Ksuzanne's Blog

Wow, I just realized
I bookmarked these blogs Where is Raed and Bagdad Burning a while ago and in reading them now the power of the blog not only as a conversation tool but that it delivers an intimate participation with lives lived at crucial moments around the globe, just hit me. Reading 'Raed and 'Bagdad is much more meaningful to me than watching, hearing or reading reports delivered by traditional news media.--even when they involve personal accounts in the stories. There is a level of participation with the weblog that simply makes it more personal and immediate. I can't say that i've ever felt that way in a chat room or on a listserve. Now why that is I don't know, but I feel a connection with these individuals giving daily and sometimes even hourly accounts of history in the making. I find that they are people not really much different than me, but living their lives in such extrodinary circumstances and cultural restraints that I can't even imagine. The opportunity to offer or exchange opinions and information to someone, clear across the globe, even experience a little of their culture is a rather moving and humbling experience. It's just really awesome.

For Writer's
I like to freewrite on paper (I learned this in my freshman english class) to free me up from blocks and to generate ideas. It's a form of stream of consciousnes writing, letting ideas flow as they come. For freewriting, establish a time frame, say, 3 minutes. Set an alarm, and write whatever comes to your mind always keeping your pencil or pen moving on the surface. You write everything that comes to mind it doesn't matter if you make mistakes, draw squiggles, whatever, just keep writing. stop when the alarm goes off. you'll be amazed sometimes of the things that are on that paper. Maybe one sentence is a keeper. Go from there, or save it for future ref. To me this is like doing rapid sketches. It doesn't really matter what's there, it's a training for hand,brain and eye to work together to capture the pure essence of a thing. Eventually, you get faster and the result is better. Blogging is somewhat like the quick sketch, but I am more self-concious of what the public will see. You can free-write in a WP or Notepad application--just keep typing and don't stop.

Related are zefrank's thoughts on free association from his blog:

Free association can feel very disorganized and odd, but it is a way to experience parts of yourself you don't know that much about. It seems that this is what is at the root of a good brainstorm - talking without knowing what you are going to say next. It is having faith in yourself beyond what you can mentally grasp at that moment. You get to experience first hand what your mind consists of. Try it. Look at something and start talking. Say what the thing reminds you of and let that thought trigger another. The way you connect ideas is different from anyone else. I think its what freedom feels like.

Recomended Reading
I was bored so I checked my technorati page to fix my link at JS. I came across some fun books that I would buy & if I had money to spend. Check out the blogs as well for further recreation.

Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity
Hypergene MediaBlog

fans have been creating custom music discs and tapes for years. (via JD Lasica) Update: Of course, no discussion about these things would be complete without a reference to Lawrence Lessig’s intellectual efforts. He has made his latest book, Free Culture , available for free download (via BitTorrent, site) According to Lessig, 36 hours after the release 9 different versions were made available. There is also a fast-moving effort to create and disseminate ~

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
This Goes Without Saying...Boston, MA
conned' the world by propagating lies that turned history against goddess worshipers in favor of Christianity? In the last two millennia over 99 Billion people have been conned? Is that what they're trying to tell us?Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation , has said that his research has found that world-wide, "the Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross." A coincidence or the goal of an ancient secret society? All you need to do is look at this picture of Ronald McDonald. ~

Mind Wide Open : Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life
DRS's Radley weblog

and films like it. While the culture frets over the perils of high-tech erasure, we should really be worrying about the opposite: what will happen when we remember too much. Steven Johnson is the author of Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life . Click here for an overview of Charlie Kaufman's work and for links to each of his films. DRS's Radley weblog

The Zombie Survival Guide : Complete Protection from the Living Dead
[obscurity.com] journal - saturday, march 27th, 2004

they will be unable to attack or even stand, and you win. try to hook up with ving rhames because he apparently cannot be killed. makes me glad i keep the .357 in the glove box of my jeep, and the 12-gauge under my bed. also if someone will buy me this book from my amazon wishlist, that'd be awesome. i'll promise to anyone who buys it for me that when you "turn" and try to eat me i'll blow the back of your head off, cause that's the kind and considerate type of guy i am. i make no guarantees on whether ~

Word association:

1. Pitbull:: bulldog
   
2. TD:: table
   
3. Carter:: president
   
4. Japan:: fish
   
5. 50:: old
   
6. Streak:: windex
   
7. Rifle:: shot
   
8. Trap:: bear
   
9. Easter:: sunday
   
10. Mitt:: glove
    

I can't belive I associated 50 with old! That's bad.

Link to unconscious mutterings