Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But Sam Harris argues that science can — and should — be an authority on moral issues, shaping human values and setting out what constitutes a good life.
(Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 23:07)
Sam Harris: Neuroscientist and philosopher. Adored by secularists, feared by the pious, Sam Harris’ best-selling books argue that religion is ruinous and, worse, stupid – and that questioning religious faith might just save civilization. Read more about Sam Harris or watch other talks at Ted.com
16-22 December 1989. In the great book of the Romanian people’s history, Timisoara wrote a golden page of everlasting glory. After decades of suffering and privations, of dogmatism and terror, in this blessed piece of land, the People finally overcome their fear. United in an impressive community of feeling and thought, they all come to light the heroic torch of national self sacrifice, and the young ones bringing in the light of freedom on the Romanian land.
The fire of the revolution burst into flames in this peaceful city of Banat, a place in which honest work, dignity and the thirst for truth have always adumbrated a distinctive way of life and state of spirit. In the days of the Revolution due to the valour and sacrifice of its martyrs, Timisoara became a symbol that shattered the whole world; the city bore a name that was to be identified with the most sacred word for the people all over the world: FREEDOM!
Being the farthest among the urban centers in the west of Romania, Timisoara has always been a place for favorable contacts as interference with the European civilizations, a city distinctively cut out for a modern architecture, culture and conceptions. Its eventful history and the dramatic events of December 1989, unmistakably shown its European spirituality, convergent with the perennial values of democracy.
At the crossroads of the 45ø47′ North latitude parallel at the 21ø17′ East longitude meridian, there are to be found the precincts of the town, with the slow Bega flowing through, and the green girdle of parks all over them. Having a favorable geographic position, in an area open to the European penetration Timisoara allows for rich contacts among people and cultures absorbing influences by way of international intercourse. Bucharest is 533 km from Timisoara (on the railroad) and, by train or by car, it takes a few hours to reach the beautiful capitals Belgrade, Budapest or Vienna. The population of Timisoara is of 354345 inhabitants registered in 1990, making up a community in which harmony and cooperation are characteristic of their way of life.
Timisoara is the capital of the Timis County, covering the fertile Banat Plane. It projects its monumental buildings and residential districts upon the plain, as smooth as a watertable. The relief is very little put out level, except for a few gently undulating landscapes. The line of the horizon seems to lean on the church spires or on the blocks of flats bordering the town.
The climate is mild and so is the people’s nature. The average annual temperature is 10.9øC. Generally, the winters are not severe, with short intervals of frost, summers are long and warm, but the heat does not last long. Rain is brought by the layers of air coming from the Mediterranean Sea and from the north-west, adorning the town with a rich vegetation that gives a special charm to the impression of a huge garden, with century-old trees, wonderful ornamental plants and millions of flowers.
This modern town, with its broad streets and boulevards, was built by its skillful, persevering and industrious inhabitants. It was erected, in the middle of a plain, mostly flooded by the Timis and the Bega rivers, with marshes that lasted as late as 18th century. The many stately buildings, one can see in the vast area of the town, arise in the onlooker a feeling of admiration for the efforts made by its earlier and present builders. Every new residential district was built on land snatched away from the marshy sites; the erection of every monumental building ask for the proper designs.It is this that lends the town on the Bega a beauty of its own; and this has probably created a permanent feeling of dignity in its inhabitants. All historical epochs have left their own mark upon Timisoara; it is their joint influences that have lent it a remarkable unity and equilibrium. The peacefulness of the Banat plain seems to stretch out over the town too, creating a rewarding image of harmony, evocative of an intensive peaceful human activity.
Today it is hard to imagine that Timisoara, this beautiful and orderly town rose from the marshes. The way it looks nowadays is, all in all, the result of its people’s courage, ingenuity and diligence. Like very many other mediaeval towns of Europe, Timisoara was born under the protection of a fortress and around it. That is why, the center and the oldest part of the town bears the suggestive name of “Cetate” (Citadel). This was the nucleus from which it developed into an urban settlement in the course of centuries, the evolution of its town planning being a real book of history.
