Thread for links you think are really cool.

Posted: November 20th, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Discussion | 25 Comments »

Post any links you find interesting, inspiring etc. here. Feel free to discuss posted links.

"The Pale Blue Dot: The picture of Earth from 4 billion miles away. As told by Carl Sagan through some my favorite films set to the music of Mogwai."

25 Comments on “Thread for links you think are really cool.”

  1. 1 kyle said at 5:12 pm on November 20th, 2007:

    Nothing tempers the ego like knowledge of our infinitesimal existence within infinity…

    Really great clip. I should sit down and read Cosmos one of these days, Sagan is the man…

  2. 2 christina said at 8:52 pm on November 27th, 2007:

    moveon.org

  3. 3 shanelynn said at 10:20 pm on November 27th, 2007:

    http://www.barbelith.com/

    Amazing forum. No bullshit discussions, no non-sense. You gotta know your shit when you play with these guys. Takes about a month for membership to get through. But the topics they discuss and argue are worth having a look at for how others have set up a wonderful arena of argument on the internet.

    I do warn you though, if you head in there talking about saving the world they’ll slaughter you.

  4. 4 christina said at 3:49 am on November 28th, 2007:

    What makes you think that people that want to save the world are so easily slaughtered?

  5. 5 shanelynn said at 4:51 am on November 28th, 2007:

    It’s been rehashed hundreds of times, it gets a little old after awhile, hearing everyone’s plans and what not.

  6. 6 shanelynn said at 5:01 am on November 28th, 2007:

    This thing about emergence changed how I look at everything forever.

    http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2005/02/18
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence

  7. 7 christina said at 5:10 am on November 28th, 2007:

    I can see how it could get old, everyone wanting to save the world and all, I guess. There are those that have a genuine interest in making things better and when thinking about things as an evolutionary track, I must say, interest in making things better seems extremely important.

  8. 8 lev said at 5:13 am on November 28th, 2007:

    christina wrote:

    Quote:

    I can see how it could get old, everyone wanting to save the world and all, I guess. There are those that have a genuine interest in making things better and when thinking about things as an evolutionary track, I must say, interest in making things better seems extremely important.

    surely that’s not what motivates you though; a practical reasoning?

  9. 9 shanelynn said at 5:49 am on November 28th, 2007:
    Quote:

    and when thinking about things as an evolutionary track,

    I have no idea what evolutionary track means.

  10. 10 lev said at 8:36 am on November 28th, 2007:

    shanelynn wrote:

    Quote:
    Quote:

    and when thinking about things as an evolutionary track,

    I have no idea what evolutionary track means.

    supporting the species is evolutionarily justified.

  11. 11 christina said at 4:11 pm on November 28th, 2007:

    Yes that is what I mean but I am not sure if that is what motivates me. A lot motivates me, I just have to figure out what to do with it.

  12. 12 Azion11 said at 10:26 pm on November 28th, 2007:

    How is a genuine interest in making things better not practical Lev? It surely motivates me, maybe not the only thing that does, but it probably is number one. I mean from all the major philosophies like egoism to utilitarianism to altruism, the basic goal is to make things better. I hope my demeanor seems nonabrasive, typing has a way to lose tonality, but with a tone of genuine interest, what motivates you Lev?

  13. 13 lev said at 12:24 am on November 29th, 2007:

    Azion11 wrote:

    Quote:

    How is a genuine interest in making things better not practical Lev? It surely motivates me, maybe not the only thing that does, but it probably is number one. I mean from all the major philosophies like egoism to utilitarianism to altruism, the basic goal is to make things better. I hope my demeanor seems nonabrasive, typing has a way to lose tonality, but with a tone of genuine interest, what motivates you Lev?

    you misunderstood. i was curious whether her sole motivation was practicality.

    motivations for what? i don’t recall stating any goals.

    though i am loathe to be trite i wouldn’t mind changing the world and i’m motivated by empathy.

