Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Friday, December 30, 2005

Topics vs. voices -- Comment()
Here you find an interesting discussion about "topic". How does "topic" relate to, e.g., the "voice" in a piece of writing?

I'm finding more and more often that I'm mostly interested in the personality or the viewpoint of a writer. That is why I have started reading personal essays by Phillip Lopate and other similar writers. I feel that the personal essay is just the right kind of writing for commenting on the fast changes in modern society.

Personal summary for 2005 -- Comment()
What happened in 2005? I started to commute by bicycle to work, hundreds of kilometers per month, and also broke my wrist because I fell off the bicycle. I started to work in a new position at the beginning of the year, and ended at the same position, which was good - I have been changing positions quite frequently during the recent years.

I managed to publish 62 articles, columns, editorials and book reviews in 2005, and a few more are to be published in 2006. This may be a new record. In addition, I wrote quite a few memos and participated in working groups, project management etc.

All in all, the year 2005 was extremely busy, very rewarding, and satisfying for me. The world may not be quite stable (Iraq, status of the economy etc.). But at least there is a lot of things happening, some of them quite good, for example net-based activism and citizens' media. I hope these things blossom in 2006.

-- Comment()
Row deepens over Danish cartoons: "Arab foreign ministers condemn the Danish government over newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad." [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

-- Comment()
Iraq and tsunami top BBC poll: "The Iraq war and the Asian tsunami were the most significant global events of 2005, suggests a BBC poll." [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

-- Comment()
The year in politics: "Bush began 2005 celebrating his electoral victory and proclaiming a "turning point" in Iraq. But in every crisis he faced this year -- from Terri Schiavo to Hurricane Katrina to Iraq -- the tide turned against him." [Salon]

-- Comment()
It’s Cool to be Evil: "I think Dave's got the right of it: kicking Google, like kicking Wikipedia, is the new cool. Oh, I have my doubts about both; but then, I've always had my doubts about both. Even when the lemmings flocked on the side of do no evil." [Burningbird]

-- Comment()
Study: Men want facts, women seek personal connections on Web: "A study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds men are slightly more intense users of the Web, log on more frequently and spend more time online. Women are heavier users of e-mail." [Computerworld News]