Archive for January 24th, 2012
Jan
24
Using Virtual Skills to Save the Real World
On December 18, 2011, Wikipedia went black in protest of SOPA/PIPA. This did not mean everything fell dark and quiet. Quite the opposite, the Internet became ablaze with protests. Sites showcased declarative messages, YouTubers posted desperate videos, and Facebook became an online protest forum (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Southland Style
If you’re a fan of the show, you’ve probably heard the term used on Twitter and Facebook. It’s our crew’s mantra, but it goes beyond words — It’s our unique way of working together. We get compelling results because EVERYONE in our crew follows the unwritten rules. It’s Southland Style!
What does it mean? Way too many things to express in a single blog (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Why God Allows Suffering Now Easier to Explain Than How to Get a Job on LinkedIn
New research reveals that LinkedIn, the business related social networking hub, has become so mysterious and labyrinthine in its purpose that it is now much simpler to explain why a caring God would allow suffering in the world than it is to describe how to find a job on the site.
Hans Willmore is the lead scientific investigator at Oslo’s Neuroconnectivity Institute, where the studies comparing a subject’s ability to explain LinkedIn with his or her ability to break down the complexities of an apparently indifferent universe began.
“In each test case,” said Willmore, “theories on the inherent pain and misery of the human condition were more easily called upon by the participants than were any even vaguely convincing tips on how to make this networking site pay off.”
“I am constantly getting invitations to join somebody’s professional network on LinkedIn,” says Peter Isaacson, a 38-year-old graphic designer from Morristown, N.J., who participated in the study. “I always accept the invitation and then I never hear anything again. But, now, if you were to ask me why there can be disease and poverty in a world watched over by a loving God, I might at least be able to bring up something about free will or a divine unknowable plan or something (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Social Good Stars LinkedIns Meg Garlinghouse
This is the fifth installment of the Impact series, #SocialGoodStars. The people highlighted here are passionate, dedicated philanthropists, strengths to their communities, and social media masters. They also happily share their vast knowledge with others, making them shine as leaders in the Social Good world. You can read the fourth interview with Mark Horvath of Invisible People here.
If anyone understands the overlap of our professional and charitable lives, it’s Meg Garlinghouse (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
So What If Romneys Rich
So the news is out. Mitt Romney’s rich.
He made more than $20 million in each of the past two years. His effective tax rate was less than 15%. During this time, he made so much that he was able to give over $7 million to his church (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Climate Science Education Its Important
This week, an article came out in the LA Times describing climate change education as the new “evolution debate” in schools, reporting that some states are considering new policies that would require teachers to “teach climate change denial as a valid scientific position.”
ACE was founded to fill an enormous gap in our educational sciences curriculum around this very subject. Currently, there are no state or national science standards in public high schools that address teaching of the science of global warming, even though 98 percent of the world’s climate scientists agree that humans are causing climate change, and the consequences could be extraordinary.
In 2009, ACE amassed a team of the best educators, communicators, and creative minds in the country to develop a 45-minute multimedia assembly presentation that explains basic climate science in a way that sticks with high school students. We take an issue that could be complex and ground students in the most current science, drawn from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Am I Antisocial
I’ve started to think I might be. Not textbook antisocial, just allergic to phone calls and small talk. It isn’t my fault, though, and I think you might be able to relate.
As the CEO of a public relations agency, my life is all about the business of communication, which captivates and consumes me. But so many years of keeping my head down and my eyes trained on a BlackBerry (actually, two) or a computer has changed the way I relate to others, to the detriment of all old-fashioned forms of communication (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Leonard Cohen At 77 Calls His New CD Old Ideas Its Anything But
How do you access the important moments in your life?
Not the moments the world sees.
I mean the great personal moments, the ones that matter most.
I’m certain I’m not alone when I say that music has been a direct pathway to my memory of these moments.
Like this: I am not someone who stays up all night, ever, but when my first book was due and I was just 21 and so scared, I sat at the typewriter until dawn, playing Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde” over and over as I wrote, and then, as the business day started, I walked the manuscript to my publisher with a confidence I wish I felt every day. Ever since, whenever “Visions of Johanna” shows up….
That memory is the exception. Most connected to music are connected also to women (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Becoming Urbanized Photos Of The Human Condition PHOTOS
A dramatic shift is taking place. Atlantic Cities recently reported that China, the most populated country in the world, has officially become urbanized. For the first time in their history, more people live in a city than they do countryside — 51.27 percent to be exact, which amounts to more than 690 million people. It’s a notable shift (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Hong Kong Enters The Year Of The Dragon
Hong Kong means “fragrant harbor,” and the narrow body of water which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula is known as Victoria Harbor, one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world. This harbor is Hong Kong’s most famous tourist attractions and the city ranks as the best skyline in the world: Four of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in the world are here.
