Chasing the Dragon's Tale

I attended Lanier Senior High School for Boys in Macon, GA and was a junior the year that the main building was destroyed in an arson fire. There are lot of great memories of that dysfunctional place that are a real part of me: band, required ROTC, one incredible Foreign Relations teacher, amazing half-time shows, the first SugarBear band, ranger days, band, the first black student, band, great friends, band, and the first girls taking AP classes (there IS a pattern in that list, I am certain of that). There are sad memories as well..the firing of a math teacher when he was outed, the racial bigotry that lingered, and playing Taps one last time as the demolition of the old building commenced.

One of my classmates sent me a link to a Macon Telegraph video yesterday. The last of Lanier Senior High School's buildings (now Macon Central ), the old gym and JROTC area, are being demolished. Symbolically, I am fine with the demolition of a facility that was part of Macon's sordid, segregationist past. There is part of me that would have preferred that instead of erasing this old symbol, named for the boy poet of the confederacy (Sydney Lanier), that some historical acknowledgment of the good and bad of that historical era remain in some tangible form. Perhaps, this demolition is part of a healing process. If that is indeed the case, then expunging the old facilities and what they represented is the right thing to do...oh, but the stories those walls could tell.

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I am pondering a conversation with a doctor/friend (unnamed) about the business of medical professional practice...she wants desparately to deliver good health care to her patients, but unfortunately doesn't work for her patients. She works for several insurance companies. It is true:

• She can prescribe a medication that she feels best suited to address an illness and have that decision over-ridden by an insurance company, 'That drug is too expensive, we won't cover that at the same level we cover a (supposedly) generic equivalent'...the patient is forced to trust the company rather than the doctor..and/or pay more
• She runs a risk/threat of higher premiums every time she makes a decision involving surgery...even minor surgery. Every patient pays more, indirectly, for those premiums.
• She pays a full time staff of two whose sole job is to deal with the paperwork and headaches generated by the insurance companies...none of that expense improves the quality of delivvered medical services...and the patient pays for that staff.
• She has patients who have to wait until a new premium cycle begins to re-visit her because of restrictions in insurance coverage...time that can result in worsening conditions, and the patient pays in poorer health
• If a patient wants to pay cash for services, she cannot tell that patient what the costs will be without referring to insurance regulations/requirements/contracts first.
• She plays a constant balancing act with testing labs...too few tests and malpractice liability exposure increases, too many tests and the insurance company may deny/delay claim payments. The patient pays more either way.

In the meantime, if I need to have a physical exam, my doctor tells me that my insurance will cover it and it will only be six months before the earliest possible scheduled appointment...and I count myself 'blessed' to have medical insurance that I can afford.

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...but shame on both Tennessee political parties.

Here are the facts:
50 Tennessee House Republicans* voted for a Republican candidate to become Speaker of the House.
49 Tennessee House Democrats voted for a Republican candidate to become Speaker of the House.
Not surprising from the above two facts, a Tennessee Republican was elected Speaker of the House and thus gaining control of both legislative bodies since Civil War Reconstruction (we might revisit that period in Republican legislation success later)..

But Something Went Awry
In the eyes of House Republicans, something went wrong. Rep. Kent Williams (R*) voted for himself instead of the 'nominee of the Republican caucus', Jason Mumford (R), thus electing a man who chose to vote for himself rather than in lockstep with his party. In fairness, one might note that Representative Mumford voted for himself (not that there was any personal ambition involved), following the rest of the Republican caucus Representatives.

Continue reading "It is just Tennessee Politics..." »

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To be classified as a Winner in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), each writer must complete a minimum of 50,000 words from the start of November to the end of the month. Before my real life over ran my virtual novel writing life, I managed 41,820 words and then threw in the towel. I am not a NaNoWriMo Winner...but I'd prefer not to be called a NaNoWriMo Loser either.

The experience of actually sitting down to crank out a novel is full of opportunities for learning and personal reflection. OK, it is a lot of work as well...but as it turned out, I re-discovered an inner passion for writing/creating. Without a lot of boring details, here are some of the things that I sponged from the adventure:

• Immediately connect with other participants in your area and attend every 'write-in' you can squeeze into your schedule. Its a Learning Community thing, trust me.
• Do your research (if needed) before the writing begins on the first day of the month...that's not cheating, it is just good planning
• Take advantage of the support, encouragement, and idea generators on the NaNoWriMo web site. (One such idea, to name a character from the NaNoWriMo acronym, resulted in one of my main characters, Mona Wroni, an Italian cultural anthropologist who falls in love with my main character...I digress).
• Abandon all inhibitions about editing during NaNoWriMo...just let it all out as fast as your fingers can generate copy and don't look back (National Editing Month is later).
• Don't be afraid to let a fellow NaNoWriMo writer read your raw efforts...for me, that was scary but it made me improve faster than if I had gone at this completely on my own.
• Have fun! The TGIO (Thank God Its Over) Party I attended was a hoot! I laughed until I cried and my sides hurt

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Well, why not? What is 50,000 words among friends? My academic writing has come to a close, the presidential debate insanity has faded over the horizon, and November just seems to be sufficiently hectic that I need (yet) another distraction...right? Sooooo, my early morning coffee sipping routine will be filled with frantic outbursts of typing and storytelling. My goal: 2,000 words each day...that means that as of this post, I am only 2,500 words behind schedule *sigh*.

The MugPhlute Chronicles have been bouncing around in my head for sometime now...the stories seem to evolve while making these things. Likewise, an occasional project provides some stimulus for another chapter of writing. The chronicler is an amateur music archeologist named Ephraim Bowen. EB accidentally discovers an archeological link to an ancient cross-cultural cult only to realize that the connection is hereditary. His search for others in the lineage becomes an adventure in mankind's inter connectivity.

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It's true! I am about to be escorted from campus (with a number of other Belmont employees) and will be asked to raise bail money. If you can help, go here (please). I do not look great in black and white stripes...no body wants that, really!

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Andersonville must have made an impression on the 10 year-old boy who walked among the headstones in 1960 searching for interesting names, dates, and places. He (that would be me, he) returned to the small town in southwest Georgia last week to find one specific grave marker. The staff at the park was extremely helpful with an electronic search of the POW database and finding William's grave marker was accomplished in minutes.

It is appropriate on this Memorial Day the we remember the sacrifices of family members who served in our armed forces...and even more appropriate for me as I continue research on a grandfather who commanded a WWI MASH unit, an uncle who served in Nicaragua (only to be murdered later), a father whose military record includes mysterious references to WWII activity in Italy, and two distant cousins whose names are engraved on the Viet Nam Memorial. May they, and their comrades in arms, rest in the peace they fought to preserve.


There is something much bigger in Andersonville that I'd classify as a hidden gem in our nation's history:

I am still torn as to a complete understanding of why the National Prisoner of War Museum is located in such an isolated plot...but understand equally as well as how appropriate the place may be due to the infamy of the Civil War POW stockade where nearly 14,000 Union soldiers died.

The debate over the war trial of Henry Wirz, commander of the Andersonville camp (the only confederate officer to be tried and executed), has recently received additional daylight in a contemporary context. With even a little reading, I find myself able to both condemn Wirz and defend Wirz...'good stuff for classroom research and discussion.

The National POW museum is still relatively new (remodeled and re-opened in 2007) and equals quality memorials and collections that one might expect to find in Washington, D.C. Wandering through interactive exhibits, reading letters of POW's from several conflicts, and generally trying to grasp man's inhumanity to man illustrated in video, sound, and exhibit is sobering. It is worth the trip...I'd recommend adding Warm Springs and Plains to an itinerary of the historic area.

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There was a good turnout of Belmont students for the training session lead by Christy Ridings, University Ministries. The images of the destruction on Union's campus made for a quiet room. Volunteers on this trip will be doing manual labor. The team departed early this morning for Jackson and should return to campus around 8:00PM tonight.

There have been other responses by Belmont (and many others) and I suspect that there will be other opportunities for service, giving, and ministry.

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Not to complain, but it is quite cold here in Nashville and on the campus of Belmont University. Most students and faculty are still in Christmas hibernation mode.... and the few staff members rattling around campus seem to be scrambling to get things done before next week's surge of students hit the classrooms again. We've done exports, updated reports, re-published web sites, prepared catalog PDF's, and a host of minutae that is tougher to do when the campus is buzzing.

This was the scene around 7:30AM this morning on campus. The sun was just peeking over Wright-Maddox and beginning to illuminate the Beaman Student Life Center. The fountain speaks for itself.

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Heartvalve Too 1/365 Originally uploaded by Paul Chenoweth Posting from Flickr for the first time using the post to blog feature.

Time off without hours reading and doing research have been (temporarily) replaced with some fun activity...in this case a heavy dose of movie watching combined with a bit of clay construction. I still have my hopes up for snagging a personal copy of Barry Hall's From Mud to Music..the original inspiration for my clay flute obsession.

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Finally. A few days off to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. It is just nice to be home, even if I am still sitting in front of a computer screen from time-to-time. Just in case I forget. My warmest Christmas wishes go to each of you!

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We are witnessing a family's frustrations with the Nicaraguan judicial system. After spending several weeks in a prison hospital and having his conviction overturned (after 9 months of delay), one would think that Eric Volz would be well on his way to freedom. MSNBC has confirmed that Eric has been removed from the hospital and returned to prison...and unless something happens in the next day or so, the earliest possible review by a Nicaraguan court would not happen until mid-January. What a nightmare!

This morning, I received an email response from Congressman Jim Cooper's office. Nothing earth shattering, but he and his staff are aware that a fellow Tennessean (and family) are seriously affected by this turn of events. He writes,

"My staff and I have kept in close touch with Eric's family, the State Department and others about this case, and I have repeatedly encouraged the department to do everything in its power to bring Eric home safely. We will continue our efforts to reunite Eric with his family in Tennessee. I assure you that the highest officials in our government are working hard on his behalf. "

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Obviously, I have been tracking the news on the case of Eric Volz. It has been on my heart and mind all day. Today's press briefing by Deputy Spokesman, Tom Casey, mentions the 2-3 day delay as nothing out of the ordinary in the Nicaraguan Judicial System...and labels the case "No Immediate Concern". I am glad to read that the US State Department is at least well versed on the situation. When asked if he was following the situation, Mr Casey responded,

"We are continuing to be in contact with the Nicaraguan authorities on this and urging them to implement the court's decision without delay. And certainly we hold them responsible for ensuring his safety in the interim period. I understand that the way the Nicaraguan judicial system works, it sometimes does take two or three days for court decisions to be implemented. But again, our message to the Nicaraguan Government is we want to see this decision implemented as quickly as possible, we want to see him be able to depart the country and return to his family and are continuing to make sure that we're also provided, as we have been during his incarceration with consular access and that he has also the ability to see his attorney and other rights that should be granted to him."

