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Where the real power is

I posted this on Facebook today: A NOTE TO THE CANDIDATES: When your flyers arrive, they will go straight into the recycle bin conveniently by the mailbox. When your ads come on TV, I will change channels, mute, or walk out of the room. When your ads show up in newspapers or magazines, I will turn the page. Every dime you spend on attempting to influence my vote will be wasted. __________________ Instead, I will be watching what you do, what you say, and what the fact-checkers take note of. I... Sign in to see full entry.

Not every death is tragic...

Yesterday on Facebook, I read a complaint from someone who was fed up with the nation making a tragedy of an old man's death. Fellow Americans: Can we not make a tragedy of an old man dying when it is natural for a man to grow old and die? Similarly, can we not in all the unimaginable expanse of the universe find a more viral-worthy topic than a (in my opinion) HIDEOUS dress? New lows today, guys. New lows. I know her, in fact, at least well enough to know that she has not the excuse of youthful... Sign in to see full entry.

Have you heard of...?

Annicita's comment in one of my recent blogs has roused me to one of my current complaints about the bankruptcy of our culture. I was shocked a few years ago that a young man of 28 had never heard of Isaac Asimov. She suggests that many people outside of sci fi or who haven't been college-educated wouldn't know the name. Isaac Asimov wrote authoritatively in many fields and is known widely far outside the boundaries of science fiction. But we live in a time when what was once common knowledge or... Sign in to see full entry.

An issue of trust

Here is a very fair and useful article that it may disturb but cannot hurt anyone to read: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/science-doubters/achenbach-text This is my addendum to Achenbach's excellent explanation of why we choose to believe, or not. A point Achenbach touches over lightly is the issue of who and why we trust, or don't. In our society, perhaps practically all of human society, the guys who want more pie lie to others, to get those people to support giving them more pie.... Sign in to see full entry.

Such a fuss!

So, Brian Williams 'embellished' a story. Possibly more than one. Who died because of it? Whose life was wrecked, who paid a price for this exaggeration of detail to tell a more colorful, more affecting story? We put up with the 'embellishments' of advertisers, and learn to toss a grain of salt into our acceptance of what's told us in commercials. We 'embellish' our own stories, making it more fun, more exciting, more moving. If some slight alteration in the facts occurs, deliberately or... Sign in to see full entry.

Terrorism: not about religion

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/02/03/how-to-win-the-war-against-extremism-in-one-very-difficult-step/ And yet... how can American protest endemic high-level corruption in the rest of the world, before we do some major housekeeping at home. Sign in to see full entry.

"The biggest communication problem

"...is we do not listen to understand: We listen to reply." Found this on Facebook yesterday. It's unattributed. I'll add to it another consideration that by no means originates with me: Most of us are not listening at all, we are busy preparing what we will say next. Sign in to see full entry.

A new zoo notion

I visualize a zoo where the environment is a vast open space with a few necessary fences to keep some of the inhabitants from eating others, and an overhead covered or contained walkway for human visitors to see and appreciate the animals in as natural a habitat as possible. Cages are prisons. But zoos don't have to be. They may be the only way to preserve some species that are preyed upon by poachers, for example, in the wild. In a zoo, life is easier: food is provided at regular intervals, and... Sign in to see full entry.

A new zoo notion

I visualize a zoo where the environment is a vast open space with a few necessary fences to keep some of the inhabitants from eating others, and an overhead covered or contained walkway for human visitors to see and appreciate the animals in as natural a habitat as possible. Cages are prisons. But zoos don't have to be. They may be the only way to preserve some species that are preyed upon by poachers, for example, in the wild. In a zoo, life is easier: food is provided at regular intervals, and... Sign in to see full entry.

The answer to the 'clicks' question:

Direct from the Greater Good website The GreaterGood network of websites started with one simple idea: take one action everyone does every day – a click on a website – and turn it into a force for good. The Hunger Site was the first to launch in 1999. Sponsors would pay to have their ads viewed on The Hunger Site’s thank-you page; each click would be recorded and generate sponsor funds, and those funds went directly to charity to provide food for people in need. In the first nine months, the... Sign in to see full entry.

Loosely Speaking

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Where the real power is

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Not every death is tragic...

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Have you heard of...?

Sunday, February 22, 2015

An issue of trust

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Such a fuss!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Terrorism: not about religion

"The biggest communication problem

Monday, January 26, 2015

A new zoo notion

A new zoo notion

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The answer to the 'clicks' question:

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