Feeling paranoid? There’s an app (or two) for that:
Share 13: Emperor Norton I of the United States
This… Well, this is, in my opinion, freaking awesome. A very interesting look at how one man can influence an entire community… for the better. Even though he was out of his mind.
From the article:
“Beginning on September 17, 1859, the United States was unofficially “ruled” by Joshua A. Norton, a penniless San Francisco oddball who, in a fit of inspired lunacy, declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.” Amused San Franciscans humored “Norton I’s” delusions of grandeur, and over the next 20 years he became a local celebrity, winning adoration from his subjects and literary tributes from the likes of Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson.”
Enjoy. 🙂
Share 12: How to Attract Customers and Not Waste Your Marketing Budget
Got a business? Here’s some decent advice on marketing from CrowdSpring:
From the article:
“A new digital marketing report from Forrester surveying more than 64,000 online consumers in the North America and 21,000 in Europe reveals interesting data about consumer reactions to different marketing channels.”
Have fun. 🙂
Share 11: The Global POV Project
Here’s an interesting video about modern day poverty and the folks who benefit from it. (hint: it ain’t the poor).
Share 10: Why Progressive Christians Should Care About Abortion
Came across this a while ago and I though it was relatively balanced about the whole pro-life/pro-choice thing.
http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/why-progressive-christians-should-care-about-abortion-gosnell
From the article:
As I advocated for the election (and re-election) of President Obama, I confess I grew somewhat embarrassed by the pro-life cause. I hated those cars that boasted a “Choose Life” sticker on one bumper and a “You’ll Have to Pry My Gun From My Cold, Dead Hands” on the other. The stubborn commitment to abstinence-only education among many evangelicals struck me as counterproductive to the cause, and those awful statements about how a raped woman has a “way of shutting that whole thing down” to prevent pregnancy were shameful and ignorant. Plus, sometimes it seemed like abortion was the only social justice issue my evangelical friends cared about, so they turned a blind eye to the ways in which Republican politics might hurt other disadvantaged groups, or turned my advocacy on behalf of other causes (like gender equality, trafficking, peace, healthcare reform, gun control, etc.) as an opportunity to make a statement about the horrors of abortion in comparison. It was all picket signs and prayer walks. But I wanted more conversations, and action, around poverty, adoption, and healthcare.
Read the rest, it’d definitely an interesting perspective.
Share 9: How a Bipartisan Education Reform Effort Became the Biggest Conservative Bogeyman Since Obamacare
Curious about Common Core? It’s a long read, but well worth the info.
http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/common-core-education-reform-backlash-obamacare
From the article:
“The educational initiative that has inspired such a remarkable outpouring of fury began as a bipartisan endeavor so anodyne, nerdy even, that it proceeded for years with virtual consensus among policymakers of all stripes. Republican governors once enthusiastically signed on to the initiative—but now they (especially those contemplating presidential bids) are scrambling to distance themselves, and around the country state lawmakers are seeking to halt the implementation of the standards. Perhaps second only to Obamacare, Common Core has become a rallying cry on the right, evoking the kind of anguish and horror once reserved for the so-called death panels. And unlike health care reform, Common Core has tapped into a vein of outrage on the left as well.”
Share 8: Famous Authors’ Outlines!
For the aspiring authors out there:
http://flavorwire.com/391173/famous-authors-handwritten-outlines-for-great-works-of-literature
Even your chicken scratch can become great works of literature. 🙂
Share 7: Religious Trauma Syndrome
Now for something else controversial. Religious trauma syndrome:
http://awaypoint.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/religious-trauma-syndrome-is-it-real/
From the article:
Religious trauma syndrome (RTS) is a set of symptoms and characteristics that tend to go together and which are related to harmful experiences with religion. They are the result of two things: immersion in a controlling religion and the secondary impact of leaving a religious group.
Interesting stuff.
Share 6: How to be Completely Anonymous Online
Hey, concerned about privacy online? Check out the sage advice from this article:
http://www.slashgeek.net/2012/06/15/how-to-be-completely-anonymous-online/#ViewPollResults
Essentially, this gives you the low down on online tracking and the best practices to keep your info safe.
🙂
Share 5: Gary North the Libertarian Taliban
Interesting article about stuff you should know:
http://blog.skepticallibertarian.com/2013/04/08/gary-north-the-libertarian-taliban/
Warning: some graphic images.
From the article:
Let this serve as a warning to the libertarian and Christian homeschooling communities: Gary North, the man who is writing and publishing the “Ron Paul Curriculum,” is certifiably nuts. North subscribes to an ultra-ultra-fundamentalist religious ideology called “Christian Reconstructionism,” which aspires to establish a global Christian theocracy and reinstitute all of Old Testament law. I am not exaggerating.
North, who has been lurking around the fringes of the libertarian community for decades, has reemerged from his cave to pen a homeschooling curriculum under Ron Paul’s name, based “first and foremost” on “biblical principles.” (Tom Woods, who has done some writing for Dr. Paul before, is also involved in the project.)
It only gets more interesting from there…
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