DEEP DIALOGUE OR WATCHING O.J.: CHOOSING TO LISTEN AND SPEAK IN A T-DRIVEN WORLD

(Image from Rashani Rea's Dharma Gaia Cards)
In his brilliant rant during the Emmys, Lewis Black stated that in 1968, the average length of a candidate's sound bite on television newscasts was 42 seconds. Today, the average length of a candidate's sound bite is about 8 seconds. Look who we're electing as a result.

This is your brain on IM attention spans -- demanding that meaningful public discourse be reduced to fast shiny











Okay, ready for some antidotes?

Check out this amazing cartoon from Transparency, who create graphical explorations of the data that surrounds us.

Central Kings Rural High School, Halifax, Nova Scotia students David Shepherd and Travis Price -- photo taken by Ian Fairclough, Valley Bureau
Two high school men choose humanity over the idiocy of masculinity in I've stood around too long.

Cleek helps us decipher a briefing slide from General Petraeus's Pony show (we were all asked specifically not to steal this graphic, go look at the original).

(From Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki)
Following up on a New York Times story, I discovered YourMorals.org, where you can learn about your own morality while contributing to scientific research on moral psychology. You do have to register to take their tests, but the array of measurements is rich and the results fascinating. For those more interested in a self-examined life than haircuts, of course.

Street Prophets has a great article on Presidential religiosity, race, and gender.

I'm always up for promoting the work of ISNA, the Intersex Society of North America. Currently up is a great post which begins "A recent article entitled “Adult Genital Surgery for Intersex: A Solution to What Problem?” by Mary E. Boyle, Susan Smith, and Lih-mei Liao suggests that genital surgeries among adult women with intersex conditions present dilemmas similar to those involved with infant surgeries." As a member of the disabled community, I am always interested in busting the practice of medical solutions for social ills and the tyranny of trying to appear "normal".

(Tomato and Salt Shaker by Kelly Cameron)

And -- another great, makes-you-think cartoon by Tengrain presents "Pickles Von Strap-On in 'Feminism'".