Parents Against Bad Schools: Complaints About Books

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From October 2005 Harpers Magazine:

From the "Sample book review documentation form" supplied by the Fairfax, Virginia activist group Parents Against Bad Books in Schools, for use by parents when registering a complaint in a school library:

1. Does the book contain any sexual content? Indicate level of vividness, using the following as a gen’l guide:
    Basic – large breasts
    Graphic – large, voluptuous, bouncing breasts
    Very graphic – larage, voluptuous, bouncing breats with hard nipples
    Extremely graphic – larage, voluptuous, bouncing breats with hard nipples convered with glistening sweat and bite marks

2. Does the book contain any violent content? Indicate level of vividness:
    Basic – cut off his head
    Graphic – cut off his head, blood gushed onto floor
    Very graphic – cut off his head, blood gushed onto floor, splattered on wall, and head bounced on the floor
    Extremely graphic – cut off his head, blood gushed onto floor, splattered on wall, and head bounced on the floor, and his brains slowly oozed out onto the carpet in a purple gray mass

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Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business

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Link: Reason: Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business: A Reason debate featuring Milton Friedman, Whole Foods’ John Mackey, and Cypress Semiconductor’s T.J. Rodgers.

This is a thought provoking back and forth between the Whole Foods CEO, Milton Friedman, and the Cypress Semiconductor CEO. It’s long so print it out if you’re interested in corporate philanthropy; is maximizing profits the means or the end itself?

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Book Review: The Bhagavad-Gita

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It’s been a hectic and exhausting week, but I finally finished The Bhagavad-Gita: Song of God, the primary Hinduism gospel. After studying Hinduism for the past few weeks I can say that there are a number of things that resonate with me: the yoga of knowledge, the importance of spiritual strength and tranquility, and its tolerance for other religions (they all lead to God). Hinduism’s approach to God is interesting – instead of thinking about it as abstract, they think about it as the "noblest reality they encounter in the natural world." The most troubling part of the faith is the caste system, which is cementing India as a class society one can never escape. The Gita has inspired millions, but for the casual Western reader, there is another, better book for an introduction to Asian religions. I will review that later.

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Friends of Ben: Valerie Cunningham

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Network: Ben Casnocha > SF Chronicle Article W/ Me > Always-On Innovation Summit > BizWorld > Valerie Cunningham

Google: Valerie Cunningham

I have to keep reminding myself to keep up the Friends of Ben series…And yesterday I had a good reminder at the Churchill Club event Leadership Defined.

Valerie used to be at BizWorld – she was the one who originally roped me in there – and then she did some independent PR work as HighWire Consulting and now she’s teaming up with Tony Perkins and Marc Canter (among others, like my friend, neighbor, and uber-Valley networker/investor Carl Wescott) in launching the GoingOn Network.

Valerie was kind enough to sit in yesterday on a lunch discussion that I was advertised as being involved in (it turned out to be quite the odd arrangement) and offer moral support. She correctly remarked afterwards, "That turned into a ‘let’s grill Ben on what he did when he was 2 years old’ session!"

In any case, Valerie is one of the most high-energy people I’ve met. Always ready to laugh, her personality is large and friendly. She’s a good reminder that energy is infectious and that a single person can change the dynamics of a whole room or conversation in a positive way. I’m also grateful to Valerie for taking me the first time to Bucks of Woodside so I could see myself on the menu (after the AO panel) and meet Jamis.

If you want a more interactive intro to GoingOn, check out this video interview JD Lasica did with Valerie (which I know she’s really proud of).

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Why Can't Conferences That Stress Innovation, Innovate Themselves?

Posted inBusiness3 Comments on Why Can't Conferences That Stress Innovation, Innovate Themselves?

This is the great irony of entrepreneurial conferences that talk about innovation and creativity: the conferences themselves are anything but. The big reason is the obsession to have panels. Panels with a moderator and "experts" has been the modus operandi for years and years for any kind of conference. I’ve seen tons of panels and been on panels and I’m convinced that if there’s one way to ensure boring the audience and thus reducing their cognitive intake it’s by having a panel. This is one of those things where I haven’t yet come up with the winning formula, so leave a comment if you have any ideas.

Related Post: Casnocha’s Laws of Productive Confabs

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