s not clearly spelled out but the groundwork is there. While Genesis establishes that mankind rules over all the earth, the concept of stewardship is pervasive. Are we not mere stewards whose job is to take care of all the natural resources that God has created? We certainly don’t own them and certainly can’t take them with us when we leave this earth.

Choices we make everyday are having a drastic effect on our planet now. The consequences could prove catastrophic if we don’t do something to prevent further damage. Climate change is not a political issue and politicians alone should not be expected to fix it. It is the responsibility of every individual on this planet. Are you onboard? Read Scientific American’s 10 Solutions for Climate Change now to see what you can do.

Photo credit: me

See more glacier photos here.

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/15/taking-care-of-the-planet-is-our-responsibility/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/15/taking-care-of-the-planet-is-our-responsibility/ Why Watermark Images? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/MkldVVepghc/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/14/why-watermark-images/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:16 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=711 Virginia War MuseumMany are no doubt wondering why I watermark many of the photos I post online. The most obvious reason is that I want to generate traffic for my blogs and other websites. However, this is not the only reason. Almost all of my photos on Flickr (except those with people) have a Creative Commons License 3.0 which allows the end user to 1) to copy, distribute and transmit the work and 2) to adapt the work provided 1) the work is attributed in a manner specified by the author or licensor (me), 2) the work is not used for commercial purposes, and 3) if the work is altered, transformed, or built upon, the resulting work is distributed only under the same or similar license to this one.

Many seem to grasp the meaning of the license while many do not. I have seen my images show up on blogs and even in a presentation from MIT. These were fine as they were not commercial uses. Where I start to have a problem is when images are used for commercial purposes without my express permission. There seems to be some debate as to what commercial means. For me if your site intends to make money (either through direct sales of products, through advertisement, or whatever) your usage is commercial.

I have had pleasant experiences with people asking for permission to use my images and I’ve had not-so-pleasant experiences. One woman (I presume) asks for permission to use one of my images for some jewelry she was creating. I asked for her website URL and photos of similar jewelry she has made before. She refused saying that it was only courtesy that she was asking for permission because my Creative Commons license entitled her to use the image anyway. Another bad experience was this image lifted from Webshots. Webshots used to have a copyright message but replaced it with “uploaded by [username]“. At the time I was not marking my images. While the photo is properly attributed to me, they have watermarked the image themselves and the site is obviously commercial. I contacted the owner of the site and never received a response. Unfortunately, I don’t have much recourse since the site is operated in the Netherlands. I’m especially upset since I stuck my hand practically in the bush where that cayman thought it was hiding to get that photo.

The fact of the matter is that no matter what you try to do to protect your images, everything online is fair game. If this is going to happen anyway, I can watermark the images to 1) better identify my original images and 2) get some attribution. I’ve been experimenting in ways to watermark images internally which would make them more identifiable when searching online. (Of course, that will do nothing to identify print publications.) Once I perfect my method I may talk about it on my GDGT GRL blog.

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/14/why-watermark-images/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/14/why-watermark-images/ Career vs. Family: Who Says I Have to Choose? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/pYhLCPykmMs/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/06/career-vs-family-who-says-i-have-to-choose/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:01 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=627 A conversation with my father brought to mind a blog post that I’ve been meaning to write. It’s a question that seems to come up quite frequently. Why has seemingly everyone assumed that a woman cannot have a career AND a family. Are these concepts mutually exclusive? According to many people they are.

Three years ago I posed a question to a group of women about how women can avoid pregnancy discrimination at work and got some interesting responses. Many focused on the legality of anti-pregnancy bias and whether or not it can be proven while others told me that women are fooling themselves if they think that can have both a family and a career. One woman started her own company to avoid the work drama. I got several emails from women wanting to know what kinds of responses I had received because they too were afraid of being discriminated against for having children.

