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... and Life: San Francisco

For the second morning in a row, I am enjoying free Wi-Fi in the Starbucks at the corner of Bush and Grant (just outside Chinatown) in San Francisco. I'm not paying for the t-mobile hotspot because there's a kimpton network in a nearby hotel that requires only agreement to their terms of service to get online. I like that approach. (It's kind of fun to feel like Dave Winer as I write this.)

As I catch up on my feeds (and a little bit of work) over coffee... I really appreciate the luxury to do so... I live such a life of privaledge that for $1.40 I can sit here in the warm starbucks enjoying coffee, a sense of contributing to the world as I work, and free access to nearly the sum of all human knowledge at my fingertips... while meanwhile the corner outside in the cold has never been without a beggar and a cardboard sign. I can't help but noting, by the way, that today's relatively young Gulf War '91 verteran in his fatigues is getting far more attention and donations than yesterdays bearded old man on his knees with his cup outstretched as if in prayer. May programs like the $100 laptop, and the efforts of educational technologists everywhere, allow more of the world's students to live with access to what I'm appreciating. Is that just a culturally centric thing to wish for?

These are today's "and Life" thoughts. Now it's time to go join my brother for a hike.

I should mention, too, though, that I have finished Democracy and Education and should finish Experience and Education on this weekend's trip, so there are more Dewey and educational technology posts ahead.

-Mark