"Biological determinism is one of psychology’s ugliest evasions, removing the poetic human from any issue."

"As we as a society become desperate financially, and more regulated and conformist, our ideals of competence become more misleading and cruel, making people feel like losers. There might be more to our distractions than we realized we knew. We might need to be irresponsible. But to follow a distraction requires independence and disobedience; there will be anxiety in not completing something, in looking away, or in not looking where others prefer you to. This may be why most art is either collaborative — the cinema, pop, theater, opera — or is made by individual artists supporting one another in various forms of loose arrangement, where people might find the solidarity and backing they need."

"A secondary school has divided its students by ability, complete with different uniforms. Innovative way to lure the middle classes, or worrying segregation?"<br />
<br />
[Sneeches and "A Class Divided" come to mind.]

"New Orleans is full of vacant storefronts and people who need things. These stickers are an easy tool to voice what you want where you want it. Fill them out and put them on abandoned buildings and beyond.<br />
<br />
These stickers are custom vinyl and can be easily removed without damaging property. They're free and can be found in corner stores, cafes, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other places around New Orleans. See select photos here and share more on Flickr (tag your photos "iwishthiswas") or email photos or locations.<br />
<br />
This project was created by local designer Candy Chang and launched with exhibit Ethnographic Terminalia at DuMois Gallery. Come to the opening Nov 19 or visit the show until Dec 3 2010 for good times and free stickers."

"As you can see from my examples, this was not some incremental improvement that Microsoft gave to Bing Maps—no, this was a vast overhaul. In truth, it seems as though Microsoft has left nothing unchanged in the “new” Bing Maps. And yet even though the “new” maps are unusually light on detail (especially in how few cities they seem to show), they’re now among the most aesthetically pleasing maps on the web.<br />
<br />
On an unrelated note, I find the similarities between Windows Phone 7’s UI and the “new” Bing Maps to be quite curious: both use Segoe fonts, both are unflinchingly minimalistic, and both are dramatic breaks from their predecessors. Maybe this really is a new direction for Microsoft."

The land of the free has become a legal minefield, says Philip K. Howard -- especially for teachers and doctors, whose work has been paralyzed by fear of suits. What's the answer? A lawyer himself, Howard has four propositions for simplifying US law.

"Those who have shaped the nation's understanding of young people are not nearly as famous as their subjects, however. That's a shame, for these experts are colorful characters in their own right. Some are scholars, and some aren't. Many can recall watching the Beatles on a black-and-white television, and some grew up just before Barney the purple dinosaur arrived. Most can entertain an audience, though a few prefer to comb through statistics.

"When this year’s Sonar Festival proudly featured a nice video selection of experimental electronic music label Audio Dregs, we knew we had to investigate further. Although based in Portland, this label has a tight connection with Japan, releasing artists like Mumbleboy or Lullatone. How come? PingMag had a chat with co-founder Eric Mast a.k.a. E*Rock, the sympathetic musician, designer, clip director and multi-talented artist. Thanks to Ian Lynam for connecting us!"

"Italian researchers determine underlying statistical structure of social bookmarking sites"

"flof es una colección de lugares catalogados por usuarios en forma libre. Así como guardás tus páginas favoritas, con flof vas a poder guardar, compartir y descubrir lugares dentro de una gran comunidad."