by Jon Moran

As the pre-election fervor begins to heighten, and the major news networks spin the politician’s words and actions into daily drama, we must not confuse the object for the subject. While it is exciting to converse and prophesize about November’s election results it is important for all of us to remember why this election is so exciting for the American public. Both of the major candidates have made the promise of change in government but there is a man who has a powerful vision of the future, who everyone should be rooting for, and you don’t have to wait until November to show your support.

His name is Shai Agassi, and his vision of the future of personal automobiles is rapidly becoming a reality in developed western countries. With major financial backing from Israel, Agassi’s company Better Place is changing the way governments, and progressive populations are looking at the personal automobile.

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Digital Cameras have made it possible for us to take pictures of absolutely everything, in every place and even though I have my moments where I wonder how good of a thing that actually is, overall I love being able to document when and where I please.

This month WIRED has a contest that might just be perfect for me and for other digital photographers who like to explore their location with photography - they want you to submit your best city photo. It can be something clean and snazzy or something dirty and gritty, whatever you choose. You simply submit the photo via WIRED and then vote on other submissions.

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A group of psychologists are lobbying to get internet addiction added to the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

 Like other addicts, users reportedly experience cravings (for better software, faster machines), withdrawal (logging off may cause irritability), a loss of sense of time (wee-hour fixes), and negative social repercussions (it’s so much easier to date an avatar). Sound familiar? Your friend the World Wide Web may be a monkey on your back. Or not. Just ask yourself this: If Google were a drug, would I smoke it? [Wired]

I may have a problem. Let’s see, I spend much of my day searching the web for blog ideas, blog photos, blog links, plus an additional few hours actually blogging, not to mention my multiple MySpace/Facebook/Gchat breaks…I wonder if I can go to virtual rehab? Ya know, join some sort of online internet addict group chat therapy program? I found the site netaddiction.com which in fact has an “internet addict” message board. Sooooo, what if one becomes obsessed with logging onto the message board? Ah irony.If you or someone you know does have any kind of addiction, takepart and visit Psychology Today for addiction help resources and information.

The TED 2008 conference invited Psychologist Philip Zimbardo to speak about his new book, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. His book explains that a “perfect storm” of conditions can make ordinary people commit unspeakable acts. WIRED magazine published an interview with Zimbardo along with photographs from Abu Ghraib that he uses to illustrate his points (please be warned the photographs are extremely disturbing.)

Wired: You were an expert defense witness in the court-martial of Sgt. Chip Frederick, an Abu Ghraib guard. What were the situational influences in his case?

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. We brought you some excellent top 10 lists this week on art, technology, director Errol Morris, and naughty celebs who should rethink their eco-lifestyles. Don’t forget to catch up with some of our other most popular articles of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Bush’s War: PBS Frontline Brings the War to a Computer Near You

Inverted Areola, Asymmetrical Breasts, & the Miss Bimbo Game

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Nicole:

Where the Wild Things Are: Top 10 Art Blogs

Dark Water: Artist Explores Consequences of Three Gorges Dam Project

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Giulia:

A Pregnant Man?

Is the Lebron / Gisele Vogue Cover Racist?

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Gina:

Top 10 Technology Blogs

Errol Morris’ Top 10 Films

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Kerry:

Top 10 Celebrities Who Need a New Cause

Dead Bats Flying: Mysterious Fatal Illness Alarms Scientists

Advances in technology have allowed anyone and everyone to get a blog, so it’s only fitting that many of these blogs would be devoted to technology. Below are what I believe to be the Top 10 Technology Blogs. Of course there are tons out there and I’m sure I’ve missed a few - if you notice a glaring omission let me know in the comments section.

And be sure to learn about Vision Education and Media, a great group of folks that work to empower young people with technology.

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1. Gizmodo : http://gizmodo.com/

Gizmodo is a blog with the sole purpose of writing about tech and gadgets as fast as possible. Started in 2002, Gizmodo has grown to be Gawker Media’s largest blog, bringing in upwards of 50 million page views a month in traffic. We post about a variety of gadgets, including computers, cellphones, video games, cameras and anything else you can push a button on.

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I’m a Lost junkie - I have to admit it. The addictive show about the mysterious “Island” is a great guilty pleasure, full of suspense and pretty great characters. One of those characters has been played by Dominic Monaghan and during his time in Hawaii, where the show films, he has taken advantage of his surroundings in between takes on Lost and other projects:

The amateur photographer is opening up an exhibit today in Los Angeles of photographs taken over the past few years. Happy Accidents, which runs from March 13 through the 27th at the Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Gallery in West Hollywood, includes some interesting shots from Dominic’s stay on the island, like the one of J.J. Abrams producer’s chair cheekily called, “JJ Office”. [WIRED]

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