Charter for Compassion

I found the ideas of Karen Armstrong on Bill Moyers Journal to be one of those gems that make searching through the world of ideas worth while. The profound philosophy of the golden rule, stepping outside oneself, seeing the value and viewpoint of other people, the destruction that comes from ego having to conquer all, and that truth is found standing in someone else's shoes.

Karen Armstrong on Bill Moyers Journal (includes video)
Karen Armstrong at the TED conference
Charter for Compassion

Space Invaders

Found this on BoingBoing. Nice CG.


Happy Up Here from Röyksopp on Vimeo.

Interesting words from Nikki Giovanni

An poem called "Choices" from a discussion between Nikki Giovanni and Bill Moyers.

"if i can't do
what i want to do
then my job is to not
do what i don't want
to do

"it's not the same thing
but it's the best i can
do

"if i can't have
what i want then
my job is to want
what i've got
and be satisfied
that at least there
is something more
to want

"since i can't go
where i need
to go then i must go
where the signs point
though always understanding
parallel movement
isn't lateral

"when i can't express
what i really feel
i practice feeling
what i can express
and none of it is equal
i know
but that's why mankind
alone among the animals
learns to cry"

Parker Palmer on Bill Moyers

Interesting discussion on dreams and reality and the dangers of living too far in either direction.

BILL MOYERS: You've written that we all have to learn to live in what you call the tragic gap. Now, some people are going to find that notion very un-American then because it flies in the face of the fundamental American assumption of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What is the tragic gap? And who wants to live there?

PARKER PALMER: Well, I think the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of reality because illusion never leaves us ultimately happy. And I think the opportunity now is for us to get real. And I think that's going to make us, in the long run, more happy. The tragic gap, and I call it tragic not because it's sad. It is. But more fundamentally because it's an inevitable part of the human condition.

Tragic in the sense that the Greeks talked about it. Tragic in the sense that Shakespeare talked about it. The tragic gap is the gap between what's really going on around us, the hard conditions in which our lives are currently immersed, and what we know to be possible from our own experience.

We don't see it every day. We may not see it very often. But we know it's a possibility among real people and real space and time. Now, what happens when we don't learn to hold the tension between what is and what we know to be possible?

Link

Marc Andreessen on Charlie Rose

Lots of tidbits on the world of the Internet and technology. Link

Charlie Rose interview with Malcolm Gladwell

This is a great interview with Malcolm Gladwell on his new book "Outliers".

Minuscule

The official web site: http://www.minuscule.tv/
Wikipedia info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuscule_(TV_series)

My favorites:
Vid 1
Vid 2
Vid 3
Vid 4
Vid 5

Others:
Vid 6
Vid 7
Vid 8
Vid 9
Vid 10
Vid 11
Vid 12
Vid 13
Vid 14

Christmas Shopping

I needed some place to put these guys till Christmas. I don't know why they make me smile.

Fractals on PBS Nova

There is a great PBS Nova on the history and applications of fractals. They also have the video online.

Fractal Video Feedback 5 Min of Fame

A long while ago I made some fractal video feedback images with a web cam and a mirror and posted them to my web page. Recently they got included on the cover of the academic journal "Fractals". The article in the journal is here, but unfortunately requires paid access. Here is the original post. Michael Frame teaches a class at Yale on fractals and was the person that found my page and included the images in one of his papers. He is currently being treated for cancer and if anyone should know him be sure to extend my thanks for sending me a copy of the journal.

Best Movies III

Excellent
The Namesake
The Lives of Others
Grindhouse: Death Proof
Talk to Me
Pixar Short Films: Vol. 1, 2007

Good
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007
Zodiac
Ratatouille
Futurama the Movie: Bender's Big Score
Stardust
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Pianist
3:10 to Yuma, 2007
The Prestige
The Illusionist
You Kill Me

Medium
Live Free or Die Hard
The Devil's Backbone
1408: Unrated Version
Primal Fear
Grindhouse: Planet Terror
300

Bad
Transformers
Spider-Man 3

Good Documentaries
Crazy Love, 2007
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
The Oil Factor
Bowling for Columbine

Silence

Every once in a while you have a gem of a thought and remember that there was a quote for it. I went looking and found two.

All mankind's troubles are caused by one single thing,
which is their inability to sit quietly in a room.

Blaise Pascal, Pensees, II, 139 (other quotes)

Learn to be silent.
Let your
quiet mind
listen and absorb.

Pythagoras (other quotes)

Some commentary on these quotes:
http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/waydye/part6.shtml