Working women and families are certainly nothing new to me as my mother as well as all of my aunts worked while also having a family. I have also seen people say that women automatically take less stressful jobs with less potential for group after starting a family. I would like to understand if that is because they want to or if it’s because they are expected to. In addition, are these women from families where someone else is the primary provider? This is important to me as many single mothers I know do the same types of jobs they were doing before they had kids. Not only that but they also attend school to advance their education to help their careers. So to me it is a given that a woman can do both. I am a bit taken a back when others don’t see it that way.

What my father said to me was “I thought you were all about your career and not into kids.” I still wonder why he as well as others have said that about me. I know people who are very vocal about their desire not to have kids; I’ve never expressed this. I also don’t know what “all about your career” even means; especially since I hardly ever discuss it. What I am most certainly about is make sure that if I (re)marry and decide to have kids that it’s not for anything other than the right reason. The wrong reasons include my biological clock and the infamous “I’m not getting any younger.” One of the worse things in the world for me would be to be stuck in a stupid marriage because I’m afraid to be alone or because I rushed to have kids because my clock was ticking. When I make that decision I want it to be right. If God sees fit to bless me with children, then I will have them.

Getting back to the issue at hand though, it is assumed that a career-minded woman has no interest in family. A guy friend of mine told me that so many women are single because they spend too much time on their careers. This is unbelievable to me since I’ve always held the belief that you spend time working on self and growing and then the relationship/marriage thing will come. I’ve apparently been living on another planet with that one.

Having supported myself for how many ever years, I do question the idea of needing a man to support me as well as other societal norms that I don’t necessarily subscribe to. Among my problems is the belief that even though my career is just as important as any man’s, society says that I should give mine up should children enter the equation. Am I less of a human because I’m a woman? Maybe I just have less rights as a woman?

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/06/career-vs-family-who-says-i-have-to-choose/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/06/career-vs-family-who-says-i-have-to-choose/ An A to Z Guide for Mindful Living http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/eaK81YkSv1w/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/04/an-a-to-z-guide-for-mindful-living/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:00:23 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=503 lighthouse&rainbowI normally don’t post things like this but I’m in that kind of mood. I’m not sure of the source.

Accept differences
Be kind
Count your blessings
Dream
Express thanks
Forgive
Give freely
Harm no one
Imagine more
Jettison anger
Keep confidences
Love truly
Master something
Nurture hope
Open your mind
Pack lightly
Quell rumors
Reciprocate
Seek wisdom
Touch hearts
Understand
Value truth
Win graciously
Xeriscape
Yearn for peace
Zealously support a worthy cause

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/04/an-a-to-z-guide-for-mindful-living/feed/ 1 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/10/04/an-a-to-z-guide-for-mindful-living/ Social Entrepreneurship: Taking Action, Leading Change http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/7CWuwFHk5e4/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/09/30/social-entrepreneurship-taking-action-leading-change/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:00:03 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=734 Walden University held it’s fifth annual Social Change Conference, Social Entrepreneurship: Taking Action, Leading Change, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.  The conference focused on the success stories of social innovators and the new partnerships springing up to lead change in our country and around the world. Noted speakers included Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green, and Michele Jolin, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for the Domestic Policy Council, The White House.  A replay is available online.

Photo-feed

Below are my live tweets.  There are some gems here.

