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- Anwar Dafa-Alla
- Port Sudan
- Saudi Arabia
ASSISANT PROFESSOR, King Faisal University - Hofuf
This conversation is closed.
Politics for Education
Education needs resources...including a political representative...
Resources are usually allocated to politicians or on their hands at least!
Many NGOs tiny or giant (e.g. UNICEF) trying their best to leave no child behind and it seems like it's open-ended thread.
Through analyzing our situation here in Sudan...and believing on Education as the way and only way to develop. I came up with this idea:
Forming a political party for Education.
According to Sudan political parties regulations we need 500 members to register officially...we started a Facebook group "Sudan Education party" last Monday, July 23rd, 2012... today, Monday, July 30th, 2012..we're nearly 1000.
As far as I know, this is the first of it's kind in Sudan (Don't know if you're aware of such initiative else where).
We'll resume our efforts to bring OLPC to Sudan, and make use of all of these TED talks/initiatives...this time with our own political support...
Your thoughts/input is highly appreciated.
Jul 31 2012: education is rising. politics is in decline.
political parties no longer represent the people (if they ever did) and this is evident in education worldwide, where politicians are merely barriers to improving education.
I applaud your determination to improve education. it is people like you that will save education, not politics or politicians.
Aug 19 2012: Well said Scott.Jul 30 2012: the last thing we want in education is government presence. compulsory state education is failing all over the world. the freer the better.
Eric Grovum
Jul 31 2012: The only way for true democracies to function is for all its members to be educated enough to make informed decisions in the control of the government's direction. If you eliminate universal education, you will reinforce a ruling class of economic elites. What would be the moral justification of an ruling economic elite? A better possible solution than to just say "get government out" is to give every student in the nation an education stipend and allow private schools to compete for the enrollment. Government would not be running the schools, but all students would have the same funding level, and share the same starting line. Financially handicapped students would have a more equal chance to succeed in life, and the schools might be encouraged to improve by competition.
- +3
Jul 31 2012: and how is that going? we have nonfunctional schools that churn out practical illiterates.
Aug 1 2012: You didn't read my post. I was offering an alternative. Maybe we shouldn't even try... or maybe only kids whose parents can afford to pay for it should receive an education?Jul 31 2012: true democracy is a beautiful lie.
Aug 1 2012: I agree that it is right now. What do you recommend instead? The pursuit of an ideal is usually what leads to coming to a closer proximity to that ideal.Aug 1 2012: decentralising democracy.
in New Zealand, local governing bodies are being amalgamated into oversized bureaucratic leviathans which are termed "super-councils" and other such grandiose names. In reality, they are even less efficient and flexible (and more expensive!) than ever before.
there is a lack of transparency in political goings-on which leads to abuse of privileges and power that is rarely dealt with unless the media gets onto it (and even then, there is often very little real justice).
the idea of having one general vote every 4 years is no longer in keeping with the pace of information dissemination and communication in these modern times.
Aug 2 2012: Thanks Scott. This leads me to think that maybe now that communication is so instant, a direct democracy without representatives may be possible. There has to be some solutions out there somewhere, someday. All I know is the more I learn, the more I realize my ignorance. Nice to be speaking with someone from New Zealand again. When I was younger I worked for a wonderful lady from New Zealand. (That was in Casper, Wyoming in the States.)Aug 19 2012: I think people have become smarter and more literate than in the past. Most of this is through the efforts of governments. I have to disagree.
Aug 20 2012: you are free to think that despite all the evidence.
Aug 20 2012: I think that because of the evidence. Thank you for giving me the freedom to do so.Aug 20 2012: ah. secret evidence, that must be.
Aug 20 2012: And how did you deduce that idea?
If you have a question, by all means ask it. I will not be offended. You can use as many words as you like as long as they give a full meaning to the question you are asking.
I'm Jewish, which is to say I believe in Judaism, not that I'm Hebrew or Israeli.
What is your dispute with my answer? Is it related to the "Government" part? The reference to "Muslim" or the distinction between North and South Sudan? Or is it related to the "People are smarter" statement?
Please be clear my friend.Aug 20 2012: in case i was not clear, you are welcome to present ideas how the government increased the level of education compared to what we would have without the government.
Ana Goelzer
Jul 30 2012: Anwar, look this http://www.educationrevolution.org/blog/finding-the-catalyst-for-the-education-revolution/
- +2
Ana Goelzer
Jul 30 2012: I agree with james . besides giving a lap top the most important thing is educate how to think, tohave a critic sipirit and to know how to contextualize.
- +2
Aug 20 2012: Actually, the most important aspect of education is freedom to express ones self and their views. Without the proper, free environment, most educational systems are limited to a certain class of people who embrace the political view of the government that rules over them. If that government has no laws allowing the people to to have expressed individual freedoms, education for the masses will invariably suffer or never come to fruit.
What good does it do the build an educational system only to have it torn asunder by war and civil strife?
Freedom is not free. It cost blood, sweat and tears. Before you can properly decorate a home, you have to clean it first.
Fritzie -
Jul 30 2012: It sounds like you exceeded your goal of enlisting five hundred members, so congratulations!
- +2
The political and policy structure in different countries is different enough that I think I probably don't understand why there needs to be a "political party for education" in Sudan. Is there not universal access to education for children up to a certain age? Are there political parties that do not support education or universal education or improvements in education?
In the country where I live, any political party must support universal access to educaton, just like they would have to support the franchise for all citizens. There could not be a party that is anti-education here. Similarly every political party and politician supports the idea of improving educational outcomes and innovation in education. It's absolutely not controversial.
Aug 30 2012: We're now 1600+ members on that group :)
Aug 30 2012: Congratulations on what you are doing for your nation's children! May you have continuing success in gathering support so this can translate into the change you seek.
Ram Xz
Aug 24 2012: Its pretty cool to see people who still believe on education.
- +1
Education is a hard topic to talk about, if you have all the money and if everything you suggest is automaticaly done, how exactly you are going to solve it? How to achieve that every student become a genius?
Is that possible?
Most people who talk about education tell us what not to do becuase education is affected by that, but no one tell us what to do to achieve that our students learn better, all ideas are about what not to do instead of what benefits good learning.
When i talk about education i focus on Maths, if you can make that every student become a math genius, you solve education problem.
I see around the world, and every effort to improve education require lot of time and money, and you can spend lot of money and at the end of the day the result can be worst that the original situation, I mean sometimes ita better do nothing than try to do something, is a high risky bet, is worst when you put your name on that, you spend money, time and got nothing.
The most important piece on education is the smartnes of the student, if the student is very smart he will learn even in worst conditions, and if is pretty dumb he will be dumb even in the better conditions, middle smart students will be affected by external conditions if are good he will be a litle good if are worst conditions he will be a litle dumb.
I am developing a non memorizative learning to make smart students so wherever they grow up they can become genius.
Thats what I think about education, beyond money, go for what it can improve education, answer this question:
If we do this, it will solve education problem? Or it doesnt? Because all people say where the problem is but nothing about solution.
Yes Computers will better, but only with that it solves it? Good teachers is good but it solves it? What does it solves it, what make our students smart? I think the problem is in how we learn today, I propose a Non Memorizative LearningAug 24 2012: This is a laudable project.
But be aware that good intentions are not enough to guarantee success or excellent excecution of ideas.
There must be administrative structures that would ensure probity and accountability; so that donations and funds are channelled majorly to education; and not to political jobbers or opportunists who think they should get financial rewards for every input.
Thanks for your effort.
Aug 25 2012: Thanks Feyisayo...
Any input on how to interpret these good intentions into reality rather than NGO arm for the proposed political party?
We're opening up everything for discussion on our FB group
"Sudan Education Party"
Aug 27 2012: The vision and objectives of the party should be clear to all members and supporters so that someone would not be expecting the party to do something that is not in line with the party programmes. For one, I know that the party is not like the typical political parties where people make donation and expect to be rewarded with contracts and offices.
I think members and supporters should be well educated so that they can give what they have......sound education.Aug 21 2012: Keeping the people in ignorance is one of they Master Keys that dictatorial regimes use to keep ruling the countries , such a thing would be strange for people who leave in the First World countries.
But this is the fact , when people have knowledge and science they would start asking many natural and fair questions regarding their rights and freedoms , which is a RED LINE for such regimes
wish you all the best in this journey Dr.Anwar
BTW: i'm one of the attendees of the course which you gave about KM at the beginning of this year
Aug 25 2012: Thanks Mohammed for your input....
I think, (KM) Knowledge Management/Sharing should be a course at primary schools... We lose lots of Knowledge as we grow...Aug 20 2012: I don't think there is enough space to adequately describe the process. In short, Governments establish departments of education and require minimum teaching methods and subject matter, etc. I don't know of an organized educational system in these modern times where the government is not involved.
Aug 21 2012: Your thoughts/input is highly appreciated.Aug 20 2012: Generally, I believe better educated and informed citizens make better decisions concerning their countries, or their communities. At least that is the plan.
Now who and what oppose that? Politicians and money. Those are the two things that must be gotten rid of.
Now everyone will ask, "who is going to pay for it?" Well, it isn't money if it is politician's money, and if there is no real profit in it for them. One form of profit is keeping citizens uneducated, poorer and needing money to climb out of both holes. It's called power.
