Posted: 10 Jan 2010 09:57 PM PST

A laptop computer with a printer is about as high-tech as Brian Schroeder gets in his office at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Schroeder is chairman of a philosophy department that, with 12 full-time faculty members, exposes RIT students to the world of ideas in an institution of higher learning known for its technical expertise.

But with the number of full-time philosophy faculty doubling since Schroeder joined RIT in 2001, philosophy has taken on a higher profile.

Schroeder, 50, who holds a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a doctorate in philosophy from State University of New York at Stony Brook, is also bringing a more global perspective to the department by putting a focus on Italian philosophers.

"Many of these people regularly appear on television, are frequently writing editorials in major newspapers and are interviewed in the news all the time," Schroeder said. "People are really interested in what philosophers have to say about world events."

Italy, he added, is uniquely situated — at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia — to provide a more cross-cultural approach to issues.

Schroeder has teamed up with another member of the philosophy department, Silvia Benso — who happens to be his wife — as co-editors of a State University of New York Press series on contemporary Italian philosophy.

"I think Italian philosophy, exactly because it is capable of processing and filtering influences from various political backgrounds — the French tradition, the German tradition — has a chance in this multicultural, global environment," Benso said.

A native of the Piedmont region of Italy, Benso, 46, earned her doctorate in philosophy at Penn State in 1993 and has been based in the United States since then.

But the research that she and her husband do necessitates strong ties to Benso's homeland.

"We're back quite frequently," Schroeder said, who noted that they spent 15 months on research grants in Italy in 2007 and 2008.

Schroeder and Benso met at a philosophy conference near Florence in 1994. They were married in 1999 and have a 7-year-old son, Erik.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

RPF cop who doesn't believe in finders-keepers philosophy - Mid Day.com

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:56 PM PST

Returned Rs 48,000 in cash, jewellery to lost property office after desperately searching for owner

Very few police personnel go out of their way to return valuables and cash to passengers who have lost them, but there are exceptions.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) sub-inspector Vinod Kumar Sharma is one.

Sharma moved heaven and earth to find the person who lost Rs 24,000 in cash and jewellery worth approximately the same amount in the Patna Express on January 1.

It all began when the Patna Express reached Bandra Terminus around 10 am. As part of a routine check, Sharma and his team found a bag left behind on a seat. They opened it to find the cash and ornaments.

"When we checked the bag further we found a jeweller's bill too, which had a Silvassa address on it in the name of Pandey.

But the jeweller had no idea about the Pandey mentioned in the bill and we reached a dead end," said Sharma.

But Sharma did not stop at that and called up all the stations on the route till Borivli to find out whether somebody had lodged a missing or a lost complaint.

When that too did not lead anywhere, they checked the reservation chart and found that the seat was unoccupied from Vapi and therefore assumed that the person may have got off at Vapi station.

Then, Sharma and his team enquired with the GRP and RPF officials at Vapi to check whether any passenger had registered any complaint there, but yet again, reached a dead end.

Finally, when he realised he had covered all bases, Sharma deposited the valuables with the lost property office of the railway at Bandra terminus.

The RPF Inspector Dinesh Kanojia at the terminus said, "Sharma took a lot of effort to find the passenger.

Our main worry was that it could belong to a poor man, who could be in trouble. We were desperate to return it to the rightful owner."

Honda’s design philosophy stresses function - KTVZ.com

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 10:59 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.

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Humanistic Jewish movement puts focus on dignity - Oakland Press

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 10:26 PM PST

By Beth Robinson Kellman
Special to The Oakland Press

Click to enlarge

Rabbinic candidate Natan Fuchs of Lathrup Village holds the Torah in the Birmingham Temple's library in front of a painting of founder Rabbi Sherwin Wine.

In 1965, Time magazine labeled the late Rabbi Sherwin Wine "The Atheist Rabbi."

