In yesterday’s class, I was lecturing on four approaches in dealing with distributive justice of science and technology policy, namely: utilitarian, libertarian, (John) Rawl’s contractarian, and communitarian. Of course I talked more about the dominant, if implicit, distributional framework of ST policy, which is utilitarian one, with the reading from Cozzens. We know that in the utilitarian view, a distributional system is justified as long as it increases total happiness for the group, not among the individuals. Utilitarianists argue that what they advocate contributes to economic growth and the solution of major societal problems, and then let other areas of policy (social one) worry about whether the benefits are distributed equally or not, or whether everybody get benefit or not — they ‘grow the pie’ someone else cuts it.
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On this special day …no word better be spoken, no song better be sung, no music better be composed…. but the word of forgiveness, the song of forgiveness, and the music of forgiveness….

Forgiveness*
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I want to write about so many things. About the soon-to-be-formalized pornographic bill, about the US election, about the 3 dollar package that killed more than twenty people in Indonesia… ah about so many things. But, as always, not enough time/energy, and then last Sunday (yesterday) I squeezed my left hand between headboard and bedframe while fixing the bed set (ouch, that’s perhaps one of the most talented parts of my body) so now I have difficulties typing. So I’ll just write something short, unimportant though.

I am on a tenure-track and supposed to go for tenure and promotion in about 4 years from now, according to the US university system. So, still long way to go. (more…)

my desk, sketched in tempe, on september 13th, 2008*)

Clutter, clutter
we adore thee
sign of life and liberty
jumbly-muddly topsy turvy (more…)

Last Tuesday we talked about the politics of technology in my JUS 494 class. Just like my JUS 394 class last semester, I began this class, too, with endorsing the idea that technology is political — the politics are built into the design of the artifact. How? You can listen to my lecture, but ah, perhaps that’s really too much to do, it’s a long lecture. Just enjoy the slideshow then. Though without my lecture, the slideshow is barely understandable.
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The first week of semester is almost passed and I survived the first week class of JUS 494: Science, Technology, and Inequality. I got 30 students filled all seats in my class (max 30) and still have some students emailed me asking for an override. We’ll see whether there’s any student who drop next week or not.

The first week is all about introduction. Introduction to the class, to the syllabus, to the professor, to the students, to all. Professor-students’ introduction part was quite fun. I got each of students in the class spoken about who she/he is, what she/he likes, and why she/he is in my class — all in less than one minute :). (more…)

Schedule:
Tuesdays-Thursdays afternoon somewhere at ASU

Professor:
Dr. Merlyna Lim

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After a little serious posting on nationalism, this is time for a posting from an empty-headed Mer.

My first week in Tempe almost ends. It’s great to be home again. A house where I live is lovable. During my last big trip, for the first time in such a long time, I missed my house so dearly.

Here are some stories from first (less-than-a) week in Tempe.

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I’m still in DC, waiting for the time to depart to the airport. Sitting down now at Starbuck, I feel like I am a winner. I finally found a way to sit here, enjoying the free Internet connection without being burnt by the sun, without buying anything, not even a single cup of coffee!! Yayyy!! I could sit down somewhere else, at other cafes, but there I have to buy something. Not that I don’t have money, the problem is I had enough breakfast and really cannot drink/eat anything anymore.

It’s antithetical, in a place of the biggest coffee capitalist I could actually manipulate the game. I just have to look confident as if I had bought something, and then sitting there forever!!

Anyway, enough about Starbuck…. today, one day after the Independence Day, I guess it’s just right to post a rant about nationalism. (more…)

Not yet home, but it’s only 5.5 hours away from my Tempe home. Many stories to share from all of my transit places as it took me about 5 days to get here from Dayeuhkolot with stopovers in Jakarta, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Now I am sitting here in the circle of Dupont in Washington DC, trying to finalize my powerpoint presentation to deliver this afternoon at the Independence Day’s celebration (and 100 years of Nationalist Awakening) of Indonesian Embassy. Just knew yesterday that apparently I am the only speaker in this event, and it scares me a little.
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