Last night in front of an audience of hundreds at a presentation at the University of Southern California, TV personality Bill Nye — popularly known as the "Science Guy" — collapsed midsentence as he walked toward a podium. Early indications are that Nye is OK, but what's odd about the incident isn't so much Nye's slight health setback as the crowd's reaction. Or, more precisely, its nonreaction, according to several accounts.
It appears that the students in attendance, rather than getting up from their seats to rush to Nye's aid, instead pulled out their mobile devices to post information about Nye's loss of consciousness.
More at the link above.
The guy on the news made a funny comment. He cited one tweet, "OMG. Bill Nye just passed out on stage. Somebody get that man some water." Instead of getting up to get the man some water, they tweeted about it.
That is interesting.
There was a well publicised event here in Australia about a month ago.
Ex-prime minister, John Howard was being interviewed on Q&A, its a weekly televised panel discussion/interview where audience participants can ask questions and viewers can send questions via video, and twitter. They also feature a stream of tweets at the bottom of the screen, comments from, predominantly, peanut gallery. John Howard was on his own with Tony Jones fielding some questions and comparing/adjudicating. During the program, one guy took off his shoes and threw one of them at Howard before being escorted off the set. I was watching Q&A when it happened and my impression was that it was a lame copy-cat of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at Dubya. It was (the shoe-throwing incident on Q&A) was a dumb political stunt. But more interestingly, just before the incident, somoeone had tweeted words to the effect of "someone should throw a shoe at John Howard". The author of the tweet was interviewed the next day and apparently, just as surprised as everyone else that someone in the live audience threw his shoe at John Howard.
The world is weird, sometimes.
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Ben wrote:That is interesting.
There was a well publicised event here in Australia about a month ago.
Ex-prime minister, John Howard was being interviewed on Q&A, its a weekly televised panel discussion/interview where audience participants can ask questions and viewers can send questions via video, and twitter. They also feature a stream of tweets at the bottom of the screen, comments from, predominantly, peanut gallery. John Howard was on his own with Tony Jones fielding some questions and comparing/adjudicating. During the program, one guy took off his shoes and threw one of them at Howard before being escorted off the set. I was watching Q&A when it happened and my impression was that it was a lame copy-cat of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at Dubya. It was (the shoe-throwing incident on Q&A) was a dumb political stunt. But more interestingly, just before the incident, somoeone had tweeted words to the effect of "someone should throw a shoe at John Howard". The author of the tweet was interviewed the next day and apparently, just as surprised as everyone else that someone in the live audience threw his shoe at John Howard.
The world is weird, sometimes.
Two interesting stories, although the first one is disturbing.
Ben, is your avatar a gong from the vipassana retreats?
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
Hi MP
I found the picture while browsing an online shop selling buddha-rupas. I was doing a bit of 'window shopping', and noted that they were also selling burmese gongs, similar to the ones that are used in centres associated with SN Goenka. I just downloaded the pic and decided to use it as an avatar. As you know, its sort of emblematic for anyone who has done a ten-day course (or longer) in that sub-tradition, and I guess I like it.
In case you don't know, I am heading off to Myanmar in less than a week for a long retreat and a mini-yattra,visiting sites that are connected to the tradition in Burma.
Out of respect to Individual,I am happy to continue this tangent elsewhere,or via pm, so as this thread can remain on-topic.
kind regards
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Well you posted first, and then intend to act... so I guess it's on-topic!
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."