As this is the Chinese Year of the Dragon, we’re told that all will be strong, sure and robust. Strength and confidence is the atmosphere that one feels in Hong Kong and it is, indeed, a cultural gem, a living museum that encompasses 5,000 years of history. Along every street, down every lane, you’re sure to find the true flavors of the city, from world-class hotels, restaurants and shopping to traditional old markets exploding with brilliant colors and unique goods that, at times, border on the outrageous and strange (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
The Eyes of Tahrir
A year after Egypt’s feisty uprising challenged decades of autocratic rule, the most striking thing about the protesters still at Cairo’s Tahrir Square is the plethora of eye-patches.
Waleed el Sayed, a lanky 23-year-old carpenter from Alexandria, wears a gauzy round bandage on his right eye. The cornea was destroyed, he told me, when he was hit by a rubber bullet during skirmishes with security forces last November. He feared losing the other eye when he was detained and beaten with truncheons in December. His brow was still visibly scarred and swollen a month later.
Bassem Abdel Nabi, who worked in tourism, wears a padded patch over his left eye (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
10 Easy Ways to Becomea ZeroWaste Household
by guest blogger Bea Johnson, of The Zero Waste Home
The zero in “zero waste” makes it sound scary and hard to achieve. It’s actually not as hard as it seems, and it’s as simple as following the five R’s, IN ORDER. I have used this golden rule for our household with great success:
Refuse what you do not need,
Reduce what you do need,
Reuse by using reusables,
Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse,
Rot (compost) the rest.
REFUSE
1. Fight junk mail; it’s not just a waste of resources, but also of our time (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Going Dutch In St Croix PHOTOS
The cruise ship-free island of St. Croix is a water lover’s paradise offering great snorkeling, diving and sailing. Christiansted, the main town, has a Danish 18th century feel with it’s brightly colored buildings and a large 18th century fort complete with cannons and artillery overlooking the harbor. The rich colonial history is felt throughout the island including driving on the left side of the road (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
This Album Saves Lives Chimes of Freedom The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International
Almost never will more than 80 artists unite to support one cause, let alone create, pay for and donate 76 original tracks to raise money for it, but when the cause is Amnesty International and when the songs are Bob Dylan’s, something quite magical happens.
Today sees the release of Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. We have worked on this album with hundreds of people over the last year to create an opus to honor the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International and the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s career.
“The connections between Amnesty International’s mission and Bob Dylan’s music seem, on a moment’s reflection, so obvious and natural that they require no explanation (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
What Do Luke Skywalker Neo and the Karate Kid Know About the Bhagavad Gita Video
The film ‘Invitation to World Literature: the Bhagavad Gita’ (WGBH, Annenberg Media) will screen at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. The following is filmmaker Joshua Seftel’s interview with Hindu monk and Columbia University Chaplain Gadadhara Pandit Dasa, who appears in the film.
Joshua Seftel: When I was in college, I was walking through Washington Square Park, and a Hindu monk came up to me and handed me the Bhagavad Gita, and I remember I was too shy to know what to say so I just took it and I brought it home (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Its Time for the President to Prove Hes Brady or Eli for Vets
If the NFC and AFC title games from this past weekend reminded us of anything, it’s that America loves clutch performances. The first three quarters are great for backdrop, but it’s performing when the pressure is at its highest that creates the best memories and the biggest stars. A quarterback that can perform under pressure makes all the difference in the world. For some of you, that means Tom Brady (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Lesson from Rwanda Strong Commitment to the Creative Life
The lament of the frustrated artist often goes something like this: “If I won the lottery, then I could pursue my art.” Given the proverbial one-in-a-million odds of having the winning number, though, we content ourselves with only musing about what we could be if we did not have to work for a living. I know all too well the difficulty balancing the creative that feeds my soul with the practical that pays for everything else.
