December 2010
62 posts
Are Buildings for Squares?
We have systematically turned our natrual resources into modular components for building uniform compartments. No wonder the book that dictates our construction practices is called the Uniform Building Code.
To follow the Uniform Building Code requires uniform building materials. We turn round trees into dimensional lumber. We cast cement into specific size blocks. We have learned to build with...
Oklahoma
With no medical marijuana law to speak of, possession of any amount of marijuana subject to a year in jail, and with the failure of a bill to reduce the penalties for possession in 2004, Oklahoma is a ripe target for drug policy reform.
New numbers from Oklahoma show that most of those sentenced to prison for the first time on felony charges were convicted of drug offenses. In...
"Why I'm dreaming of a white-noise Christmas" →
leadingtone:
Interesting editorial by CNN’s Simon Singh.
While Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, atheists may wonder if there is another birth they might be able to commemorate.
One possibility is to give thanks for the arrival of Isaac Newton, who was born on Christmas Day 1642 according to the Julian calendar, which was still in use in England at the time.
Another...
“Homo sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and...”
– Joyce Carol Oates (via javiercarrete)
Music Fires Up Emotions in the Brain (Psych... →
psychotherapy:
In a new study using brain imaging, researchers have identified how key aspects of musical performance cause emotion-related brain activity.
Edward Large, Ph.D., the study’s principal investigator, and Heather Chapin, Ph.D., the lead author, believe that their study pinpoints how musical performances charge up the brain’s emotional centers, and said that their technique will lead...
Wikileaks →
fuckyeahexistentialism:
After reading this enlightening post on Zunguzungu about Julian Assange’s philosophy, it’s clear that his intention isn’t just to provide a medium by which whistleblowers can expose individual cases of wrongdoing, he’s instead attempting to alter the communication and secrecy landscape entirely, thus eroding the very possibility of what he calls ‘conspiracy’.
Where...
I'm going to build an earthbag house, I swear. →
