| How many nonbelievers?
The 2006 study from the University of Minnesota does not examine the question of how many non- believers there are but rather makes clear the troubling depth of Americans' distrust of them. Asked whether they would disapprove of a child's wish to marry an atheist, 47.6% of the 2,000 randomly selected people interviewed said yes. When asked the same question about Muslims and African Americans, the respondents' "yes" responses fell to 33.5% and 27.2%, respectively, and the responses dealing with Asian Americans, Latinos and other groups were lower.
When asked which groups did not share their vision of society, 39.5% of those interviewed mentioned atheists -- again, a level of distrust far in excess of that shown to other groups. Sociologist Penny Edgell, the study's lead researcher, called the results "a glaring exception to the rule of increasing tolerance over the last 30 years."
The recent study by the Pew Forum reports on the religious affiliations of Americans.
Adapting to Consumer-Controlled Surveillance
More important, prepare for it. Start building, where appropriate, your defensive branding strategy. I often worry that in our sometime irrational exuberance over the benefits and wonders of conversation, brands are blind to what it truly means for consumers -- our coveted buyers and lifetime revenue streams -- to be constantly watching, monitoring, evaluating, and talking about us. At the end of the day, consumers are monitoring brands and companies "for quality purposes" 24/7, far more attentively than companies recording toll-free calls. And that has enormous consequences for how we promote, protect, and manage brands. Choose Your Weapon The consumer lens into the brand closet is taking on infrared (define) levels of sophistication and clarity.
Intel's Skulltrail Strikes Back Before the CES
The motherboard sports six SATA connectors and a single IDE port, with headers for additional USB and Firewire ports. The legacy connectors (LPT, COM and PS/2) have been stripped down and replaced with six USB 2.0 ports and two eSATA connectors. The rear panel also features a single FireWire port and Gigabit Ethernet jacks, along with analog and digital HD audio inputs/outputs. These are the first rock-solid details to emerge about Intel's Skulltrail platform. More goodies are expected to follow the Consumer Electronics Show, that will take place in Las Vegas starting January the 7th. .
Something to Take to Heart
I just recently gotten back from the tournament in Miami, Oklahoma and just got done with one of the hardest practices of my life. But, I think I am good enough to write a blog. Something to Take to Heart Tonight, after practice, I saw this little blonde headed boy that I see around town constantly. You wanna know where I see him everytime? On the basketball court. The kid, being about as mature as you can be at his age. He is probably a 2nd grader, and he walks around town as if he was 15. Something is noticable though everytime I see him. First of all, I have yet to ever see his parents. Secondly, he doesen't seem to be the most lucky kid when it comes to who has the money and who doesen't. Living in a poor family as a kid, I know how that can be. But, everytime I see him around the court, he doesen't normally say a word to me but he will give me a little head nod.
NAACP Demands Apology From Overstock.com Founder
The NAACP demanded an apology Friday from the founder of Overstock.com, who said Utah minorities who don't graduate from high school might as well be burned or thrown away. Patrick Byrne's comments were posted on YouTube. The video clip was from a debate two weeks ago in Provo, where he was speaking in favor of vouchers, public aid for families sending kids to private schools. A statewide voucher program, granting $500 to $3,000 per child, based on family income, is on the Utah ballot Nov. 6. On YouTube, Byrne says: “Right now, 40 percent of Utah minorities are not graduating from high school. You may as well burn those kids. That's the end of their life. That's the end of their ability to achieve in this society if they do not get a high school education." He goes on to add: “You might as, just throw the kids away." Byrne has made similar remarks in other debates.
All the King's Women
But first-time director Gilroy (who scripted the first two Bourne movies and collaborated on the third) has a knack for tunneling deep into cliché and coming out the other side. The title character, elegantly embodied by George Clooney, is something of a spiritual brother to Matt Damon's tormented amnesiac spy. Michael Clayton is a Jason Bourne who, unlucky for him, actually does remember all the terrible things he's done. Michael is the fixer for a top-drawer New York legal firm, a former public prosecutor who resides somewhere in the shadowy space between attorney and bagman. In essence, he's paid to protect wealthy fuckups from publicity, and from their own consciences. As the movie opens—the first 20 minutes are slow but dense, packed with details that become important later—Clayton is heading upstate to provide counsel to a well-heeled hit-and-run driver.
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