  • koa: En route to Walden Univ’s social change conference.
    2009-09-30 12:30:57
  • koa: I will be live tweeting from the Walden University “Social Entreprenuership: Taking Action, Leading Change” this morning. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:30:55
  • koa: Photo: http://bkite.com/0coJS from National Press Club: Getting started #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:33:49
  • koa: Walden President Jonathan Kaplan: goal of the conference is to prepare each one of you to take action and lead change. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:35:59
  • koa: Social entrepreneurship is about more than individual actions. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:37:45
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: You can watch the live webcast of #waldenscc NOW http://ow.ly/rPMQ
    2009-09-30 13:38:17
  • koa: Cheryl Dorsey of Echoing Green up first. Provides seed money and advice to social entrepreneurs. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:39:22
  • koa: Echoing Green was started 20 years ago by a private equity firm. They adapt business principles to the social sector. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:45:19
  • koa: Echoing Green invests in 40 countries around the world – they are program agnostic and geographic agnostic. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:48:14
  • koa: Echoing Green has a 67% rate of success for social “businesses” in which they’ve invested. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:50:24
  • koa: If you are watching live at http://bit.ly/43WLDl, we can take your questions via Twitter. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:51:59
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: Cheryl: Momentum of idea that “citizens can do it better than gov’t” spurred on fld of social entrepreneurshp #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:57:23
  • koa: Millennials are shaking up the way we think about social entrepreneurship. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 13:58:51
  • koa: Dorsey does not advocate creating new organizations instead she champions new ideas, more hands on deck. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:00:52
  • koa: It’s important to have an asset based world view. We must see problems as opportunities. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:03:31
  • koa: Are the walls between for profit and non profit crumbling? New approaches are less siloed and use every tool at their disposal. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:07:01
  • koa: Are you a social entrpreneur? Check out @echoinggreen #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:08:56
  • koa: A new trend is double and triple bottoms lines focusing on profit, social, and environmental. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:11:55
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: Cheryl: Book recommendations! Megacommunities http://bit.ly/JBcjZ, Age of the Unthinkable http://bit.ly/LYyjR #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:16:37
  • koa: Michelle Obama came to Echoing Green 20 years ago to get money to start Public Allies. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:19:49
  • koa: Did you know that you can micro-volunteer via the web or an iPhone app? http://bit.ly/2t4fPz #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:28:21
  • koa: Dorsey They take a social justice stance on social entrepreneurship. Asked if they focus more on social or entrepreneurship. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:35:05
  • koa: RT @jaywalk1: Dorsey – If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes several to raise a soc. entrepreneur #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:35:23
  • koa: Second speaker is Michelle Jolin (senior advisor for Social Innovation for the White House’s Domestic Policy Council). #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:39:05
  • koa: Jolin also served in the Clinton White House. She was also with the Center for American Progress. @AmProg #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:41:46
  • koa: Watch live at http://twurl.nl/a64z52 #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:44:56
  • koa: Looking for my buddy @thestemadvocate . Are you in the building? #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:46:16
  • koa: The Domestic Policy Council is looking for new ways to get people engaged in social change including use of technology. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:48:09
  • koa: Jolin: Government action alone is not going to make the difference. Needs partnerships btw profit, nonprofit, gov’t. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:50:04
  • koa: Jolin: Looking at things the government can do as well as things they can stop doing. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:52:16
  • koa: Jolin is now taking questions. Have any? Tweet them now. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 14:56:04
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: Jolin: … With technology there are new ways to involve communities. We’re using more online chats, etc #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:07:33
  • koa: Aside: Obviously many are left out because they don’t have access to these technologies. #waldenscc #digitaldivide
    2009-09-30 15:09:05
  • koa: @ajlovesya You can watch at http://twurl.nl/a64z52 #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:32:29
  • koa: Next up Peter Kannam executive directory of New Leaders for New Schools. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:34:35
  • koa: Kannam introducing panelists; Dr. Kathia Lazlo, David Bostein, Anthony Jewett, and Dr. John Nirenburg. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:37:03
  • koa: Bornstein is author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:39:00
  • koa: Jewett founded Bardoli Global to provide opportunities for outstanding minority youth through study abroad and service-learning. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:41:17
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: Panelist bios here: http://ow.ly/rVKO #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:41:43
  • koa: Lazlo is a mentor for MBA students studying green sustainable enterprise at the Dominican University of California. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:43:45
  • koa: Niremberg has done a lot of work in organizational development and is a faculty member at Walden. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:45:13
  • koa: Bornstein: The biggest challenge is getting people to overcome their internal resistance to change. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:49:52
  • koa: Lazlo: It’s all about human capital. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 15:58:02
  • koa: Nirenberg: Social entrepreneurs solve problems that industry alone and government alone are not able to fix. #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 16:02:01
  • koa: Nirenberg: What looks like social entrepreneurship today will be a necessity tomorrow (if we don’t change on a national scale). #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 16:03:19
  • koa: RT @rosettathurman: Jewett: president of Bardoli Global, http://www.bardoliglobalfoundation.org, Teach for America alum #waldenscc
    2009-09-30 16:06:02

