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  1. Last 7 days
    1. Historical mythmaking is made possible only by forgetting.

      The Dan Allosso book club continues on its tour of looking at historical myths, particularly with respect to economics in the United States.

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  2. Jan 2024
    1. Which is exactly what you do in the book. And what did you find? - So what I do, I take apart the operating system of capitalism, which is, and I look at seven myths, really that drive it.
      • for: book - wealth supremacy - 7 myths, 7 myths of Capitalism, capital bias, definition - capital bias

      • DESCRIPTION: 7 MYTHS of CAPITALISM

        • The Myth of Maximization
          • example of absurdity of maximization
            • Bill Gates had $10 billion. Then he invested it and got $300 billion. There's no limit to how much wealth an individual can accumulate. It is absurd.
        • Myth of the Income Statement
          • Gains to capital called profit is always to be increased and
          • Gains of labor is called an expense, is always to be decreased
        • Myth of Materiality (also called capital bias)
        • definition: capital bias
          • If something impacts capital, it matters
          • If something impacts society or ecology, it doesn't matter
        • With the capital bias, only accumulating more capital matters. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. This is how most accountants and CFO's view the world.
      • quote: Laura Flanders

        • The capital is what matters. We're aiming for more capital and nothing else really matters. That's the operating system of the economy. So the real world is immaterial to this world of wealth as held in stocks and shares and financial instruments.
  3. Dec 2022
    1. One dominant way that people think about poverty, both in scholarship and in publicdiscourse, is to focus on demographic characteristics. This explanation assumes thatthere is something wrong with poor people’s individual characteristics: that they aremore likely to be single parents, they are not working enough, they are too young, orthey are not well-educated. So, the way to attack poverty, from this perspective, wouldbe to reduce single-parenthood or reduce the number of people with low education. Thisexplanation concentrates on the individual characteristics of the poor people themselvesand how they are different from nonpoor people.The problem with this explanation is that it does not adequately explain thebig differences in poverty between countries. For example, think about the big fourindividual risks of poverty—single parenthood, becoming a head of household at anearly age, low- education, and unemployment. These are indisputably the four bigcharacteristics that predict your risk of poverty. If the demographic explanation iscorrect, then the United States should have very high levels of single-parenthood, youngheadship, low educational attainment, and unemployment. That would explain why wehave high poverty: We have a large number of people with those four characteristics.The reality, however, is that the United States is actually below average in these areascompared with other rich democracies.
    2. One of the most enduring poverty myths across the political and ideologicalspectrum is that if we were able to provide individuals with enough educationand skills, poverty could be eliminated.
    3. A final point regarding the myth of hard work and poverty is that this mythis particularly powerful because it implies a sense of justice and fairness. Thosewho do well in life through their hard work are seen as deserving, and thosewho do not do well in life through their lack of hard work are also seen as de-serving of their fate.14 There is something comforting about the idea that peopleget their just rewards. Unfortunately, neither the world nor poverty is fair. AsMichael Harrington wrote in his 1963 book, The Other America:The real explanation of why the poor are where they are is that they madethe mistake of being born to the wrong parents, in the wrong section of thecountry, in the wrong industry, or in the wrong racial or ethnic group. Oncethat mistake has been made, they could have been paragons of will and mo-rality, but most of them would never even have had a chance to get out ofthe other America.15
  4. Nov 2022
  5. Sep 2022
    1. sociologist Elijah Anderson’s memorable phrase, the “iconicghetto.”
    2. The underlying theme tyingthese myths together is that poverty is often perceived to be an issue of“them” rather than an issue of “us”—that those who experience povertyare viewed as strangers to mainstream America, falling outside accept-able behavior, and as such, are to be scorned and stigmatized.

      One of the underlying commonalities about the various myths of poverty is that we tend to "other" those that it effects. The "them" we stigmatize with the ills of poverty really look more like "us", and in fact, they are.

      Rather than victim shame and blame those in poverty, we ought to spend more of our time fixing the underlying disease instead of spending the time, effort, energy, and money on attempting to remedy the symptoms (eg. excessive policing, et al.) Not only is it more beneficial, but cheaper in the long run.


