I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered when I do not know others.
Confucius, 551 – 479 BC
via QOTD
I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered when I do not know others.
Confucius, 551 – 479 BC
via QOTD
Macrowikinomics argues that mass collaboration over the web can help address issues such as health care, transportation — and even climate change
thestar.comTapscott and his fellow Wikinomics co-author Anthony Williams decided to research and write a sequel to that book after watching the financial and economic crisis that followed the collapse of U.S. financial firm Lehman Brothers in September of 2008, then the largest bankruptcy in history.
“We came to the conclusion that this was not just a recession or the fallout from a financial meltdown — this is really it! The industrial economy had finally run out of gas and at the same time the Internet had come of age, enabling us to rethink these institutions around a very different model.”
Tapscott was following those events, and their effect on the U.S. election, closely, and concluded the Lehman collapse and cascading economic crisis tilted the presidential momentum away from John McCain and back to Barack Obama, whose support had dipped with the late August vice-presidential nomination of Sarah Palin. (Tapscott had just written the book Grown Up Digital, in which he predicted the Democratic hopeful’s Net-driven campaign and Gen Y appeal would help put him in the White House).
“I think we will look back in a couple of decades and will say this was the time when the global economic crisis … dramatically accelerated the pace of collapse on one hand and of renewal on the other,” said Tapscott.
Macrowikinomics contends that the Internet — and people’s use of it — has matured sufficiently to be the new age of networked intelligence that will alter society by allowing communities and businesses to bypass failing institutions. The change is so big, so macro, that it would be more far-reaching than more recent inventions such as the steam engine, electricity or the automobile, said co-author Williams.
The best example instead would be Gutenberg’s introduction of the printing press in 1440, which took information out of the hands of an elite group.
“What that did was force a redistribution of knowledge and power in society,” Williams said, adding the spread of the printed word took centuries to replace dynasties with democracy. “Arguably what is happening today is on a much quicker time scale. We are looking at decades instead of centuries.”
A few years ago, colleagues from Duke University compared the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise training to the popular antidepressant medicine sertraline, as well as a placebo sugar pill. They randomized depressed patients to one of the interventions and found that after four months about 40 percent of the subjects were no longer depressed. Those who exercised or received the medicine had higher and comparable response rates, but they were only slightly better than the placebo group. Those who exercised at a moderate level – about 40 minutes three to five days each week – experienced the greatest antidepressant effect. So they interpreted that to mean that exercise was just as good as medicine. And in that particular study, the high placebo response meant that nonspecific influences like patient expectations and the attention from the study personnel during monitoring visits may have caused the therapeutic response.
Exercise not only increases blood flow to the brain, it releases endorphins, the body’s very own natural antidepressant. It also releases other neurotransmitters, like serotonin, which lift mood. In fact, the antidepressant in the study, sertraline, is an SSRI or a selective serotinon reuptake inhibitor – it is thought to exert its effects on body chemistry by increasing the amount of brain serotonin, a chemical that is lowered during depressed mental states. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a chemical that promotes brain health and memory, is also reduced in depression, and exercise has been found to elevate levels of this neurotransmitter. Maybe a fitness program could boost my friend’s levels in all these areas, and help his forgetfulness, too. He could only laugh at the idea of having 40 extra minutes three times a week to exercise. His wife was mad enough that he worked 14 hour days as it was.
move a muscle = change a thought
or…
If you wanna get on your feet, you’ve gotta get off your ass!
(facts)
In politics, strangely enough, the best way to play your cards is to lay them face upwards on the table.
What exactly is “viewer discretion”? If viewers had discretion, most television shows would not be on the air.
George Carlin, 1937 – 2008
via QOTD
Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.
Jim Rohn, 1930 – 2009
via QOTD
Dringle: The watermark left on wood caused by a glass of liquid.
Dunandunate: The overuse of a word or phrase that has recently been added to your own vocabulary
Earworm: A catchy tune that frequently gets stuck in your head
Espacular: Something especially spectacular
Fumb: Your large toe
Furgle: To feel in a pocket or bag for a small object such as a coin or key
Griefer: Someone who spends their online time harassing others
Headset jockey: A telephone call center worker
Locavor: A person who tries to eat only locally grown or produced food
Nonversation: A worthless conversation, wherein nothing is explained or otherwise elaborated upon
Polkadodge: The dance that occurs when two people attempt to pass each other but move in the same direction
Pregreening: To creep forward while waiting for a red traffic light to change
Spatulate: Removing cake mixture from the side of a bowl with a spatula
Stealth-geek: Someone who hides their nerdy interests while maintaining a normal outward appearance
Wibble: The trembling of the lower lip just shy of actually crying
Wurfing: The act of surfing the Internet while at work
In summary, Ping is not very social and it is not really about music. It is about music purchases and celebrities.
Yeah, right now I am not impressed at all. They could do so much with this service, but they’ve chosen to make it useless.
There is a horse in the Apple Store and no one sees it but me.
I think, “Why?” What is the villain here that blinds all of these people to this situation? Am I nuts for thinking this is exceptional? Does anyone else see this? Did I accidentally drop acid and not realize? I must take a photo….
There is a horse in the Apple Store and no one sees it but me.
I think, “Why?” What is the villain here that blinds all of these people to this situation? Am I nuts for thinking this is exceptional? Does anyone else see this? Did I accidentally drop acid and not realize? I must take a photo….
Yet another reason why retail sucks.