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/09/30/social-entrepreneurship-taking-action-leading-change/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/09/30/social-entrepreneurship-taking-action-leading-change/ Saying Goodbye to Michael Jackson http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/fXl33VpT-pM/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/08/saying-goodbye-to-michael-jackson/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:00:03 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=678 It was a memorial service but many had billed it as a tribute concert. I honestly did not know what to expect and I hadn’t planned on watching it. I had decided not to watch any of the coverage because of the media circuses the deaths of Princess Diana and Anna Nicole Smith turned out to be. I saw folks on Twitter talking about the service so I decided to tune in.

Michael Jackson TributeThe service opened with a choir singing “Soon and Very Soon” (We are going to see the King). Upon hearing the choir I knew this was a serious affair. Above the choir stained glass windows were projected on the screen. The whole scene reminded me of going to church with my grandmother. Many on Twitter commented on how they could turn the Staples Center into a church overnight. That they did.

It was when I saw the casket being rolled out by Jackson’s brothers that I realized that this was the actual memorial service. I couldn’t believe it. People got up to share their experiences with Michael Jackson while others sang songs in tribute to him. It was beautiful. I don’t believe I’ve ever watched a memorial service on TV before but this one was a normal old-fashioned church homegoing service, despite gold plated casket, the star studded guests and the sheer number of other guests attending.

Though watching it on TV, I felt like I was there in that it evoked various emotions in me that I have felt at funerals of family members. I was looking at the brothers and sisters that I had not seen in years (probably 20) thinking of them like family. I grew up with them (on my TV). Back in the 80s all of the Jackson children were on my TV though most are completely out of the public spotlight these days. I was pleased that none of the family members or other guests made it all about them as Joe Jackson has been doing during the past two weeks.

Michael Jackson TributeWith this memorial service, we got to see Michael Jackson as human. I’m glad about that. It was very refreshing and cathartic. I made it through the entire service without a tear but when Jackson’s daughter spoke about her father I just about lost it. Most of the service focused on his accomplishments but her words were the biggest tribute to Michael Jackson as a human being.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson
“Maybe now they will leave you alone.” -Marlon Jackson

Photo credit: donielle and LadyDucayne

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/08/saying-goodbye-to-michael-jackson/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/08/saying-goodbye-to-michael-jackson/ Last Day of Artomatic http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/I_JGdf1tvpE/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/05/last-day-of-artomatic/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:01:03 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=664 Artomatic 2009Artomatic is an annual art (art, music, performance, film) festival featuring local artists in the DC area. This is the tenth year of the event that started in the historic Manhattan Laundry building in NW Washington, DC. There are nine full floors of art on display in a brand new building at 50 M Street, SE (Navy Yard Metro Station).

I went to Artomatic twice and still did not manage to see all Artomatic had to offer. Even though you may not see everything, it’s still worth taking a look today, the event’s last day. With so many different styles of art, there is truly something for everyone (though there are some pieces that are not kid-friendly).

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/05/last-day-of-artomatic/feed/ 0 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/07/05/last-day-of-artomatic/ Beyond Twitter: James Andrews and Memphis http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/3REhflKrgbI/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/05/05/beyond-twitter-james-andrews-and-memphis/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:34 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=628 It’s been several months since PR professional, James Andrews, sent a message on Twitter that set the blogosphere on fire.  I’ve been seeing more mentions of the incident lately so I decided to weigh in with my perspective which appears to be different than the majority I have read.

