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And then she realized that a fresh start was hers for the taking, that she could be the woman she’s always seen on the distant horizon—her future self. One step at a time. Starting today.

editorial posted by c_prompt in Note to Self

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Ancestral Mathematics

editorial posted by c_prompt in Note to Self

In order to be born, you needed: 2 parents 4 grandparents 8 great-grandparents 16 second great-grandparents 32 third great-grandparents 64 fourth great-grandparents 128 fifth...

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• ancestry,
• philosophy,
• psychology,
• history,
• relationships

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The deep connection between misogyny and consuming animals

editorial posted by c_prompt in funny

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• misogyny,
• animals,
• feminism,
• sex

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Weather: To Sail or not to Sail (Virtual Sailing Class)

video.valme.io link posted by 3rd_coast_sailing in 3rd Coast Cruising

Topics covered include: Understanding weather Reading a weather map Pressure Humidity Temperature Fronts Virtual Classes Offered NOW! 3rd Coast is offering Virtual C...

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• sailing,
• weather,
• learn to sail,
• pressure,
• humidity,
• temperature fronts,
• aviation

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Life

editorial posted by c_prompt in Note to Self

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• surfing

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Ries Family Easter Chat

editorial posted by Julie in themoreiknowme

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Our newest rockin' feature: video conferencing!

editorial posted by c_prompt in GettingStarted

You're going to absolutely LOVE this! In these terrible days of COVID-19, so many are doing their best to stay connected through video. We all know of businesses who are no longer able to operate...

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• video conferencing,
• video,
• meetings,
• blog,
• sponsor account

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Test Video

editorial posted by Julie in themoreiknowme

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Test Video

editorial posted by Julie in themoreiknowme

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New to Yoga?

editorial posted by buddhimat in buddhimatyoga

New to Yoga? Not a problem!  At Buddhimat Yoga, we believe that anyone who can breathe can do yoga.  And, in times like these, acknowledging our ability to breath is more important than ever bef...

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• Chicago,
• New to Yoga,
• Kids Yoga

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Don't focus on what others say, how hard it is, the fear, the pain, or the mistakes - make the effort, be brave, and keep at it. Advice from Theodore Roosevelt's speech Citizenship in a Republic

editorial posted by c_prompt in Note to Self

The speech Citizenship in a Republic was given at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. The excerpt reads: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the stro...

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• courage,
• effort,
• mistakes,
• passion,
• failure

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You've been using the can opener all wrong

video.valme.io link posted by c_prompt in cooking

Just be careful when you use this method as, even though it's MUCH easier, the can might be sharper. h/t: Cast Iron Chaos

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• can opener,
• kitchen,
• life hacks

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yum

Little Girl Chooses to eat Broccoli Over Chocolates and Candies

video.valme.io link posted by c_prompt in food

This little girl refused to eat a variety of chocolates and candies offered to her by her mother. However, she looked pleased when a bowl of broccoli was set in front of her and munched on them happil...

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• funny,
• children,
• vegetables,
• candy

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Motorcycle Ownership Rule #1 - Do Not Let Your Drunk Barefoot Girlfriend Test Drive Your Bike

video.valme.io link posted by c_prompt in funny

h/t: https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/a0h53q/motorcycle_ownership_rule_1_do_not_let_your_drunk/

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• motorcycles

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valME.io has a new video service: video.valME.io

video.valme.io link posted by c_prompt in videos

valME.io is like reddit but where karma converts to money. We want to help people profit when they add value to others. We're testing PeerTube's video platform* to support the goals of valME.io's con...

• 3 comments
• youtube alternative,
• vimeo alternative,
• video hosting platform,
• P2P,
• BitTorrent,
• WebTorrent,
• censorship,
• social networks

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Julie Ries Bio

editorial posted by Julie in Rational Yoga Blog

​   ABOUT JULIE I currently teach in Chicago and recently started BuddhiMat yoga.  Until it may become an in-person studio, my goal is to bring us together...

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BuddhitMat Yoga - A Rational Yoga Practice

editorial posted by Julie in Rational Yoga Blog

​ Are Rational and Yoga a Contradiction? Rational and Yoga.  Is that not a contradiction?  I argue it is not. You’ve heard the word “mindfulness” used to describe meditation, yog...

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Choose your own karma/voting categories

editorial posted by c_prompt in FAQ

Someone was wondering about valME's voting buttons... Through our moderation features, you not only can select up to five karma types, but you even get to specify the names. From your Moderate dropd...

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• voting,
• karma

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Volunteer

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Volunteer! Another wonderful way to show your love of Misty River Music Makers is to sign up for some occasional volunteer time at one of our events. People who sign up often feel like it's much...

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Become a Sponsor

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Your Contributions Help! We love sharing the gift of great music with people of our community. And though we sell tickets at our bi-annual show, we also have a lot expenses. If you love Misty...

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• donations,
• gifts

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Circle of Sponsors

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Please Visit our Sponsors! Montessori Academy of Batavia  We are grateful to the Montessori Academy of Batavia for providing the chorus with a beautiful space to practice. Parents have bee...

• No comments
• about us

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Quartets

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Piece o' Chord Linda Berg- Tenor Maria Kolano- Lead Beth Pasek- Bass Fran Bell- Baritone

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• music

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Our Performances

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

About Our Performances We have a diverse repertoire fitting many occasions, and we're ready to entertain audiences big and small. Our chorus can tailor a performance to meet your needs. Perform...

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• about us,
• music,
• prices,
• events

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Getting Started

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

The Next Step So you're interested in joining! Visit a Rehearsal Guests are always welcome at our rehearsals. Rehearsals are Monday nights from 7:00-9:30 pm. Location: Montessori A...

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• about us,
• location,
• music

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Testimonials

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

What they're saying  Listen to what a few chorus members from around the country have to say about being in an organization like ours: “I enjoy the fun and fellowship of the ladies, and the...

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• about us

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Press Releases

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Our 1st Place Finish! Area 4 Contest and Convention June 14, 2014

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• about us,
• press,
• awards

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Our Leadership

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

MISTY RIVER'S NEW DIRECTOR, MARIA KOLANO Maria Kolano has had a life-long love of music. She grew up singing on the piano bench beside her mom. She has taken voice lessons, sung with choirs in sc...

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• about us,
• music

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What is barbershop?

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

What is Barbershop? Standard choral music uses the Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass (SATB) designations. SATB arrangements attempt to balance sound equally across all four of the parts. On the other...

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• music

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Hire Us

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Hire Us We love performing for just about every occasion We can provide quality entertainment for your company sponsored event, church social, family reunion, downtown festivals, public or priv...

• No comments
• about us,
• contact,
• music

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Join Us

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Join Us Misty River Music Makers is more than just an a cappella ensemble, it is a family. We love getting together each week, and sharing friendships as well as great music. If you like to sin...

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• about us,
• location,
• music

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About Us

editorial posted by c_prompt in Misty River Music Makers

Misty River Music Makers - it's all about the people... First and foremost, Misty River is a place where friendship and song blend together. Our members are women from all over the Fox Valley...

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• about us,
• location,
• mission,
• music

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Help build the blog. Become an honorary pothead and receive 200 karma ($2) for your first 5 posts

editorial posted by pot_kettle_black in pot.kettle.black

I just setup a promotion with code pothead to encourage filling up this blog. Please help me post relevant articles. Not sure yet what direction this will take. You can check the honor role for statu...

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• promotion

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Token first post

editorial posted by pot_kettle_black in pot.kettle.black

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• funny

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There is More to DC than Revolutionary History

editorial posted by Andrew in Blog

                When I went to DC, I thought of it as a place to learn about history from the US, like the Revolution and Civil Wars (boring!). When I went there though, I saw that it...

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• Cold War,
• Washington DC,
• Spy Museum,
• Smithsonian Air and Space

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The Most Important Battle of the Most Important War

editorial posted by Andrew in Blog

                 When you think of the most important battle in World War 2, many things come to mind, but one stands out: Normandy. This awful bloodshed happened on beaches, fa...

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• D-Day,
• Normandy,
• World War 2,
• 101st Airborne,
• 6th Airborne

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Learning About the Most Important War in History

editorial posted by Andrew in Blog

                During history, one war has stood out among all of the awful wars, all of the genocides, all of the violence; that war is World War 2. Since I was little, I was interes...

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• World War 2,
• Museum of Science and Industry

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Dating online? Watch that ad!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

New to online dating? Trying to find the man or woman of your dreams through the virtual world? As in any relationship, proper communication is crucial. You need to have a good personal ad or dating...

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• relationships,
• dating

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The solution to the war problem

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I have always been very concerned about the problems of war. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about how unfair it is for the many innocent victims. So, as an amateur videographer, I have tried...

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• politics,
• military

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The Great Hoax of Equality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

History repeats itself. Men have constantly fought and died in the war for equality throughout the centuries. However, not all of them had in mind the same idea of equality when they gave their lives...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• economics

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Kony 2012: Pro-AFRICOM Propaganda by the Regime Change Machine?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Thanks to the Land Destroyer blog for spotting this excellent analysis of what appears the next phase in false-flag interventionist propaganda -- the use of so-called "social media" with heavy celebr...

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• politics,
• military,
• conspiracy

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Manipulating Americans is easy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

You're an idiot. That's right. According to New York spin doctor Sheherazad Jaafari (aka press-aide or press attaché), Americans are easily manipulated. All politicians need to do is admit that th...

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• politics,
• hacking,
• psychology,
• philosophy

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Oh No! Science Supports... The Anarchists!!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I'm talking about the real anarchists here, not bloody bomb-throwers or anti-capitalist window breakers. I'm referring to people who have faced the scary fact that all coercive power corrupts and tha...

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• politics,
• science,
• anarchism,
• philosophy

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Then they came for the internet but, by that time...

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As proud supporters of Creative Commons, we were encouraged to see so many websites effectively shut down or "go dark" on January 18, 2012 in protest of the tyrannical SOPA/PIPA bills that the US gov...

• No comments
• politics,
• technology,
• internet,
• totalitarianism,
• police state,
• entertainment

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The choice between two progressives - Obama and Ron Paul?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What a completely ridiculous statement, right? Calling Ron Paul a progressive? So why are some prominent progressives suggesting that Ron Paul is more progressive than Obama? Liberals and progress...

• No comments
• politics,
• libertarian

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Irrational self-interest

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Selfishness is often defined as an evil that deals with one caring for oneself more than for others. Many evils in the world are blamed on selfishness. Hunger, poverty and illness are supposedly all...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• relationships

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It isn't illegal if the President does it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"Well, when the President does it, that means that it is not illegal." So said President Richard Nixon in his 1977 interview discussing presidential authority. Fast-forward 30 years. "I was a cons...

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• politics

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Dealing with pain during the holidays

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The holidays are often difficult, and can be downright depressing, especially for those who have pain from a loss, a traumatic experience, or just plain loneliness (e.g., not having a date for holida...

• No comments
• psychology,
• holidays,
• philosophy,
• health care

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Killer viruses - should we make them?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We all have previously learned about the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918, which killed between 20-40 million people worldwide in our history classes. Now with the advance of modern molecular biology techn...

• No comments
• science,
• biology,
• philosophy,
• politics,
• terrorism,
• health care,
• medicine

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The last line of defense when the law is wrong

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's a button that some wear on election day. It says "I voted." It's as if voting makes them feel powerful. But the vote they cast typically isn't for a specific law - it's usually for a polit...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy

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Modern marriage - a 2-year commitment with an option to renew

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's a funny wedding tradition where the married couple eats the top layer of their wedding cake one year later. (How great to finally have the extra space in your freezer, right?) For about half...

• No comments
• relationships,
• politics

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TIL Plato didn't believe in Platonic love and supported erotica

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that Platonic love isn't what we thought it was. In fact, Plato didn't even believe in it, was pro-sex, thought erotica was a spiritual force that helps us find our true selves, and e...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• relationships,
• sex

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What really matters in life - it should be our first lecture

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Life is a constant struggle, especially because the lessons we learn are oftentimes knowledge gained after we really needed it. It's one of the reasons mentors are so important - they've "been there,...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• parenting,
• children,
• teenagers

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The revolution for individual freedom and the principles of cooperation

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Throughout most of human civilization, centuries of men have starved, died from the elements (for lack of proper housing), suffered terrible health, and barely lived. Even today, starvation kills mil...

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• politics,
• economics,
• philosophy,
• culture

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Madly in love - is there a rational basis to love?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We need a new demotivational poster: "Science. A quick way to mess-up all those great love poems." The definition of rational isn't very controversial: "having reason or understanding." The defini...

• No comments
• science,
• relationships,
• psychology,
• philosophy,
• biology

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TIL Federal Reserve Bank stockholders don't pay taxes

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that, unlike people or other corporations, Federal reserve bank stockholders don't have to pay federal, state,or local taxes on their annual, fixed dividends of 6% on capital stock (w...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• taxes,
• conspiracy,
• banking,
• business

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An interview with David Eagleman, neuroscientist

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A neuroscientist is someone who studies "the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue and especially their relation to behavior and learning." Although the...

• No comments
• science,
• philosophy,
• biology,
• disease,
• health care,
• medicine,
• crime,
• psychology

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Ron Paul didn't go far enough - unleash the retirement accounts

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ron Paul just came out with a plan to cut $1 trillion from the US's federal budget and severely curtail entitlement programs. According to the "Plan to Restore America," it cuts $1 trillion in spendi...

• No comments
• politics,
• libertarian,
• economics,
• philosophy,
• retirement,
• taxes

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The age of nanotechnology

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Throughout history, machines, tools, devices, etc. have become smaller. But not until recently have we been able to see down to the lowest level - to that of the nano. With electron microscopes, nano...

• No comments
• technology,
• science

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TIL real-life levitation does exist

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that, without a magic wand, levitation is real. The physics behind it consists of a ceramic material that is famous for superconductivity when cooled below -185ºC (-301ºF). The s...