I'll go on record as having cause for concern. Angry people in the streets wielding machete's and shouting things like 'death to the gringo'...doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling at all. Maybe it is just me.

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There is video from the Today Show featuring Maggie Anthony here. No news of Eric's release, yet.

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CNN reports this morning that Eric Volz " was transferred Monday from a Managua jail to a police hospital". I hope that means that he is in a better environment and is receiving better care. More than that, I pray that he is out of that hospital and is on his way back to the US. If the reports that Nicaraguan radio stations are suggesting that people take the law into their own hands are true, I would prefer that none of us know where Eric is until he is here, safe with family and friends. Godspeed, Eric!

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USA Today just published a news story on the release of Eric Volz by order of a Nicaraguan appeals court. There are few details. I am hoping the story is true and that Eric is making his way safely to US soil.

HT: Nashville is Talking

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We do our share of talking about family here at Belmont (and rightly so)...this time, I speak literally of the Belmont family pictured here. From left-to-right Kacy (daughter), Chris (son-in-law), me, Matt (son), and Deb (wife). Of the five, one has pretty well made a lifetime career working in various departments across campus (that would be Deb). The other four people in the picture hold degrees from Belmont University.

I'd like to say something deeply philosophical about the journey and commencement and the road ahead. For now, I just need to look at this picture and be thankful for my Belmont family...noting that many of my Belmont family aren't pictured here. Thanks Belmont, you mean a lot to us (all).

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Life as a mid-sized (the school, not me), university web developer often means wearing multiple hats: code-writer, advocate, entrepreneur, researcher, student, politician, video-editor, trainer, artist, historian, writer, repairman, educator, and baby-sitter. There are soap opera level dramatics that are dying to be told beneath any one of those hats. For the most part, the stories are humorous even if the humor offers a glimpse of digital immigrants struggling amidst a much younger, student population of digital natives. These stories along with the boring details of what goes on in the web developer's office will be the 2008 emphasis for Chasing the Dragon's Tale. The names in the stories will have to be changed to protect the innocent...not to mention protecting my employment status.

Note regarding the image in my header: The sleeping pooch is Madison, grand-puppy and token blog dog.

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This via last week's update from friendsofericvolz.com:

Today, Friday, November 23, marks the beginning of a 2nd year of the injustice of Eric’s illegal conviction; the injustice of Eric's illegal imprisonment, the injustice of the Appellate Court in their nearly 9 month delay in ruling past what the law declares, and the injustice that all those truly responsible for Doris' murder enjoy a justice department that is simply not interested is pursuing the investigation that would lead to truth.

Eric is a “political prisoner.” He is suffering nothing short of psychological torture in the current confinement situation through sensory deprivation; he has not been allowed out to see the sun in over 35 days, he is not allowed to open or look out the small window in his room; and, extreme limitations on human contact.

Read the rest here.

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It seems like I have committed a lot of time to blog support and training for a bunch of people in recent months. Chasing the Dragon's Tale has suffered a posting drought as a result. I am taking a minute or two for myself this morning...the blogs will survive nicely without my help for a bit.

A late evening email from Amy Elrod, a nursing student and missions staff person serving in Rio, shocked my whining conscience back to reality. Amy was one of several staff people who hosted Belmont Mission teams in past years. I have witnessed a wonderful spirit of humble servitude as she ministers in many ways to the poor in Brazil and to the mission teams that come her way. This picture is one of several that she included in her email. I have never been to this particular spot, but sitting comfortably at my desk here in Nashville, my memory has no problem delivering the surrounding sights, sounds, and smells of this place. There are no people in this picture, but they are close by. There is little hope to be seen in this image, but I know there are people like Amy who are there with a message that gives hope and care to many.

Amy reports about this year,

"551 volunteers came to Rio, 24,522 patients came through the clinic, 36,895 prescriptions were given out and 5,559 people prayed to receive Christ and filled out decision cards to be followed up by the churches! Praise God for a great year and for all that He has done!"

I am thinking of Amy and those who minister in Rio today. If I am a little quieter, it is because I am somehow standing beside the stream in this picture consumed with wonder, questions, and hope. Blessings upon all those whose lives have been changed during this season...those who served, those who were served, and all those who remember.

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I have been an AT&T and/or Bell South and/or South Central Bell customer (with the same phone number) for 33+ years. In all of those years, the contacts from the company generally encouraged me to add-on a new service or to combine my services into some neat package that inevitably costs me more money in the long run. Well, today is different *ahem*.

This morning's email included an estore_bellsouth.com address and the subject, "Our way of saying thanks for being a valued customer." I am intrigued, so I open the email. The opening sentence:

"As a token of our appreciation for being our valued AT&T online customer, we would like to offer you this exciting opportunity to take a free personality quiz, a $24.95 value."

To say the least, I was not impressed with this generous offer to "find out what kind of thinker am I?". So for future reference, I offer the following list of items that I would prefer NOT to receive as a way of saying thanks for being a valued customer:

10. A corporate birthday card...all that tells me is that you have too much information about me and cannot handle the pressure not to do something stupid with it.
9. Mail or contacts that offer to switch me to AT&T.( See opening sentence from 33+ year customer).
8. Basically any small, semi-useless item that was mass-produced and distributed by a marketing merchandise firm (and produced in China, India, or Mexico).
7. A low fee credit card with an outstanding low start-up rate that converts to the rate of inflation in Brazil... I do my banking at the bank, and I would equally prefer that the bank not attempt to sell me phone service.
6. Any sort of telephone call between the hours of 5:00PM and 7:00PM that begins with a long pause and concludes with a heavily accented voice who can do no better than butcher my last name with his/her greeting. I won't talk with my mouth full if you won't call during the evening mealtime, deal?
5. Any sort of merchandise offer, especially small, enticing, electronic gadgets that are touted to be "free" but include (in the fine print) something like a $9.95 shipping and handling charge. My definition of "free" means no cost to the customer.
4. Any mail that appears to be an invoice but actually turns out to be mail from an AT&T partner selling insurance, retirement plans, replacement windows, etc. Trust me. I know how to shop for these kinds of things...and it generally does NOT include contacting the phone company.
3. Free newsletter of the month whether by email or snail mail. Helpful hints on how to use my phone are wasted on me. I dial. Phone rings. Someone (usually) answers. That's all I really need to know, really.
2. Jelly of the month club-type stuff... I might be enticed, however, with an imported coffee-of-the month "free" offer. (See caveat in item 5)
1. Any sort of "free" survey whether it be personal, corporate, marketing or otherwise (unless there is a guarantee of cash payment for the information)...including personality quizzes. I have a personality and I do not feel the need to study it further...at least not via the phone company!

And as a kicker, please do not attempt to con me into believing that your $24.95 "free personality quiz" is any more valuable than the freebies available on any number of online sites. Do your homework and send out a list of all the free personality quizzes...otherwise, thanks, but no thanks.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just in case you are interested or want a way to see how your blog might be rated:

Conversely, this may be an indicator of how dull my content is to most people...as in Good Grief that's boring! *sigh*

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Yesterday evening's opening of The Lost Boys Center and Gallery on 4th Avenue here in Nashville could have slipped by me. It isn't something that I do nearly as often as I used to. This opening was different. I knew a little about the Lost Boys of Sudan from earlier reading but had quietly tucked it away in a mental file of global tragedies.

In one of the amazing ways that Belmont does Belmont, Lanie Gannon, a university art instructor asked Matt Chenoweth (my son) and Brittany Doyle if they could go to the new studio space and help these men with their clay work. Matt went to the studio, met with Jack Spencer and a number of the Lost Boys, and something happened. Other than stopping to eat and get to classes, Matt and Brittany spent most of their waking hours of recent weeks at the studio with the Lost Boys, teaching wheelthrowing, breaking in a brand new kiln, and experimenting with alternative wood firing techniques. According to Matt, it was close. Heavily padded gloves were needed to get some of the last pieces from a slow cooling kiln into their positions in the gallery just an hour or so before the doors opened at 6:00PM.

The opening was well attended. The walls and display spaces were covered in paintings, prints, masks, clay sculpture, and decorative clay containers. Walking through the crowd and seeing the art on the walls with the Lost Boys explaining their work was touching. These young men have little (if any) formal training in art, but their work screams of emotions that most of us will never experience. How these men could express the tragedies of their lives in such awesome ways is amazing.

Today, there are a bunch of exhausted people who need a well-deserved rest from this project. This new gallery was quickly carved out of a former, greazy, parts repair shop and magically converted into gallery, sculpture/clay studio, woodworking shop, and computer lab. Kudos to all those who were a part of this project and to those who continue to support it.

I'm not sure that I could be prouder of Matt's participation in this project or more thankful for the influence that the people at Belmont University have had on his life. And many thanks to Jack Spencer and all the volunteers who worked and donated to make this happen!

(photo by Jack Spencer)

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Yesterday's Active Christian Media article, Eric Volz Needs Our Prayers and Support to Continue, includes the following unconfirmed report:

Yesterday I was informed in an email that Eric’s health is not doing well. He is sick right now possibly with parasites and/or ulcers. Eric still needs our prayers and letters of encouragement. A few days ago the Friends of Eric website was updated and readers are being encouraged to write Eric and continue to let him know you are praying for him.

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At 10PM E.T. (9PM Central) tonight, Anderson Cooper 360 will air an interview with Eric Volz from El Modelo, a Nicaraguan prison. The updates on the appeals process have slowed to a trickle. Perhaps this will help maintain visibility to the story.

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News from Nicaragua regarding the appeals process for Eric Volz has been a little sketchy. The Nicaraguan Newspaper, El Nuevo Diario, reports that the process may not take place for several weeks. From Page Two by Liestoppers,

"According to El Nuevo, a preliminary review to determine whether the case is subject to appeal must be conducted before a hearing must be scheduled. This pending review, and a backlog of cases, appears to be the cause for the delay."

If your Spanish skills are good, the full version is here. A rough translation via Google can be found here. The article identifies elements that are anticipated in Eric's defense and raises a number of questions regarding the validity of exculpatory evidence while seemingly defending the prosecution's position. There are obvious differences in the reporting from Nicaragua and the reporting in the US and clear differences in the legal culture in each country. In the balance is a young man's life whose appeals could be adversely affected by both sides and cultures.