If you are unfamiliar with the incident, James Andrews sent a tweet that said:

True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, ‘I would die if I had to live here’.

The back story was that Andrews was in Memphis for a meeting with FedEx about social media.  The tweet itself didn’t cause the stir in the blogosphere instead it was the public reaction to the tweet by a FedEx employee.

Mr. Andrews,

If I interpret your post correctly, these are your comments about Memphis a few hours after arriving in the global headquarters city of one of your key and lucrative clients, and the home of arguably one of the most important entrepreneurs in the history of business, FedEx founder Fred Smith.

Many of my peers and I feel this is inappropriate. We do not know the total millions of dollars FedEx Corporation pays Ketchum annually for the valuable and important work your company does for us around the globe. We are confident however, it is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry. A hazard of social networking is people will read what you write.

Not knowing exactly what prompted your comments, I will admit the area around our airport is a bit of an eyesore, not without crime, prostitution, commercial decay, and a few potholes. But there is a major political, community, religious, and business effort underway, that includes FedEx, to transform that area. We’re hopeful that over time, our city will have a better “face” to present to visitors.

James, everyone participating in today’s event, including those in the auditorium with you this morning, just received their first paycheck of 2009 containing a 5% pay cut… which we wholeheartedly support because it continued the tradition established by Mr. Smith of doing whatever it takes to protect jobs.

Considering that we just entered the second year of a U.S. recession, and we are experiencing significant business loss due to the global economic downturn, many of my peers and I question the expense of paying Ketchum to produce the video open for today’s event; work that could have been achieved by internal, award-winning professionals with decades of experience in television production.

Additionally Mr. Andrews, with all due respect, to continue the context of your post; true confession: many of my peers and I don’t see much relevance between your presentation this morning and the work we do in Employee Communications.

While most have jumped on the fact that Andrews offended FedEx by seeming to publicly slam Memphis.  Most have not pointed out that the person who wrote this message was in FedEx’s communications department which would be in direct competition for whatever services Andrews and his firm were selling to FedEx.  It’s obvious from the tone that the employee felt threatened by this PR firm coming in and “showing” them social media.

When Andrews was confronted with this, he explained that his tweet was in response to an incident by an intolerant individual at his hotel.  Many have said that they don’t buy it.  I’d imagine that those who don’t believe him have never been on the receiving end of intolerance when traveling.  Furthermore, I find it ridiculous that people can be so offended by a statement about a city.  Quite frankly I will admit that one incident can form my opinion about a place.

In 1998, I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my then fiancé (now ex-husband).  Many of his friends would ask me how I liked Milwaukee.  Having moved there from Washington, DC, I would say that it was a lot different than what I was used to.  Many of them took offense without even caring to ask what I meant by the remark.  It was not the best thing to say, I agree but they the failed to even consider my point of view on the matter.  I had moved to Milwaukee, which is the most segregated city in the north, from Washington, DC, which is the home of the most educated Black people in the country.  What welcomed me to Milwaukee was the fact that at work, I was ignored and avoided by most and treated like a spectacle by others.  When not at work, I was treated like dirt in general, especially depending on what side of town I was on. Not only that but the native Milwaukeeans that I knew were not very welcoming of transplants like me.  It was very depressing.   While I now have some good friends who live in Milwaukee my opinions of the city were directly shaped by my experiences there.  One can disagree with me all they want about how nice a place Milwaukee is to live but they didn’t experience what I experienced.  Even though I lived there for three years, I still say it’s a nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there.  And if you go anywhere near the airport, you will experience intolerance as the airport is not on our side of town.

