:: cawleyblog ::

Ben Stein: Expelled

A friend just sent me the link to Ben Stein: Expelled, a forthcoming documentary that deals with intelligent design and chronicles Ben Stein's "confrontation with the widespread suppression and entrenched discrimination that is spreading in our institutions, laboratories and most importantly, in our classrooms, and that is doing irreparable harm to some of the world’s top scientists, educators, and thinkers" (source).

The Expelled Blog has been around since August (read Stein's introductory post), so this may have been discussed ad nauseam in the blog world. But if there are others who, like me, have taken a joyful and extended holiday from the blogs, I thought it would be worth linking again here.

Stein approaches the issue based on the fact that a free and progressive society should have the freedom to discuss intelligent design without fear of discrimination and persecution.

The Expelled site has several videos, including a lengthy 'super trailer' (pictured above). Check them out here, or view the teaser trailer @ youtube embedded below.

RELATED
Ben Stein's homepage
Stein on Bill O'Reilly (youtube video)
Stein @ technorati

As personal note, this documentary is especially interesting to me given that the Fellowship Associates residents just finished reading and discussing Nancy Pearcey's, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Study Guide Edition).

Technorati Tags: BenStein, intelligentdesign

Nation of Rebels

One of my favorite books in the world is Heath and Potter's, Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture. I have read the book three or four times and have had more conversations with people about the book than I care to count. I don't ascribe to all the tenets of the book, but if I haven't told you to buy the book yet, consider this your introduction. Buy Nation of Rebels.

Brand Avenue mentions the book in a Fall Reading list (which also mentions City of Glass: Doug Coupland's Vancouver). Here is a blurb from Brand Avenue:

The concept of countercultural rebellion and its elusive twin—cool—have resulted in a status competition that has driven consumption to unprecedented heights. It's not conformism that leads us to spend, spend, spend on the unnecessary and the ephemeral, but its opposite: the quest to distinguish ourselves from the masses through our enlightened, hip, or just plain rebellious consumer preferences. And marketers of products ranging from cars (the Volkswagen Bug) to computers (the Mac) to shoes (Doc Martens) have been reaping huge harvests from the countercultural seeds that were sown in the 1960s. The point was never underlined more heavily than when Kalle Lassen, editor of the ragingly anti-capitalist Adbusters magazine, came out with the Black Spot sneaker: a "subversive" running shoe that Lassen hoped would "uncool Nike" and "set a precedent that [would] revolutionize capitalism." As Heath and Potter point out, there is nothing "subversive" about trying to beat Nike. "That's called marketplace competition. It's the whole point of capitalism...."

Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture

RELATED
Theoretically Related 'Nation of Rebels' Posts @ This Blog
The Claremont Institute's Review of Nation of Rebels
Andrew Potter's Blog
Rebel Sell Blog

How Culture Exploits Men

I have recently noticed an article that several people have been tagging on del.icio.us under the general tag "gender." The article is Dr. Roy Baumeister's recent address to the APA, interestingly titled: Is There Anything Good About Men? I'm surprised that I haven't seen this appear on digg, but I did notice that the NYT blog has picked it up here.

Essentially, Baumeister explores how cultural systems shape action with respect to gender. I found his thesis fascinating and enjoyed reading the whole article.

What I found particularly interesting about his argument is that he rejects contemporary theories of gender (overwhelmingly shaped by feminist ideology) in favor of a complementary view of gender:

Hence this is not about the “battle of the sexes,” and in fact I think one unfortunate legacy of feminism has been the idea that men and women are basically enemies. I shall suggest, instead, that most often men and women have been partners, supporting each other rather than exploiting or manipulating each other.

[...]

Let’s return to the three main theories we’ve had about gender: Men are better, no difference, and women are better. What’s missing from that list? Different but equal. Let me propose that as a rival theory that deserves to be considered. I think it’s actually the most plausible one. Natural selection will preserve innate differences between men and women as long as the different traits are beneficial in different circumstances or for different tasks.

Ultimately, Baumeister argues that gender inequality cannot be adequately explained by feminist theories of patriarchy (which he rejects as conspiracy theories). Instead, he suggests that the proliferation of gender inequality can be explained by the way in which men's larger, more shallow social networks have progressed culturally while women have concentrated on close relationships that have enabled the species to survive.

I have re-posted his conclusion below and would commend the whole article to you.

Technorati Tags: gender

Fast Cities 2007

The cover story of the current issue of Fast Company profiles the the 30 Fastest Cities in the World (kind of reminds me of being a kid and having the fastest shoes...a critical necessity for every child-- especially those of us who wore Husky jeans).