So, it isn't money that "gets things done". It is people. That is what everything costs. Me thinks humans would be better served by getting rid of money and politicians and forcing those corporations, who contain many citizens hard at work, to keep them open, delivering, distributing and manufacturing the commodities we all need, as we make a better, fairer and just world. They need them too. They don't need money.
Good luck with your dream and goal. The very idea that you have it shows you are the kind of human the world needs. To become beholden to those who hold you down, in order to get there, is one of the landmines/risks you have to be careful about stepping on or into.Aug 17 2012: So if this Sudan Education Party wins office, what are they going to do about the chronic food shortages across the country? How are they to fight crime? How are they going to manage electricity supply? What about medicine? And transport? And communications? And environment? And humanitarian aid?
Who is going to decide how to help the older generations and protect those school children?
However, you could form a Non Governmental Organization that pressures government in the field of education, or even become an education minister? Try that.
Aug 19 2012: By educating themselves, they will be able to solve all of the questions you posed.
Aug 21 2012: Thanks John :)Aug 12 2012: Also, there should only be one public school, you should raffle to take classes there, and everything else should be online. Public school should be cheap and mediocre, but make you competent. As millions of people engage in online education you can pay your best teachers incredibly well, and sort them out through test scores, parent ratings, and student ratings.
Make an enourmous public school campus on the coast, with a solar concentrating desallinization plant and research center. Pay the best teachers in the country to lecture. Tag every question asked by a child every year, and post the answer online... Just seems to me like the way to go, school wise.Aug 12 2012: Wow. Great minds think alike. I actually started a facebook page for the exact same thing a year or so ago, on a lark. I never really filled it in, but the first few ideas and entries I wrote might be a fun read for you. Also, I took "The Education Party" Facebook page, so if you want it... send me a message on Ted, I didn't end up taking it seriously. I volunteered for Richard Aguirre an independent in the California governor primary instead.
During that primary I had a revolutionairy idea that theoretically could work wonders on the coast in the Sudan. I convinced the primary candidate to build a large "solar concentrating desallinization plant and research center" in UC San Diego, or Santa Barbara. Basically, you use concentrated solar energy (mirrors and fresnel lens), to boil salt water, which turns a turbine for power. Since the water has been boiled, the salt will naturally come out, and most bacteria in the water will be killed.
A large plant like this on the coast of the sudan could provide an enormous pumping station for fresh water into regions of drought. It was a bit too crazy, as was the third party candidate I was supporting... but it's still one of the best ideas I've ever had.Aug 3 2012: What people have to realize before any significant progress can be made in education (titled The Economics and Politics of Education):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41hbnI_cH9IJul 31 2012: What if countries with low percentage of literacy in its popualation open education that focused solely on improving literacy and mathematics for a certain amount of time, would that be a good suggestion?Jul 30 2012: Anwar, I just read through your countries history. I cannot evaluate how acurate the information I have is. It appears that there are may political parties. The article refers to the Sudan as radical Islamic country. The major part of the article references wars, coups, and problems with neighboring countries. In all of my reading I did not see mention of industry or education. It did mention in several places that the population was predominately Muslim.
Based on a thumbnail sketch ... I offer my opinion. It is good that you have made education an issue in your country. There are not statistics in my article on the percent who can read and write in Sudan. I would guess it is small or the need to form a political arm would not be necessary.
The need for powerful allies in your quest is absolute. You must align with the religious Imams to support your bills and programs. Your mission will cut into the available funds which means enemies to your cause. After religious needs the next largest expendature would probally be military. So here is my plan.
Develop and position that would show the advantages of education to the economy, technical advantages to the military, and the health and welfare of the people which would benefit the religious needs. Who benefits for the education is not a issue. The planting of the seeds of knowledge is. If the military would teach their solders to read and write, learn technical skills, and then they could market these skill into the private sector.
The point is that you need allies and cannot afford to endanger you quest. Show support for their cause and enlist their support for yours.
Good luck.
James Zhang
Jul 30 2012: *Agreed*
- +1
You need allies to get things done, and to get allies, you need to pitch your message to them to convince them that your idea is worthy of consideration.
pat gilbert
Jul 30 2012: This can be very dangerous stuff...
- +2
I would make it a prerequisite to find out who the players are and find out everything you can about them. Find out what their agenda is what keeps them awake at night, what they like, what they love, what their problems are, who their allies are, who their enemies are, etc. Do a VERY complete job of this.Aug 20 2012: I disagree. It really depends on if your talking about North Sudan or South Sudan. The oil is in the South, along with most of the Christians and other religious organizations.
There's very little you can do in the North because it is dominated by Arabic-Islamic government and will not allow women to become educated. They are an oppressive government that has little freedom for the people.
Education will not thrive there.
Aug 20 2012: Your disagreement pertains only to North Sudan the islamic controlled part of the country. The country is divided by a civil war but is not formally North and South.
You do agree that education could be obtained in the "south" or at least did not disagree.
Aug 20 2012: As long as the North suppresses the freedom of religion and individual freedom. It just won't happen for the common man.
The South, if they can maintain their independence and develop a democratic form of government not regulated by religion, might do some real good things along those lines.
Somewhere, I don't remember where on this site, I stated that before you can decorate a home you need to clean it first. And further, I stated that freedom is not free, it is paid for with blood, sweat and tears. I think they all apply to this situation. What good would it do to build a system of free education for the people (both males and females) only to have it torn down by war or civil strife?
Back in 1981 or 2, I sold home and belongings in order to move to Colorado where it was rumored that HP was hiring Electronic Techicians. On the way, we paused in New Mexico where there was little funding for the educational system. My son spent four days in school where the teachers collected paper bags and cut them up to have paper for the students to work with. Some of the teachers were working as volunteers because the system could not afford to pay them. My son, for the first time, reported to me that he loved going to school and was sad when we continued our travel to Colorado.
I add after getting to Colorado, HP laid off 1400 people. It was a ruse to get people to bring money to the state and many states were doing this. I couldn't happen today because of the internet or they would be doing it again.
Robert, I understand clearly your advice to Anwar and the subtle meaning behind it. I recommend he not take your advice if he is at all democratic minded like those young people, seeking freedom for both women and men in Egypt and other Arabic countries.
James Zhang
Jul 30 2012: The idea or intention of No Child Left Behind was good. As for its execution, that's where I digress.
- +1
I think this is good idea. Everyone pretty much agrees that education will help just about everything. To not have education is just not a good thing. So I think you're right in addressing a problem, is what kind of education or how should we educate them, is now the question.Jul 30 2012: I too do nmot completely understand the issues he is concerned about. However, learning methods may be very different than those in the current industrial countries. It hwas been different in the short and long past and in different countries. one might look at Athens, stoics in the Roman EMpire, the House of Wisdom, the university of Padwa at the time of Jack CAsanove, etc. Look at Lincoln's very simple education. Use the resources avaIlable in Sudan and the customs and resources to dovetail the best you can with the rest of the World. That's not really helpful, but you are seeking to educate individuals not to create a particular system. I hope I am on the page.Aug 29 2012: Thank you all for enriching the discussion. Appreciated!Aug 27 2012: A political Party for education sounds too much like a political party for indoctrination.


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Junk is such a homer: if Mussolini had been a jet, he'd ignore the fascism, war criminality and mass murder instead pointing out how great it was that he made the trains run on time.
Junk is such a homer: if Mussolini had been a jet, he'd ignore the fascism, war criminality and mass murder instead pointing out how great it was that he made the trains run on time.
I love when the biggest homer on the board calls someone else a homer and I really love when he has 2 usernames coming after me.
Must be a lot of swelling for the MRI's to still be so inconclusive. If he had a Lisfranc that probably would have shown up on an X-ray. He tore something in there, seems like.
Junc is correct that a player can be down without being touched if he gives himself up, such as a QB taking a knee. However, Holmes wasnt giving himself up. He went to the ground because he was injured. Big difference.
Pitching the ball away like that was odd as hell. I can understand being in tremendous pain how he could lose sight of what is going on, however at the same time, he couldve easily just chucked the ball out of bounds there. If he had just dropped the thing it wouldnt have looked as odd as tossing it softly right at the defensive player. Unreal.
I remember when I broke my ankle one time, I was carrying a couple of things. All 3 objects went flying in the air and landed in 3 random spots quite a distance from where my body crashed to the ground. However, the difference was the things went flying as I was falling due to all of my weight being on the one leg that I had just broken. Obviously I crashed straight to the ground. I suppose the stuff I was carrying just involuntarially went flying as my arms flew up. If I had landed with the things in my hands like Holmes did, I probably just set them down or clutch them harder from the tremendous pain. Being in the middle of a football game, I dont understand how he dosent clutch that ball or have the presence to toss it to the sideline right beside him. Im figuring he was frustrated and didnt give a ****. Who knows.
Bill Belichick on "putting the tape on"

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It wasn't that Sandy Arabia didn't get any sleep at all. She knew she was sleeping, because she woke up several times a night. And you can't wake up unless you've been asleep.
So why was she so tired all day long? She was constantly battling fatigue, feeling cranky and groggy.
