Awesome TED Talks (and similar enlightening lectures)

[ThunderPeel2001]

Ignore... this wasn't good at all.

http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury.html

Kind of loses it after 10 mins...

Edited December 14, 2010 by ThunderPeel2001

[Roderick]

Pfoohh, that does turn into a downer. Starts out as an interesting new take on mediating conflicts, and then it turns to save the world, new age poo. Not that I'm necessarily against that, but it so didn't fit the tone that started the talk. You think you're getting a bonafide ambassador and it turns out to be ambassador Bono.

[OssK]

Well…*I dunno what it does turn into but it certainly did so for me way before the 10 min mark…*

[ThunderPeel2001]

You think you're getting a bonafide ambassador and it turns out to be ambassador Bono.

Very good.

Yes, it starts off as an interesting discussion about "taking the third side", with interesting anecdotes, and sounds very promising. I really thought it was going to be very useful information, especially given the description..... but then it turned into, "Let's all go for a walk!".

Sadly I'd posted the video before that happened (probably too eager) and then had to come back and add the disclaimer. Sorry, folks.

[Roderick]

Let this be a cautionary tale, folks: don't be too quick to endorse

I've had other experiences. A friend once recommend a book quite highly. I read the whole thing and it quickly transpired that it was shit. When I later confronted him with it, it turned out he had only read the first chapter, recommended it, then saw it turn to crap himself and didn't even bother to finish it while I did because I wanted to see in it what he had seen. D'oh!

[ThunderPeel2001]

Let this be a cautionary tale, folks: don't be too quick to endorse

I've had other experiences. A friend once recommend a book quite highly. I read the whole thing and it quickly transpired that it was shit. When I later confronted him with it, it turned out he had only read the first chapter, recommended it, then saw it turn to crap himself and didn't even bother to finish it while I did because I wanted to see in it what he had seen. D'oh!

I can so see that happening. I experienced something similar once, and it almost ruined a book for my ex. Oops!

[MrHoatzin]

I hate it when people who recommend books say anything at all about them, say what it's about, or mention some sort of theme, or whatever—I will read the book looking for that thing that they saw and then miss all kinds of things that I feel I would've noticed had I not been searching for that thing they saw.

On the other hand, when people are recommending other media—especially comic books—they really have to try to sell it to me. I will not read it because someone merely told me it is good.

[pabosher]

I hate it when people who recommend books say anything at all about them, say what it's about, or mention some sort of theme, or whatever—I will read the book looking for that thing that they saw and then miss all kinds of things that I feel I would've noticed had I not been searching for that thing they saw.

On the other hand, when people are recommending other media—especially comic books—they really have to try to sell it to me. I will not read it because someone merely told me it is good.

Aye, I'm like this. But I'm like that with every form of media. I don't want to know what happens in a book, film, comic, etc., I just want to know if it's good, and if I have the time to enjoy it.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I hate it when people who recommend books say anything at all about them, say what it's about, or mention some sort of theme, or whatever—I will read the book looking for that thing that they saw and then miss all kinds of things that I feel I would've noticed had I not been searching for that thing they saw.

On the other hand, when people are recommending other media—especially comic books—they really have to try to sell it to me. I will not read it because someone merely told me it is good.

This is the eternal entertainment paradox. I don't know how to get around it other than to avoid what anyone says about anything I haven't already experienced. It's really hard when it's the other way around, too. I have one friend in particular who takes ANY recommendation as being "this is the best things I've ever seen EVER!!!". So when he eventually gets around to seeing it he's ALWAYS, "I didn't think it was THAT good."

[ThunderPeel2001]

File under super awesome:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbvr0m_shortfilms

[StrangeFish]

I especially like the TED talk about happiness and how we "rationalize" our situation to make us satisfied with our lives or feel better about ourselves.

Make me remember Steve Job's advice to always stay hungry and not to settle.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I especially like the TED talk about happiness and how we "rationalize" our situation to make us satisfied with our lives or feel better about ourselves.

Make me remember Steve Job's advice to always stay hungry and not to settle.

? Was that in this thread, or are you referring to one of the 135 videos on the TED site that features the word "happiness" in the description?

[Armchair General]

WOW. Some of you have probably already watched this. If you haven't, you should. (UK veiwers only sorry)

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=198443

[Sully907]

WOW. Some of you have probably already watched this. If you haven't, you should. (UK veiwers only sorry)

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=198443

Do you know the full title to this so I can try to search for it on this side of the pond?

