Presidential Debates Actually Used to Be Debates - Greg Ferenstein - Politics. Nowadays, candidates get only a few seconds to parse complex issues. Can technology change the format and rescue us from sound-bite culture? Presidential debates were not always a string of ideological sound bites, largely devoid of policy specifics. During the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, debates were several hours long, strongly substantive, and would drill down ever deeper into issues through a series of focused rebuttals.
In contrast, at last night's GOP debate in Iowa, the overwhelming majority of speeches made no reference to other candidates or contrasting opinions. The GOP's 19th century forerunners could not have been more different. On October 16, 1854, in Peoria, Illinois, Douglas delivered a three-hour address to which Lincoln, by agreement, was to respond. The series of engagements acted as a continuation of a larger national dialog: Lincoln and Douglas casually dropped references to previous debates, Supreme Court decisions, and intraparty quarrels. Rep. SPIN: Democracy at work - a documentary by Brian Springer. Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev: 'They Were Truly Idiots' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International.
Aon0p.jpg (JPEG Image, 1713x1372 pixels) - Scaled (47. 360° Panoramas of Hiroshima after the Atomic Bomb via reddit.com. 7C98r.png (PNG Image, 1255x662 pixels) The Last Men of the Revolution. Lord Byron Darkness. I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air; Morn came and went--and came, and brought no day, And men forgot their passions in the dread Of this their desolation; and all hearts Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light: And they did live by watchfires--and the thrones, The palaces of crowned kings--the huts, The habitations of all things which dwell, Were burnt for beacons; cities were consum'd, And men were gather'd round their blazing homes To look once more into each other's face; Happy were those who dwelt within the eye Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch: A fearful hope was all the world contain'd; Forests were set on fire--but hour by hour They fell and faded--and the crackling trunks Extinguish'd with a crash--and all was black.
Did you like this poem? The World’s First Eyewitness? « Doug’s Darkworld. I’ve written about the first photograph of a human being, here is another old photograph that has historical significance in an obscure way. The fine gentleman above is Conrad Heyer, this picture was taken circa 1852. He was approximately 103 when photographed, having been born in 1749. He was reportedly the first white child born in Waldoboro, Maine, then a German immigrant community. He served in the Continental Army under George Washington during the Revolutionary War, crossing the Delaware with him and fighting in other major battles. He eventually bought a farm and retired to Waldoboro, where he happily regaled visitors with tales of his Revolutionary War exploits until his dying day. Conrad’s life sounds sounds like an historical footnote for sure, but this is not a Revolutionary War post, and isn’t what I find of interest in this particular photograph.
It’s the venerable Mr Heyer’s age I find of interest, or more accurately, his date of birth. Old Conrad lived through it all. Found old pictures my Grandfather took of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, thought reddit might like to see them. (A couple pics may be considered NSFW) via reddit.com. Torture efficiency, western style: Under UK's secret torture policy, intelligence officers were instructed to weigh value of information sought against pain inflicted. via reddit.com. Wikileaks Haiti: The Aristide Files. Secret US Embassy cables depict a far-reaching campaign to prevent Haiti's democratically elected leader from returning to the country after the 2004 coup.
US officials led a far-reaching international campaign aimed at keeping former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide exiled in South Africa, rendering him a virtual prisoner there for the last seven years, according to secret US State Department cables. About the Author Ansel Herz Ansel Herz is a freelance multimedia journalist based in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. His work has been published by... Kim Ives Kim Ives is an editor with Haïti Liberté. Also by the Author Cables made available by WikiLeaks show how disaster capitalists sought "opportunity" in the devastated country.
Despite reports from its own embassy that the post-quake situation in Haiti was “calm,” the United States launched a massive military operation that sparked an international backlash. For the Vatican, Aristide was an “active proponent of voodoo.” Keeping the Pressure On. Ronald Reagan From the People’s Perspective: A Gallup Poll Review. PRINCETON, NJ -- Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, became one of the nation's most revered public figures in recent years, a distinct turnabout from the more routinely average ratings he received while he served in office between 1981 and 1989.
Reagan's job approval ratings in his first years in office were hurt by the bad economy, and the last years of his administration were marred by the negative fallout from what came to be known as the Iran-Contra affair. Nevertheless, Americans have more recently upgraded their retrospective approval of the job he did as president, and now routinely think of Reagan as one of the nation's more outstanding presidents. Reagan has appeared in the Top 10 of Gallup's annual Most Admired Man list more than 30 times, more often than any other person except evangelist Billy Graham.
Reagan's Ratings While He Was in Office Reagan was not an extraordinarily well-regarded president during his eight years in office. Favorable Ratings of Reagan. 6Nt5J.jpg (JPEG Image, 625x304 pixels) How the US media marginalises dissent. "Over the past few weeks, Washington has seemed dysfunctional," conservative columnist David Brooks opined recently in The New York Times. "Public disgust [about the debt ceiling crisis] has risen to epic levels. Yet through all this, serious people - Barack Obama, John Boehner, the members of the Gang of Six - have soldiered on.
