Notebook of Sand

• Recent Publications
• Recent Projects
• Conferences & Speaking
"Comparing Spatial Hypertext Collections"
  ACM Hypertext '09
"Archiving and Sharing Your Tinderbox"
  Tinderbox Weekend London '09
"The Electronic Nature of Future Literatures"
  Literary Studies Now, Apr '09
"The World University Project"
  St. John's Col. Cambridge, Feb '09
"Ethical Explanations,"
  The New Knowledge Forge, Jun '08
Lecture, Cambridge University
  Tragedy in E-Lit, Nov '07
Hypertext '07: Tragedy in E-Lit
Host for Tinderbox Cambridge '07
Keynote: Dickinson State Uni Conf
Upper Midwest NCHC'07: Speaker
eNarrative 6: Creative Nonfiction
HT'05: "Philadelphia Fullerine"
  Nelson award winning paper
NCHC '05:
 Nurturing Independent Scholarship
Riddick Practicum:
  Building Meeting Good Will
NCHC '04:
  Philadelphia Fullerine
  Lecture on American Studies
WWW@10: Nonfiction on the Web
NCHC '03: Parliamentary Procedure
ELL '03 -- Gawain Superstar
• (a)Musing (ad)Dictions:

Ideas. Tools. Art. Build --not buy. What works, what doesn't. Enjoy new media and software aesthetics at Tekka.

Theodore Gray (The Magic Black Box)

Faith, Life, Art, Academics. Sermons from my family away from home: Eden Chapel!

My other home: The Cambridge Union Society (in 2007, I designed our [Fresher's Guide])

The Economist daily news analysis

Global Higher Ed blog

• Hypertext/Writing

Writing the Living Web

Chief Scientist of Eastgate Systems, hypertext expert Mark Bernstein. (Electronic) Literature, cooking, art, etc.

Fabulous game reviews at playthisthing.

• Stats

Chapter I: Born. Lived. Died.

There is a Chapter II.

Locale: Lancaster County Pa, USA

Lineage: Guatemala

Religion: My faith is the primary focus of my life, influencing each part of me. I have been forgiven, cleansed, and empowered by Jesus Christ. Without him, I am a very thoughtful, competent idiot. With him, I am all I need to be, all I could ever hope for. I oppose institutional religious stagnation, but getting together with others is a good idea. God is real. Jesus Christ is his Son, and the Bible is true. Faith is not human effort. It's human choice. I try to be the most listening, understanding, and generous person I can.

Interests: Anything I can learn. Training and experience in new media, computer science, anglophone literature, education, parliamentary debate, democratic procedure, sculpture, and trumpet performance. Next: applied & computational linguistics, probably.

Education: Private school K-3. Home educated 4-12. Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Elizabethtown College in Jan 2006. As the 2006 Davies-Jackson Scholar, I studied English at St. John's College, Cambridge University from 2006 - 2008.

Memberships: Eden Baptist, Cambridge Union Society, ACM, AIP, GPA.

Alum of the Elizabethtown College Honors Program, sponsored by the Hershey Company.

Ethical Questions
Wednesday, 9 Aug 2006 :-:

I used to think that hypothetical ethical questions about extreme cases or large-scale problems mattered. I used to think that they help us answer the everyday questions.

I was wrong.

** * **

A few weeks aog, I solemnly announced to some close friends that I, at some time in my life, am highly likely to commit some form of treason against the United States of America.

They were, of course, quite surprised. Their surprise melted into interest when I stated that since

  1. the definition of treason includes giving aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States and
  2. as a Christian, I am dedicated to giving comfort and aid to all people, as if I were doing it to Christ.
  3. Thus: if I come across people who are enemies of the United States, my duty to God is to care for their spiritual and physical needs.

The topic moved on to pacifism, and again, I suggested that it would be unwise for me to kill an attacker in self-defense, since I don't know the state of his/her soul.

** * **

As I drove home that evening, I was strongly rebuked by the Holy Spirit. Why had I said those things? For the growth of my friends? No. It was from pride, that they might think me a more loving person, and for the entertainment of a good argument/discussion.

"But it's true!" I protested.

"That may be so," the voice of righteousness replied, "but do you truly love others?"

I thought for a while.

Then I saw the important truth. Whether or not I am willing to inconvenience my country for the good all people, I have not been willing enough to inconvenience myself for the good of others.

It may be true that I might embrace death so an attacker might live. I might respond well in extreme situations. But such hypothetical questions distract me from the reality of my daily sins, of the times I am not willing to give up desires, accomplishments, or routines to meet the deep needs of those around me.

I apologized to my friends, and I apologize to you.