politics, culture: Well said …
We are fast becoming an uncivil society. This is occurring notwithstanding acts of kindness and consideration by many of our citizens. Nowhere is this more evident than in politics and government. Whether in Albany, Harrisburg, Washington, Trenton or any state capitol, nastiness seems to be the order of the day. Each side is bent on demonizing the other. The immediate reaction to the horrifying shooting in Tucson exemplified this. Almost before any concern was shown about the condition of the victims, the blame-game, finger-pointing and name-calling began. It is so bad it seemes to have shocked us all into deep reflection on what our democracy has become. One can only hope that it will cause everyone — politicians and citizens alike — to realize that lack of civility is tearing the fabric of our nation apart.
via Ed Rendell – Are We Becoming An Uncivil Society? – TIME.
faith, prayer:
Our ability to think is our greatest gift, but it is also the source of our greatest pain. Do we have to become victims of our unceasing thoughts? No, we can convert our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer by making our inner monologue into a continuing dialogue with our God, who is the source of all love.Let’s break out of our isolation and realize that Someone who dwells in the center of our beings wants to listen with love to all that occupies and preoccupies our minds.
via January 14, 2011 – From Unceasing Thinking to Unceasing Prayer.
advertising: promercial … … …
… “promercial” … That’s when broadcasters run commercials to let viewers know about upcoming product placement in their favorite television shows.
It might sound like a joke, but last week, ABC premiered the first promercial, for the January 5th episode of Cougar Town, which heavily featured placement for Diet Dr. Pepper. Ahead of the episode, ABC ran promos that ran during episodes of Desperate Housewives, The Middle and Modern Family that described Cougar Town as “unbelievably satisfying, like Diet Dr. Pepper.”
…
f this kind of thing continues, how long before we get a prepromercial to let us know that there might be an advertisement to tell us about the advertisement hidden in real content somewhere in our future?
via ABC, Dr. Pepper Create World’s First “Promercial” – Techland – TIME.com.
economy, China: Game over?
Almost half of Americans (47%) think it’s China, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, while only 31% think the United States is still out front.
With Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are scheduled to meet in Washinton D.C. next week.
Game over. No wonder China comes out top in a list of countries representing the “greatest danger” to the U.S., just above North Korea — and well above Iran — in the same poll.
In fact, the U.S. economy is about three times the size of China’s in nominal terms, and its GDP per capita is roughly 10 times bigger. But when it comes to popular perceptions of China in America, those facts apparently don’t matter. Ahead of President Obama’s meeting next week with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, the one statistic everybody is looking at is the alarming unemployment rate, hovering just below 10%. For China, it’s around 4%.
Americans are worried about jobs, and China is widely perceived as stealing them, through mercantilist trade policies, an undervalued currency and other underhanded methods. The same poll finds that 53% of respondents think the U.S. should get tougher with China on economic and trade issues.
via Americans See China as No. 1 – China Real Time Report – WSJ.
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