TED Community » Martin Varhnis

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Politics on a broad spectrum, discussing anything from Human RIghts to Foreign Policy or International Relations.

An idea worth spreading

Reforming the international aid process. Ask me about my idea!

Talk to me about

Anything, I'm up for any discussion of good ideas.

People don't know that I'm good at

Spelling and anything with my hands/construction related.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +1.90 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Does celebrity activism matter?

  Aug 30 2012: that is also my opinion. entertainment celebrities (not all, but a majority) "support" causes that their PR agent tells them to support, much rather than actually, honestly supporting said causes.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: How do you move beyond why, when someone takes their own life? How do we get beyond the shame?

  Apr 20 2012: Sarah,
  I appreciate it. That's a fantastic quote. Please let me know if there is anything more I can do to help you; with the kindest regards and heartfelt sympathy.
• +3

  A comment on Conversation: How do you move beyond why, when someone takes their own life? How do we get beyond the shame?

  Apr 19 2012: I experienced the suicide of a close childhood friend just over a year ago. He was struggling with sobriety and ended up taking his own life as a way to escape the hardships of that battle.
  
  The emotional toll it took on me was egregious: I rarely show physical signs of emotion, but I cried often, slept rarely, and constantly asked myself, "why?" for an extended period of time. I still occasionally think about my friend, still asking myself "Is there anything I could have done? Was I there enough for him? Why didn't he come to us (his close friends) with these buried issues?"
  
  The answer is that the only real way to deal with a loved one's choice to take their own life is time. I was upset when I was first told this, but it is true. There should be NO shame in discussing your loved one's passing. It was their choice, not yours. You should not be ashamed, or feel shame for them. If they were capable of telling us now, I know that the emotion of 'shame' could in no way compete with the complex gathering of emotions that forced them into such an abrupt conclusion.
  
  Remember them for who they were, the good in them. Do not let their suicide taint the great impression that they left on the world to cause the grief of their loss. I remember my friend as a great man who was capable of making an entire room laugh, ease tensions, and lead when everyone else followed. His poor decision towards the end of his life will never make me feel shame towards or for him.

• A comment on Conversation: Intelligent outdoor advertisements

  Apr 19 2012: Moritz,
  This is a very intriguing idea. I've conducted business in many cities and have noticed that the outdoor advertisements are quite outdated and monotonous. Your idea brings a fresh breath to each advertisement simply based on time of day, etc. For that, I ask: What of the daily commuter? Say a businessman drives to work everyday at 8:00am, and leaves his office at 6:00pm. Based on the location of the advertisement, he may only see those advertisements for a specific season. The ideas behind the rotating-panel billboards (which rotate anywhere from every 10 seconds to 10 minutes) keep the target audience fresh for the time that they are displayed.. something for you to chew on I suppose.
  
  That being said, I am curious to know if you have ever heard of "Mobile Billboards." They're large, billboard-sized ads on the back of a truck that travel around a major city's busiest intersections all day. It's a fairly new idea. If you could have a variety of trucks with different advertisements on them traveling certain parts of a major city based on time, day, location, and season (as you so suggested), I imagine that that would affect a greater target audience.
  
  Just my two cents! Hope I helped a bit.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What is most precious to you and how far would go to protect such?

  Apr 18 2012: My mother is the most precious thing in my life. Her and I have had our falling-outs as the years have passed; but things resolved themselves through time. No matter what downfall her and I may have, I would absolutely risk my life in order to maintain hers. She has done the same for me in the past; the feeling has become mutual as the years have passed.
  
  People are wired differently. I am very sorry to hear of your son's disassociation with his family. I am sure that some how, some way, he will come back from the 'void' he is in.

• A reply on Conversation: How can corruption in the Nigerian political system be thwarted?

  Apr 17 2012: Zdenek, what do you think of this? It is a counter-argument to my trade-embargo idea; a more humane pathway I suppose:
  
  If the United Nations were to put their foot down and decree that Nigeria is to not be given foreign aid unless their political leadership became transparent in their financial spending down to the single naira, corruption would become very difficult to preserve. The UN must participate in the sanctioning of this decree; hiring a third-party group (using part of Nigeria’s proposed foreign aid injection) to fully evaluate the finances of Nigeria for an extended period of time. This third-party group could later hire Nigerian citizens with basic mathematical or accounting skills in order to teach them as permanent watchdogs of the Nigerian government. All participants must be paid handsomely in order to hamper the possibility of being bribed. All interactions with governing members of Nigeria must be watched closely to ensure the forestalling of bribery and all finances being accounted for. Even if this sounds like an expensive, lengthy, and drastic step, it is a necessary one for Nigeria to move forward and away from the plague of monetary corruption.

• A reply on Conversation: How can corruption in the Nigerian political system be thwarted?

  Apr 16 2012: thats a very good point. however, i feel as if the word has been spread. people know about the high levels of corruption; there is just nothing being done about it. It's a complex issue, yes, but I feel as if anything can be tackled. Any ideas?

• A reply on Conversation: How can corruption in the Nigerian political system be thwarted?

  Apr 16 2012: I appreciate the input. I too agree that Nigeria must work on this themselves; unfortunately there are already so many hands in Nigeria's pot. Some have suggested splitting the country up based on their ethnic groups as per the Sudanese example.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: How can corruption in the Nigerian political system be thwarted?

  Apr 16 2012: Nigeria is in attempts of being a democratic government (though it is running off of a uni-party system), and complaints from the Nairaland forum are rampant. I believe their corruption issue could be solved through UN-imposed embargos.. as Nigeria works off of oil-rents and exports, this would pain such a corrupt government to try and enact change.
  
  I'm a firm believer in money being a changing factor; be it trade embargos or foreign aid retainment.
  
  As for implementation of transparency, such things must be taught, as Zdenek says, at a young age (described here: http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/17403/2012/02/26/how_end_corruption_nigeria_–_icpc_boss.html)
  
  Once such a thing is taught, the young age group must implement it. Civilian to State, rather than any other fashion. I'm a dreamer, I suppose.

• A reply on Conversation: Air Force Intelligence vs. Naval Intelligence vs. Army Intelligence Which one is best? Which one has the most resources?

  Feb 25 2012: mountaineer208@yahoo.com
  Sorry about the wait once more!