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A video by Michael Wesch - Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology - Kansas State University:

I call my project "Participatory Deliberation" and it's like I was talking about the mating rituals of some alien species. (Actually, that would get more response.) I describe what other folk are working on (like "By writing down information, we want to express facts about ideas and concepts in your own, subjective world.") and connect that to what we need to do, as in "So much heat, so little light!" or "Ground Zero":

"the absence of informed and thoughtful public input into decision making is all the more troublesome. Not only does such absence undermine the actual democratic character of many policy decisions, the numerous after-the-fact popular resistances to those policy choices only contributes to ineffective and inefficient government"

And here's the irony: what moves me (read: it cramps my guts) is that "new" tools and "new" methods are just getting folk to move faster ... and think less.

It's ironic ... paradoxical. Like telling someone that they've just lost their hearing; all I can expect is a blank and empty stare. No, no blame ... no condemntation, not even judgment.

If you really can't hear, if you really cannot focus, if you actually are unable of stringing more than 3 thoughts together, well then ... shows tuh go ya that what I'm talking about is truly important. Which makes me feel kinda sad ... ironic, nae?

be well
it's important for more than just yourselves

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