The Composer Is Dead
Lemony Snicket & Nathaniel Stookey

Lemony Snicket and Nathaniel Stookey talk about their collaboration on The Composer Is Dead a murder mystery with an accompanying audio recording: click to see video.

Social Media

Apparently this blog was dormant for about a year. Important? I guess not. My social media needs are being met using emails, Facebook, Hyve, Flickr, YouTube, you name it. Still have time to actually see someone too. How about that. From Hyve I came here: http://www.myspace.com/piscinebleue. Check it out.

This is an awareness test

(press play)

From http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

Doctor Danny

A once in a four year event, on February 29th I celebrated my defense with champagne, caviar, crackers, and cheese (thanks to Carole) at the University of North Carolina Anthropology Department. Paul had showed me his torture tools, but I believe none were necessary to convince my committee that the dissertation was worth the effort. “Very creative and innovative” was the verdict. Thanks you professors Carole Crumley, Paul Leslie, Arturo Escobar, Peter Redfield and Flora Lu for dwelling in my world. We partied that evening at Pablo’s house. I think I lasted until 12am before crashing. Had a wonderful weekend with the kids. Nico called me Dr. Pappa. Good enough reason for him to argue that I should wash his hands, “because you are doctor.” Not that kind of doctor sweetheart. I can perhaps convince you of the merits of Latourian referentialism. Not cure your scratches with a magical potion.

Mraho Rwanda!

Well… Rwanda’s been good to me once again. Spent 2 weeks in this beautiful country. This time I was lucky enough to have an entire apartment to myself while working to support Rwanda’s Capacity Project. Good food right nextdoor at the Novotel and nice taxi-guys and drivers explaining the finesse of Rwanda culture to me. Discovered the best coffeeshop on earth in Kigali and saw Mr. Bush himself race by on the way to the new American Embassy. Oh how exciting (I feel enlightened). Spent a luxury Sunday at the Milles Collines reading the Hotel Rwanda book; maybe not the most relaxing way to enjoy this beautiful country, but it seemed fitting. The genocide is way past. Rwanda is looking to the future. IntraHealth is there to help. It’s nice to contribute.

Almost done

Writing my conclusion to the dissertation! The defense is scheduled February 29th. March 1 will be the beginning of my month-long stupor and Cara’s renewed life on Saturday’s. Got to get the dissertation draft out to my committee Feb. 1st. After that I fly to Rwanda for a two-week work-visit with USAID’s Capacity Project office in Kigali (sorry Cara, not those saturday’s!). Busy!

Blijk ik ook te hyven: scrap fat!

For the Dutchies:
Mr. Henk Bokhoven stuurde me een “scrap.” Vond in mijn spam box. Tja, wat is dat nou weer, een scrap? Blijk ik nog zo’n online identiteit te hebben op Hyves. Was ik helemaal vergeten. Bart had me dat aangesmeerd (en die zit nu lekker in Parijs crepes te eten). Dus feed ik nu mijn wordpress “posts” naar mijn hyves blog. Wauw. Ik voel me zo ontzettend hip! (of is dat nu juist een onhip woord?) (voel ik me “vet“? Dat is het meest absurde hippe woord wat ik ooit gehoord heb! Vet? Dat is toch helemaal niet leuk? Vooral erg niet-oke hier in de States om iets “fat” te noemen.) Dit is de hyves weet-ik-veel hoe het heet: http://dannydevries00000.hyves.nl/

Dancing Holiday Kids

Begon mijn dag met een bezoekje van mijn twee dansende kinderen en neefje Berend! Erg leuk. Check it out: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1645813724.
Bedankt vader!

Dissertation time

Hello all,

Just started this blog. Nederlands of Engels? I decided on English (sorry Hollanders; jullie hadden Nieuw Amsterdam niet moeten omruilen voor een kratje pils!). I am currently writing my dissertation with a leave of absence of my job at IntraHealth. Just call this procrastination for a moment; writing 40+ hours demands an occassional break.

The draft of the book (“Temporal Vulnerability: Historical Ecologies of Flooding”) needs to be with my committee halfway this January, so a few more weeks to go. I am writing about the environmental history of four neighborhood located in floodplains in the USA: Felton Grove in Santa Cruz County, California, Maplewood in Harvey, Louisiana (close to New Orleans), Lincoln City in the City of Kinston, North Carolina, and Ardsley Park in the City of Savannah, Georgia. It’s been a long journey to get here. I am grateful for the support of my dear Cara (wouldn’t want to leave that out!).

If you are interested, check out the Cara-Danny-Nico-Nadine YouTube Channel for videos of the fam. I will try to update these regularly.

Groeten, Danny