On Gnovis:

A sermon in her family’s church, frames an ethical and moral wrestling match in Sarah Thompson’s first (hopefully of many) blog for gnovis. She asks:

“Rights…how do we draw a line between what constitutes a right and what does not, while respecting peoples’ differences? ….When is culture itself a right, and when does culture stand in the way of rights?”

ICCT’s meeting last week engaged in productive intercultural dialogue in last week’s meeting, as Margarita’s blog discusses. She uses the etymology of the words ‘privacy’ and ‘confidentiality’ to discuss questions like:

“Does the notion of trust in the physical world differ between cultures? And if so, is it extended, and how directly, to online activities? Might the introduction of online privacy settings into a culture transcend social networking sites and start affecting how people perceive privacy differently in their lives?”

CCT alum and former gnovis staff member, Dora, draws connections between recent news coverage of veteran’s health care and my Gnovis journal article published last spring.

“Iinjustices that vets encounter in place of proper health and mental care are reflective of all that is so wrong with the institutionalized perpetuation of enlightenment humanism—the disciplined and hierarchical separation of reason from affect and of the mind from the body, toward the construction of an idealized “idea-l” (as in, not rea-l) human subject—a definition that has lent itself quite readily to the bureaucratic understanding of the political citizen subject, war veterans inclus.”

Around CCT:

A new report from Nielsen online suggests that TV is still a thriving form of entertainment.

“Unique viewers of video content at the four television networks increased an average of 155 percent in September over the previous month. In addition to new and favorite shows, coverage of the presidential campaign and the financial crisis attracted viewers online. And let’s not forget the comic relief.”

On her personal blog, Ashley Bowen highly recommends two great pod casts: On the Media and Search Engine

“Basically, I use these as Cliff Notes to my education…”

AdFreak announced a new addition to DC’s bus advertisements courtesy of American Humanist Association.

“Washington, D.C., is now getting its own atheist bus campaign, headlined, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake."”

On Read Write Web, Marshal Kirkpatrick comments on Obama’s announcement to re-invent the fireside chat.

“President elect Obama will bring the President's weekly "fireside chat" into the 21st century by offering it not just on the radio, but in video on YouTube as well. It's as if the new populist President really cares whether the next generation has a connection to what he's doing.”