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-rePost-Marginal Revolution: "Small steps toward a much better world"

Excellent Dissection of the Motto: “Small steps toward a much better world”, please read the whole thing,I especially like the last comment of tyler.

James Hudson, a philosopher and a loyal MR reader (it turns out I already know and admire his work), emails me the following observations:
Does anyone share my feeling that your slogan, “Small steps toward a much better world,” is odd?
But now it is long and so it goes under the fold…
First, better than what? I suppose it’s better than the world we have now; but then the “world” of the slogan is not a whole possible world, which would persist throughout time, but rather a temporal segment or slice of a possible world. We don’t now “have” a whole world; what we have is the present time-slice of the world. Or you might say that what we have is the whole past-and-present–the temporal segment of the world from the Beginning to Now; but this would be less suitable for comparison with what you are striving toward, so I will assume that the present time-slice or “state-of-affairs” is the intended standard of comparison.
Marginal Revolution: “Small steps toward a much better world”.

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Learned Today – – Why the Catholic church can't ignore science – science-in-society – 06 February 2009 – New Scientist

The Catholic church has understood this in other contexts. Official Catholic doctrine, as outlined in the 2004 document Communion and Stewardship, accepts the reality of biological evolution, and that the theory of evolution is compatible with the Bible. It has had to recognise that it would be fruitless to claim that evolution is inconsistent with a belief in God, because evolution did occur and is the source of the diversity of life on Earth. A similar argument earlier led the Catholic church to accept the reality of a heliocentric solar system and the existence of other stars and galaxies.
Why the Catholic church can’t ignore science – science-in-society – 06 February 2009 – New Scientist.

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-Nice News-GMANews.TV – Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

Its boring but I have decided that this year I’ll give most people the same birthday gift. After reading Para Kay B about two weeks ago I decided that it is my default gift for this year. Great to hear that buying the book means helping other writers bring their works to life!

Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers
02/06/2009 | 03:58 PM
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Kinikilala bilang isa sa pinakamahusay at nirerespetong scriptwriter sa industriya, ang malalim na pagmamahal sa pagsusulat ang nagtulak kay Ricky Lee upang sa kabila ng kahirapan sa buhay ay pinili niyang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pangarap na maging isang mahusay na manunulat.
Ngayon ay isa na sa haligi sa mundo ng scriptwriting, ang higit na kahanga-hanga kay Ricky ay ang kagustuhan niyang makatulong sa mga batang manunulat na kapos sa pinansiyal na kakayahan para ipagpatuloy ang kanilang pangarap at sa mga kapwa mga manunulat na ngayon ay medyo kapos sa buhay.
FOUNDATION FOR WRITERS. Sinabi ni Ricky sa PEP Philippine Entertainment Portal na isang foundation ang inuumpisahan na nilang itayo para sa mga kapwa manunulat, ang Writers’ Studio Foundation.
“Nag-a-apply na kami sa SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission], nagpa-process na. Yung nobelang naisulat ko, yung Para Kay B, after that, may dalawa pa akong nobelang ilalabas this year. Yung part of proceeds ng mga libro na nilalabas ko, mapupunta sa foundation.
“Halos thirty years naman na akong nagtrabaho as scriptwriter, naisip ko na lapitan ko na ngayon lahat ng mga nakatrabaho kong direktor, artista na sa kahit papaanong paraan ay nakatulong naman ako sa kanila. Ibalik naman nila ngayon sa mga writer.
“Eventually, kung makakahanap kami ng tie-up sa mga eskuwelahan, sa ngayon may mga nakausap na akong ibang mga kaibigang artista at direktor na nangakong mag-pledge ng scholarhips. Si Mother [Lily Monteverde] naman, magdo-donate ng office. Saka, di ba, may free workshops ako sa scriptwriting? Magiging parte yun ng foundation,” lahad ng batikang manunulat.
Ang focus ng mga gustong tulungang manunulat ni Ricky ay hindi lamang mga batang manunulat na gustong i-pursue ang kanilang kagustuhang maging magaling na manunulat kundi maging yung ibang mga kasamahan na ngayon ay kapos sa trabaho at pagkakitaan.
“Para siyang MOWELFUND for writers. Tutulong siya sa mga scriptwriters na mga bata, mula sa probinsiya, yung mga mahihirap lang, walang pera, gustong mag-aral sa Manila. Gaya ko noon, umalis ako sa Daet para mag-aral ng college, gustung-gusto kong magsulat, hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta. Gusto ko yung gaya ko rin noon ang situation na gustong magpunta ng Maynila at mag-aral, gusto ko silang matulungan.
“Hanggang ito sa pinakamatatanda nating mga writers. Di ba, marami sa mga kaibigan nating writers abf walang trabaho, pampaospital? Sana hanggang sa kanila makatulong yung foundation. Sa mga gustong magpahatid ng tulong, my e-mail is lagoon@pldtdsl.net,” pagbibigay-impormasyon niya pa.
GMANews.TV – Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.<Emphasis Mine>