" Here's some of what Peter Coy of Business Week magazine had to say about the same issue: "There is a comforting story about the debt ceiling that goes like this: Back in the 1990s, the US was shrinking its national debt at a rapid pace. Serious people actually worried about dislocations from having too little government debt …" Fox News, the Murdoch-owned house organ of America's official right-wing, asserted: "No one seriously thinks that the US will not honour its obligations, whatever happens with the current impasse on President Obama's requested increase to the government's $14.3tn borrowing limit.
" "Serious people. " "No one seriously thinks. " Sure it is. What we wish Obama had said - War Room. Does anyone else have a sick sense of déjà vu this morning? After months of slow-motion capitulation, President Obama has cut an eleventh-hour deal with Republican leaders to raise the debt ceiling. After vowing to heed the public outcry for a balanced approach, he has instead consented to a plan that manages to run rough-shod over the poor and middle-class, coddles those who caused the recession, imperils the government’s two most popular entitlement programs, and virtually guarantees that our economy will continue to falter. In other words, just another day at the office for our 44th president. I have no doubt that Barack Obama wants to do right by the country, and that he genuinely believes giving in to every Republican demand (and then some) is his only play. To put it bluntly: every time Obama opens his mouth, what comes out is a bloodless, abstract drone.
The stimulus debate What Obama said: What we wish he’d said: Healthcare reform What Obama said: Wall Street reform Immigration. Ground Zero II | Carloslabs. Have you ever wondered what would happen if a nuclear bomb goes off in your city? With Google's Maps framework and a bit of Javascript, you can see the outcome. And it doesn't look good. Now with Nuclear Fallout, Wind and Pressure Just what you need to be safe in these turbulent times: enter the address of that boss, teacher, colleague or loved one; select a weapon and a damage map mode. By clicking repeatedly on "Fallout" you can change the wind direction at the moment of the explosion. Where's the older version? Copy and paste the following to mashup the Ground Zero II script into your own website or blog: A ZIP archive with the source code can be found here. Science Caveat The damage caused by a nuclear explosion is affected by a multitude of variables, and some of these require powerful super-computers to be simulated properly.
Fallout shows the possible dispersion of radioactive isotopes after six hours of the explosion, assuming a constant gentle breeze. Project: 200903A. American Census by The Numbers - The response to the 2010 Census was better than expected, with 74% of American households filling out and returning their census forms in the mail. But what does this mean for you and your community? After all, you may only know a census as a tool for researching your family tree. While the census does chronicle the American population and its growth, it is used for more concrete purposes.
The census serves two major purposes for your state: The results help decide how seats in the US House of Representatives are apportioned; The results also decide how nearly $400 billion in money for hospitals and schools will be spent. So if your state is among those with a high rate of participation, you are more likely to be well-represented in Congress and have a better chance at federal funding for community projects.
Which states had the highest participation rates in the country for 2010? Wisconsin (82%) Minnesota (81%) Indiana (79%) Iowa (79%) New Mexico (65%) Louisiana (65%) West Virginia (65%) How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans - Magazine. Topos Graphics Angry and frustrated, American voters went to the polls in November 2010 to “take back” their country. Just as they had done in 2008. And 2006. And repeatedly for decades, whether it was Republicans or Democrats from whom they were taking the country back. No matter who was put in charge, things didn’t get better. They won’t this time, either; spending levels may go down, taxes may go up, budgets will change, but American government will go on the way it has, not as a collective enterprise but as a battle between warring tribes.
If we are truly a democracy—if voters get to size up candidates for a public office and choose the one they want—why don’t the elections seem to change anything? This is not an accident. Many Americans assume that’s just how democracy works, that this is how it’s always been, that it’s the system the Founders created. Break the power of partisans to keep candidates off the general-election ballot. Incredible pictures of Nazi occupation of Kharkov, Ukraine. Pay attention to anti-Stalin, anti-Jewish and pro-Hitler propaganda posters. via reddit.com. Why Your Political Beliefs Are Weaker than You Think. Cinnamon Stillwell never thought she'd be the founder of a political organization.
She certainly never expected to start a group for conservatives, most of whom became conservatives on the same day—September 11, 2001. She organized the group, the 911 Neocons, as a haven for people like her—"former lefties" who did political 180s after 9/11. Stillwell, now a conservative columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle , had been a liberal her whole life, writing off all Republicans as "ignorant, intolerant yahoos. " Yet on 9/11, everything changed for her, as it did for so many. In the days after the attacks, the world seemed "topsy-turvy. " Disgusted, she looked elsewhere. In 2005, she wrote a column called "The Making of a 9/11 Republican. " We tend to believe our political views have evolved by a process of rational thought, as we consider arguments, weigh evidence, and draw conclusions.
Edith Macefield. Edith Macefield Born Oregon Died June 2008 (aged 86–87) Seattle , Washington, USA Known for Real-estate holdout Edith Macefield's house during construction. (b. 1921 Oregon , d. After her death it was revealed that Macefield willed her house to the new building's construction superintendent, Barry Martin, in gratitude for the friendship he had shown her during the construction. [ 3 ] Martin told the , "Two or three times she was basically going to sell and move, and then I know the last time she ended up falling and breaking some ribs, and that kind of took the gas out of her, and then it was just too much work.
