Comments for the reality tunnel

Comment on #imfromlakeview? by Geoffrey Hing

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:41:59 +0000

I realized this past weekend that the Chicago Underground Library is also now in Lakeview.

Comment on Healthy Indiana Plan by screwedBYhip

screwedBYhip — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:29:26 +0000

I have had problems with this plan from the start. I applied the MOMENT they began taking applications on Dec 17th, 2007 at 12:01. After 60 days with no word, I called to check on the status of my app. Still processing. Long story short, it was July of 2008 when I received my approval and insurance card (which had the incorrect information on it). Oh, and the policy was back-dated so therefore I had to pay previous month’s premiums, even though I didn’t even know I was covered and didn’t seek medical attention for that reason. Two years later, I am still on the plan and still having problem with it. I have sent letters to 3 different legislators, none of which helped or even replied (but I sure was put on a monthly email list that clutters up my inbox). We cannot find doctors in our area who accept this insurance. Plus, most of the prescribed medications are not covered under the program. Enough of my ranting for now…I must call MdWise and sit on hold for a couple hours to discuss my plan!

Comment on Social media and neighborhood voice on the web by Geoffrey Hing

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:19:30 +0000

@Jesse Ricke:

I didn’t work on this project, I think it’s just an interesting example. Follow the link to the El Cilantro site to find contact info for the youth and partners who worked on the project.

Comment on Social media and neighborhood voice on the web by Jesse Ricke

Jesse Ricke — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:33:33 +0000

I’m interested in your OurMap project. How were tasks organized among the youth you worked with? What kind of work did the youths have to do? Did they have much control over the output? Here’s something you might enjoy if you aren’t already familiar with it.
http://www.ashoka.org/story/6458

Comment on Importing relationships into CiviCRM by Geoffrey Hing

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:07:04 +0000

@Donald Lobo: Excellent point. This is a great way to do it.

Comment on Importing relationships into CiviCRM by Donald Lobo

Donald Lobo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:08:23 +0000

Note that if you have one csv file with multiple columns, you can use the -do not import- selector quite nicely to suppress importing certain fields. When i did something similar my steps were:

1. Start with a nice clean DB

2. Import the contacts and one relationship set. The other fields are suppressed with “do not import”. The mode is “Insert”

3. Import the same file again in UPDATE mode and the next relationsip set. Use minimal number of the primary contact fields (name/email) (to avoid additional db calls)

4. repeat 3 till done

Comment on “Oh, Susquehanna” and the geography of race by Geoffrey Hing

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:06:10 +0000

I hear you about the prevailing whiteness of places like Hershey and how that framed the perception of youth attending the Milton Hershey boarding school. I remember playing soccer against Milton Hershey and how my coach set the expectation that the team would a) have good athletes and b) be rougher/more aggressive. Though race was never explicitly stated as part of this, I now see that both of these things are stereotypes applied to people of color, particularly black people. I guess this is a really good example of how living in segregated communities means that youth have very limited interactions with other youth with different experiences or backgrounds and that these interactions are premeditated by race-based expectations and prejudices.

I’m sorry that your experience in central Pennsylvania was not a good one and that you’re not happy to have to return there. I hope that your return is okay. My experience as a multiracial person (asian father, white mother) was that I was able to pass as part of the white culture, but also felt like there were some big gaps between my experience and that of my peers.

Good luck, and take care.

Comment on “Oh, Susquehanna” and the geography of race by kwerekwere

kwerekwere — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:13:37 +0000

speaking of harrisburg area suburbs, in addition to the white shore, anything east of lower paxton township also fell under that “sundown town” thing. included among these was hershey. “chocolate city usa” had [still has] almost no chocolate residents outside those who attend the boarding school in the town.

when i was a student at that school, there was one black student in the public high school, and also one mexican girl [who had been adopted by white people who attended my mother's church].

i’m black. i went to high school in the harrisburg area. there’s a reason that i now live in africa.

my mother is a pensioner now, and i have to sort some things out with her next year. i really do not want to return to that area because of the bonecrushing racist assumptions, but i don’t have a choice in the matter.

Comment on Is the web suburban? by Alistair

Alistair — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:17:26 +0000

It’s a pretty cool debate, the semiotics of semantics and all that. It has a tendency to disappear up its own arse, but then again all academic stuff does. I like how it also bleeds over into online ‘worlds’ too, that you can have many ’shards’ that make up a cohesive universe.

I am possibly overthinking this.

Comment on Is the web suburban? by Geoffrey Hing

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:44:50 +0000

I’m remembering fondly how GeoCities used to organize its content by neighborhoods. This was in language only since the neighborhoods separated out related content rather than reflecting healthy non-virtual neighborhoods that reflect mixtures of commercial, residential, and civic uses.