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-rePost-Principles of the American Cargo Cult

Principles of the American Cargo Cult
I wrote these principles after reflecting on the content of contemporary newspapers and broadcast media and why that content disquieted me. I saw that I was not disturbed so much by what was written or said as I was by what is not. The tacit assumptions underlying most popular content reflect a worldview that is orthogonal to reality in many ways. By reflecting this skewed weltanschauung, the media reinforces and propagates it.
I call this worldview the American Cargo Cult, after the real New Guinea cargo cults that arose after the second world war. There are four main points, each of which has several elaborating assumptions. I really do think that most Americans believe these things at a deep level, and that these misbeliefs constantly underlie bad arguments in public debate.
I. Ignorance is innocence
Complicated explanations are suspect
The world is simple, and there must be a simple explanation for everything.
Certainty is strength, doubt is weakness
Admitting alternatives is undermining one’s own belief.
Changing one’s mind means one has wasted the time spent holding the prior opinion.
Your opinion matters as much as anyone else’s
When a person has studied a topic, he has no more real knowledge than you do, just a hidden agenda.
The herd should be followed
The contemplative lemming gets trampled
Popular beliefs must be true.
No bad idea can survive.
People are generally smart.
Even if a popular belief doesn’t pan out, at least you’ll be in the same boat as everyone else.
II. Causality is selectable
All interconnection is apparent
Otherwise, complicated explanations would be necessary.
The end supports the explanation of the means
A successful person’s explanation of the means of his success is highly credible by the very fact of his success.
You can succeed by emulating the purported behavior of successful people
This is the key to the cargo cult. To enjoy the success of another, just mimic the rituals he claims to follow.
Your idol gets the blame if things don’t work out, not you.
You have a right to your share
You get to define your share.
Your share is the least you will accept without crying injustice.
Celebrate getting more than your share.
III. It’s not your fault
If it’s good for you, it’s good
Society is everyone else.
Good intentions suffice
You can always apologize.
There is no long term
Don’t miss an opportunity.
Consequences are things that happen to others
Only you can hold yourself accountable. Don’t let others make you do that.
If somebody starts the blame game, you can still win it.
There are evil people and institutions, and surely one of them is more responsible than you are.
You are not the problem
An ugly image means a bad mirror.
IV. Death is unnatural
You’re special
Bad things shouldn’t happen to you.
Pain is wrong
Life should not hurt.
It’s a Whiffle World.
Tragedy is a synonym for calamity
Bad things are never consequences of one’s own action or inaction.
There will be justice
Bad people get punished.
You, however, will be forgiven.
Principles of the American Cargo Cult.

