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Category Archives: social issues
This Must be Said
In the light of the apparent opinion of Conservative MP Ed Fast that the mere presence of a digital lock trumps virtually all other copyright rights it must be said that the only appropriate response to passage of Bill C-32 without a … Continue reading
Posted in canada, copyright
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Mythical Myths #3 – The Concept of Race
Oh damn! I had no particular wish to address this until browsing led me by chance to RACE – The Power of an Illusion at PBS where a bunch of well intentioned people are discrediting anti-racism by associating it with a … Continue reading
Obama Leadership “Tested” by Egypt
A good part of my recent visit to Toronto was spent glued to the news coming out of Egypt. Then on Thursday, Mubarak finally addressed the nation – and failed completely to satisfy the demonstrators. But by the time I … Continue reading
Posted in world
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Dumb Slogans
I am sick and tired of watching the “left” shoot itself in the foot by trying to popularize its position with dumb and reactionary slogans which actually work against (what should be) their core principles. A recent case in point … Continue reading
Posted in canada, politics, social issues
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Many Views on UBB
Michael Geist provides some useful links to opinions about the “Usage-Based Billing” issue, and has just expanded on his own view, as has also Teksavvy’s Rocky Gaudrault.(More here, here, and here.) My take on all this is that it is … Continue reading
Collapse of Trade as a Phase Transition
Prompted by our visiting friend Geoff (the ‘lucky Geologist’ and author of ‘Green Figs’ and other essays), I have recently finished reading ‘The Fall of Rome – and the End of Civilization’ by Bryan Ward-Perkins (OUP2005), wherein the author responds … Continue reading
Should I read ‘The Moral Landscape’?
The subtitle of Sam Harris’ The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values can be read in two ways. One would point to a book I might be interested in reading, the other to one I could dismiss in … Continue reading
Posted in arts and culture, social issues
1 Comment
More MOOCs
Massively Open On-Line Courses allow large numbers of people to participate at varying levels of commitment in a process of shared learning. Part of the openness aspect is that there are many avenues of participation and rather than relying on … Continue reading
Stop The Meter?
I’d like to hear more of what someone like Stephen Downes or Michael Geist thinks about this. (Both have reported the campaign but not really made a clear statement of their own reasons for doing so favourably.) To me, the … Continue reading
Muslim Reactions to Violence
What a contrast between this and this!
Denis Dutton
For several years now, Arts&Letters Daily has been my favourite source of on-line stimulation. Sadly, its founding editor, Denis Dutton, died on December 28.
Posted in arts and culture, social issues, technical issues, web
Tagged ALDaily, denis dutton
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Confounding
Apparently, religion is no more likely than any other kind of group affiliation to be associated with either charity or emotional well-being. So the argument that religion provides a positive contribution in these areas may like saying that baseball is … Continue reading
Superman or Supermoms?
Davis Guggenheim, director of ‘Waiting for Superman’ has asked for and received some feedback from teachers. When I saw the film, what struck me as the most invidious distortion (among many) was the failure to acknowledge that the children on … Continue reading
Posted in education
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Bishop Explains Christmas as Myth
In his annual Christmas message the Rt Rev John Davies, Bishop of the Church in Wales diocese of Swansea and Brecon, complained about atheists timing their contrary message so as to “coincide with two of the church’s greatest festivals, Christmas … Continue reading
Hitchens on Assange
According to Christopher Hitchens, the WikiLeaks founder is an unscrupulous megalomaniac with a political agenda, and should “turn himself in” in order to accept the consequences of his “civil disobedience”. The character assessment may or may not be true, but … Continue reading
Al Sharpton vs Christopher Hitchens
This old debate (which came up when I looked up Al Sharpton in response to Obama’s use of his name in contrast with James Dobson) is quite good, but Hitchens’ failure to take up Sharpton’s (repeated) invitation to raise things … Continue reading
Obama Speech on Religion
This comes from before he was president. But note that (at 2:30 on the tape) he says “politics involves compromise” and perhaps that is being applied also to the very principles advocated in this speech.
PLENK2010
Over the last three months I spent a considerable amount of time following the #PLENK2010 Massive Open OnLine Course organized by Dave Cormier, Stephen Downes, Rita Kop, and George Siemens.
Posted in education, web
5 Comments
One Bandwidth Rate for ALL Content
The concern expressed here, and here and here, is much more valid than that about usage-based billing. It is not the possibility of having to pay for bandwidth that is problematic, but that of being charged differential rates depending on … Continue reading
The Inheritors of What?
A new book by Eric Kaufmann entitled Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century is
Posted in biology, religion, sustainability
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