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Nashville television station, WKRN, aired a live interview with Maggie Anthony this morning. Maggie is Eric Volz's mom and resides in the Middle-Tennessee area.

During the telephone interview, John Dwyer asked a number of questions regarding the stressful situation in Nicaragua. Maggie spoke of the challenge to be hopeful and reiterated her hope that the evidence, when presented to different judges in a different city, will prove Eric's innocence. Maggie expressed her feelings that this is not necessarily a case of anti-American sentiment across Nicaragua, but was a case where the local judge involved was fearful or intimidated.

When asked about a timetable for the case, Maggie said that the attorneys involved are checking on delays in the appeals' process.

Other bloggers continue to work to see that this case remains visible in the media and with goverment officials.

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Dateline NBC will air their story about Eric Volz tonight, April 22nd. The show airs in Nashville at 6:00PM on Channel 4, WSMV here in Nashville. Check your local listings for the time in your area. Keith Morrison's preview of the story, Is Eric Volz in Jail Because of Nicaraguan Anger at America? includes the following:

"In this case, the defendant's apparently impeccable alibi, supported by no fewer than 10 people, is thrown out by the judge, as angry crowds chant for his conviction, and threaten to lynch him. It's a case in which the defendant hires his own armed guards, and still is chased through town by the mob.

Now, his fate is in the hands of a panel of judges set to review the evidence and hear his appeal. They could affirm his 30-year jail sentence, order a new trial, or set him free. "In this country," an observer told us,"this case is like O.J. Simpson." In a matter of days, much of Nicaragua will be watching to see what happens to Eric Volz."

What has not been widely publicized is the Nashville connection to Eric's case. Eric's stepfather lives in Nashville and has been in Nicaragua for several months working on Eric's legal case. He resigned from his position at Belmont so that he could be where he needed to be in order to do the most good. What he has sacrificed in order to see that justice is served is unimaginable...his job, his finances, his time in a foreign country. He deserves our financial and prayerful support.

Today Show Interview from March 29, 2007:

CNN Coverage:
On Monday night, CNN Anderson Cooper 360 is scheduled to air their Eric Volz story.

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Colleges and universities across the country will be reviewing their emergency communication plans in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy...and my cell phone rings: "This is a test of Belmont University's automated alert system, please press '1' to acknowledge..."

Somehow today, pressing "1" just doesn't seem to be enough...but it is good to know someone cares enough to be testing these things out.

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All six of the Nashville mayoral candidates are expected to participate in a forum at Belmont University on Friday, April 13, 2007. Bloggers are welcome...and the venue supports wireless.

This is not a debate and the general focus will be issues that impact the higher education community. I wouldn't expect a lot of fireworks. No questions will come from the floor. Two Belmont University students will do all of the asking. Hopefully everyone will talk fast, the session is only 50 minutes long.

If any of the Nashville is Talking crowd wants to attend, arrive early enough to park in the parking garage up the hill on Bernard (across from Bongo Java) and take the short walk over to Massey Auditorium. Look me up if you plan to blog the event live...I'll give you the secret handshake and password.

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When MovableType migrated from a free service to a purchase plan, Belmont University invested in a license with a long range view of how many blogs would be needed and how those blogs would be used. Over the last three years (or so) we have set-up as many as 50 separate blogs and roughly 100 authors. Many experimented with blogging and discovered that the commitment part to contribute on a regular basis was more than they could handle. The corporate-use blogs have been amazingly successful as an easier way of distributing news, announcements, and general campus information. One author, Dr. Jeff Cornwall, created and continues to sustain one of the most widely read and highest ranked blogs in the business world. The mission blogs for Brazil, Ukraine, Honduras, and Venezuela added a new dimension to mssion trips that we hope will become a part of more student trips...we have successfully converted those blogs into archived web sites.

There have been challenges along the way. Comment spam and trackback spam are a nuisance and time-waster for authors and for blog administrators. During one session of deleting extraneous comments last year, some 200 legitimate comments were accidentally deleted...and recovering the lost comments has been an adventure. Modifying templates and mastering browser compatibility issues along with learning the ins-and-outs of RSS has been a stretch at times when schedules have pulled us to other projects.

Since the first of the year, the university's approach to the look, feel, and application of blog use evolved into something more corporate than personal. We have developed new templates that are more compatible with the look of the university's marketing site. Conceptually, the new templates will have the flexibility to reflect the personality and nature of the individual blogs, but all blogs will be part of one, university family of blogs. In essence, we have a blog brand that supports the larger model of branding for the university.

Continue reading "Not Quite Ready to Come Up for Air" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a template re-design in the works here at Chasing the Dragon's Tale as well as a shifting of gears. The new direction of the blog will be to explore the chase for digital media within the university community...it is already here. Students are creating and experimenting with digital media as a normal part of their lives everyday. How students, faculty, staff, and administration are adopting digital media is the story that I would like to tell.

Please stand by...this re-design may get messy. Here is a sneak preview that will eventually look more like the rest of Belmont's web site.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

...I am over here It is just for the weekend. See you next week!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Start the steel band, intro music to Medicine Man here...what ever in the world possesses an aging web developer and his workaholic wife to traverse and repel some 100+ feet over the jungle floor in Belize? Consider it a genetic disorder or insanity (inherited from the children, of course) but re-discovering "vacation" is something that we have avoided for too long. I can now recommend it.

For a whole week, neither of us were tied to a computer...for the first time, ever, in over seven years. Cell phone were off and locked away in a stateroom safe. Watches were banned for fear of leaving tell-tale signs of un-tanned skin. Fiction books were read...yes, Virginia, they still print things on paper and bind them neatly into volumes. Bleachers, Street Lawyer, The Brethren, and Innocent Man (hmmm, I see a John Grisham pattern here)... all fell subject to the ravenous reading appetite of one who abandoned the technological journals and textbooks for the week.

Relaxation included frequent immersion into a bubbling hot tub, floating in a salt-water pool, long afternoon naps, and snacks at all hours of the day and evening. Even early morning walks on the ship's running track took on a refreshing tone with a stiff sea breeze and watercolor-like sunrise drama greeting the horizon. And yes, there was coffee... just a few cups each day (but available 24 hours as a safety net).

In just a few minutes, the reality of life on a college campus returns and the "vacation" ends. I am very grateful to my employer for providing generous vacation time...and even more appreciative when time away is actually used as a break from work-day activities. I might even try it again, sometime...but without the rappel from the Belize treetops. I have seen the picture of me in mid-rappel, taken from the ground. It screams for the caption, "does this harness make me look fat?"

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

At the recent blogger meet-up with Amanda Congdon, Mike Tarrolly (WKRN Promotions Director) gave me a heads-up on new Nashville is Talking spots that would be airing soon. I had pretty much forgotten about the July 2005 meeting at WKRN where Mike asked several of us to stand before a green screen and do mini-sound bites regarding our personal blogs plus parroting a thematic "Nashville is Talking...are you listening" sort of thing. Well, in spite if the heads-up... somehow, I failed to relay that message to my spouse. Last evening, while relaxing in our living room, my shiny forehead appeared on our television and my wife screamed, "Paul, you're blogging on TV!" (or something to that effect). So, my friends, it is true. That IS me (sans facial hair... sans hair on head as well). No autographs, please.

I am off to write something semi-brilliant regarding technology in education... after all, "we're talking about it".

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

With just a few posts in April, none in May or June...did Paul catch the dragon's tale? For the two readers who stop by regularly, rumors of my passing are greatly exagerated. I have been blogging, but in other places (physical locations as well as virtual locations)...I even did a stretch over at another (un-named) blog that paid me for my efforts, yes, that is difficult for me to believe, too.

I have mentioned in previous posts that blogging, building an audience, and sustaining traffic requires a level of commitment and effort...a big commitment and a lot of effort. There is such a thing as a vacation, although I am not certain of my personal definition...but there is a pattern floating around the blogoshphere where people actually STOP blogging for a period of time (shocking news to blogging addicts, I am sure). It is OK to stop, really. I am living proof. And I am pretty sure that it is OK to start back up again...we shall see.

Happy 4th of July to you, all!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In just a few weeks, my wife and I will be headed to Venezuela with a group of Belmont University student athletes to serve side-by-side with International Mission Board missionaries and local church leaders in the region surrounding Maturin. Don't let the title of this post fool you. There is no such thing as 'just another mission trip"...all of them are unique in their own way, and you-betcha there is a new blog launch: The Venezuela Journal. As usual, your comments during these adventures mean a lot to team members...so, stop by, get a short term, free subscription, and add a few words of support during the trip.

Film at 11 (errr, 10CST)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are already stories in print and online that place Belmont University and the Tennessee Baptist Convention in a contentious spotlight. I intend to read them all. Out of respect for Dr. Fisher, respect for Belmont's Board of Trustees, and respect for Tennessee Baptist Leadership, I will not add commentary here on Chasing the Dragon's Tail ...or any other blog regarding the current issues. I have strong feelings for all of these people. Some I have loved for just a few years, some have been my chosen family for over 30 years...but I do (and will continue to) love them, warts and all.

"Come now, and let us reason together..."
Isaiah 1:18

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March Madness has been upheld as a copyrighted phrase in federal court and basketball fans around the US understand the reference to conference championships and the NCAA tournaments. What most people do not know is the depth of the madness portion of the NCAA tournament experience by players, coaches, athletic departments, and associated media. For the last week, I received a heavy dose of absolute madness as part of the 91 official, traveling contingent from Belmont University. Don't get me wrong, the experience was incredible...it was, however, more than any of us understood ahead of time and a little overwhelming some of the time.

Here is just a taste of some of the events:

No. I have not abandoned CTDT, but my writing time has been focused on personal and academic work and something had to give...and this blog is the victim. I have more posts sitting in unpublished status than I believe I ever have had. So, here's the plan: more links to stories and other blogs and less commentary on my part. If it works, I'll do my best not to have my feelings hurt when someone tells me how much nicer it is around here without my ramblings

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever so slowly, I seem to be reverting back to my pseudo-normal-Type A self following the week in Honduras. There are still nights when I go to sleep with the images of Honduras on my heart...and that's pretty tough. In just a few days, I will have the team over to the house for a Central American meal and we'll reflect on our experiences and start formulating plans for the next mission. I am struggling with just how much involvement in The KidSake Foundation that I can commit. It could easily be all consuming and I am already seriously consumed with my job and a long list of projects that need my attention...(including a ton of video editing from the trip).

