Clipmarks | kelvin273's Comments

It's OK If You're A Republican

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:06:32 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Glenn Greenwald has done the homework. In 2004 the right went all out on the theme that John Kerry was a wimp because he married into money. Rush Limbaugh repeatedly called him a “gigolo.”

Now, Fox News says that talking about John McCain’s many houses is “bashing the American dream.”

Of course, I guess it’s different because McCain is a war hero. Oh, wait …

Tags: paul krugman, glenn greenwald, hypocrisy, rush limbaugh, john mccain, john kerry, fox, fox news

Ivan Illich - Deschooling Society

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:10:48 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad
clipper's remarks: Most of what passes for education is merely training

Albeit sophisticated training that for the most part serves the interests of those who profit from the status quo

Clip Source: www.infed.org

Many students, especially those who are poor, intuitively know what the schools do for them. They school them to confuse process and substance. Once these become blurred, a new logic is assumed: the more treatment there is, the better are the results; or, escalation leads to success. The pupil is thereby "schooled" to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new. His imagination is "schooled" to accept service in place of value. Medical treatment is mistaken for health care, social work for the improvement of community life, police protection for safety, military poise for national security, the rat race for productive work. Health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavour are defined as little more than the performance of the institutions which claim to serve these ends

Pride and Progress: How Far America Has Come In The Last 40 Years

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:42:40 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: food for thought from Jonah Lehrer

a bit more: "Over time, these conscious limits on language helped re-engineer our unconscious beliefs, allowing people to slowly purge themselves of obsolete stereotypes. (We tend to think of the unconscious as the domineering elephant of the mind, but sometimes the feeble rider manages to steer the beast in the right direction.) Of course, the unconscious remains a murky and biased place, but I think white Americans have shown that it can be amended, that simply altering the ways in which we refer to people can, over time, change what we secretly think of people."

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

You know what makes me proud to be an American? The fact that the black presidential candidate with the funny African-Muslim name is leading in the polls against the white aviator war hero married to a beer heiress. And I'm not just saying that because I want universal health care and a progressive tax policy (although I do). I think what it really illustrates is just how far this country has come within Barack Obama's lifetime.

Obama's candidacy should serve as a poignant reminder of our collective achievement in creating a more just society. (And yes, I know he hasn't won anything yet and that signs of injustice still abound.)

How did we go from Rosa Parks to Barack Obama within a few decades?

part of what happened is that we redefined the boundaries of public discourse. Political correctness may have a bad reputation, but it's hard to deny the importance of collectively agreeing that certain types of language and certain kinds of thought are simply unacceptable. Not illegal, just wrong

Tags: moral progress, america, political correctness, language

Rove's Third Term

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:02:34 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Al Gore never claimed that he invented the Internet. Howard Dean didn’t scream. Hillary Clinton didn’t say she was staying in the race because Barack Obama might be assassinated. And Wesley Clark didn’t impugn John McCain’s military service.

Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary, titled his tell-all memoir “What Happened.” But a true account of modern American politics should be titled “What Didn’t Happen.” Again and again we’ve had media firestorms over supposedly revealing incidents that never actually took place.

Yet the Clark affair did reveal something important — not about General Clark, but about Mr. McCain. Now we know what a McCain administration would represent: namely, a third term for Karl Rove.

Will Rovian tactics work this year?

In 2002 and 2004, Republicans were so successful at playing the patriotism card thanks to a combination of compliant media and cowering Democrats.

New fears of Anglican schism over homosexuality

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:25:07 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad
clipper's remarks: About 280 bishops and 750 lay people, including bishops' spouses, are expected to meet in Jerusalem from June 22 to 29 for what they are calling the "Global Anglican Future Conference," organizers said.

They include a majority of the bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and parts of Tanzania, who plan to boycott the Lambeth Conference this year. The rest of those at the Jerusalem Conference are from England, the United States, Australia and some countries in Asia and Latin America.

