Powell's has an eBook version of the Acrobat 5 Master Class book. This is extremely curious since we were not informed about it's publication, consulted on it's creation, or notified about a contract amendment. Our book was not designed for Acrobat eBook Reader or for eBook publication of any kind, so buyer beware! If they have simply converted our files to a PDF and attached DRM (digital rights management) to it, readers will not likely have a good electronic reading experience. I am trying to find out more - our publisher has not yet responded to our inquiry. I'll call California this afternoon...

Hi, we're in the presentation!

After class this morning, I am giving a presentation about my student blogs to the Writing Across the Curriculum committee and interested faculty. I am calling it "Blogging Across the Curriculum" and I hope to be a able to put together a good reference site for class required bogging over the summer. Some of my colleagues are very interested in this approach to learning journals and reflective diaries. Sure beats shuffling more paper... Better get ready for class...

I didn't get to go out to dinner for my birthday. We were on our way when Cyborg Kid had one of those random processor failures that causes extreme fussing, crying, and whining. We turned around and came home so that we could recharge her battery, which had run too low to function properly in public...

Salam Pax is the pseudonym for a blogger in Bagdad (who by all accounts appears to be the real thing.)

A quick post before I have to run off to class. Monday is my LONG teaching day - 9-4:30. There is a lunch break, but we are having a "Teach In" on the war from 12-2. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'll be there. It's also my birthday today - which I really don't have time for... Cyborg Daddy and my Norwegian Mom & Dad have given me a great digital camera! So, I'll be posting more images soon.

The Celebrating Women's Creativity Conference was wonderful and I plan to write a more detailed blog about it tomorrow or so. I had 44 people in my Creating Time workshop! It seemed to go very well...

Off to a busy day and a quiet dinner with my little family tonight...

In all honesty, I haven't known what to write. I don't want to blog the war � there are plenty of good people and the news media doing that. But I can't just pretend that it's not happening and that everything is normal. It's not. Much of my consciousness has been consumed with censoring media from my 4 year old daughter � and immediately my thoughts go to the 4 year olds in Bagdad (and the rest of Iraq.) This whole thing hangs like a dark cloud over my being. I am really having a hard time putting words together (or even coherent thoughts for that matter.)

...just waiting for the shit to hit the fan...Women's History Month has been usurped by impending doom...

...too much stress - too little rest - sick again...

Brushstroke TV is having a Peace Poster Contest with prizes.

Book to Web

I am working on many projects at once - as usual. Three of these projects are translating artists� books into web sites. It is a complicated and time consuming process (especially when you have infrequent, short, chunks of time.) I think that the first that will be finished is an all B&W book/site called "I forgot what I was going to tell you: an illustrated guide to sleep deprivation." Unless, of course, I go with posting "DigiLoci: Spirit of Place in the Digital Age" as a PDF. "DigiLoci" is a story about the old IceHouse I used to own - I don't think I feel strongly enough about the book to completely rework it for web. It was also originally a website way back in the prehistoric days of 1996. And, if I remember correctly, it looked prehistoric. I didn't even save the site files.

The third book-to-web project I am working on is called "Science Project: a collaborative experiment in reproductive technology." This one is probably dearest to my heart and the best of the three. It charts my pregnancy from ovulation test kits to the birth of my daughter and all the related medical records in between. I even have images of her actual chromosomes. This one will be the hardest to translate - at least to my satisfaction.

I have been wanting to do some editions of these books, but haven't had the time or money to do it. They are all hand-bound, you see. I made about 20 of "I forgot" (it's a paperback), 4 or 5 of "DigiLoci" (hardcover and softcover versions) and 2 of "Science Project" (hardcover only).

I guess it's a bit like doing a film based on a book and perhaps that is how I should think of it. I hope to start being able to post bits and pieces in the not too distant future...

Well, it's off to Burlington, Vermont for the weekend. A very dear friend (Kristin Humbarger) is having an exhibition opening and Cyborg Daddy is 40 today!

More from the upcoming workshop prep:

Something's Gotta Go

If I say yes to you, I am saying no to me.

By now we should all recognize that the myth of "having it all" was just that - a myth. With the increased momentum of work and life, it becomes harder and harder to fit in the things that are truly meaningful to us. If you have children, you have the additional burden of organizing and managing their time, as well. Our kids lives are as scheduled as our own. In addition to managing your own stuff, appointments, errands, and tasks you have to manage their stuff, appointments, errands, and tasks.

If we want to focus more of our time on our priorities and less on the meaningless, then something�s gotta go. Difficult choices have to be made and the less important things have to be let go. The piles of unread magazines and newspapers - the projects that get moved from list to list, but aren't important enough to get done - the TV time - the committees we have no interest in - all add up to a mental, emotional, and creative drain. Make the hard decisions, create the boundaries on your time, and learn to say "No." Nicely.

PB's Theory of Creative Incrementalism

The basic premise of this theory is that small chunks of time add up over time -15 minutes a day of writing (or painting or drawing) adds up to over 90 hours of creating in a year. How many 15 minute pockets of time can you find in a day?

The key to successful Creative Incrementalism is to be prepared. Have the work, supplies, or whatever you need ready, so that you don't have to spend the 15 minutes in preparation - you can dive right in.