Some encouraging news arrived yesterday regarding a satellite internet hook-up with the school in Cane, Honduras. Acquiring the equipment and coordinating the installation at the school could fall under the $8,000 price tag that was tossed around earlier. For me, connecting a bunch of pre-teen students to the rest of the world via the Internet would be a validation of all the writing that appears here about the Digital Divide. It isn't exactly a save-the-world movement, but one small bridge across the technology gap looks pretty good to me for now.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

Have vest will travel.... In just a day or so, a team of 8 folks from Belmont University and MTSU will be in Honduras on a mission to support the KidSake Foundation and the soon-to-be-officially-activated Clemintina Martinez Foundation of Cane (pronounced KAH-nay), Honduras. That also means that I'll not be blogging much here at CTDT but will be Reporting from Honduras with the help of the Media Studies students from Belmont.

If you have ever participated in a missions project of any kind, you understand the importance of flexibility and patience...and this trip may stretch the envelope for all of us in the realm of flexibility. We have already experienced the frustrations of air travel planning, additional events added to a full itinerary, the illness of one team member that resulted in a last-minute cancellation, and the herding-of-cats process that goes along with organizing things while team members are scattered across the continent for Christmas holidays. Say a prayer for our safety, for the projects we tackle among the needy, and for the impact that the cultural exchange will have on us all.

Stop by at the Reporting from Honduras blog and drop us a kind word/comment...the team will appreciate the gesture. We hope to supply a good flow of information, images, and better writing than you'll ever see here. Video uploading is probably just a dream...but there will be good stuff to see upon our return, I promise.

' hasta el proximo ano!

P.S. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who contributed to the trip (and to the lost airline deposit project).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I'd like to thank the people at Red Orbit for the Blog of the Day Award (hoping that someone will repair the image on that award's page...I thought television was the only media that added 10 pounds *smile*). Really. I am flattered to be in such good company.

Now, back to the pressure of posting something intelligent. Thanks to whoever stroked my ego with this nomination.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

A Thanksgiving week away from the office was enough to break my early morning research and writing regime...and to wonder if all of this time blogging is worth the effort. Then, out of the blue comes an email or a comment or a referral to an old post that re-kindles the interest and makes me want to do more.

Several years ago, I was part of a business venture that enjoyed a few years of success but then failed. My research in business focused on how to get a business started and keep it going...I somehow missed the chapter on "When things go terribly wrong and you are forced to close your doors". I reflect on that experience a lot more than I should, but I believe that some of us take blogging far too seriously and don't know how or when to bow out gracefully. Fellow (semi-retired) blogger, Bill Hobbs, related a story to me recently explaining that some high traffic and income producing blogs ponder the same 'is it worth it' question and can answer: that the money makes an impact on their decision to continue. But for those of us in the majority, thoughts of making significant amounts of cash via a blog are more dillusion than reality...so, there must be something else that drives us. Looking across my blogroll, I see humor, passion for causes, community building, ranting, thought provoking commentary, and generally a lot of niche voices that would not be heard without the tools and platform that a blog provides.

Continue reading "Just when you are ready to bail out..." »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (3)

Light blogging from the world of Chasing Technology Dragons this week...I have a bathroom to remodel and a paper to write, and besides that, it is Thanksgiving week and I need a break from the office.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A brief email delivered to the Belmont University family late yesterday afternoon announced the sudden death of Lynn Eastes, professor of theater and drama here at Belmont. I count myself among the many who are shocked and saddened.

Lynn was one of three faculty members who introduced me to Belmont some 25+ years ago and encouraged me for many of those years to work here. My first thoughts at hearing the news were that she would not see the new theatre facility become a reality...it was a frequent topic of our casual conversations and one that always brought a warm smile to her face. I will always remember Lynn as an encouraging friend and will hang on to the memory of that warm smile.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Being with close family friends for a funeral in Memphis isn't exactly my idea of a fun day...but I recommend being with the ones you love when they are in pain, whether that is physical or emotional.

I'll be back online late tonight (or in the morning). I'm off for now for a new chapter in rental car fun. I wonder if they have one of these?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Finally, a place where everyone can spell my family name: Chenoweth Elementary School. Whodathunkit!? There is Chenoweth history in the Louisville area...and I am sure that fear of scalping is no longer a concern for the students at Chenoweth. (the familiy history does make me wonder what the school's mascot is...let's hope it has nothing to do with skull caps...ouch!)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

File this under patting oneself on the back. Today's staff chili cook-off winner in the hot category is none other than yours truly. I'm pretty sure that I have not been labeled 'hot' since my name was scribbled on a bathroom stall in a Pi Beta Phi sorority dorm several decades ago. On behalf of McCormick and the people who provide the fresh produce and ground chuck at Krogers, I want to say thank-you. The prize is two gift certificates for free gas with a full priced oil change... I never realized that my chili produced gas or enough oil to actually require a change, but who am I to judge?! (insert rim shot here).

With nearly half a crock-pot-o chili remaining, I return home to a crowd who won't touch anything warmer than pepperoni on a pizza...and certainly with no respect for my newly earned 'hot' moniker. Full disclosure: there were only two entries in the 'hot' category, that means that I also came in next-to-last. (sigh)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

It is just awful...the shame of it all...an innocent sedan, quietly parked, finds itself posted. A sticky situation in Belmont University's parking garage...one vehicle severely attached with post-it notes. A group identifying itself only as the Diarrhea Hoodlums has taken credit for yesterday's theorist attack but failed to explain the rationale for going post-it.

An anonymous student is reported to have said, "What do you expect. All this emphasis on research here on campus has made it a hotbed of theorists...there are even drummers here on campus disguising themselves as musicians...thesbians who claim to be Baptists...and dietary studies people who actually eat in the carbo-feteria...this erruption of post-its was inevitable".

Another unnamed ( but reliable) source on Belmont's staff reported, "We were afraid this was going to happen...efforts to squelch student spirit over the last decade have crumbled. These post-it hoodlums didn't even follow procedure for getting signage approved! Good grief, roudy students are gathering in MOB-like fashion at events such as women's volleyball, cheering and screaming, and refusing to sit down...whatever happened to Belmont's historical, finishing school decorum of quietly watching a sporting event...and now this!"

Efforts to contact the Belmont security officer who holds the single bullet in his shirt pocket were unsuccessful...and Metro police gathered at the nearby Circle K precinct were not available for comment due to an unexpected Krispy Kreme delivery.

(MMM) Film at 11...

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (3)

Recently, I was added to a list of "TN A-Political" bloggers on BobKrum.com, one of several good blogs that cover the political arena here in Tennessee. Some of the other bloggers on that same a-political list, include Busy Mom, Jeff Corwall, Mr. Roboto, Rex Hammond, and Scott Randolph... I count this good company as friends, associates, or fellow-blog addicts (I'll let them decide their own category). I understand that 'A-Political' generally implies that our blogs are politically neutral, or at least not associated with the right or the left. I suspect that the choice not to show colors is a personal decision, which is indeed the case in my particlar situation. Please understand that being a-political on a blog isn't the equivalent of being a non-political individual...I have a love/hate relationship with politics. Let me explain:

Continue reading "On being 'A-Political'" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Several years ago when there were living parents and grandparents in my immediate family, there was a fragile period when the sound of the telephone ringing at our home would induce something akin to an electrical-shock-panic attack. I'm sure that I am wrong, but it seems the telephone, historically, delivered far more bad news to our home than good news. The last few weeks reminded me of some of that time: a nephew who lived the first months of his life in our home called to say that he had been in an accident and his car had been totalled by a careless driver; a call with the details of a memorial service for the mom of a long-time family friend, several calls about our 5 year-old great niece struggling with post-op complications after having golf ball sized tonsils removed, calls from a close family friend whose dad is facing the possibility of hospice care as a result of leukemia, and the-stranded-spouse call letting me know that our family minivan's transmission died suddenly on Thompson Lane...all in all, not our better weeks for phone calls.

And Saturday night added the exclamation point. Sometime around 10:00PM, someone broke into my son's apartment on Belmont Boulevard, literally knocking a whole window into his bedroom floor. Then, after collecting whatever electronnics and DVD's that would fit into a pillow case and making a general ransacked mess, the intruder escaped into the night (with a similar stop at a neighboring apartment). Luckily my son was not at home and the only thing missing were replaceable things...but it made for a stressful phone call followed by a sleepless night for us all (not to mention a brief time of mourning for the stolen Indiana Jones, Matrix, and two seasons of 24 collections).

This is all the fault of that ringing device! ...maybe a vibrating or blinking light systems can be trained to deliver good news only. I am ready for that! *smile*

UPDATE 10/20: Melinama from Pratie Place links to the perfect illustration.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Pratie Place has a wonderfully informative post on cellphone poetry writing in Japan (via the WSJ):

"Tanka, literally "short song," is thought to have first emerged around the eighth century. It is composed of 31 syllables arranged in a rigid, five-line pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. It's big on archaic words and has long been associated with high culture...It's short enough to fit on little mobile screens, and simple enough to let young poets whip out bits of verse whenever the spirit moves them."

Hmmm...Nashville. Music. Cellphones. Songwriters.

I am wondering if any of the bazillion aspiring songwriters here in Music City have taken to their cellphones rather than their bar-b-que sauced paper napkins to pen a lyric? OK, Belmont, here's your chance to shine...what better combination of circumstances for a country song than losing a lover from a tractor wreck that involved writing lyrics on a cell phone..can't you hear it?: "John, Dear.. I'm Cingular again".

(I swear, it's the coffee! *grin*)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this will be a very short post. It HAS been one of those weeks: incredibly active, rewarding, frustrating, invigorating, maddening, uplifting, filled with learning...witnessing the joy of victory and suffering the agony of university politics ...and it is not even lunch time! *grin*

I'm not at all sure whose image this is, but when I looked in the mirror to shave this morning...something that looked a little like this was staring back. I suppose that we all have days like this. Anyone know where I can get a "This person needs a hug" button?

*smile*,
Peace

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oh sure. Life-time learner, over-achiever, geek, etc., ad nauseum...I have heard them all. But last night, I sat through my first 'quiz' in an undergraduate classroom in err, uh...more than enough years to cover several US presidencies. Today, I am asking myself, "What was I thinking?!?!"... Somehow, to survive this, I need convincing that increasing my Spanish vocabulary is going to be worth it. It seemed so much easier thirty years ago. Did I miss something along the way?