Clip Source: www.iht.com

New fears of Anglican schism over homosexuality

Once a decade, hundreds of bishops of the international Anglican Communion meet in Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference.

This summer, in the most tangible demonstration yet of the church's divide over homosexuality, hundreds of bishops are boycotting the Lambeth Conference and attending a rival meeting for conservative Anglicans in Jerusalem.

After five years of hinting at the possibility of schism, this is the most explicit threat that some conservatives are prepared to break from the Anglican Communion, the world's third-largest affiliation of Christian churches, with 77 million members.

They say they see a "parallel between contemporary events and events in England in the 16th century," when the Church of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church.

Microsoft Joins the Enterprise Social Network Race

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:15:05 GMT

clipped by: dgreplay
clipper's remarks: Microsoft in the hunt...let the games begin!

Clip Source: news.cnet.com

Microsoft on Thursday will reveal TownSquare, a social network for its business customers, according to Computerworld.

The service is reportedly similar to Facebook, in which Microsoft has a $240 million stake. Users can see others' feeds of what they are doing, upload and view photos, and connect with each other in teams. The site has been in use at Microsoft since Janurary, the story said.

TownSquare also reads in news feeds from the Web and workflow information from the SharePoint groupware platform, Computerworld said.

Another Microsoft social network experiement, Wallop, spun out of the company in 2006 and more recently rebuilt itself as a creator of social applications for other, larger social platforms. See more social experiments at Microsoft Research.

Tags: enterprise social network, microsoft, 2.0

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:03:56 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston -- public debate.

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Prof Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston present their arguments ahead of tonight's public debate

Yes, says Prof Daniel Dennett

No, says Lord Winston

If religion isn't the greatest threat to rationality and scientific progress, what is? Perhaps alcohol, or television, or addictive video games.

People are revered for their capacity to live in a dream world, to shield their minds from factual knowledge and make the major decisions of their lives by consulting voices in their heads that they call forth by rituals designed to intoxicate them.

"You cannot lose by professing belief in God - if He does not exist you lose nothing, and if He does exist, you will be rewarded in the afterlife." Dennett argues that it is better to live as if there is no God, attempting to make the world a rational and better place.

The debate on religion versus science will take place tonight at the British Council.

Tags: bible, christian, church, faith, religion, daniel dennett, lord winston

John McCain's revolutionary foreign policy proposal

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:04:05 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks:

Fareed Zakaria said:

In his speech McCain proposed that the United States expel Russia from the G8, the group of advanced industrial countries. Moscow was included in this body in the 1990s to recognize and reward it for peacefully ending the cold war on Western terms, dismantling the Soviet empire and withdrawing from large chunks of the old Russian Empire as well. McCain also proposed that the United States should expand the G8 by taking in India and Brazil—but pointedly excluded China from the councils of power.

Via Laura Rozen

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

We have spent months debating Barack Obama's suggestion that he might, under some circumstances, meet with Iranians and Venezuelans. It is a sign of what is wrong with the foreign-policy debate that this idea is treated as a revolution in U.S. policy while McCain's proposal has barely registered. What McCain has announced is momentous—that the United States should adopt a policy of active exclusion and hostility toward two major global powers. It would reverse a decades-old bipartisan American policy of integrating these two countries into the global order, a policy that began under Richard Nixon (with Beijing) and continued under Ronald Reagan (with Moscow). It is a policy that would alienate many countries in Europe and Asia who would see it as an attempt by Washington to begin a new cold war.

Tags: john mccain, foreign policy, cold war, russia, china

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:03:56 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston -- public debate.

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Prof Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston present their arguments ahead of tonight's public debate

Yes, says Prof Daniel Dennett

No, says Lord Winston

If religion isn't the greatest threat to rationality and scientific progress, what is? Perhaps alcohol, or television, or addictive video games.

The debate on religion versus science will take place tonight at the British Council.

Tags: bible, christian, church, faith, religion, daniel dennett, lord winston

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:03:56 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston -- public debate.

