the expectations raised following madrid's big spending summer should be thoroughly tested in the most highly-anticipated la liga season in recent memory. after the last-minute departure of arjen robben, this is my starting XI:
here's hoping that 'el ingeniero' pellegrini can successfully fit together all the pieces of his expensively assembled squad//
the “war” between science and religion is notable for the amount of civil disobedience on both sides. most scientists and most religious believers refuse to be drafted into the fight. still, the war continues, and it’s not just a sideshow. i bring good news! these two warring groups have more in common than they realize. and, no, it isn’t just that they’re both wrong. it’s that they’re wrong for the same reason. oddly, an underestimation of natural selection’s creative power clouds the vision not just of the intensely religious but also of the militantly atheistic. if both groups were to truly accept that power, the landscape might look different// robert wright, 08.22.09, new york times
NowPublic is a participatory news network which mobilizes an army of reporters to cover the events that define our world. in twelve short months, the company has become one of the fastest growing news organizations with thousands of reporters in over 140 countries. during hurricane katrina, NowPublic had more reporters in the affected area than most news organizations have on their entire staff. in 2005, NowPublic became a recognized leader in the emerging field of citizen journalism. by harnessing the wisdom of crowds and tapping into the news creating potential of the hundreds of millions of internet users, bloggers and photography enthusiasts, NowPublic is changing the way news is made and distributed//
ready to take your obsession with the best band in the world to unhealthy new heights of fandom and neurosis? radiohead and philosophy: fitter happier more deductive is a new collection of essays and insight into radiohead's cultural and philosophical relevance to today's world. if you ever wondered what karl marx and albert camus have to do with a boundary-pushing alt rock band, this book might answer your questions//
some call it anarchist socialism, some cutting edge capitalism. at brazilian manufacturer semco, the workers have sacked the boss and run the company themselves. at the lavish reception, one of two receptionists meet and greet the great and mighty. but no-one really ever knows which one it will be at any given time. "'we are not sure which one will be there, because they set their own schedule" explains IT worker boss joao neto. there are hammocks to help workers think in comfort, and departments can choose their own furniture. even salaries are set by the employees themselves, and bosses are just as likely to tell you to ask for more money than less. but although it sounds like a workers dream, the rest of the department keeps an eagle eye on lazy employees: "there is peer pressure for bad behaviour. if you're here just to profit from other people's efforts, you're not wanted". the easy going atmosphere has paid dividends--annual profits at semco are up to US$ 160 million these days, from $4 million when owner ricardo semler took over 25 years ago. now he has turned his attention to teaching--without the teachers. like semco, pupils at lumiar primary school in sao paulo dictate the rules. viva la revolución?
after the second world war, american economists and the government of the day decided to revive economic activity by creating a culture in which people were encouraged to accumulate and show off material wealth, to the point where it defined their status in society and their self-image. william rees quotes economist victor lebow as saying in 1955: "our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption. we need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing rate." in today's world, such rhetoric seems beyond belief. yet the consumer spree carries on regardless, and few of us are aware that we're still willing slaves to a completely artificial injunction to consume, and to define ourselves by what we consume// andy coghlan, 08.07.09, new scientist
i almost feel like we've been given a last chance, some kind of a reprieve. i try not to be apocalyptic, but the global warming science i read is scary. this economic crisis, as awful as it is, pulled us back from that ecological precipice that we were about to drive over with sarah palin and gave us a tiny bit of time and space to change course. and i think it's significant that when the crisis hit, there was almost a sense of relief, as if people knew they were living beyond their means and had gotten caught. we suddenly had permission to do things together other than shop, and that spoke to something deep// naomi klein, 07.31.09, znet
