Skeptic

From closing lines of JusticeHarvard.org's course "Justice: A Journey in Moral Reasoning" (iTunes Link), by Michael Sandel.

"..., about how philosophy works and has always worked, by estranging us from the familiar, by unsettling our settled assumptions. 

I tried to warn you that once the familiar turns strange, once we begin to reflect on our circumstance it's never quite the same again. I hope you have by now experienced at least a little of this unease,  because this the tension that animates critical reflection, and political improvement and maybe even the moral life as well. ... ...

The reason is that we live some answer to these questions all the time. In our public life and in our personal lives philosophy is inescapable, even if it sometimes seems impossible.

We began with the thought of Kant, that skepticism is a resting place for human reason where it can reflect upon it's dogmatic wanderings, but it is no dwelling place for permanent settlement. "To allow oneself simply to acquiesce in sketpticism or in complacent," Kant wrote, "will never suffice to overcome the restlessness of reason." " Michael Sandel, JusticeHarvard.org

From I. Kant's original text -  

"... Thus scepticism is a resting place for reason, in which it may reflect on its dogmatical wanderings and gain some knowledge of the region in which it happens to be, that it may pursue its way with greater certainty; but it cannot be its permanent dwelling-place. It must take up its abode only in the region of complete certitude, whether this relates to the cognition of objects themselves, or to the limits which bound all our cognition."  - I. Kant in Critique of Pure Reason (L)

12 hours of class video, 3-4 books in addition to plenty of text to finish this 14 weeks course! Go ahead. 


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Special

Kevin Kelly sometimes publishes a series on his site called 'Found quotes'. This is my first post under 'Quote' tag.

The first lifted straight from KK's post. Rest were collected over time.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. -- Robert Heinlein

‘Act without expectation.’ -- Lao Tzu

“The generation that had information, but no context. Butter, but no bread. Craving, but no longing.” -- Meg Wolitzer - The Uncoupling 

"Never pick a fight with a man who buys his ink by the barrel" -- Mark Twain Link

"You should never abdicate a responsibility, only ever delegate it." -- Emyth + Swombat Link

"Honesty is such a lonely word, Everyone is so untrue,  Originality is hardly ever heard. Copycats, I'm crushing you-too." -- Modified song of Billy Joel ballad Honesty, performed by Andrew Mason and Weller of Groupon at SXSW 2011

"Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution." -- Clay Shirky

"Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question." --
Albert Camus

“An investment is by all right-minded people to be commended, because it brings comforts and necessities to the citizenry. But, if continued indefinitely, it will lead to the endless pursuit of unnecessary things.” -- Adam Smith

"Today’s collectivists are going after malefactors of moderate means." -- P.J. O'Rourke (Link)

The full list of collected quotes is at Link.

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Five

TED is celebrating five years of 900+ video's being online. TED Blog asked few questions in their post - "Have you watched all the TED Talks?"

The answer is Yes.

Here's detailed answers to their questions -

1. How did you find TEDTalks?
   
   
   I had bought my first laptop in February 2006 and at the time was living at a proverbial 'Bachelor Pad' without any TV. This meant that I was regulary spending time finding quality content online. At the time I read about TED in some 'random' content list blog post about documentaries. I watched all 6 of originally released talks, and immediately signed when TED.com started accepting members. I am member #929
   
   
2. At what point did you set the goal: “I want to watch every TEDTalk”?
   
   Very first batch of talks released had me hooked. I've watched regularly throughout 5 years. Never been behind more than ~15 in iTunes playlist.
   
   
3. How are you keeping track?
   iTunes + My own Spreadsheet (derived from original) -  http://bit.ly/TED_US
   
   
4. What’s a talk you think you would not have watched without this goal?
   None, however I may not have kept up the pace, without my iPod Touch + iTunes
   
   
5. What’s your favorite TEDTalk?
   I have a list of Short list of 193 out of 900+, and a shorter list of Top 35 18-minute format talks and Top 20 3-10 minute short talks.  Out of top 10, Bill Stone and Wade Davis share my favorite talks spot. I am yet to create a playlist for this on TED.com
   
   

6. What’s something you learned from this experience?
   To watch every TED Talk, you may have to give up your cable-Television, else it's tough. And if possible blog about your favorite ones. (example - tag).

Best of Luck to everyone who is aiming to clear their 5-year backlog.

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Ever

"Have you ever" by Brandi Carlile from the Album "The Story", photos by Paul Nicklen. (Song starts at 2min:43sec mark). Direct YouTube Link

Album Link. Paul Nicklen's TED Talk. My updated List - http://bit.ly/TED_US, or refer to this Quora List.


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Charge

9 People were named in charge sheet filed by CBI in 2G scam

1. A. Raja - Former Telecom Minister, a Poet, Lawyer, Politician
2. Siddharth Behura - Former Telecom Secretary,1973 batch retired IAS
3. R. K Chandolia - A. Raja's private secretary, 1984 batch Indian Economic Service
4. Shahid Usman Balwa - DB Realty, Etisalat DB Telecom (Swan Telecom), youngest Indian Billionaire at age of 36
5. Vinod Goenka - Dynamix Balwa Realty Group Promoter -#54 richest Indian
6. Sanjay Chandra - Unitech's MD
7. Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and  Hari Nair - ADAG Reliance telecom executives

Charges -- Conspiracy, Cheating, Forgery, Abusing official position.

Goenka's profile in Forbes 

"Age 51, College dropout co-founded DB Realty, prominent Mumbai developer with Shahid Balwa. Owners of its Turf View apartments in South Mumbai, overlooking the racecourse and costing upto $14 million each, include Kishore Biyani (No.72) and Anand Jain (No.53)."  Link

Balwa's profile in Forbes 

"Youngest billionaire on list and partner of Vinod Goenka (No. 54) in property developer DB Realty and telecom startup Etisalat DB Telecom (formerly Swan Telecom) of which he is vice chairman. Launched its Cheers mobile service in March, bagging Bollywood star Aamir Khan as brand ambassador. Interests include unlisted hospitality arm which owns two Le Meridien Hotels and is building 11 more, including the 135-story India Tower in South Mumbai, that will house a Park Hyatt Hotel due to open in 2015." Link

Primary commercial corporations involved

1. Unitech - India's 2nd Largest realtor
2. Uninor = Unitech + Telenor (Norwegian company)
3. DB Realty - India's 3rd Largest realtor
4. Etilstat DB Telecom = Cheers Mobile (Etisalat UAE + DB Realty)
5. Reliance Telecom ADAG

The charge-sheet is merely ~80,000 pages long, and was delivered along with other evidence in 7 trunks to the Judge hearing the case. Also it'll be joined with supplemental charge sheet later as investigation continues.


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