“Philosophy’s Role in the 21st Century - New University Newspaper” plus 4 more |
- Philosophy’s Role in the 21st Century - New University Newspaper
- Honda’s design philosophy stresses function - KRDO
- Karl: Knicks' Plan Is Unfair To D'Antoni - RealGM
- Southern Utahns gather for Buddhist study, meditation - Spectrum
- State economist: A thorn in governor’s philosophy - Minneapolis Star Tribune
| Philosophy’s Role in the 21st Century - New University Newspaper Posted: 28 Nov 2009 06:42 AM PST What comes to mind when you hear the word 'philosophy'? More likely than not, you picture Socrates, Plato or another famous ancient philosopher. Few, if any, people would picture a modern man (or woman) analyzing current issues by asking philosophical questions. That is why the Philosophy Club at UC Irvine held an event entitled 'The Role of Philosophy in the 21st Century.' Popularity: unranked [?] Related posts: This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Honda’s design philosophy stresses function - KRDO Posted: 28 Nov 2009 08:58 AM PST Honda isn't typically singled out for its design expertise. Instead, it is the fun-to-drive and rock-solid aspects of Honda vehicles that usually get top billing. But quietly, Honda has been capturing more and more international kudos for its leading-edge design work, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Nobuki Ebisawa, the corporate managing director and general manager of styling and design development, to talk about it. Ebisawa stressed two simple and overarching themes for Honda design: dynamism and functionality. He said the company's designers still draw inspiration from the functional designs of the first-generation Civic and first-generation Accord that were drawn in the same nondescript design studio in which Ebisawa and his crew work today. And at the same time, they look back all the way to the 1963 S500 sports car to channel the dynamism that helps set the brand apart. Ebisawa is proud of what he calls "an unbroken chain of dynamism and functionality" that stretches from those earliest models through the legendary Acura NSX sports coupe of the '90s to the Honda Odyssey minivan that transformed its segment. He expects that the upcoming hybrid Honda CR-Z, which was shown in concept form at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, will draw on both aspects of the Honda personality. Functionality will be characterized by the fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain, and dynamism will be expressed by the car's style and fun-to-drive nature. While the exterior design of Honda vehicles has not always been highly praised, the interior of its vehicles -- and especially their instruments and controls -- have routinely been lauded around the globe. Ebisawa cites his group's intense study of the "man-machine interface" for this, noting that Honda has long relied on the philosophy "Man maximum, machine minimum" in its designs. This means that Honda's controls are intended to be intuitive, not intrusive: to help the driver, not to challenge the driver or to make a design statement for design's sake. An example of this effort is the bi-level instrument panel seen on the current Honda Civic. Intuitive operation and instant recognition were keys in the design, and Ebisawa said that in the "layered construction," perceived space is enhanced and line of sight movement minimized to prioritize information. Special effort goes into achieving natural hand position and create buttons that are easily understood. Ebisawa believes that voice support is the next frontier in making things simpler and more functional. Since 2000, said Ebisawa, Honda design execs made the conscious decision to add emotional appeal to the company's vehicles without compromising functionality. In keeping with the "man maximum, machine minimum" philosophy, space has been intentionally reduced for mechanical components, and interior space with long rooflines has been increased to maximize usable roominess. The Honda CR-Z, which will be launched next year, will encapsulate all these ideas in a vehicle that is functional and emotional, dynamic yet pragmatic. It draws on Honda's long heritage while at the same time presenting a new face and a new heart. The CR-Z will also be the harbinger of even more fascinating products from the carmaker that was once best known for its motorcycles. Tom Ripley Driving Today Contributing Editor Tom Ripley writes frequently about the auto industry and the human condition from his home in Villeperce, France. He is a big fan of the art world. Copyright (c) 2009 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Karl: Knicks' Plan Is Unfair To D'Antoni - RealGM Posted: 28 Nov 2009 01:59 PM PST