      Related:<br /> Gladwell, Malcolm. “Million-Dollar Murray.” The New Yorker, February 5, 2006. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/13/million-dollar-murray (.pdf copy available at https://housingmatterssc.org/million-dollar-murray/)

  6. Jul 2022
  7. Local file Local file
    1. 'I don't think it's anything—I mean, I don't think it was ever put to anyuse. That's what I like about it. It's a little chunk of history that they'veforgotten to alter. It's a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew howto read it.'

      Walter and Julia are examining a glass paperweight in George Orwell's 1984 without having context of what it is or for what it was used.

      This is the same sort of context collapse caused by distance in time and memory that archaeologists face when examining found objects.

      How does one pull out the meaning from such distant objects in an exegetical way? How can we more reliably rebuild or recreate lost contexts?

      Link to: - Stonehenge is a mnemonic device - mnemonic devices in archaeological contexts (Neolithic carved stone balls


      Some forms of orality-based methods and practices can be viewed as a method of "reading" physical objects.


      Ideograms are an evolution on the spectrum from orality to literacy.


      It seems odd to be pulling these sorts of insight out my prior experiences and reading while reading something so wholly "other". But isn't this just what "myths" in oral cultures actually accomplish? We link particular ideas to pieces of story, song, art, and dance so that they may be remembered. In this case Orwell's glass paperweight has now become a sort of "talking rock" for me. Certainly it isn't done in any sort of sense that Orwell would have expected, presumed, or even intended.

  8. Jun 2022
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  10. Feb 2022
    1. For all its flaws and virtues, yellow journalism exerted a powerful influence in American journalism at the turn of the twentieth century. Yellow journalism was much decried but its salient features often were emulated. The genre was appealing and distinctive in its typography, in its lavish use of illustrations, in its aggressive newsgathering techniques.

      I think this particular paragraphs highlights that all though, yellow journalism can be flawed and problematic, it has greatly impacted American journalism.

  11. inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net
    1. The Epic Of Gilgamesh 16 4 THE SEARCH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE BITTERLY Gilgamesh wept for his friend Enkidu; he wandered over the wilderness as a hunter, he roamed over the plains; in his bitterness he cried, ‘How can I rest, how can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart. What my brother is now, that shall I be when I am dead. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best I can to find Utnapishtim whom they call the Faraway, for he has entered the assembly of the gods.' So Gilgamesh travelled over the wilderness, he wandered over the grasslands, a long journey, in search of Utnapishtim, whom the gods took after the deluge; and they set him to live in the land of Dilmun, in the garden of the sun; and to him alone of men they gave everlasting life. At night when he came to the mountain passes Gilgamesh prayed: ‘In these mountain passes long ago I saw lions, I was afraid and I lifted my eyes to the moon; I prayed and my prayers went up to the gods, so now, O moon god Sin, protect me.' When he had prayed he lay down to sleep, until he was woken from out of a dream. He saw the lions round him glorying in life; then he took his axe in his hand, he drew his sword from his belt, and he fell upon them like an arrow from the string, and struck and destroyed and scattered them. So at length Gilgamesh came to Mashu, the great mountains about which he had heard many things, which guard the rising and the setting sun. Its twin peaks are as high as the wall of heaven and its paps reach down to the underworld. At its gate the Scorpions stand guard, half man and half dragon; their glory is terrifying, their stare strikes death into men, their shimmering halo sweeps the mountains that guard the rising sun. When Gilgamesh saw them he shielded his eyes for the length of a moment only; then he took courage and approached. When they saw him so undismayed the Man-Scorpion called to his mate, ‘This one who comes to us now is flesh of the gods.' The mate of the Man-Scorpion answered, ‘Two thirds is god but one third is man.' Then he called to the man Gilgamesh, he called to the child of the gods: ‘ Why have you come so great a journey; for what have you travelled so far, crossing the dangerous waters; tell me the reason for your coming?' Gilgamesh answered, ‘For Enkidu; I loved him dearly, together we endured all kinds of hardships; on his account I have come, for the common lot of man has taken him. I have wept for him day and night, I would not give up his body for burial, I thought my friend would come back because of my weeping. Since he went, my life is nothing; that is why I have travelled here in search of Utnapishtim my father; for men say he has entered the assembly of the gods, and has found everlasting life: I have a desire to question him, concerning the living and the dead.' The Man-Scorpion opened his mouth and said, speaking to Gilgamesh, ‘No man born of woman has done what you have asked, no mortal man has gone into the mountain; the length of it is twelve leagues of darkness; in it there is no light, but the heart is oppressed with darkness. From the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun there is no light.' Gilgamesh said, ‘Although I should go in sorrow and in pain, with sighing and with weeping, still I must go. Open the gate ' of the mountain:' And the Man-Scorpion said, ‘Go, Gilgamesh, I permit you to pass through the mountain of Mashu and through the high ranges; may your feet carry you safely home. The gate of the mountain is open.' When Gilgamesh heard this he did as the Man-Scorpion had said, he followed the sun's road to his rising, through the mountain. When he had gone one league the darkness became thick around him, for there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After two leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After three leagues the darkness was thick, and there was no w light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. After four leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. At the end of five leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. At the end of six leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him. When he had gone seven leagues the darkness was thick and there was no light, he could see nothing ahead and nothing behind him.

