TEDxYYC – D’Arcy Norman dot net

Patrick Finn on the importance of Loving Thinking

Patrick sets up the rehearsal for The Extinction Therapist Beakerhead rehearsal session

Patrick Finn is an incredibly inspiring prof, and we’re lucky to have him here at UCalgary.

His work on helping to transition from critical to loving thinking is extremely important. I’ve watched his TEDxYYC talk a few times, and revisited it again after this week’s Beakerhead theatre workshop rehearsal of The Extinction Therapist – an event led by Patrick, with actors presenting their early interpretation of Clem Martini‘s unfinished script. The play was interesting, weird, and thought-provoking – all things we need more of.

Patrick Finn @ TEDxYYC: The Importance of Loving Communication

Also, check out Patrick’s book, “Critical Condition“, with more on his work on loving thinking as an alternative to critical thinking.

TEDxUofC

It looks like the University of Calgary is planning a series of TEDx events: TEDxUofC – the first one being next week, just days after the TEDxYYC event.

After previously saying I wouldn’t go to a TEDx event because of the way they’re set up, I’m happy to post that they don’t have to be that way.

Registration for TEDxUofC is open, and cheap. Students get in for $5. Everyone else gets in for $10. It doesn’t get cheaper than that. And there’s no “how awesome are you?” filter on the registration. You prove your awesomeness by showing up.

Now this is interesting. A series of focused events, each on a different topic, open to anyone who wants to come and make a difference. Sure, the speakers are selected ahead of time. Sure, the topics are selected ahead of time. That’s ok, and the way it’s set up looks like it could provide an interesting series of events.

Now, to try to arrange child care for The Boy™ twice a month, so I can head down to Hotel Alma (the new facility on the main U of C campus). Actually, I wonder if he’d like to go. He is a student, after all…

I won’t be going to TEDxYYC

I was really excited that a TEDx event was being planned for Calgary. I was looking forward to TEDxYYC, and was planning to attend and help out in any way that I could. The website for the event went live today, so I went to register.

I got to the registration form. Except it’s not a registration form. It’s an application-to-register form. okaaaaaay… That’s unusual…

I proceed to fill the form in.

First Name. check.
Last Name. check.
Company/Organization. (hmm… whatever.) check.
Job Title/Role. (ummm… why is this relevant? fine.) check.
Email address. check.
Address. (maybe they mail the pass?) check.
Phone. check.
Tell us about yourself. (maybe for a bio on the website? um… okay.) check.
List some of your lifetime achievements. (wait. what? To attend? Really? No. Not appropriate. Closetab.)

The demographic info, I get. The address, sure, for correspondence. The company and job title may even be okay, but questionable for just attending the event.

But Lifetime Achievements? What the fuck? That’s not cool. That’s an elitism filter. That’s exclusionary. Even if they “allow” people with lesser lifetime achievements, it sets the tone for the event. It’s about Awesome People™ being hand picked to hang out together and watch Even More Awesome People™ talk about Awesome Stuff™.

I told my wife about this, and she wondered why I was so upset. “Hey, you’d probably get in. What’s the problem?” She may be right. I don’t know. But there shouldn’t be a worthiness filter to register to an event about making the world a better place.

Not interested. I’ll stick to the TED Talks website, where I don’t need to prove my worth to gain access.

TEDxYYC – TED comes to Calgary

I just heard about TEDxYYC – an independently organized TED-like event to be held right here in Calgary. This should be awesome. I can’t wait.

I have no idea how many people will be able to make it. From poking around on the internets, it sounds like it might be held in the Karo warehouse, with room for ~100 folks. Possibly on Jan. 22, 2010.

If there’s anything I can do to help get TEDxYYC off the ground, count me in.