01.Lisa Gerrard – Gladiator
02.fort minor – where’d you go
03.fergie – london bridge
04.postman – you make me feel
05.christian walz – wonderchild
06.simon webbe – no worries
07.ne-yo – sexy love
08.lily allen – smile
09.busta rhymes ft will.i.am – i love my bitch
10.rihanna – if it’s lovin’ that you want
11.sergio mendes ft the black eyed… – mas que nada
12.shakira – hips don’t lie
13.busta rhymes – touch it
14.paris hilton – stars are blind
15.pussycat dolls – beep
16.pussycat dolls – I don’t need a man
17.scissor sisters – i don’t feel like dancin’
18.robbie williams – rudebox
19.gnarls barkley – crazy
20.robbie williams – sin sin sin
21.the source ft candi station – you got the love
22.nelly furtado – promiscuous girl
23.justin timberlake – sexyback
24.ll cool j feat. jennifer lopez – control myself
25.Justin Timberlake – My love
26.black eyed peas – my humps
27.madonna – get together
28.beatfreakz – somebody’s watching me
29.ali b ft yes-r & the partysquad – rampeneren
30.bodyrox – yeah yeah
31.infernal – from paris to berlin
32.the shapeshifters & chic – sensitivity
33.elize – into your system
34.ferry corsten feat guru – junk
35.loleatta holloway – love sensation ‘06
36.sugababes – push the button
37.bob sinclar feat steve edwards – world, hold on
38.jupiter ace ft shena – 1000 years (just leave me now)
39.Erick E – The beat is rocking
40.outwork feat mr. gee – electro
41.bob sinclar & cutee b feat dollarma… – rock this party
42.fedde le grand – put your hands up 4 detroit
43.jenn cunetta – come rain come shine
44.till west – same man
45.christina aguilera – ain’t no other man
46.Supafly – Moving too fast
47.Chocolate puma – always and forever
48.sunblock – i’ll be ready
49.fonzerelli – moonlight party
50.Hi-Tack – say say say (waiting 4 u)
51.meck feat. leo sayer – thunder in my heart again
52.roger sanchez ft. gto – turn on the music
53.filterfunk – s.o.s. (message in a bottle)
54.supermode – tell me why
55.dannii minogue & the soul seekerz – perfection
56.basto! – rock with you
57.akcent – jokero
58.the partysquad vs rmxcrew – i’m sorry
59.freemasons feat. amanda wilson – watchin’
60.soulvation – i wanna be with you
61.pakito – living on video
62.The Hughes Corporation – What a feeling
63.Armin van Buuren vs Herman Brood – Saturday night
64.ian van dahl – movin on
65.tiesto ft maxi jazz – dance4life
66.pakito – moving on stereo
67.madonna – sorry
68.red carpet – alright
69.nelly furtado – maneater
70.beatfreakz – superfreak
71.g-spott – sadness
72.john marks – carnival
73.roy gates – lose myself
74.Cascada – Everytime we touch
75.pirates of the caribbean – he’s a pirate (tiesto remix)
76.armin van buuren ft racoon – love you more
77.Jeckyll & Hyde – Frozen flame
There is an e-mail which is circulating incredibly widely, telling people not to buy gas from certain companies, and another that declares September 1st “No Gas Day.”
Here is a (no doubt) partial list of totally idiotic mistakes in that e-mail:
1) If nobody buys gas today, but everybody drives the same amount, then it just means that we either had to buy more gas in anticipation of not buying any on September 1, or that we will buy more a few days later. So even if you believed this would take a $4.6 billion dollar bite out of the oil companies that day, consumers would hand it right back over. If this was “No Starbucks coffee day” it might have some chance of mattering, because people buy and drink Starbucks coffee the same day, so a foregone cup of coffee today may never be consumed. But this is not true of gasoline, especially if no one is being asked to reduce gas consumption. All you will get is longer lines at the pump the day after.
2) A one day total boycott of gas would not reduce oil company bottom lines by anything like $4.6 billion, even if it was accompanied by a one day moratorium on all gasoline use. Americans consume about 9 million barrels of gas a day. There are about 42 gallons in a barrel, so that equals 378 million gallons of gas sold a day in United States, or about one gallon per person. Toss in another 10% for Canada. At $3 a gallon, that is about $1.2 billion in revenues. Profit as a share of revenues in this industry is probably 5% or less, so the bottom line impact is a max of $60 million…about 1/100th of the stated number. And from point (1) above, even this is a gross exaggeration of the true impact.
3) One day of no purchasing of gasoline would certainly not cause the oil industry to choke on their stockpiles. Gasoline inventories in the US are typically about 200 million barrels, but right now they are on the low side — a big part of the reason why gas prices are high. 9 million extra barrels would create no problems whatsoever for stockpiles.
So everyone, please buy gas on September 1st.
The other bright idea of not buying from one of the “big” companies is also ridiculous. Firstly, the big ones most likes own the small ones. Secondly, you end up buying the same amount of gas, so gas consumption does not go down!
And if you ever have the bright idea to circulate an email like this, at least tell people NOT TO USE gas, rather than not to buy gas.