• No comments
• science

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The rationality of alternative medicine

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As many mourn the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs, they use words such as visionary, brilliant, innovative, leader, entrepreneur, capitalist, and philanthropic to describe him. Many aren't aware th...

• No comments
• health care,
• medicine,
• cancer,
• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• technology

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TIL what used to be considered healthy and happy is now considered dangerous

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned from "America's worst mom" that the earliest episodes of Sesame Street are "for adult viewing only" for fear they will give kids dangerous ideas (Sesame Street just couldn't bring its...

• No comments
• parenting,
• children,
• entertainment,
• politics

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Getting mad as hell - it's about time

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The strategy by the labor union leadership was said to be based simply: "how do we bring down the stock market, how do we bring down their bonuses, how do we interfere with their ability to, to be ri...

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• politics,
• economics,
• business,
• banking

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Imagine... what a wonderful world it would be

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Aristotle spoke of music as having "influence over the character and the soul." He noted that "Rhythm and melody supply imitations of anger and gentleness, and also of courage and temperance, and of...

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What happened to the "we" in "yes we can?"

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

How we do like to complain about politicians. We vote them into office (well, some don't vote) and expect them to change the world. To reduce war. To make our lives better. To keep their promises. Af...

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TIL you CAN prove a negative

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned the adage "you can't prove a negative" is false because you can prove a negative. It's very easy. We need to stop saying that. A better statement to use is "he who asserts a positive...

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Breaking the laws of physics - will philosophy become more important?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Just when you thought you understood how the world works, the tachyons come to shake things up. For those who haven't heard by now, the masterminds at CERN who brought you the LHC rap have made wh...

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The ethics of competition and our obligations to each other

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Competition increases change and motivates people to excel. For example, gamers recently competed to solve a scientific problem that has "vexed researchers for a decade." Companies compete for your b...

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It doesn't always get better, so stop faking what's real

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It was all the rage. Following 14-year old Jamey Rodemeyer's tearful "It Gets Better, I promise!" video, in which he tried to show how positive he was in the face of gay bullying, other well-know...

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Listen to my music - the philosophy of The Trees

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Make everyone equal. It is a common battle cry across the centuries. Just look at the current class warfare that Obama is pushing because we are not all equal. (Or, as Orwell famously put it in Anima...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
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TIL a Kelo v. New London judge regrets his decision

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Richard Palmer is "sorry" for the way he voted in the infamous eminent domain Kelo v. New London case. In that case, the US Supreme Court aff...

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The examples adults set for children

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Why are so many children familiar with the adage "do as I say, not as I do?" The answer should be obvious - because we, as adults, often do things that we don't want our children doing. Let's face it...

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How to teach computers to old people

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

No significant intellectualism here in this video. Just an older couple learning how to use a computer to make you feel good. May we all be as happy as they are at this age. What's your experie...

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The enemy to slay in a constant state of emergency

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ron Paul famously said of neocons: The neoconservative ethos, steeped in the teachings of Leo Strauss, cannot abide an America where individuals simply pursue their happy, peaceful, prosperous l...

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How to get decent people to do terrible things - put them in positions of power

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Einstein once wrote that "our conscious acts spring from our desires and our fears." Many agree. For example, David Hume suggested in A Treatise of Human Nature that humans are prone to letting emoti...

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Two Grandmothers, Two Priests and a Nun go to Prison for Peace

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Two grandmothers, two priests and a nun were sentenced in federal court in Tacoma, WA Monday March 28, 2011, for confronting hundreds of US nuclear weapons stockpiled for use by the deadly Trident su...

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TIL the first PC virus was called "brain" and the hackers were not anonymous

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned the first PC virus was called "brain" and was written in DOS only 25 years ago in 1986. The creators of the virus even gave their address. How did it move from PC to PC? Floppy disks...

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• history

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The seven blunders of the world that lead to violence

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When it comes to non-violent, ideological leaders, Mahatma Gandhi has got to be toward the very top of the list. His resistance to British tyranny through mass civil disobedience is famous. Needless...

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TIL Superman, Star Trek, and Archie creators promoted sex

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned one of the creators of Superman drew S&M and bondage comics that were banned by the Supreme Court, the creator of Star Trek created a show about a gym teacher having sex with his...

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• comics,
• entertainment,
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Taxation is a fight between individualism and collectivism - which side are you on?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When it comes to politics, it's difficult to say "liberals believe this" or "conservatives believe that." After all, within each political ideology, there are many views; sometimes even views that se...

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• libertarian,
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Excessive grades are discriminatory - let's redistribute them

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Do you really need a 4.0 grade point average? There's a proposal on the table that we should consider. For far too long, there have been many underachieving students. We're not going to get into t...

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The makings of a good apology - act like a changed person

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Paris Hilton did it to Lindsay Lohan. Tiger Woods did it. American Idol did it. Couples do it. Sometimes we even do it to ourselves. Politicians do it as well, but they do it badly (just like everyth...

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Guilt begone - it was the sun all along

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore aren't going to be happy. Scientists are messing up their politics. So it turns out that the only thing man-made about global warming is t...

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TIL the difference between etc. and et al.

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned the difference between etc. and et al. etc. is used for things, while et al. is used for people. And they should not be interchanged. 2) etc. (and so on) Example: "None of...

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• grammar,
• writing

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How stupid are we? Ask Obama

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Obama has broken many promises. That's par for the course when you're a politician. People know (and sadly accept) that politicians aren't going to do everything they promise. But then there are m...

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Politicians causing problems in politics? Put them on pay-for-performance

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the business world, most workers receive a base salary and then salary increases or bonuses based on performance. Performance can be measured by various factors, including company performance, ind...

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One nation, under God, and undereducated

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

For the most part, public education in the US is a disaster. Where the blame lies will be forever debated, but to claim otherwise is to sleep undisturbed in a fantasy world with "stark wake-up calls"...

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If I voted, Ron Paul is the man I would vote for

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

First, let me make this perfectly clear: I am an anarchist (or, more specifically, an anarcho-capitalist). I do not support any kind of government, including a president. The last election I voted in...

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TIL Einstein supported a one-world government and was a Socialist

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned Albert Einstein supported a one-world government and was a Socialist. Einstein's passionate commitment to the cause of global peace led him to support the creation of a single, u...

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Science helps explain why men are confused about female orgasms

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It is claimed that women fake orgasms because of insecurities. But as women have a tremendous capacity for pleasure, perhaps men just aren't stimulating the right places. As scary as it might sound t...

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• science,
• biology,
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Space and "empty space": Much ado about nothing, or is it?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Space is a concept which is very rarely correctly understand by anybody, including modern physicists. However, the purpose of this essay is not to discuss the confusions of others in relation to this...

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Three cheers for capitalism - not two

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As scary as it might sound, we already know that evidence doesn't matter much in the context of politics. So, even when there is clear evidence of a certain idea being factually true, many people don...

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TIL Facebook makes your private phone numbers available

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned Facebook imports your phone numbers from your mobile phone's address book, sometimes without your knowledge, thus making the private phone numbers of ALL of your contacts (not just yo...

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• privacy,
• social media

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The Davies Certainty Principle (Two-Minute Case Against The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle)

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Most of you are probably aware of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It states that it is not possible to know the precise position and momentum of subatomic particles such as electrons. (There is...

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Short-selling - the protected companies

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

(Meanwhile, as the Italian cabinet approves a tough austerity plan, and as Nero feasts while Rome burns...) According to the AP, "France, Italy, Spain and Belgium are banning short-selling on sele...

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Gaming theory - why it matters and a definition

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As this is an article about the theory of games, I thought that, as I intend to do this systematically, I should start with a brief post defining what a game actually is. You might think that I could...

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• philosophy,
• gaming

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Superstitions - finding an impenetrable prophylactic against ignorant beliefs

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

One of the many fun things to do as a kid is to sit around a campfire late at night and hear adults tell ghost stories. Our imaginations would run wild - are there really such things as ghosts? Bu...

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College conspiracy - a worthless piece of paper called a college degree

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

James Fenimore Cooper once said: "All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never ha...

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Who has more economic savvy? Alan Greenspan, Paul Krugman, or Ron Paul?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Alan Greenspan. Economic wonderboy. Market maestro. Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman. Past disciple of Ayn Rand. Someone who once thought gold was the only proper standard for money and a protec...

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• economics,
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TIL of paper that can be erased and reused 260 times

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that there is a "paper" in production that can be erased and reused 260 times and currently costs about $2.00/sheet. (And we all know that, just like with any technology, that price w...

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Does porn hurt relationships? Science says no

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Porn is like bacon: some won't eat it for religious reasons, some consider it filthy, some feel guilty after eating it, but everyone else (which is most of the population) loves it. Funny enough, sci...

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• politics,
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Selling organs for education

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Nowadays, you have to take on massive amounts of debt to go to college, only to graduate and find that there aren't any jobs available. So you leave college, go back to living with your parents, and...

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How to understand people - look at their actions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Praxeology is a general theory of human action or, more specifically, purposeful behavior. Unlike unconscious behavior such as breathing or reflexes, we act in conscious, chosen ways to achieve vario...

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TIL Communism is responsible for over 100 million deaths

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that Communism, "the greatest social engineering experiment we have ever seen," is responsible for approximately over 100 million deaths. The Communists tried to construct a "utopia.....

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Old enough to fight, old enough to vote, but no influence

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"No taxation without representation" was a popular slogan that summarized a major grievance the British colonists had with England. The idea is simple enough to understand: if I don't get any substan...

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The courage of convictions - rational people don't agree to disagree

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Politics. Morality. Religion. Relationships. Even science. These are examples of the many categories in which you will find disagreements. These debates occur just as much with intelligent people as...

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Liberalism - a contradiction in ideals?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Pulitzer prize winning author, Columbia professor, historian, and liberal Eric Foner thinks liberalism is in a state of contradiction. One the one hand, he says liberals want an "activist government"...

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The poor don't want charity - they want justice

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The latest weapon of mass destruction: starvation. The situation is dire. It's the worst drought in Africa in 60 years. The UN is airlifting food to Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. It's estimated th...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• economics,
• charity,
• poverty

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Ron Paul was right, and the Fed audit proves it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The printing press: what a great invention... It fostered a rapid development in and dissemination of art and science through the production of books. But one wonders if Johannes Gutenberg would be a...

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The legitimacy of higher education - do we need more scientists and engineers?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Robert Heinlein once wrote: "Being intelligent is not a felony. But most societies evaluate it as at least a misdemeanor." The number of students going to UK universities is falling. Additionally,...

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• education,
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The savages among us

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Imagine that you are a human brought to another planet. You are not religious. You haven't any belief in God or the supernatural. On this planet, the aliens are immediately able to cure all your dise...

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• philosophy,
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TIL 18 US veterans commit suicide every day and 1 million are in jail

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that 18 US veterans commit suicide every day and 1 million veterans are sitting in jail. When Staff Sgt. Brad Eifert, 36, finally made his way to the woods behind his house with...

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• military,
• health care,
• crime,
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Let's raise the debt ceiling to $1 quadrillion

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Remember the guy who talked about change? Where'd he go? In 2006, Obama said this: The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a...

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• philosophy,
• economics,
• politics

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Have you no shame, and whose fault is that?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

You sometimes have to wonder why teaching children seems to be more complicated than rocket science. There are many valid debates in education as to the proper conditions required for a child to lear...

• No comments
• psychology,
• parenting,
• children,
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TIL bottled water often comes from tap water and isn't typically cleaner or healthier

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that, despite the hype, bottled water typically isn't any cleaner or healthier than tap water, and often comes from the same public water supply that your tap water does. Having said...

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• environment,
• food,
• business

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Tough love - the philosophy of BDSM

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

No doubt about it - we humans have a strong desire for sexual intercourse. It certainly makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, as the desire helps further humanity. But some are programmed for...

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• sex,
• philosophy,
• relationships,
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Scary - facts don't change our minds

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"Facts don't necessarily have the power to change our minds. In fact, quite the opposite." Before you read this article to determine where that conclusion came from, ponder that quote for a moment...

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The courage to resist

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Winning people's hearts and minds through ideas is one way to affect change, but it's a very, very slow process. Most would consider it "impractical." For those who want to implement change quicker,...

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• politics,
• military,
• whistleblower

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TIL drinking eight glasses of water a day is bunk

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that the accepted wisdom of drinking eight glasses of water a day, including the accompanying reminder that beverages containing caffeine and alcohol do not count, is not supported by...

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• food,
• health care,
• biology,
• medicine

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The spirit of revolution

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"Philosopher of revolution" Pyotr Kropotkin (aka Peter Kropotkin) once wrote: "America is just the country that shows how all the written guarantees in the world for freedom are no protection against...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• anarchism,
• economics

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Well I'll be a monkey's uncle - evolution is not a matter of faith

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Humans and chimpanzees share 96% of the same DNA. In other words, from a scientific perspective, humans and chimpanzees are genetically very similar. As the battle between evolution and intelligen...

• No comments
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• religion,
• animals,
• biology,
• philosophy

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Nationalize email to the US Postal Service - are you fucking kidding me?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From the "you can't make this shit up" files... Statists have plenty of bad ideas: going to war for oil, setting up regulatory agencies that don't do their jobs, molesting people in the name of se...

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• economics,
• business,
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Toxins in our food supply are killing bees

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (aka who watches the watchmen)? Called Colony Collapse Disorder, there is something killing honeybees. They are dying in "huge numbers." Scientists from the US Environ...

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• environment,
• politics,
• food

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TIL about Pale Moon - a faster version of Firefox for Windows

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned about Pale Moon - an optimized version of Firefox that is much faster than Firefox and optimized specifically for Windows. Not only is it much faster than Firefox (perhaps even by...

