Monthly Archives: April 2007

The Language of ‘Uncivilized’ Cultures

Posted on April 19, 2007 by Dave Pollard

Last week’s (April 16th) New Yorker presented an article The Interpreter by John Colapinto (not online, abstract here, photo above by Martin Schoeller from this portfolio), describing the language and culture of the Amazonian Pirahã.The article reviews the research of … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse Watch | 10 Comments

Sorrow

Posted on April 18, 2007 by Dave Pollard

My latest short story, entitled Sorrow, about the differences between how(some) men and women conceive of romance and value relationships, is here. Category: Short Stories (Photo: Tom Hsiang, U. of Guelph Dept. of Environmental Biology)

Posted in Creative Works | 2 Comments

The Language of ‘Uncivilized’ Cultures (teaser)

Posted on April 16, 2007 by Dave Pollard

No post today, as I’m working on my short story. But if you have time today, pick up and have a read of the article The Interpreter by John Colapinto in The April 16th New Yorker (not online, abstract here, photo … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | Comments Off on The Language of ‘Uncivilized’ Cultures (teaser)

Sunday Open Thread – April 15, 2007

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Dave Pollard

Image: Album cover of Rickie Lee Jones’ Pirates CD What I’m planning on writing about soon: Are We Violent By Nature?: Are we more like chimps or bonobos? Temper Temper: Keeping it under control A short story about the difference … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 3 Comments

Saturday Links for the Week – April 14, 2007

Posted on April 14, 2007 by Dave Pollard

What it All Means This Week: Relocalization Movement Gains Momentum…: The Post Carbon Institute has created a global relocalization network with a substantial toolkit and speakers’ group behind it. They’re thinking way ahead of the curve, and their program is … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 8 Comments

The M Word

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Dave Pollard

Sketch, Dave’s Bed, by Melisa Christensen Today’s post is not work-safe, so just in case I’ve posted it as a story. Category: Our Culture

Posted in Our Culture / Ourselves | 1 Comment

Critical Thinking and the Difference Between Knowledge and Propaganda

Posted on April 12, 2007 by Dave Pollard

This year, the CBC, which usually features illustrious and thought-provoking speakers in its Ideas series and the related Massey Lectures, disgraced itself by inviting an Australian ethicist, Margaret Somerville, to present a diatribe of right-wing political propaganda disguised as intellectual … Continue reading →

Posted in How the World Really Works | 2 Comments

Why Are There So Few Great Craftspeople and Great Conversationalists?

Posted on April 11, 2007 by Dave Pollard

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson, from It’s a Magical WorldI think every generation laments the loss of what it considers important skills from one generation to the next. Some of this is nostalgia, and some of it is simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse Watch | 4 Comments

Changing Information Behaviours

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Dave Pollard

Last week I was given the task by one of my work colleagues of helping her create a new community of practice. I can’t divulge the precise topic of the community, but let’s suppose it was “food poisoning”. The task … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Smarter | 4 Comments

A Methodology for Complex Problems (version 3)

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Dave Pollard

A year ago I presented a second version of a cobbled-together methodology for grappling with complex problems. These are the problems that traditional analytical methodologies cannot handle, because analytical approaches require a near-complete understanding of the phenomenon, the variables that … Continue reading →

Posted in Working Smarter | 6 Comments