It’s not that I spend my days on the French Riviera, eating truffles stuffed with foie gras. But I do have a son in private college and property taxes that are the equivalent of buying a new compact car every year. My choices are neither good nor bad; there’s no judgment here (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Will the MittNewt Slugfest Boost the Occupy Movement
The Occupy Movement brought key issues like economic inequality, Wall Street greed, and political corruption to the table. And we may have the GOP front runners to thank for keeping them there. Here’s a look at how the Battle of Newt and Mitt can help keep the OWS flame alive…
The Populist Platform
Newt Gingrich’s populist messages in South Carolina dealt Mitt Romney a body blow. Newt hit the multi-millionaire on his low tax rate and his role in the oft-reviled private equity industry to leave him stumbling through debate questions and looking generally ill at ease (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
The Bachelor Recap A Soundtrack For Bens Great Outdoors Dating
Note: The following contains spoilers if you have not seen Season 16, Episode 4 of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”
It’s week four of “The Bachelor” and Ben continues to prove that he’s about as normal as they come on this train wreck of a show. Although this offers little in “the most dramatic episode ever” category, the ladies continue to provide solid helpings of crazy via catty comments and emotional meltdowns. In fact, their behavior inspired me to create a playlist since mixed tapes have always been a spiritual gift of mine. Enjoy!
Track 1: “Sound of Silence” By Simon & Garfunkel
The first one-on-one date pairs our “Bachelor” with Rachel, or Bangs as I like to call her (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Gossip Girl Recap Top 5 OMG Moments In Father and the Bride VIDEO
Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 5, Episode 12 of The CW’s “Gossip Girl,” entitled “Father and the Bride.”
Last week, “Gossip Girl” swung for a too-literal pastiche of “The End of the Affair” and missed the mark completely, clumsily trying to cram our characters into incongruous situations simply to service the borrowed plot. This week, the writers (mostly) went back to coming up with their own narrative, although the impact of Blair’s baffling “pact with God” continued to reverberate infuriatingly across the Upper East Side.
Though the title was more reminiscent of Steve Martin, the episode certainly had a drop of “The Hangover” in its cocktail, chronicling Blair’s hilarious drunken escapades brought about by Beatrice’s boozy bachelorette party. Read on for my five most memorable moments from this week’s installment (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Pretty Little Liars Recap Secrets Lies And Videotape
Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 2, Episode 17 of ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars,” entitled “The Blond Leading the Blind.”
Plug in your flash drives! It’s time to get technological on ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars.”
We open with the girls checking out (again) whatever Caleb was able to recover from A’s phone outside the greenhouse (again). A beret-topped Hanna — looking like a prettier version of beatnik Judy from “Doug” — hands it over hesitantly, expressing her concern over Caleb’s involvement in this whole blackmailing-by-anonymous-people-who-may-or-may-not-have-killed-our-best-friend situation. Understandable. Plus, she doesn’t want to continue to lie to him.
Aria is convinced that it’s Garrett, now that Lucas has been ruled out (insert growl).
When the recovered video turns on, we hear “I know you want to kiss me” for the 13498234th time and Aria, like most viewers, is disappointed (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
The GOPs Salvation A Modest Proposal
Whether Newt Gingrich’s romp in the South Carolina primary blew the GOP nomination race wide open or whether it is just a blip that Mitt Romney and his allies will hammer down remains to be seen. But there’s little doubt that whoever gets the GOP nomination will be badly weakened by the relentlessly nasty campaigns waged this primary season, and that unless it wins the White House, the party will erupt in open civil war on November 7th.
In fact, there’s a lot to be said for casting all the rascals out and starting over with a fresh face. It would throw the Obama campaign off balance. It would give both the GOP base and what’s left of the party mainstream an alternative to the much-loathed Mitt Romney, or Newt Gingrich and his baggage (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Dear Bank of America Defiant Daughters Letter Saves Family Home From Foreclosure Maybe
The last two years have presented a perfect storm of unfortunate events for San Francisco couple Noel and Maureen Schmidt. Both lifelong teachers, they met as Peace Corps volunteers in Sierra Leone, where they were married, 42 years ago. Maureen is a renowned quilter, and Noel started his own non-profit working with disadvantaged youth in Sonoma County.
But in November 2010, Noel suffered a stroke and became unable to run his non-profit. Maureen’s school district had cut her benefits and hours in 2009, and medical costs piled up (continue reading…)
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Jan
24
Death of an Ordinary Housecat
There’s nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing, that is, but this report of a minor incident in Russellville, Arkansas: “Democratic Congressional candidate Ken Aden’s campaign manager returned home to find his family pet slaughtered, with the word ‘liberal’ painted on the animal’s corpse.”
A statement from the Aden campaign describes the cat as an adult mixed-breed Siamese and included a graphic description of the pet’s injuries.
The statement said that the four children of campaign manager Jacob Burris “discovered the gruesome scene as they exited the family vehicle to enter their home” after “the perpetrators scrawled ‘liberal’ across the cat’s body and left it on the doorstep of Burris’ house.”
“To kill a child’s pet is unconscionable,” the candidate is quoted as saying.
I know, I know (continue reading…)
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