Her physician, Faye Ahmadian, MD, suspected that Sandy might have obstructive sleep apnea. That's a condition in which people stop breathing for 10, 20, 30 seconds or even more as they sleep. This interferes with normal sleep patterns, and can have serious health consequences: Lack of sleep can contribute to the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
During the day, people with sleep apnea may fall asleep whenever they relax-while driving, at work, at home in the evening. They may be misdiagnosed with depression or with a lack of ambition. The real culprit, sleep apnea, is often not suspected.
Diagnosing the Problem
Dr. Ahmadian referred Sandy to Bridgeport Hospital's Center for Sleep Medicine, for a polysomnogram. This is a test designed to detect and diagnosis most abnormal sleep patterns.
All Sandy had to do for this study was spend a night in one of the comfortable, hotel-like rooms in the Center for Sleep Medicine, connected to a computer that recorded her every breath, twitch, and blink for analysis.
You might think that a test you can take in your sleep would be a cinch. Not so, says Sandy. "With more than a dozen wires taped or pasted to virtually every part of your body, sleep doesn't come easily," she points out.
But most people sleep better in the Center for Sleep Medicine than they think they will. Sandy actually did sleep most of the night. And over the next hours, the sleep technician in the next room kept a watchful eye on the monitor as Sandy's sleep was mapped in a series of polysomnogram lines.
One line indicated her pulse, one her heart rhythm. One indicated airflow; one showed how much oxygen was in her blood. One line was her snore line. Three lines showed leg, chest, and abdominal movement. One was her brain wave line. One showed eye movements. One even showed the muscle tone of Sandy's chin.
Specially trained sleep scorers summarized and evaluated all of this information. The recorded study, with all of its lines, was then reviewed by sleep specialist Herbert Scherzer, MD, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine.
For Dr. Scherzer, those lines were a map of Sandy's night in the Center. First the air would stop flowing, while movement of her chest and abdomen became greater and greater. Suddenly, at the same moment, all of the monitor lines would go crazy. For a few seconds, the leg line would look like the Appalachians. The snore line would look like a thread of frazzled yarn. The brain waves would look like static. Then all of the lines would go back to normal: normal sleep, normal breathing, and a normal heart rate. This pattern happened over and over again, throughout the night.
Sandy's sleep pattern was typical of moderately severe sleep apnea-just as Dr. Ahmadian had suspected.
We Sleep in Stages
"As we sleep, we repeatedly cycle through two stages," explains Dr. Scherzer. "They're called REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-REM). During REM sleep, you are dreaming. Your brain is active, and your eyes tend to dart back and forth. A complete sleep cycle of NREM and REM usually takes about 90-120 minutes."
Both NREM and REM are vital. However, "In order to feel rested," says Dr. Scherzer, "we generally need to spend about 20% of our sleep time in REM sleep. Sandy was getting in only a few minutes of REM-not nearly enough."
Every time she fell into REM, as her polysomnogram lines showed, her chin dropped, her throat muscles relaxed, her airway became blocked, and stopped breathing.
After several seconds with no air coming in and oxygen levels falling, her brain would send out the message-"Hey, I'm suffocating!" Then, as the lines on the polysomnogram showed, Sandy would jerk, snort, and wake up. Not long enough to remember being awake-just enough to unblock her airway. And during REM sleep, this happened to Sandy once every minute.
But once he understood what was causing the problem, Dr. Scherzer could offer Sandy a solution.
Finding a Solution
Among the treatments that can work for people with sleep apnea:
For Sandy, however, and for many other sleep-deprived people, the best treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This small device, which sits on a bedside table, pushes a continuous flow of air through a flexible hose. The air can then be delivered into the nose through small cushions that rest just below the openings of the nostrils, and are held in place with a band around the head. But Sandy and Dr. Scherzer found that it worked better for her if she wore a transparent, cushioned facemask that covered both nose and mouth. There are several models of these, so Sandy was able to select the one that was best for her. The filtered, humidified air is blown through the mask into her lungs to hold her airway open so it can't collapse.
The difference CPAP has made for Sandy has been remarkable. "I sleep better, wake up feeling rested, and can get through the day without snoozing!" she says.
That stay in the Center for Sleep Medicine at Bridgeport Hospital wasn't the best night's sleep Sandy Arabia ever had, but it might have been the most important one. Because now her days are more alert and all of her nights are more restful. Best of all, her blood pressure is lower.
For a free brochure about the Center for Sleep Medicine at Bridgeport Hospital, or for a referral to a physician who is an exmy boyfriend cheated on me quotes i cheated on husband percent of women that cheatmy boyfriend cheated on me quotes how to catch a cheater percent of women that cheat


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- Hassan Syed
- Rosemount, MN
- United States
Founder & CEO, Bir Ventures, USA
This conversation is closed.
Do you believe that our future is bright, if yes, why and if not, why not?
While looking at the trends like human health, access to knowledge, access to technology, technology growth, etc., we start believing that our future is going to be very good. On the other hand, looking at the trends like destruction of nature, speed at with we are consuming natural and environmental resources, explosion of human population, carbon in the air and climate change, etc., we think that really difficult times are ahead of us.
I am interested in knowing the sources of optimism and causes of pessimism in us.
Just to be clear, "our" means humankind :-)
Sep 29 2012: great question! thanks Hassan.
I agaree with Kuldip Singh that the world is chaning for the better - and it is doing so rapidly. We do not notice it when we read, listen to or watch the news. We do notice it however, when we talk to individuals, when we realise how many people are becoming aware of the challenge and its solutions!
when, 25 - 30 years ago, I talked about the then called 'new age' ideas, people rolled their eyes, saying oh, it's Christina again with her far out phantasy ideas. these ideas about the importance of self- responsibility, meditation, spiritual awarness are becoming main stream in many areas.
I see the earth quakes, floods, forest fires, storms etc as a way of cleansing by Earth; it is like when humans have hives or a fever to bring awareness thata something is amiss, as well as a cleansing of the body/earth.
and look at al the corporations whose unsavoury acts are being uncovered - we are on aa good path - adn we do need to expand until we reach the critical mass. Everyone counts!
Sep 30 2012: Christina- thank you for the thumbs up.
A little over 4 decades ago,I read in the Reader's Digest.A reporter asked Mr.Rockefeller,who at that time was the richest man in the world, " How much money is enough?" Mr.Rockefeller replied," Just a little bit more."
It all boils down to contentment.The problems the world is facing,be it climate change,materialism,over population,etc will be solved by the law of nature.This includes the materialistic world being replaced by a spiritual world.This will happen when the Spiritual Leaders of all the World's religions rise and take control of the World.
The first Guru of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji was asked,"Who is higher,a Hindu or a Muslim?" Guru Nanak Dev Ji replied,"It is not a question of Hindu or Muslim.It all depends one one's actions or karma.Whose action is pure is deemed to be higher."
Karma is defined as being similar to Newton's Third Law- For every action,there is an equal and opposite reaction.
In the Bhagwad Gita,Lord Krishna says that we cannot live in this World without acquiring karma.He further went on to say that at all times, we should always strive to acquire good karma.
Hence I am confident the future is indeed very bright.
Sep 30 2012: I agree with just about everything you say, except: we cannot wait for the spiritual leaders to take control ( actually I do beleive that spiritual leadership is NOT about control...) we need to realise that each and everyone of us is personally responsible for his or her thoughts, actions and emotions.....that is where we need to head - enjoying ourselves on the journey does help :-)
Oct 1 2012: Less than 5 minutes ago: I totally agree with you when you said," we need to realise that each and everyone of us is personally responsible for his or her thoughts, actions and emotions."
Having said that,we do need Spiritual Leaders to show us how.
From Wikipedia, Jesus Christ did say, "Pearls before swine" and "casting pearls" refer to a quotation from Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." in Jesus, Sermon on the Mount, implying that scriptural truth or knowledge (pearls) should not be put in front of people (or in this case, swine) who do not appreciate their value.
Therefore it is a question of timing.Christians have been praying,
" Thy Will be done,
on Earth,
as it is in Heaven."
When The Almighty establishes His Will on Earth,believe you me, all the wheeler dealers,lobbyists, pedophiles,what have you -they all will rue their actions.
Also, yes Spiritual Leadership is not about control.It is about leadership in action,through thought,word and deed.
Kuldip Singh
Sep 29 2012: A few years ago, when 2012 was trending, on the Agora's 5 Minute Financial blog, somebody asked, "Will the world come to an end in 2012?"
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The blogger replied, "No, the world will not come to an end in 2012, but the world as we know it will cease to exist."
I take this to mean that wars,bigotry,religious extremism,financial greed,quarreling politicians serving themselves,etc will end.
If materialism were to cease,spiritualism must take its place.
In the light of the recent uproar re Innocence of Muslims - many years ago I asked my Spiritual Master," All the chaos in the World,who is responsible?" The Master replied, " 2 classes of people who live by the philosophy of divide and rule- one is politicians and the other preachers."