Wine was the founder of the Birmingham Temple in Farmington Hills, and of the Secular Humanistic Jewish movement.

Since 1965, the movement has spread, with congregations in more than 25 U.S. communities.

Secular Humanistic Judaism, according to an Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism pamphlet, is "a human-centered philosophy that finds the meaning of life in the power, ethical responsibility and dignity of each individual."

Rabbi Tamara Kolton is the Institute's first graduate and the Birmingham Temple's rabbi. Secular Humanistic Judaism, she says, "is not an atheist philosophy. It is a philosophy that replaces Halacha, Jewish law, with the value of human dignity. If it undermines your dignity, we don't support it."

The Institute ordains rabbis and certifies lay leaders called madrichim, the Hebrew word for guides.

Since begun by Rabbi Wine in 1985, the Institute has ordained 10 rabbis in the United States. The Israeli counterpart, headed by Institute graduate Rabbi Sivan Maas, has ordained another 10.

The next step for the movement, says Rabbi Adam Chalom, dean of the Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, is "more rabbis in more communities."

Natan Fuchs is one of five full-time rabbinic students from Michigan, Arizona, California, New York and Oregon. Classes are conducted on the Farmington Hills campus and in Chicago.

Fuchs, a retired history teacher, will add Institute ordination to credentials that include bachelor's degrees in history and psychology, and master's degrees in history and education.

On a recent tour of the temple, he noted that on the bima — a raised platform in the meeting room — where a traditional temple's ark holds the Torah, the five books of Moses, is the Hebrew word for mankind "adam." This emphasizes the humanistic philosophy of "celebrating and honoring, independent from supernatural authority."

He points out that the Torah is in the library. "Because it's a book," Kolton said. "It's important, but it's literature."

The Birmingham Temple and the Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism story began in 1963. Founding member Merrill Miller and a group of dissatisfied young Temple Beth El members turned for guidance to Rabbi Sherwin Wine, who was, says Miller "inspirational."

Miller describes a grueling period spent examining the group's beliefs, as well as Wine's personal journey from Reform rabbi to founder of Secular Humanistic Judaism. "It became obvious that we were doing something quite different from traditional Reform Judaism," Miller said.

In 1964, the group questioned their use of the word God. That year, the group rejected the Hebrew Union College prayer book, then a Reform movement requirement, officially breaking with Reform Judaism.

"The Rabbi and the ritual committee wanted to present what people do believe," Miller said.

The movement, Chalom said, is composed of "people who don't want to say what they don't believe and do want to say what they do believe."

Toward that end, they have adopted different terminology from other branches of Judaism.

On Friday night, The Birmingham Temple holds Shabbat "celebrations," rather than worship services. These celebrations are in the "Meeting Room," rather than the sanctuary, a word that harks back to biblical times.

Celebrations, rather than using traditional texts and the Torah, integrate Hebrew and Yiddish folk songs and poetry to support a central theme, such as a recent Hanukkah celebration, which reflected the theme of light.

Rabbi Kolton says her congregation's celebrations emphasize Jewish culture and humanistic philosophy.

"There's a freedom of exploring your own belief. There's no dogma. There's a joy. People walk in and say, "I'm finally home. I can say what I really believe."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Analysis: For Jets, Success Far Beyond One Playoff Victory - New York Times

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 09:50 PM PST

From his New Jersey basement Sunday afternoon, linebacker Bart Scott multitasked, alternately answering questions about his current team, the Jets, and rooting for his former team, the Baltimore Ravens, in its playoff game against the New England Patriots.

Scott wanted a Ravens victory because he preferred to face the San Diego Chargers next weekend in the divisional round of the N.F.L. playoffs, instead of the Indianapolis Colts. Scott meant no disrespect to the Chargers, winners of 11 straight, but he wanted a less familiar opponent than the Colts, who hosted the Jets in late December.

