Clipmarks | Dignity Clips

Human rights presupposes the correct anthropology

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:47:42 GMT

clipped by: keith0718

The monsignor asked, "Relativistic notions of what it means to be a person offer insufficient justification and defense of human rights; because if rights are absolute, how can they be founded on a notion that is merely relative?"

He added: "Human rights, therefore, must be grounded in the objective requirements of human nature. Otherwise, in some cases the human person is marked by a permanent dignity, and rights that are always and everywhere valid; in other cases a person may not have a permanent dignity, and negotiable rights.

Obama and Buckley

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:54:12 GMT

clipped by: sillysam

Clip Source: corner.nationalreview.com

The story Christopher tells of McCain's great character has no real analogue in Obama. He may be in private a deeply honorable man, but his public record is one of accommodation, shortcuts, dishonest equivocations, serious leftwing sympathies and fellow-traveling with some awful people. Obama, let us recall, threw his own grandmother under the rhetorical bus in order to defend his relationship with Jeremiah Wright. That he sounded dignified doing it does not confer dignity on the act itself or the man behind it. That is surely not all there is to say about Obama, many of his friends and fans speak very well of him. But the scales Christopher uses to weigh one man against the other seem awfully rigged to me.

Bush Denounces 'Dungeon' of Cuba

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:52:25 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: You'd think Bush was speaking of his own dictatorial reign, eh? "Our great nation that believes in human rights and human dignity, blah, blah, blah..." Hahahaha! What a joke! Tell that to the people of Iraq or Afghanistan or the people wasting away in Gitmo! I'd bet Castro's popularity ratings are higher than yours!

Bush, why don't you just STFU? Fix your own country, who is "being repressed by a handful of elites" first, before trying to impose your twisted version of "freedom", on everyone else!

Lift the embargo. The age of the red scare is dead and gone. It's the red, white and blue scare, most of the world is concerned about these days...SIR!

Clip Source: rawstory.com

Bush denounces 'dungeon' of Cuba

Calling Cuba a "dungeon" off US shores, US President George W. Bush said Friday that the US economic embargo would remain in place until Havana fully embraces democratic reforms.

"It's so sad that right off the shores of our great nation that believes in human rights and human dignity exists this dungeon. But someday Cuba will be free," Bush told an audience of Cuban-Americans.

Bush has said the US embargo in place since 1962 must only be lifted after Cuba allows unfettered freedom of speech, frees political prisoners, and holds free and fair elections.

"Until then we won't change, because our message is to the Cuban people, you're being repressed by a handful of elites that are holding back your great potential," he said Friday.

the Castro people are only interested in themselves and their power, and not to the benefit and welfare of the Cuban people," said the US president.

Cuba

urged Washington

to open private lines of credit for food import

And Bush

rejected.

If you suddenly fall ill, do your loved ones know your wishes?

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:39:50 GMT

clipped by: Lexica
clipper's remarks:

The Five Wishes document helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your wishes with your family and physician.

Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:
1. Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
3. How comfortable you want to be.
4. How you want people to treat you.
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
…
The document speaks to people in their own language, not in "doctor speak" or "lawyer talk." It can be used in the living room instead of the emergency room. And it helps families talk with their physician about a difficult subject.

Clip Source: www.agingwithdignity.org

Something is terribly wrong: The majority of Americans prefer to die at home surrounded by family and friends, but too many end up dying in the hospital or nursing home, surrounded and cared for by strangers. Half of Americans die in pain that could have been treated. The sick and elderly have come to fear losing their dignity or burdening their families even more than they fear death.

In 1997 Aging with Dignity introduced the Five Wishes advance directive in Florida, and a year later, to the nation. Five Wishes proved immediately popular because it is written in plain English, not medical or legal jargon, and helps people express in their own words their wishes for the kind of care they want in advance of a serious illness. Five Wishes is a legally-valid tool you can use to ensure your wishes and those of your loved ones will be respected even if you can't speak for yourself.

Tags: aging, health, medicine, medical, illness, death, advance-directive, living-will

Religious Hate Speech

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:21:31 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: The view from one of the believers. If you care to wade through this drivel you will be entertained by a multitude of false assertions, straw men, and arguments from ignorance. The depth of illogic is stunning. It's sad that many people who read this sort of crap swallow it as readily as they do the dogma behind it.

Clip Source: www.dailyevergreen.com

Atheism has no morals

We are special, reducing our complexity is wrong

The Daily Evergreen

Published: 10/07/2008

The pure materialist atheism that is supported by such prominent atheists as Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion” and developer of the theory of memes, lacks any morality and justifies the world’s worst atrocities. Often you may hear Dawkins and others telling people what they should and shouldn’t do, so let’s examine their moral credibility from their own principles.