Now, James Andrews visited Memphis from Atlanta, another center of successful Black people.  I’m quite sure being treated badly by a hotel employee was a huge culture shock to him.  Can he be blamed for his opinion of not wanting to live there?  What gives someone the right to be offended by his reaction to how he was treated?  His tweet didn’t even mention the city or the hotel so it’s even more ridiculous that anyone was offended by it.  As I said before, the FedEx employee was probably more offended that an outside PR firm had come to “teach” the internal communications department about social media.

I’ve been to Memphis.  While the area around the airport is less than desirable, that’s not a big deal since it’s the same way for most cities I’ve been to.  What I did notice was that downtown was very quaint; a lot of the buildings have been restored and there are a lot of beautiful homes.  This is something you don’t see in many cities.  The riverfront area is nice (it reminded me of the lakefront area in Milwaukee which is also nice).  Just a few blocks from downtown, however, were housing projects where the Black people seemed to live.  While I was not in Memphis for an extended period of time, this is what I saw.  This is what I was greeted with.  What impressions should I make from that?

Have you ever been treated like you didn’t belong somewhere by a hotel or store employee?  I have.  This happens in a lot of places I go in my hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia.  They treated me like this when I was growing up there and they still treat me like this when I visit.  If you tell me that the place is racist, I won’t be offended even though William E. Ward, a black man, was the mayor for 14 years.  It’s just an opinion; everyone has one.  The funny thing is that even in the Washington, DC, area there are places that I could go and be treated like a common criminal.  It doesn’t matter how educated I am or how much money I make.

If I was visiting a place and that was the first thing I experienced, my entire experience of the place would be tainted by that indicent.  Instead of being offended by negative comments about your town, work to change it.  I am disappointed that in all the commotion, no one even thought to look at how Black people are treated in Memphis.  Andrews is not the only one with this opinion.

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]]> http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/05/05/beyond-twitter-james-andrews-and-memphis/feed/ 1 http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/05/05/beyond-twitter-james-andrews-and-memphis/ What Internet Vigilance Looks Like http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kenyaoa/~3/jCiKsBE_--c/ http://kenyaallmond.me/2009/04/23/what-internet-vigilance-looks-like/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:47:47 +0000 kenya http://kenyaallmond.me/?p=611 Photo credit: Pinot & DitaMany have the misconception that their activities in the internet can not be traced back to them so they engage in activities that they would never do if their identities were known.  As I’ve said before, the internet is not anonymous despite everything you see on your local news, on your favorite TV show or in the latest blockbuster. While the way the internet is designed provides technical information that can be used to determine someone’s identity, human nature (especially how it relates to social networking sites) also provides clues that can be used to find a person.

Two weeks ago Asia McGowan was gunned down by a classmate that happened to be obsessed with her. This classmate spoke of killing her and committing suicide in his videos on YouTube. This was reported to Detroit police, however, they were unable to see the video and therefore did not act to prevent her death. The fact of the matter is that most local police departments are ill-equipped to deal with any kind of crime involving the internet. That is where we as internet citizens come in.

I found out about a story from Jessie X where a teenager recorded himself abusing a cat and posted the video on YouTube. He was swiftly brought to justice because of the actions of internet citizens like you and me.  Here’s an account of what happened by Alan Ferguson:

I monitored the online discussion of the Anonymous with a strange sense of excitement about the endeavor.  It was interesting to see them:

  • Track down the YouTube account’s zip code
  • Facebook and MySpace search for the zipcode and username
  • Confirm they had found his MySpace page (via an image showing the same carpet and background as found in the video)
  • Confirm the boy’s Facebook page
  • Confirm that his name is  Kenny Glenn
  • Post the boy’s name, age, location, school everywhere
  • Post the boy’s mothers’ name, cell #, work address and work phone
  • Post the number to the local news station and the sheriff’s office
  • Flood the news station and local law enforcement with phone calls and emails explaining the situation

The same day the teenager was arrested complete with news coverage of the arrest.  If all of that can be done to save a cat, shouldn’t we do the same to save the life of a human being?

Photo credit: Pinot & Dita

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