Anne Heche, by contrast, is a deeply pretentious bore.

Anne Heche, by contrast, is a deeply pretentious bore.

The reasons brainstorming fails are instructive for other forms of group work, too. People in groups tend to sit back and let others do the work; they instinctively mimic others’ opinions and lose sight of their own; and, often succumb to peer pressure. The Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns found that when we take a stance different from the group’s, we activate the amygdala, a small organ in the brain associated with the fear of rejection. Professor Berns calls this “the pain of independence.” The one important exception to this dismal record is electronic brainstorming, where large groups outperform individuals; and the larger the group the better. The protection of the screen mitigates many problems of group work. This is why the Internet has yielded such wondrous collective creations. Marcel Proust called reading a “miracle of communication in the midst of solitude,” and that’s what the Internet is, too. It’s a place where we can be alone together — and this is precisely what gives it power.
(Reblogged from thisistheverge)
I appreciate pastoralism but animals are not sustainable any more. When there is drought, your animals die and you are left with nothing. If I could make one thing happen it would be to have my own business and earn money.
Elizabeth, Turkana, Kenya
Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?

- Rick Perry

It’s nice to be able to use the phrase ‘not a ringing endorsement’ about an actual endorsement.

We screwed up in every way possible, learned lots of valuable expensive lessons.
Rupert Murdoch on MySpace
All-American Muslim is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values. Clearly this program is attempting to manipulate Americans into ignoring the threat of jihad and to influence them to believe that being concerned about the jihad threat would somehow victimize these nice people in this show.
The ‘Florida Freedom Association’ speaks out against new US reality TV show ‘All-American Muslim,’ leading retailer Lowes to remove their sponsorship.
We will not relinquish power because of a slogan-chanting crowd.
Maj. Gen. Mukhtar el-Mallah, of Egypt’s ruling military council
I think the aid is all worthless. It doesn’t do any good for most of the people. You take money from poor people in this country, and you end up giving it to rich people in poor countries. And they’re used as weapons of war, so you accomplish nothing.
We woke up at the beginning of the new century and finally discovered that the earth is fragile and must be defended. The first thing to defend is land. There is a nostalgic, almost romantic idea that it is more ecological to make a small building – forget it, this is the worst way to consume land. This is the reason that cities grow. It is more socially correct to intensify the city and free up space on the ground. The city is fragile and vulnerable, so we have to be careful.
Renzo Piano outlines the rationale behind The Shard.
Marvellous look back at Sainsbury’s own-brand packaging from the 70s. This biscuit packet could be a modern National Theatre poster.

Marvellous look back at Sainsbury’s own-brand packaging from the 70s. This biscuit packet could be a modern National Theatre poster.

We are appealing to the archbishop to calm down and work together with the ANC and its government, first, on the Dalai Lama issue and secondly, we appeal to the archbishop not to pray for the demise of the ANC-led government, but instead to work together with the ANC and pray for the ANC-led government to deliver a better life for all the people of South Africa.

ANC Spokesman

We don’t have a reaction. He’s cancelled his trip and that’s it. We have not said no. We’ve not refused him a visa; the visa was still being processed. It’s only on 20 September that he submitted his full paperwork. In some countries a visa can take two months. I don’t know why people are criticising the government.

South African Foreign Ministry spokesman

(Source: Guardian)

Our government is worse than the apartheid government because at least you would expect it with the apartheid government. Our government we expect to be sensitive to the sentiments of our constitution.

Let the ANC know they have a large majority. Well, Mubarak had a large majority, Gaddafi had a large majority. I am warning you: watch out. Watch out.

Our government – representing me! – says it will not support Tibetans being viciously oppressed by China. You, president Zuma and your government, do not represent me. I am warning you, as I warned the nationalists, one day we will pray for the defeat of the ANC government.

Desmond Tutu reacts to the cancellation of the Dalai Lama’s trip to South Africa after the ANC government appeared to deliberately delay his visa application.

Crikey.

It might look a bit unwieldy, but I’m convinced all laptops should have a slide-up screen like this design from 1996.