I think the world is about to find out that the Almighty is indeed All Mighty.Sep 28 2012: It's not the end of the world. When it reaches a certian tipping point, then a die off will occur and the survivors will have a pretty good place to live, lots of room for everyone. I"m sure some of the modern infrastructure will still be inhabitable and the survivors can start over and reach a height unobtainable with all the current overpopulation and toxic destruction. We might even make it to a class 1 civilization.
There's always a bright side.Oct 20 2012: I do think the future is bright, but not without conflict. I believe in paradise, but also know that there is always a snake. Human nature wil continue to strive for better amidst the chaos as it has always done, the big difference today is that problems are astoundingly BIG, but today we have the astoundingly BIG miracle of human invention in the internet, where problem solving will involve thousands or millions minds in 'crowd sourced problem solving'. Think in terms of open source code, and how quickly that evolves and improves. World problems are soon going to be addressed this way.Also better open source management is taking root to help in this process. The solutions will come from people and the governments will eventually implement them. Leadership and answers no longer come from governments since their main purpose is to maintain the status quo, until a new group changes that status and the climate will MAKE that happen, cause you can curse the heat with all the political fury you like, but sooner or later you will get hot enough to stop ... and then blame the liberals for something new.Oct 16 2012: I'd like to think yes. For one, I am a part of those people who are dedicated to promoting educational and informative stuff to people of all ages as to encourage everyone to live a health life. How do we do this: see maddieandmatt[dot]com.
chen xin
Oct 12 2012: i think it is bright as long as we continue to educate and do what we can to have a better life
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you know we are born excepting a better life ,have enough food speak freely and create what we would like .
and have emotion communication .we all work towards better direction .so future is bright and still much work need o be done.Oct 12 2012: Only problem is, one robot would replace 5 workers. And one worker would likely design and maintain 100 robots. Nice work if you can get it! The workers, while freed up to play or create or whatever, still need to meet survival needs (food, lodging etc.) So unless we make it so we work much less, we will become slaves to our technology. I am all for meditation, etc. Do it daily. Hard to meditate when your stomach is growling. I wholeheartedly agree with what you are saying, don't get me wrong. Its just that we would likely have to get rid of the monetary system, like they did in Star Trek, Next Gen. There, people worked to improve themselves rather than competing for resources and money. Nice dream, a long way off. Besides, many people define themselves by their work; being out of work makes them feel a bit worthless. So, unless society creates activities to engage people, we will have millions of people, hungry, sitting around, feeling worthless, resentful against technology. Not a good combination. We would need a new challenge, like populating Mars. Sign me up!
K. Mager
Oct 10 2012: Despite my enthusiasm for technology, I do wonder if these speakers are just rehashing the same tired arguments that were prevalent during the dot com era: technology will render offices obsolete, we won't go into work, we'll interact with one another via virtual reality, etc. Sure, one could argue that digital technology is especially profound given its prevalence, but technology is far, far, far, from being universally accessible. I think it is also useful to remember that technology and networks are not, by themselves, democratizing — organizations fight for control of networks everyday, and one could easily argue that industrial networks hold far more agency than any individual user or even a group of users.Oct 7 2012: I have to love they way people on here and the speaker, are like ostriches, with their head in the sand, envisaging all sorts of utopia.
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It wont happen. The future is dark, dank, and rotten, for all but a few.
Robots / Chinese workers / Slave trade (look on TED for that) ... Pure Capitalism see's no differentiation. Is all about cost. Pure Capitalism does NOT care about the person, it NEVER has.
"Managing that transition is going to be the greatest challenge that our society faces." Lets be honest there wont be ANY transition, just like the home loan scandal, your own your own, if you sleep on the street who cares?
How many times have you walked past someone homeless, did you care? If that number goes from one to twenty will you care? The answer is no, until YOU'RE on the street.
Look at unemployment levels in the USA and Europe. Greece, Spain, it's heading upwards. And the plan is ... build robots?
Just look at what we're facing today...
The rise of the Corporation as been to put it mildly massive. The unemployment rates have risen. in all BUT China. More companies now design and create prototypes only (nike / apple etc ) all manufacturing is done offshore.
If one can get robots to do the job, and they are already used, all the more profit. And if they can get them to do 100% of the job they will.
Larger and larger (bear-sterns (30bn) to TARP (700bn) scams and bailouts have been happening and with increasing frequency. Those will only get worse. Because those collapses created the 10 biggest banks in history. If one fails, and it will, the only thing you will have left are those dreams.
With no jobs, no money, it will force the cost of food etc up, as has been happening recently, and it will continue to rise. But with no jobs, you create an army of homeless, and we've all seen the militarization of the police forces around the world.
The future for you and millions more - will be a daily nightmare of simple survival.
Welcome to the real world baby.Oct 5 2012: Great question Hassan Syed,
I'm not feeling overly optimistic. The issues of population growth concern me most. It seems that if "we" are already fighting over resources, this can only get worse with increased population and further resource depletion. I hope that I am just a grumpy pessimist and that some brilliant optimstic and altruisitc minds will "save the day." In the meantime, I am trying to reduce my personal contribution to the problem by maintaining a reasonably simple lifestyle. The problem is that even if I live a modest lifestyle by standards in the U.S., I realize that I use far more resources than many people in world. I try to help others through programs like Habitat for Humanity, OXFAM, Fair Trade Federation. Still, is it possible for everyone in the world to live even a modest "American" lifetyle without depleting the Earth's resources? Much needs to change ... We need to discover major breakthoughs in sustainable agriculture/fuel/lwater supply/housing/living and we need to maintain populations that are within what the planet can "host." Sigh ... how long before "we", as guests have outstayed our welcome ... especially when we keep inviting countless new people to join the "party??"
W. Ying
Oct 1 2012: I think:
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It is bright!
People will soon understand that they are pursuing SILLY "invalid happiness".
Then, they will quit it and save 90% of the resources/energy and stop self-extinction.Sep 30 2012: Geographer Jared Diamond summarizes an extensive literature and identifies four broad reasons for the collapse of historical societies: (1) Damage to the environment due to inadvertent,
shortsighted, or uninformed human activities causing such changes as deforestation, erosion,
desalinization, and over-hunting; (2) Natural stochastic disasters such as increased cooling or prolonged
droughts; (3) Relations with neighbors going sour, sometimes leading to war; and (4) Cultural responses
preventing society from recognizing the problem or considering potential solutions
Our speaker didn't even mention environmental collapse.
I believe our problems aren't technological. They're human. What is man but an ape. Our logic serves the older part of the brain, the reptilian survival part. We are wired to survive. After the first 100 million dollars what is accumulating money all about? I saw somewhere that money has the same effect as cocaine. Stimulates the same area of the brain. Give a chimpanzee a computer and he will corner the market on bananas. Another survival mechanism is to spend more money than anybody else on weapons. And why do we overeat. Why does America have obesity crisis?
They're is an old saying "The scum rises to the top". How much parasitic corruption can a system absorb? The corrupt are ideological chameleons. They make the best of whatever political system their in.
I'm pessimistic. Unless we are able rid the system of corruption we are doomed. And that has nothing to do with technology.Sep 29 2012: Pessimism has its roots in realism, whereas over-optimism seems often to be a state of denial.
It seems to be in our nature to have an over-optimistic expectation of being successful if we've experienced success in the past. This can be an inaccurate view of the world, encouraging overconfidence, leading us away from envisioning a realistic future.
A dose of pessimism can do wonders in sharpening up an otherwise myopic vision of that future.
"Optimism is what you have before understanding the problem" as Woody Allen once said.
With this in mind, I am pessimistic about the future because everything we stand for right now is governed by an over-optimistic 'business as usual' criteria, driven by economics and politics.
This is partly why global mindsets will not change until catastrophe and disaster ensues, whereupon the pessimists will say "I told you so, ages ago!"Sep 29 2012: I think our future is as bright or dark as is has always been in the history of mankind. Like our organism / immune system always adapted to new threats, our society will adapt and overcome problems of civilisation. Looking into history there was always an up and down (dialectical principal). In 1988 nobody in Germany would have bet one dollar on the "end of the cold war" and the falling of the iron wall. . In 1975 (at least in Germany) nobody would have dared to believe, that our rivers will recover to the quality of today (drink water quality) or that wolves or eagles would return to our forests.One more argument - there is a platonic dialogue (I think it is the Gorgias dialogue) dated 500 b.C. where the old men are sitting together on the market place, when a young guy was strolling by. The old men where starting to complain about his outfit, where telling stories how few respect the youth is paying to the older people, and that all the old virtues will go down the drain. This makes me think, that cultural pessimism is as old as mankind, and it always came better than suspected ;-)Sep 29 2012: Hassan, We find ourselves in a slot of history that could go either way. I see stumbling block everywhere. The US lacks the diplomatic corps that we once enjoyed. Political leaders are giving lip service to national needs and concentrating on keeping their position. As if that was not bad enough ... we (US) are not getting the true news. We hear what will not damage the re-election hopes as all but one media source is firmly entrenched in the current party. We hear ten seconds on Syria and Iran and twenty minutes on the current polls and political ads. I have not heard anything on the world economy in weeks.
Most of the worlds media is complementary to the philosophy of the reigning government. That being the case how is it that we the people will ever know the true heights and depths of our status.
