In this video historian Rick Shenkman discusses the subject of his new book: JUST HOW STUPID ARE WE? FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMERICAN VOTER (Basic Books, June 2008). Mr. Shenkman is an associate professor of history at George Mason University and the editor of the History News Network. He blogs at: howstupidblog.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqDi1Vi-2qo&hl=en

Just when you thought it was safe to kiss chickens again... WASHINGTON POST Asia correspondent comes out with this fascinating book on the history of the struggle against bird flu (H5N1). And guess what? It's not over yet.

Right now the media's attention is on the "swine" flu (H1N1) that spread from Mexico in April 2009. It's now spread to many countries around the world and is killing a disproportionate number of children.

The media's attention of the pandemic threat of H5N1 stopped many catastrophic news cycles ago. Yet the H5N1 is still a threat. It's deeply entrenched in the chicken populations of China, probably some wild birds and no doubt Indonesia and other countries.

We never got the 1918-style massively lethal pandemic that experts in 2005 were predicting. The H5N1 virus never mutated into a strain that is both highly lethal and highly contagious.

Yet some people who have contact with chickens get it. And some people who have contact with those people get it. Over the years, the lethality rate has consistently averaged 60%.

However, it's not easily spread through coughing, sneezing and germs in the environment, as seasonal (and swine) flu are.

This book is a fascinating look at the human and political stories related to bird flu. Sipress takes us to witch doctors in Indonesia, cockfights and chicken farms in Thailand, high levels World Health Organization (WHO) meetings in Geneva, chicken smuggling trails on the China-Vietnam border, a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh where "merit birds" are released from cages to earn good karma, a for-show chicken vaccination in Java, a "wet market" (selling live chickens) in Jakarta, and a slaughterhouse in Hanoi selling forged health certificates for chickens.

We meet with WHO flu experts, bird flu victims in their deathbeds, their grieving relatives, the Indonesian health minister withholding flu samples until promised the vaccine that might be made from them, the Vietnamese scientist creating their own bird flu vaccine, and epidemiologists tracking diseases through real minefields of war and metaphorical minefields of international politics.

My only real criticism is that this book mentions but fails to chronicle the stories of bird flu outside Southeast Asia. It's infected people in Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria. What's happening in Africa, which makes the poverty of Southeast Asia look like Beverly Hills?

Through it all runs the argument that someday, somewhere... H5N1 will mutate or recombine or trade RNA segments with another flu strain (H1N1 is now a likely candidate) to create the flu experts' nightmare -- a virus that kills up to 60% of its victims and which spreads as easily as seasonal flu.

And his argument is that, despite the horror this would cause the world, politics, poverty and cultural traditions are preventing the world's experts from properly defending us all against a repeat (or worse) of 1918.

I frankly don't know if another 1918-style pandemic is as likely as the doomsayers want us to believe. However, this book is a fascinating account and description of life and death in the most interesting part of the world.

This interesting article published by the BBC outlines two men and the books they have written arguing that storytelling influences voters far more than facts or logic. I think that these are quite poignant observations given our evolutionary bias to storytelling as well as the increasing absurdity of American politics. The authors propose that voters may even vote against their own interests because they have such strong attachments to stories surrounding the issues, regardless of logic or facts that may counter the storylines.

Drew Westen, author of The Political Brain, views American politics from the following perspective. Politicians on the Left generally rely on facts and what they deem to be sound arguments to attract voters. Politicians on the Right rely on the trend that voters do not like things explained to them and do not like politicians who portray themselves as knowing the right answers or knowing what is best for the populace. It is not a matter of which side is right or wrong, it is a difference of strategy. While politicians on the Left continue to struggle using facts to attract voters, politicians on the Right have found success with storytelling. By creating a convincing story that appeals to emotion rather than reason, opposing candidates can easily fall out of favor with the voters, even if the stories hold little or no truth. Thomas Frank, author of What's The Matter with Kansas, believes that the modern voter prefers emotional argument over reasonable argument.

"For Mr Westen, stories always trump statistics, which means the politician with the best stories is going to win"

"As Mr Frank sees it, authenticity has replaced economics as the driving force of modern politics. The authentic politicians are the ones who sound like they are speaking from the gut, not the cerebral cortex. Of course, they might be faking it, but it is no joke to say that in contemporary politics, if you can fake sincerity, you have got it made."

Another example that is relevant is the campaign slogans that John McCain and Barack Obama used during the 2008 election. The McCain campaign used the image of a Maverick to endorse the candidate, while the Obama campaign used the slogan Change We Can Believe In. Both candidates wanted to cast themselves as a departure from the status quo, as something new in Washington. However, to be successful in Washington it is unlikely that one can be too different. But the reality does not matter, because voters, in addition to favoring policy, will emotionally identify with the image and story of the candidate they prefer.

So what does any of this have to do with the built environment?

Imagine an election that will determine city taxes, future developments, zoning issues or transportation options. The result of the election could lead to policy, or a budget, that could significantly alter the built environment, for better or for worse.

