Clipmarks | wildcat's Comments

World As Lover; World As Self

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:48:09 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: Go read this

Seeing the world as oneself - or as a lover - transforms ordinary reality and provides a greater sense of purpose

by Joanna Macy

Spiritual traditions have tended to look at the world in four major ways: as a battlefield, as a trap, as a lover, and as the self. The first two - as a stage set for our moral battles or as a prison to escape - are probably familiar, and have in many ways contributed to our lack of care for the world. But what of the other two? Might they shed some useful light on life in an interconnected world?

The way we define and delimit the self is arbitrary. We can place it between our ears and have it looking out from our eyes, or we can widen it to include the air we breathe, or at other moments, we can cast its boundaries farther to include the oxygen-giving trees and plankton, our external lungs, and beyond them the web of life in which they are sustained.

Tags: lover, self, world

World As Lover; World As Self

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:48:09 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: Go read this

Clip Source: www.context.org

Seeing the world as oneself - or as a lover - transforms ordinary reality and provides a greater sense of purpose

by Joanna Macy

Tags: lover, self, world

All-purpose tanuki testicles (prints by Kuniyoshi)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:33:57 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: Recently finished reading Tom Robbins' "Villa Incognito" (recommended) in which, one of the main protagonists, is a Tanuki (or rather 'The' Tanuki). So I found these prints even more amusing.

Clip Source: www.pinktentacle.com

In the mid-1840s, ukiyo-e master Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) created a number of woodblock prints showing legendary tanuki (raccoon dogs) using their humorously large scrota in creative ways.

River fishing

Shelter from evening showers

Rokurokubi (long-necked monster) disguise

Net fishing

Making dashi (soup stock)

Weightlifting

Catfish mallet

Coming and going

Making mochi

Visiting Konpira, the guardian deity of seafaring

Boy’s festival

Cause of chronic abdominal pain

Shichifukujin (the Seven Lucky Gods) disguise

Fortune-telling tent

Shop signs

River crossing

Towboat

Seine fishing

See more of Kuniyoshi’s tanuki images at Kuniyoshi Project (1, 2).

Tags: testicles, tanuki, kuniyoshi

Understanding does not diminish Awe

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:52:50 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: "The religious experience is, at best, a stunted variety of this feeling. Awe without understanding, or at least the desire for understanding, degenerates into mysticism: viewing a mystery not as a challenge to be solved, but something to be worshipped for its own sake. Mysticism states that ignorance is a desirable condition, a state we should glory in. This attitude only keeps us frightened and ignorant, and worst of all, robs us of the deeper and more genuine awe that comes with comprehension. I say, let us explore. There may be problems too high or too deep for us, mysteries we cannot penetrate - but so far, we haven't found any, and if there are any, they will not need to be protected from our investigations."

Clip Source: www.daylightatheism.org

Moving Beyond Awe

The nineteenth-century German theologian Rudolf Otto, in his book The Idea of the Holy, popularized the term "numinous", an adjective describing the sense of mystery and wonder that purportedly stems from the presence of a deity. According to Otto, the sense of the numinous had two main characteristics: the mysterium tremendum, the sense of fear and trembling that comes from the presence of that which is wholly other, and the mysterium fascinas, the sense of fascination and curiosity that such an experience evokes.

Otto's theology concisely sums up the categories of religious experience. But the problem with his conception of the numinous is that it lacks one very important quality - understanding.

For Otto, as for many theists, the numinous is not something we should seek to comprehend.

there is no mention of penetrating the mystery

pulling back the curtain of our ignorance

what humanity has been doing throughout its history: piercing the mysteries that surround us

Tags: atheism, religion, understanding, awe

The Great Designer Baby Controversy of ’09

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:16:44 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: This will probably become in the coming yrs one of the most heated controversaries we will come across as a species. we do not yet have the philosophy (and by implication ethics) to go with such technological advancements. having said that, the motion is inexorable and we need prepare our arguments.

Clip Source: www.hplusmagazine.com

The Fertility Institutes Back Away From Making History

You may not know it, but gender selection based on pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been available to paying couples since at least 2001. One of the world leaders in providing this service is the Fertility Institutes, with branches in Los Angeles, New York, and Guadalajara in Mexico. According to their website, they’ve had over 3,800 cases of gender selection with a 100% success rate. Besides offering gender selection, they screen embryos for genetic defects such as breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, and over 70 other diseases. The Institutes are directed by Dr. Jeff Steinberg, a pioneer of IVF (in vitro fertilization) in the 1970s, and a successful scientist-businessman today.

