Zach.Fey

Spirit of the Game

christielouwho:

jimisland:

“Spirit of the Game sets Ultimate apart from other competitive team sports. For over 30 years, Ultimate has flourished, reaching a highly competitive level, without the use of referees. In Ultimate, the honor system works. Sure, human nature rears its ugly head from time to time - just as in any sport, just as in life. Yet, one of the many beauties of Ultimate is how, even amid the most difficult of situations, utmost graciousness is allowed to meet that challenge head on. Through this balance, Ultimate players are free to demonstrate the most honorable and the most joyous sides of human nature in sport.”

-Official Rules of Ultimate: 11th Edition

…this is how I live my life.

I don’t care who gives Ultimate slack about being a “hippie game”, but there isn’t a single sport other than frisbee that allows for absolute competition and then complete camaraderie on the sidelines.

My stint on the international jai alai circuit suggested otherwise. There were fierce pelotas, and fiercer friends.

Killing babies, saving the world...

spilttobill:

christielouwho:

Just listened to a really interesting podcast from WNYC’s Raiolab (a podcast that Chris got me into recently) that focuses on the issue of morality. Jad and Robert were examining the difficult decisions people make in moral dilemmas, specifically a situation that I know would rip me up inside

You’re in a situation where you need to be absolutely silent or the “enemy” (military troops, or whatnot) will kill everyone. You are with a group of people and you hold your small child in your arms that has a cold. He’s sniffling, and if he coughs at any point, the troops will hear it and kill you all.

Do you cover your baby’s face, thereby silencing and smothering it? Or do you do nothing?

Listen more to the podcast on Morality: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/04/28

I dunno, these kinds of scenarios are so unlikely and implausible that I don’t feel like it’s a legitimate rubric for any kind of debate on morality. It’s just another strain of the “Jack Bauer’s ticking time-bomb” argument for why certain heinous acts are justifiable. And everyone’s definition of morality is different, so this seems basically like an unbroken vector toward a snarling circlejerk of strawmen and self-righteousness. I shall now listen to the rest of this podcast and decide.

A scenario’s plausibility doesn’t affect its legitimacy as a “rubric” for a debate on morality. Regardless of a scenarios likelihood, if it stimulates our neurological moral reflexes, it’s fair game in a discussion of morality. This unfortunately includes 24. It is, however, beside the point.

The podcast is about the evolution of the brain in terms of where our moral intuition is coming from. Various moral scenarios were presented with a question (i.e. Would you murder your baby?). Neuroimaging was used to determine what parts of the brain test subjects were using to answer these questions.

What made the baby-killing scenario particularly interesting was that the “rational calculator” part of the brain (our most highly evolved section) seemed to be competing with the “visceral inner-chimp” section. And, of the test subjects about half said they would kill their baby. Again, the object of the podcast is to explore where our moral intuition comes from and how it’s changing, not to debate morality itself. But, if we were to pick a question perfectly central to our brains arguably two types of morality, “Would you murder your baby to save the village?” could be it.

formspring.me

christielouwho:

Is there anything you plan on doing to help the situation in Burma?

I’d really like to go on a trip to Burma in August with one of the people I met on Tuesday before I go to China, I just need to figure out money and such.

I’m also part of a bunch of collaborative coalition groups through email to send petitions to senators and such about petitioning the ban of business with large companies that trade work and money in Burma.

Ask me anything

Would you disagree with the assertion that travelling to Burma—and spending one’s money—while attempting to prevent businesses from participating in the same country’s economy is a double-standard?

A Quiet War On Students

generic1:

secrets0ciety:

Students stand to gain a lot from federal student aid legislation in Congress, but lenders have assembled an arsenal of PR campaigns, lobbyists, and campaign contributions.

Banks and loan corporations have quietly declared war on students this year, using an arsenal of more than two dozen lobbyists, an ambitious public relations campaign, and millions of dollars to kill legislation that would make college more affordable.

Lenders seem to be terrified of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), a bill in Congress that seeks to reform federal student loan policies by putting lending power and oversight into the hands of the government through the exising Direct Lending Program and ending the tax-subsidized Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. By saving money through the elimination of a private middle man in lending to students, the proposal would free more funds for improving college access and completion rates. The bill that the House of Representatives passed in September is supported by the Obama Administration, and is expected to be addressed in the Senate following the health care debate.

FULL STORY

Google Wave: Great American Novel (work in progress)

alligatortower:

Here’s what Jon G, myself, Mattie and Asa have put together so far.

It was a pretty nice day. Robocop was out for a jog when who should he find coming his way but a gang of bullies! These no good ruffians had nothing but the worst in mind for Robocop, who had harassed them no earlier than last week after a schoolyard brawl.

But that had been no ordinary brawl. Unbeknownst to Robocop, the bullies had been temporarily drafted into the CIA to aid in a terrorist sting operation. Robocop had interviened, thinking he was helping a defenseless civilian, and the evil terrorist mastermind had gotten away.

Freed of their government contract, the bullies had a score to settle. They advanced on robocop with weapons as primitive as lead pipes and as advanced as the pistol Muggs Mallone kept in the waistband of his pants but was always afraid to use because it made a very loud noise.

Later!

Robocop began to cry. This always happened to him after a confrontation. He didn’t really know why, something to do with the human face that was stuck to his gadgetry. But god, it cost the government a lot in anti-rust ointment. The expenditure was justifiable though, like a Unicorn, Robocop’s tears had incredible powers.

As the sadness-incarnate streamed out of his vision-screen, Robocop tried to think of happier times. Like back when coach was still alive. Of course, thoughts of coach only made it worse. Tears now coated his glorious metallic body, and he braced himself for what he knew was inevitable. The change was coming again. The transformation was beginning.

His hair grew greasy, and long. His voice, removed and Hong Kong-Austrian. His rear end began to take on the form and shade of a buterball turkey. The man once Robocop screamed in anguish and threw his hands up in rage. “I’M FED UP WITH THIS WORLD!” he shried. The metamorphosis into Wiseautron 5000 was complete.

Best Google Wave use to date. This is a good time to mention that I am the proud controller of a chunk Google Wave invitations. Who wants the hot Wave injection?