Italy, France and others are up to a 75% tax on the wealthy and the wealthy are leaving for better ports in droves. It would appear that party leaders are looking for scapegoats so they can maintain office. The current finger pointing in the US is that the rich are the cause of all of your problems. By making you believe that .. no one will seek the real problem and resolve it. Much like the misdirection a magician using when performing "magic".
As long as people can live off of state welfare and social programs then why should they seek work. When enough people take this view then the GDP goes down and the problems begin. To give "free" service is a popular idea ... until the check comes due.
We need leadership now more than ever. Without it our once bright future will go dim.
All the best. Bob.
Sep 29 2012: I agree with you on most of the things Bob. I do think that there is a social responsibility to take care of people that are going through hardship or cannot take care of themselves because this is the basic foundation of human society. However, I do agree that people should not be allowed to take advantage of society's generosity.
On the leadership question, do you see that kind of leadership emerging or where is the potential of such leadership development?
Sep 30 2012: Hassan, You are so right .... I often say that I support a habd up not a hand out. We, in the US, have created a generation of welfare families. By making these people dependent we have robbed people of dignity and work ethic
There is nothing wrong with social programs. I do, however, feel that they be evaluated and total support should be limited to those who are indeed in need. Just as in the Purtain ethic law ... able bodied men should contribute to share in the bounties.
Further, the times are not such to support the volume of welfare that some countries are supporting. Social programs require a stable and prosperous economy and that means workers. There are jobs available but why take them if it would reduce your lifestyle from living off of the state.
Currently the German leader is the only one who said "if you don't change .. we will not continue to finance a failing government" to the countries of the EU. I support that. Many of the EU leaders supported the vast social give aways for voter support. Tough time require tough, and often unpopular, decisions.
I don't see better leadership coming from the US. We will do well to stay the course. The best shot of new "great" leadership is in the EU.
Thanks for the reply. All the best. Bob.Sep 28 2012: I do not believe our future is bright. We humans, I feel, have overreached ourselves, and, in particular, have allowed our animality to lead us into an unsustainable overexploitation and overpopulation of our world with the corresponding irreversible destruction of that "miraculous" ecosphere which, first, produced us, and second, must sustain us. Meanwhile we entertain ourselves with fictions, like going to haven on other planets, or repairing this damaged planet-- the list is unending.TED seems to be biased in favor of possible fictional improvements of our prospects, i'm saddened to see.
Sep 28 2012: It is a very good response. Have you seen Tristram Stuart's The global food waste scandal?Sep 28 2012: It depends on your world view. If you only consider yourself in your world, then yes, it will be very bright for you!If you consider everyone and everything else as a whole, then no, our combined future is much much darker than we could have imagined.
It is all relative - a balance. We know little, so we have yet to discover the totality of what we are doing to ourselves.
A bright candle in a small jar is perceived as bright when only considering as far as the jar. However, that same candle is perceived as nothing when considering its place in the universe. Add to that that our jar-sized understanding of our place in the universe is expanding much faster than the light of our ability to positively influence these things. Add to that that technology is leading us to ask more questions than it/we can provide answers to. Add to that that we increasingly know more about external things and less and less about our own selves inside. Add to that that what universaly makes us happy has always remained the same - self worth, relationships, sincerity, commitment, sacrifice - yet the number of things created to make us happy increases and increases while completely missing the point! Add to that that the more we know (rogue asteroids, killer diets, solar flares, earthquake/volcano/tsunami alerts, what habits statistically shorten our life expectancy,...) the less blissfully happy we are in this information age!
Simple answer: No for us, Yes for me.Sep 24 2012: I cannot speak for humankind. I can only speak for myself. But as I am embedded in society, I believe that most people believe what the majority says. So if majority is feeding mostly up with bad news, have a not satisfying job, read books/papers and extract the negative things out of it, listen to destructive rather than to constructive people, remember more bad than good experiences, you will get a "No" for a bright future. And vice versa.
I think the main source is the media (tv, newspapers, magazines, internet).
Ask people where they get their opinions from. The negative point of view is coming from the outside and gives examples of how evil the world is (war, poverty, all forms of ...isms, crime, markets etc.), the positive view often is a result of personal experience. I myself became careful with people who solve the problems of our world from the couch or carry the earths suffering on their shoulders, rarely talking about themselves in a personal way. Instead I love to listen to people who talk about what really happened to themselves (in their job or daily life) or even better: show me something I didn't know so far and use for myself.
A lot of stuff is just intellectual boredom.
Sep 24 2012: What you have said about believing in actions is so true. I really like your logic and hope that everyone believes in words that are backed by the actions.Sep 24 2012: The future will be bright for some people, no matter what, we can work to make it bright for nearly everyone, but we might fail.
Gail .
Sep 24 2012: I am very optomistic because I believe that the global economic model that is causing all of humankind's problems is on the verge of failure. when it collapses, we have the chance to fix what went so wrong.
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Sep 24 2012: What do you think will be short-term impact of such collapse and how long would it take before the dust settles?
Gail .
Sep 24 2012: Not sure. But I do know that by and large, we will find ourselves forced to learn how to cooperate again - in the name of our survival. Right now our political and economic systems are designed to turn people against people, but when they collapse, reality will set in. Cooperation, not fear or hate, and certainly not class systems, will be our avenue to survival.
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the first year would be the hardest, because basic essentials of living would have to be provided for and excesses discarded. This will cause emotional turmoil in those who have not been preparing themselves for the event. (who have not learned how to establish inner peace)
As a "sense" or normalcy returns in the face of reality, (sincerely looking for fixes), more rational discourse can then take place and we can begin to establish a moneyless system where people are the value and money has none. I doubt that we will be denied energy and water for more than a few days at most (and the Internet for a few weeks). The failing governments will take them over in the name of the people (and the survival of the politicians who gave us the collapse - because when money has no value, the "upper class" will just be one of us). People will be called upon to volunteer wherever possible in the name of humanity's survival. (Look at how wonderfully people response to natural disasters)
I think that there will be great anger at first, and though misplaced, will be directed at those who brought us to the new reality - including religions. But as life improves and actually gets better because money is not the indicator of my value as a human, life will begin to improve, and people will begin doing things that they like to do and are good at because they like to do them and share their talents.
The engines of society will begin taking us in another direction. It shouldn't be more than 7-10 years before we are celebrating that which we once feared. The route to that point will vary from person to person.Sep 24 2012: technology (these days) amounts to little more than gadgets to kill time before the next version comes out so there's no hope there beyond entertainment (and yes, TED is entertainment).
humanity has not "advanced" at all but tech has. that will become a concern in the future (see terminator franchise).
i'm sure there will be some kind of critical mass population-wise but nature will sort that out (see contagion).
necessity is the mother of invention (as well as Frank Zappa's band) and we have not yet come to the crunch.
to think that having access to information will level the playing field seriously underestimates the ability of humans to segregate the playing field.
we need an end to revolutions. we need a renaissance. i'm not yet seeing this.
i have faith in people. i have no faith in systems (technology, business, politics).
Sep 24 2012: Scott that's interesting.
Could you describe the renaissance for me,how you see it through your eye's?Sep 24 2012: Our knowledge future? The Big Pop equals expansion
Our Cultural future? A Song of many.
Our planetary future? ?
Our emotional future? Refer to Rhona's post.
Forward unto Dawn.Sep 24 2012: We were burning wood to smelt metals. We were coming to the end of the supply. Coal was discovered.
Europe was going through religious persecution. America was born.
It seems that just as we are on a precipice of disaster, a new challenge was just around the corner.
I read a book by Eric Learner called "The Big-Bang Never Happened". Although I don't agree with all his theories (sometimes it is not either/or, but both that turns out to be the answer). Regardless, he makes numerous claims about the cosmos that work the same as I have mentioned above. Just as the universe is coming to a halt, a new process suddenly presents itself. Before the new process begins, one could not have predicted that it would.
A few examples; the big-bang (or whatever got this universe started) was cooling down. Just as it appears that the show is over, subatomic particles begin to form into atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen begins to gather together into huge masses of gas into early stars. Just as this process begins to wind down, the stars ignite into nuclear fusion and new elements begin to form. Just as these stars begin to die, the star's interior reheats and red giants are born. Just as these stars start to die, supernovas explode, scattering the matter throughout the cosmos into a new cosmic soup. The process just keeps going on and on.
We think that we are coming to the theory of everything. Now science is opening doors to worlds that we never knew existed with dark matter and dark energy. The bible says "former things will pass away, look for a new heaven and a new earth." This is just another way of saying the same thing. We don't know what will reveal itself in the next decade, but don't lose faith that something will.
As for us, no matter what happens in the near future, we will see our own end regardless. Take faith in what you can do while life abides. Have faith that the cosmos will come up with something after you are gone. It hasn't failed yet.
Sep 24 2012: In the big scheme of things, yes, you are right Roy. However, our challenge is more imminent. What do you think of more short-term, like next 100 or 200 years?
Sep 24 2012: The first thing that I see is that the truth is being forced out on all fronts. People are learning to question everything and not taking simple or erroneous answers for granted. Our awareness is becoming more keen in the process.
I believe that we will find more energy efficient ways of doing things. When energy was abundant, waste was not an issue. That mind set needs to change and I believe it will. We don't need more energy, we need to learn to do more with less.