Another important aspect is planning. What creative bits can you do in 15 minutes? in 30 minutes? in an hour? in half a day? What creative processes absolutely depend on a full day? Plan for these time segments in advance, so that when you have that 30 minute chunk of free time you don't waste it thinking "what can I do?" - you will already know.

Waiting time can be transformed into creating time if you prepare in advance. I have spent some very productive and creative time at Pep Boys. I have a set of large archival envelopes that I store some artists books, collage materials, works in process, and a few essential tools for making. They fit nicely into my courier bag along with my computer, which gives me the option of working on writing or web projects. I also carry a sketch book and PDA in my pocket book. This allows me to grab those many unforseen free moments to make notes, review projects, do some planning, or ruminate - of course focused rumination.

I have been working on my time management for creatives workshop for 3/21 - what follows this post is a tiny excerpt.

Winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize � Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's Website

They are saying it is going to snow again on Thursday.... I don't think I can handle anymore snow...

Hypatia

Links:

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This looks like a good book - A Potent Spell: Mother Love and the Power of Fear by Janna Malamud Smith. It was reviewed in the NY Times book section this past weekend. Maybe I'll get to read it this summer on the fjord.

Links to the history of Maternal Feminism.

There are three Norwegian blogs that I have been reading regularly - for a few reasons. They are mostly in English; they are somehow related to digital culture; they are also academics; I think I may have met a couple of them in Bergen; they just seem to be kindred spirits; and I since I am spending more time in Norway, I hope to meet up with them again sometime.

Since this is Women�s History Month here in the US, I thought I'd point out that Norway is the most feminized country in the world. Yes, I know I am biased, but I really believe this to be true. The history of this feminist progress is complex and I won't go into it here (there is more background in The Price of Motherhood, which I have mentioned before), but basically, government, laws, advertising, etc. are regulated in ways to give women equal rights and an equal voice. Norwegian society is structured so that it is possible to make the choice to have a family with less financial and career penalties than you face here. Now, I am not saying that everything is perfect there - just that they are a damn sight further ahead in some areas.

Anyway, Jill and Hilde are at the University of Bergen and Torrill is at Volda College. Here are some webcams in and around gorgeous Bergen.

A couple of places to find out more about Norway:
Norway.org is published by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in the United States.
Visit Norway is by the Norwegian Tourist Board.

Friends and family - start making your plans to visit the "Hut" - we'll be there from mid-June to mid-August. We have plenty of room! Ya'll come!

Laundry Day

Women and Computers

Ada Byron Lovelace
(1815-1852)

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[Ada] was a mathematically gifted and talented woman. Her work and thoughts centered on the first computer, the Difference Engine. Her work also contributed to the general principles of computers and computer programming used today.

This doesn't really qualify as a women�s history link, but you can a read a short interview with yours truly on one of my favorite haunts, Planet PDF.

On another subject, it is snowing again. Uggg. 6 inches or so. Uggg. On top of the piled deep, frozen crap, that was already there. Uggg. I ran into a colleague at the University and he said, "You should be used to this, you're practically Norwegian.� I replied, "This is why all the Norwegians have houses in Spain."

I'm trying to decide whether to catch a train into NYC to meet up with a PDF comrad... hhhmmm. Today would be a good day to be hanging around Grand Central...

Well, it looks like I finally got my pink! Good night!

National Women's History Museum

I have been trying to put on some pink all day...

It looks like this "Google buying Blogger" thing means more problems and trouble in the short run... (having trouble with publishing and templates today among other things) let's hope it means fewer in the long run...

I know it's already on my permanent links list, but it is still one of the best feminist publications and resources on the net. Ms. Magazine. Need I say more?

On another note, I was all set to try the new Audio Blogger feature, but I got a "services unavailable" message when I called the number. I'll keep trying to record the voice of Cyborg Mommy... I'm thinking about whether to upgrade to BlogSpot Plus or trying to host my blog on another server and use something like Tinderbox on my laptop. If anyone has any recommendations please email me. I don't have the right server set up for Moveable Type and I am not a Code Maven - so it has to be an good (and easy) solution for the code-phobic. I wish Dreamweaver had a blog plug-in...

New England Weather Report by a Southern Grrrl

Late Saturday night I peeked out the window to see yet another snow fall. We were watching a movie and Cyborg Child had been asleep next to us for a couple of hours. I said to her Daddy, "It's snowing again! I am so sick of snow!" CC rolled over and semi-woke just long enough to add, "I'm not sick of snow - I hate snow," then immediately passed out. You know it's bad when your 4 year old hates snow...

Scholastic's Page on Women's History is a good starting point and resource for basic information about the month long celebration.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Welcome to Women�s History Month

March is Women�s History Month. It is also the month that I must write 2 more grants, some course proposals, and prepare a workshop - among many, many other things (including my birthday.) So, I am thinking that this month I will post a link related to women�s history every day - 31 links in 31 days.

Today�s link is The Pill, which aired recently on the PBS series the American Experience. This documentary traced the history of the development of the birth control pill, the women and men who made it happen, as well as the changes it made to women�s lives and American culture. This great looking site has the transcripts of the show, additional content, interactive projects, teaching materials, and much more.