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POPSWho Is The Real Patriot? I may not agree with his religion or some of his views, but I'd rather be in his fox-hole than Dick Cheney's or George Bush's.
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POPSMapping Kerouac: The Grammatical Artwork of Stefanie Posavec Posavec dissects every word, phrase, sentence, and subject of Kerouac's On the Road to invent new ways of looking at the familiar masterpiece. The diagrams make for beautiful art in their own right. (See source for high-res pictures.) In her structure analysis, each chapter explodes in a color-coded starburst of topical breakdowns. At a glance, you can see Kerouac's focus wander from the sketches of local life in the beginning, to depictions of work and travel in the middle, with women and the subject of love dominating the latter chapters. The comparative sentence diagrams are what really drew me in. It's fascinating to behold an entire literary work all at once on one page. What's more, Kerouac's casual prose style can be differentiated immediately from the stately, grandiose writing of Faulkner, not to mention the terse, claustrophobic style of Orwell's fiction. Literary reductionism at its most fun and beautiful.
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POPSWhat Would It Take To Prove You Wrong? This is a powerful question to ask yourself when examining your beliefs. Doing so honestly, will make you a clearer and deeper thinker. It can be the difference between a person who simply revels in wishful thinking, and a heroic seeker of truth. Take a deep look into your own belief systems, and ask yourself what evidence it would take to convince you they were wrong. It's an uncomfortable exercise, but an important one.
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POPS10 Wise sayings To exert his power in doing good is man's most glorious task - Sophocles. There are three things to beware of through life: when a man is young, let him beware of his appetites; when he is middle-aged, of his passions; and when old, of covetousness, especially - Confucius. Be modest and simple in your deportment, and treat with indifference whatever lies between virtue and vice. Love the human race; obey God- Marcus Aurelius.
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POPSChinese Factory Worker Can't Believe The Shit He Makes For Americans
"Sometimes, an item the factory produces resembles nothing I've ever seen," Chen said. "One time, we made something that looked like a ladle, but it had holes in its cup and a handle that bent down 90 degrees. The foreman told us that it was a soda-can holder for an automobile. If you are lucky enough to own a car, sit back and enjoy the journey. Save the soda beverage for later." Chen added: "A cup holder is not a necessary thing to own." Chen expressed similar confusion over the tens of thousands of pineapple corers, plastic eyeshades, toothpick dispensers, and dog pull-toys that he has helped manufacture. "Why the demand for so many kitchen gadgets?" Chen said. "I can understand having a good wok, a rice cooker, a tea kettle, a hot plate, some utensils, good china, a teapot with a strainer, and maybe a thermos. But all these extra things—where do the Americans put them? How many times will you use a taco-shell holder? 'Oh, I really need this silverware-drawer sorter or I wi
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POPSDepression can be Good for You There is serious depression that needs help. There are poverty, abuse, bad circumstance that need addressing. But for most of us, a bit of depression, the article suggests, is a catalyst for refelction, change and growth
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POPSThe "New" Constitution Kudos to David Swanson for all the effort he invested in this 5 page article. If you are up for the read, it is well worth it. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, except on corporations, those possessing over $10 million, and close acquaintances of the Unitary Executive
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POPSHow Sick Of It Are You? Sick enough? Then sign up here: www.sickofitday.org. And when you call in sick on March 19, before going back to bed or out to protest, check out this link to the document that started a revolution against another King George. Note where it says "Governments are instituted among Men (sic), deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." We no longer consent. We are sick of it.
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POPSNeat tricks to teach your body Some little-known practical tips about your body, such as: If your throat tickles, scratch your ear. If your hand falls asleep, rock your head from side to side - etc.
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