The more Scott watched the Ravens, the more his focus shifted, the more he saw in his former team what his current team has spent this season building. In the Ravens, he saw a philosophy, a system, a way of football that leads to sustained, not scattered, success.

"In Baltimore, we had tradition," Scott said. "It was like baseball. Like we had a farm system. When guys went down, other guys came up. What mattered was the system."

The system helped the Ravens win, 33-14, and grant Scott his wish, as the Jets will play the Chargers in San Diego next Sunday. Jets Coach Rex Ryan also watched his former team, and he said, "I saw that formula for success."

The Jets won their first playoff game in five years Saturday, bouncing the Cincinnati Bengals from the postseason, 24-14. That triumph highlighted the philosophy installed by Ryan in his first season, the way he brought not only players with him from Baltimore, but also an approach to football.

It also showcased the Jets' stable of young, skilled players, a testament to the eye of General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and his staff, the minimal impact of linebacker Vernon Gholston notwithstanding.

These Jets are built to win now. And next season. And the season after that.

On Saturday, the rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for 182 yards and a touchdown, and his 80 percent completion percentage set a postseason franchise record. Another rookie, running back Shonn Greene, ran for 135 yards and another score, receiving key blocks from center Nick Mangold and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who were each drafted in the first round four years ago.

The second-year tight end Dustin Keller caught three passes for 99 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown reception that put the Jets ahead for good. Cornerback Darrelle Revis, in his third season, recorded his latest interception. And another third-year player, linebacker David Harris, is the leading tackler on the league's top-ranked defense.

"It came together faster than expected," Scott said. "We had a real turbulent regular season. Maybe those were all the lessons that we needed to learn."

When the Jets hired Ryan last January, he promised to run the football and stop the run, promised to change the culture and instill toughness. But when the Jets lost six of seven games in one stretch, Ryan looked foolish for believing he could accomplish all that in one season.

At least until the Jets won six of their last seven contests. Until their defense went the last three weeks without coughing up a lead. Until Sanchez went three weeks without a turnover.

Skeptics have said the Jets backed into the playoffs, handed wins by Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Skeptics will note that the Jets' playoff victory also came against the Bengals, regarded among the weakest playoff teams in the American Football Conference.

Scott sees something else. He sees the system implemented by Ryan allowing for strides made by the Jets' bevy of young skill players, and he believes that regardless of what happens next week, the Jets are built for another run next season, and another run the season after that.

"In Baltimore, we never truly had a franchise quarterback, and we were still in contention for the playoffs most years," Scott said. "We think we have a franchise quarterback in Mark, a great coach in Rex and a roster filled with talent. Next year, we will take it to the next level."

The Jets certainly have a deep roster. This season, they have proved that. They lost running back Leon Washington, their most dynamic player, to injury, and still led the N.F.L. in rushing. They lost Kris Jenkins, their defensive anchor, to injury, and still led the league in several defensive categories, including total defense.

The Jets contend that system, philosophy and belief have augmented their talent.

"A coach can change an atmosphere, and Coach Ryan has done that," said Revis, referring to the replacement of Eric Mangini after last season.

"With Mangini, it wasn't good here. Everybody had mixed feelings about him, and you can't go far like that."

Ryan presented his players with a postseason schedule last week. He even included a parade on Feb. 9, two days after Super Bowl XLIV.

The Jets must play better next weekend to prove him correct for another week. Against the Bengals, they allowed 171 rushing yards, and Ryan said he had never won a playoff game when his team allowed that many. The Jets also committed nine penalties.

Regardless, Scott looks at the Jets' roster and their coaching staff and looks ahead to future seasons. The Jets have tough decisions to make regarding contracts, the re-signing of their stable of young players.

But they are built solid for this year, next year and beyond.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Philosophy

Monday, January 11, 2010

“Philosophy studies broaden RIT experience - Democrat and Chronicle” plus 4 more

“Philosophy studies broaden RIT experience - Democrat and Chronicle” plus 4 more

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