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• technology,
• internet,
• open source,
• software

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Top 10 Cool Things to Do in Second Life - Braincrave intellectual discussions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Braincrave.com has been highlighted as one of the top 10 Cool Things to Do in Second Life for intellectual discussions! Of course, we're very honored and want to thank all of you who help us make...

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• intellectualism,
• relationships,
• second life

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Braincrave's first confirmed marriage!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Great news! Braincrave.com's first confirmed marriage! Just goes to show that online dating really does yield real results, including for those who like to think. To celebrate this amazing success...

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• relationships

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TIL why helium makes your voice squeaky

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned why light gasses like helium make your voice squeaky and heavy gasses like sulfur hexafluoride or xenon make your voice sound like Barry White. In summary, the timbre of your voice...

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• science,
• biology

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The morality of helping the poor family - where does it end?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who "passionately" believes in the welfare system, is lashing out at parents who are raising their children through social welfare programs. He thinks the issue is a...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• economics,
• culture,
• charity

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The Horse in the Plain

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Once upon a time, in a land far away which has nothing at all in common with the world we humans inhabit, a horse was running free in the plain. He longed to climb up the mountains and see the world...

• 1 comment
• philosophy,
• psychology,
• fiction

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TIL hot water freezes faster than cold water (and be careful with reigning paradigms)

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned hot water sometimes freezes faster than cold water. Although there isn't one, conclusive scientific explanation for the phenomenon, one of the theories for why this occurs is that hot...

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• science,
• philosophy

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Abolish political parties and add none of the above

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Jesse Ventura, of wrestling, acting, and conspiracy theory fame, is disgusted with politics. (And anyone who isn't disgusting isn't sane.) So he's come up with some new ideas. What do you think el...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• conspiracy

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TIL you can run a diesel engine car on used vegetable oil

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that you can run a diesel engine car on waste vegetable oil (e.g., oil that's been used to cook). It is less harmful to the environment, less toxic to people and animals, and runs abo...

• No comments
• cars,
• environment,
• science,
• technology,
• energy

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Slut walks, rape, and hypocrisy - what's eye candy got to do with it?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

How we do love eye-candy. And, after all, "since when is a woman dressing sexy in public a bad thing?" By now, you've probably heard about the various "slut walks" that are happening all over the...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• sex,
• fashion,
• feminism

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Apathy - ignorance going through the motions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Considered the third, best-selling poet of all time, Khalil Gibran once said "Desire is half of life; indifference is half of death." Apathy is defined as having a lack of emotion, interest, or conce...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• psychology,
• politics,
• intellectualism

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Why is there so much hate and anger in the world?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From a WoW forum: Original post: "So many trolls be trolling....thugs be thugging....haters be hating.... I love everyone on this server Spread the love." Reply post: "Homo." Sarcasm aside,...

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• philosophy,
• psychology,
• emotions,
• self-improvement,
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Are safety and freedom opposites?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When it comes to protecting civil liberties, it just keeps getting worse. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now testing what it calls Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST). It i...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• police state,
• totalitarianism,
• technology

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Mine! The never-ending fight over Palestine

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Obama is currently getting criticized because of his recent speech asserting that the US government officially supports a two-state solution based on Israel's pre-1967 borders along with negotiated...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• military,
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TIL how cats and dogs drink water

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned how cats and dogs drink water. The water sticks to their tongues and the upward pull creates a water column from inertia (the liquid continues to move in the direction pulled). Then,...

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• animals,
• science

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O Me! O Life! and being thankful for what you have

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Monty Python famously sang "life's a piece of shit when you look at it." There's also the adage that, if everyone threw all their problems on the table, most would reach back down and pick up their...

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• poetry,
• philosophy,
• jobs,
• happiness

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TIL the power of the scroll wheel in Firefox

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned the power of the scroll wheel in Firefox. You can use it to close tabs (click the scroll wheel on a tab), open hyperlinks in new pages (click the scroll wheel on a link), scroll throu...

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Ray Kurzweil - bringing my dreams to real life in a virtual world

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When I was much younger, I told my father I believed I would live forever. He asked how that would happen and gently reminded me that we all die sooner or later. I explained that I believed we would...

• 1 comment
• technology,
• transhumanism,
• philosophy,
• psychology,
• second life

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Getting off the sauce - do we choose to drink?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 50% of Americans age 12 or older have used alcohol in the past 30 days, almost 25% are binge drinkers (5 drinks within 2 hours), and 7% drink...

• No comments
• health care,
• psychology,
• self-improvement,
• religion,
• disease,
• addiction

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The ethics of the placebo effect

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A placebo is a sham or simulated medical intervention by a doctor in which some patients experience actual improvements in their conditions. Although it doesn't work on everyone, these effects in pat...

• No comments
• health care,
• medicine,
• psychology,
• pharmaceuticals,
• philosophy,
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Good form - etiquette and manners for politeness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Good etiquette facilitates relationships, and good relationships help us live better lives. We've previously discussed proper manners in communications. Continuing in our etiquette and manners series...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• self-improvement,
• psychology

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The essence of political definitions: what does it mean to be a liberal?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand once wrote that "Definitions are the guardians of rationality, the first line of defense against the chaos of mental disintegration." Perhaps that's one of the reasons politics always appear...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
• economics

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I spy, and you cannot hide

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Former NSA employee Thomas Drake has a wife and 5 sons, one of whom has significant health problems. But, understanding the risks to him and his family, he couldn't remain silent and be complicit in...

• No comments
• politics,
• privacy,
• totalitarianism,
• police state,
• surveillance

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TIL don't use olive oil for cooking at high temperatures

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that you should not use olive oil to cook at high heats (i.e., potentially anything over 200 - 250º F / 93 - 121º C, although that is debated), especially extra virgin olive oils. T...

• No comments
• food,
• science

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Other people are not your property

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ron Paul has entered the US presidential race for the third time as a Republican. But he's not really a Republican - he's a Libertarian. Ron Paul, like all Libertarians, is always talking about limit...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• economics,
• libertarians

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The right to health care

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Here's the backdrop: in 2005, the US Supreme Court ruled in Castle Rock v. Gonzales that a person does not have a constitutional right to police protection, even in the presence of a restraining orde...

• No comments
• politics,
• health care,
• philosophy

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Would you, personally, force someone to give charity?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The great political theorist and economist Frédéric Bastiat wrote in The State: "The oppressor no longer acts directly by his own force on the oppressed. No, our conscience has become too fastidiou...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• taxes,
• economics

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Learning to relax through hypnosis

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Most of us live stressful lives. Perhaps it's time we give ourselves a little break. Try this self-hypnosis/relaxation video for 16 minutes. Did it work for you? What do you do to relax? Try...

• No comments
• psychology,
• self-improvement

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Is neurobiology making us morally ill?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Getting people to agree on objective moral principles is difficult, to say the least. Moral codes seem to span the gamut of culture, time, environment, experience, geography, gender, race, etc. Could...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• science,
• disease,
• cancer,
• health care,
• medicine,
• psychology

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Godwin's law - if the shoe fits, wear it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When it comes to online discussions, there's an adage called Godwin's law. It states that the longer an online discussion continues, "the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approac...

• No comments
• politics,
• history,
• anarchism

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TIL ostriches do NOT bury their head in the sand

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that ostriches do NOT bury their heads in the sand. (People are said to bury their heads in the sand when they refuse to confront or acknowledge a problem.) OSTRICHES BURY TH...

• No comments
• animals

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Government-run supermarkets and education

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's an adage in economics that goes: people do not walk barefoot because there aren't any government shoe factories. In markets where competition exists (not to be confused with free markets), bu...

• No comments
• education,
• politics,
• business,
• economics

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The cosmic conflict of religion and science

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If you're looking for the meaning of life, religions are ready with an answer. As of yet, science doesn't have an answer, other than to possibly claim that there isn't any purpose. (Nihilists of the...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• science,
• religion

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Friends with benefits - can sex ever be casual?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

She opens her heart. He opens his fly. That might be the immediate, superficial reaction to a Friends With Benefits (FWB) relationship. But is there more under the covers? FWB relationships (aka s...

• No comments
• psychology,
• sex,
• relationships,
• culture

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TIL about the Ig Noble prize

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned about the Ig Noble prizes, which "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative -...

• No comments
• humor,
• science,
• medicine,
• technology

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Osama bin Laden is dead - long live Emmanuel Goldstein

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In light of the claim that Osama bin Laden has now been killed, we thought it might be a good idea to remind everyone of George Orwell's famous character in the novel 1984: Emmanuel Goldstein....

• No comments
• politics,
• terrorism,
• military,
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The ethics of capitalism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with morality, and the moral code/ideology used when differentiating between right and wrong is critical (e.g., consider that Hitler used national socialis...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• economics,
• politics,
• business,
• education

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US has highest prison population - why?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Let this sink in for a moment: the United States has the highest prisoner population rate in the world. That's right, even more than China. (And, no - that doesn't include all of the hidden prisons i...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• police state,
• totalitarianism,
• crime

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Legislating morality and homosexuality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Politics are a disgusting abyss of failed attempts to legislate morality. But why is it like that? Perhaps one of the primary reasons is because people can't seem to agree on what morality is; or, mo...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• sex,
• homosexuality,
• politics,
• religion,
• objectivism,
• ayn rand

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TIL that gas prices in Europe are double those in the US

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Don't expect gas prices to "tank" anytime soon. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.) Today I learned that Americans live in a distorted world when it comes to gas prices. The average price of gas across...

• No comments
• economics,
• energy,
• business,
• politics

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Sports socialism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Discussing sports, Noam Chomsky once remarked: "Take, say, sports -- that's another crucial example of the indoctrination system, in my view. For one thing because it -- you know, it offers people so...

• No comments
• sports,
• entertainment,
• politics,
• economics,
• philosophy

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Environmental suicide

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Contrary to what the United Nations does, Mother Earth doesn't have a conscience. She can't tell us which of her resources she wants us to save, which to take care of, and which to use. Ergo, how we...

• No comments
• environment,
• philosophy,
• politics,
• science,
• objectivism

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Reducing HIV/AIDS by eliminating IP laws

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the adventure film Sahara, General Kazim states: "Don't worry. It's Africa. Nobody cares about Africa." In 2009, it's estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with almost 70% liv...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• business,
• pharmaceuticals,
• economics,
• health care,
• medicine,
• disease

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Government's taunt: "I know you are but what am I?"

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's an old Russian political joke where an American and a Soviet car salesmen are arguing about who makes better cars. The American asks: "How many decades does an average Soviet man need to work...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• totalitarianism,
• military

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TIL about StumbleUpon toolbar options

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, StumbleUpon is a discovery engine that shows you random web pages based upon categories that you like. It learns very quickly what you like and don't lik...

• No comments
• entertainment,
• technology,
• internet

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Copyright trolling

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which revolutionized the cotton industry. But he had a hard time profiting from his invention because he tried to charge farmers a huge price (2/5 of their profits...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• economics,
• business,
• copyright

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Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand's vision and warning

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's an adage that goes: if you've got enemies, it means you stood up for something in life. Out of all of the potential philosophies that you could adopt in your life, perhaps none may be more co...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism

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Learned helplessness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In 1967, psychologist Martin Seligman performed an experiment on dogs by shocking them with electricity which appeared to start and stop at random. After the dogs were conditioned, he put the dogs in...

• No comments
• psychology,
• philosophy,
• parenting,
• children

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If women ruled the world

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Do a search on the web and you'll find all sorts of criteria for what makes an effective leader. People can't even seem to agree on the definition of leadership. As a result, theories abound. But wha...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• business,
• intellectualism,
• economics

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TIL van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, for 400 Francs (about US$1,600). It is now considered to be one of the most valuable paintings in the w...

• No comments
• art,
• history

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People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The US government consists of a bunch of hypocrites. I know, tell you something you don't know, right? Recently, Hillary Clinton and her lackeys at the US State Department released the Country Re...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• military,
• terrorism,
• torture,
• police state,
• totalitarianism

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Pronouncing moral judgment

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Sometimes it seems that the worse things get, the more we tolerate. It's not that we become impartial to a particular wrong, but it does seem that we often "sit on the fence" when we see wrongdoing....

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• whistleblower

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Beauty and the eyes of the beholder

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many women like having big breasts. They also like looking good. According to the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, of the 13 million cosmetic plastic surgeries performed annually, women seek 9...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• fashion,
• business,
• advertising

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When what you're doing in economics doesn't work, just do more of it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

You can call a fish a duck, but that doesn't make it so. Does anyone else find it funny that people claiming to be anarchists - which is, by definition, being against government - are rioting in su...

• No comments
• economics,
• politics,
• philosophy

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The value of "no"

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Alexander Pope once said: "A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying that he is wiser today than he was yesterday." As in any discussion about a topic of...

• No comments
• business,
• entrepreneur,
• philosophy,
• psychology

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Any monkey can be an artist

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We experience art as an emotional reaction to our senses. Enjoying art has a personal meaning and relevance; therefore, we evaluate art differently depending upon our own values, perceptions, and kno...

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TIL the 40-hour work week did not originate from unions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that, contrary to popular belief, a private business owner who made every pair of military business boots for US soldiers in World War I established the 40-hour work week which becam...

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• politics,
• jobs

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Epic win - making a better world with video games

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"Gamers are super-empowered hopeful individuals." They are masters at figuring things out, even medical problems. So who wants to use gaming to change the world? There are many problems to address...

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• gaming,
• technology,
• science,
• philosophy,
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What's an hour of your life worth?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

So many consider money as the primary asset in life. Sometimes we are so caught up in the "rat race" that we forget that money, and each possession we acquire from it, costs us something very valuabl...

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Meet the new [education] boss, same as the old boss

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Talk about a circlejerk... The federal government tells poorly performing schools that, if they fire their principals, they will get additional money. So what do these schools do? They fire the princ...

