Leaderboard Widget

Now you can keep an eye on who’s winning where.  This is a nifty widget that I find mostly useless.  I thought I’d share.

Posted by Mark Wallace Posted in: Humor, Politics No Comments » February 2008

More Crappy News Network

Instead of CNN I’d suggest you check out NPR. CNN has proven itself to be very untrustworthy.

Posted by Mark Wallace Posted in: News, Politics No Comments » December 2007

TED

Thanks to my friend Bill I just discovered TED.  Here’s the scoop on what TED is and why it’s so cool.  This text is lifted directly from their website:

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. Almost 150 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.

Our mission: Spreading ideas.

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, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. Over time, you’ll see us add talks and performances from other events, and solicit submissions from you, as well. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.

The TED Conference, held annually in Monterey, is still the heart of TED. More than a thousand people now attend — indeed, the event sells out a year in advance — and the content has expanded to include science, business, the arts and the global issues facing our world. Over four days, 50 speakers each take an 18-minute slot, and there are many shorter pieces of content, including music, performance and comedy. There are no breakout groups. Everyone shares the same experience. It shouldn’t work, but it does. It works because all of knowledge is connected. Every so often it makes sense to emerge from the trenches we dig for a living, and ascend to a 30,000-foot view, where we see, to our astonishment, an intricately interconnected whole.

In recent years, TED has spawned some important extensions.

TEDGlobal is a sister conference held every other year, and in a different country on each occasion. The first conference was held in Oxford, England, in 2005; the second, in June 2007, was held in Arusha, Tanzania. The themes of the global conference are slightly more focused on development issues, but the basic TED format is maintained.

The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED Community’s exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000 and, much more important, the granting of “One Wish to Change the World.” After several months of preparation, they unveil their wish at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. These wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.

TEDTalks began as a simple attempt to share what happens at TED with the world. Under the moniker “ideas worth spreading,” talks were released online. They rapidly attracted a global audience in the millions. Indeed, the reaction was so enthusiastic that the entire TED website has been reengineered around TEDTalks, with the goal of giving everyone on-demand access to the world’s most inspiring voices.

Today, TED is therefore best thought of as a global community. It’s a community welcoming people from every discipline and culture who have just two things in common: they seek a deeper understanding of the world, and they hope to turn that understanding into a better future for us all.

Posted by Mark Wallace Posted in: Charity, Education, God, History, Humor, News, Photography, Politics, Science, TED, Useful Info No Comments » December 2007

James Nachtwey: TED Prize wish: Share a vital story with the world

Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, photojournalist James Nachtwey talks about his decades as a war photographer. A slideshow of his photos, beginning in 1981 in Northern Ireland, reveal two parallel themes in his work. First, as he says: “The frontlines of contemporary wars are right where people live.” Street violence, famine, disease: he has photographed all these modern WMDs. Second, when a photo catches the world’s attention, it can truly drive action and change. In his TED wish, he asks for help gaining access to a story that needs to be told, and developing a new, digital way to show these photos to the world. Help grant James Nachtwey’s wish >>

Posted by Mark Wallace Posted in: Photography, Politics, TED No Comments » December 2007

Give One Get One = buy 2

This seems like a good idea, but it has a few flaws.  I’m all for education for everyone but maybe we should start with basic math.

Give One Get One seems to imply that if I give someone 1 of something I should get 1 of something.  That means I only pay for 1 of that thing.  But it’s clear that “Give One Get One” actually means, “hey, buy two of these!”

For a donation of $399, one XO laptop will be sent to empower a child in a developing nation and one will be sent to the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. $200 of your donation is tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving).

-quoted from OLPC

So if the fair market value is $200 and I’m giving you $400 for 2 computers…  Yep, that means I’m buying two.  What a gimmick.

I’m not opposed to giving out laptops, but I think the need for basic food and water is a little higher on the list of priorities.  How about peace?  Maybe a no-fly zone over Darfur?

