Some stuff I’m reading this week…
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Disaster Capitalism, State of Extortion
As the planet is rocked by multiple shocks, here’s a look at how disaster capitalists are reaping the benefits–leveraging the Iraq War, the push for arctic drilling and the global food crisis.
Silicon Valley Rocks
Great idea for an event. Funds raised go to a school music program. Lotso fun!
The Banality of Heroism
The banality of heroism concept suggests that we are all potential heroes waiting for a moment in life to perform a heroic deed. The decision to act heroically is a choice that many of us will be called upon to make at some point in time. By conceiving of heroism as a universal attribute of human nature, not as a rare feature of the few “heroic elect,” heroism becomes something that seems in the range of possibilities for every person, perhaps inspiring more of us to answer that call.
Robert Reich’s Blog: What Wall Street Should Be Required to Do, to Get A Blank Check From Taxpayers
Wall Street’s request for a blank check comes at the same time most of the public is worried about their jobs and declining wages, and having enough money to pay for gas and food and health insurance, meet their car payments and mortgage payments, and save for their retirement and childrens’ college education. And so the public is asking: Why should Wall Street get bailed out by me when I’m getting screwed?
FiveThirtyEight.com: Electoral Projections Done Right
Totally awesome geeky stats on elections.
Americans text more than they talk | News - Wireless - CNET News
For the second quarter of 2008, U.S. mobile subscribers sent and received on average 357 text messages per month, compared with making and receiving 204 phone calls a month, according to Nielsen. The new statistic is a clear indication that Americans have jumped onto the SMS text bandwagon.
Pew Internet: Teens, Video Games and Civics
Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day. Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories.
Game playing is also social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time and can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life.
Game playing is also social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time and can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life.
Educational Publishing Summit
I’ve been in talks with this group about presenting our HeroCamp findings next summer.
Study: Most Americans want to see companies on social sites - Daily Business Update - The Boston Globe
According to the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, 93 percent of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while an overwhelming 85 percent believe a company should not only be present, but also interact with its consumers via social media. In fact, 56 percent of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.
Heilemann: Obama Passes Presidential Test; McCain Fails Manners — Daily Intel — New York News Blog — New York Magazine
As we’ve seen over and over since the general election started, when the campaign is at equilibrium, Obama runs ahead of McCain by somewhere between 3 and 7 points — which is why McCain and his people are constantly, and somewhat desperately, trying to unsettle that equilibrium with gimmicks, shocks, and stunts. The selection of Palin. The “suspension” of McCain’s campaign. The transparently bogus threat of bailing out of the first debate unless a bailout plan for the financial system was agreed to on Capitol Hill. The problem with these gambits is diminishing returns: each one has less effect than the last.
Political Affairs Magazine - Naomi Klein on “Disaster Capitalism”
…the ruling class is using disasters, both natural and those brought about by their polices, to ram through social structural changes in their interests that they never could have brought about using the democratic process. Getting rid of public housing for the poor in New Orleans, for example.
Now is the Time to Resist Wall Street’s Shock Doctrine | Naomi Klein
It would be a grave mistake to underestimate the right’s ability to use this crisis — created by deregulation and privatization — to demand more of the same. Don’t forget that Newt Gingrich’s 527 organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, is still riding the wave of success from its offshore drilling campaign, “Drill Here, Drill Now!” Just four months ago, offshore drilling was not even on the political radar and now the U.S. House of Representatives has passed supportive legislation. Gingrich is holding an event this Saturday, September 27 that will be broadcast on satellite television to shore up public support for these controversial policies.
Ten First Steps Toward Lighter Living | Lighter Footstep
Every journey begins with a single step. At Lighter Footstep, we’ve rounded-up the ten easiest ways for you to start moving toward a lighter lifestyle. Some cost nothing at all. Others provide a lot bang for your eco-dollar. In every case, these ideas will save you money, cut energy use, and help balance your household’s greenhouse gas budget — the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere to produce goods or electrical power.
So pick a few, and give them a try. Before long, you’ll establish the habits we all need to develop as we face the challenges of a resource-hungry planet.
The Corporation Film: Welcome
This is one of the documentaries that totally changed my perspective. It’s a brilliant look at how corporations have all of the rights of a citizen with none of the responsibilities and how totally frightening that is.
PR 2.0: The State of Social Media 2008
no matter how grand an expert one purports to be, the truth is that we’re all still trying to figure this out as it continually changes – together. I’m not talking about what to do or how, but what must be done in order to ensure that this global renaissance paves the way for permanent residence in every media property and business through value, education, and reform.
SmallWorlds
SmallWorlds is a 3D virtual world that runs inside your web browser. It enables you to build your own room, house, or even your own world, and fill it with a wide variety of items and fun activities.
How to Break the Bubble Cycle
To be sure, bailouts can hit CEOs, top management, and institutional shareholders hard, above all through loss of employment and loss of bonuses. But bailouts have economic and social costs that are not covered by the assets. And bailouts raise the question of moral hazard—the problem that people behave recklessly if they are not responsible for the consequences of their actions. Indeed, banks are allowed to fail whereas other financial institutions are rescued. Who decides on that and on what grounds?
Storytelling Alice
In contrast to the large number of people who use computers and computer programs in their daily lives, relatively few learn to create their own computer programs. Storytelling Alice is a programming environment designed to motivate a broad spectrum of middle school students (particularly girls) to learn to program computers through creating short 3D animated movies.
Nature’s Variety
Another good raw food diet for dogs that was recommended to me by @tracy1314 on twitter.
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Your reading lists always lead me to thought-provoking ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I sent the link to the “banality of heroism” piece to the professor of a graduate course in political psychology I took last year, and wrote a tiny piece on my personal blog just to capture the importance of the concepts.
@BarbChamberlain
Personal blog of no particular consequence: http://www.biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com