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• education,
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America is very hostile to many businesses, believe it or not

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Attention US government. You're not very bright. By having a high corporate tax rate, you are pushing jobs, profits, patents, executives, research, and operations of US companies overseas. (And, as a...

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OMG! There's Discrimination in the Modeling Industry!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

New research confirms scandal: not just anyone can be a supermodel. Such discrimination! Say the word discrimination and most immediately think of prejudice. In many countries, by law, employers cann...

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• economics,
• philosophy,
• business,
• fashion

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TIL cranberries are sorted by bouncing

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that cranberries are sorted for ripeness by being bounced. First discovered by a man with a wooden leg who had a hard time getting the berries down from a loft, he poured them down th...

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Administering justice through self-injury

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Pain is a part of life, and we all have different ways to deal with it. In what might appear to be a strange contradiction, some even go so far as to self-inflict pain in order to avoid pain. It's al...

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I want it, but can't afford it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In Mel Brooks's very funny History of the World Part I, King Louis XVI is told by his advisor that the people are revolting. The king replies "You said it. They stink on ice." As the UK government...

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Better ideas - the Socratic method

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Socrates, the philosopher who claimed the contradiction "I know that I know nothing," provided us with a method to help us question what we think we know and to demonstrate otherwise: the Socratic me...

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America's leading leftist intellectual is angry

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"America's leading leftist intellectual" and MIT professor Noam Chomsky once remarked that "The U.S. is a leading terrorist state, as are its clients." He has said "that there is no War on Terror." H...

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• intellectualism,
• philosophy,
• terrorism,
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War powers and rebranded neoconservativism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Can we all agree that, no matter who it is, the US president does not have the legitimate power to bomb another nation without an act of Congress formally declaring war? Five wars have been declar...

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TIL about the Flying Spaghetti Monster

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that the Flying Spaghetti Monster was a humorous protest against the government's decision to permit the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public school...

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• religion,
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Society and the meaning of individual actions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Libertarians are often talking about freedom and liberty. Thomas Jefferson claimed in his magnum opus the Declaration of Independence that we all have a right to liberty. But freedom and liberty aren...

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Politics - a zero-sum game

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In politics, it seems that everything is an issue. Why? Because everything that politicians do is based on wealth redistribution - taking from one person and giving to another. As a result, politics...

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When it comes to "I told ya' so," it's too late

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In his famous statement "First they came," Pastor Martin Niemöller once blasted the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power as they purged group after group: THEY CAME...

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• politics,
• torture,
• totalitarianism,
• whistleblower,
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Japanese inspiration

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If we don't stand for something, then we stand for nothing. In her famous novel Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand asks through Dr. Robert Stadler: "Have you ever felt the longing for someone you could admire?...

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• philosophy,
• energy,
• heroism,
• psychology

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Drug monopolies courtesy of government

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Contrary to Wikipedia and its source - pseudo-economist Paul Samuelson, who was the "key to Keynes' influence" - there isn't any such thing as a natural monopoly. Any monopoly that comes about and ma...

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• politics,
• health care,
• medicine,
• business,
• pharmaceuticals,
• economics,
• pregnancy

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TIL why hair turns grey

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that hair turns grey with age because of naturally-secreted hydrogen peroxide. Guess blondes were onto something. Good to know someone is finally getting at the "root" of the problem....

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• health care,
• medicine,
• biology,
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Intellectual bankruptcy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Why aren't liberals abandoning Obama when he does the same things for which they screamed at Bush (e.g., indefinite detention at Guantanamo, approving torture)? Because they have nowhere else to go....

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
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Eliminate all corporations

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

One of the problems with democracy is that it leads to corporatism. "Corporatism is a system where businesses are nominally in private hands, but are in fact controlled by the government. In a corpor...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
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Honestly, why bother?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Given the growing unrest and corruption in the world, it's reasonable to generalize that social relations are strained and getting worse. It's difficult to pinpoint one specific problem but it's logi...

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Political correctness, sticks, and stones

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It's interesting to trace the history of controversial subjects. Take political correctness for example. Political correctness, "used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seekin...

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• politics,
• culture,
• philosophy,
• history

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Rules for intelligent discussion

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Our Second Life intellectual discussion group is about bringing people together who like to think. We have wonderful discussions in group chat but, in an effort to constantly improve our discussions...

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• philosophy,
• intellectualism

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Democracy - FAIL

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Article 21 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the following: (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely ch...

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TIL condoms were made of linen

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned condoms were originally made of linen and Casanova, the womanizer, called them "The English Overcoat." Who created the first colored condom? The Japanese, of course. (In other news, 8...

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• sex,
• history,
• health care

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Initiating force against tasty animals

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

To sustain life, the human body requires nourishment. Such is the "catch-22" - how to sustain life without destroying life? Most (but not all) consider cannibalism as the ultimate cultural taboo, so...

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• philosophy,
• animals,
• food

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Engineering the perfect human

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Recently, Harvard University had a panel discussing the legacy of the Human Genome Project. Started in 1990, and with scientists from six countries and initial funding of $3 billion, the project publ...

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• philosophy,
• science,
• technology,
• biology,
• transhumanism,
• health care,
• medicine,
• genetics

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Opening the lives of the lonely

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Orson Welles once wrote: "We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone." In addition to our daily...

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• relationships,
• psychology,
• friendship

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The failure of unions and socialism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Someone once made a comment that he was 100% supportive of a tyrannical, socialist government as long as he was the only citizen of his country (paraphrased). Throughout the world, and especially in...

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TIL all numbers do not equal all other numbers

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned through math that Aristotle was correct on the law of identify (i.e., A = A), and that everything that exists does have a specific nature. Specifically, all numbers do not equal all o...

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• philosophy,
• math

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War - can't we all just get along?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Besides death and taxes, there is arguably another clear constant in the world: war. Seemingly at all times, someone, somewhere, is always using violence to either get what they want or protect what...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• military

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Which is better - absolutism or relativism?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Putting aside for a moment the idea of quantum entanglement, as of now, we know that you cannot physically be both in Spain and America at the same time. This is an absolute. We know that you cannot...

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Optical Illusions - Proof That The Senses Are Valid

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The senses have no power of distortion; what they observe is what is. Optical illusions do not validate the claim that the senses can deceive us: optical illusions are the senses making valid observa...

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• science,
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For God's sake

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Possibly suggesting that religious beliefs were necessary for maintaining social order, Voltaire once wrote: "If God did not exist, he would have to be invented." Karl Marx agreed, calling it the "o...

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• religion,
• military,
• politics,
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Military manipulation

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Government - they are experts at manipulating people. They even have a scary-sounding name for it: "psy-ops." What happens when they turn against their own? The psychological thriller The Manchurian...

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• politics,
• military,
• psychology,
• conspiracy,
• police state,
• totalitarianism

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Private security forces

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Insurance companies have been getting a lot of negative press lately, especially when it comes to health care. It seems that, generally, people believe that insurance companies exist primarily for so...

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• business,
• politics,
• philosophy,
• economics,
• insurance

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Why Philosophy Precedes Physics

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A few months ago, I was discussing certain aspects of quantum mechanics with somebody. I got around to saying that certain claims within the realm of physics can be rejected outright on philosophical...

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• philosophy,
• science,
• physics,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism

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Drug prohibition doesn't work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We know marijuana is "the most widely used illicit substance in the world" (which may be why "arrests are at a near-record high"). We know drug decriminalization works. Yet we still allow the governm...

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• politics,
• drugs,
• crime,
• police state

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TIL which countries make up the UK

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned which countries make up the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the difference between the United Kingdom (four countries) and Great Britain (England, Sco...

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• education,
• geography,
• politics,
• history

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Philosophy - Everybody Needs It

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We deal with philosophy in one form or another, multiple times every day. For instance, every time we form an ethical viewpoint or act on such, we are forming a philosophical (ethical) idea or applyi...

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Education - a race to the bottom

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Sometimes you have to wonder if the sole reason that the law requires children go to school is because very few would go if not forced. If schools are intended to give children training as to the wor...

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• education,
• politics,
• whistleblower

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Taking down the internet

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Put on your tinfoil hats for this one. We recently saw that a country's government can easily and quickly shut down the internet. In a classic rope-a-dope, as Hillary Clinton babbles propaganda about...

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• politics,
• technology,
• internet,
• conspiracy,
• hacking

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Putting kids to work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The economy is in dire straits. Many adults can't find jobs. The government is lying about employment figures. So why would some politician try to repeal an existing law that would bring more people...

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• politics,
• economics,
• jobs,
• children,
• parenting,
• teenagers

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Ethics in the marketplace

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

When people argue against capitalism (aka the free market), almost never do they argue from an efficiency perspective. Instead, the arguments typically claim capitalism exploits the working class by...

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• economics,
• philosophy,
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TIL Hong Kong gets 1 Gbps internet for $26/month

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that Hong Kong gets 1 Gbps broadband service for $26 a month while the FCC tries to LEGISLATE an "ambitious" goal of 100Mbs. Perhaps it's time to get rid of the wankers at the FCC? (I...

• No comments
• technology,
• internet

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Standards of love

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Have you ever seen posts on social networks where someone will say to all of her friends indiscriminately "I love you all!" or something to that effect? Well, if the Beatles were right, that all you...

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• philosophy,
• love,
• objectivism,
• relationships

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Relationship ultimatums

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If you're a person who prefers the grayness of relativity to the "black or white" positions of an absolutist, ultimatums likely make you uncomfortable. But such is the nature of choices - selecting a...

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Synthesizing happiness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Through Hamlet, Shakespeare said "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." You'd never believe it if someone told you the secret to happiness in life is to accrue wealth, power...

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• philosophy,
• happiness,
• psychology,
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The myths of income equality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Capitalism gets a bad rap, often claimed to be the destroyer of everything good. One argument made is that capitalism creates class warfare - the rich against the poor. So-called "social crusaders,"...

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• economics,
• philosophy,
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Zeitgeist - robots will fix everything

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The folks at the Venus Project and the larger Zeitgeist movement think society has many problems, and they are concerned. Hard to disagree. When a doctor is trying to cure what ails you, he'll typica...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• economics,
• intellectualism,
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Crime makes a comeback

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From the "you can't make this shit up" files... Through one of her villains, Ayn Rand wrote in Atlas Shrugged: "Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed? ...We want them broken......

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• police state,
• totalitarianism,
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Giving away something you don't have

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Through John Galt in Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand said: "The source of man's rights is not divine law or congressional law, but the law of identity. A is A - and Man is Man. Rights are conditions of exis...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• economics

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The BP oil spill - it's sickening

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A fellow Braincraver wants to alert us, and we should take heed of his warning. He lives in Florida on the coast. Over this past month, his health has been deteriorating significantly. He's getting h...

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• environment,
• politics,
• health care

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Get tough and improve a child's self-esteem

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Philip Larkin once wrote in a poem: "They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do." We've discussed in this forum the benefits of self-responsibility on self-esteem. But what...

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• parenting,
• children,
• philosophy,
• psychology

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Desires are not rights

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

All economic goods must be produced by someone. They aren't gifts of nature or something that can be conjured up by waiving a magic wand. Somehow, people have gotten the false idea that it is governm...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• history,
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The goals of mankind: the state vs. anarchy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As Murray Rothbard put it in his marvelous article The Anatomy of the State, "Some theorists venerate the State as the apotheosis of society; others regard it as an amiable, though often inefficient,...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• anarchism

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Politics and philosophy - like water and oil

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Obama has a car czar, a food czar, a bank bailout czar, a poverty czar, bird flu czar, a czar czar... he has 37 czars in all. Interestingly enough, he doesn't have a philosophy czar. Perhaps you thin...

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TIL ignorance begets confidence

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ah, to be ignorant of your own ignorance... Today I learned that there is a psychological term for people who don't know stuff but are too incompetent to realize it and, therefore, suffer from an ill...

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• science

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Bearing responsibility for your own existence

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The higher your self-esteem, the more confidence you have in your ability to cope with life's never-ending challenges. Strong self-esteem is based on many factors, one of which is self-responsibility...

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• philosophy,
• psychology,
• self-improvement,
• objectivism,
• individualism

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Mind your own business

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

To claim that the US supports freedom (i.e., the absence of physical coercion) is nonsensical. Everything the US government does is anti-freedom. Take the situation in Egypt, for example. American ad...

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• politics,
• military,
• torture,
• totalitarianism,
• police state,
• religion

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Political regression and the meaning of words

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

John Adams once wrote "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• objectivism,
• ayn rand

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Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic economy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Economics is typically considered very dry and of little interest to most. But to paraphrase the adage typically referring to politics, just because you ignore economics doesn't mean that it will ign...

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• politics,
• economics

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Skins - I'm over it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I recently read "Conservatives Freak Out Over MTV's "Skins" -- Teenagers Have Sex. Get Over It." posted at the liberal blog AlterNet. If you have any question as to why kids, especially teenagers, ha...

• 1 comment
• philosophy,
• parenting,
• children,
• entertainment,
• education,
• teenagers

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Step-up and be a man

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Contrasted with being a "good guy," what does it mean to be a "real man?" Putting aside the obvious requirements of XY chromosomes "and a pair of testicles," what determines masculinity? Is there a w...

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• philosophy,
• science,
• psychology,
• sports

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TIL "often a bridesmaid but never a bride" was to sell mouthwash

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that the expression "often a bridesmaid but never a bride" was actually from an advertisement for mouthwash. The text of one of the original ads reads as follows: "Often a bridesma...

• No comments
• advertising,
• business

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The contradiction of limiting free speech

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Liberals in the US are in an uproar, claiming that the recent murder of six individuals and the attempted murder of the Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords were the by-product of rhetoric by Sar...

• No comments
• politics,
• police state

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Rules vs. principles

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Our current culture appears to revolve more around "dos and don'ts," which is to suggest that society appears more focused on rules of what you are and aren't allowed to do. With that premise, perha...

