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Did You Hear We Got Osama?

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Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#81

Post by halvsjur »

derleth wrote: post #63
kiba wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>To believe we can do anything else is the road back to Dachau. I am arguing that democracies can't work due to the impossibility of having informed voters by the way our democracies are organized. The first step to the road of better governance is acknowledging human limitation and nature.

> I am arguing that democracies can't work due to the impossibility of having informed voters by the way our democracies are organized. And I am arguing that undemocratic forms of government have been tried repeatedly and found wanting repeatedly.

There are very many different ways to do "democracy" though, it's not just the one axis with more democratic or less.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#82

Post by rms »

peterwwillis wrote: post #20

It is really, really, really, really, really hard for me to find a good temporary distraction nowadays. The noise is so monotonous, so repetitive, so completely devoid of intellectual stimulation that I go between four websites in a loop looking for something interesting to read. HN has maybe one article every two hours that pops up to the top that I find worth reading, and maybe half the time worth upvoting. And tha…

I like www.longform.org.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#83

Post by cageface »

mediaman wrote: post #27
peterwwillis wrote: post #20

It is really, really, really, really, really hard for me to find a good temporary distraction nowadays. The noise is so monotonous, so repetitive, so completely devoid of intellectual stimulation that I go between four websites in a loop looking for something interesting to read. HN has maybe one article every two hours that pops up to the top that I find worth reading, and maybe half the time worth upvoting. And tha…

Frequency and quality are negatively correlated when it comes to news. I would recommend Instapaper's curated list of articles, which tend to be long-form and more interesting than most, as well as The Browser ("Writing Worth Reading") for curated quality content. http://www.thebrowser.com But you're not going to find quality content many times a day, no matter where you look.

Also try the New York Review of Books blog: http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#85

Post by Tichy »

peterwwillis wrote: post #20

It is really, really, really, really, really hard for me to find a good temporary distraction nowadays. The noise is so monotonous, so repetitive, so completely devoid of intellectual stimulation that I go between four websites in a loop looking for something interesting to read. HN has maybe one article every two hours that pops up to the top that I find worth reading, and maybe half the time worth upvoting. And tha…

You could start playing games online. I like to play Carcassonne on Brettspielwelt, but presumably chess or Go would work, too. Give you a 30 minute break.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#86

Post by ryanwaggoner »

epaga wrote: post #50
ryanwaggoner wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." - Sir Winston Churchill

"the best argument against democracy is a ten minute conversation with the average voter" - reportedly Churchill as well

Yeah, that's the point. Democracy sucks. But what's the alternative?

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#87

Post by akamaka »

SonicSoul wrote: post #74
kevinalexbrown wrote: post #51

What helps me get off the news pipeline: No one is remembered for being well read. - some blog post I've lost, but the quote is still written on my chalkboard, luckily. when you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. your tastes only narrow & exclude people. so create. _why EDIT: I know it's ironic that these came from online sources. I guess the point is about balance and focused…

lots of people are remembered for being well read. Take someone like Noam Chomsky. He has written many books based on facts he has read, remembered, and used to support his point of view. his opinion is included, but it is always supported by countless examples and recitation of facts. I have friends that read everything and know a lot on most subjects that intrest me. I admire that a lot, and it is always refreshing…

First of all Chomsky is still alive, and secondly, I'm almost certain that he won't be remembered for his poltical writings, but for his scientific contributions.

People don't even read his very early political works much anymore. His new material is what gets most consumed and keeps his name in people's minds.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#88

Post by msutherl »

akamaka wrote: post #87
SonicSoul wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

lots of people are remembered for being well read. Take someone like Noam Chomsky. He has written many books based on facts he has read, remembered, and used to support his point of view. his opinion is included, but it is always supported by countless examples and recitation of facts. I have friends that read everything and know a lot on most subjects that intrest me. I admire that a lot, and it is always refreshing…

First of all Chomsky is still alive, and secondly, I'm almost certain that he won't be remembered for his poltical writings, but for his scientific contributions. People don't even read his very early political works much anymore. His new material is what gets most consumed and keeps his name in people's minds.

Chomsky's writings are still standard reading for people in various activist communities. He will most likely be remembered for both, and for the fact that he contributed both.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#89

Post by msutherl »

farnsworth wrote: post #67
Zirro wrote: post #14

Wow. This really hit me in the face. This is exactly my situation, my issues right now (and I am also a college/university freshman). I am spending so much time consuming information that I am behind on essentially everything I should and could be doing. I think I needed to read this. "What followed were the most productive three years of my life." It's become an addiction for sure, but I have had enough. Seeing some…

You sound like me 3 years ago. I used to go into zombie-mode for long periods of time just reading every single link on Reddit, Google Reader, random news sites, etc. and afterwards I'd hardly be able to remember any of it. I still do this on occasion, but it's much less of a problem now. I had to take a tough approach with myself to build some better habits, but it worked. I decided was that if I was going to take t…

This is a wonderful idea that I've had before, but never got around to trying. I think I'll start now! If only it wasn't such a pain on the iPad -- or maybe that's an advantage.

Re: Did You Hear We Got Osama?

#90

Post by fferen »

peterwwillis wrote: post #20

It is really, really, really, really, really hard for me to find a good temporary distraction nowadays. The noise is so monotonous, so repetitive, so completely devoid of intellectual stimulation that I go between four websites in a loop looking for something interesting to read. HN has maybe one article every two hours that pops up to the top that I find worth reading, and maybe half the time worth upvoting. And tha…

I personally play a few rounds of web boggle (http://www.wordsplay.net/). (not affiliated)
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