James Hughes said, “the term ‘designer babies’ is an insult to parents, because it basically says parents don’t have their kids’ best interests at heart.

Tags: designer babies, fertility, human reproduction, traits

The Great Designer Baby Controversy of ’09

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:16:44 GMT

Clip Source: www.hplusmagazine.com

The Fertility Institutes Back Away From Making History

James Hughes said, “the term ‘designer babies’ is an insult to parents, because it basically says parents don’t have their kids’ best interests at heart.

Tags: designer babies, fertility, human reproduction, traits

Worry is a misuse of the imagination.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:12:46 GMT

clipped by: tidbit2

Clip Source: twitter.com

Worry is a misuse of the imagination.

"WATCHMEN": THE CURIOUS CASE OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:37:01 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: loved the movie..

Clip Source: www.moreintelligentlife.com

"Returning to men in tights after a 15-year world-literature binge, I was almost overwhelmed by Alan Moore's 'Watchmen'," writes Garth Risk Hallberg. He's startled by the comic's complexity, but stumbles over the term "graphic novel" ...

If fiction can be likened to a high–a “vivid, continuous dream,” as John Gardner put it–comic books were my gateway drug. I discovered the Marvel and DC Universes at age 13, and spent hundreds of hours (and dollars) exploring them. This was the early 1990s, a heady era for superhero enthusiasts. There was Todd McFarlane's "Spider-Man", Rob Liefield's "New Mutants", Peter David's under-appreciated "X-Factor" and the pitch-black Batman book "Legends of the Dark Knight". Surveying these offerings at my local comic shop, I felt lucky to be alive in my time. The clerks told me I had an Englishman named Alan Moore to thank.

Tags: comics, graphic novel, watchmen

For the best risotto, you SHOULDN'T stir constantly?

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:59:34 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks: I've never made risotto, in part because the "you must stir CONSTANTLY or it will be RUINED" seemed unappealing. According to Mark Bittman, that's not necessary. Hm.`

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Almost every cook believes (incorrectly) that risotto must be stirred constantly while you’re making it. So it was with joy that I discovered that I could follow my own tendency to walk away from the simmering rice for minutes at a time and still get great risotto. You need to stir no more than occasionally. For example, after each addition of liquid and then once or twice more before that liquid evaporates.

This risotto is notable because it contains sufficient quantities of fat and is finished with a puree of asparagus, which heightens both color and flavor. It is served quite loose and soupy: the creamy brothiness is lovely.

Start with asparagus no less than a quarter-inch thick. Peel the stalks first. Don’t forget the butter. And remember not to stir too much.

I had the opportunity last year to see it made by the chef Mario Batali. (Mr. Batali is a frequent guest on “The Best Recipes in the World,” a television show of which I am the host and The New York Times is a producer.)

Tags: food, cooking, recipes, mark-bittman, rice, risotto

car2go Daimler's Rent-by-Mobile-Phone Car-Sharing Concept

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:46:19 GMT

clipped by: rj3sp

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

smart car2go

[Video]

Clip Source: www.prnewswire.com

car2go goes USA - Daimler introduces innovative mobility concept in Austin, Texas

Ulm, Germany / Austin, TX (March 26, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — Daimler will bring its innovative car2go mobility concept to the U.S. by fall of this year. The first international pilot will start in the Texas capital Austin with an initial fleet of about 200 fuel-efficient smart fortwo cars. car2go provides a simple, flexible, and cost-effective solution for city driving. The U.S. introduction coincides with the expansion of the pilot in Ulm, Germany, where the company opens the service to the public on March 26 after the internal test which started last October.

The car2go concept is based on a fleet of smart fortwo vehicles which are available for rent to registered members at any time, 24/7, making city driving as easy as using a mobile phone.

Clip Source: reviews.cnet.com

Renting a smart Fortwo for by the minute, hour, or day is one of the newest forms of transportation heading to Austin, Texas.

