The Blog of Josh Morgan

Robert Reich: The Triumph of Progressivism: Graduation 2013 and 1968

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:41:24 -0500

Robert Reich: The Triumph of Progressivism: Graduation 2013 and 1968:

Many of you soon-to-be college graduates are determined to make the world a better place. Some of you are choosing careers in public service or joining nonprofits or volunteering in your communities.

But many of you are cynical about politics. You see the system as inherently corrupt. You doubt…

Everyday Sociology Blog: Forgiveness is a Social Act

Sat, 11 May 2013 13:23:03 -0500

Everyday Sociology Blog: Forgiveness is a Social Act:

“Although there is no denying the individual dimensions of forgiveness, it is important to recognize that forgiveness is also an inherently social act.”

Armor And Anxiety: Tony Stark Is The New Captain America : NPR

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:06:01 -0500

Armor And Anxiety: Tony Stark Is The New Captain America : NPR:

The latest Iron Man installment continues an argument begun in last summer’s The Avengers about two very different kinds of American exceptionalism.

“Positive compilation of Russian dash cams”

Sat, 04 May 2013 08:30:56 -0500

“Positive compilation of Russian dash cams”

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:56:29 -0500

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places:

This is mind-blowing.

30 abandoned places that look truly beautiful.

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:26:00 -0500

30 abandoned places that look truly beautiful.

My wife was commissioned to make this dinner set featuring...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:31:00 -0500

My wife was commissioned to make this dinner set featuring different breeds of dogs. Visit her Etsy shop to see more of her work.

tehsara:

Dog Dinner Set

Created by myself as a commission. I’m pretty happy with how they turned out!

"What 10 key lessons can we learn about living the good life from studying older people?"

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:55:00 -0500

"What 10 key lessons can we learn about living the good life from studying older people?"

wnyc: Take a trip inside the magical world of….The Book of...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:05:34 -0500

wnyc:

Take a trip inside the magical world of….The Book of Clocks. This guide sits in the control rooms at WNYC and has the standard “clocks” for each show. How long the segments are, where the breaks come, when the network hands off to the local affiliate, etc… Without this, we’d be flying blind. Also makes for great bedtime reading.

-Jody, BL Show-

(update: More clocks!)

"What Do You Live For? A 5 Minute Exercise to Discover Your Most Important Values"

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:08:00 -0500

"What Do You Live For? A 5 Minute Exercise to Discover Your Most Important Values"

Stories of Kindness After the Bombing

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:49:03 -0500

Stories of Kindness After the Bombing:

In all the horror in Boston Monday, there are also heartening stories about how kindness emerged from tragedy: people on Twitter urging others to note the people who run towards the explosions, not a way from them, to help; stories of heroism from runners; journalists who ran the marathon, springing into action to cover the story; the first responders.

"Meditation Makes Us Act with Compassion"

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:54:16 -0500

"Meditation Makes Us Act with Compassion":

“A new study suggests mindfulness meditation can help us overcome the ‘bystander effect.’”

Couldn’t find the original source on this.

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:28:00 -0500

Couldn’t find the original source on this.

unconsumption: 19-year-old Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:19:13 -0500

unconsumption:

19-year-old Boyan Slat has unveiled plans to create an Ocean Cleanup Array that could remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste from the world’s oceans. The device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches around the world. Instead of moving through the ocean, the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, acting as a giant funnel. The angle of the booms would force plastic in the direction of the platforms, where it would be separated from plankton, filtered and stored for recycling.

More: 19-Year-Old Student Develops Ocean Cleanup Array That Could Remove 7,250,000 Tons Of Plastic From the World’s Oceans | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Via BoingBoing

Also on the ocean-garbage front: We’ve covered various responses to the Pacific Garbage Patch, here, and here.

"The Science of Honesty: Lying Less Improves Health and Relationships"

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:33:36 -0500

"The Science of Honesty: Lying Less Improves Health and Relationships":

“Lying less may be associated with significant benefits to both our physical and mental health, according to a recent study.”

unconsumption: With a Department of Energy grant, Raleigh, N.C....

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:32:29 -0500

unconsumption:

With a Department of Energy grant, Raleigh, N.C. has been using about 40 so-called Big Belly cans: “Large, solar-powered” public trash bins that “automatically compact trash and recyclables, and … send workers an email when they’re full.”