This article will be of particular interest to those who are interested in the work of Richard Florida and his continuing research considering the The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. In fact, Florida's follow up book, which i have yet to read, focuses on Cities and the Creative Class.

The Fast Cities profile is described as follows:

We scoured the globe in search of the perfect place to transplant yourself and your business. From Chicago to Shanghai, we selected 30 urban centers that are shaping our future. We have creative-class meccas, R&D hot spots, even cities so fast they're scary. Plus, the world's slowest cities. Is your hometown on the list? Vote for your favorites and submit your own.

Read it for yourself

RELATED POSTS
Richard Florida on the Colbert Report

Technorati Tags: CreativeClass, Lifestlye trends, RichardFlorida

Richard Florida on the Colbert Report

Those who have had any extended conversations with me in the last several years have heard me reference the work of Richard Florida. I am convinced that people who care about the spread of the Gospel and church planting in urban environments should pay careful attention to the argument of his book, The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life (in spite of Florida's expressed views on religion).

Though my praise and interaction with his thesis must wait for another day, I draw your attention to the the fact that Florida was recently interviewed on the Colbert Report. (he discusses the interview here).



Memorable Colbert quotes from the interview:
-"So you mean I'm supposed to follow gay people around..."
-"I think you are a gay-bohemian artist who just wants to sell his house"

Related
-my del.icio.us links tagged "richardflorida"
-Bruce Reyes-Chow's book review/ discussion of religion and the creative class, together with Florida's own blog response
-Jonathan Dodson's blog (Jonathan is a friend and church planter in Austin who writes thoughtful pieces on issues related to the creative class)
-Florida's Blog
-The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life (Amazon)

Technorati Tags: ColbertReport, CreativeClass, RichardFlorida

We Are Not Pregnant

Actually, for those that don't know, Katie and I are expecting a child. However, "we are not pregnant"-- and CT editor Mark Galli riffs on this phrase as a launching pad into one of the best pieces I have read on the differences between men and women in some time. I will highlight some of my favorite pieces from "We Are Not Pregnant: The glory of men and women lies in their unbridgeable differences" below, but I strongly urge you to read the whole thing

Technorati Tags: gender

Where Are Singles Living in the US?

From National Geographic's February Issue (via Creative Class Group Blog)

First Things on Bono & the RED Fiasco

Bono Still Hasn't Found What He's Looking For (Ryan Anderson, First Things)

In this article, Anderson comments on the foolishness of spending $100 million in advertising to raise a mere $18 million for Africa, and shares my general sentiments regarding the consumeristic ego massaging nature of Bono's campaign:

Buying overpriced luxury items—the true meaning of the Parable of the Good-Looking Samaritan. Anyway, it’s been a year now, and the results seem poor. Unhappy with the Advertising Age report, the CEO of (RED) issued a public response. It makes some valid points: The money was going to be spent on product advertising anyway, so we might as well raise awareness about AIDS in Africa and raise some money at the same time. Certainly the sick in Africa aren’t sneering at the $18 million. For many, it has been the difference between life and death.

But there is something wrongheaded—even repulsive—about the approach. Turning the life-and-death plight of an entire continent into just another advertising strategy. Making charitable giving a matter of satisfying consumerist desires. Attempting to solve African need by Western greed.

It reminded me of one of Bono’s earlier endeavors: the ONE Campaign. Bono titled this “the campaign to make poverty history.” Its strategy was simply to rally Americans to call upon President Bush to allocate one additional percentage point of the U.S. budget to fighting extreme poverty across the globe.

Surprisingly, they never ask for any direct contributions: “ONE isn’t asking for your money, we’re asking for your voice. ONE does not accept donations. Instead, we hope that you’ll take action with ONE by contacting Congress, the President and other elected officials and ask them to do even more to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. We encourage you to sign the ONE declaration and help by spreading the word about the ONE Campaign by talking about it with your friends, family and co-workers. Additionally, you can show your community that you support ONE by purchasing ONE merchandise on our website.”

Just sign our petition! Just call President Bush! Wear our wristband! That’s all it takes to make poverty history! You don’t even need to give a dime!

What a bizarre method. Why not appeal to our consciences directly and ask every American to donate 1 percent of our personal budget to the poverty-fighting charity of our choice? The ONE Campaign made significant inroads with the religious communities—having them demand more from the government. Why not ask for a tithe? Why not call for personal contributions instead of political noise-making?