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• philosophy,
• objectivism,
• ayn rand

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Iraq - the 20-year war (and counting)

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Seven years after the second invasion of Iraq, Iraq's capital Baghdad, home to more than six million people, hardly gets one hour of non-interrupted electricity supplies every 24 hours. Soldiers with...

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• politics,
• police state,
• military

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Quadrotor robots

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

You've just got to love science... one of the great things about science fiction is how quickly it becomes non-fiction. Putting aside the potential for Skynet or I, Robot, imagine for a moment artifi...

• No comments
• technology,
• science,
• robots

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Feeding the homeless banned

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Meanwhile, as people in Haiti continue to starve in a country "occupied" by 10,000 aid organizations under the government umbrella of the United Nations (an organization designed for war)... They're...

• No comments
• politics,
• philosophy,
• charity,
• poverty

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Disobeying an unjust law

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A few days ago, the US celebrated a holiday dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. A prominent leader of the civil rights movement, he was a huge proponent of civil disobedience. As the "did they kill...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• police state,
• religion

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TIL there are 100+ octillion moves in chess

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that there are 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,000 (approximately 1.70 x 10^29) ways to play the first ten moves in chess. (I also learned that there are "400 different possible ...

• No comments
• games,
• chess,
• math,
• intellectualism

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Romance and Love in Second Life

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Recently, I found myself talking to several friends about why they were in Second Life (SL) and whether or not they also get romantically involved with others in-world. The single largest factor I fo...

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• second life,
• love,
• romance,
• dating

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Perfectionism - doing better than your best

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the movie The Rock, Sean Connery says to Nicholas Cage "Your best? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen." There are those who think that perfection can be...

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• psychology,
• philosophy,
• happiness,
• self-improvement

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Critical thinking

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand wrote that the process of thinking "is the process of defining identity and discovering causal connections." She claimed that thinking is a choice - not an automatic function - and she admon...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• intellectualism,
• individualism,
• self-improvement

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Is Jesus Christ a myth?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The central figure in all of Christianity is one man: Jesus of Nazareth. Putting aside whether or not you believe that God exists, a key component to Christianity is that Jesus did exist. But what if...

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• religion,
• history,
• science

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Hedonistic self-gratification

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Morality is about determining which choices and actions are good or bad, which always leads to the question - what is the good? There are some who consider the good as those choices and actions which...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
• happiness,
• sex

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Stop being a bystander

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. displays the ominous words: "Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander." Although there are except...

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• psychology,
• science,
• philosophy

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Political prejudices

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Liberals call conservatives names, claiming they are the bane of existence and the cause of all the problems in the world. Conservatives do the same to liberals. The hate spreads. The violence spread...

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• politics,
• education,
• children,
• discrimination,
• psychology

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TIL there are surgeons who restore virginity

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that there are surgeons who specialize in restoring virginity. FTA: The clinic is not in Dubai or Cairo, but in Paris. And the surgery they are waiting for is to restore their...

• No comments
• health care,
• medicine,
• religion,
• politics,
• sex

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Do we need morality?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand claimed that morality is a "code of values to guide man's choices and actions - the choices and actions that determine the purpose and the course of his life. Ethics, as a science, deals wit...

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Mixed economy fundamentals

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's a funny sign that reads: "Confused Socialist Party. Smash capitalism! Then blog about it on your $2500 Macbook." All of the major economies in the world are known as mixed economies. You migh...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
• economics

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The meaning of life

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Probably the most important question for most philosophers is what's the meaning of life. Although individuals have their own values that provide meaning to each, we don't yet have a verifiable princ...

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• philosophy

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The simpler, the better?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Albert Einstein once said: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Although not supported by math or science, and certainly not an axiom of physics, Occam's Razor (or Ockh...

• No comments
• science,
• philosophy

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Be afraid - be very, very afraid

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Meanwhile, as Bradley Manning (aka "unappreciated hero #1") languishes in jail and is tortured by Obama's administration... There's an adage that goes "give to a good man all the powers he requests t...

• No comments
• politics,
• torture,
• police state,
• totalitarianism

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Philosophical Health Check

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Through Francisco d'Anconia, Ayn Rand claimed in her marvelous novel Atlas Shrugged that "Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You...

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• philosophy

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TIL tea parties were actually established after the Boston Tea Party

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that tea parties were established in the 1830s. But if the Boston Tea Party was in 1773, why did they call it the Boston Tea Party? Answer - they didn't: the actually called it "The d...

• No comments
• politics,
• history

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Paying politicians to NOT work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Thomas Jefferson wrote "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." It seems that politicians are always working ag...

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Divorce - follow the money

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Among the New Year's resolutions made, it's likely that some have resolved to file for divorce this year. As always, the government is only too happy to help. Why? Any question about government start...

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• politics,
• marriage,
• economics,
• discrimination

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Auld Lang Syne - for old time's sake

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

No formal topics scheduled for the remainder of the year. So, with warm wishes from Braincrave.com to all of you, here's a final thought for the year: FTA: Auld Lang Syne" ...is a Scots poem...

• No comments
• holidays,
• New Year's

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I am sorry - now what?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Referring to the sexual abuse of children by priests, the Pope said "forgiveness cannot be a substitute for justice." Some people admit it when they are wrong and say so. But is that enough? Is forgi...

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TIL that the government destroys food to increase prices

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that the US government ordered a farmer to destroy his own crops in order to increase market prices. The case, Wickard v. Filburn, went to the US Supreme Court, and the court sided wi...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• food

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Slow down and smell the flowers

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

On a cold January morning in 2007, a man played six Bach pieces on his violin for 43 minutes as about 1,000 people passed by. He started with one of the most difficult violin pieces in the world to m...

• No comments
• music,
• entertainment

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The repeal of peace and goodwill

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

During the holiday season, we typically hear cries for "peace on earth and goodwill toward all." It remains to be seen how this is possible when the US (purportedly) spends $660 billion on military...

• No comments
• politics,
• military,
• homosexuality

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Truth as a Christmas present

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's a funny t-shirt for babies that says "Santa doesn't exist but I can't read, so it's okay." Do you lie to children about Santa Claus (or leave it ambiguous)? What are the benefits and limitati...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• holidays,
• Christmas,
• children,
• parenting,
• objectivism

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The farcical war on porn

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

To paraphrase Pastor Martin Niemöller, "They came first for Wikileaks. But I didn't speak up because I hated politics. Then they came for pornography. But I didn't speak up because I didn't look at...

• No comments
• politics,
• sex,
• police state,
• totalitarianism

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TIL the cause of yawning is still unknown

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that my belief that the purpose of yawning is to bring oxygen into the brain has never been proven. Scientists still don't know why we yawn. FTA: Everyone yawns, but no one kn...

• No comments
• psychology,
• science

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Mind boggling

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Talk about "mind=blown." Imagine a world where you can manipulate objects solely with your mind. It's here, it's now, and it's incredible. Consider every industry. Consider every skill. Consider ever...

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• science,
• technology,
• medicine,
• health care

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Utilitarianism and justice

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

How do we know the right thing to do in our lives? In other words, what moral principles are at the foundation of our actions? Utilitarianism is the philosophy that the moral worth of an action is de...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• happiness

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Good will among men

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In her interview with Playboy, Ayn Rand stated "My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in h...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• charity,
• holidays,
• Christmas,
• music,
• entertainment

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Ménage à trois - is three a crowd?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote "I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest thing we kno...

• No comments
• sex,
• psychology

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American concentration camps - greasing the skids for martial law

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

No, they aren't Nazi concentration camps. But they are similar (and very similar to when the US government rounded up 120,000 Americans citizens of Japanese descent during WWII, an action with which...

• No comments
• politics,
• conspiracy,
• terrorism,
• totalitarianism,
• police state,
• surveillance

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Hero worship - no cape required

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Through John Galt, novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand discussed the "hero in your soul" in her famous book Atlas Shrugged: "Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless s...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• psychology

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TIL to change the ceiling fan direction depending on season

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that, in the winter, your ceiling fan should be spinning one way to help you feel warmer while, in the summer, your fan should be spinning in the opposite direction to help you feel c...

• No comments

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The deception of higher education

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The typical four-year college degree has large costs, but it's questionable whether the benefits are usually there. In fact, students who secure college degrees are increasingly unlikely to make up t...

• No comments
• education,
• jobs,
• politics

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Civil disobedience against the censors

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In his famous treatise On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau argued that individuals can promote justice by disobeying the law. History is replete with examples of civil disobedience...

• No comments
• politics,
• whistleblower,
• philosophy,
• hacking,
• technology

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Religious beliefs lead to government punishment

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Let's say you're a woman and you're looking for a roommate to share the rent. Should it be illegal to ask for female candidates only? Of course not. That would be absurd. But did you know that the sa...

• No comments
• politics,
• religion,
• discrimination

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Conspiracy theory cynicism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

We are social beings. As a result, depending on how much you value the opinions of others, what someone says about you can matter. Often, you've likely heard people negatively labeled as fringe cons...

• No comments
• politics,
• conspiracy,
• whistleblowe,
• totalitarianism

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The next big alternative fuel - salt water?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In 2007, John Kanzius accidentally found a way to release and burn hydrogen from salt water with 13.56 MHz radio waves. Many people initially thought it was a hoax. Penn State professor Rustum Roy ve...

• No comments
• science,
• environment,
• energy

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TIL: the etymology of the word fuck

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I Learned the etymology of the word "fuck." And I can't stop laughing. the word fuck (2.5-minute video) What did you learn today? DISCUSS! Original posting by Braincrave Secon...

• No comments
• etymology

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The social contract defined and demolished in less than 5 minutes

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

By definition, a contract has to be an agreement. It's intellectually dishonest to call something a contract without an agreement. To paraphrase Lysander Spooner, a contract made hundreds of years ag...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• economics

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Leave many children behind

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It's easy to predict the future. Take anything that the government says, reverse it, and you'll come pretty close to having a crystal ball. Why? Nietzsche knew: "The governments of the great States h...

• No comments
• politics,
• education

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Empathy - can you feel me?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As a soft science, sociology is the study of the social behavior of humans in the pursuit of social welfare. Dr. Sam Richards suggests that the sociological analysis of the various aspects in your ow...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• sociology,
• science

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Making money from what you love

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What do you love? What are your passions? Have any hobbies? Want to make some money from them? With the economy suffering, many continue to look for other income sources. Granted, many of the article...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• jobs,
• writing

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Holidays without Christmas

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In his pamphlet The Law, French economist Frederick Bastiat stated "Since the law organizes justice, the socialists ask why the law should not also organize labor, education, and religion." Bastiat c...

• No comments
• politics,
• holidays,
• Christmas

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Wikileaks makes good on Obama's promise of transparency

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

While hero Bradley Manning rots in solitary confinement, most are now aware that Wikileaks has courageously released 250,000 secret diplomacy documents which provide candid and critical views of US...

• No comments
• politics,
• whistleblower

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TIL: AT&T microcells rule, especially when they're free

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that AT&T will send you a free microcell/femtocell (and maybe even a free phone) for use in your home if you can't get a good signal for your mobile phone. Submitted by one of our...

• No comments
• freebies,
• technology

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We're all torturers now

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Milton Friedman, the originator of the withholding tax, once said "we're all Keynesians now" (referring to the disastrous economic policies promoted by John Maynard Keynes). More recently, Newsweek (...

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TIL: How to increase wireless router signal

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned how to increase the wireless signal of my router. Say goodbye to your wireless signal dropping! FTA: 8. Make a Reflector with Tinfoil. Note that a tinfoil router may boost you...

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• technology,
• DIY,
• hacking

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The true story of Thanksgiving

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As Thanksgiving rolls around to the US, children will be taught the false story of the first Thanksgiving (just one of many myths children are taught). The real story is a case study that teaches a v...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• holidays,
• Thanksgiving,
• history

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A culture of dependence

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Have we become a culture of dependence? As far as we can see, the "producers" continue to support the "non-producers" instead of, say, "going on strike." Why do people generally think that they have...

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Teenager sex

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What's the fundamental problem that's leading to so many teenagers having sex, including anal sex and even prostitution? Is this the result of poor sex education? Why isn't the $200 million the US go...

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• sex,
• parenting,
• children,
• teenagers,
• education

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TIL: The sky is black and the sun is white

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that the sky isn't blue and the sun isn't yellow. The sky is actually black and the sun is white. It's only because we have an atmosphere (which is made of gas molecules and dust) tha...

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• science,
• environment

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Ayn Rand vs. Mike Wallace - liberty vs. collectivism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand warned us. She did it in her books such as Atlas Shrugged (and, to a certain extent, >The Fountainhead). She did it on TV such as in this famous interview between her and Mike Wallace on...

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• ayn rand,
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The irony of political agreement

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It appears the "natives are getting restless." Liberals were "up in arms" (pun intended) because the organization Oath Keepers is preparing for violent revolt. They blasted Tea Partiers for purported...

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Most people don't vote

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

For those of you who refuse to vote for the lesser of two evils, take comfort in knowing that you're in the majority. Politicians are always claiming their wins indicate that "the people have spoken....

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How to secure your art

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many artists are concerned about copying, especially in the online world. It's a significant problem in Second Life where copybots can copy an artist's/owner's content without their permission. This...

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• art,
• politics,
• piracy,
• fashion,
• entertainment

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Cloning - playing God

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In 1996, Dolly the sheep made headlines around the world as the first mammal to be successfully cloned. As a result of the experiment, President Clinton ordered research into the legal and ethical is...

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The morality of animal testing

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the movie Extreme Measures, a brilliant doctor attempts experimental surgeries on live patients (who eventually die), trying to find a way to help spinal cord victims walk again. I think most agre...

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• animals,
• philosophy,
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TIL: Birds and bees aren't only pollinators

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I learned that my parents mislead me when they taught me about the "birds and the bees" - there are over 200,000 species of animals that act as pollinators, and even the wind acts as a pollinat...

