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[ Book: Wolfgang Hoeschele. The Economics of Abundance: A Political Economy of Freedom, Equity, and Sustainability. Gower Publishing, 2010 Contents [hide] * 1 Description * 2 Contents * 3 Excerpts o 3.1 Introduction o 3.2 Oppressive Scarcities (pp. 19-20) o 3.3 Conclusions: Strategies for Change o 3.4 Table 9.1: Coalitions for change o 3.5 Resource Use and Property Rights to Minimize Scarcity + 3.5.1 Contributory resource uses + 3.5.2 Neutral resource uses + 3.5.3 Rivalrous resource uses + 3.5.4 Key References on resource use Description "The "economics of abundance" is based on a critique of our present economic system, which finds value only in scarce commodities - i.e., things which can be sold at a high price because demand exceeds supply. Because this economy depends on demand always outstripping supplies, it also depends on "scarcity-generating institutions" - institutions that either manipulate supply or demand in order to keep us in a constant state of need. An economy of abundance seeks to dismantle or reform these scarcity-generating institutions in such a way as to affirm our freedom to live life as art (self-expression to others), social equity (so that everyone can live life as art), and sustainability (so that all life can thrive into the future). Among other things, this implies a much greater role for various forms of shared property, individual and community-level self-reliance, and participatory decision-making." (http://shareable.net/blog/event-the-economics-of-abundance) ]

"Fiona MacAlister September 1, 2016 In March we hosted the second Institute for Open Leadership. In our summary of the event we mentioned that the Institute fellows would be taking turns to write about their open policy projects. This week's post is from Fiona MacAlister, OER Specialist at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa."

"The impact of technological change on culture, learning, and morality has long been the subject of intense debate, and every technological revolution brings out a fresh crop of both pessimists and pollyannas. Indeed, a familiar cycle has repeat itself throughout history whenever new modes of production (from mechanized agriculture to assembly-line production), means of transportation (water, rail, road, or air), energy production processes (steam, electric, nuclear), medical breakthroughs (vaccination, surgery, cloning), or communications techniques (telegraph, telephone, radio, television) have appeared on the scene. The cycle goes something like this. A new technology appears. Those who fear the sweeping changes brought about by this technology see a sky that is about to fall. These "techno-pessimists" predict the death of the old order (which, ironically, is often a previous generation's hotly-debated technology that others wanted slowed or stopped). Embracing this new technology, they fear, will result in the overthrow of traditions, beliefs, values, institutions, business models, and much else they hold sacred. The pollyannas, by contrast, look out at the unfolding landscape and see mostly rainbows in the air. Theirs is a rose-colored world in which the technological revolution du jour is seen as improving the general lot of mankind and bringing about a better order. If something has to give, then the old ways be damned! For such "techno-optimists," progress means some norms and institutions must adapt-perhaps even disappear-for society to continue its march forward. Our current Information Revolution is no different. It too has its share of techno-pessimists and techno-optimists. Indeed, before most of us had even heard of the Internet, people were already fighting about it-or at least debating what the rise of the Information Age meant for our culture, society, and economy."

does Kurtopia need someone to mow the lawn?

no, but we do need someone to take our throm-dib-u-lator apart though

"What OpenAI Will Do OpenAI's researchers will be encouraged to publish their work, and any patents awarded will be shared with everyone. They will collaborate freely with both institutions and corporate entities. Today's AI systems are outstanding when it comes to pattern recognition problems, but they're limited to those. OpenAI plans to work to remove those constraints until computers eventually can reach human performance on virtually every intellectual task, Brockman and Sutskever wrote. Doing so correctly could be of huge benefit -- or it could cause incalculable harm. OpenAI's investors consider it important to have a leading research institution that "can prioritize a good outcome for all over its own self-interest," they said. "

"DIY is all the rage for Pinterest users and crafty hipsters, among whom ideas for "do it yourself" curtains, jewelry and wedding centerpieces have found a happy home. Not so for PhDs and researchers, at least when it comes to those doing the life-saving work of cell therapy. This burgeoning life sciences field involves modifying a patient's own cells to fight the world's deadliest diseases, especially cancer. Despite an increased interest in personalized medicine, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcing major investments in partnerships across the U.S and the approval of the first CRISPR trial in humans, to date cell therapy has nearly been just that: DIY."

