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Showing posts from April, 2010

Jane McGonigal says gamers can solve all the worlds problems

she is a game developer, game designer her goal 'to make it as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save it in games' and to persuade more people, including the audience, to spend more time playing goals to solve the worlds problems we must spend 20 billion hours of games per week epic win is an outcome you never thought you would be capable of, we want to see epic win face on problem solvers her phd why we are better in games than in real life motivated to do something that matters, by collaborating, stickwithitness gamers never feel like they can't do it, what makes them so sure there are lots of characters willing to trust you at your current level there's always something specific to be done tons of collaborators all around there's an inspiring story of why gamers are there in the game lots of feedback in terms of achievements it's so nice to be on the verge of an epic win all the time that they don't want to be in the real world

Philip K Howard on how and why to fix the problem of too many laws

Crazy PCness Crazy lawsuits People are too scared to act on their own best judgment Hindsight bias is always perfect so you can always say that person did something wrong Risk would be no more (fantastical nonsense) Defensive medicine - terrified doctors order up to 200 billion dollars worth of unnecessary tests, fear makes them paralysed and they are afraid to act, contents are hot labels on coffee, fishing lure packet says harmful if swallowed Education - 60 steps to suspend a child, teachers spend 43% of their time trying to maintain order, lawsuits by students if they do maintain order, corrosion of authority, banned running during breaks Government - no pebble left unturned to get projects going, and decades of lawsuits by people who don't agree Law - is not trusted, inconsistent, overdetailed Playground - there will be no seesaws because Values - in our attempt to eliminate bad values, we created a world where people can't have good values. Accountability - you

The power of numbers in advocacy, and some notes about cynics

When there's a group i want to belong to that promotes a certain moral imperative, how do I choose?  The first way I decide on which of two similar groups to belong to, is 'how many members'. The second way is 'how much communication the creator creates'. Granted the dealbreaker is the quality of the communication, but numbers are powerful.  It takes stamina and guts to speak alone. Support is a gift. Support has an effect on an advocate's confidence. If there are no advocates because the cynics stifled them, how would our world look? Activists are advocates. If activism is not your thing, fine, it's not everyone's thing. But don't use cynicism's power to withdraw support. 

Our Lesbian Journeys: The Path to Finding Ourselves

Flashback Friday, a column on feminist notions... Fetsiboomsticks at Flying Shortbread invited me to write a post for her blog, and may I just say, I was so flattered!  I have never been asked to be a guest writer in someone's blog, and maybe I'm being dramatic, but it's an honor.  :-)  So here's my story for her, and a thanks. This is something that has just really been made painfully aware to me recently, and makes me feel very thankful for how far we've come.  Yes, we still have quite a journey ahead, but hey, at least we're moving in the right direction.  I have a friend, T.  T is 47 years old, and I have been doing her hair for about 2 years (I'm a hairstylist).  I have recently gone into business for myself, and left the salon where I was working, and am now going to my client's homes to do their hair. You wouldn't believe how many of my clients have COMPLETELY opened up to me about their lives since I have started seeing them at home,

Social Engineering effect of Seinfeld

Because the Seinfelders think differently from each other shout and scream... (of course the actors have contracts, the friends in the show can't just dump each other whenever they feel like it)... constructs a society where we get over our issues. Crossing my fingers that we can do it here in South Africa.

Why men should not write advice columns

Dear John I hope you can help me. The other day, I set off for work, leaving my husband in the house watching TV. My car stalled, then it broke down about a mile from the house. I walked home to get my husband's help, only to find him in bed with our neighbour's 19 year-old daughter. He is 34 and I am 32. We have been married for 10 years. When I confronted him, he broke down and confessed the affair had been going on for six months. He won't go for counselling and I am a total wreck. Please give me advice urgently. Please help me? Sincerely, Sheila ... Dear Sheila A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the

The Washington Post's word definitions...

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the winners: 1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time. 2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an ass. 3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. 4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly. 5. Bozone( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stop bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. 6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting lucky. 7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high 8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who does

Cursing at Work

Dear Employees It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals throughout the company have been using foul language during the course of normal conversation with their co-workers. Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily offended, this type of language will no longer be tolerated. We do, however, realize the critical importance of being able to accurately express your feelings when communicating with co-workers. Therefore, a list of 18 New and Innovative 'TRY SAYING' phrases have been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can continue in an effective manner.   Number 1 TRY SAYING: I think you could use more training. INSTEAD OF: You don't know what the f___ you're doing. Number 2 TRY SAYING: She's an aggressive go-getter. INSTEAD OF: She's a f___ing bit__. Number 3 TRY SAYING: Perhaps I can work late. INSTEAD OF: And when the f___ do you expect me to do this? Number 4 TRY SAYING:

Job hunting

Network, establish relationships Take time to make sure you are contacting the exact right person to give your CV to Update your CV Make sure your CV is professionally made up Make sure the language is perfect Write down your career goals and desired career path and keep it in your pocket at all times  Make sure all the names of the titles of the job you are looking for into job search engines Don't badmouth your previous employer, at most say... and then Redi said this is beyond the scope of the interview... oi... so go see more at the brilliantly set up and thought out Careersadvice.co.uk (*cough* I wish the South African government website would have job advice up!) If you left the previous company acrimoniously don't take them off your CV, but keep them on your worklist and take them out your reference list The one who needs help (jobseeker) must initiate the solution, must do the work, the research Reference letters How you come across in an interview Don'