" [ 7 ] A Ballard tattoo artist has since created a design based on Macefield's house in remembrance of her, and as a commitment to, "holding on to things that are important to you. " In July 2009 Barry Martin sold the house to Greg Pinneo for $310,000. . [ edit ] See also Nail house ^ Mulady, Kathy (2008-06-16) . ^ "Even for $1-million" . ^ Mulady, Kathy (2007-10-03) . [ edit ] References. Pics of World War II: Operation Barbarossa via reddit.com. Germany: Map of the Occupation Areas via reddit.com. L’Chaim and Its Limits. An essay on mortality. via reddit.com. University of Southern California Study: Are lay people capable of evaluating their leaders fairly and objectively? Researchers say no via reddit.com. US debt illustrated in $100 bills on each other via reddit.com. Want to predict political upheaval? Look to the price of bread. via reddit.com.
90 Important Facts about the Holocaust via reddit.com. A friend of mine is a professor of textile history and makes historically accurate clothing. Check out her blog if you're interested in stuff like that. via reddit.com. Vitruvian_Man_Measurements.png (PNG Image, 390x392 pixels) Xc5Cp.jpg (JPEG Image, 400x800 pixels) - Scaled (77.
UHb2J. At War Playlist. The ohio state university diversity. "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal." (Kurt Vonnegut's short story: Harrison Bergeron) via reddit.com. The year 2000 as envisioned in the year 1910. The Jonestown Death Tape (FBI No. Q 042) : The Rev. Jim Jones, et al. (The Peoples Temple cult) Color photos from the great depression via reddit.com. Green Brigade Junior Capo. US Job Losses/Gains 2004-2011. 2009 it all goes to hell. (Animated Graph) via reddit.com. The Geography of Hate: America's hate groups concentrate in certain regions -- and their presence correlates with religion, McCain votes, and poverty via reddit.com.
Home. The Center for International Education, Development and Research (CIEDR) at Indiana University-Bloomington promotes an international scholarship of engagement through cross-cultural educational research and development to improve education and the social condition in the U.S. and abroad. Guided by democratic aims and culturally sensitive pedagogy, the Center is particularly concerned with advancing education for historically marginalized and disadvantaged populations in developed and developing countries. With educational policymakers and practitioners, CIEDR helps the national and international community through educational research, development needs, curriculum assessment, policy analysis, and teacher education. CIEDR is the IU School of Education’s gateway for grant development with an international or global dimension. Vintage Photographs of Moscow 1909. This is a letter my grandmother got in 1941 asking her to turn herself in as a Jew so she can be brought to a "special" camp. (Translation in comments.) via reddit.com.
Terrorism that’s personal [pics] via reddit.com. Gelett Burgess. Burgess circa 1910 Frank Gelett Burgess (January 30, 1866 – September 18, 1951) was an artist, art critic, poet, author and humorist. An important figure in the San Francisco Bay Area literary renaissance of the 1890s, particularly through his iconoclastic little magazine, The Lark, he is best known as a writer of nonsense verse. He was the author of the popular Goops books, and he invented the blurb. Early life[edit] Born in Boston, Burgess was "raised among staid, conservative New England gentry".[1] He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduating with a B.S. in 1887. After graduation, Burgess fled conservative Boston for the livelier bohemia of San Francisco, where he took a job working as a draftsman for the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Cogswell fountain incident[edit] It is supposed to convey a lesson on temperance, as the doctor stands proudly on the pedestal, with his whiskers flung to the rippling breezes. The fountain after the incident. Other works[edit] Works[edit] Osama Bin Laden Dead: Newspaper Front Pages (PHOTOS) Social Education. I'd drop atomic bomb on Hiroshima again if needed' - Enola Gay last living member.
Brahmacharya. Among the Hindu monastic as well as sramanic traditions, Brahmacharya is the term used for the practice of self-imposed celibacy that is generally considered an essential prerequisite for spiritual practice. These characteristics correspond to Western notions of the religious life as practiced in monastic settings. Etymology[edit] The word brahmacharya stems literally from two components: Brahma, (shortened from brahman), the absolute, eternal, supreme God-head.
(As opposed to Brahmā, the deity in the Hindu triad responsible for creation).charya, which means "to follow". This is often translated as activity, mode of behaviour, a "virtuous" way of life. So the word brahmacharya indicates a lifestyle adopted to enable one to attain the ultimate reality. Usage[edit] The term brahmacharya has two principal uses: Sexual abstinence[edit] In its most common usage today brahmacharya denotes the practice of sexual continence or celibacy adopted by those following a spiritual path (sadhana).
Yoga[edit] The Seven Wonders of the World. EyeWitness To The Middle Ages and Renaissance. Best of History Web Sites. RevLeft. All sizes | IMG_0193. Michelangelo’s David as It Was Meant to Be Seen. Earth from Above a collection of aerial photography. Royal wedding: Spot yourself in our hi-def crowd picture. BBC World Service Programmes - Schedule, Monday 4 April 2011.