We need to become more eco-friendly. We are at odds with mother earth. We need to listen to what mother earth is telling us. I see more and more people doing that. They are learning to take responsibility for their actions in how we affect this planet. They realize that we have a symbiotic relationship that must be protected. Population growth is a major factor. Educated people are no longer breeding out of control.
I believe that we will see more development into space exploration. The end of the Mayan calendar is not the end of the world, it is the end of our being glued to this planet. A major change is that life is no longer grounded. We came from the stars, and I believe that we are destined to return.
I expect that religion will be going through some major changes. Many of the stories are metaphors and myths that teach great lessons to those who don't see them as literal, but understand what they are trying to tell us. The lessons deal with selfishness, lusts, and egos that set people at odds with one another. Because of the controversy between religion and science, these lessons are being ignored by those who see religion as erroneous. The result is the pessimism that so many feel today. They feel disconnected from the grand scheme of things and are promoting their own agendas, often to their own demise. We need to reconnect with the grand scheme of things. Religious fanaticism will need to be dealt with. We'll find a way.Sep 24 2012: I tend to view the future with pessimism. I am a baby buster, gen X, had it tough all my life. So, let's see...technology is destroying the rainforests, the oceans, polluting the air, poisoning the land. Our technology has created things that are not advancing us, from the small such as fish finders to the large like atomic bombs. For every good creation, there is multiple downsides.
Now we humans are going to be replaced by robots. What will happen to assembly line workers when robots replace them? The 3 million truck drivers? Are they going to become computer programmers, and still participate in the economy, or live on welfare?
Back in the 60s and 70s, authors in books like Ecotopia predicted that by now, a worker would only have to work about 20 hours a week to produce enough income for a reasonable living. That little bit hasn't worked out, has it?
My cheery prognosis: the rich will get richer, the poor will start to starve, there will be a revolt, and when the dust settles, we will be back about 50 years, in both jobs and population.
Or even more cheery, the new AI computers will consider us redundant, and use us as the slaves.
Better yet, in 50 years, total ecological collapse, 6 billion people die, the Earth regenerates, with a much smaller human population.
Of course, instead of gladiator games during the fall of Rome, we will be glued to our eye candy IPODs and the like, being entertained as our civilization falls.
Ah well, like I said, I tend to be pessimistic!
Sep 24 2012: Good points Peter. Being from the same generation, I can relate to what you are saying.
Why do you think people feel the need for robots when lots of people are jobless? Is it because we want to pay less for the things or is it because industrialists and businessmen want more profit? If a choice was given, would people opt for little expensive products in favour of human factor in the making of it?
Sep 24 2012: Well, bottom line, some people are greedy. If they can replace a worker who they paid say $30K a year with a robot for $60K the robot would pay for itself quickly. Of course, who would be able to buy a car at $30K if they are jobless? That's why Henry Ford paid his workers well, so they could afford his cars.
People will always opt for the cheaper option. Why? Well, as you become un(der)employed, you start looking for cheaper sources (dollar stores, thrift marts) for items...even though you know that you should be buying products locally made. So, for 10 years or so, everything will be made in China. Then, when North America wages fall and workers can no longer even afford that, society will start breaking down..
The robots will exasperate the issue, as they wipe out all local jobs, and manufacturing will go overseas to cheaper job markets. The short sighted manufactuers will lose all their local North American customers.and apply to get government loans, which would be a huge error. Its called a downward spiral.
But hey, with an increasing world human population, lets make a billion or so robots that can replace 6 billion workers. Where's the logic in that?
The only real way out would be a complete abandoning of monetary capitalism, where we use robots to do our bidding as we sit back and enjoy our lazy lives. Bored, but not hungry!
Oct 12 2012: Who repairs the robots? Who designs robots to do new things? Are all things automatable? If one person now generates 10x as much wealth with the same amount of work as the previous generation, what happens to the difference? Massive consumerism is what creates scarcity. What if we learned to meter our production and let go of consuming many of the things we don't need? Maybe you call this lazy. Would you be bored? I wouldn't be. Do you know everything you could? Have you seen all the sites, experienced all there is to behold? Do you know your neighbors? Do you know yourself? Do you know the nature of a single atom, much less the entire universe? You're right, the nature of money would have to change. The concept of scarcity should still apply to opportunity, but not to survival.
The point of solving small problems, for the individual and for the society, is to free yourself to look further. When you have a big problem, rejoice! You stand on the shoulders of giants. Language and technology are both tools of abstraction. They separate us from nature but also give us power over it. The disconnection we all feel is a consequence of that power and separation.
Most people are not aware of the basic principles which guide their lives. They are not mature enough to spend 10 minutes alone meditating, much less a lifetime. They've forgotten how to play, I think, to really be consumed by their curiosity of the experience they find themselves in. Who are you, and what really matters in your life? And how can you be jealous of a robot? [laugh]
Viktor E Frankl was a Jewish psychologist imprisoned in a Nazi death camp. His book "Man's Search For Meaning" is a very interesting read. It is that search, more than anything, that defines us. And our answers are more important than all than all the gold in the world. But perhaps not so important as continuing to ask the question.Sep 23 2012: Great question ... My response is sincere, so if it at first seems dismissive, please bear with me...
"Do you believe that our future is bright, if yes, why and if not, why not?" Is the question.
The first part that stands out in the question is "our". So, you need to consider who is us? Is the future going to be great for people like "me", people like "you", or people like "who". That makes a big difference.
The second part that stands out is the why you only want a response if someone says yes and not no. This one I'm going to, basically, overlook as being the result of looking at the question far too literally.
The future will be exceeding bright for some.
The future will be exceedingly dim for some.
The future looks pretty much the same for the rest.
Change is here and it is rapid and the future "we" experience will be different based on how "we" position ourselves. If you are hand digging ditches for a living, which many people do like plumbers, electricians, concrete workers, landscapers. The world will remain largely the same. Those job will continue to be done in mostly the same fashion for many years to come.
Change is coming for the rest of the groups. Change is destructive and disruptive. Those of us that are in those groups can have a future that is bright or grim based on how we position ourselves and what services we are offering.
Overall, the condition for most is getting better. There are problems, but there is a lot of opportunity, mobility, and the ability to communicate has expanded options. The downside is that people are both rational and irrational, so we now have the opportunity to make more mistakes faster.
Technology is wonderful, but our advances still come at a cost. Have you ever worked in a mine? Or gone into a 2-foot high crawl space to weld a cross member in to support an air conditioning unit? Even as technology advances many of "us" will still need to clean toilets for people thinking about other things.
Sep 24 2012: "Our" in my question refers to humankind and I am equally interested in the "no" answers. :-)Sep 23 2012: Yes. Increased communication among people will cause the basic truths to surface and the naked emperors to be exposed and deposed. Human beings will increasingly live according to their own highest consciousness of what is right and abandon the prejudices heaped upon them by the ancestors who brainwashed them with bibles and other books that limit their lives rather than enrich and broaden their good life experiences. Through communication truths will out. Individual freedom will prevail. People will demand truth in everyday human communication. The hypocrites in politics and religion and other sectors will be increasingly exposed. POWER TO THE POSITIVE. The best is yet to come. We are all co-creating a good future...........for all.
Sep 24 2012: power to the people.
people are flawed..
Sep 24 2012: then what? power to the mice?Sep 24 2012: So what if people are flawed? You have a choice about what to focus on at every moment. You can choose to focus on the positive facts of life. Dwelling on positive facts is likely to increase the quantity of positive facts and increase your own positive feelings and facts of your own life. You may have to systematically re-program yourself to develop this as a new habit, but it certainly seems worth the investment of your effort.....in my opinion.
Sep 24 2012: i'm not one for positive affirmations although i understand the theory behind it. generally they are good for adding an element of cheesiness to facebook and toilet doors in the workplace..
individual freedom means respecting an individual's rights and opinions including those flawed or in total disagreement with our own. it's a big ask but i believe in it.
it's a nice juxtaposition to add to the power to the people statement. similar to john lennon's sentiment - "when you talk about destruction/don't you know that you can count me out in"Sep 25 2012: Power to the positive. It's nice when people think for themselves and express their own thoughts, beliefs, opinions instead of those they received from ancestral brainwashing, as in religious brainwashing.


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Over a year ago I couldn't understand how people defended Jeff Ireland... And now I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. What more do people need to see???? Ireland has thrown an INORDINATE amount of money, picks, effort and time at the OL since Day 1 and we have YET to see any kind of return on that significant investment... The guy has been a proponent of an outdated philosophy... Everyone loves to talk about the last draft and yet we have the exact same weakness... And the response is what? Martin, Vernon, Clay and Miller???? And yet the Offense is still offensive, just like it was walking into the draft.. The funny thing is Martin might actually turn out to be the best pick only because we may need to move him over to the left side to cover for the other Ireland catastrophe Jake Long when we let him walk. It's not even funny.
Man you Ireland supporters are easy to please.
