I think it interesting to consider the different cultural
cues that we become accustomed to, and seeing the same phrase rendered
in different accents clearly shows just how
different an approach the cultural context gives.
It isn't just the sound, it seems. There is a whole background of
sub-context surrounding it. I've often thought it was very easy to
imagine that because Brits and Australians, etc, speak English, as do
Americans (in their fashion) that it makes us 'close'in a cultural
sense. I think this is not the case, and that similarity of language,
can lead us to at first (at second too, in some cases), overlook the
quite large differences that we have culturally.
Amy Walker. 21 Accents.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Age Blogs: Renovation Nation
The Age Blogs: Renovation Nation: "'People love the idea of solar panels on the roof because everyone can see you have got your good eco brownie badge and your greenhouse credentials are in order,' says Neco's renewable energy guru Jaga Park-Ross. 'The sad thing is that saving electricity instead of trying to generate your own is a much better idea -- it's just not as sexy as installing PV.'"
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors - New York Times
Burn Your Boats - No Way But Forward.
It's probably ten years since I heard this story, at a conference in Hong Kong. Here is an article on a book that brings this old tale into a contemporary context.
The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors - New York Times: "Xiang Yu was a Chinese general in the third century B.C. who took his troops across the Yangtze River into enemy territory and performed an experiment in decision making. He crushed his troops’ cooking pots and burned their ships.
He explained this was to focus them on moving forward — a motivational speech that was not appreciated by many of the soldiers watching their retreat option go up in flames. But General Xiang Yu would be vindicated, both on the battlefield and in the annals of social science research."
It's probably ten years since I heard this story, at a conference in Hong Kong. Here is an article on a book that brings this old tale into a contemporary context.
The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors - New York Times: "Xiang Yu was a Chinese general in the third century B.C. who took his troops across the Yangtze River into enemy territory and performed an experiment in decision making. He crushed his troops’ cooking pots and burned their ships.
He explained this was to focus them on moving forward — a motivational speech that was not appreciated by many of the soldiers watching their retreat option go up in flames. But General Xiang Yu would be vindicated, both on the battlefield and in the annals of social science research."
Friday, February 01, 2008
20 things everyone needs to know - This Britain, UK - Independent.co.uk
20 things everyone needs to know - This Britain, UK - Independent.co.uk
What would you put on a list of 20 things you think one should know?
What would you put on a list of 20 things you think one should know?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - America’s middle classes are no longer coping
FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - America’s middle classes are no longer coping
Very clearly stated.
>> The fact is, middle-class families have exhausted the coping mechanisms they have used for more than three decades to get by on median wages that are barely higher than they were in 1970, adjusted for inflation. Male wages today are in fact lower than they were then: the income of a young man in his 30s is now 12 per cent below that of a man his age three decades ago. Yet for years now, America’s middle class has lived beyond its pay cheque. Middle-class lifestyles have flourished even though median wages have barely budged. That is ending and Americans are beginning to feel the consequences.<<
So. How are you coping?
Very clearly stated.
>> The fact is, middle-class families have exhausted the coping mechanisms they have used for more than three decades to get by on median wages that are barely higher than they were in 1970, adjusted for inflation. Male wages today are in fact lower than they were then: the income of a young man in his 30s is now 12 per cent below that of a man his age three decades ago. Yet for years now, America’s middle class has lived beyond its pay cheque. Middle-class lifestyles have flourished even though median wages have barely budged. That is ending and Americans are beginning to feel the consequences.<<
So. How are you coping?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Thom Hartmann Interview - Middle Class & Stuff
| As fate would have it, I flicked over to see an interview in progress on the TV, of a speech held here in Ventura at the end of last year, on of all things - The Middle Class, etc. Amazing. Here is a link to it on the internet. Speech by Thom Hartmann, Air America Radio talk show host and author, on the middle class, democracy, free trade, conservatives and liberals. http://www.watch-motivational-videos.com/watch/?vid=75814 |
Positively World View
In a forum recently, the comment was made:
>> "People can be "led" but never totally willingly - the human spirit will always seek the light."
Interesting belief.
I wonder if it is true.
I see many people who are totally willing to be led. Indeed, I see many people who almost demand to be led... and angry when they are not. I see people who will willingly follow the silliest fad or self proclaimed "guru" without hesitation.
"He/She's So Spiritchooalll" Ooooohhhh!
We can be careful to flavour our own "World View" without help from others... I think, only if we are able to know that we have no view that is quarantined from others. Our beliefs, our values, everything we hold an opinion on, or observe in the world, is through the prism of how other people view the world, and have passed those ideas to us , one way or another - either to accept or to reject. Precisely because we don't live in a vacuum.
The way to "being careful", when formulating a world view, may be to acknowledge the influences that we've had, and choose to select and de-select, those that we prefer. The rub, therein, is that we can't lay the blame on others, if we knowingly choose our own path and viewpoint from which to see the world.
What we choose to notice.
What we chose to not notice.
How we 'weight' the evidence, one way or another.
A work in progress, indeed.
>> "People can be "led" but never totally willingly - the human spirit will always seek the light."
Interesting belief.
I wonder if it is true.
I see many people who are totally willing to be led. Indeed, I see many people who almost demand to be led... and angry when they are not. I see people who will willingly follow the silliest fad or self proclaimed "guru" without hesitation.
"He/She's So Spiritchooalll" Ooooohhhh!
We can be careful to flavour our own "World View" without help from others... I think, only if we are able to know that we have no view that is quarantined from others. Our beliefs, our values, everything we hold an opinion on, or observe in the world, is through the prism of how other people view the world, and have passed those ideas to us , one way or another - either to accept or to reject. Precisely because we don't live in a vacuum.
The way to "being careful", when formulating a world view, may be to acknowledge the influences that we've had, and choose to select and de-select, those that we prefer. The rub, therein, is that we can't lay the blame on others, if we knowingly choose our own path and viewpoint from which to see the world.
What we choose to notice.
What we chose to not notice.
How we 'weight' the evidence, one way or another.
A work in progress, indeed.
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