Tales of Seven

Thought Sharing in Two Flavors (BIL and TED)

Flavors:  Caviar and Champagne  (flavorful, rare and exclusive)

The Organization: TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) "brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers."

Admission and Events: $6000, invite only, event registration closed through 2009. Check out their site for recorded talks!

Flavors: A Nice Microbrew and Chips  (tasty, accessible, and filling)

The Organization: BIL is "an open, self-organizing, emergent, and anarchic science and technology conference that was created in response to those interested in but unable to afford TED. BIL has been created as a free space for people with ideas to come together and share them."

Admission and Events: Free, March 1-2 2008, Monterey

BIL and TED

Yes We Can

Whatever your political affliliation, there's a beauty to be found in when people get some fire under them for progress and change.

This music video overlays a speech by Obama creating a certain sense of poetry and inspiration.

Vote

They stood on opposite street corners with their dualing signs and big smiles.

They posted names in two foot tall letters on overpasses, and put them back up again when they were taken down.

They watched debates in unprecented numbers and had an opinion.

Is that some fire and spirit we see?

"There is No Rule Against Falsifying the News...."

This is an older story, but one still relevant to the news and information we receive today. This video clip outlines the obstacles and ultimate defeat two reporters faced in trying to air a story about the dangers bovine growth hormone (BGH); a substance manufactured by Monsanto Corporation.

In trying to expose the dangers of the substance and what they claim was the lack of any reasonable testing or oversight prior to release to the market, these reporters state Fox News ultimately fired them for not being willing to falsify their findings in favor of Monsanto.

When the reporters sued Fox News, the courts reached this judgement.

"In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States."

It's a reminder that News is truly a business, subject to market pressures and influence by those in power. It's well worth seeking out alternative sources of information.

Westland Meat Plant Video

For nearly 15 years I was vegetarian, not out of moral opposition to eating meat, but rather out of severe concerns for how we raise animals in factory farms. This video demonstrates some of the alarming, inhumane and unsafe practices that can occur. WARNING: the video contains very graphic images.

While the USDA notes that this was an isolated incident and has no intent to revise its oversight policy or regulations, standard factory farming policies demonstrate these problems are not only common but in fact endemic to the industry.

A huge thanks to the Humane Society for continuing to keep this issue in front of us. This video made it into the evening news, certainly helping to raise awareness.

There is opportunity to reduce this type of suffering by moderating consumption and by supporting farms that raise animals in healthy and humane environments. When animals are mass produced for our consumption, it's hard to imagine incidents like this are uncommon, even with oversight. I always opt for the free range eggs, organic producers and meats from small, local producers -- where I feel there is greater chance that incidents like this won't occur.

2/3/08 Westland Meats has issued a statement on their website. The statements emphasize the excellent oversight measures that are already in place, in apparent contradiction to the video evidence. Westland has been cited at least once in the past for using prods on animals.

2/5/08 As an update, the HSUS has done a brilliant job highlighting issues, then acting to address them more globally through protective legislation. On their site, they now highlight the proposed  Farm Animal Stewardship Act designed to provide basic protection for animal welfare in factory farms. Visit this link to send a message of support to legislators.

Enjoy Your Coffee?

-- a clever little set of mugs I received for my housewarming ;). Pour in hot water and watch civil liberties and coastlines disappear before your eyes with the Civil Liberties and Global Warming Mugs.

FactCheck.org

As we ramp up to the next presidential election, here is a helpful tool to help us sort through the myriad of assertions and claims coming from our candidates.

FactCheck.org has a goal to "monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major  U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding."

I'd like to see a running 'accuracy' score for each candidate!

IQ2US (Intelligence Squared)

In a time when we're seeing remarkably less open debate on issues of importance, I'm heartened to see an initiative like IQ2US.  Founded by a private citizen with a passion for public policy, IQ2US organizes debates on important and contentious issues that do not always get level-handed consideration in existing forums. Their goal is .....

"To raise the level of public discourse on our most challenging issues. To provide a new forum for intelligent discussion, grounded in facts and informed by reasoned analysis. To transcend the toxically emotional and the reflexively ideological. To encourage recognition that the opposing side has intellectually respectable views."

Here is a sampling of topics they'll be debating to sold out crowds. There isn't one I wouldn't attend if they had them in here in the Bay Area.

• It's time to end affirmative action
• Aid to Africa is doing more harm than good
• America should be the world's policeman
• We should legalize the market for human organs
• America's newspapers are yesterday's news

GreenDimes - A Little Less Junk?

The person who lived here before me was  either a marketer or shopping fiend. At least I think so from the 4 catalogs and reams of junk mail I get every day. Each time I walk away from my mailbox with the next armload of junk mail (that all goes directly in the recycle bin), I feel a bit of guilt for all the trees that meet their end for things I never open. And calling every catalog and mortgage company to unsubscribe is quite a task.

I just today found an organization that claims it can help. GreenDimes works to systematically remove names from mailing lists and provides some helpful facts on how to beat back the junk. I've just subscribed and look forward to seeing how well it works.

A couple factoids of note....

• 100 million trees are cut down each year to create the approximately 4.5 million tons of junk mail in the United States
• 28 billion gallons of water go into the production of American junk mail annually

Baghdad Burning: An Amazing Blog

We often hear news of Iraq from the White House, the New York Times and CNN. But those reports are so heavily politicized and sanitized that they do nothing to shed light on what life has become, on the ground, for the people trying to live in Iraq.

Baghdad Burning is an amazing blog that was started in August of 2003 and captures the changes and challenges one woman and her family experienced over the past 4 years. It provides an amazing, valuable, and personal perspective on life in a war zone.

This map also provides some insight to help bring things 'home'.

(Source, Democraticunderground.com)