*grin, sigh*

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Several of us gathered in the multimedia hall at Belmont and witnessed the tragedies of 9-11-01 unfold. The very thought of those images makes me angry, sad, and frustrated...and not at all hopeful. I doubt that anyone will forget where they were or what they witnessed on that day. But this weekend's anniversary slipped up on me, Katrina on my mind, perhaps...I wasn't thinking about what happened 4 years ago, today, in New York.

In Saturday afternoon's mail came an announcement. There was a September 10th wedding in New York City. New York weddings aren't unusual, but this is a wedding of a young woman who lost someone she loved in one of the two towers. I know that many of the Belmont University family have prayed for this person over the years and that moving on has not been an easy task for her. She did ask for one particular thing in the way of a gift: that we continue to pray for her. That's all: Prayer.

Being startled back into rememberance made me reflect a little deeper on the significance of the wedding, the anniversary, and her request: it is OK to remember, it is OK to heal, it is OK to celebrate new beginnings. It is more than OK to wrap all of that remberance, healing, and celebration in prayer. As difficult as it may seem today, so too will those in the gulf region remember, heal, and celebrate some day...let's pray for that day to come quickly.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I have turned off the TV...not because I do not want to know what is going on along the Gulf Coast, but because I am tired/angry/disturbed by/of the posturing and finger pointing going on. There will be plenty of time to sift through what happened and debate the issues, LATER. But not now, for goodness sake! Not while it is time to pull together and become a unified nation of activists. We need to be 'one' in this effort right now, not divided and bickering.

My hat goes off to what Rex and BusyMom have to say. If you want to see people responding in constructive ways, start with Rex's posts from Friday September 2nd.

I commend Belmont University president, Bob Fisher, for his September 1st response...as well his foresight to call for student volunteer service over Christmas and Spring breaks. For some of you, the trailer parked next to the Beaman Student Life Center is on your route to and from work. The list of items needed is in this story. Join me, if you will.

e pluribus unum - loosely translated: one unity composed of many parts. I can't imagine anything more patriotic or humanitarianly appropriate for us to remember right now.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Time for a quick break and an extended weekend...a busman's holiday of sort. Rumor has it that Prizer Point has wireless Internet access and that alone is worth checking out...call it ethographic research (yes, that's my story *grin*). It is just a short trip that won't require a second mortgage to cover the cost of gas...and my body is telling me that I need a change of scenery, even if it is just a new place to sit out with my laptop. I might even try relaxing a bit, holding down a hammock, putting a line in the water or reading something besides an educational journal...gasp!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am participating in Blog Day 2005...where, for one long moment on August 31st, bloggers from all over the world will post recommendations of 5 new Blogs, preferably Blogs that are different from their personal blogs.

I am a little puzzled that a wiki site has set the agenda for the day rather than a blog site, but I am OK with that. Here are the 5 blogs that I find interesting and worthy of your BlogDay browsing:

1. The News is NowPublic - a convergent site for writers, photographers, and videographers to contribute to reporting news and events...if you aren't satified with the news, change it. Add to it. Include the stuff that won't make the public airways.
2. My Mom's Blog - she's 80 years old young, and as excited about blogging as anyone I have ever seen. Her blog includes audio and video...'sure blows the generational gap demographic stereotype! (I think I'll adopt her)
3. feedmap - it's not a blog but an application that allows you to map where your blog is coming from. It is run by an interesting blogger, Chandu Thota, who works for the MapPoint group at Microsoft. There is something about anchoring the blogosphere to geography that feels good to me.
4. Ecademy Blogs - actually, this is an Ecademy community blog aggregator except the community members refer to it as the blog. I refer to it on my list as an example of what the blogosphere might look like if everyone was forced to view the same RSS feed. The sense of voice seems to get lost in the hubbub of so many people posting each day...but it is definitely an interesting hubbub.
5. Nashville Is Talking - another blog that isn't really new, but it is a blog that is moderated and fed by other blogs within a relatively small geographic region. It is an interesting dynamic...with aspects of an online community and an occasional meet-up. I see this as an emerging pattern in community interactivity...'film at 11 errr-uhh 10.

Continue reading "Blog Day 2005" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ah yes, Saturday morning. Time to research, blog, drink a pot of coffee. It doesn't get a lot better than..."Just a minute, Honey, I need to finish this". Anyway, these people are coming over to the house Monday night to see the latest of these and... "Yes, dear, I'll be right there". Well, to say the least there are several things around the house that need my attention, not the least of which is painting, mowing, cleaning... "Coming, Sweetheart, I just need to shut down the compu..."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The current edition of Broadcast & Cable includes an article featuring comments that I shared with Allison Romano. I can't believe they didn't find someone else who is actually doing news production work for a network affiliate, but I am flattered at the 15 seconds of fame.

The video clip mentioned in the article from my trip with Brentwood Baptist Church can be viewed here. This was my first effort at shooting, editing, compressing, and uploading a video clip from a foreign country...and yes, I felt pretty good about conquering the challenges of that process. Could it have been better? You bet! Is it suitable for broadcast, probably not...but it was more than suitable for its intended audience, the readers of The Rio Journal. This video was part of a conversation more than a news story, and I believe that there is definitely room for more video conversations.

It was good to see that real professionals were mentioned in the article. Terry Heaton and WKRN's training/leadership with video journalists are mentioned and quoted. The article offers a balanced perspective on several of the issues that broadcasters face today.

I do wish that Allison had verified the name of this blog. Chasing the Dragon's Tail has implications in heroin addiction circles. Chasing the Dragon's Tale, the actual name of this blog, is just me, being me...caffeinated, but otherwise drug free.

Now, if I happen to leave the house without a camera, will I have to turn in my citizen artisan journalist card? (For the record, I did bring my gear with me today...Whew!!)

(A wag of the tale to Bill Hobbs at Belmont News for alerting me to the article)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The de-briefing posts from Blogher are raising great questions and have fulfilled the prophetic discomfort from rich discussions objective. Blogrolls, links, popularity, and visibility are interrelated...but how does it work?

Ashley Richards's post-Blogher conference to-do list includes the following item: "Ask for Links (my emphasis) - Halley Suit said to just ask for someone to link to you and to ask 3 times. (Kinda the same logic if you're trying to get someone to go on a date with you.)"

Personally, I lean a little more toward what Staci Kramer has to say:

"Like many of the people I met at BlogHer, I’m uncomfortable asking for links. I’d like to think the work speaks for itself but the work can only do the talking when people know it’s there."

And Mena Trott hit the nail on the head with her warning (quoted down the page in Staci's post):

"For people who are looking for traffic be careful what you ask for because you may regret it. It’s more rewarding to write for people who care about you..."

I want to walk around this Link to Me idea just a bit and ask myself, "Why do I link to other blogs?" and "Why should others link to me?"

Continue reading "Link to me... are you asking?..or is it just 'happening'?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

This is just an RSS feed test. Nothing to see here. Go away. I will be back later.

Really...we're attempting to parse the XML files from university blogs using ColdFusion so that we can do own own aggregating (or aggrevating) on university web pages. As I said, nothing here for you. If this works, there will be news feeds from several Belmont University blogs appearing on this page.

Paul:)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is crunch time at Belmont. Next month, Belmont University will have the largest batch of incoming, new students in the school's history. Everyone seems to be scrambling to have things ready before the start of the semester. That means that all of us in Information Technology Services have 'Do Lists' that are growing like Kudzu. Something has to give, there is no room for a 25th or 26th hour on my clock. Blogging is the target and less thereof, there shall be.

I'm not leaving, but the my lengthy early morning reading sessions and the (average) single daily post must take a break. I will be around at least once a week to feed my blogging addiction, so don't forget that I am still here (all three of you! *grin*).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

...but you'll probably have to be a Nashvillian to appreciate the more subtle nuances: Nashville Scene - 2005 Winners of Your So Nashville if.."...someone get me a Kleenex, I am still laughin!!! Whewww, fun-NY!

A wag of the dragon's tale to PITW.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

T.H.E. Journal (Technology Horizons in Education) is one of my favorite reads both online and off. The treeware version comes to my desk for free and I generally devour the contents in a half hour or so before placing it in a stack of it's brothers and sisters for further perusal. The web site is equally well done although if offers only a glimps at the articles and not the full text (and, it is written in ColdFusion...my personal favorite development platform).

The July 2005 issue addresses a number of issues that educational technology-types talk about...obviously, technology plays a role in the solutions. There is information in the Iowa article - Developing highly qualified teachers, indicating that greater involvement by administrators has played a significant role in improving effectiveness of new strategies and, it points to the Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM): "the state's teachers are learning through understanding the theory of the strategy, having it demonstrated, and practicing how to implement the strategy in their classroom."

I have included this post, feeling that too many of my CDTD posts are less-than-complimentary toward administrators and educators who seemingly ignore the potential for embracing educational technology. There are success stories floating around and it is good to see them showing up in THE Journal.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

About twenty Nashville area bloggers gathered today at Nashville's ABC television affiliate, WKRN, for some hands-on training in shooting video for news. Nashville area bloggers are not to be confused with the professionals who will soon assume video journalist roles at the station...but this session certainly provided a taste of what WKRN's innovative approach to news gathering will look like. Here is a glimpse of what today was all about...time allowing, a video of the event may follow:


Terry Heaton has posted several images from the instruction session as well as images from the field assignment (Be sure to wish Terry a Happy Birthday).

Late Update: Rex Hammond, Blake Wylie, and Tim Morgan have additional images posted. All that green screen stuff in the pictures is for possible marketing of the Nashville is Talking blog... let's hope WKRN can make us all look brilliant. By the by, I believe that Aunt B of Tiny Cat Pants fame learned the most...I give her a gold star!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (4)

A note from friends at the Digital Divide Network alerted me to an issue with MT's default XML settings that was truncating feeds from Chasing the Dragon's Tale. That problem has been resolved. Oddly enough while muddling through the XML code for the RSS feed, I discovered a second issue with the way some aggregators read the date posted and subtituted a timestamp that was 6 hours off. Thanks to the persistence of Byron Marsh, the web programmer in my office, that issue has also been resolved...hey, we even read part of the MT manual to make that last correction (amazing!). I know that is risky behavior. I wonder if my geek card is at risk (sigh).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, so two or three days isn't enough to fully recover from 8 time zones worth of jet lag, but allow me my whine. My AARP+ frame is telling me it is the middle of the day even though the clock on the wall is telling me it is 2:30 in the #!@%&*! morning. Sheeeeeeeeesh! Where, oh where, is the Sun when I need it!? ('all better now, I have vented)

Productive (and other) things to do in jet lag recovery:
1. Wash the 'Eastern European' from my suitcases full of dirty clothes - nope, clean is over-rated
2. Turn off comments and trackback from the previous 6 months... (I still hate spammers) - a cure for insomnia?
3. Clear refridgerator of mold experiments - far too constructiuve for this hour
4. Drink more coffee - hey, it IS before 8:00AM and I am allowed...'will require morning warning for co-workers
5. See if wife is awake - nope, could shorten life span
6. Bore readers with stupid list on blog - ah yes, a test to see who your real friends are
7. Go back to bed - hmm, I think I like that one

Zzzzzzz

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a re-post from The Ukraine Jounal, the blog that I have been supporting from western Ukraine for the last week or so...and what has kept me away from posting anything here on CTDT. But I am back now, well, sort of.

