In response to wildswan's comment:
That's so. . . stupid. Wordle is a program the you can enter blocks of text into and it creates "word clouds." Ican' believe something so utterly innocuous is blocked.
I present a short sampling of other utterly innocuous blocked websites:
cutethingsfallingasleep.org
thisiswhyyourefat.com
wordle.net
youtube (ok, potentially not innocuous, but damnit I just want to be able to watch Eddy Grant whenever I damned well feel like it!)
vox.com (blog hosting site. Why block vox when you allow blogger?)
----
fivethirtyeight
failblog
I can still access sg and fleshbot without a proxy. What the heck, Great Firewall? What's wrong with cute things falling asleep and beautiful word clouds?
If you're at all interested in accessing the interwebz through china-filtered glasses feel free to check out
the firefox China Channel add-on:
The Firefox add-on China Channel offers internet user outside China to surf the web as if they were in China. Take an unforgetable virtual trip to China and experience the technical expertise of the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry (supported by western companies). It's open source, free and easy.
It's also totally fickle, often arbitrary-seeming, and totally frustrating!
Fact 1: Suicidegirls.com is not considered pornographic in China. We'll see how long this last.
Fact 2: I'm very grateful to whomever re-newed my SG account. That's very sweet.
Fact 3: I'm perplexed.
Fact 4: I'm a terrible pen pal. If I told you I'd write you and then didn't, I'm very sorry.
Fact 5: Let's try again.
--
Fact 6: I've been out-of-country and speaking Special English long enough that I don't really remember how to speak or write English. It's a constant struggle to make correct sentences. (see Fact 1)
Fact 2: I'm very grateful to whomever re-newed my SG account. That's very sweet.
Fact 3: I'm perplexed.
Fact 4: I'm a terrible pen pal. If I told you I'd write you and then didn't, I'm very sorry.
Fact 5: Let's try again.
--
Fact 6: I've been out-of-country and speaking Special English long enough that I don't really remember how to speak or write English. It's a constant struggle to make correct sentences. (see Fact 1)
I'm currently sitting in the lobby of the university hostel where I'm staying. Mosquitos the size of hummingbirds keep trying to suck my precious life energy.
I've been:
- riding a bicycle through the ruins of Sukhothai
- paying less than 1 USD for a can of beer
- eating a shit ton of thai food
- splurging on burgers any chance I can get
- learning the secrets of teaching English as a foreign language
- neglecting my girlfriend
- keeping a travel blog (elbb.vox.com)
- drinking on roof top bars in the old town
- learning (slowly) how to ride a motorbike
I miss:
- my sweetie
- my friends
- sweet home chicago
- reliable internet
- mexican food
- deep dish pizza
- my cell phone
I've been:
- riding a bicycle through the ruins of Sukhothai
- paying less than 1 USD for a can of beer
- eating a shit ton of thai food
- splurging on burgers any chance I can get
- learning the secrets of teaching English as a foreign language
- neglecting my girlfriend
- keeping a travel blog (elbb.vox.com)
- drinking on roof top bars in the old town
- learning (slowly) how to ride a motorbike
I miss:
- my sweetie
- my friends
- sweet home chicago
- reliable internet
- mexican food
- deep dish pizza
- my cell phone
Taipei International Airport
one hour after deplaning a twelve hour flight
three hours before a four hour flight
porn is illegal in China, so I'll be in touch until I leave Thailand (2 - 3 weeks?)
I'll miss you, friends!
I'll miss you, beautiful naked ladies!
I'll miss you, obnoxious CE boards!
one hour after deplaning a twelve hour flight
three hours before a four hour flight
porn is illegal in China, so I'll be in touch until I leave Thailand (2 - 3 weeks?)
I'll miss you, friends!
I'll miss you, beautiful naked ladies!
I'll miss you, obnoxious CE boards!
Itinerary:
Now through July 5th - Hang out in Chicago. Tie up loose ends. Attend
TESOL classes.
July 5 - July 9 Hang out in San Francisco. Hang out with Mom and hopefully myBB of a brother.
July 10 -- July 31: VIA cross-cultural and TESOL training in Chiang Mai
August 1 -- August 21 (approximately): orientation and Mandarin
classes in Nanjing
Last week of August: arrive in Xining. Begin teaching at Qinghai Normal and working with Shem.
To do before I go:
- Pack what I want to take, get rid of what I want to leave
- cancel all magazine subscriptions
- find 20 * 20 * 20 box for balikbayan box.
- attend 6 - 10 observation hours for ESL classes
- road trip to tennessee for Bonnarroooooo
- somehow pay for credit card debt and student loan balance
Now through July 5th - Hang out in Chicago. Tie up loose ends. Attend
TESOL classes.
July 5 - July 9 Hang out in San Francisco. Hang out with Mom and hopefully myBB of a brother.
July 10 -- July 31: VIA cross-cultural and TESOL training in Chiang Mai
August 1 -- August 21 (approximately): orientation and Mandarin
classes in Nanjing
Last week of August: arrive in Xining. Begin teaching at Qinghai Normal and working with Shem.
To do before I go:
- Pack what I want to take, get rid of what I want to leave
- cancel all magazine subscriptions
- find 20 * 20 * 20 box for balikbayan box.
- attend 6 - 10 observation hours for ESL classes
- road trip to tennessee for Bonnarroooooo
- somehow pay for credit card debt and student loan balance
I got new shoes!!!
And I got to eat at this super dope restaurant!
And I got to be a Judge at 828-Chi & CUDGEL's First urban golf classic!:
(yes, that is a tallboy in a paperbag that we had to put in "beer parking" before going into the bar)
And I got new ink!!
And I have the sweetest fucking girlfriend ever!