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• science,
• plants,
• sex,
• insects,
• animals

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Is there justice in the world?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Louis Pasteur once wrote that chance favors the prepared mind. But is that the way it always works? Isn't it also true that, sometimes, good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad...

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Civil disobedience against the TSA

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In case you haven't heard, the US Totally Stupid Administration (aka TSA) has deployed Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) body scanners at many airports that produce radiation to scan your body for po...

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Morality, politics, and reason

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Putting aside the debates as to whether or not social psychology is less rigorous because it is a soft science, or whether or not it is really science at all, how closely do our political choices mir...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• libertarian,
• intellectualism,
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Ron Paul in charge of Federal Reserve?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

More than any other politician by a Grand Canyon-wide margin, Ron Paul is a man of impeccable character when it comes to supporting the ideas of freedom and "is a force for good." (He easily won his...

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JFK, the press, and WikiLeaks

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As we consider the ramifications of WikiLeak's courageous action to provide us truth about the Iraq war, it is useful to also consider how poorly the mainstream media has served us and the pursuit of...

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• conspiracy,
• media,
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TIL: Principles not based on majority vote

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I Learned that moral principles are not determined by majority vote. FTA: "A majority vote is not an epistemological validation of an idea. Voting is merely a proper political device within...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
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Love is good for you

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Everyone's familiar with the expression "love at first sight." But is that really the way love works? According to a recent scientific study, the answer is yes. But what about romance? What about val...

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• sex,
• science,
• relationships,
• love,
• intellectualism,
• romance

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Do you want to live forever?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The mystical Fountain of Youth so long sought after... What if it were real, and the key to life could be discovered in an 18-year old girl that, for all intents and purposes, is a baby? What if, in...

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• medicine,
• transhumanism,
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The ultimate intelligence test

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many have developed tests that attempt to gauge a person's intelligence. There are many high IQ societies that use these tests as membership criteria. However, as of yet, the "secret" of intelligence...

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• intellectualism,
• education

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Net neutrality regulation and liberty

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Governments love to pander equality and anti-discrimination laws (well, granted - they were for discrimination before they were against it). Their latest villain? The Internet Service Providers (ISP)...

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• politics,
• internet,
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Suppressed war crimes

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The cover-up of the Iraq war is significant. Whereas many of us suspected it, WikiLeaks has provided the facts to support the truth. And the truth is - the US government has been lying to everyone (a...

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• whistleblower,
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Pursuing the common good

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Although it's impossible to define it with objective standards, the concept of the "common good" is directly linked with "society" and the "majority." Which is better for humanity and should take pre...

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• ayn rand,
• economics,
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TIL: The media can legally lie

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Today I Learned that the media can legally lie. FTA: In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or...

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• media,
• entertainment,
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Child exploitation

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If we are to believe UNICEF, there are about 158 million children aged 5-14 engaged in child labor, "working in hazardous situations or conditions." Most people give this a scary name like "child ex...

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• economics,
• philosophy,
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Art and 0 < 1

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Some claim that the reason music piracy is so prevalent is because the cost of music is so high (especially when the actual CD production costs are so low - a cursory look suggests it's less than $0....

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• piracy,
• politics,
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England prevails

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Wait - you're upset because the government promised you something and then did the exact opposite? This is government's modus operandi - why all the fuss? Look, just vote for the other party next tim...

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• privacy,
• surveillance,
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To the men and women of the mind - go on strike

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Making generalizations always comes with challenges. After all, just because a claim is oftentimes true doesn't make it fact in all cases. Although intellectual dishonesty abounds, I generally catego...

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Teach a man to fish

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In group chat, we recently went on a tangent to discuss the effectiveness of charity. (To quote one of our Braincravers, "teach a man to fish and he'll stay drunk on a boat.") Benjamin Franklin obser...

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• politics,
• economics,
• charity

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Today I learned Tuesday

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Welcome to TIL (Today I Learned) Tuesdays, where we will discuss specific facts about something. Looking to learn about something new every day? Reddit.com has a wonderful and very active TIL communi...

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• health care,
• medicine,
• children,
• parenting,
• oral hygine

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Corporate destruction

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The history of humanity is based on progress. Progress has been the result of individuals coming together to solve problems and to enhance our lives. But history also provides numerous examples of gr...

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• economics,
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Why is there something rather than nothing?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

People study science and natural science (i.e., philosophy) to understand the nature of reality. Presumably, the more accurately we understand reality, the happier we will be. (Similarly, when we ope...

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• philosophy,
• science,
• religion

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Could WikiLeaks have prevented 9/11?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There is enough evidence now to implicate the US government of a massive cover-up of 9/11. At this point, it's ignorant to claim otherwise. Yet, the only ones who suffer from the terrible events of 9...

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• politics,
• terrorism,
• whistleblower,
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• totalitarianism,
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Freedom - the opposite of government

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Granted, not everyone values freedom and wants to be free. But why do so many people think that prosperity is greater the larger/more powerful government is? Given how terrible the economy is, and gi...

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• economics

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Soak the rich

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many think that, if governments just tax the rich more, the country's fiscal problems will be solved. Even Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world, thinks taxing the rich should be pub...

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• politics,
• economics,
• taxes

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Positive vs. accurate thinking

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It is said that bad habits die hard. How many times have you read in someone's dating profile: "I'm a positive person?" How often have you told someone to "think positive?" Psychology suggests this m...

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• philosophy,
• self-improvement

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Put on your thinking caps

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a process of stimulating the brain with magnetic fields that changes/disrupts the way the neurons work. Is it possible to use TMS to unlock "hidden" cogniti...

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• psychology,
• health care,
• medicine,
• philosophy,
• technology

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The mind machine project

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In his prophetic novel 1984, George Orwell described a facecrime: "It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smalles...

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• technology,
• police state,
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• surveillance,
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Vive La Revolution!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

France is well-known for its protests, one of its most famous being the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille. There was violence. There was bloodshed. The king was executed. The French...

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Global warming - no pressure

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

During the Spanish Inquisition, the Catholic Church authorized massive torture and violence against so-called "heretics" (non-conformists/non-believers). Although this history has been mocked by the...

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• environment

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Aligning social policy and incentives

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Regardless or whether you agree or disagree with specific social programs, we can generally agree that government wastes much money as it tries to engineer social outcomes (50% by some estimates). Th...

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What were you thinking?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Whether you're a moral relativist or absolutist, and based on whatever standards you choose, there are actions that you think are immoral. What is morally contemptible to you now might have been comm...

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Strong mind, strong soul, strong body

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

John Lennon composed and sang "Imagine... no need for greed or hunger." Billions of people starve. Death and suffering from starvation are clearly global problems for which there aren't any clear sol...

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• health care,
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• food,
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Easy on the women

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

And they say that justice is blind... HA! The courts don't even try to hide their unequal treatment of genders in court anymore. They are now cocky enough that they can actually publicly state their...

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• politics,
• discrimination,
• crime

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Drug decriminalization works

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The government knows better than you when it comes to most things, right? For example, they know what's best for your health, correct (putting aside for a moment their militaries and police that dest...

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• politics,
• drugs,
• addiction,
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Teaching robots to lie

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Technology is so grand. With the research from this experiment, we might finally be able to replace the lowest form of humans - politicians - with robots. After all, if you can teach robots to lie, t...

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• technology,
• philosophy,
• politics,
• military,
• robotics

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Welcome back to failing school

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Albert Shanker, the president of the United Federation of Teachers for 20 years, and then the president of the American Federation of Teachers for another 23 years once said: "When school children st...

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• education,
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Licensed to kill

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about getting a blow job. But here we have President Obama, a constitutional lawyer and professor, who is technically now a dictator without anyone calling for im...

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• terrorism,
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They're coming for you next

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Pastor Martin Niemöller criticized German intellectuals because they did nothing as the Nazis rose to power and eliminated anti-government groups. Please, learn from history. Please, don't ignore th...

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Save someone's life

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Generally, people refrain from taking action, assuming that someone else will do it. For example, take medical emergencies. Have you ever seen someone collapse because of a heart attack, expecting so...

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• health care,
• medicine,
• self-improvement

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What's worth dying for?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace says, "Every man dies, not every man really lives." For thousands of years, people have thought about the values to live for. Aristotle suggest we should live...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• politics,
• torture,
• totalitarianism

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Bad sex results from bad head

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Bad sex is all on your head. Either that or sugar is now an aphrodisiac. One-third of women having sexual problems experienced a placebo effect from sugar pills. Why is it that some people feel that...

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• sex,
• medicine,
• health care,
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Social contract hypocrisy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand wrote "Modern collectivists... see society as a super-organism, as some supernatural entity apart from and superior to the sum of its individual members." Those who support freedom are often...

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The dangers of transhumanism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What does it mean to be human? Transhumanists want to use technology to enhance the human body. What are the ethical considerations for enhancing human biology with technology? Are we less human with...

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• philosophy,
• technology,
• transhumanism,
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Letting life take its course

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Although cutting edge research gives me reason for hope, pancreatic cancer is the fourth most deadly cancer known and THE most horrible and personal disease to me. Two years ago, I lost my mother to...

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• cancer,
• medicine,
• poetry,
• health care

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None of the above

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In On The Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau wrote "How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with...

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Arrested for shooting grass

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Here's the scenario: there's a gang of thugs outside your house threatening you and your family. Your wife is calling the police while you grab your gun. You fire 4 shots into the grass to scare them...

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• politics,
• guns,
• police state,
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To criticize or not to criticize

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In order to avoid offending, is it proper to limit your criticism of someone's beliefs? Which is more respectful: critically examining someone's belief system or ignoring the topic to keep the relati...

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• philosophy,
• religion

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What friends are for

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Historically, friendship was based on shared values. Ayn Rand considered friendship as "the emotional response of one man to the virtues of another, the spiritual payment given in exchange for the pe...

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• philosophy,
• friendship,
• social media,
• culture

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Politicians are nails - who has a hammer?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

After providing $900 billion in "stimulus" with zero (and some would argue negative) impact on the economy, increasing the national debt by over $2 trillion (in slightly over 1 year, and it continues...

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• politics,
• education,
• music

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Teaching kids about big brother

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

More and more, schools are adopting zero-tolerance policies. High schools are now filled with armed police, metal detectors, and drug-sniffing dogs. Is that the environment in which children can pro...

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• education,
• politics,
• children,
• parenting,
• police state,
• totalitarianism

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Politicians lie (yawn)

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As the adage goes: How do you know a politician is lying? His lips are moving. On Obama's White House website, he states: "My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of opennes...

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• politics,
• torture,
• military,
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The definition of integrity

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Can a person strive to be something that he doesn't understand? Take integrity: are you a person of integrity? If so, how do you know? Is integrity always associated with virtue, or is integrity amor...

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• philosophy

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The pursuit of happiness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ayn Rand said in Atlas Shrugged: "Happiness is the successful state of life, pain is an agent of death. Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values....

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• philosophy,
• happiness

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What men are made of - 'ifs'

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Robert LeFevre is said "If men are good, you don't need government; if men are evil or ambivalent, you don't dare have one." What is it that makes a good man? What are the aspirations of a good man?...

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• poetry,
• philosophy

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Buying and selling sex

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Sex sells. Every advertiser knows this. As human beings, it's a natural desire. There is nothing inherently wrong with sex as it leads to the continuation of humanity. Sex can allow someone without o...

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• politics,
• sex,
• police state,
• prostitution

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Government charity and welfare

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

H.L. Mencken once wrote "Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." This is an amazing story about Davy Crockett and how he learned what it means to uphold your principles. Why ar...

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• philosophy,
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• charity

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The war against boys

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Christina Hoff Sommers wrote in her book The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men that "it's a bad time to be a boy." Certainly, government curriculums in schools is misg...

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• politics,
• children,
• parenting,
• discrimination

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Starving cancer with food

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Cancer. I hate this disease. My sister was diagnosed with it at about age 5. She, along with my mother, father, and I, spent the next 16 years in and out of hospitals getting treatments that, arguabl...

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• health care,
• medicine,
• cancer,
• science,
• food

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Big Brother is watching you

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The statist argument is always the same: "If you have nothing to hide, why do you care?" The government can attach a GPS device to your car and monitor your movements, and it's perfectly legal. And n...

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• politics,
• police state,
• surveillance,
• privacy

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America's lights are going out

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Atlas Shrugged was not intended to be an instruction manual. Ayn Rand talked through Francisco d'Anconia about what it took to kill the motor of the world: "He stepped to the window and pointed to th...

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• politics,
• economics

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Thorium - energy's silver bullet

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Nuclear energy was discovered in the context of war (specifically World War II). In the 1950s, the US Air Force tried to come up with an idea of putting a nuclear reactor on an airplane to keep it ru...

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• science,
• politics,
• environment,
• energy,
• technology

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The legal system is criminal

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The Nazis and Joseph Stalin were famous for their show trials, where "guilt" was determined by the authorities before the trial. From the court jester files, we continue to find that the the American...

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• politics,
• crime,
• police state,
• police brutality,
• science

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Religion and moral truths

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Can a moral relativist and moral absolutist have an objective debate on morality if you don't share the same core values? In physics, a scientist will say that time is relative, but he will not say t...

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• philosophy,
• religion

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Dealing with emotional pain

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Sadists are those who enjoy giving pain. Masochists are those who enjoy receiving pain. However, most of us attempt to avoid pain, especially emotional pain. In fact, research suggests that emotional...

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• psychology,
• health care,
• medicine,
• self-injury

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"Dead" against copyrights

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Jerry Garcia is famous for saying "And as far as I'm concerned, it's like I say, drugs are not the problem. Other stuff is the problem." As the lawyers at the RIAA claim that copyright law "isn't wor...