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-Learned Today-Angry Bear: The Most Unpleasant Post I'll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace

The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace
by cactus
The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace
I really don’t like this post. I don’t like what I wrote in it. Unfortunately, it seems accurate to me. So here goes…
Saudi Arabia has no troubles with Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, or Shia Muslims. The Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews who were native to the area were wiped out. The Shia minority, about 15% of the population, knows to watch itself. As in, they know they will get beheaded (quite literally) for any activities with which the ruling regime doesn’t like.
Jordan, for the most part, can be described as a nation of Palestinians ruled by a family that was imposed on them by the British. The Hashemite family has few problems maintaining control, however, since September of 1970 (i.e., Black September) 1970-1971, when they demonstrated how they would react to any sign of rebellion.
There was a time when many Muslims considered Alawites, the minority sect that runs Syria, to be non-Muslim. I believe the Hama massacre marks the last time anyone in Syria questioned whether the Alawites are Muslim, or made noises about whether members of that sect should be running the country.
When the Arabs invaded Egypt, they referred to the Egyptians as Copts. These days, the Copts are a persecuted minority. (And yes, Boutros Boutros-Gali is a Copt, but that doesn’t change their persecuted minority status.)
The pattern I’m getting at, sadly, is that peace only arrives through superior firepower and willingness to use it in the Middle East. And its not just the Middle East. Think of the Ainu in Japan, the Aborigines in Australia, the Native Americans in the US, and anyone who isn’t a Han in China.
Angry Bear: The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace.

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-Aloneness-rePost-Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog: Never alone

Never alone
January 24, 2009
From William Deresiewicz’s article The End of Solitude in the new edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education:
The two emotions, loneliness and boredom, are closely allied. They are also both characteristically modern. The Oxford English Dictionary’s earliest citations of either word, at least in the contemporary sense, date from the 19th century … Loneliness is not the absence of company, it is grief over that absence. The lost sheep is lonely; the shepherd is not lonely. But the Internet is as powerful a machine for the production of loneliness as television is for the manufacture of boredom. If six hours of television a day creates the aptitude for boredom, the inability to sit still, a hundred text messages a day creates the aptitude for loneliness, the inability to be by yourself. Some degree of boredom and loneliness is to be expected, especially among young people, given the way our human environment has been attenuated. But technology amplifies those tendencies. You could call your schoolmates when I was a teenager, but you couldn’t call them 100 times a day. You could get together with your friends when I was in college, but you couldn’t always get together with them when you wanted to, for the simple reason that you couldn’t always find them. If boredom is the great emotion of the TV generation, loneliness is the great emotion of the Web generation. We lost the ability to be still, our capacity for idleness. They have lost the ability to be alone, their capacity for solitude.
Posted by nick at January 24, 2009 02:11 PM<emphasis mine>
Rough Type: Nicholas Carr’s Blog: Never alone.

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–Probably A Good Movie — Apple – Movie Trailers – Tokyo Sonata

I’ve been fortunate enough to have been a student in UP , if you are a film lover probably the best school in an exposure perspective here in the Philippines. We had a Japanese/French/Korean/Spanish festival sponsored by their embassy and other festivals sponsored by student orgs and ngo. Probably 4 to 5 years ago the theme of the Japanese Film Festival was films by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and I’d have to say his films are dark and edgy, with some witty but still introspective moments. I remember the scenes and most of the scenes I remember are disturbing at best. I am excited to watch this.

Tokyo Sonata
In theaters: March 13, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Regent Releasing
Tokyo Sonata Poster
Set in contemporary Tokyo, TOKYO SONATA is a story of an ordinary Japanese family of four. The father, Ryuhei Sasaki, like any other Japanese businessman, is faithfully devoted to his work. His wife Megumi manages the house and struggles to retain a bond with Takashi, her oldest son who is in college, and the youngest, Kenji, a sensitive boy in elementary school. The quiet unraveling of the family begins when Ryuhei unexpectedly loses his job. Facing completely unfamiliar circumstances, he decides not to tell his family and begins his lonely sojourn into the world of the secretly unemployed. Along with many other businessmen that save face by concealing their shameful reality from family and friends, Ryuhei pretends to go to work each day, when, in fact, he kills time in libraries and parks. His lies and torment go unnoticed by Takashi, who becomes increasingly despondent and alienated from his family, and Megumi, who can no longer summon the will to keep her family together. Meanwhile, Kenji’s journey begins to mirror his father’s solitary plight. Although his father vehemently refuses to allow Kenji to play the piano, the boy uses his school lunch money to pay for clandestine lessons. What began as lies created as means to survive, gradually leads the family into unforeseeable destruction. In the hands of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, renowned for his suspenseful films, this story probes the dark side of human nature and the social problems that confront contemporary Japan. Kurosawa’s portrayal of the breakdown and redemption of Japan’s “ordinary family” is every bit as gripping as his previous works.
View less
* Genre:Foreign, Drama
* Director:Kiyoshi Kurosawa
* Cast:Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyoko Koizumi, Yu Koyanagi, Kai Inowaki, Haruka Igawa
Apple – Movie Trailers – Tokyo Sonata.