@fish-head your 100% correct
thats the problem, were spending to many picks and too much time focusing on the offensive line when we should be grabbing playmakers and game changers. The giants haven't taken on OL in the first round since 05 but what they have been doing is loading up on pass rushers and WR's, and how has that formula worked? 2 superbowls in 4 years. How has are formula worked which is an ancient philosophy from the 80's?#1 pick Long was a Pro Bowler, #1 pick Pouncey is a Pro Bowler, and who knows about Martin? Jerry was a 3rd rounder, who I belive will work out, and Cog was a FA. Gotta understand that a change in scheme affects players from another one.
Jeff Ireland just needs time. Rome wasn't built in a decade, ya know.
Twitter: @ckparrot
It's just amazing how many people on this board are so happy with losing season after losing season. They think Ireland just needs more time. Give him another 5 years and we might be able to put an oline together that can run block for 4 yards instead of 3? He drafts as if drafting playmakers is a crime. And for those who thinks he's so greart cause he took Tannehill, he had no choice. They'd had hang him if he had passed on yet another first round QB. I like to think I'm a fair person and therefor I don't blame Ireland for the bad teams we've had in like forever. But he's been here long enough. The guy doesn't getting still that you don't built a winner from the inside out and anymore in the NFL. That worked 20 years ago. He wants and always have wanted a "big" team. He said that from the start. He wanted to be able to bully other teams with big players. Well, look who got manhandle and embarrased last night. Both our lines, the oline more so but even the dline got pushed around. Ine the end, what is so wrong with having a new GM anyway? You can bring a new GM and still keep Philbin. Let Philbin suggest a couple of guys he'd like as the GM and let them work together but get Ireland out.
Ozzy rules!!


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House Speaker John Boehner spent at least $2.3 million to defend the federal law banning same-sex marriage -- a cause dear to the Republican base -- but you couldn't tell from his muted reaction when the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down.
"While I am obviously disappointed in the ruling, it is always critical that we protect our system of checks and balances," Boehner said Wednesday in a statement. The day before, he didn't respond at all to the court's blow to the Voting Rights Act, even though the decision could protect the Republican majority in Congress for years to come.
Boehner's cautious positioning reflects the squeeze both court rulings put on a Republican Party torn between its traditional values and a desire to modernize and expand before the 2014 and 2016 elections. Crusading against gay marriage, a timeworn Republican strategy to rally social conservatives, is out of step with polls that show increasing support for gay marriage, particularly among young voters. The court also put congressional Republicans on the spot by demanding a rewrite of the landmark law protecting minority voting rights, setting up potentially awkward battles with African-American and Hispanic leaders that would reprise the rallying cry in those communities last year over voter ID laws.
"The politics on these issues are changing, and it's smart to be careful," said Republican consultant John Feehery, a former adviser to House leadership. "Years ago, gay marriage was something that you were able to rile the base with and it became part of an electoral strategy, but opinion seems to be evolving pretty quickly. The Voting Rights Act is also a combustible issue, and there are risks for getting involved."
That's exactly why the Democratic Party is flogging both court rulings. Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Wednesday that the gay marriage ruling "shows how extreme and intolerance House Republicans really are." Democratic gubernatorial candidates from Barbara Buono in New Jersey to Terry McAuliffe in Virginia also picked fights with their Republican opponents over the court rulings. Gov. "Chris Christie is still blocking marriage equality. He is trying to be more conservative than Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and the rest of the Tea Party," Buono's daughter said in a fundraising appeal. Similar requests from Democratic candidates and groups are coming rapid fire this week, calling for checks to fund historic battles for marriage equality and voting rights.
Coupled with ongoing debates over immigration and abortion, the court rulings mark a return to the culture wars that could hamstring Republican outreach to women, young voters and minorities in the wake of the 2012 election. Recent skirmishes include a House vote banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, another House vote rejecting President Obama's policy to halt deportations of illegal immigrants brought here as children, and this week, an explosive filibuster of a bill backed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry of Texas to regulate abortion clinics. Democratic attacks portray these efforts to block immigration reform or limit abortion as proof of the GOP's hostility toward minorities and "war on women."
Many Republicans are eager for the national debate to return to President Obama's spending and health care law -- which fueled historic GOP gains in 2010 -- and away from issues that pit the party against demographic tides and public opinion.
"At some point our party has got to come to grip with fact that the world is moving on and being bound by old theories and traditions is not healthy for the future of the party or their candidates," said Republican strategist Rich Galen, who was among dozens of prominent members of his party who signed a pro-gay marriage legal brief. "If young people see the masters in Washington use the issue to gin up the conservative right, they may just roll their eyes. I think this is a good test for the Republican Party to see how it wants to be seen in the 21st century."
Withstanding pressure from the right wing of the party will be the first trial. Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, called Wednesday for federal legislation to reinstate a same-sex marriage ban. He noted that many of the more than 30 state bans have passed with healthy margins.
"Republicans shouldn't be trying to disassociate themselves from marriage – they should be hugging it tighter," Reed said. "It serves to engender greater intensity and enthusiasm at the grassroots level among faith-based activists and voters. I don't think this is a hard call for the Republican Party."
Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, a staunch conservative and Boehner nemesis, is ready to lead the charge for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. But the message from Boehner and other Republican leaders on Wednesday was clear: leave the issue to the states. "The states will now decide this issue through the democratic process," said Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the 2012 vice presidential nominee.
That stance marks a dramatic shift from just six years ago, when former President George W. Bush pushed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Even Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential presidential contender who recently said he opposed laws banning anti-gay workplace discrimination, urged states to pick up the issue.
"I appreciate that many Americans' attitude towards same-sex marriage have changed in recent years," he said in a statement. "I respect the rights of states to allow same-sex marriages, even though I disagree with them. But I also expect that the decisions made by states like Florida to define marriage as between one man and one woman will also be respected."
The measured reaction from Rubio and other prominent Republicans contrasted with the unabashed outrage expressed by Democrats to the voting rights decision. "SCOTUS took a step backward on voting rights, on civil rights, & on justice for all," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wrote on Twitter. "The decision is a cue for Congress to strengthen" the law. Democrats could benefit politically from taking on the issue: some of the most closely watched Senate race in 2014 are in Southern states where African-American turnout – typically light in mid-term elections -- will be pivotal.
"The voter ID laws definitely made Republicans look bad, and if they refuse to do something on the Voting Rights Act, Democrats are going to use that to their advantage," said Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, director of social policy and politics at Third Way, a non-partisan think tank.
In the Virginia governor's race, Democratic nominee McAuliffe pounced this week on his opponent's positions on voting rights and gay marriage. Ginning up turnout of the Democratic base is key for McAuliffe to beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli in an off-year election. "Unlike my opponent, I believe that, while we have made progress, protections are still necessary to ensure that Virginians are allowed to exercise their right to vote without the risk of disenfranchisement," McAuliffe said in a statement.
The Voting Rights Act requires several states, mostly in the south, to get federal approval before changing electoral practices. Cuccinelli emphasized that "every person's vote counts" but added, "I do not believe we have the institutional bigotry like we had before." His senior advisor, Chris LaCivita warned that McAuliffe should tread carefully. "Any attempt to use it in the context that implies race or that implies not everyone would have right to vote would be viewed as over the top, insulting to Virginians and will backfire," he said.
This week has shown, however, the Democratic impulse to hammer Republicans over minority voting rights and gay marriage, is a powerful one.


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This panorama, taken by James Blakeway, captures one of college football's biggest rivalries, the Red River Rivalry, played by Big 12 opponents The University of Oklahoma Sooners and The University of Texas Longhorns. The game is played annually on neutral turf at the Cotton Bowl, located at the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas, which is conveniently located halfway between Austin, TX and Norman, OK. These teams first met in 1900 and played off-campus several times until moving permanently to the fairgrounds in 1915. The Red River forms part of the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma. Tickets are split 50-50 between the two teams with the stadium divided along the 50 yard line.
High above Dallas on a brilliant fall Saturday afternoon, it's football heaven - Red River Rivalry afternoon at the Texas State Fairgrounds! This spectacular, rare print features the scene on gameday, as a the jam-packed Cotton Bowl seethes with the passion of orange vs. red. Printed in brilliant color and perfect focus on high-quality paper stock, and complete with a sharp white border that includes the official team logo and a brief descriptive paragraph, this is both a beauty for the wall of home or office, and a great collector's item for years to come. Perfect for the wall of any student, alumnus, athlete, or fan!
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The Mountain was founded in the mid-'70s by childhood friends Michael Gallan and Michael Krinsky, who started selling handcrafted hippie wares on New Jersey boardwalks. Now based in New Hampshire, the company has evolved into a thriving T-shirt manufacturer, employing innovative printing techniques and featuring original, artist-designed motifs on its garments.
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Tuesday, June 12
The Simple Way Minted Just Made Your Wedding a Little Easier
A wedding website that integrates your invitations with your RSVPs? YES PLEASE.
A few weeks ago, I was talking with Meg about what kind of tools I'd love to see in the wedding space. "How awesome would be," I asked, "if your wedding website connected to your invitations so that your RSVPs automatically upload onto your envelopes and you don't have to re-enter the information over and over again?" And then basically the next day Minted emailed us to tell us that they just rolled out brand new wedding websites that would do exactly that. Okay wedding Gods, I hear you. Thanks for the solid.…Keep Reading
- APW Happy Hour
- Open Thread: Would You Give Up Everything to Live More Simply?