“This is not just a matter of giving a laptop to each child, as if bestowing on them some magical charm. The magic lies within—within each child, within each scientist-, scholar-, or just-plain-citizen-in-the-making. This initiative is meant to bring it forth into the light of day.”—Kofi Annan

Sounds good Kofi.  Oh, by the way, Kofi is also the dude who did nothing during the genocide in Rwanda.  I base my assertion on the book (and research documented in) We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda

Do you want to make an impact?  Maybe you should take some lessons from Bill Gates.

As you probably know, Gates is aggressively tackling third world diseases. He has targeted not only high-profile scourges like AIDS but also maladies like malaria, diarrhea, and parasitic infections. These latter illnesses are the really important ones to attack, because they kill millions a year and are entirely preventable. For decades, they flew under the radar of philanthropists in the West. – Clive Thompson

Ok, don’t bash me just yet.  Go ahead and do some research and see if OLPC is the right thing for you.  Here’s some more reading:

http://www.olpcnews.com/

What the heck? The laptop is only 100 bucks?  Hmmm, shouldn’t that mean my $400 donation turns into 4 laptops?  I’m sure they have to take into account shipping, administration, etc.  Who knows?  Does anyone know where we can find out who the kids are who get the laptops and how the money is being spent??

Help me out here.

Posted by Mark Wallace Posted in: Charity, Politics No Comments » November 2007

Before Hanging, a Push for Revenge and a Push Back - New York Times

A very interesting article in the New York Times.“They cannot wash their hands, this is a joint responsibility,” hesaid. “They had the physical custody, and we had the legal custody. At one point,I asked, ‘Is it our call or is it your call?’ They said, ‘It’syour call.’ I said, ‘If it’s our call, we’ve made the decision.’” Legal niceties could not save Mr. Hussein, he said, concluding, “Theman has to go.”via: TheNew York Times.

Posted by admin Posted in: News, Politics No Comments » January 2007

One

I’ve been in India the past two weeks and it’s been incredible. Perhaps you’ve seen some of the photosof poverty on my photoblog or read my postsabout Darfur.  Perhaps you’ve been looking for a way to make achange in the world.  Here’s one…There is a new movement in the US that’s gaining strength.  It’scalled The ONE Campaign.THE ONE DECLARATIONWE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping othershelp themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact forcompassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extremepoverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fairtrade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing an additional one percent ofthe U.S. budget toward meeting basic needs – education, health, clean water,food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entiregeneration in the poorest countries. WE COMMIT ourselves - one person,one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all.”Click here to learn more.

Posted by admin Posted in: News, Politics No Comments » June 2005

Africa is not a priority…

From a 2003 interview with Philip Gourevitch on NPR’s Onthe MediaAfrica is not a priority. It’s not a priority for the government; it’s not a priorityfor the business community; it’s not an economic priority; and it’s not a press priority.”  – Philip Gourevitch

Posted by admin Posted in: History, Politics No Comments » May 2005

Skewed News

In the United States a pineappleand lemon explode in New York City damaging a planter and breaking a window. Citizens are alarmed and question our national security.In other news, millionsare displaced in Darfur, Sudan. Thousand die every day.  The US Senate sendsthe Darfur AccountabilityAct to The House of Representatives for approval.  Theact could save hundreds of thousands of lives by creating a no fly zone over Darfur,putting UN troops on the ground, and placing sanctions on Sudan.  China opposesthe move because it would impact its supply of oil from Sudan.  USCitizens are clueless and are still worried a pineapple might damage a planter ina mall near them.

Posted by admin Posted in: News, Politics No Comments » May 2005

Newsday.com: Corzine measure on Darfur passes Senate

Newsday.com:Corzine measure on Darfur passes SenateGood news.  The Darfur Accountability Act has passed the Senate.  Pleasewrite your State Representative and encourage him or her to vote for this legislationwhen it comes to the House.  Also write to The President and encourage him tosign the bill into law.

Posted by admin Posted in: News, Politics No Comments » May 2005

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