Wednesday, July 31
We're probably not going to see the end of the SUV any time soon and in truth, to the extent that new models are created that do not harm the environment and do not present a threat to public safety (wishful thinking), let them be. That said, I do have hope for one thing: Perhaps the death of the most excessive SUV is a sign that the chasm between "what's good for the environment" and "what the market wants" will become narrower in the future. Every citizen of the world has to hope that in the very long run, what we want and what is good for us will become one in the same.
Tuesday, July 30
Monday, July 29
When studies last year showed that the share of the nation's children living in single-parent households had declined in the late 1990's, many welcomed the results as signs that the 1996 welfare overhaul was working.
But new research underscores a smaller, unwelcome trend: a rising share of children, particularly black children in cities, are turning up in no-parent households, left with relatives, friends or foster families without either their mother or their father. (Username: opensewer; password: iswatching.)
Sunday, July 28
Thursday, July 25
The perception of the child as a consumer is clearly more dominant than it was a few decades ago. A relatively innocuous example is the familiar 'tie-in,' the association of comics, sweets, toys, and so on with a new film or television serial; the Disney empire has developed this to an unprecedented pitch of professionalism.
And Welsch, too--my kind of guy.
Wednesday, July 24
Tuesday, July 23
Hard as it may be to believe in these days of infectious greed and sabers unsheathed, scientists have discovered that the small, brave act of cooperating with another person, of choosing trust over cynicism, generosity over selfishness, makes the brain light up with quiet joy.
Can it really be true? Is there hope for us yet? Read all about it here (login: opensewer; password: iswatching).
Monday, July 22
Sunday, July 21
Friday, July 19
Thursday, July 18
Wednesday, July 17
Tuesday, July 16
Monday, July 15
Friday, July 12
Thursday, July 11
Wednesday, July 10
Tuesday, July 9
And here's a CNN interview in response to the Times article regarding the "skinny on good fats, the good carbs." Fast forward to hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women and its abrupt halt due to a general concensus that the health risks outweigh the benefits, which doctors have argued for years.
What is the answer to all this? Who do we believe? One day something's good for you, the next day it's not.
Monday, July 8
Do you get that joke/reference? Maybe you do. Maybe you even get it without even having seen Rashomon. It's the reference game, the frantic cannibalization that keeps pop culture alive. I'm not a serious student of pop phenomena, but here's a good article that discusses what concerns me most with the popular arts (similar to this more alarmist article I blogged some time ago).