Jeffrey Dunster

The Great Divide Between Government and the Governed

While viewing a few more amazing RSA Animations with friends, I found this 10 minute segment of a lecture by Stein Ringen, a professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Oxford, assessing the New Labour government and the state of the British constitution.

About Empathy (and a cool video)

What an interesting presentation! The RSA Animate collection takes a short audio lecture clip and "animates" it with coordinated time-lapse video of a whiteboard sketch artist. What a wonderfully engaging experience! I've watched several of these and "The Empathic Civilisation" [sic] caught my interest—enough to spawn this post!

Finally, I Have Finished My Vegan Mouse Trap Project

My vegan mousetrap (live trap) project is now live! I have finished adding the images to the document that I started last fall. With the completion of this project page, I have also published the video that I made last fall, showing the capture of a mouse in my trap!

Becoming a Manager

I am now officially a manager! My job title hasn't changed. I wasn't granted a pay raise. I didn't even change positions! Rather, my department finally decided to give me more than one assistant!

Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse

Doesn't that title sound selfish, cruel, opportunist, or even Machiavellian? I first heard of it referred to as an alternative viewpoint to main-stream media's take on our economy. The commentator stated that John Downes was the "ultimate pessimist" about our economy. I felt that this was a promising viewpoint to the lopsided reports I was getting.

Before I committed to read it, I skimmed a few pages here and there. It seemed level-headed enough and certainly not mean-spirited. So I checked it out from the library and proceeded to renew it for five months, determined to finish t!

Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life

Enough was a fun read! It was like reading a book from the future that I wrote in my old age. Most of the chapters were based on points of view that I already have. That's fun enough. Though I did pick up a few insights.

Day-dreaming About the End of Technical Support

 My current employment is all about technical support. I'm the go-to-guy for any computer problems. Mysteriously, this includes anything with electrons or photons.

I've worked in the technical support field most of my life. One of my talents is comprehending machines and systems, which is quickly recognized by others in trouble with objects and processes. Sadly, I'm not omniscient, nor omnipotent (even if some problems magically fix themselves when I'm around). There are days when my talent becomes a curse.

The Inevitable Outcome of Socialized Parenting...Er, "Education"

First off, I was home schooled, K through 12. It was a wonderful experience, but not the topic of this post. Being raised outside of the public school system, I often see it with "new eyes" and not a little suspicion. The idea that a central authority could trump my parents bothers me. It all comes down what I call unalienable responsibility. Much like unalienable rights, there are some responsibilities that cannot be subsumed by society, government, or other third parties.

Bonds That Make Us Free

This is an amazing book! Not perfect, but amazing none the less. I find myself referring back to it in other conversations and using the concepts to clarify relationship problems and solutions, both for myself and for friends, family and society at large.

The fundamental premis is that we always have some part in our troubles. There is always something we can do to change or improve a situation or relationship. The most powerful change we can make is how we see the other person. Love and compasion can completely change the equation. These are the bonds that make us free.

Selling My Time; What Am I Worth?

I have a lot of marketable skills. At least I think I do. I've never really sold them on the open market. That is essentially what freelance developers and consultants do. I want to. So what's stopping me?

Plenty.