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Recently I was hooked on this mini-series on the history of the English language. It turns out the language played a back seat for a while but thanks to its versatility it held on throughout the years. Often as a symbol of rebellion and the common folks’ vernacular, the shapes the language took throughout invasion and change of rule is remarkable. We owe it’s difficulty to the mutt of a language that it is as well as to the traditionalists in the English Chancery. They, in printing national texts and laws, after going English, often chose versions/spellings of the words that weren’t written as they were pronounced but stayed true to their various roots (of which there are many). Many initial texts, even the first prints of the Bible, are the first time it is believed certain spellings and many new words were chosen/added into everyday use.

I’ve been inspired. Write on, speak on, and read on. Story sharing, adaptability, the Bible, and rebellion should all be something to be inspired by.

A fun poem Continue reading »

In the land of the free, the early election crap has reason for such an early start this year. Obama and Huckabee take the Iowa caucuses! If you put me to vote, Huckabee would probably be the last one I’d vote for out of all of them. As for Obama, he knows his politics, but does he know the White House? I’m actually a Clinton fan. Richardson second for me and then a tie for third with Obama and Edwards. To give the the Republicans out there a shout out, I’m actually feelin’ Rudy.

To get some great commentary on the Iowa action check these out:

Iowa Changes Everything

“After last night’s Iowa Caucus results, some are saying the GOP is now in total disarray, and others are expressing shock that the once seemingly unstoppable Clinton train has gone off the rails, with the New York Times calling her performance a ’startling setback.’”

Obama Takes Iowa in a Big Turnout as Clinton Falters; Huckabee Victor

“Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nation’s first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night, lifted by a record turnout of voters who embraced his promise of change.”

The Daily Dish - This whole blog is doing a bunch of great personal commentary

A reader here wrote, “And the people won. I never thought I’d be so happy to see two people I completely disagree with win. This election transcends policy positions. It’s about who we are as a county. Can we be conned? Bought? Blinded by prejudice, fear or “inevitability”? The answer tonight was a resounding NO.”

Obama’s victory in Iowa sheds light on today’s workplace

“Millennials are fundamentally conservative…Baby boomers are being forced out, in a non-disruptive way…The gender divide is an antiquated view of the world…”

See you in New Hampshire and Super Tuesday

There were a few comments on my entry regarding my site being blocked in China. I figured the whole issue deserved a blog entry, especially since controlled free-speech isn’t something we can all relate to very well. I’ll begin with the cut and dry of the situation but also direct you to my own personal knowledge and some interesting articles.

Now to the questions posed specifically about my site and why it might be banned. There are a few possible reasons:
1) My content has been read randomly by government moderators and has been blocked because of content.
2) Automatic filters picked out specific keyword combinations from my entries and deemed the content inappropriate.
3) My blog runs on a WordPress.org platform. This is important because I know that all WordPress.com hosted blogs are blocked.

[Note] My chances of “detection” on any of those three counts was increased by the fact that my site is a blog. Blogs, forums, and other discussion formats can be closely watched and quickly banned or event destroyed if hosted in China. Subversive or dynamic sharing of information is the most threatening. Even texting has proved a recent challenge to the Chinese government as it as been used to suddenly form public protest through instant coordination (but don’t worry, they are working on systems to monitor that too).

So I could have been blocked for hosting a blog, using WordPress, or based on content.

I hope this answers any questions and brings up many more. Please read further, Continue reading »