      Very similar to the Orpheus myth (the afterlife like a body of water (Styx), dark, and difficult to get to).

  12. Oct 2021
  13. Jun 2021
  14. May 2021
    1. Big tech can patiently sit through some zingers about their business model, as long as the person delivering those one-liners comes around to repeating big tech’s latest Sinophobic talking point while repeating the “they meant well” myth.
  15. Mar 2021
  16. Feb 2021
  17. Jan 2021
  18. Aug 2020
  19. Mar 2020
    1. The idea that Bernie is some kind of grouchy ogre is an old and ugly snipe. Nobody ever spends time talking about his smiles or immediate concern for people's physical safety or intensely deep sense of empathy for the blue collar working populace. He's not our friend. He won't call to wish us a happy birthday. He won't make us chuckle with a well-timed joke.

      That's not his job.

      His job is to, hopefully, become president and start working to change America into the land our Constitution promised. It's nowhere near impossible, but it won't be easy wresting control from the corporate establishment (AKA; The DNC). They are engineering the nomination process as we speak to keep Bernie from taking the nomination.

  20. Jul 2017
  21. May 2017
  22. Aug 2016
    1. Credibull score = 9.77 / 10

      To provide feedback on the score fill in the form available here

      What is Credibull? getcredibull.com

  23. Apr 2016
    1. Teachers often avoid discussion of myths and folktales after the freshman year because they can envision no way of incorporating the material into their present units

      Teachers should incorporate more myths into their curriculum! I think they are very important genres of writing for students to read along with all of the other genres that are always covered in schools.

    2. My ninth-grade unit on mythology requires stu- dents to learn and tell stories to the class. As part of the unit students rehearse skills in outlining and notetaking as well as develop dramatic skills

      I really like that this unit gets students so involved in what they are reading and writing. Having students tell their own stories to the class or even possibly acting out different myths really gets them engaged in what they are learning.

    3. Because few un- dergraduate degrees require instruction in my- thology and its related fields, most teachers ac- quire a BA without coming near them. Conse- quently, few high-school curricula require myth instruction because (in a tautological stance) few colleges require undergraduate coursework in i

      I think it is unfortunate that myths are not a more relevant topic in education because I think they are important for students to be aware of. Also it is hard to expect a teacher to teach myths to students very well when they themselves have very seldom worked with or analyzed myths.

    4. An effective ap- proach to mythology should illustrate the connec- tion among international myths, folktales, and leg- ends that continue to be told in current literature and media, including films, songs, television, and cultural icons.

