Snopes December 4, 2006
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Links], Creativity, Entertainment, Society, Weird, History , 3 comments
To keep you updated on more outstanding internet sources I’d like to recommend snopes.com. It’s a place for any (un)thinkable urban legend stories, which Barbara and David P. Mikkelson have taken the effort to classify as true, false or undetermined since 1995. As usual though, I’ll let everyone decide for themselves what can be determined as true or untrue. 
As the front page reveals, it’s most practical to browse the database by category of interest. They even have their own categories for Coca Cola, Disney, hurricane Katrina and the Titanic. Whatever catches your attention, the color-coded blobs in front of the titles tell you the current state of veracity for each story. But if you want to keep up-to-date with new entries, there’s one added just about every day in the ‘what’s new’ section.
If you want to participate further, join the message boards. They don’t seem very organized so you won’t find me over there writing anything, but just in case you’re a forum junkie you could take a peek. What I do recommend is the FAQ/Site info section and the glossary page if you’re more inclined to find answers to why, how, who and what snopes.com is about. As they state it, it’s a reference page, so it’s not an ultimate source of knowledge. Additionally, they share links on a daily basis to external news sources that depict weird reports around the globe.
So even though I’m somewhat against following daily TV news out of the fear-driven content they spill out to the masses, I do recommend other sources that leave more food for thought - and are entertaining as well. It’s not like I’m all for personal growth that takes time, frustration and willpower. We all need some fun and recreation as well to keep going. It just so happens that learning something new all the time can be a fun part of life, no matter what the subject is. You just have to switch between the two sides of your brain every once in a while to help it grow more easily as well.
(No Ratings Yet)
Delaware Is Closed Today November 13, 2006
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Articles], Communication, Entertainment, Society, Psychology, Investing, History , 2 comments
There was a funny and intriguing example of human behaviour in a book I’m currently reading. Apparently, in 1963 the well-known TV show Candid Camera decided to test the power of authority and the written word. The prank involved setting up a big sign on the boarder of Pennsylvania and Delaware saying that “Delaware is closed today”. Next to it was a table with a few respectable looking men wearing suits and ties whose job was to tell people that Delaware is under repair, they don’t know the specifics and that the motorists should try again the next day.
Well, many drivers simply drove on without questioning the sign, but some did. They talked with the men what this was about and decided to turn around. Some even turned around promptly just by seeing the combination of the sign and the “authoritative figures” sitting at the table. One driver faintly asked if Jersey is still open. I hope the rest of them didn’t worry too much about how granny was doing over in Delaware.
Ok, so what’s the lesson of the story? Whenever you sign a contract, negotiate a deal or are told to comply to spoken or written word which you don’t fully comprehend, make sure that you do before you take action. Don’t let an “expert” sway you with grand words, professional jargon or authoritative, bureaucratic policy statements if they don’t make sense to you. On the flip side, don’t use these methods yourself either when there’s a good chance they will only make a person sceptical or confused.
Take for instance your personal finances. The more people you tell that you have extra cash to invest, the more investment vehicles you’ll encounter and everyone will have their truly best opinion on what you should go for. Now I’m not saying most of them are automatically bad advices, but a description of a car isn’t quite the same as driving one. It’s especially tricky when suddenly there are tens or hundreds of signs saying “This is open today” or That is closed today” and you don’t even know who put them there in the first place - or to whose benefit.
So keep your eyes open for the road signs, educate yourself on understanding which ones fly sky high when a storm is brewing and find out who stands behind productive, honest and stable advices that fit your requirements.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
