Welcome to KickTime - News of the Kickapoo Valley, WIA Driftless Regional web space for Kickapoo Valley news, events and local commerce (like recycling, ride sharing, eating from local sources, buying and supporting local entrepreneurs.) Look here for more information. More ResourcesVisit our Kickapedia site for links to local businesses, farms and services. This is a community wiki (like Wikipedia only smaller) that can be updated by anyone who logs in.
Please visit the video site for the area, Kickapoo Valley Video Collective. It is easy to contribute using the "Add a video" button at the top. Give it a try! Also link to the KickTime_Calendar. We try to keep it as complete, up-to-date and accurate as possible. Please forgive any errors and use the contact information provided for events to double check times and dates. Where to find usWant KickTime on Email? |
Friday Web Picks (page 2)Friday Web Picks--Why We Work So Hard and Feel So PoorBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
Distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren teaches contract law, bankruptcy, and commercial law at Harvard Law School. In this "UC Berkeley Graduate Council Lectures" she explains (a lengthy one, but worth listening to) why it is the middle class in one generation has come to be working harder and at more risk of collapse.
Friday Web Picks--An Odd Dot GovBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
For all the wailing and gnashing of teeth this week, I came upon a strangely friendly dot gov site about the future of media. The website is put out by the FCC, and quite a humane looking thing for being a federal production.
On the future of Democracy, which seems in peril to some, the writing of Zizek (my latest passion, although I see his limits in vision with his seeming anti-Semitism, sexism so I hear, and vulgarity that is readily apparent and could never be contested) points to deeper, older issues that might point us to a different framing of our situation. This snip is from a piece on Haiti...
Noam Chomsky once noted that "it is only when the threat of popular participation is overcome that democratic forms can be safely contemplated". He thereby pointed at the "passivising" core of parliamentary democracy, which makes it incompatible with the direct political self-organisation and self-empowerment of the people. Direct colonial aggression or military assault are not the only ways of pacifying a "hostile" population: so long as they are backed up by sufficient levels of coercive force, international "stabilisation" missions can overcome the threat of popular participation through the apparently less abrasive tactics of "democracy promotion", "humanitarian intervention" and the "protection of human rights". Excerpt is from The New Statesman.
And the "dumbing down" of our society certainly makes for an un-threatening democratic form--one any hegemonic system would be comfortable presiding over. If you feel at a loss about how to resist, there is this movement called Move To Amend that has a petition asking we amend the constitution to push back the Supreme Court decision. Go ahead, sign the petition, lots of smart people are on board. Friday Web Picks--So Do SomethingBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
Several world events might spur us to action and this post will highlight a couple ideas presented by activists who are important to follow.
First is a reaction to the Obama Administration's decision to tax some of the banks that had fed at the public trough a year ago. Some feel Obama is missing a chance to put the squeeze on these folks, and taking matters into their own hands (by using their feet) are committed to moving their money to local banks and community credit unions. The founder of this action made the case this morning on Joy Cardine's WPR program, also via Huffington Post and at their website. Below is another important view--the video presents (at about 5 minutes) a woman recounting her family's bank that was bought (after the father was fired) because they were running it ethically and had quality assets. This suggests a strong case for credit unions, that stay local and are owned by depositors. The commentary in the video is provided by Slavoj Zizek, who is not someone to agree with all the time, but he will make you think...
The whole 6-part series with Zizek is presented on Mariborchan website and it loads all the eight minute sections automatically. And finally Jay Smooth speaking in an inspired and surprising way on Haiti--a country in need of so much from the world right now....
(1 comment) Comments >> Zizek on the EnvironmentBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
Recently, it came to my attention that this Zizek clip (from the movie An Examined Life) was not posted on KickTime. This is a shame because he has an interesting message, radical really, on nature and our need for a new way of thinking about our place in the catastrophe called nature. Enjoy...
Friday Web Picks--Video Site for the ValleyBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
Working on a community video site for the Valley this week and the experimental site is actually looking pretty good. Visit it via this link and please feel free to contribute any video that is relevant to the area. There is a button at the top of the page "Submit A Video"--nicely done, yes? You will then be asked to add the URL address for the video off any service, YouTube, Blip, Vimeo, and others and you can even use a link to a video file (.mov link for example.) If it cannot take the URL then it will ask for the embed code that is generally offered by sites. Easy, Easy, Easy.
Of course you can create an account and log in to track your submissions and make comments. So far, so good, but the more who step up, the better we will have as a collection/collective. Links will be on the Front Page of KickTime.org and also will be on the Kickapedia directory of the valley. "All in good time, my pretty," as they say... Friday Web Picks--Holiday ClutterBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
As we sweep into the heart of the holiday season it is good to pause and think about our acquisitiveness, and need for drama that can lead our experience of this season to dis-function, dissolution and in serious cases, depression. So consider:
Here is a beautiful project, Significant Objects, that auctions off items of no value for big money. Their latest update on phase II: "Just a quick note to observe the completion of the first auction of Significant Objects Volume 2, which actually happened on Tuesday: The Rabbit Candle + Story by Neil LaBute, went for $112.50 (original price $3). An auspicious beginning!" It is so clear that the story we tell ourselves about objects that leads to desire, trumps most everything. On the other extreme we have the 7 Japanese aesthetic principles to change your thinking that may help as an antidote to holiday excesses. Our mania at holiday time is not restricted to "things", but also reaches into relationships and our way in the world with family. Kurt Vonnegut provides sage advice about the drama in our lives (or lack thereof) and it is illustrated beautifully here by Derek Sivers. And finally if you want some high quality drama in the new year, please do not forget about the Metropolitan Opera performances in LaCrosse via HD video theater. The details below are from a LaCrosse Trib article.
What: "The Met: Live in HD" schedule at Marcus Cinema in La Crosse
Dec. 19: "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" (encore Jan. 6) Happy Holidays all... Friday Web Picks--SoulPancakeBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
A new site that has taken over my attention lately is SoulPancake. It is a participatory exploration of big questions, and reader/poster person's answers to those questions. Some in the community are serious, others use humor, but it is an active site (ahem) and that makes participation fun.
The originator of the site did a video about its purpose (below), and click here to see my first contribution about the plight of small towns. There were some helpful insights and collaboration on the question. It is an easy website to use, and well-tended even with that easy-to-use openness (no spam in other words.)
Friday Web Picks--Finally THE Recipe WebsiteBy borges, Section Friday Web Picks
I have searched, pleaded, asked politely for someone to take up the Foodie part of this site...click on the Kitchen and there isn't much...and now I have found the answer to my What's for dinner? problem--Driftless Appetite website. It was launched about six months ago, provides many nice seasonal recipes and is written by folks this side of Madison. The link above is for their page 2 that recounts their trip to Gays Mills for apples and a recipe for an apple puff.
Hey, this is a nice addition to the mix and so nearly local I'm loving it. Of course I should not leave out of the web picks our local coop in Viroqua that also occasionally offers up recipe ideas like these.
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