      I think this is very important to portray to students because there are stories and myths that have been told for thousands of years that can still be relevant and told in many different forms today. Allowing them to become aware of this genre of reading and writing can make them more interested in learning about myths or even trying to connect older stories to more current narratives.

    5. Discussion and review of the categories always brings up modern parallels so that students al- ready begin to see how heroes, quests, and other archetypes are a part of their contemporary world.

      It is very important to connect literature to student's lives. Many times during school, I, personally, have found myself asking why and asking what the point is. If there are connections made to real life, it adds that much more meaning to the student's learning.

    6. This would consist of two phases: (1) an introductory unit on the ninth- or tenth-grade level illustrating promi- nent archetypes or themes through stories drawn from around the world; and (2) reacquaintance with these archetypes/themes on later levels by showing their appearance in varied works of liter- ature

      I like how the author illustrates that mythology is not being taught, and then instead of just saying, "this is a problem", they provide a solution.

    7. By noting how the trickster behavior of Odysseus in his confrontation with Polyphemus is echoed in Chaucer's "Miller's Tale," Shake- speare's fools, and R. P. McMurphy,

      I just laughed to myself a bit after reading this. This is because throughout the beginning of the article I was thinking to myself, "I think I have learned quite a bit of mythology over the years", and now reading this sentence, I have no idea what the majority of the references being made are.

    8. more aware of cultures that have often been better educated about us than we have about them. Knowledge of other people's cultural bases increases both respect for others and an apprecia- tion of our own place in the world

      This is important no matter what the situation. When making decisions, no matter the severity, it is always good practice to look back on what others have done and see how different decisions have worked out. From this, a person can adequately make a decision.

    9. An effective ap- proach to mythology should illustrate the connec- tion among international myths, folktales, and leg- ends that continue to be told in current literature and media, including films, songs, television, and cultural icons.

      The definition given for mythology is interesting because just after implying that it is not taught, the author gives a definition that says that mythology is in nearly everything, including things that students experience in their everyday life. Does this mean that students are inadvertently learning mythology?

    10. By failing to acquaint our students with these cultural building blocks, we fail to illustrate fully their heritage and their connection with cultures out- side their own. And by making them aware that myths and folktales embody more than a handful of tales about Greek gods and heroes, that they touch a core that reaches back to the roots of our evolution,

      I agree with this statement. If we fail to teach students mythology, we fail to teach them the tales that embed culture. They also do not get the opportunity to have a well rounded education in literature without mythology. Giving them the tools to understand culture and how it was made, will teach them more about their own and about the world's culture and evolution in general.

    11. Teachers often avoid discussion of myths and folktales after the freshman year because they can envision no way of incorporating the material into their present units

      I have experienced this in high school. We only focused on myths my freshman year then never learned about them again, which is upsetting because I think they are very interesting and educational, especially with learning different cultures/traditions.

    12. , I model the unit by provid- ing the class with outlines of the story of Oedipus, which I then relate. Following the presentation, I provide a copy of the story, showing how I reduced the tale to its key points to develop both an outline and a sketch I could work with in pre- paring the recitation. I then ascertain what infor- mation the students gleaned from the telling, lead- ing into a discussion on notetaking.

      I agree that modeling the unit to the class is a great technique in teaching. Students will be more engaged and knowledgable of a subject when trying on their own if it was first modeled to them. Having students then discuss will get them participating more.

    13. more aware of cultures that have often been better educated about us than we have about them. Knowledge of other people's cultural bases increases both respect for others and an apprecia- tion of our own place in the world

      I think each individual should learn more about the different cultures around them, so that we can learn more about our own. If you don't get the chance to travel the world and learn culturally, using myths can help educate you.

    14. mythmaking is very much alive, a multicultural expression of universal symbols and beliefs. An effective ap- proach to mythology should illustrate the connec- tion among international myths, folktales, and leg- ends that continue to be told in current literature and media, including films, songs, television, and cultural icons.

      I like this definition of myth making. I agree that is a multicultural expression of different symbols and beliefs globally. I think a great technique with myth making is to use different tools like listed: films, songs, tv, and cultural icons.