"DIY is all the rage for Pinterest users and crafty hipsters, among whom ideas for "do it yourself" curtains, jewelry and wedding centerpieces have found a happy home. Not so for PhDs and researchers, at least when it comes to those doing the life-saving work of cell therapy. This burgeoning life sciences field involves modifying a patient's own cells to fight the world's deadliest diseases, especially cancer. Despite an increased interest in personalized medicine, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcing major investments in partnerships across the U.S and the approval of the first CRISPR trial in humans, to date cell therapy has nearly been just that: DIY."

"April is National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada. During April, individuals and institutions take part by reading, sharing, and writing poetry. You can"

"April is National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada. During April, individuals and institutions take part by reading, sharing, and writing poetry. You can"

[The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is proud to announce an innovative "first-of-its-kind" program for the academic sector, youth and others new to the world of Linux and Open Source technology. Created in partnership with a community of teachers,trainers and experts world-wide. The "Linux Essentials" program prepares the next generation to acquire the advanced skills needed to fill increasing shortages of workers in today's mixed IT environments. It supports government and educational authorities bringing Linux and Open Source to the classroom at much younger ages. Supporting learning and fun through skills competitions like World Skills and Euroskills. Supporting international collaboration and the development of teacher-tested educational initiatives for the classroom. ...]

# ! The #sooner the #better # ! … #society #learns #Openness. # ! #Get #IT, #Share it, #Enjoy it. [Lobbying for open source and Linux in schools Posted 15 Sep 2014 by EmielBrok school supplies for back to school ] "About eight years ago, I started lobbying to bring more Linux and open source software to high schools and higher IT vocational institutions in the Netherlands and Belgium. Here's how I did it and what you can learn from it to do the same where you live."

[Lobbying for open source and Linux in schools Posted 15 Sep 2014 by EmielBrok school supplies for back to school ] "About eight years ago, I started lobbying to bring more Linux and open source software to high schools and higher IT vocational institutions in the Netherlands and Belgium. Here's how I did it and what you can learn from it to do the same where you live."

"On 12 September, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who sit on the committee on constitutional affairs (AFCO) will presumably vote on the report on "Transparency, integrity and accountability in the EU institutions". The report includes important proposals on how to make decision-making in Brussels more transparent and ethical."

"by Julia Belluz, Brad Plumer, and Brian Resnick on July 14, 2016 "Science, I had come to learn, is as political, competitive, and fierce a career as you can find, full of the temptation to find easy paths." - Paul Kalanithi, neurosurgeon and writer (1977-2015) Science is in big trouble. Or so we're told. In the past several years, many scientists have become afflicted with a serious case of doubt - doubt in the very institution of science."

"Executive Summary GMO Myths and Truths report Genetically modified (GM) crops are promoted on the basis of a range of far-reaching claims from the GM crop industry and its supporters. They say that GM crops: Are an extension of natural breeding and do not pose different risks from naturally bred crops Are safe to eat and can be more nutritious than naturally bred crops Are strictly regulated for safety Increase crop yields Reduce pesticide use Benefit farmers and make their lives easier Bring economic benefits Benefit the environment Can help solve problems caused by climate change Reduce energy use Will help feed the world. However, a large and growing body of scientific and other authoritative evidence shows that these claims are not true. On the contrary, evidence presented in this report indicates that GM crops: Are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from natural breeding methods, and pose different risks from non-GM crops Can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious than their natural counterparts Are not adequately regulated to ensure safety Do not increase yield potential Do not reduce pesticide use but increase it Create serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant "superweeds", compromised soil quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops Have mixed economic effects Harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity Do not offer effective solutions to climate change Are as energy-hungry as any other chemically-farmed crops Cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes - poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on. Based on the evidence presented in this report, there is no need to take risks with GM crops when effective, readily available, and sustainable solutions to the problems that GM technology is claimed to address already

"GitHub, the software development collaboration and version control service based on the popular open source Git tool, today announced that it has raised a $250 million funding round led by Sequoia Capital. Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital and Institutional Venture Partners also participated in this round."