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• politics,
• music,
• piracy,
• business,
• entertainment

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Atlas Shrugged changes lives

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Noam Chomsky said Ayn Rand was "... one of the most evil figures of modern intellectual history." Yet I find Atlas Shrugged an amazing book (and so do many others, like the man who recently drove aro...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
• politics,
• business,
• books

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Teaching sex and terrorism to children

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In 1991, John Taylor Gatto, New York City Teacher of the Year (1989, 1990, and 1991), New York State Teacher of the Year (1991), and author of The Underground History of American Education, wrote the...

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• politics,
• education,
• parenting,
• children,
• terrorism,
• sex

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Anarchy in the streets

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What do you mean people are actually capable of driving on the streets safely without signs?!? But that's unheard of! How absurd! It must be chaos! Complete craziness! How is it possible that people...

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• politics,
• anarchism,
• cars

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Doctors don't make enough income

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti stated "It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Speaking of health, the "perfect storm" appears to be coming in a very sick...

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• medicine,
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Out of sight - out of mind

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The government lied about the BP oil spill? (Tries to act surprised.) Is this kind of like when Bush claimed "mission accomplished" in Iraq (or Obama's recent second fake end to the Iraq war)? You've...

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• environment,
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Duty to violently overthrow government

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

They've been trained by US governments. They are expert killers. They believe that the principles espoused in the US Constitution are actually worth defending. They've been patient, but have had enou...

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The central tenet of morality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Let's assume for a moment that morality is a system of values that a group of individuals (i.e., society) must generally follow in order to live. Let's also assume that the closer individuals get to...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• libertarian,
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The right to deprive liberty

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is it ironic that this is published in a UK newspaper? Not so long ago, police used to be called "peace officers." Keeping the peace and initiating violence are contradictions. Wasn't police abuse in...

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• police state,
• police brutality,
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The Beauty of Kindness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

My last article dealt with the various aspects of romantic love. However, value comes in many forms and so does the emotional payment, love. Acts of kindness are pleasant in many aspects and many of...

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• philosophy,
• love,
• kindness,
• friendship

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Make heroin and cocaine legal

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Randolph Bourne warned us that "war is the health of the state." So how does the state keep healthy? By declaring wars on everything. The war in Afghanistan is a disaster. The war in Iraq is a disast...

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• politics,
• drugs,
• addiction

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Natural philosophy rocks

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Science rocks. It's a shame that it sometimes doesn't get the gratitude it deserves. Humans, by our nature, are curious about how the world works. Science helps us understand what reality is, and tha...

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• science,
• physics

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To cut, or not to cut

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Why is circumcision such a common practice in North America? Does it really make a penis healthier and look "prettier?" You have this beautiful baby boy and after coddling him and caring for him, you...

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Extrasensory perception of universal energy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception (ESP). I've read about many examples of purported psychics who tur...

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• psychology,
• crime,
• ESP,
• psychic

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The nature of happiness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

My daughter just came back from camp and, as we were discussing all of her wonderful experiences, she mentioned that she bought a "happy book" at the camp store. You list all the things that make you...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism

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How to be a good person

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What does it mean to be a "good" person? Is there an objective way to define good? Is there a specific procedure/method to evaluate something as good? Does defining the good in life even matter? Assu...

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Coerced confessions - disgraceful

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Obama's die-hard base is continuing to turn on him and abandon him... for the right reasons. (And Obama's administration is lashing out angrily at liberals, claiming that they should be "drug tested"...

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• torture,
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Somalia - a case study in anarchy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

People always claim that anarchy will never work. My response is typically "why is anarchy more radical than going into a $14 trillion debt, or starting wars that murder millions of people, or promot...

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• politics,
• anarchism,
• economics,
• poverty

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Sabotage of ideas

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Some people have problems understanding new ideas with which they are unfamiliar and so unintentionally misrepresent or summarize those ideas. Perhaps these are innocent errors. However, there are ot...

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• politics,
• libertarians

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Conformity and your lying eyes

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Mark Twain once said "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." What does it mean to think for ourselves? How often do we base our choices and actions...

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• philosophy,
• psychology

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Education school destroying teachers

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A study at the University of North Carolina concludes that non-education majors who get just six weeks of education training are generally better teachers than those who get a full two years of educa...

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• education,
• intellectualism

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Anti-philosophy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Philosophy is effectively the study of the fundamental, universal principles of existence. Are we ignoring both reality and philosophy when we claim that universal principals don't exist (e.g., that...

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• philosophy,
• ayn rand,
• objectivism,
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The broken window fallacy

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

On September 14, 2001, Princeton professor Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel prize in economics, wrote the following in the New York Times: "Ghastly as it may seem to say this, the terror attack -- lik...

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• economics,
• philosophy

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Ethical double-standards

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What's the difference between being a slave and a serf? When slavery was common hundreds of years ago, your master kept 100% of what you earned. Now they take about 50%. Masters used to keep you in l...

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• politics,
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Living your dreams

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As I get closer to formally launching the real-life dating website braincrave.com, I've spent a lot of time reading about how to advertise. Not having any real experience, I first turned to the maste...

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• philosophy,
• self-improvement

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Astronomical economic numbers

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The Noble physicist Richard Feynman once said "There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to cal...

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• politics,
• philosophy

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War - a bankrupt ideology

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The purported anti-war left used to scream about the wars when Bush ruled. When Obama became ruler, they went silent (for the most part). After all, it's only unjustified violence and murder when the...

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• politics,
• military,
• whistleblower

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No way to rule innocent men

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In Atlas Shrugged, Dr. Floyd Ferris states: "Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed? ...We want them broken... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent...

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US parallels to Nazi Germany

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

They say that history repeats itself. Maybe that's the reason I'm never able to watch Schindler's List without bawling my eyes out. You don't have to be prescient to see the similarities already and...

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• politics,
• Holocaust

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Thinking about thinking

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Thomas Jefferson warned that "Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong." A high I.Q. does not necessarily transla...

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• philosophy,
• intellectualism

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The case against marriage

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Are men and women happier in marriage? Are children better off when parents are married? Do young people want their parent's marriage? Do the benefits of marriage outweigh the risks (i.e., the destru...

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• marriage,
• feminism,
• politics

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Politicians hate middle-class

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I won't repeat the statistics, as there are too many. Bring a strong stomach when you read these. Politicians are not your friends. Unless you are in the top 1%, government is hurting you and your ch...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• retirement

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Science fiction and politics

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Science fiction author Robert Heinlein was known as the "the dean of science fiction writers." According to Wikipedia, "he was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of the g...

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• science-fiction,
• books,
• politics,
• taxes

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BP hiring prison labor

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is it proper for companies like BP to use prison labor - jobs without pay - to cleanup the oil spill? Are there any moral issues? FTA: "In the first few days after BP's Deepwater Horizon wellhead...

• No comments
• environment,
• politics,
• business

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Get-out-of-jail-free cards for murderers

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It appears that the US concept of "justice" is spilling over to Canada. Place knowingly innocent men and victims in jail for life and let murderers go free. Put aside for a moment how this story just...

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• politics,
• crime

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Sex makes you smarter

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If you could trick your brain into perceiving an activity as pleasurable, thus activating dopamine receptors, could you enhance learning capacity? Do virtual simulations of people engaging in sex hav...

• No comments
• sex,
• intellectualism,
• second life

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Racism - just stop talking about it

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout says to Jem: ’Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.’ With that in mind, has Morgan Freeman discovered the way to get rid of all racism...

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• politics,
• discrimination

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Teenager responsibility

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

There's so much talk about how irresponsible teenagers are. However, there are some teenagers who might even give some adults a "run for their money" when it comes to responsibility. Is Abby Sutherla...

• No comments
• sailing,
• parenting

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Ex-husbands as cash machines

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many women complain that they are discriminated against, yet they consider this fair. Let this sink in for a moment: "men accounted for 97 percent of the payers in alimony cases in 2008." How many wo...

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• father's rights,
• marriage,
• politics,
• discrimination

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Irony - Unions outsource protesting

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Welcome to the bizarre world of union ideology. Unions are hiring unemployed people at the minimum wage to walk picket lines. (Snicker.) Why aren't they being paid union rates? I personally think the...

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• politics,
• unions,
• economics,
• jobs

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Ethical journalism drives reform

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalism is about providing "information in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner." Sadly, in the mainstream media, jour...

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• politics,
• journalism,
• whistleblower

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Self-organized learning environments

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Are we giving children too much structure when attempting to educate them? Would children improve their ability to think if we gave them a few tools and let them self-organize with minimal adult supe...

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• education,
• children,
• technology

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The man of ideas

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

H.L. Mencken is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose stylists of the first half of the 20th century. Among other interesting facts, he was against World War II and democ...

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• intellectualism

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Ideology trumps truth

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Faced with a system that makes their practice unprofitable, doctors are getting out of the business of taking Medicare patients. After stupid laws that ignore economics have finished destroying the h...

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• health care,
• medicine,
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Basic economics at work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Economics are very simple to understand. Granted, there are faux economists like Nobel-prize winner Paul Krugman who try to confuse people with false theories that last only until other people's mone...

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• economics,
• politics,
• geography

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What is freedom

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

People always complain that freedom, self-rule, and/or anarchy are unworkable and too extreme. Why are any of those more radical or extreme than going into $14 trillion of debt, being in a permanent...

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• philosophy

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Thieves free - victim jailed

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

A week ago, we discussed a court ignoring the proven innocence of a convicted man because he missed a filing deadline. Here we have a case where a victim attempts to protect himself and his property....

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• politics,
• guns

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Hitler's legacy - US politicians

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Hitler once said "Our strategy is to destroy the enemy from within, to conquer him through himself." US politicians, laws, and regulations are destroying people who live in America like a cancer. Her...

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• politics,
• economics

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Stop feeding the homeless

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ron Paul has a sign in his office that says "Don't steal. The government hates competition." Did you know that applies to feeding the homeless as well? "Why" indeed. What do you think? FTA: "The N...

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• politics,
• charity

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WoW - Destroying anonymity

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Activision Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, is changing its policy to require forum posters to use their real names. They claim it is to cut down on nasty behavior in the forums and to creat...

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• gaming,
• privacy,
• second life

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Innocence? Courts don't care

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

And the court jesters speak: Yes, we know your client is innocent of sexual abuse and sodomy... don't speak to us about irrelevant ideas like innocence - we don't care. I am physically sick to my sto...

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Science and morality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Are human values detached from science? Many, such as moral relativists, argue that morality has little, if anything, to do with reality. Science attempts to prove what reality is through an objectiv...

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• philosophy,
• science

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Doomsday Ark on the moon

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If you're really concerned about future generations, shouldn't there be other, more important priorities that one would be focused on instead of building a "doomsday ark" on the moon? Is this really...

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• astronomy,
• science,
• technology

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Unemployed? Work for free

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It's the typical Catch-22. You can't get hired for a job because you have limited experience, and you can't get experience until you get a job. It appears there are many young people who are having ...

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• economics,
• jobs

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Racism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Recently, past Ku Klux Klan member and the US's longest-acting Senator Robert Byrd died. In 1944 (2 years before he went to work for the government), he wrote "I shall never fight in the armed forces...

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• politics,
• discrimination

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Happy Secession Day

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

On this July 4, when so many Americans are celebrating the so-called "Independence Day" by having picnics and shooting fireworks, there are others who think it's time to do it again. What do you thin...

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Relative vs. absolute morality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Are there absolutes? If so, does absolute morality exist, or is all morality relative? Why or why not? What makes something an absolute? Do objective standards exist for morality? If not, should they...

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Paying people not to work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From Reader's Digest... Why do the lobbyists always win? Why does the political system even allow lobbyists to exist? Why are farm subsidies even allowed? Does this occur in other countries? FTA:...

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• politics,
• economics,
• business,
• agriculture,
• food

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Flying cars outside of Second Life

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is this a brilliant idea that will make the world a better place to live, or a disaster waiting to happen? Can someone loan me $200,000? Come on - you know you want one! Everyone sing with me! Chitty...

• No comments
• technology,
• transportation,
• cars,
• aviation,
• environment

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Protecting people with eggs

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From the "you can't make this crap up" file... Of course, the European government is focused on solving the most pressing problems that individuals face. After all, it's always been such a "crime" th...

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• food,
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I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTV: "I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work, or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth. Banks are g...

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• entertainment,
• movies,
• politics,
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Politics by Aristotle

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Written in 350 BCE. 'nuff said. FTA: "Democracy, for example, arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim t...

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• philosophy,
• politics

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Avertible oil catastrophe

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The oil catastrophe could have been averted were it not for the US government rejecting the help of people who know what to do in an oil spill and have the equipment for dealing with it. Why didn't t...

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• politics,
• environment,
• business

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No way not to consent

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Many of you here have often made the claim that you consent to the "social compact" by living where you live, or receiving the benefits from the state that you do. How can you call it consent if ther...

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Linden Labs shakeup

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Less than one month ago, Linden Labs laid off 30% of their employees. Just yesterday, Mark Kingdon stepped down as CEO, with company founder Philip Rosedale (Philip Linden) named interim CEO. (Also,...

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Limiting kids' opportunities

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The owner of a Connecticut pizzeria, accused of violating state child labor laws by having his kids work in the restaurant, is suing the state on grounds the laws violate his constitutional rights. I...

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• politics,
• children,
• jobs,
• food

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Options when all else fails

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Can you think of any other or, at this point, are we out of options? How do you convince and/or reason with people who think civility is no longer an option? What other ways do you suggest to people...

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Do avatar looks matter?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I haven't been in Second Life that long (about 8 months). During that time, I've had multiple people comment to me that the way an avatar looks is important (e.g., animation overrides (AO), skin, clo...

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• second life,
• aesthetics

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Economically unenlightened

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

How do you make economics more fun so that people better understand basic concepts and, just as important, what the ramifications are from making poor economic choices? FTA: "Who is better informe...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics

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Not a happy father's day

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

On this Father's Day, perhaps it's proper to be reminded of all of the good fathers who are not allowed to see their children just because they got divorced. This occurs all across the world. Putting...