Taking stills and capturing video for the Belmont team is my primary contribution to these trips and for the most part I keep my distance and try to capture the spirit of the day in a candid style without being too obvious. I do sit down and rest (chasing athletes and active children around on a playground can be pretty taxing) and when I do it is not uncommon to be approached by curious children who either want their picture taken or who want to see the gadgets I carry. These three little guys spent a lot of time with me during one of the orphange visits. We had no interpreter...none was needed. There was a lot of hand waving and improvised sign language. There was hands-on camera time for the boys that made me a little nervous. We had a great time making silly faces, snapping digital stills, and then passing them back and forth to view on the small LCD screen on the camera.

This is one of those pictures that will stay with me...it summarizes for me, much of what we came to do...and that is that we share who we are with the people in Ukraine. For a few minutes on one hot, June day, these guys were photographers...and I'm pretty sure they had a great time. Betty (Wiseman) nailed me a little later by saying that I probably didn't realize how much the attention that I gave these boys meant to them. I had not given it a thought. I have witnessed it with every other team member on this trip but had never realized how that felt, until now. Wow!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Do you remember in third grade when the teacher was forced to keep two clowns separated in the class seating arrangement? Well, this is what happens when two such clowns (Paul on the left, Breakfast Bob on the right) reach AARP status and hang around at too many Mexican restaurants...now, they have both invaded the tranquility of an Eastern European country on mission adventures. Luckily for the traveling public and the rest of the world, they are flying on separate airlines. If found or seen together, please return to the closest Mexican restaurant in the US.

Warning!: Do not engage or encourage puns of any sort unless sufficient materials are on hand to gag the both of them!

Sincerely,
The Management

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thirty years ago today, in the chapel at First Baptist Church, Deb and I married. Last night, we laughed about some of the things that we have forgotten about surrounding the wedding...like, where was the wedding rehearsal dinner? We both remember the same stories about the pastor getting sick the night before, and Walt Warren stepping in to officiate our rather non-traditional ceremony. There was an incident where my dad and I dressed for the rehearsal and managed to switch a very similar looking pair of pants...only to be discovered much too late. Then there is the story of an ex-brother-in-law who volunteered to do the wedding photography for us...and how we ended up with only one picture from the wedding (no way am I posting a picture of that awful white & brown, wide-lapelled, tux...akkkk!)

On our 20th wedding anniversary, we treated ourselves to a cruise in the Bahamas. For our 30th, we are headed to Ukraine with Betty Wiseman and an incredible group of young men and women, to assist a local church in Zhitomir via the platform of sports evangelism...it will be a lot of work and a lot of fun...not unlike the last 30 years that have kept Deb and I together.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

That's not a completely accurate title...I am still (bodily) here, but mentally checked-out. For the visitors here at CTDT, I wanted you to know that I will be away from the university for a few days on an assignment in Ukraine. With a little luck, there will be posts on another blog, The Ukraine Journal, of some of our adventures with Belmont Student athletes on a sports evangelism mission.

There is a good chance that I will be away from Internet access for several days...is there a support group for that sort of thing?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Only one of these images is the venerable Mother Teresa...the other two are a combination of bad taste or tasting bad...you choose (and please, no flames...I mean no disrespect). Of all the leaders in the world that I would have expected to match via a What leader are you? quiz, this one surprised me. To paraphase a long ago vice-presidential debate, "I knew Mother Teresa...you're no Mother Teresa!"

There seem to be a bazillion profile tests on the internet these days, and this one is just a little more fun than others. Give it a try and let me know how (with whom) you match up...and if you have time, take the What classic movie are you? quiz.

(On the Clasic Movie Quiz...I am Schindler's List...and starting to see a pattern here, Hmmm.)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:43 PM | Permalink

The success of last year's Rio Journal and informal conversations with Forest Hills Baptist Church collided to bring me a blogvangelist role for a Nashville area group. Wayne Causey, Minister of Music and Belmont University's Coordinator of Church Music Activities, will be blogging from Ukraine in just a few day (we hope). This group of approximately 30 adults will be visiting orphanages along the Dnipro River region south of Kiev as well as working with some of the homes that are a part of Hope House International. I have watched the mixture of excitement, energy, anxiety, and challenge sweep through the group as they make preparations to load several large duffle bags full of everything from convenience items to Beanie Babies. The most amazing thing to me, however, is the response of family, friends, and church members to sign up for an email notification when new entries are posted to the blog...over 300 people thusfar. Many of these people don't even understand what a blog is...it will be interesting to see their response.

During the BlogNashville event a few weeks back, there was just a touch of conversation about how churches can use the technology available via blogs to improve communication and add a level of interaction to what many church go-ers seem to believe is a spectator sport. This type of venture re-defines what blogvangelist means to me. My prayers are with this group as they make preparations for what will undoubtedly be a heart felt experience. I am also cautiously optimistic for a level of engagement with the comment feature by those who have stayed behind.

And yes, more ideas for another book on church blogging will develop as a result of this trip...let's hope they are positive experiences for all involved.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:00 AM | Permalink

Two of my prized possessions are neatly folded American flags, one with 48 stars..the other with 50. The older was from the military funeral of my grandfather, Dr. E. B. Chenoweth, leader of a horse drawn field hospital in the Marne during WWI. The second is that of my dad's memorial service, who's official rank and duties were Warrant Office and Director of Army Bands during WWII, but whose other duties as a fluent German speaker behind the lines in Italy were rarely mentioned and were always delivered with tears, broken voice, and a "I'd rather not talk about this" finish...The very mention of Anzio around my father brought him to an unnatural silence.

There are three other names, two more Chenoweth's and a Megar, carved into the black wall of the Vietnam memorial...I claim these as relatives and friend even though I did not know them quite as well. The phone calls that began with "I regret to inform you..." are forever etched into my rememberances. They knew that I supported them even when my opinions on the war were not the same as theirs.

Today, I remember the legacy that these men left behind and am thankful for their service and sacrifice. I thank God that there are patriots among us who are willing to defend the rights of those who cannot or will not fight. I owe these men more than I could ever repay and I hope that I will always remember what they did in the cause of freedom. May they rest in the peace they sought to achieve and preserve.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:52 AM | Permalink

I am not completely sure what this means, but I believe it to be an interesting trend in convergence. LinkedIn is probably the largest online business to business social network. Yahoo Groups and the related discussion board technology has been around for quite a while. And now, bloggers who use LinkedIn have formed a discussion group on Yahoo called LinkedInBloggers. The group is just now formulating directions, goals, and focus...so, if this is an area of personal interest, consider joining the discussion. I believe the leaders of the discussion group to be well qualified to moderate a lively group.

Of course, I am asking myself...why hasn't LinkedIn figured out that people might like a forum within their site to engage in discussion? Who knows, there might be enough traffic in that type of forum to interest advertisers.

UPDATE: Joe Bartling has announced the LinkedIn Bloggers group also.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

Last night was my 14th opening ceremony for Tennessee Special Olympics. ..and it is an addiction that I wish more Nashvillians would catch. Over 1000 Special Olympic athletes from across the state gathered in Allen Arena on Lipscomb University's campus for a night of celebration and inspiration.

Producing an event like this involves a host of volunteers and professionals, many of whom receive little or no recognition for their efforts year after year. The Bradfield Company and Brantley Sound Associates did a superb job with lighting and sound...these people deliver consistent quality every year, amazing! Trish, Jamie, Barry, and a long list of people at Lipscomb worked tirelessly to make things move smoothy...gracious individuals throughout the organization, Lipscomb should be very proud of the way their people perform even with tight schedules.

The committee of volunteers for the opening ceremonies, the sponsors (Outback catered this year - WOW!), the Tennessee Special Olympics staff, and several hundred coaches should receive well deserved hugs for all they did to make this happen.

Most of all, this event was about athletes who are very different from the high profile people that we see on television. Special Olympians work hard to get to this event, in many ways harder than other, more physically adept athletes. They are truly an inspiring group.

This year, Kaia Jorgenson spoke to the group about the heart of a champion...if you know anything about Kaia's story, then you know that her conversation with these athletes was of the heart-to-heart variety. This tall, elegant young woman walked to the podium to a house full of appreciative (and many teary-eyed) fans. Amazing! There aren't adequate words...I'll have to go again next year, perhaps the words will come.

One of Nashville's own won Athlete of the Year honors... I do not remember his name, but I do remember his impressive acceptance speech and the manner in which he celebrated with his family and team. Congratulations all!...and Thank You to all those who volunteered!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:44 AM | Permalink

One of my campus friends called just a while ago asking if I was "OK"...he read the last couple of my posts and comments and was concerned with the uncharacteristic, confrontational tone of my writing. Hmmm, in retrospect, he is right. It is probably time to start cutting back on the caffeine, refined sugar, etc. and start exercising a bit.

...and no, Bob, I did not eat nails for breakfast.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

...or whoever nominated Chasing the Dragon's Tale for a Best Blog in Tennessee Award. The Best Blog in Tennessee site is a collection of blogs from all over the state of Tennessee and is a wonderful tool for helping bloggers discover who their fellow, geographically-associated, bloggers are...(is it possible for me to use the word blogger any more in one post?) And really, whoever you are, thanks for the nice gesture of nominating CTDT... there is just no accounting for taste *grin*

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:29 PM | Permalink

Several years ago, I attended a training conference on the design and use of direct (snail) mail marketing (junk mail). One of my most vivid memories from that event was a comment that one presenter made regarding the 'life expectancy' of a direct mail piece. Basically, your junk mail piece has about 4 seconds to attract the attention of the unsuspecting customer and less than a minute (if ever opened) to grab the reader's attention. So, it looks like email spam recipients have a similar response: Surfers learn to tolerate spam.