New York has a roster littered with players in the final year of their contracts as they look to preserve cap space for this coming summer. Karl thinks a coach in D'Antoni's situation is being "thrown to the wolves." "The history of the game that I don't understand, that I don't think has a lot of success is going to the bottom and trying to sign a great free agent," Karl said Friday night. "I think it's a lack of respect to coaches. When you go to the bottom, that coach gets fired 90 percent of the time. You throw that coach to the wolves." The Knicks aren't going to fire D'Antoni, despite their 3-13 record, but Karl says all the losing will get to the coach. "Losing will strangle a coach," Karl said. "I don't like the philosophy. I don't think it's been a home run. I think you strikeout as often as you hit home runs with it. I praised Donnie Walsh, but the philosophy of what he's trying to do is difficult to coaching, miserable to coaching. It's the philosophy of personnel people that drives me a little crazy." This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Southern Utahns gather for Buddhist study, meditation - Spectrum Posted: 28 Nov 2009 01:30 PM PST (3 of 4) "The most life-changing things in my life have been from meditation," she says. Laura Welp says she first became interested in Buddhist meditation in college because she wanted to relax. Yet she says she was happy to find more than relaxation. She also discovered a process to find out the true nature of things through meditation. The Buddhist path The group has been through a variety of changes through the years. When Henline, the founder, took a break from leading the group a few years ago, Urbaniak and his wife, Enilse, took control and hosted it out of their yoga studio in Ivins. However the yoga studio recently closed so the group moved to the St. George Community Healing Arts Center at 113 E. 200 North, where they have met for about four months now. "It actually has increased our attendance because it's more centrally located," Urbaniak says. "We're getting more people interested in coming." With the move, Manwaring and McLuckie have been taking turns guiding the group as moderators of sorts. However, Urbaniak emphasizes that it is a Buddhist sangha study, meaning a collection of like-minded people. Although most of them do not describe themselves as Buddhists, they all follow Buddhist philosophy to some degree. For study topics, they stick with Tibetan Buddhist books for the most part, Urbaniak says. However they prefer books in that genre written by Westerners because foreign translations do not always come across properly. "Buddhism is practiced worldwide," Halverson says. "It ranges anywhere from a self-help/self-improvement program to deep religious philosophy." He says the United States gives those interested in the philosophy the chance to get a taste of various types of Buddhism. Halverson's own spiritual journey into Buddhism began a decade ago. He says the process of discovery took him a long time. Yet the constant search for truth in Buddhism is part of what appeals to him. "Your teachers give you a good place to start but you have to find out for yourself whether it's true or not," he says. "It's a chance to gain insight from other people's perspective and to maybe challenge my beliefs by putting them out there and letting other people have a shot at it. It gives me an opportunity to see things from other people's perspective so I don't get too narrow in my belief system." This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| State economist: A thorn in governor’s philosophy - Minneapolis Star Tribune Posted: 28 Nov 2009 12:58 AM PST In his presentations, Stinson has prominently featured an uncomfortable nugget of information for government-spending-is-the-problem adherents: State and local governments take a smaller bite of Minnesotans' personal income now than at any time in the last 15 years: 15.5 percent in 2008, down from 17.9 percent in 1993. Stinson, who has served under DFL, Independent and Republican governors, has gone further out on the ledge, openly praising the federal stimulus program that he says has tempered the state's economic slide, but which Pawlenty has lambasted. As Pawlenty, who is eyeing a possible White House bid, attempts to sell his tough-love, belt-tightening approach to a national audience, Stinson has become exactly what the governor doesn't need. As the state's budget deficit ballooned into billions of dollars, the Republican governor blamed DFLers, who he says would rather raise taxes than rein in spending. In the process, Pawlenty has barely mentioned Stinson and rarely talks to him. Meanwhile, Stinson, 67, continues to quietly, insistently point out other factors that far transcend the politics of the moment. "This notion that there's some cataclysmic, insurmountable crisis looming four years from now is speculative at best," said Pawlenty, responding to a DFL-led budget summit two months ago that featured Stinson. "It's not unmanageable." When pressed later on whether he publicly disagreed with the state economist, Pawlenty sidestepped the question. "We're not talking about Stinson," interrupted Brian McClung, Pawlenty's spokesman. Despite several requests, Pawlenty's office has not said whether it has economic experts who differ with Stinson's long-term view of Minnesota's economy. Even as Pawlenty recently unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment to cap state general-fund spending, the governor seemed to take a slight poke at Stinson. There are, said Pawlenty, "wise people [who] come to the podium and say, 'I think the revenues for the next two years and four years are going to look like this,' and sometimes they do -- but most times they don't." This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
Nuggets coach George Karl doesn't think the Knicks are being fair to coach Mike D'Antoni.| You are subscribed to email updates from Philosophy - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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