Clarion Content

These are the links that piqued the Clarion's interest from one skewed vector or another in April. Whaddya mean it isn't April anymore? Where that go? Ho. Ho.

This link is a bit older, but it is a good one. (To read events in order scroll all the way down to the bottom-most post and read the posts from the bottom up.) We here could hardly lead you down the rabbit hole that originally got us to this blog, dear reader. It is from an American medical student, a 3rd year OB/GYN Resident from Indiana, Dr. Christina. She writes in the first person about the work she is doing in Afghanistan. It is gripping stuff. This blog was written in 2007. The latest we read Dr. Christina was working in Kenya. The Clarion frequently hears criticism of the first person diary style blog, and it is surely not our style, but sometimes it is invaluable. The perspective in this kind of blog is so immediate, strong, and intense, only the very best on-scene reporting can attempt to match it. And even then, the reporters are often constrained by caveats and mandates that diarist bloggers may or may not subscribe to.

Here is another link to a first person on-scene diarist blog. It is written by two people in neighboring areas. The Clarion has not had a chance to explore this link as fully as Dr. Christina. Blogs of note deserves the credit for steering the Clarion to this second blog, the gaza-sderot.blogspot.com.

This next link isn't to a blog at all. It is rather to a site called Ted.com. Ted.com is "inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers." There are video clips of phenomenal speeches by the hundreds. This link was sent the Clarion's way from an Australian friend of ours months ago, but only recently were we reminded that though the office had been using it, we hadn't posted it in one of our interesting links columns. There is some terrific video content up here from some of the best and the brightest.

We hope we have thrown you hungry lions some of the meat with those first three links. Each offers an opportunity to go there, be it with a blogger or with a speaker. These next couple links are more of the food for thought variety, grist for the mill. This first one is from a joint Stanford-Cal Tech study indicating that paying a higher price for wine (ostensibly any food) can trick the brain into producing a chemical that makes one more inclined to like it. Brilliant, the more you pay the more likely you are to like it. (Stanford probably uses this argument to set tuition.) The arc of this study fits neatly into an oversubscribed American hypothesis that says human beings are hard wired for capitalism. The results were published by the National Academy of Sciences.

This next one is about a fascinating intellectual dilemma facing Obama and Clinton personally as they wage the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. It was wonderfully explained in the Washington Post by one Shankar Vedantam. The choice facing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton individually as Vedantam illuminates it is...

"Your supporters passionately believe you ought to win the race...The longer the race goes on, however, the more bitter it becomes. Increasing numbers of your supporters say they will never support your competitor...Pulling out of the race means giving up your dream -- when you think you are the better choice. Staying in risks collective disaster...Act selfishly and cause collective disaster, or act altruistically and aid someone else who is acting selfishly. Either way, selfishness wins."

As Vedantam notes this situation is often termed the tragedy of the commons. The more selfish person gains an apparent advantage. The classic article where the term was resurrected from the dustbin of history was written by biologist Garrett Hardin. His article used the tragedy of the commons argument to address population growth and resource scarcity. It provoked voluminous debate upon its appearance in 1968.

Food and fun for thought. Love your feedback.

Labels: 2008's President, interesting links, Middle East, thought