  14. 14 Azion11 said at 7:35 am on November 29th, 2007:
    Quote:

    motivations for what? i don’t recall stating any goals.

    The general interest to make things better motivates me to learn more about the world and to benefit people in the best way possible (and also to define what beneficial really means), and I was talking about goals of most ideologies, because I thought that you didn’t think that making things better was practical reasoning.

    But yeah, I see what you meant now, sorry for the misinterpretation. I’m glad that you have interest in changing the world, especially with empathy as your motivator, I feel sometimes that is the only way to make people realize that we need to do something to change the world. There have been children studies where children don’t understand why adults punish them for stealing toys from other children, or call each other names, or even physically fighting, however they do understand and change their actions when the adults put it into the context "how would you feel if he did it to you?" I feel as if children in grade school need empathy classes.

  15. 15 lev said at 9:17 am on November 29th, 2007:

    i think you need a concrete concept of self before you can have a concept of others and therefore experience empathy so that doesn’t suprise me about little kids.

  16. 16 jenbot said at 9:15 pm on November 29th, 2007:

    I stole this from an email, but the provider of the rad info is at the bottom :)

    Fresh Air from WHYY, November 26, 2007 · Investigative reporter Mark Schapiro explains in a new book that toxic chemicals exist in many of the products we handle every day — agents that can cause cancer, genetic damage and birth defects, lacing everything from our gadgets to our toys to our beauty products.

    And unlike the European Union, the U.S. doesn’t require businesses to minimize them — or even to list them, so consumers can evaluate the risks. Schapiro argues that that policy isn’t just bad for public health: In an increasingly green economy, he says, American businesses stand to get shut out of a huge market.

    Schapiro, editorial director of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, has written for Harper’s, The Nation, Mother Jones and The Atlantic Monthly. His book is called Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products, and What’s at Stake for American Power.

    To listen to this story, visit http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16616951&sc=emaf.

    And here’s a different website with valuable info about safe vs. unsafe products, including baby bottles: http://thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=44&sec=3.

    Donna Betts, PhD, ATR-BC
    http://www.art-therapy.us
    850.294.4608
    DonnaBettsATRBC@aol.com
    Adjunct Professor, The Florida State University
    Member, ATCB Board of Directors
    Editorial Board member, The Arts in Psychotherapy: An International Journal

  17. 17 christina said at 8:31 pm on December 4th, 2007:

    http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/plan/writeabusinessplan/index.html

    http://wordpress.com/tag/creative-nonfiction/

    http://www.cmmayo.com/onpublishingtheliteraryshortstory.htm

  18. 18 christina said at 6:23 am on December 6th, 2007:

    great movie

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2608378371506756422&q=wittgenstein&total=225&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

  19. 19 jenbot said at 5:06 pm on December 24th, 2007:

    http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/24/china.text.ap/index.html

    China shut down a Tibetan forum.

    grrr

    It just goes to show you how powerful writing forums are!

  20. 20 christina said at 9:41 pm on December 31st, 2007:

    That is why action needs to be taking place. I know I need to start working harder than ever on my endeavors for the world and myself; life is throwing me for a bit of a loop right now but I look forward to applying myself to my utmost ability.

  21. 21 frynchfry said at 7:05 pm on January 11th, 2008:

    Have you guys heard of http://www.freerice.com? I was linked to it on facebook. It’s this word game where you choose the best definition/synonym for the word they give you and for every word you get right the donate rice to hungry people.

  22. 22 christina said at 7:15 am on January 21st, 2008:

    Nope but I am glad more people are getting fed.

  23. 23 jenbot said at 1:29 am on January 31st, 2008:

    http://ssdp.org/index.php

  24. 24 jenbot said at 7:51 pm on May 28th, 2008:

    http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/elections/obama-or-mccain.html

  25. 25 christina said at 6:48 pm on February 14th, 2011:

    http://arstechnica.com/civis/index.php

    the have some pretty interesting conversations in the forums ;)

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