TED Community » Carl Men

More About Me

I'm passionate about

EVERYTHING! (Just don't get me to write another research paper on it...)

An idea worth spreading

Holism, not that I'm advocating the entire restructuring of modern academic traditions but... it's still an interesting path that we didn't take that still deserves a good look at.

Talk to me about

Environment, China, future of the world, anything! (anything not hardcore science/engineering)

People don't know that I'm good at

piano, drums, martial arts, canoeing, wilderness survival, being nice, talking...

Comments

• TEDCred score: +4.10 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +3

  A comment on Talk: Keith Chen: Could your language affect your ability to save money?

  Mar 17 2013: That's very interesting, however to Keith and people like him and myself. What about people with two native languages, or in my case, three, how does that affect your perspective on money, future, family etc? Take the "uncle" example, I've had the same facination (cousin to be specific), how would having have to use two languages on a daily basis affect one's view? Would it cause self doubt, confusion?
  
  Also, language affect not just our sense of future. but also of community, family, money itself (as some commentators have pointed out correctly). They all impact what kind of person we are. Languages also evolve and change overtime, sometimes separately from the civilization and culture it comes from. There are a lot of other factors aside from the ones presented that could affect saving rate and economic health. I don't believe languages can be distinguished solely by the way "time" is spoken. or even that it should, but it seems clear that language does indeed have an effect on economics.
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Colin Powell: Kids need structure

  Feb 18 2013: @Damon Ucraiui
  
  AND WHAT WOULD I BE JOKING ABOUT?!?!?!?!!? AND WHY ALL THE ALL CAP?!?!?!?!
  Anyway, I was saying it's bad practice to do so. The talk might not be a good one, but best that judgement be based on the actual talk than the speaker's personal/professional history. yes?
  
  Personally I find this talk a bit out of focused and confusing, but my comment was written in response to what Jim Smithson had wrote, instead of responding to the talk as a whole.
  
  --
  
  @Jim Smithson
  
  I dont disagree with you on the things you mentioned as important. Critical thinking etc, or else we would not even be able to have this conversation. However having a disciplined education system does not diminishes these things imo. Unless you can point to a clear example of this?
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Colin Powell

  Feb 16 2013: @Jim Smithson: Ah.. well didn't mean to sound hostile, just responding to your last paragraph there. Or maybe that was hostile language to you, either way, my point stand. Freedom is a matter of POV. And you're saying about Freedom of thoughts and all that, again, I'm no expert, but from what you're saying, it seems that you'd prefer children of all ages be free from social discipline, and that that would make them think better..? Because that's the message I'm receiving from you. You also haven't provided an alternative to defer to.
  
  @Damon Ucraiui: Don't mix the man with the message he carries.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: Colin Powell

  Feb 16 2013: Does it? Absolute freedom is chaos. Kids have to be educated to learn that others' thoughts should be respected, and that the world has more than "ME" in it. That there are groups of people relies on rules to run smoothly. That just because you don't like somebody, you don't get to force your way though them. That just because they don't look like you and your parents, doesn't mean that they are completely different from you.
  
  Those are the kinds of social skills that builds healthy society. Every word that begins with "free" is over used and misunderstood now days. Freedom is only present because there exist a society that enforces it.

• A comment on Talk: Phil Plait: How to defend Earth from asteroids

  Feb 15 2013: Just imagine the debate that will go on in the congress 20 years from now, of whether the US should kick Apophis out for good or to drag it to orbit and mine it. For the good of the merican people of course.
  
  LOL

• A reply on Conversation: Porn's effects on women users

  Nov 26 2012: *Since I'm referencing a video that calls watching porn an addiction, I think it's appropriate to refer to porn as a consumable.
  *But that's just it, if it affect men, then women's reaction shouldn't be all too different. But like I said, there's just not that many women who watch internet porn, or not on the level men does. So...

• A reply on Conversation: Porn's effects on women users

  Nov 26 2012: at least they can be said to be normal haha

• A reply on Conversation: Porn's effects on women users

  Nov 26 2012: Yes, interesting how there's so far still no response from the women on this thread, when the question is clearly targeting them. Anyhow, do you think that explicit romance novel have similar or comparable effects on women as porn does on men?

• A reply on Conversation: Porn's effects on women users

  Nov 26 2012: That's exactly what I meant when I said small sample size. Sorry for not being clear. But yes, I agree with what you said, I asked just in case someone is aware of things being otherwise. Though I do know that there are porn targeted towards women, and as other commentators have pointed out, fantasizing about sex is not limited to internet porn, and women do in fact do so in other mediums.
  
  I am nevertheless still interested in such a study if it exist.
  
  Great link by the way.

• A reply on Conversation: Porn's effects on women users

  Nov 26 2012: Carlita Mendelez? =_=