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-Hopeless Emptiness-Why I'm Quitting Facebook | Newsweek Culture | Newsweek.com

Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...
Image via CrunchBase

I’ve always tried to walk my own path, this makes me seem weird to most people. I remember reading a phrase that stuck to me “The Age of Distraction”.  We are living in the age of distraction, what is it? Let’s see, watch revolutioinary road, and remember the scene between leo , kate and michael shannon. It was the Hopeless Emptiness Scene. And I would be lying if I sad that I am probably in that mobious strip trying to find my way out. Mobious strip and revolutionary road, seems quite apt. IN my defense at least I know I am in a mobius strip like road and I must be revolutionary enough to escape. (Damn hate it when I can’t seem to let a couple of words go). I try to fight , I don’t know if I am winning, I hope I do! I hope you do to!

When I think about all the hours I wasted this past year on Facebook, and imagine the good I could have done instead, it depresses me. Instead of scouring my friends’ friends’ photos for other possible friends, I could have been raising money for Darfur relief, helping out at the local animal shelter or delivering food to the homeless. It depresses me even more to know that I would never have done any of those things, even with all those extra hours.<Emphasis Mine>
Why I’m Quitting Facebook | Newsweek Culture | Newsweek.com.

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-rePost-Don't Know Why This Made Me Emotional-How Harvard Law threw down the gauntlet to the RIAA – Ars Technica

Law professor Charles Nesson and John Palfrey, director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society (which Nesson co-founded), made their position clear. “Recently, the president of the Recording Industry Association of America, Cary Sherman, wrote to Harvard to challenge the university administration to stop acting as a ‘passive conduit’ for students downloading music,” they wrote in 2007. “We agree. Harvard and the 22 universities to which the RIAA has sent ‘pre-litigation notices’ ought to take strong, direct action… and tell the RIAA to take a hike.”
Those notices were an attempt by the RIAA to get schools involved in the litigation process. Universities would, in theory, pass RIAA settlement letters on to students after being provided with an IP address suspected of illicit file-sharing. The schools would be “doing their part,” while the recording industry got its missives delivered without needing to bother with courts and judges and subpoenas.
“Universities should have no part in this extraordinary process,” wrote Nesson and Palfrey. “The RIAA’s charter is to promote the financial interests of its corporate members—even if that means preserving an obsolete business model for its members. The university’s charter is quite different… The university strives to create knowledge, to open the minds of students to that knowledge, and to enable students to take best advantage of their educational opportunities. The university has no legal obligation to deliver the RIAA’s messages. It should do so only if it believes that’s consonant with the university’s mission.”
It wasn’t quite a declaration of war, but it did amount to an Army unit trotting out a massive howitzer, oiling it up, and firing off some test shots. Powerful interests at Harvard Law were displeased enough by the RIAA actions to speak out, but they weren’t yet ready to play an active role.
That is, until Boston University graduate student Joel Tenenbaum got in touch with Nesson in 2008. Nesson took the case, acting as Tenenbaum’s attorney, but he outsourced the work of research, strategy, and brief writing to a set of eager Harvard Law students. The students would quickly mount an ambitious defense, not just of Joel Tenenbaum, but of the claim that the RIAA legal campaign was unconstitutionally excessive and improper. Armed with a law library, Twitter, a Web site, and caffeine, the students have already made sure that the upcoming Tenenbaum trial will eclipse the Minnesota Jammie Thomas case for sheer spectacle.<Emphasis Mine>
And, if things go their way, the world will get the chance to see it all live on the Web.
How Harvard Law threw down the gauntlet to the RIAA – Ars Technica.