A concrete example of this is a November 2009 election in Colorado Springs, CO. Facing a severely tight budget, the city was looking for ways to save money. The leading proposal was to cut fire fighter jobs and stop maintenance on city parks, close public swimming pools and cut youth sports. Not great options for most citizens of the city. As an alternative, a tax was proposed to alleviate the financial strain and avert a reduction of city services. The tax would have cost families approximately $120 per year over 10 years. However, facts were quickly overwhelmed by contradicting stories that passing the measure would increase taxes by 300%, as well as stories that citizens should not have to pay more taxes and outrage at the failure of the city counsel (not necessarily unjustified).

As background, Colorado Springs has some of the lowest property taxes in the state and nation, and the population largely supports small-government and anti-tax politics.

Despite facts supporting passage of the bill with tangible urban benefits at stake, stories appealing to the emotions of voters won out. The measure was defeated by nearly 2 to 1. As a result, unless private money comes through, or some other unforeseen solution develops, many of the more than 140 parks throughout the city will go without water or maintenance during the summer. No public swimming pools will open and many youth sports programs will be eliminated, and community centers closed. In addition, 1/3 of the city's streetlights will be turned off in an effort to save more money. It seems as though the city, backed by the voters, have chosen to generate their own urban blight and reduce the value of the city and neighborhoods. This decision does not seem to be in anyone's best interest, and yet the voters were sold on the stories.

To recap, in elections and politics, facts and tangibles can be outweighed by stories, no matter if they are true or false. If the political decisions impact city resources, or civic and transportation projects, then these stories can impact the built environment. As voters and designers, we need to be aware of how stories can influence our decision making, as well as how stories can lay the groundwork for amazing and positive urban and architectural developments.

As an Online Dating Coach, I read a lot of Internet personal ads that - quite frankly - surprise me! Some of the guys who write Online Personal Ads seem to be writing ads that are designed to sell used cars. And from the women? I often see personal ads that even low-end mail order catalogs would refuse.

Take for example this one, written by a 41-year-old woman (and note the spelling error in the headline) --

professional who enjoys open conversation - 41

"I love to talk about books that have struck you bizarre or interesting. I do want someone to hang out with, and must enjoy talking about politics, books, places and wine. Must love chocolate!"

We can immediately see that this woman likes to communicate (and that's a good thing, yes?) and she also enjoys "talking about everything" - including "books that have struck you bizarre." (Are we talking about Stephen King novels here?) In addition to that, it would be great if you can talk about "politics, places, and wine" - but the main thing is that you love chocolate...

It's hard to imagine what sort of guy she'll attract with that ad!

Or - take a look at this online personal ad, from a 29-year-old guy who describes himself as a "Tattoo Teddy Bear" --

tattoo teddy bear - 29

"I just want a good girl that knows how to treat a man with respect."

Short, sweet, and to the point, yes?

So is it any wonder that so many single men and women are just like "two ships passing in the night?"

One of the secrets to writing online personal ads that work is to write your ad just like you're having a real, live, conversation with your reader.

In other words, here's what NOT to do:

1. Don't write your ad so it sounds like advertising copy from a magazine.

2. Don't "talk down" to your reader.

3. Don't write a one-sentence ad and expect to get many replies!

Here's what youSHOULD do:

1. Talk about yourself in terms of who you are as a person, what you enjoy doing on a date, and list some of your hobbies and interests.

2. Tell the reader (without bragging) how he or she will feel when they're with you. Put yourself in the mind and soul of your reader, and empathize with them. What are they thinking - and what might they be feeling - while reading your ad?

3. Talk about some of your best qualities. (Are you warm and friendly? A good listener? Are you compassionate and understanding?)

4. What's the benefit (i.e., the "payoff") for answering your ad right now? And finally...

5. Don't forget to spell-check your ad before you submit it!

By creating an honest and empathic dialog with your reader when writing your online personal ads, you'll be way ahead of most of your competitors for the attention of the women - or men - you'd like to hear from the most!

The book is part of the American History in Depth series. The author is John Dumbrell and the general editor of the series is A. J. Badger. The book is published in Hong Kong, 1997, by McMillan Publications. It is in paperback (ISBN: 0-333-61094-6), and it is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 0-333-61093-8); with papers suitable for recycling. No picture, table or graph can be seen in this book; except the photograph on the front cover that shows presidents Carter and Clinton together. As we can see in the Bibliographical Note, the author used secondary sources as well as some primary articles in form of printed articles.

The book focuses on the America foreign policy in the mid-20th century (from Carter's to Clinton's presidency) that was marked with the "struggle between liberal democratic capitalism and Soviet state socialism". As it is stated in the introduction, the book discusses four major themes:

1) ending of the Cold War,

2) the legacy of Vietnam War

3) American decline, and

4) the possibilities of the democratic foreign policy after 1977.

