Upendra Shardanand

Cory Booker’s passionate statement on first and...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:41:41 -0500

Cory Booker’s passionate statement on first and second-class citizenship.

"Happiness is a form of courage."

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:35:34 -0500

“Happiness is a form of courage.”

- Rev Run.

"You have to leave home to find home."

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:35:05 -0500

“You have to leave home to find home.”

- Ralph Ellison, marginal note in an unfinished manuscript

"Everyday you have a choice: you can accept things as they are or you can take responsibility for..."

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:08:05 -0400

“Everyday you have a choice: you can accept things as they are or you can take responsibility for changing them.”

- Cory Booker

The Planet Will House 10 Billion People, and We Can Feed Them All

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:06 -0400

The Planet Will House 10 Billion People, and We Can Feed Them All:

There are a few basic (but radical) steps we can take to sustainably double our food production. Here’s the strategy:

Halt farming in places like tropical rainforests and wild lands, which are ecologically valuable but have low food output.

Make underused expanses of land in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe more efficient, boosting current food production by nearly 60 percent.

Make better use of water, fertilizers, and chemicals

Stop eating so much meat, especially in developed countries.

Stop wasting food—about one-third of all food grown is either discarded, spoiled, or eaten by pests.

The last two one can start doing today.

(via STRANDBEEST)

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:01:05 -0400

(via STRANDBEEST)

"Time is the only currency."

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:00:05 -0400

“Time is the only currency.”

- Twitter / @Rishadt

(via Apartment Size Around The World [Infographic] - Bruce Upbin...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:00:06 -0400

(via Apartment Size Around The World [Infographic] - Bruce Upbin - Tradigital - Forbes)

Citizens United vs. The Federal Election Commission was the beginning of the end.

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:08:06 -0400

Citizens United vs. The Federal Election Commission was the beginning of the end.

Are Your Political Opponents Crazy?

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:05:06 -0400

Are Your Political Opponents Crazy?:

Conservatives, for example, see business as primarily a source of social and economic good, achieved by the market mechanism of seeking to maximize profit. They therefore think government’s primary duty regarding businesses is to see that they are free to pursue their goal of maximizing profit. Liberals, on the other hand, think that the effort to maximize profit threatens at least as much as it contributes to our societies’ well-being. They therefore think that government’s primary duty regarding businesses is to protect citizens against business malpractice. Of course, conservatives admit that sometimes business practices need government regulation and liberals admit that sometimes regulation is a bad idea, but in each case these are exceptions to their basic picture. While conservatives are (as Ronald Reagan put it) terrified at the words, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you,” liberals are terrified at the words, “I’m from [for example] the cable company and I’m here to help you.”

"Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 per cent Of everything you think, And of everything you do, Is for..."

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:15:06 -0400

“Why are you unhappy?
Because 99.9 per cent
Of everything you think,
And of everything you do,
Is for yourself —
And there isn’t one.”

- Wei Wu Wei

Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:18:05 -0400

Gandhi’s Seven Social Sins

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet..."

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:21:00 -0400

“

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

”

- Steve Jobs.

A bright comet headed right towards the Sun and disintegrated...

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:23:00 -0400

A bright comet headed right towards the Sun and disintegrated (Oct. 2, 2011).

Good-Bye, Streaking Comet [hd video] (by NASA Goddard Photo and Video)

DJ Shadow: The Internet Is Not Your Savior

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:11:06 -0400

DJ Shadow: The Internet Is Not Your Savior:

It took a long time for television to develop a conscience, and I think we’re seeing the same thing with new media.

Charlie Rose - A conversation with David Simon: Quoting poorly...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:52:55 -0400

Charlie Rose - A conversation with David Simon: Quoting poorly from memory: “The Wire is about the end of empire” (The American Empire), and the failure of our institutions.

David Simon’s (journalist turned TV writer/producer) is still a newsman (the Wire, Generation Kill), just with a different medium.

The earth (L) and moon, as seen from 6 million miles away (via...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:41:45 -0400

The earth (L) and moon, as seen from 6 million miles away (via NASA)

Seth's Blog: Short-term capitalism

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:54:21 -0400

Seth's Blog: Short-term capitalism:

Amen.

Supposedly a true story - some kids on a Thai island build their...

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:06:00 -0400

Supposedly a true story - some kids on a Thai island build their own soccer field. I’m waiting for the full-length Hollywood version.

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small differences..."

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:57:50 -0400

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small differences we can make which, over time, add up to the big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

- Marian Wright Edelman