[Gwardinen]

I don't know how much of the page you see outside of the UK, but I took a look and could only find the info that it shows on there around the video. It's just a film called the War You Don't See by a journalist/documentary maker called John Pilger.

Haven't watched it yet but it seems like it could be interesting.

[Armchair General]

Yeah shit, sorry. Reading my post back, I realise it wasn't the most helpful

It's a great documentary about the role of the media in war. The main thrust is about how journalists who 'embed' themselves with the troops only get that access because they tow the government line. If they don't, they get frozen out.

It shows some pretty harrowing footage, some from Al Jazeera TV, showing the human cost of the Gulf wars from the other side, it's very sad.

John Pilger also gets Rageh Omar to admit that the iconic moment watched around the world (the pulling down of the Saddam Hussein statue) was basically a made for TV event. Utter bullshit basically.

It really made me think, I mean REALLY made me think about the lies perpetrated by governments and the warmongering of both Britain and the USA.

Long live Julian Assange, and don't believe a word of the allegations against him.

It was called The war you don't see, and it was written and produced by John Pilger. If you can get it online, it's a fantastic 90 minutes.

[Kolzig]

It's in youtube in seven parts.

Here's the first one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egcTynu6sBk

[MrHoatzin]

Long live Julian Assange, and don't believe a word of the allegations against him.

I think this is not a right reaction. One can be a rapey creep and still do important things, but that is no reason to summarily choose not to believe that he raped some girls, regardless of how politicized the allegations are. These things should be taken on balance.

[Nappi]

I think this is not a right reaction. One can be a rapey creep and still do important things, but that is no reason to summarily choose not to believe that he raped some girls, regardless of how politicized the allegations are. These things should be taken on balance.

Agreed. It's all an ugly mess and as Assange, to my knowledge, is not in fact a saint, there is always a possibility that he really is guilty of the things he is accused of. Rape (or whatever) can't be justified by freedom of speech.

[Lu]

.

[Nappi]

I think it had to do with having unprotected sex with sleeping person or something. I haven't been following the case very closely, though, so I might be completely wrong.

[MrHoatzin]

My understanding is that the nature of the "sex by surprise" allegations has been somewhat muddled by the Assange-friendly internet, Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann. Tiger Beatdown has been really vocal about how wrong the coverage by the sympathetic left has been.

[ThunderPeel2001]

It's great that someone is attempting to get something truthful out there... althought the person seems slightly insane.

We are the Left: We do not stand for rape apologism and rape culture. We oppose it. By definition, opposing rape apologism and rape culture is what the Left must do.

Say what now? You think you're defined as being "Left" because you're anti-rape? I may not agree with conservative politics, but the ideals pushed by the "Right" are not "pro-rape".

[MrHoatzin]

They kindof are. I couple of years ago, I dunno if I would've agreed with that statement either, but lately I've been paying attention to feminist issues. A lot of the patriarchy on the right is still in the "the woman was asking for it" frame of mind. You hear a lot of "there is no such thing as rape within the institution of marriage." And the mainline "pro-lifers" basically want to force rape victims to bear their unwanted rape children, no compromise on that. It is some fucking scary shit. Might as well call the right "pro-rape".

[Armchair General]

I think this is not a right reaction. One can be a rapey creep and still do important things, but that is no reason to summarily choose not to believe that he raped some girls, regardless of how politicized the allegations are. These things should be taken on balance.

Of course one can be a 'rapey' creep and still do important things but you have to look at the bizarre timeline of events and the massive political will to discredit him.

When I said long live Assange, what I really meant I think, was long live the spirit of holding governments to account and investigative journalism in general. Without those people, like Assange, who are willing to stick their necks out to expose governments for the largely corrupt shams they are, governments could do what they liked with impunity.

What these strange sounding allegations have already done for Assange, is spread the 'no smoke without fire' message, setting the stage for a fall from grace at a later date if nothing else.

I'm not stupid enough to blindly believe in him. If he is found to have committed a crime by a fair trial then he should of course feel the full force of the law. But, I am very, very sceptical about these allegations and I have little doubt that the American and British governments (at least) are doing their utmost to make sure some of this shit sticks.

Like you say, things should be taken on balance, and in my opinion, the balance is firmly in favour of these allegations being politically motivated.