But that would require sacrifice. And that wouldn’t sell. Nor would it be trendy. It’s so much easier to say we can fight AIDS by buying Armani and Gap. It’s so much easier to say we’ll end world poverty by telling Congress to do something about it. My “good-looking” “fine self” sleeps so much better at night knowing that my (RED) purchase has bought pills for someone in Africa, that my signature on the ONE declaration means I’ve done my part.

Many people got fed up with this. They thought it was just an attempt to ease our consciences about being so well off. To give until it feels good, not until it hurts.

Anderson also links BuyLessCrap.org. Though their approach is a greatly improved approach to the glam-clad RED campaign, Anderson notes the weakness of their approach as well:

Giving money will never be the focus of the real solution. This simplistic view assumes that Africa’s only ailment is material lack. But this is to mistake the symptom for the cause. A materialistic understanding of the causes of poverty—at home and abroad—will never suffice. Real answers need to address culture and its institutions.

read the whole article

Technorati Tags: (RED), Africa, Bono, consumerism, justice

How Beneficial Was the (RED) Campaign?

For those that might remember opinions I have previously stated about Bono & the RED campaign, or additional thoughts I expressed, you might be interested in an article that a friend directed me to this afternoon:

Costly Red Campaign Reaps Meager $18 Million

It's been a year since the first Red T-shirts hit Gap shelves in London, and a parade of celebrity-splashed events has followed: Steven Spielberg smiling down from billboards in San Francisco; Christy Turlington striking a yoga pose in a New Yorker ad; Bono cruising Chicago's Michigan Avenue with Oprah Winfrey, eagerly snapping up Red products; Chris Rock appearing in Motorola TV spots ("Use Red, nobody's dead"); and the Red room at the Grammy Awards. So you'd expect the money raised to be, well, big, right? Maybe $50 million, or even $100 million.

Try again: The tally raised worldwide is $18 million.

[...]

But is the rise of philanthropic fashionistas decked out in Red T-shirts and iPods really the best way to save a child dying of AIDS in Africa?

(read more)

The above article also links to buylesscrap.org, an organization that facilitates direct contributions to the Global Fund and other charitable organizations without the need to buy a celebrity branded product:

Join us in rejecting the ti(red) notion that shopping is a reasonable response to human suffering

Technorati Tags: Africa, Bono, consumerism, RED

24 & Torture

Whatever it Takes: The Politics of the Man Behind "24" (Jane Mayer // The New Yorker)

This essay includes portions from an interview with Joel Surnow-- the co-creator and executive producer of 24-- and covers a wide range of topics particularly focusing on the ethics of torture, its debatable benefits -- and the way in which torture is used specifically in 24 (appropriate to consider in light of jovial comments I recently made regarding this exact issue).

I have pasted a few quotes from the article below-- but I encourage you to read the entire piece.

Each season of “24,” which has been airing on Fox since 2001, depicts a single, panic-laced day in which Jack Bauer—a heroic C.T.U. agent, played by Kiefer Sutherland—must unravel and undermine a conspiracy that imperils the nation. Terrorists are poised to set off nuclear bombs or bioweapons, or in some other way annihilate entire cities. The twisting story line forces Bauer and his colleagues to make a series of grim choices that pit liberty against security. Frequently, the dilemma is stark: a resistant suspect can either be accorded due process—allowing a terrorist plot to proceed—or be tortured in pursuit of a lead. Bauer invariably chooses coercion. With unnerving efficiency, suspects are beaten, suffocated, electrocuted, drugged, assaulted with knives, or more exotically abused; almost without fail, these suspects divulge critical secrets.

[...]

Finnegan told the producers that “24,” by suggesting that the U.S. government perpetrates myriad forms of torture, hurts the country’s image internationally. Finnegan, who is a lawyer, has for a number of years taught a course on the laws of war to West Point seniors—cadets who would soon be commanders in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. He always tries, he said, to get his students to sort out not just what is legal but what is right. However, it had become increasingly hard to convince some cadets that America had to respect the rule of law and human rights, even when terrorists did not. One reason for the growing resistance, he suggested, was misperceptions spread by “24,” which was exceptionally popular with his students. As he told me, “The kids see it, and say, ‘If torture is wrong, what about “24”?’ ” He continued, “The disturbing thing is that although torture may cause Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do.”

[...]

The “24” producers told the military and law-enforcement experts that they were careful not to glamorize torture; they noted that Bauer never enjoys inflicting pain, and that it had clearly exacted a psychological toll on the character. (As Gordon put it to me, “Jack is basically damned.”) Finnegan and the others disagreed, pointing out that Bauer remains coolly rational after committing barbarous acts, including the decapitation of a state’s witness with a hacksaw

Technorati Tags: 24, television, torture