- This Barefoot DIY Wedding Was Planned in Just Six Weeks
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Did anyone film the cosplay show? I wanted to see it but couldn't cause I was stuck in the holding cell -_-
Did anyone film the cosplay show? I wanted to see it but couldn't cause I was stuck in the holding cell -_-
Cosplays in the works:
That one guy from that show and the character from that movie that came out a few years ago.
Finally my gallery is up and running! check it out and tag yourself!
@ Maple : You're welcome. ^^
Whaaatt? No pictures of me yet? :O
That's better! <3 *twirls glowsticks around happily*
>I didn't take this picture<
This is NOT me. (my username is 10kk)
Hey guys here is the link to my 4tw album
Please go ahead and tag yourself if your in a pic.
Also if you would like a copy of a pic just PM me.
If you see a of me pic in another gallery please let me know I was Naruko on Friday and Boa Hancock on Saturday and Sunday.
Annnnddd if you happen to see any vid for the + 17 Anime dating game (yes I was THAT Boa lol) or the "Whose that Voice Actor" panel. Please please pleeessse send me a link(insert puppy eyes.) My vid camera flaked when those were going on and I would love to see them.
Thanks so much!
Here are the pictures I took (sorry for the blurry quality):
San Japan 4TW Saturday
Feel free to tag yourself or people that you know. :>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJnvhbRI0g. I'll be adding shorter videos for individual parts later too.
(Edit: processing finished, updated wording.)
Last edited by Balorn; 08-11-2011 at 02:56 PM.
You made my week! Thanks so much!!!
Cosplays in the works:
That one guy from that show and the character from that movie that came out a few years ago.
Here's all my pics! They're all in a post on my Tumblr, so you can skip my narration of stuff and the "Post-Con Horrors" bit.
San Japan Mach 5 Cosplays:
Weeping Angel (Doctor Who) - 0%
N (Pokemon Black/White) - 0%
Man, I need to look around more. . .xD There's bound to be a picture of my MLP group somewhere! -pose-
My tiny amount of hall photos, but I got a decent amount at the cosplay contest Saturday night. Enjoy!
thread here).
I was cosplaying as Vriska from Homestuck, so my pictures were split about half and half between Homestuck and other cosplayers.
The Homestuck cosplays and pics from the meetup are tagged on my tumblr here: http://raynarose.tumblr.com/tagged/san_japan
All the other cosplay pictures are on Photobucket (118 total)
(www.raynarose.deviantart.com if you want to credit me if you repost)
Does anyone have pictures of Frank The Rabbit? He only came out Friday night and Sunday morning. If you do please send me a link
Sadly, I only took 3 pictures that weren't of our group. If you were the Edgeworth/Gumshoe/Larry Butz group, the Amazing Moving Dalek, or the surprisingly good Dark Knight Joker let me know and I'll send you the picture of you. Or if you were the Roy Mustang in Cosplay Chess Round 1.
My friends and I were cosplaying from Baccano all weekend. We had Ladd, Lua, Isaac, and Miria. Still looking for more pics of us.
Also, I know I saw video cameras and regular cameras--did anyone get video or pictures of the Cosplay Chess matches (particularly round 1)? Also video or the Reverse Q&A would be awesome too (So I can prove to my friends that Brad Swaile gave *me* a potato chip :P )


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Hang tight!
Recipe by HEATHERWIDNER
"If you like rich casseroles you'll love this!! Green beans are baked in a creamy cheese sauce with a zesty seasoning."
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8 ounces
processed cheese food, cubed
1 (10.75 ounce) can
condensed cream of chicken soup
2 (15 ounce) cans
green beans, drained
1 teaspoon
Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
ground black pepper
1 (2.8 ounce) can
French-fried onions
I love this recipe, I originally tried it because I don;t like mushroom soup which most greenbean recipies call for. The cheesy green beans are really good, even for leftovers. I use fresh green beans and I cook them down to where they are soft before baking them in the casserole, they have lots of good flavor and are a must at our holiday table. The only change I make is I line the bottom of the dish with the fried onions and then top with them as well to add a bit more flavor. Besides you can never have too many fried onions!
this was ok. I usually make green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup and it turns out WAY better but this was ok.
59 Ratings
This is very similar to a recipe I've used for years. Instead of cajun seasoning, I use Ro-tel tomatoes. Any brand of diced tomatoes with green chiles will do.
I don't even know what to say about this except that if my wife didn't stop me, I would have eaten it all. I will hold off on the salt next time b/c between the the canned green beans, cheese, soup, and onions there was plenty. This is comfort food at it's best!
I have made this several times, taken it to pot lucks and EVERYONE loves this!! This has become a family favorite!!! Leave out the salt!! BUT, after the first time I made it, I increase the green beans to 3 cans instead of 2 and I use the french cut style green beans. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!
This is the best greenbean casserole we have ever made we love cheese and we love spicy so when I saw this receipe I knew it was for my family. When I tasted it i knew it would be a favorite for a lot of meals. Thank you for sharing this receipe my husband thanks you too:)
My husband and I really loved this recipe. I followed it to a tee and it turned out perfectly. And now I'm making it again tonight!
This was pretty good. Mine came out just a little watery though..but still good. I think I will add a different cheese or mix up some cheeses and omit the cream of chicken. I also added some bacon bits to the green beans. Pretty darn good.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Rich Green Bean Casserole
Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 277
Calories from Fat: 172
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See how to make classic French onion and green bean casserole.
See how to make creamy, delicious green bean casserole with a crunchy top.
Update the classic holiday dish with bacon, red peppers, or almonds.


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Welcome faculty and staff members, to the Graduate School faculty hub. Here you will have access to forms, documents and other media specific to your role here at the university. Certain areas of the Faculty Hub require you to login to gain access. Please see the links below for the most commonly used graduate student and faculty forms. If you do not already have a login, contact the Graduate School to request one.
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- Beautiful Dancer
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Join us at Vancil Performing Arts Center to learn what it takes to become a beautiful dancer. We will learn new moves and make up our very own dance. Who: Girls in grades 2-3 Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014 Location: Vancil Performing Arts Center, Quincy Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fee: $8 per girl Min/Max: 25/50 girls per session Closing Date: Friday, January 3, 2014 Fun patch and snack included. Adult volunteers needed. ...
- Junior First Aid
11:00AM to 12:00PM
Would you know what to do if someone were injured or sick? You'll be prepared after learning the basics of first aid, speaking to an expert, making a portable first aid kit, and discovering some simple ways you can support someone who is sick. Who: Girls in grades 4-5 Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014 Location: Carle Education Center 221 N. Broadway, Urbana Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Fee: $10 per girl Min/Max: 15/25 girls per session, 1/5 adults per session Closing Date: Monday, January 6, 2014 ...
- Food Fest
9:00AM to 12:00PM
Have you ever cooked your own delicious pasta sauce? Ever prepared a meal that didn't come out of a microwave? Discover some homecooking goodness and learn to prepare foods to comfort and dazzle your friends and family. From appetizers to desserts, we'll cover it all in our state-of-the-art Teaching Kitchen. Who: Girls in grades 4-5 Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014 Location: Decatur Urban Program Center Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $8 per girl Min/Max: 45/80 girls Closing Date: Friday January 3, 2014 Fun patch and snack included. Counselors in Training and/or Program Aides needed. ...
- Winter Family Riding Lessons
1:00PM to 2:30PM
Brave the cold and have some family fun in our new indoor arena--learn some basic horse care skills, then head to the indoor arena for some good old-fashioned fun in the saddle. Family members school age and above are welcome! Who: Girls in grades K-adult Dates: Saturday, January 18, 2014, Saturday, January 25, 2014, Saturday, February 15, 2014, Saturday, February 22, 2014 Location: Camp Tapawingo, Metamora Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $10 per session per participant Min/Max: 2/6 participants per session Closing Date: 2 weeks prior to each session ...


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This weekend, legendary environmental writer and activist Wendell Berry leaves his Kentucky farm for an inspiring conversation, and rare TV interview, with veteran journalist Bill Moyers on Moyers & Company. In an excerpt from that conversation below, Berry talks about how humans live at the expense of other creatures, making it our responsibility to treat those animals "with the minimum of violence."
"It's always great to see an esteemed figure like Wendell Berry sticking up for farm animals and so eloquently drawing that vital connection between respecting animals, our environment and ourselves," says ASPCA Farm Animal Welfare Campaign Director Suzanne McMillan.
You can watch the full Moyers & Company interview this weekend on most public broadcasting stations.


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Nelson's Night Ramblings: Ammo, Walmart, Guns, Teachers, and a National Crisis
Growing up in Northern Maine, firearms were just a normal part of life. Everyone I knew either had a firearm of some sort, or at least had access to one. And incidents involving firearms seemed to be far and few between--accidents mostly


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You can't conquer the world from behind your desk. Step away from the computer and do it for real, starting with a day of ideas, inspirations, tools, tactics and potential partners at two shows tailored to your needs.
Whether you visit MWL or Insight, we'll give you enough new ideas to accelerate your projects, streamline your operations, and get ahead of your competition.