The cans cost about $7,000 each, said Bianca Howard, a community education specialist with the city’s Solid Waste Services department. But they ultimately save taxpayers money because they need to be collected less often, she said.

During the pilot program, the city replaced 32 traditional open-top cans along Fayetteville Street with 10 Big Belly stations and reduced costs from $40,903 to $1,607 for the year. In the Glenwood South area, collection costs were decreased from $12,056 annually to $115.

Via: High-tech trash cans cut costs in downtown Raleigh :: WRAL.com

A Response to My Bitcoin Post

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:18:00 -0500

A Response to My Bitcoin Post:

I could not figure out how to reblog a reblog, so here is a well-articulated reply by Tumblr user Miner Threat to my Bitcoin post from earlier. Thanks to him/her for taking the time to elaborate.

I have decided for now that Bitcoin is one of those ideas that, at least on paper, would be great to see on a larger scale. We live in an era of history that I imagine will be characterized by our servitude to state-sponsored financiers, much like medieval Europe and feudalism. Bitcoin would potentially erode much of their power. Unfortunately, the currency still has to address several cultural and economic challenges, including more favorable PR and perhaps safeguards against speculators. I think part of that will require the realization that Bitcoin is a solution and not the solution. Then again, I’m just some guy with no stake in the matter.

Anyway, thanks to the Bitcoin fans I have interacted with lately, including Miner Threat, for sharing your perspectives. I feel I have a better understanding of the whole thing now.

"The Future of Bitcoin"

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:53:00 -0500

"The Future of Bitcoin":

I haven’t made up my mind about Bitcoin yet. Most of the stories I have read about it in the last few years involve people losing lots of money in seconds due to Bitcoin theft. I have also discovered that Bitcoin’s strongest supporters are mostly libertarians or anarchists with bruised conceptions of social trust. Then again, the idea of an open-source global currency is fascinating to me.

This well-written article provided me with some necessary details about Bitcoin. Still, I have two concerns. First, Bitcoin appears to be a recreation of the rich or the would-be rich, as only for those who can afford to lose money on it can pay to play. In my mind, that roughly equates it with any other high-risk investment. Second, I would not be surprised to see the whole thing collapse once someone learns how to successfully game it, but I certainly hope that will not come to pass. Of course I’ll probably get a condescending message from at least one Bitcoin fan for posting these criticisms, as they seem to be incredibly defensive of the tool. Regardless, I think Bitcoin champions and casual observers alike will find this article useful.

Problems aside, I see Bitcoin as an almost surreal encapsulation of life in the 21st century thus far. Though I doubt I’ll ever put a dollar of my own money into it, I am eager to see how it will evolve.

"Mining Books To Map Emotions Through A Century"

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:22:00 -0500

"Mining Books To Map Emotions Through A Century":

This is a follow-up to another article I posted recently.

"Diamond Dallas Page's yoga saving lives"

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:58:00 -0500

"Diamond Dallas Page's yoga saving lives":

Former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page is someone who I have been admiring for the last several months. He has been all over the country promoting his yoga training program and encouraging others to think positively. I began following him after the first of three outstanding students in his yoga program produced awe-inspiring results for themselves. The first is Arthur, whose transformation you can watch in the article. The others are Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Scott Hall, two of DDP’s friends from the wrestling business who have recovered from drug and alcohol addiction with help from the program. DDP’s fame aside, it’s interesting to see such an optimistic and inspiring guy who acts like a regular dude. He swears, he usually dresses like he’s on the way to a workout, and he doesn’t pull punches with people, but from what I gather, he’s also one of the nicest tough guys on the planet.

If you’re interested, the three students I mentioned all have touching comeback stories. Arthur now makes appearances with DDP to promote DDP Yoga. Jake has been giving interviews everywhere and talking about how he loves life again. He recently started a fundraiser on Indiegogo to help cover the costs of a shoulder surgery and received more than triple the amount he requested. Scott later put up a fundraiser on Indiegogo to cover a hip replacement and has easily cleared his goal.

Spend a few minutes clicking these links and watching the videos if you want your heart warmed. It just goes to show that there are still awesome people out there, and that hope rarely ever needs to be lost with the right crowd behind you. DDP is definitely a part of the right crowd. Although I don’t know him, I am glad to share his work, and I hope that you’ll find him as inspiring as I do.