153
POPSAnimals with Expression-and attitude Some of them look almost human,and nearly as weird, some of them just have a different number of legs. I probably got carried away with the pictures, but couldn't choose, and aren't really sure if there can be too many pictures.
67
POPSWords That Changed You - iVillage Top 10 "Has anyone ever said something to you — a piece of advice, a word of comfort, a bit of inspiration — that you've just never forgotten?" From inspiring mantras to heartfelt expressions of empathy and encouragement, here are just a few of the amazing nuggets of wisdom iVillagers have taken to heart. They might change you too.
38
POPS15 Quotes by Famous Atheists Bertrand Russell: “You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.”
36
POPSAtheists Need to Chill Michael Shermer makes a point that needs to be made. Atheists need to remember what they stand for , not merely what they are against . Ridicule and contempt have no place in science, and haters should not tarnish its reputation by association. In the words of the greatest consciousness raiser of the 20th century, Martin Luther King, Jr., in his epic "I Have a Dream" speech: "In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline." If atheists do not want theists to prejudge them in a negative light, then they must not do unto theists the same.
32
POPSSCIENTISTS SHOW HALLUCINOGEN CREATES UNIVERSAL “MYSTICAL” EXPERIENCE in the 1950s, showed signs of therapeutic potential or value in research into the nature of consciousness and sensory perception. “Human consciousness…is a function of the ebb and flow of neural impulses in various regions of the brain-the very substrate that drugs such as psilocybin act upon,” Schuster says. “Understanding what mediates these effects is clearly within the realm of neuroscience and deserves investigation.” “A vast gap exists between what we know of these drugs-mostly from descriptive anthropology-and what we believe we can understand using modern clinical pharmacology techniques,” says study leader Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., a professor with Hopkins’ departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and Behavioral Biology. “That gap is large because, as a reaction to the excesses of the 1960s, human research with hallucinogens has been basically frozen in time these last forty years.”
26
POPSSYMPTOMS OF RELIGIOUS ADDICTION The ultimate temptation of the believer is to assume that his or her way to God is the best or only way for others. The particular Way to God becomes what is adored, not the ineffable and incomprehensible Mystery to which we give the name of God. In essence we have become addicted to the certainty, sureness or sense of security that our faith provides. It is no longer a living by faith, with hope and growing in unconditional love. adapted from When God Becomes a Drug, by Leo Booth
24
POPSI Have Learned I HAVE LEARNED that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I HAVE LEARNED that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe. I HAVE LEARNED that money is a lousy way of keeping score. I HAVE LEARNED that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to. I HAVE LEARNED that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. I HAVE LEARNED that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I HAVE LEARNED, reading what people write on desks (or clips) can teach you a lot. I picked some, that were relevant to me. There are many more at the source. Oh, and last but not least; I HAVE LEARNED never try to baptize a cat. And I have photo evidence to prove it.. .:)
23
POPSAI Singularity: The Next Stage of Human Evolution? "Technology is heading here. It will predictably get to the point of making artificial intelligence," Yudkowsky said. "The mere fact that you cannot predict exactly when it will happen down to the day is no excuse for closing your eyes and refusing to think about it."
23
POPSSharism: A Mind Revolution However, daily decisions for most adults are quite low in creative productivity, if only because they've switched off their sharing paths. People generally like to share what they create, but in a culture that tells them to be protective of their ideas, people start to believe in the danger of sharing. Then Sharism will be degraded in their mind and not encouraged in their society. But if we can encourage someone to share, her sharing paths will stay open. Sharism will be kept in her mind as a memory and an instinct. If in the future she faces a creative choice, her choice will be, "Share."
22
POPSDeclawing - What You Need To Know Of all the "well-intentioned" things people do to their pets, this has always been the worst IMO. I have seen cats suffer tremendous lifelong chronic pain, after this barbaric surgery. Some even having to be put down after botched surgery. Another side effect is, that if a cat is "a scratcher", amputating their toes often turns them into biters instead. (Please don't pull all their teeth either!! *LOL*) Anyway...the whole problem here lies not in that cats have claws, it lies in people not providing the appropriate environment for the cat . A simple scratching post and a bit of education is all you need, to have a happy healthy non-destructive cat WITH all it's toes (and teeth). Cats live 3-dimensional lives, as apposed to dogs, who live in two. Being able to climb is essential for the well-being of a cat. Cats have toes and claws for a reason!! Please don't mutilate your pet, but get smart instead. Your cat will thank you for it, and so will I. :)
21
POPSUnderstanding does not diminish Awe "The religious experience is, at best, a stunted variety of this feeling. Awe without understanding, or at least the desire for understanding, degenerates into mysticism: viewing a mystery not as a challenge to be solved, but something to be worshipped for its own sake. Mysticism states that ignorance is a desirable condition, a state we should glory in. This attitude only keeps us frightened and ignorant, and worst of all, robs us of the deeper and more genuine awe that comes with comprehension. I say, let us explore. There may be problems too high or too deep for us, mysteries we cannot penetrate - but so far, we haven't found any, and if there are any, they will not need to be protected from our investigations."
21
POPSNarcissistic Personality Disorder The DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder are: A. A pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy, as indicated by at least five of: 1. a grandiose sense of self-importance 2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love 3. believes that he or she is "special" 4. requires excessive admiration 5. has a sense of entitlement, ie unreasonable expectations of especially favourable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations 6. is interpersonally exploitative, ie takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends 7. lacks empathy and is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others 8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her 9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes
21
POPSRape in Ireland: Females at fault!!! I'm very disappointed in the attitude still about rape in Ireland. Even more surprised that other females blame the victim equally with the males. So don't expect sympathy from your sisters. The one ray of sunshine is that the younger the questioned, the more sympathetic the answer. Older people always find it harder to understand the dress of the young. They forget the 60's when we wore even less or none.
20
POPS15 Words you won’t believe they added to the Dictionary #3. Prebuttal #2. Ego-surfing v. Searching the Internet for instances of one's own name or links to one's own website. #1. Meatspace n. The physical world, as opposed to virtual. Doubtlessly coined by a level 80 Druid tank somewhere in the World of Warcraft, it's a sad day for the species when what you may recognize as that in which everything exists, needs a special term to differentiate it from the "real" world of Facebook friends and LOLcats. Soon you'll hear it used in sentences like, "So all of the crops are dying and the air is turning poisonous? Bah, who cares about all that stuff that happens in lame old Meatspace."
20
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.
20
POPS"Politics and the English Language" - George Orwell Geroge Orwell on the art of writing clear English and how the language is abused at the hands of politics. One of Orwell's most famous essays and still as relevant as ever. Advice from the author: 1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. 6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. These rules sound elementary, and so they are, but they demand a deep change of attitude in anyone who has grown used to writing in the style now fashionable.
20
POPSDYNAMIC OPTIMISM Unimaginably vast in scope and complexity, reality cannot be fully recognized at any one time. a worthwhile read
19
POPSUS Army: 'We don't want you now. Get lost' "Jon Soltz, an Iraq war combat veteran who founded the group VoteVets.org, said untreated psychological problems were contributing to the highest military suicide rate in a quarter-century and to growing homelessness among veterans, he said. If such widespread mental problems really existed before people joined the military and saw combat, they would have been uncovered when the recruits were enlisting, Soltz said." This latter point jumps out at me. Did they knowingly recruit those with pre-existing disorders. The army's attitude appears to be: "We didn't break you, you were already broken. You're not our responsibility."
19
POPSGod Or Science? It is the human need to know that gave birth to god/religion as an overall description that provides answers. it is that need that gives birth to an alternative worldview, such as science to replace the older theories.
23
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update