I am amazingly fast at deleting email spam and/or passing the spam along to our email screening service...I'd estimate my response time to be less than a second in many cases. A unit of measure that I shall now call a spamo-second.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am so greatful that the What Kind of English Do You Speak? quiz didn't return my results as 90% redneck...if only I were asked, as a true southern gentleman, if I have a gun rack in the back window of my pickup truck (truth: I have neither a gun rack, a gun to put in a gun rack, or a pick up truck). OK, so I am an admitted anomaly...I regress.

At any rate...a wag of the Dragon's Tale to Nicole via Rob for bringing this enlightening subject for all ya'll (in my finest 30% Dixie/Suthun)...good grief, I've lived in the south since I was two and ONLY 30% Dixie?? Perhaps that is where references to tight genes (sic) comes from...arghhh

Reeling this post back into something that sounds academic and somehow related to the general theme of this blog...I have been reading Asking Questions by Seymour Sudman and Norman M. Bradburn...the 1989 version of the newly released Asking Questions: The Definitive Guide to Questionnaire Design...also by Norman M. Bradburn, Seymour Sudman & Brian Wansink. I can only image what an institutional review board would have to say about some of the questions that are asked on the What Kind of English...survey. Anyway, give it a try. Who knows, we may speak the same language!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You, too, may require therapy for this. Experiment with South Park Studio tools to create a self portrait...and see what you come up with. I never realized that I turned out so bland (I cheated, and emblazoned the shirt with 'DRAGON')...but then I realized that if this displayed enough detail to reveal polyester, the image could easily have been that of my father.
Good grief, how depressing!

Others have experimented with what I consider much higher degrees of success. You should check them out here and here and here.

By the by, please do not consider this an endorsement for the show...I view it infrequently and consider much of the humor a bit beyond the comfort of my broadcasting envelope and extending into the realm of bad taste (translation: I am turning into a fuddy-duddy *sigh*).

...and a belated wag of the Dragon's Tale Tail to Michael for starting a landslide of South Park portraits here on campus...(hey, I gotta blame somebody for all this loss of productivity, lol)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Attention academic friends who are supporting, cooperating, and otherwise colluding with my thesis headaches. This story represents my ultimate nightmare: Internet study finished - after 7 years. You see, if a government study costs the taxpayers a million dollars, takes seven years to complete, and is filled with utterly outdated information... what's the problem with me taking a little extra time (say, 6 months), spend a whole lot less than a million dollars, and perhaps come up with a few meaningful tidbits of new knowledge on how people adopt technology? The problem?: technology is not waiting patiently on academic (or governmental) research and continues to change as rapidly as user patterns...if we continue to reference outdated research, then the research itself becomes increasingly useless. And just in case any of my academic advisors are reading this, I promise to finish my thesis in less than 7 years...ok, how about 7 months?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:56 AM | Permalink

Wow! Clear blue skies, temperatures in the low 70's, a light breeze, blooming Dogwoods and Redbuds...me, with a hammock and a stack of reading material..What a combination for a great weekend!

Cedars of Lebanon State Park is a little less than an hour's drive from our Nashville home...and a little less painful to the gas budget when driving a motor home. With the craziness of this year's schedule ahead of me, this sort of short-run-retreat may be my best alternative to getting away from it all. I sure wish that I could can this weather for future use... where is THAT technology when you need it!?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:48 AM | Permalink

He was, literally, a musical genius in the field of music education and the host of band leaders who learned from him are a testiment and legacy to that genius. "Doc" Chenoweth would have been 93 today. Rest in peace, Dad.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:44 AM | Permalink

This article in the Sydney Morning Herald, Subversive novella slips past China's digital divide (subscription, 'sorry) provides a reality check for anyone believing that the Digital Divide is universally defined.

"Chinese authorities have been trying to tighten controls on the internet, with 12,575 unauthorised internet cafes closed down in the last three months of last year.

About 30,000 police are thought to be assigned to screening internet websites, blogs, emails and mobile text messages for content deemed subversive.

But many of the estimated 87 million web surfers in China are becoming adept at using software programs that allow them to evade the "Great Firewall of China" and access blocked sites, or send emails without being traced."

After a week's break in writing for CTDT, I checked the referral logs to see how people were discovering this page. Entering the search string 'porno reading material' (without quotation marks) into MSN's search engine brought up the following results....and as of today, it might appear that CTDT is number one in porno reading material...Akkkkkkkk..hrrrrummph!

If you arrive here looking for pornographic materials, you are in the wrong place. I will defend the First Amendment, but I do not like what the purveyors of smut publish on the Internet. There is no winning this losing battle. If we allow the legislation of one type of speech, how long will it be before art, music, religion, etc. are not in some one's crosshairs.

Of course, now that I have a blog post that includes the words porn, pornographic, and smut in the text, there is no telling what will happen in the rankings.

By the by, the blog post referenced in the MSN search was actually my Happy Blogversary article... 'looks like I forgot to clean up after the party.

Continue reading "Dubious number one MSN search ranking for CTDT" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

As much as I love having a multitude of students on campus, it is wonderfully quiet (and productive) around my office when they are not here. So, in honor of their absense from campus... and a 'honey do' list as long as my arm, I intend to take a few days off from CTDT and tackle the list and some classwork.

'just two more weeks, and I plan to be studying while in the woods. And if working with Nud*ist, combined with the words in the woods, sounds kinky...well, don't get your hopes up for any disgusting dragon pictures. :)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:07 AM | Permalink

Flash Viewer 6 Required for player below:

Last summer, my wife and I traveled with a team of young men and women from Belmont University to Brazil. I watched through the lens of a video camera as these athletes played, hugged, autographed just about anything...and shared their faith with the urban poor in the outlying slums of Rio de Janeiro. The video clip on this post shows some of the sights and sounds of that trip along with an appeal for encouragement and financial support for the 2005 summer team. If you know someone who might be interested in supporting this ministry, please send me an email with details... I have a CD-ROM version of this presentation that is a much higher resolution that I will be happy to send out.

All donations to this program are tax decuctible and documented receipts are provided to all donors. Deb and I are making plans now to travel with the Belmont University team to the Ukraine this summer. Deb will handle the logistics this year and I, again will document the trip on video. It is expensive to travel nearly half way around the world, lugging video and editing equipment.. so, if you would like to help out in any small way, your donations would be appreciated. The PayPal link on this page will take you to a secure credit card transaction site where a donation to Chenoweth Designs (Paul & Deb) can be made. During the 2004 trips to Brazil, I was able to Vblog (Video blog) several clips on The Rio Journal, a blog created especially for team use. You may view some of those here, here, and here. With a little luck and a nod from the Ukrainian Technology Dragon, I hope to be able to do the same thing this year. Thank you for considering support for this life changing adventure.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:17 AM | Permalink

Yes indeed. One year ago today, I sat in front of my computer screen and ask myself, "What are you getting yourself into?"...and here I am today, asking myself, "Self?...What the %#!@%! have you gotten yourself into?!!" I will save all of the heavy-duty-reflective commentary for my academic friends...it will be an act of blog-vangelism on my part. I must say that I am still processing all that has happened to me personally and to the blogosphere as a phenomena over the last 12 months, and that it has been amazing!

This week, Chasing the Dragon's Tale broke into the top 5,000 blogs on TTLB's blogosphere rankings. That achievement plus $3.00 will get me a small coffee at my favorite morning coffee shop. Acquiring readership, ranking, and notoriety was never the intent of CTDT, but writing for someone besides an instructor or a committee and without any particular incentive to write has given me a sense of personal accomplishment that feels good. For the thirty+ or so regular readers and lurkers (whoever you are), I want to say thank you. For those of you who have placed comments here and (most of) those who have emailed me, I want to say thank you for making this process interesting/thought provoking! For the thousands of porno, poker, and pharma spammers who have attacked this blog over the last 12 months...please, seek life elsewhere!

Somehow, I cannot imagine my early morning coffee drinking routine without reading material and my blog sitting in front of me. So, in celebration of this momentous occasion, I lift my mug, say "Thanks", and slurrrrrrrrp! (ahhhhh!).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

OK, in the true spirit of the american dream: 2 kids, a station wagon, and a large mortgage... here is my official dog-in-the-blog image. Madison comes to us via grown, married children who cannot keep a pet in their current abode...but 'decided' that the fenced in back yard of the parental urban homestead would somehow be enriched by the presence of a canine companion.

They were right.

Yes, Maddie is a cool pup, about 6 months old and rescued following an attack by a rogue pit bull... her original family gave her up because they were unable to provide the vet clinic care that Madison needed as a result of the attack. She has recovered nicely and even let's me sit in my favorite recliner, if I am on my best behavior.

...only time will tell if Madison can keep the Dragon at bay.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Flash Viewer 6 Required for player below:

The televised news story from last Saturday's meet-up of Nashville bloggers ran at least a couple of times on Nashville's WKRN News2... and on both of those occasions, I managed to miss it. In yet another gracious move by Mike Sechrist, general manager at WKRN, I received permission to post the full story here for others who also missed our 60 seconds of fame. The viewer on the left requires at least version 6 of Macromedia Flash...and if you see an empty box on the left when the page loads, use the link provided (top left) to download a free copy of the player. A small Windows Media and Quicktime version of the video are also provided - use the buttons below the Flash window if you wish to view those.

More thank you's are in order for Cindy and Eric at WKRN for coordinating/capturing the story to CD... and a hug is in order for Kacy Van Atta, my favorite WKRN account executive (and daughter) for delivering the CD to my home early this morning...(insert proud dad smile here) Video clip used by permission of WKRN, Nashville, all rights reserved.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (2)

it is Amazing!!!

The deep, dark secret is out! Approximately 20 Nashville area bloggers gathered this morning at the local ABC-TV affiliate, WKRN, for coffee, donuts, and informal conversation. And the secret?...these are REAL, live, breathing (and a few coughing) individuals who write, edit, and publish blog commentaries and journals. They have faces, and personalities, and can speak in complete, inteligible sentences (imagine that!).

Blogging technology may be the common thread that pulled this group together, but face to face conversation has helped to knit the group into the beginning of a living community.

Many thanks to Terry Heaton, Mike Sechrist, and Neil Orne for making everyone feel at home at the station. Several of the Nashville Area Blogs are featured on WKRN's web site...and it was fun to put smiling faces with familiar blog names for the first time. Kudos to Channel 2!

Now, if I can grab one of the pictures taken this morning from one of my fellow bloggers, I'll post a copy of it here...(and spend too much of my Saturday reading what all of these people have to say).

UPDATE: Thanks to Doc Brown for the image (above)! See more images on Right Justified.