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• father's rights,
• parenting,
• children,
• politics,
• discrimination

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The truth meter

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is there any circumstance in which the government should be a gate-keeper of information? What are the benefits of holding back information vs. letting information flow freely? FTA: "In a recent c...

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• politics,
• philosophy,
• technology

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$1 billion for 100 educators

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I went to a high school in this district many years ago. FTA: "Make sure you notice 'Codell, Neil C.' who is 4th from the top of the list. Career pension of $26,661,604. That's almost $27 million...

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• education,
• retirement

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Passing with lower standards

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In NY state, the exam to determine whether kids get to move to the next grade has been dumbed down by giving partial credit for very wrong answers. Go figure (pun intended). FTA: "A kid who answer...

• No comments
• politics,
• education

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Shutting down the Internet

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Why is the US government trying to pass a law that creates a "kill switch" to shut down the Internet at its whim? What are they preparing for? What is it that is about to happen? FTA: "A new U.S....

• No comments
• politics,
• technology,
• internet,
• totalitarianism

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Eviscerating global warming

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

You don't say? Hey Al Gore, what do you think? FTA: "A cross examination of global warming science conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law and Economics has concluded tha...

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• environment,
• conspiracy,
• global warming,
• science,
• politics

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Kiss your retirement goodbye

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The government is coming for your retirement accounts, 401Ks, and pension plan. After all, they want to make sure you have enough for retirement of course... It's all about your safety and well-being...

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• politics,
• retirement,
• investments

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Beam me up Scotty

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the movie Contact, Jodi Foster says "So if it's just us... seems like an awful waste of space." Do you believe that there is life outside of Earth? What are the implications for humanity if aliens...

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• science,
• conspiracy,
• UFO,
• extraterrestrial

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Web threatens women and children

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Sure, blame it on women and children. FTA: "Every Google web search could be stored for up to two years under a controversial new EU plan that has the backing of more than 300 Euro-MEPs... The dec...

• No comments
• politics,
• privacy,
• surveillance

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Public mood is changing

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is your "mood" changing about government largess? Do you believe the government works for you, or is it the other way around? In the poor economy, are government workers becoming scapegoats or is ang...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• unions

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Leaking classified information

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. They destroyed the government's credibility in the Vietnam War by revealing that the US government had intentionally misled...

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• politics,
• whistleblower

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Movies are magic

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

I bet you didn't think it was possible to fit the 100 greatest movie lines of all time into 200 hundred seconds did you? What are your favorites? FTV: "Yo' Adrian! I did it!" 100 Best Movie Lin...

• No comments
• entertainment,
• movies

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No such thing as society

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.'...

• No comments
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• economics,
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Customer service

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Shakespeare was right… "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." When one AT&T customer wrote to the CEO twice in two weeks recently, the company's "executive response team" contacte...

• No comments
• politics,
• business

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Supreme stupidity

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From the court jester files, we find supreme stupidity in the Ohio Supreme Court. If you live in Ohio, get ready to see police pulling everyone over for "speeding." After all, police never lie, right...

• No comments
• politics,
• police state

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The ideology of carrots and sticks

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

This animation drawing alone is enough reason to watch this video, even if you have no interest in the topic. It's amazing... FTV: "As long as the task involved used only mechanical skill... the h...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• psychology,
• jobs

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Soaring healthcare costs

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Go figure... who would have thought that using the philosophy of Socialism to force the reduction of costs, artificially set prices, and provide for everyone would result in long-term problems? Oh, w...

• No comments
• politics,
• health care,
• economics

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Love is...

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

My answer is that love is... Contemplation. Many would tell you that love is something beautiful and powerful. They might tell you that it is inexplicable and entirely irrational. They would be...

• No comments
• love,
• philosophy

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Work: the anti-poverty tool

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Which is better for a poor person - to be paid $3.00/hour for working or to be unemployed where the minimum wage law is $6.00/hour? Unions love minimum wage laws, and they spend millions lobbying for...

• No comments
• politics,
• economics,
• poverty

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Rats and the rat race

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

In the future, will you look back, shake your head, and regret that you didn't follow your passions? Feel that you went against who you really wanted to be? Don't wait until another New Year's Eve -...

• No comments
• philosophy,
• jobs

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Forcing those with disabilities

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Should lawyers, doctors, and politicians have the right to physically force a patient to receive medical treatment? Is it morally proper for someone else to force a decision upon you that they think...

• No comments
• politics,
• medicine,
• disabilities

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Seeking sugar daddies

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is it self-destructive to enter into a relationship or fabricate feelings in exchange for money/gifts/privileges that you will gain in return? FTA: "Looking to give up her day job but maintain a s...

• No comments
• dating,
• sex

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Is the rocky marriage over?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is it time for those who don't want to physically force their will upon others to part with those who prefer otherwise? If people attempt to secede and are physically prevented from doing so, would t...

• No comments
• politics

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Black Eyed Peas and the brain

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is music lobotomizing the brains of youth? Is it purposefully making them "retarded in here?" And if you start singing Black Eyed Peas songs through the end of the day, it's not my fault. FTA: "Ha...

• No comments
• music,
• entertainment,
• intellectualism

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Perception vs. reality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Will someone please remind me again why the Europeans and Americans are at war with Iraq and Afghanistan, killing anywhere from hundreds of thousands of people to, by some estimates, over 1 million?...

• No comments
• politics,
• military,
• terrorism

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Searching for porn

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

It's a rope-a-dope. Don't you, for a minute, believe this is about porn and protecting children. Porn is the cover - what do you think they are really after? FTA: "Customs and immigration officers...

• No comments
• politics,
• porn,
• privacy

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A country did the impossible

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What country reduced the Department of Transportation employees from 5,600 to 53, Forest Service employees from 17,000 to 17, Ministry of Works employees from 28,000 to 1... and, all-in-all, reduced...

• No comments

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Immoral professions

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

H.L. Mencken once said "A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers." I'm not sure who is more morally corrupt - a judge, a lawyer, or a politician. What I do know is that, collecti...

• No comments
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Impossible to pay debts

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ron Paul nails it again in the simplest of terms. Is it acceptable for someone to incur debt on your behalf and in your name if you don't know about it or, even worse, are opposed to it? Does it matt...

• No comments
• politics

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Feminism - doomed to fail

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is feminism doomed to fail? Is there even one accepted definition of feminism? Are there any benefits of feminism? FTA: "Although it is not Susan Pinker's intention in writing it, reading her exce...

• No comments
• psychology,
• feminism,
• philosophy,
• politics

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Forced balance in news

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Ex-Harvard professor and now Obama's information czar Cass Sunstein previously wanted to "ban conspiracy theorizing" and "impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate suc...

• No comments
• politics,
• totalitarianism

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Liberals (finally) speak out

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Guess you can't call them hypocrites for this particular action, unlike most liberals who railed against Bush but now ignore the fact that Obama has continued with (and gone beyond) Bush’s anti-ter...

• No comments
• politics,
• liberalism,
• democrats,
• terrorism

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Action --> Reaction

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Newton's Third Law suggests that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Is it morally proper for people to develop into militias to defend themselves and act in defiance of terrori...

• No comments
• politics,
• military,
• terrorism

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Hay BP! Easy oil removal

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

By now, I'm assuming that most all of you have heard of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which is destroying marine life. (It started as a result of an oil rig explosion on April 20, 20...

• No comments
• environment

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FAIL: War on drugs

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

OK everyone... try to look surprised. FTA: "After 40 years, the United States' war on drugs has cost $1 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives, and for what? Drug use is rampant and violence eve...

• No comments
• politics,
• drugs

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Problem-solving

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Albert Einstein once said "The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill." Do we expect simple problems? I...

• No comments
• education,
• math

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Police committing fraud

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Did you know that politicians in New York City have tried to play-up crime statistics showing that crime was down? It's becoming clear that it appeared as such because the statistics were faked. FTA:...

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• politics,
• police state,
• whistleblower,
• police

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Protecting the environment

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Over the last week, we've had a few discussions come up around how the government protects the environment. Though I didn't know it until I did some research, I wasn't surprised… FTA: "Who's the gr...

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• politics,
• environment

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Facebook's Gone Rogue

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "...14 privacy groups filed a unfair-trade complaint with the FTC against Facebook on Wednesday... Facebook thinks that your notions of privacy - meaning your ability to control information abou...

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• politics,
• privacy,
• social media

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Virginity for sale

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "In what is being called a new-low in reality television, a Sydney waitress plans to sell her virginity to the highest bidder in a live auction in the US state of Nevada... [The Melbourne filmma...

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• sex,
• entertainment

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Book recommendations

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." - Mark Twain What are your favorite books and why? Which would you refer to others? What kinds of people would...

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Socialism vs. Corporatism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

From the only honest person in American politics - Ron Paul... FTA: "Lately many have characterized this administration as socialist, or having strong socialist leanings. I differ with this character...

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• politics,
• socialism,
• corporatism

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The irony of voting

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Irony: Politicians make thousands of laws to protect us from all of the irrational, destructive, and harmful decisions that we make as individuals. Then we go to the voting booths… Should there...

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Learning how to work

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "U.S. colleges and universities, like their counterparts in other Western countries, are doing a poor job of preparing graduates for today's workplace. The biggest weakness in the postsecondary-...

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• education,
• jobs

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I'm Allowed to Rob You!

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Want to see a piece of paper that gives me the RIGHT to rob you? You don't believe there is such a thing? Are you SURE you don't believe it? From the video: "If you believe this piece of pa...

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• philosophy,
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Homosexuality vs. free speech

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Voltaire once said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." In England, a Christian street preacher was arrested and locked in a cell for telling a passer-...

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• politics,
• homosexuality,
• religion,
• police state

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Nullify this

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "Whether or not you are philosophically inclined toward libertarianism or anarchy, it's hard not to agree that voting for politicians has been an unmitigated disaster if you measure success by l...

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Machiavellianism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

"For government [of conquered people] consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to, do you harm; which may be done either by making quite...

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Your philosophical premises

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

What are your premises for your life? Have you ever thought of your philosophical base in concrete terms? What principles do you uphold and to which do you just pay lip-service? Were your premises de...

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• philosophy

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Why soldiers get a kick out of killing

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "Do some soldiers enjoy killing? If so, why? ...The reluctance of ordinary men to kill can be overcome by intensified training, direct commands from officers, long-range weapons and propaganda t...

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• politics,
• psychology,
• military

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American Conspiracies

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "People prefer to be lied to ably, than be told the truth, boldly. We prefer a colorful and clever story to a documentary filled with sharp and damning evidence; we prefer gossip to investigatio...

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• conspiracy,
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Stupid in America

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

If you have children in school, or if you are a teacher, you MUST watch this video. Pass it on to anyone who has children. It is THAT important. Why are so many children not learning in America's sch...

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• education

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The Road Not Taken

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The Road Not Taken (by Robert Frost) Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To w...

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• poetry,
• philosophy

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End justifies means?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

The end does not justify the means; you cannot achieve anything good by evil means. No one's rights can be secured by the violation of the rights of others. - Ayn Rand DISCUSS! Original posting...

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The guise of liberalism

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Norman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. The Socialist Party candidate for President of the U.S., he i...

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• politics,
• socialism,
• liberalism,
• democrats

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Vacationing a human right

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Is it really so hard to believe? After all, when you support the government stealing your money (though taxes) and giving it to someone else, who are you to object what they decide to spend it on? No...

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• politics,
• travel

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In Defense of Hacking

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "...no company or person has the right to tell you that you may not do what you like with your own property. Let us say that you bought a hammer. The hammer is clearly designed for hitting nails...

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• technology,
• hacking,
• politics

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Morals vs. preferences

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Morality is basically the principles/ideals that should direct everyone's conduct. What is it that makes moral fundamentals different than personal preferences (if there is, in fact, any difference a...

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How to Tell a Funny Joke

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Bring something funny to the discussion. FTA: "Some people are good at telling jokes, but have no idea how the jokes come out of their mouths. These people are naturally funny. But if you are not one...

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How did they manage?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Believe it or not, the federal government operated for about 150 years without an income tax. Go figure. FTA: "Imagine opening your newspaper or Web browser and seeing the following headline: "Su...

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• politics,
• taxes

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Soldiers discover morality

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Amazing Speech by Iraq War Veteran (about 6 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B9V2tbnxk0 DISCUSS! Original posting by Braincrave Second Life staff on Apr 15, 2010 at http://www.b...

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Socialism 101- Fs for everyone

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that...

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• politics,
• economics,
• socialism

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Consensual sex is rape

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

As if Duke University's reputation for discrimination wasn't tarnished enough... if you go to school at Duke, don't expect to learn common sense. Is the following a result of the Duke lacrosse non...

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• politics,
• education,
• sex

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Abortion and rights

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

An embryo has no rights. Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living (or the...

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• philosophy,
• politics,
• abortion

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Women equal to men?

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "The High Court's award of a £215,000 divorce payout to the former wife of a leading barrister - 25 years after the couple split - is a terrible blow to those who rightly believe that women are...

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• politics,
• family court,
• discrimination,
• marriage

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Learned helplessness

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

FTA: "Why do good men do nothing in the face of evil, especially when evil aggressively invades their lives? ...Some people are paralyzed by fear; some by denial. But many others are immobilized by a...

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• philosophy,
• politics

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US torture program

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

Get out your barf bags for this one. FTA: "This points to a massive conspiracy to deprive innocent people of their rights by the U.S. on a scale not seen since the U.S. interned its own Japanese-Amer...

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• politics,
• torture,
• military

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The Obama Youth

editorial posted by braincrave in braincrave

How many of you learned about the Hitler Youth (aka HJ), the paramilitary group of the Nazis? Is the government building one for Obama? In Hitler's time, the stormtroopers were referred to as "brown...

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• politics,
• children

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