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

Smart car2go, From Ulm to Austin

Tags: car2go, daimler, mobile, phone, car, transport, cars

Think about the future - Quotes - Natasha vita-more

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 07:19:00 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "Death is only for those who tire easily, bore quickly, and are over satiated with living. The rest of us just want to stick around".

Clip Source: www.natasha.cc

Think about the future

n a t a s h a v i t a - m o r e

the first female philosopher of transhumanism"

Clip Source: www.natasha.cc

Quotes in print.

Death is only for those who tire easily, bore quickly, and are over satiated with living. The rest of us just want to stick around.

'Age before beauty' is one of my favorite myths because I love to defy it. Catherine Deneuve, in her late 50s looks beautiful and classy. Raquel Welch was the hit of the 1996 Academy Awards party at Spago’s in West Hollywood. Sophia Loren, in her 60s, looks glamorous and elegant. I know, I sat near her at the Palm Springs Film Festival tribute in her honor. These women are more than celebrities and idols — they are myth breakers

Whenever I hear the words, 'How old are you,' I stutter for an answer: My chronological age is a matter of years in existence, my biological age is vital, my psychological age is growing, my emotional age is mature, my functional age is young."

The Vision of Total Personality Unfoldment in Web 3.0

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:35:07 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: An important take on the coming future of education

Clip Source: twiningvines.wordpress.com

The vision of Web 3.0, better known as the Semantic Web, is one in which humanity’s search for meaning (not just information) is governed by machine intelligences—and these machines—intelligent agents—not only locate relevant information, but coordinate and unify it according to our individual needs.

At the time of this writing, a number of preliminary technologies have already appeared, harbingers of the third decade of the web to come. (See the Web3 Learning Network for examples.) Educators had better pay attention to this. If technologists succeed in reframing the utility of the web so that “search” is resolved to near-instantaneous “answer,” the roles of the teacher and student in our planetary educational culture will undergo the most dramatic shift since the extinction of the Neanderthals. This shift will be both disruptive and liberating. It will be a shift that we can, and should, prepare for.

Tags: learning, semantic web, web 3.0, education

Readability

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:09:28 GMT

clipped by: Djiezes
clipper's remarks: An easy to use & configure bookmarklet that strips unnecessary content from a webpage (sidebars, ads, etc.) and presents you with an easy-to-read text (larger font, etc).

Clip Source: www.basement.org

Readability, a small but powerful little bookmarklet that cleans up Web pages worth reading:

Readability was created because prose on the Web is becoming increasingly painful to read. It cleans up a page and presents only the content worth reading in a customizable “reading view.”

The reception so far has been great. People are clearly frustrated with all the insanity that surrounds posts and articles these days.

You can install Readability in your Safari, Firefox or IE7+ browsers by visiting the setup page. It takes just a few seconds.

Tags: readability, reading, web

God or Multiverse?

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:36:32 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is there a God or a multiverse? Does modern cosmology force us to choose? Is it the case that the apparent fine-tuning of constants and forces to make the universe just right for life means there is either a need for a "tuner" or else a cosmos in which every possible variation of these constants and forces exists somewhere?

Even strongly atheistic physicists seem to believe the choice is unavoidable

the choice

is false

If divinity is an explanation for anything, it is not a scientific explanation

another alternative, so-called "top-down" cosmology. The idea here is that observation is needed to bring the universe into full being

highly speculative

what is meant by observation in this context

In the early stages of the universe

it might be that the interactions of subatomic particles would function as observations

conscious observers finally emerge

human consciousness itself will come to be seen as but part of the story

introduce into physics phenomena like mind, purpose and intentionality

It's been 3 years, guys...

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:30:17 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: omega.wordpress.com

Yes guys, time runs really fast. Three years ago today, I joined Clipmarks and my online experience has never been the same since the very first day I start clipping. No other web site, online service or community could give me so much valuable things that Clipmarks and the “clippiverse” generously offered. I enjoyed every single day very much and I learned so many things here, following your clips or reading your comments. More important than this, I have many good friends now all around the world - some of them have already become “old pals” for me.

So, thank you again EricG, Adam, EricSkiff, Derek and EricW: I owe all these to you. Hope to celebrate my 4th, 5th, 6th ….. clippiversaries here together!

And dear clippers, my friends, thank you for sharing your knowledge, feelings, recommendations and friendship.

Tags: clipmarks