Both middle class students wishing to forego the life-ruining nature of college loans and wealthier students who find they are suddenly unable to afford neither the Ivies nor private colleges […]
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“The Cult of Celebrity is supported by an aggressive brainwash machine promoting the wrong heroes in the face of our stressed infrastructure. For example, in a film about a brilliant mathematician, we are trained to believe that the actor is the proper icon. Or in the case of a beautiful song about human rights, we are conditioned to venerate the performer. The net result: shortages of great mathematicians, shortages of social activists, but no lack of entertainment celebrities posing as gods.”
“The concept of a ‘billionaire philanthropist’ is an oxymoron. If somebody has amassed a billion dollars, that person likely did so by overcharging for products/services through monopolistic power in the marketplace. It would be much more impressive to see the ‘billionaire philanthropist’ drastically cut prices for the benefit of mankind rather than merely handing over 10%-20% of personal net worth for purposes of obtaining a tax break.”
“There is a strange illusion of freedom in this plutocracy masquerading as a democracy. Yes, we have the freedom to be obscene, wear the latest Halloween costume, and behave rudely. But we remain slaves to a system that will imprison us if we don’t pay our taxes, compels us to buy essentials from monopolies, and will seize our house if we fail to make the mortgage. Just because you can say ‘f-ck’ in public does not change the fact you remain a slave to the dollar bill.”
Americans first heard about the “march toward socialism” as the financial crisis reached a fever pitch last fall. Since then, the rhetoric on socialism’s return has grown central to political […]
Just when you thought poetry was dead, Newser today cites a Telegraph story showing that email and social networking is catalyzing a resurgence in that oldest of literary art forms. […]
Permission marketing expert Seth Godin has written a new book called Tribes about leadership in a post-geography world. Is Nuveau Tribalism the path to leadership in the twenty-first century? Godin’s […]
James Bowman writes in the Wall Street Journal today that, beginning next month, the College Board will allow high-school students who have taken the SATs multiple times to submit only […]
Despite obstacles, including an estimated $350 trillion price tag, a University of Arizona astronomer wants to save the earth from global warming by firing trillions of mirrors ito the stratosphere […]
After much haranguing over the size and scope of the stimulus, Mr. Obama has released his second sweeping proposal to adjust Americans’ balance sheets. This time, it comes through a […]
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual report on hate groups in the US, The Year in Hate, today. The findings show a marked rise in hate group membership […]
As governments around the world study ways to save tanking car manufacturers, it appears the nation known for fine automobiles has engineered the best solution to the car crisis to […]
Ryan Paul writes in ars technica today that the UK government is ramping up its open source software in an effort to cut costs and make bureaucracy more efficient. Tom […]
My Final Advice to Prof. Krugman, Bank Nationalization! Why No!rnrnPlease review the history of Citi ( C ) and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HBC) in China! rnrnBefore the Communist took over China in 1949, C (National City at that time) and HBC through a lot legal channels transferred their assets to America and Hong Kong! So many rich Jews and Chinese in Shanghai can retain their fortune back in the British colony, Hong Kong and freedom US. They survived well there! And the Chairman of HBCrnAlways has an appointed seat in Executive Council, a ruling Chamber of Hong Kong before 1997. rnrnNow C and HBC all back in China and doing business in Shanghai! Chinese trust them! They are the international branded name there!rnrnIn diplomacy, a private- handed international Bank represents part of soft power, hard power and can be smart power of a country! rnrnNow UBC almost broke and retreats from international arena, the Royal Bank of Scotland may be dismantled and retreat from international to England corner too! Why we have to temporary nationalize Citi or Bank of America and later disband it later? It makes no sense to destroy Citi, an international soft power, hard power and smart power in the world! In terms of security, it is foolish too (I can not talk further, sorry!)rnrnEnough! Prof. Krugman is very smart man not like the Time Magazine’s 25 sinners of Recession, especially the noted one, Alan Greenspan! rnrnInternational Bank could be a soft power, hard power, smart power and security power! Got it? No Bank Nationalization, Prof. Krugman and NYT!rnrnrnrn
The MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team is up to their old tricks again. They’ve just finished construction of the latest high-tech car, which is being unveilved on the MIT campus […]
A new tech movement aimed at empowering citizens to remake their cities, called DIY City, launched in 2008 and involves forums where people can propose projects and then discuss the […]
Are you looking for new and innovative ways to integrate austerity into your new recession-conscious lifestyle? Boil your dental floss and use it again and again. Accessorize with hand-me-downs. Ride […]
In Boston.com’s Boston Real Estate Now blog today, Rona Fischman attempts to calm the jitters of nervous renters. “Take note,” she writes, “you may be in the right place for […]
Fortune magazine today reminds us of the importance of social science to the new global economy. “These days the tech landscape is an unpredictable jumble,” writes Fortune’s Jon Fortt. “Consumers […]
Last week, Big Think uploaded a new interview with Clayton Christensen, the Harvard Business School “disruptive innovation” evangelizer. Now Adam Singer on the Future Buzz website, lists a few ways […]
In addition to legalized marijuana, the world’s largest tulip industry, and an insanely high quality of life, the Netherlands can also count some of the world’s happiest children according to […]
According to their website, this new grassroots anti-stimulus activist club, which is currently the most googled item on Google, is “a coalition of citizens and organizations concerned about the recent […]
Gmail’s hiccup this morning that wiped out the world’s most popular email program for millions of users across the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe for four long hours […]
Over the last few weeks, the economy may have a turned a corner. After several years in which public confidence has greatly exceeded any reasonable level based on underlying economic […]
Clay Christensen, Harvard Business School professor, global business guru, and Big Think expert chats on Education Week tomorrow on the merits of “dispruptive innovation.“ Christensen has turned education reform on […]
Inaugural poetess and Professor of African-American Studies at Yale Elizabeth Alexander is sitting down with Big Think today. She helped ring in the Obama presidency with her poem, “Praise Song […]
David Orr raised the question in Sunday’s Times Book Review of what constitutes “greatness” in poetry, writing, “our largely unconscious assumptions work like a velvet rope: if a poet looks […]
When Google cataloged its one-trillionth web page last year, it seemed like an event of epistemological proportions. Trillions aren’t just bandied about—unless we are talking about the federal deficit or […]
The space shuttle program, set for retirement next year, appears to be limping to its death. First, the shuttle Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station was delayed this week—again. […]