Clay Shirky joined an intimate group at the Berkman Center for a deep dive discussion on one chapter of his new book, Here Comes Everybody, which deals with protest culture -- ad hoc vs institutional, and what it means.

[Here's a quit extensive synthesis of "The Penguin and the Leviathan," in my opinion a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in improving and transforming our economic and political institutions. Human motivation is a subject that 'makes me tick'. I really enjoyed reading "The Penguin and the Leviathan", not only because it paints a much nicer picture of "human nature" than the one used by the free marketeers, but also because it gives a glimpse of a future, higher form of society that will be much more based on human cooperation. I think it is important to see that the seeds of this future society are very much present today. ...]

agreed! thanks for this share... the book's on my wishlist.

[This Site was originally created by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) as a place where members of the UNESCO OER Community can work together on questions, issues and documents. Over time we can build this site together. Useful pages * About the UNESCO OER Community o List of community members * About community discussions o Access to OER o UNESCO OER Toolkit o OER: Findings from an OECD study o Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) solutions for OER o Exploring the idea of a "DIY" OER development resource o Developing a research agenda for OER * Open Educational Resources useful links * Open Educational Resources glossary * Guide to using and contributing to this wiki * Guide to online translation tools]

"Minerva Project Ben Nelson says the primary purpose of a university isn't to prepare students for a career. It's to prepare them for life. And he now has $70 million to prove his point." [# ! #Many... # ! … -steering educational institutions, around the world- # ! still have to #LEARN this: # ! Schools and Faculties ARE NOT #indoctrination #quarters.]

"Minerva Project Ben Nelson says the primary purpose of a university isn't to prepare students for a career. It's to prepare them for life. And he now has $70 million to prove his point."

" by Charley Cameron Share on Facebook Pin Tweet+ A new report envisions a nightmare scenario in which just three climate change-driven disasters could lead to global food shock, resulting in food riots as the price of basic crops skyrockets and stock markets experience significant losses. The risk assessment, which was produced by insurer Lloyd's of London-with support from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and vetted by academics from a number of institutions-shows just how close humanity may be to catastrophic collapse by mid-century unless significant changes are made to slow global warming."

"Fri, 09/12/2014 - 02:51 -- Umar Farooq There two different types of values Define Cultural Values Cultural values are hereditary and form core of the culture. List of cultural values include customs, rituals conventions, styles and fashions which are remain in the core culture. The values hold supreme position among them. These values give a shape to the culture and the society. These are very difficult to change because they remain in embedded of social institutions and the social norms. These are the ideals of society. These are remain in the memory of our elders, in old books, in religious and ethical literature. These are sometimes, referred as the values of the old people or the values of the past. They can -be said as the traditions of our life. The deviation from cultural values creates serious social problems. If these are ignored in social life there will be a gap between 'two generations and the son will be separated from his father. But it happens seldom in rapidly changing societies. The neurotic conditions develop due to dissatisfaction in social conditions which lead to frustration."

[ By Patrick J. Michaels This article appeared on The Daily Caller on February 10, 2011. In a recent and wonderful New York Times essay, John Tierney documented the pervasive left-leaning bias of the social sciences in particular and academia in general, which he persuasively painted as the home of tired ideological groupthink. No doubt his essay was an eye-opener for anyone without much experience in the ivy morass, even as it came up short in its search for causation. ....]

Today, AlterNet launches a series of articles and investigations on fear, and how to combat it.

Today, AlterNet launches a series of articles and investigations on fear, and how to combat it.