It examines the "long tradition of American optimism" saying that despite apparent victories, American optimism was under pressure during 1980s; the great pressure and damage coming from America's defeat in Vietnam War which as carter put it made Americans understand that they are "no better than other people". Throughout the book, it is shown how attitudes and decisions in American foreign policy were under the influence of the Vietnam legacy, with special focus on the four presidents of the era, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. The author tries to put the information together in an impartial way, criticizing or approving of the events carefully.

About Carter it is said that he believed that the cold war period had ended and that it was time to pursue "domestic processes". His other goal was to put commitment to human rights at the center of his foreign policy. But he never reached it because in some cases human rights were ignored because security issues were more important. In his time in the office, 2 revolutions took place that were not favorable to US, one in Iran and the other in Nicaragua. These events made Carter's presidency as a period full of crisis. Reagan's policies are discussed after Carter's. First his decision to increase defense expenditure is stated and the fact that he believed that America must develop a "high-tech shield that would protect it from nuclear threats. Then his doctrine is presented:" American sponsorship to all enemies of communism in the developing countries". That's why he involved America in the Lebanese crisis so that it would not become a communist state. He also used human right as "an anti-soviet weapon". Another important thing about him that is analyzed in this book is his "shadow policy of "winning back Iran" that finally led to Iran-contra scandal. The Reagan- Gorbachev dialogue is one of the other things discussed in this book. Then the book focuses on Bush's presidency claiming that his policies mainly reflected that of Reagan's except his policies toward the soviet that were more cautious than Reagan's. It is explained that how he faced a dilemma in the second gulf war. He wanted to oppress Iraq that had invaded Kuwait and at the same time to keep Iraq as threat to Iran. Clinton is the last president that the book speaks of. It says that like Cater, Clinton emphasized domestic issues over foreign policy. He tried to "close the book on Vietnam, by promoting the cause of US trade and investment. His military program is also mentioned stating that he belied that its cost and size should be reduced.

The book is a good source of information for those who want to study the Cold war period and the effects of Vietnam war over American policies in the same era, especially undergraduate students who want a general information about the this period. For those who want a detailed description of the American foreign policy in the post-Cold war era, the book is not suitable because it does not go into details of the events and developments, giving only an overall picture. However in the End Notes for each chapter, one can find useful sources, books and articles that can guide him or her to further information about the topics discussed in chapters. In the Bibliographical Note also, the author suggests that: "much of the important secondary literature on recent US foreign policy may be found in specialist journals, notably Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Security and International Affairs."

Video recording of a public talk at Sarai CSDS, by renowned philosopher Jacques Ranciere on the release of the Hindi translation of his book Nights of Labour: Workers' Dream in 19th Century France. (Sarvahara Raatein: Unneesaveen sadi ke Frans mein Mazdoor Swapna). The book has been translated from the English by Abhay Kumar Dube. This the first in a series of translations of outstanding texts to be published by Sarai-CSDS and Vani Prakashan. The talk on the 6th of February 2009 was followed by a workshop and roundtable with Jacques Ranciere, the next day. Jacques Ranciere is a well known philosopher and writer. As a young student, Ranciere, co-authored Reading Capital (1968), with the Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser. Ranciere later broke with Althusser over the 1968 uprising in France. Since the 1970s Ranciere has produced a number of remarkable texts that range from working class history, philosophy, education, politics, and aesthetics. His books include The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation(1991), The Names of History: On the Poetics of Knowledge (1994), The Politics of Aesthetics: The Distribution of the Sensible Tr. Gabriel Rockhill (2004),The Future of the Image (2007). Ranciere wrote The Nights of Labour after years of archival work. It traces the world of worker intellectuals in 19th century France, who, through their poems, music, letters, produced a world that did not celebrate work as in conventional socialist texts, but a ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr6ZfzbumVo&hl=en

Made BEFORE the current crisis, more scary now. Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson discuss their book, "Where Does the Money Go?" and the mounting debt and deficit of America. They offer an estimate of the time until the failure of Medicare and Social Security, and general suggestions to address this problem. See IOUSA the movie, visit the YouTube site www.youtube.com See also Health care reform, a look at successful systems of Taiwan and Switzerland, probably acceptable to US, and similar to some existing US models. www.youtube.com Farm Subsidies: Welfare To The Wealthy, Costs You Billions www.youtube.com WELFARE for the Wealthy, as US Poverty, Hunger Increase www.youtube.com Fall of Rome vs Failure of American Politics and Economy www.youtube.com PBS Bill Moyers' personal take on Karl Rove www.youtube.com Iraq Cost Accounting, Bill Moyers www.youtube.com Earmarks, Washington Contributions, Corruption, Moyers pt1 www.youtube.com John McCain on earmarks www.youtube.com www.youtube.com Free Lunch, Corp Welfare, Bill Moyers and David Cay Johnston www.youtube.com John C. Bogel and Moyers, Capitalism and Democracy Pt 1 www.youtube.com 60 Minutes segment, third world charities providing healthcare for American working poor www.cbsnews.com Visit the PBS archives to see the complete show and more of Bill Moyers. www.pbs.org



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziBazBcOD_4&hl=en