Pure materialism rejects the existence of anything beyond matter and its interactions. When all events in the universe are reduced to the colliding of atoms, there’s no room for good or bad. These interactions are purposeless and irrational.

Because of this reductionism of everything, materialists argue that humans are the same as animals, thus taking away the dignity humans have.

Some pics of the Ig nobel prizes :)

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:44:04 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Ig Nobel Prizes

Ig Nobel last year for their research of sword swallowing

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Physics

heaps of hair, or string, will inevitably tangle

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Peace

adopting the principle that plants have dignity

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Nutrition

food tastes better if it sounds better. So, the crispier, the tastier

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Biology

fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than fleas that live on cats

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Archaeology

detailing the ability of armadillos to move artifacts up, down, and even laterally by several yards at archaeological dig sites.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Medicine

people felt better when they took more expensive fake medicines than cheaper fake medicines.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Chemistry

Diet Coke's effectiveness as a spermicide.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Economics

exotic dancers make more money when they are at peak of their fertility cycles.

"some lap dancers have scheduled shifts based on this research."

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Cognitive Science

slime molds can do more than just feed on microorganisms in decaying vegetable matter; they can also solve puzzles.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Literature

A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations

Tags: nobel prizes

Remember Your Roman Numerals

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:46:39 GMT

clipped by: LindasHere55
clipper's remarks: Refreshing to say the least.

Clip Source: www.novaroma.org

The Romans were active in trade and commerce, and from the time of learning to write they needed a way to indicate numbers.

Roman numerals traditionally indicate the order of rulers or ships who share the same name (i.e. Queen Elizabeth II). They are also sometimes still used in the publishing industry for copyright dates, and on cornerstones and gravestones when the owner of a building or the family of the deceased wishes to create an impression of classical dignity. The Roman numbering system also lives on in our languages, which still use Latin word roots to express numerical ideas. A few examples: unilateral, duo, quadricep, septuagenarian, decade, milliliter.

The big differences between Roman and Arabic numerals (the ones we use today) are that Romans didn't have a symbol for zero, and that numeral placement within a number can sometimes indicate subtraction rather than addition.

Here are the basics:

Tags: language, roman numerals

In Search of Wisdom: What is the Root Cause of Inequality?

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:00:16 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: When there is nothing quantifiable to possess, we would neither know what the share of each individual is nor think of equality; if there was no notion of equality, we would not care that some have more than the others. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is always something to be possessed and our mind is naturally keen on the subject of equality

Clip Source: www.nepalnews.com

The most profound factor in perpetuating human inequality is the inequity in the opportunity to develop and then utilize the intellectual capacity of individuals. The “capacity” and “courage” of individuals and equity in the available “conditions” together determine how solid our fundamentals are in building an equitable society.

s not it the desire of each of us to live with growing wealth that surpasses everyone else’s? Yet, the same "we" seek justice, equality, and social responsibility when we are in the receiving end. We want us to be treated with equal dignity when we run into profound difficulties like natural disaster, illness, unemployment, failure, or injustice. The duality of prosperity and equality is such that they are irreducibly distinct yet one gains significance only in the existence of the other.

They are like body and mind, which are distinct but one could not have existed without the other

Tags: inequality, society

Plants have Inherent Dignity -- Swiss

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:23:43 GMT

clipped by: iulawboy
clipper's remarks: I'm all for respecting life and to not destroy it arbitrarily, but this may go too far.

Clip Source: www.practicalethicsnews.com

The Swiss federal Gene Technology Law stipulates that any scientific research should respect the "dignity of creation". All plant biotechnology grant applications must now state how they take plant dignity into consideration

The guidelines give a fine overview of ethical considerations related to the value of plants in themselves (rather than to humans or in relation to anything else)

The main problem is the lack of clear examples of plants being handled in undignified ways.

One of the few examples given is "terminator technology", modifying plants so that their offspring are sterile. Does this imply that seedless grapes or any of the other commonly used agricultural plants that do not reproduce sexually are an affront to the dignity of creation? Should researchers try to help naturally asexually reproducing species to reproduce in a more dignified manner?

Tags: switzerland, plant dignity, research, ethics

Coke is a spermicide -- Ig Noble winners 2008

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:13:34 GMT

clipped by: iulawboy
clipper's remarks: The Swiss believe that plants have dignity -- what does that mean for the future of farming?