If you really want to cut down on your gas consumption (cost), trade in your 4×4 or pick-up, and buy a more fuel efficient car!! Besides, laws of economics tell us that prices only go up, they do not go down.
In late May I went to France with my friend Sebastian, but getting to Paris is not as easy as one would think…
Toronto Pearson Airport, out flight supposed to leave at 15:30. We get to the airport at 12 to have enough time to check in. The ticket lady informs us they do not have a gate number yet, and that we should come back in hour. The ticket lady says “La revedere”.A coffee and an hour later, still no gate. By now it is beginning to look funny. By 15:00 it turns out that our plane is actually broken down in London, England. No problem, we are to be taken to a different terminal and flown to Montreal on an Air Canada flight, then taken to a hotel until the next day.
At 17:30 we are on the first of the Air Canada flights to Montreal. We get there by 18:30, but our bags do not make it. An hour and a bit later, they arrive on the next flight. We finally make it to the hotel by 20:00. After a quick shower, we manage to be one of the first people at the restaurant to have dinner. By the time we were done, the line-up was going out the door, and up the stairs.We get a taxi, and we head to Rue Sherbrooke and St Laurent, just in time for the nightlife. Our first stop was a freestyle dance competition at the Just for Laughs theater to meet up with some friends. Time for drinks, so we head over to Buonanotte. After a quick 2 minutes in line, we are in. A few hours later, our 6 hour stop-over has to come to an end.
Our taxi driver has women trouble, so we have to grab a different car. On the way back, one of the ramps for the highway to the airport is closed for construction, so our driver has to find an alternate route. Soon after his tire blows so he pulls into the closest gas station to change it. It just so happens that there were three other cars there with flats.
We manage to get back to the hotel by 2:30, just in tine to catch the shuttle back to the airport. After 1 hour to check in, a quick breakfast, and some more waiting, we finally take-off for Paris at 7:00.
I slept for most of the flight to Paris. We got there around 20:30, and hour later than scheduled. This family friend picked us up from the airport in an ML (that’s the SUV from Benz). We later noticed it was the only one of two SUV’s in Paris, everyone drives small cars. We got set-up in two residence apartments in the business district, and then we set-off for a tour of Paris.Drove round the Arc De Triumph, down the Champ Challises, through the Ritz, through the tunnel where Princess Diana died (actually an underpass), and to the Eiffel Tower. Then it was time for dinner. We went to experience French cuisine (across the street from a Romanian restaurant). We had the “Admiral” seafood platter (4 types of clams, crab, snails, etc), a nice mixture of grilled beef and duck, some delicious dessert and two bottles of wine. Some 200 euro later we were ready to sleep. One thing to note was that around one, a group of elderly people came for a quick dinner…
The plan was to wake up at 8:30, and go visit Paris. The reality was that we woke up at 11:30. The drive to the airport took about an hour and a half. Check-in took 5 min, and we were ready for boarding. What we didn’t know was that we should have eaten before going through security, as there were no stores or anything passed it…After a 45 min flight we got to Marseille airport. Another 8.50 euro (per person) and a 20 min bus ride, we got into town where the bus left us at the train station. The metro to Vieux-Port (location of the hotel) was 4 euro per person, so we decided to take a taxi, since we weren’t exactly sure where the hotel was. Our 6.50 euro taxi ride turned out to be 13 euro, go figure… We got a tax receipt for it… Doesn’t really help
After leaving our luggage in the room, we set-off to look for the conference center; we did not have the address printed… After circling some buildings we finally found the place. They had croissants and lots of wine.
Later in the night, around 22:00 or so, we barely found a place at a nice Italian pizzeria right by the water with a nice view of the boats; all the places were packed.
W went to a very nice reception at a huge mansion up on a hill that had an amazing view of the sea, port and town. There was tons of food, wine, and this local drink “51” that is similar to Cinzano. After we went for dinner, about 21 of us, and took over an entire patio at this small restaurant where we had “bouillabaisse”, which simply put is a fish soup. It is actually a local specialty; the waiters pretty much prepare it in front of you.I tried to rent a scooter, but everything was closed, I went at 12:30… After lunch we took the bus and went to the beach in the next town. It was really wicked, hot, girls, only the water was somewhat cold.
Some things to note: ever since we got here, I only wore t-shirts, even late at night, it’s really warm. A six-pack of Heineken is 4 euro (250ml bottles), and a six-pack of Kronenbourg is 2.39 euro (250ml bottles). Water has pretty much the same price as wine… On the other hand, one bottle of beer at a restaurant is 4 euro and up… Price for petrol is 1.13 euro for the 98 octane grade, 1.12 euro for the 95 octane grade, and 0.98 euro for diesel.