And I got a surprise party and got to play lasertron with people I LOVE!
And.. well, shit. it was a really, really, really great birthday. Thanks for all the love, kids.
And I got to eat at this super dope restaurant!
And I got to be a Judge at 828-Chi & CUDGEL's First urban golf classic!:
(yes, that is a tallboy in a paperbag that we had to put in "beer parking" before going into the bar)
And I got new ink!!
And I have the sweetest fucking girlfriend ever!
And I got a surprise party and got to play lasertron with people I LOVE!
And.. well, shit. it was a really, really, really great birthday. Thanks for all the love, kids.
re: butter sculptures
Ta'er Monastery in Xining is home to one of the finest yak butter sculpture collections in the Tibetan tradition. Tibetan monks hold their hands in cold water so they can mold the butter without melting it. These butter sculptures are sacred offerings and often are sculpted into buddhas, bodhisattvas or mandalas. The butter is a good medium because, well, there are a ton of yaks in the area and it ties in nicely with the Buddhist ideal of impermanence.
re: Dalai Lama and a rant about tibetan buddhism
His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke in Chicago today. I have a lot of respect for the guy and his teachings. I also have a lot of respect for the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. I do not, however, have a lot of respect for this hyper-portrayal of Tibet as this sacred land and this idea that Tibetans are all these deeply spiritual people who go around spinning prayer wheels all day. Tibetans, like anybody, are a diverse, non-homogenous group. Some of them are deeply devout. Some of them break the five precepts every day and some of them lie, cheat, steal, gamble and drink baijiu. I'm not against the portrayal of Tibetans as a spiritual people. I am against perpetuating stereotypes and the dangerous homegnization of groups that comes with othering. (Holy post-colonial ranting, batman!)
That being said, Tibetan Buddhism has benefited substantially from the Dalai Lama's exile and the subsequent "Free Tibet" fad. Tibetan Buddhism is a fashionable religion these days, especially in the west. You sign up for clarity, enlightenment, fancy mudras, butter scupltures, sand mandalas, etc. You also obstensibly sign up for supporting Tibet's political situation against the Horrible Chinese Oppressors, which is also fashionable these days.
I'm not saying that people shouldn't like the Dalai Lama or Tibetan Buddhism. I am saying that people should be aware that their religious decisions/actions are often linked to politiking of one kind or another. I'm also saying that people should be more wary of consciously designed productions of character, be them religious, national or cultural .
Ta'er Monastery in Xining is home to one of the finest yak butter sculpture collections in the Tibetan tradition. Tibetan monks hold their hands in cold water so they can mold the butter without melting it. These butter sculptures are sacred offerings and often are sculpted into buddhas, bodhisattvas or mandalas. The butter is a good medium because, well, there are a ton of yaks in the area and it ties in nicely with the Buddhist ideal of impermanence.
re: Dalai Lama and a rant about tibetan buddhism
His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke in Chicago today. I have a lot of respect for the guy and his teachings. I also have a lot of respect for the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. I do not, however, have a lot of respect for this hyper-portrayal of Tibet as this sacred land and this idea that Tibetans are all these deeply spiritual people who go around spinning prayer wheels all day. Tibetans, like anybody, are a diverse, non-homogenous group. Some of them are deeply devout. Some of them break the five precepts every day and some of them lie, cheat, steal, gamble and drink baijiu. I'm not against the portrayal of Tibetans as a spiritual people. I am against perpetuating stereotypes and the dangerous homegnization of groups that comes with othering. (Holy post-colonial ranting, batman!)
That being said, Tibetan Buddhism has benefited substantially from the Dalai Lama's exile and the subsequent "Free Tibet" fad. Tibetan Buddhism is a fashionable religion these days, especially in the west. You sign up for clarity, enlightenment, fancy mudras, butter scupltures, sand mandalas, etc. You also obstensibly sign up for supporting Tibet's political situation against the Horrible Chinese Oppressors, which is also fashionable these days.
I'm not saying that people shouldn't like the Dalai Lama or Tibetan Buddhism. I am saying that people should be aware that their religious decisions/actions are often linked to politiking of one kind or another. I'm also saying that people should be more wary of consciously designed productions of character, be them religious, national or cultural .
The results are in:
I'll be living in Xining for ~ one year (See Figure 1.) I'm totally stoked to visit the famous butter sculptures of the Ta'er Monestary. I'm also interested in checking out the crazy Lhasa-Beijing train. The train reaches an altitude of 16,000 ft; oxygen is pumped to its passengers. Columns that support the line over frozen tundra are fixed with elaborate cooling systems to compensate for potential thaw.
I'll be teaching English to university students at Qing hai University. I'll also be working part time at a local NGO that facilitates development projects designed by Tibetan women.
So, if y'all want to visit we could kick it in the Ta'er Monastery and investigate their rad butter sculptures. Or we could take that crazy train to Beijing and get into some '08 olympic-type shit.
yippe!
Figure 1.
I'll be living in Xining for ~ one year (See Figure 1.) I'm totally stoked to visit the famous butter sculptures of the Ta'er Monestary. I'm also interested in checking out the crazy Lhasa-Beijing train. The train reaches an altitude of 16,000 ft; oxygen is pumped to its passengers. Columns that support the line over frozen tundra are fixed with elaborate cooling systems to compensate for potential thaw.
I'll be teaching English to university students at Qing hai University. I'll also be working part time at a local NGO that facilitates development projects designed by Tibetan women.
So, if y'all want to visit we could kick it in the Ta'er Monastery and investigate their rad butter sculptures. Or we could take that crazy train to Beijing and get into some '08 olympic-type shit.
yippe!
Figure 1.