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Prof Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston present their arguments ahead of tonight's public debate

Yes, says Prof Daniel Dennett

No, says Lord Winston

If religion isn't the greatest threat to rationality and scientific progress, what is? Perhaps alcohol, or television, or addictive video games.

The debate on religion versus science will take place tonight at the British Council.

Tags: bible, christian, church, faith, religion, daniel dennett, lord winston

Gamers show Aspbergers traits

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:29:49 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: They are not suggesting that aspbergers syndrome is caused by gameplay, but the similar symptoms may give researchers new insight into the mechanism of autism.
No doubt the brain of a game player is having particular specific sections of the brain reinforced by the game play, leaving other areas to atrophy.
The biggest difference may be, that the thoughts of an aspberger's syndrome sufferer can be a complete mystery.
If you want to know what a gamer is thinking, you just have to watch them play the game.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Eric Bland

People who spend hours and hours playing video games exhibit the same personality traits as people with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, researchers say.

The new UK research fuels concerns that video games could further alienate an already isolated group of people and increase mental health problems like depression.

The more time a person spent playing video games, the researchers found, the more likely they were to show three specific traits usually associated with Asperger's: neuroticism and a lack of extraversion and agreeableness.

People with Asperger's typically find social situations stressful. They often can't make eye contact and fail to pick up social cues, like boredom, in other people.

Treatment for Asperger's usually consists of improving social skills and breaking repetitive behaviour, the very things video games discourage.

The condition tends to isolate children and can trigger depression, which according to researchers, video games may encourage.

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:03:56 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston -- public debate.

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Prof Daniel Dennett and Lord Winston present their arguments ahead of tonight's public debate

Yes, says Prof Daniel Dennett

No, says Lord Winston

If religion isn't the greatest threat to rationality and scientific progress, what is? Perhaps alcohol, or television, or addictive video games.

The debate on religion versus science will take place tonight at the British Council.

Tags: bible, christian, church, faith, religion, daniel dennett, lord winston

Lawmaker Muzzled After Mexican Slur

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:33:03 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

A Colorado legislator known for kicking a photographer was ordered to leave the podium of the state House of Representatives on Monday because he called Mexican workers "illiterate peasants."

State Rep. Douglas Bruce, who has a history of provoking controversy, made the comment during debate on a bill that would allow the state to help immigrant workers get temporary federal visas.

"I would like to have the opportunity to state at the microphone why I don't think we need 5,000 more illiterate peasants in Colorado," Bruce said.

His outburst drew an audible gasp from the House.

"How dare you," said state Rep. Kathleen Curry, a Democrat who was serving as chairwoman during the debate. She told the Republican lawmaker he was no longer recognized to speak.

House Minority Leader Mike May, head of the GOP caucus, said legislative leaders were trying to determine what action to take against Bruce.

Tags: politics, immigration, controversy

Chinese Tradition for Women -- bound feet

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:40:02 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: The problem with tradition.

Clip Source: incredimazing.com

Tags: chinese, tradition, bound feet

Evangelicals may go Democratic

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:12:33 GMT

clipped by: kelvin273
clipper's remarks: If a fair number of evangelicals were to actually vote for a liberal like Obama in the general election, that would mark a sea change in U.S. politics. I can't help but worry that Hell would also freeze over.

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Which Democrat is winning the battle for religious voters? God only knows.

For years, the evangelical community has largely supported Republican presidential candidates.

Conservative Christian activists, drawn by the party's stands on abortion, gay marriage and other social issues, have been among the GOP's most reliable foot soldiers. Watch how faith is playing into the election »

During the primary season, former Baptist minister Mike Huckabee appealed directly to evangelicals as one of their own -- but in opinion polls conducted early in the primary season, those voters preferred either Democrat to the former Arkansas governor.

Winning over religious voters, especially evangelicals, is still an uphill climb for any Democrat -- but for the first time in recent memory, the party believes its next nominee may have a prayer.

Tags: politics, religion, election