Facebooking in Tok Pisin

Has the reach of modern technology gone too far?  Are primitive cultures in danger of losing their integrity?  What are the benefits and negative side-effects of globalization of this type?

A crisis of character?

The writer seems to claim that recent events of social unrest, such as the riots in London, were caused by a lack of character (or individual morality).  Do you subscribe to this view, or would you look to more societal or economic causes?  Are young people less virtuous than they were in the past?  Is it time to bring the teaching of ethics and character-building back to the classrooom?  If so, what would (or should) this look like?

Biking in the snow

An article close to my heart, since I spent around two years in the Twin Cities using only a bicycle as transport in all kinds of weather.  Apparently things have gotten better for cyclists since I was there.   Could such improvements also be made in Bratislava?  Should they?  What have your biking experiences (or experiences with cyclists) been like here?  In what circumstances is it realistic to live without a car?

Slovakia in the NYT’s eyes

One possible benefit of the Euro’s crisis and possible bailout is that this small little-known country is getting a lot of coverage from world media sources.  What do you think about how the New York Times portrays us?   Is the picture that they give their readers of Slovakia accurate?  Did they emphasize something too much or forget to report something else?  What about their treatment of the crisis itself?

The power of negative thinking

Another article which has some relevance for me since there is a large Hmong population in the Twin Cities and I once taught writing to a class of mostly Hmong students. 

What is your experience of the mind-body connection?  Is it as powerful as this article claims?  If positive thinking can make you healthy, can negative thoughts/beliefs make you unhealthy or even kill you?  Do you believe in evil spirits or curses?  Or do you have any strange sleep experiences to report?

When the guilty prove innocent

This is the last entry you can comment on for the second half of October.

Everyone knows that a justice system can make mistakes, but what can be done to minimise them?  How have things changed with the advent of DNA testing?  Is the possible innocence of those who are convicted a good argument against capital punishment?  How should the government compensate those whom they incorrectly incarcerate (or execute)?