Thursday, December 30, 2004

On Blogging

Although I am overwhelmed with my school work, I would really like to make "something" out of this weblog. The little black fish inside me is eager to swim beyond the small pond and touches onto the ocean itself. She is encouraging me to develop a space in my blog for everybody to critically reflect on their blogging experience. Is not it wonderful if we could collectively explore this multifaceted virtual public sphere?

Imagining it as a project, I divided one's endeavor to blog into three phases; first, one is being motivated and gives thought to have a weblog; second one takes action and creates a weblog, gives a title and starts writing; third, one monitors and evaluates it as it is progressing, learns from the feedbacks and tries to make it better in a way or another.

From the motivation to designing, to planning, to implementing and to monitoring and evaluation of a personal weblog, I would like to provide a space to share our thoughts on:

1- What motivated you?
2- How did you come up with your design and plan?
3- What do you write on and why?
4- If your weblog evolved from "A" to"B"?
5- How do you monitor and evaluate it?
6- Did you learn at all through the process? If so, besides from the technology aspects, do you notice that you have other kinds of learnings?

These are some questions that help facilitate the debate on the topic.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and through an analysis, together we could develop an understanding of this new techno-social phenomenon and its broader impact upon us, the bloggers.

You can also email me at behrangfor@yahoo.com

Saturday, December 25, 2004

On Christmas Day

Turkey is indeed becoming our Christmas food these years! After having an aunt-cooked turkey and a nice big Nan Khameiee (one of those Ghatebe! liked to have!) I went back to the book, I am now reading "مشروطه ایرانی" by Ajoudani. Beyond its intended scope, you can easily find references to examine the structural role of Ayatollahs in impeding the intelectuals' endeavors for reform in Iran, esp in brining about fundamental changes to the education system. I strongly recommend reading this book to all the friends who would like to understand the intellectual background of Constitutional Revolution in Iran. Any comment on this book and its author?

When clock hit 5 am I went to bed. At around 12, Farnoush and I set out an exploratory journey to see the small towns around Toronto. We started from Vaughn, then Brampton, Georgetown, Acton, Guelph and Aberfoyle before heading back to downtown Toronto from Dundas West. It was an incredible short trip with a major problem! We found absolutely nothing to entertain our hunger! I am not sure why the day after Jesus transformed into a humane shape, no one is allowed to have food out of home!

Thanks God to Bahman! He is inviting us for another Turkey chez Bruce! We will enjoy their company for this welcoming dinner and then we all join the rest of the crew (بچه های خوابگاه چارلز) to take as many shots as we missed having during those days in خوابگاه صنعتی در اصفهان

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

On my 30th Birthday

I have never experienced what "getting old" meant! Now that it is a few hours I am in my 30s, I have a strange feeling, I still feel like running and playing like when I was 8. What does it mean to be in the third decade of your life? Could you help me figure it out?
Anyways, Last night, Shabe Yalda and my birthday, Farnoush and I had a fancy dinner in Cumberland, came back home and called Nazli to return her broom! This old dollar-store broom made our night, Mostafa, Golnoush, Babak and Nazli came over with pomegrantes, a watermelone and some choclate. We celeberated my birthday, read Hafiz and had fun till late. Right now Babak is defending his doctoral thesis, I am sure he will have no problem defending!
I am hoping to come back soon!