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Published: Mar 26, 2008

Poem Tones

I have had the privilege to be associated with Paul Siegell [Book Quarterly, "Concerted Effort," Sam Tremble, March 20, 2008], and still, to this day, his poems give me chills. He is always able to effectively capture my exact mood when it comes to quality, live music. Keep up the good work Paul, you're living the dream.

"Miss S"
via citypaper.net

Full Court Praise

Basketball is religion [News, "Hoop Heaven," E. James Beale, March 20, 2008]. Great article.

Lou
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Do the Math

I'm an international student at Temple and I was shocked to read the comments of William Stull [News, "Goodbye, Ahsan," Kishwer Vikaas, March 20, 2008]. Every year, Temple spends a lot of money marketing its programs abroad. Tuition rates for international students are twice the domestic rates and this makes marketing Temple to international students a very lucrative affair for Temple. Dr. Stull, make no mistake, sir, my tuition pays your salary!

"A Temple Student"
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In the House

Phyllis Ryan is noted as expressing a housing-first approach for the homeless [News, "First Thing First?" Tom Namako, March 13, 2008], and for Philadelphia, this is the method that will alleviate the issue at hand. It has been proven that when the homeless feel human again, their chances of success at changing their lifestyles are much higher. Furthermore, it's proven that it costs the government more to keep the homeless on the streets (emergency care, shelters, etc.) than to grant them permanent housing.

We must address the real issues of the lack of affordable health care and housing, as well as the falling purchasing power of our dollar. Housing first is proven to be effective and if it will in any way ameliorate the problems in our American society, we should definitely invest in it.

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Elizabeth Paynter
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Cell-out!

I don't want to dig too much into whether digital media is an effective organizing tool [Cover Story, "The Revolution Will Be Digitized," Doron Taussig, March 13, 2008]. Some people will become engaged with a handbill, some with a bullhorn, some with a text message, some with a video and some with one-on-one discussion. What has been proven (though for consumer marketing purposes) is that "high touch" connections will bear the most fruit.

That said, I have always seen the struggle for media reform like a struggle for the commons. The "public airwaves" belong to the masses, to working folks like the security guards. Yet, despite that, the lives of poor people are either badly represented or underrepresented. My questions are 1) Is "alternative" media an abandonment of the fight for those commons? 2) If so, then is the Web the alternative? 3) If not, how do the alternatives play a role in helping us advance the struggle for the "public airwaves?"

These questions occur to me because, though the "Sitting Behind the Desk" video (see it here: youtube.com/watch?v=DbryX1NTE7o) is one of the most viewed MMP vids, it is not being viewed by the actual constituents. Very few guards are watching this video online because 90 percent of the guards, according to our surveys, are not online. Eighty percent don't own a computer.

In some developing countries, technocrats have decided not to emphasize computer-based, Internet interfaces. Even cheap computers are relatively expensive. Cell phones, on the other hand, are almost universally used by working people. Maybe folks who want to use new technologies as organizing tools should leap over the computer and toward cellular solutions.

Fabricio Rodriguez
via citypaper.net