REALLY LATE UPDATE: More attendees blog the event: Neil Orne, LindaDblU, Terry Heaton, Rex Hammond, TNF (*big grin*), Nashville Truth, and Doug Petch,

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (2)

One aspect of a weekend's work with Axyspointe's Life Quest and an engaging group of fellow, Belmont University M.Ed students was the drafting of a personal purpose statement. I may still refine my statement with additional reflection, but here is where the statement stands:

"My purpose is to be a positive, creative influence on the lives of my familiy and community as well as those with whom I connect online from a distance."

For those of you who stop by Chasing the Dragons's Tale regularly, you know more of my background and the fact that every major project starts with a logo...so, with purpose in tow, I present my weekend's personal emblem entitled "Paul - Hanging out, online".

Please, be gentle in your comments and responses, I still have several more weeks ahead of me to process all that I learned over the weekend.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:11 AM | Permalink

Via a kind email from Hafsa Ahsan, the journalist who published an e-zine story, Keeping an education-related online diary, I found out that I had been quoted in his article. I am flattered. Thanks are still in order to Frank James Farmer for his efforts to coordinate the 2004 EduBlog Awards...'good to see additional publicity coming from that project.

UPDATE 1/15/2004: Dawn online apparently does not keep an archive of all articles. James Farmer has graciously re-posted the complete article on incorporated subversion.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last evening, I struggled for over an hour to compose the name of a technology in education class that combines online learning communities and social networking theory. Some of the names were so geeky sounding that I am not certain that I could translate what they meant. Simpler names fell equally short of defining the course's intent, sounding too much like a 'What what did I do on summer vacation?' essay assignment.

I'm beginning to believe that I am a mechanical dinosaur in a computer chip world. Generally, when I do not understand how things work, I invest the time and energy to increase my knowlege so that I am better prepared to assist others who struggle in the same vein. For years, that 'figure it out' philosophy has captivated my interest in technology. Now, information and communication technologies are changing so fast that my captivation is approaching consumption. Even with a running start, true geeks are struggling to keep up the chase for the technology dragon...it is simply not humanly possible to process so much information at the speed at which it hits you.

Continue reading "Captivated and Consumed by the Information Technology Dragon" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:46 AM | Permalink

Today is my second day as a participant in Mark Weaver's Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Belmont University. This is not your typical business focused camp, but a view toward teaching entrepreneurship in higher education and creating an entrepreneurial spirit that permeates programs and crosses territorial/discipline lines. As the only technology person in a room with 30 faculty and administrator-types, I am trying my best to sit quietly in my seat, all the while screaming, preach on!. The opening menu on the Shrek (movie) DVD features Eddie Murphy's character, the donkey, jumping up and down yelling "pick me!, pick Me!!"...that's me, hoping that my friends and associates attending the conference will pick up on that spirit of entrepreneurship and embrace technology as an ally rather than a hindrance.

film at 11...

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:44 AM | Permalink

I am rationing my face time with the tsunami disaster reports on CNN and other US media sources, I cannot help but grieve with each new image from the affected regions and feel totally inadequate to help, in spite of donating early on. A group of independent writer/bloggers in Sri Lanka have the right idea...news from the source and without political baggage: Waves of Hope. I sense a kindred spirit with this group and wish them well.

Have a Hopeful New Year!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:58 AM | Permalink

It does my heart good to see someone else my age finishing another advanced degree... I am inspired by Nancy Sattler, Proving stereotypes wrong. If you happen to know her well, then give her a hug for me.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 01:51 PM | Permalink

I have seen this meme enough (here and here and here and here) that somehow I felt compelled to see what all the fuss is about. I discovered a few surprises, not to mention a few new tangents to chase from the lists of others.

Consider it a part of your year end reflection - a snapshot of sites/pages that you have been browsing. Clear the address bar in your browser, type in every letter of the alphabet, and list out what is the first URL on the history list (I skipped the local files and listed the first web site that showed up).

From my laptop, which is my dominant Internet device, and 99% semi-exclusively mine:
a - a.tribalfusion.com (The Whir)
b - bazet.blogs.com - Laurent Bazet
c - careo.elearning.ubc.ca/weblogs/vschools/ - Teaching and Developing Online
d - dictionary.com (My secret is out - I am a terrible speller)
e - ecademy.com -Ecademy
f - financialexpress.com
g - girlwonder.com
h - home.att.net/~scorh5/SantaContract.html - Santa's New Contract (how embarrasing)
i - icca.webportalasp.com - ICCA
j - jackvinson.com
k - kentucky.com - Lexington Herald-Leader
l - LinkedIn.com
m - marja-leena-rathje.info - Marja-Leena Rathje (I cheated here, my mail server showed up first)
n - nashvillecitypaper.com
o - onlinebusinessnetworks.com/index.php
p - pandasoftware.com
q - q4music.com
r - radio.javaranch.com/channel/frank - Frank Carver's Weblog
s - seblogging.cognitivearchitects.com - Seblogging
t - teachnology.com
u - urbanlegends.com - Top 10 Net Hoaxes of 2004
v - volunteertv.com WVLT-TV
w - weblogg-ed.com - Will Richardson's blog
x - xplanazine.com
y - yahoo.com
z - zerointelligence.net

Continue reading "A to Z - my browser's personality profile" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:23 AM | Permalink

Officially this is my second day of Christmas break, however, my laptop still seems to be permanently attached to my lap...and my rear end attached to my favorite recliner. I am taking a break, beginning today (translation: I'll give it a try, but no promises).

Have yourself a wonderful holiday season!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:42 AM | Permalink

The winners of the 2004 EduBlog Awards (The Eddies) have been announced. From the top vote-getters on down, all of the nominees are an incredible group of bloggers, many of whom I have never seen before but look forward to adding to my Blogroll. I concur with James Farmer's assessment of the awards...this was a good start even with the challenges of establishing categories, making nominations, and technical/ethical aspects of online voting.

(In my best, most humble politician voice) I would like to thank all of the people who voted in the Newcomer 2004 Award category. Chasing the Dragon's Tale came out on top receiving 60% of the votes in a field of 13 blogs nominated in that category. My first reaction to receiving that many votes was to apologize for doing self promotion that went far beyond what I have ever done...on the other hand, I have several new connections that I would never have encountered otherwise...and that aspect of this experiment feels great!

Continue reading "2004 EduBlog Awards...Thank you!" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Steve Hartman's commentary from cbsnews.com, The 21st Century Dad, hit far too close to home for me.

"I believe we have a widening generation gap in America – a technology gap that’s separating people like me, who live for all the latest gizmos and gadgets, from people like my father, who live in 1952."

Steve's reflections on his father's obsession with hanging on to old AAA maps and rebelling at $3.25 per cup Starbucks reminded me of my own father when he first realized that the technology dragon had passed him on the interstate of life, like a semi-trailer passing a bicycle.

My dad would have embraced today's music technology with a fervor. For years, I watched in awe as he composed and arranged on music manuscript paper with his number 2 pencil, often writing a complete orchestration bar-by-bar instead of part-by-part, just for the challenge. The Internet's access to creating your own blank manuscript would have been a first step into a whole new creative world. Email and digital photography were just out of his reach, but he would have loved the connectivity to his grandchildren those technologies offered.

The holiday season was always a challenge for me and my dad. In his later years, cancer shortened his golf drive and eventually removed the need for more golf gadget gifts at Christmas. We would annoy each other terribly arguing over insignificant events...and my wife eventually banned any sort of game competition between us because the competition brought out the worst in us both. But just as Steve Hartman pointed out in the closing of his article, there was always the perfect gift for a dad, "...to give him what he really wants -- time together".

Continue reading "The Dragon, the Holidays, and....Time" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 03:36 AM | Permalink

I am flattered that Chasing the Dragon's Tale has been nominated in the 2004 Edublog Awards for Best Newcomer (2004). I fully expect all four of my regular readers to click here to vote and vault CDT out of obscurity. Please understand, with this award in hand, plus $4.00 of my own money, I should be able to buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

Continue reading "Attention Friends of Chasing the Dragon's Tale (all 4 of you! *grin*)" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:19 PM | Permalink

No Need to Click Here - I'm just claiming my feed at Feedster

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:28 AM | Permalink

Originally posted 3 November 2004, revised and reposted 25 November 2004: This is a rant. I admit that up front. I am tired of dealing with comment spammers and trackback spammers. I have started a new regimen in my personal blogging. With every new post that I add to my blog, I will be turning off comments and trackbacks to any previous posts that are more than a week old... basically saying: if you want to make a comment or acknowledge a trackback then do it quickly, that option is ephemeral.

For any of you low-life spammers who specialize in bots that search for openings in blogs such as this one...I plan to leave this one post open, just for you. Spam this one all you like! Please understand that even if you choose to accept this invitation, I will not allow your comments to ever see the light of day, I will kill off the trackbacks that are inappropriate just as fast as you can post them, and I will keep a record of your IP addresses for future reference. I also plan to keep a running score here of what kinds of spam are attracked, just so that you have a record of your fruitless, pointless, and brain-dead efforts.

I feel better already... that was cleansing!

Continue reading "Porn/Spam Magnet - My New Sanity Defense Strategy" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Within the last few months I migrated to a new version of MovableType and later managed to do major damage to the entire blog with an unintentional snafu using the search and replace feature...the ups and downs of the site caused broken links on other blogs and destroyed the RSS code. Well, RSS has been repaired and traffic is fairly regular, however, the last comment contributed to Chasing the Dragon's Tale was back in July!

I did not get into this to draw a crowd, to become famous for my selected, obscure, and relatively boring topic... but I know that there are readers. So, I asked myself: "How do I encourage comments?" (excluding the spam variety). In Googling around today, I found the following story from a month or so ago: Blog Tips - Getting Comments from ProBlogger. The writer makes what I consider an astute observation about the difference between blogs:

"The one that gets a lot of comments is more personal, occasionally controversial, talks about 'deeper issues' and asks readers for input. The other one (with few comments) is technical in nature and gives more information that it asks for."

Continue reading "Why so Quiet?... I think I can hear you breathing." »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:19 AM | Permalink

I am feeling a little guilty today since I have had a day or two to reflect on a teaching experience regarding the use of blogs to communicate back from non-US countries. My presentation to a room full of leaders included a considerable amount of discussion about security. We talked about the risks of exposing personal identities and schedules as that relates to leaving an empty house. We talked about young people who might share too much information on addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, etc. All in all, our focus was on protecting the blogger, the US citizen reporting back from another country.

Continue reading "International Cultural Divides - Security Sensitive Blogging" »

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