Clip Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com

For discovering that Coke is a spermicide, Anderson and her team are among this year's winners of the Ig Nobel Prize, the annual award given by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine to oddball but often surprisingly practical scientific achievements.

also honored a British psychologist who found foods that sound better taste better; researchers who discovered exotic dancers make more money when they are at peak fertility

Coca-Cola is a spermicide and that Diet Coke works best. Their study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985.

other award winners:

Peace: The Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology and the citizens of Switzerland for adopting the legal principle that plants have dignity.

Medicine: Dan Ariely for demonstrating that expensive fake medicine is more effective than cheap fake medicine.

Tags: ig noble, coke, exotic dancers, fertility, diet coke, new england journal of medicine, switzerland, dignity, placebo effect

IgNobel research prizes awarded

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:46:08 GMT

clipped by: pcmkrfn

Clip Source: www.weirduniverse.net

2008 IgNobels

Clip Source: www.weirduniverse.net

Ten science research prizes were awarded last night: biology (fleas on dogs jump further than fleas on cats), nutrition (modifying the sound of potato-chip crunching to make the eater think they're fresher than they are), physics (all string will eventually tangle itself up), chemistry (competing findings that Coca-Cola is/isn't an effective spermicide), archaeology, medicine, cognitive science, economics, literature, and peace (Swiss scientists declaring that plants have dignity). Agence France-Presse via Yahoo /// Annals of Improbable Research

orwell's inspiration,,, the G.O.P.

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:33:24 GMT

clipped by: doodleicious

Clip Source: www.smirkingchimp.com

Orwell's Inspiration ... The G.O.P.

The meltdown of the U.S. Financial Industry, and its subsequent bailout by Congress, is a harbinger of a future when corporate forces will control the world’s resources and use them to control populations. Never, in U.S. history, have the People’s Representatives been so brazenly disloyal to their sworn pledge to hold the people’s interests above all others.

Congressional loyalty, with its constitutional oath of office, is today a quaint reminder of a bygone age. There was a time when Congressional Representatives were honored to stand up for their districts, their neighbors. Today‘s Congress is emptying the National Treasury. Dignity, honor, the truth be damned. Congress works for the ones who pay them. The people don't have enough money to expect their representatives to care about them.

Tags: politics, economy

Roger Ebert's Analysis of McCain

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:03:50 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: McCain either thinks he is too good to speak to Obama or has something to hide. I think both are the case. McCain married into money and is simply an Ultra Rich Bitch and now considers himself above the average American. So if in office he will not work for the American people, but for big corporations and the ultra rich.
He really should take a lesson from some of the very wealthy in Silicon Valley who do good with their money and treat people of all levels with dignity and respect.

Clip Source: rogerebert.suntimes.com

by Roger Ebert

I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest.

Tags: mccain, obama, elections, us, republican, democarat, roger ebert, body language, debate

Get ready for the next debate :)

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:36:48 GMT

clipped by: prin1
clipper's remarks: This is hilarious! I wish I'd found it before last night!

Clip Source: wonkette.com

Your Debate Drinking Game!

We are in a crisis. You may substitute whatever pills — except vitamins — or smoke your marijuana or whatever when the Game requires you to consume a specific pill. Generics are acceptable only if you can afford the name brand.

Whenever John McCain says “My Friends”:

Two drinks (or one shot), poke the breast of the person to your right and smile creepily.

When Barack Obama shakes his head with dignity:

Shake your own head with dignity, take the beverage from the person to your left, and tell them to go get you a new drink because you are not going to get AIDS from their backwash/lipstick.

When McCain says anything about his family:

Angrily drink half a beer or half a glass of wine and call your host a cunt.

When Obama stutters about some foreign-policy trick question probably about Israel:

Get on your knees, look to the East, and do a shot.

When McCain makes his first reference to being a prisoner of war:

Everybody get in a box and take a Vicodin.

Dying in a Plane Crash... A Request

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:52:07 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: STFU or I swear I'll do it!

Clip Source: www.craigslist.org

I have a recurring dream about dying in a plane crash.

It's happened so much I feel that I'm as much an expert

I'm not superstitious. I'm not afraid to fly. But on the off-hand chance this dream turns prophetic, I feel qualified enough to make a request for anyone unfortunate enough to be on that plane with me...

I don't mind the idea of dying

The thing that does bother me is what happens during that final plummet. Yes it's terrifying. But please, for the love of God, what's with the screaming?

while I'm facing my imminent demise

you're ruining the last few moments of everyone else's existence with your incessant shrill chimpanzee-like shrieking.

Of what possible use is a last-minute vocal exercise going to serve other than to completely annoy everyone around you

All I'm asking for a bit of reverence so we may die in dignity. If you treat it like a fucking roller coaster, I swear I'm going to punch you square in the kisser for depriving me of this... and I'm pretty sure I'll get away with it.