There’s a global conversation going on, and some dedicated volunteers want to make sure that Sacramento is a part of it. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading,” and the speaker series can be found on the web, via Netflix, and live – right here in Sacramento. Until recently, TEDxSacramento hosted one event each year that spanned a full day. After a couple of test runs last year, this year the organization is adding in a number of morning and evening salons (smaller events that span roughly three hours) for those interested in dipping their toe into the TED experience. “It’s a great way to get a taste of the experience,” said Brandon Weber, who heads up TEDxSacr

You never know where the next brilliant, world-changing idea will come from: your next-door neighbor, your kid’s fifth-grade math teacher, the landlady – but if you’re at a TEDx event, it may come from the person sitting next to you. “It’s a platform for giving people a voice,” Brandon Weber, one of the organizers for TEDx Sacramento said. “If somebody has a great idea, the best thing you can do is give them a voice – a place to share it.” TED – technology, entertainment and design – events are a series of brief talks by people with new ideas, or, according to the TED slogan, “ideas worth spreading.” The organization went local with the development of the “TEDx” series of events. These

Up till now the summer movie season has been utterly devoid of any good comedies. I mean I don’t actually know anyone who saw That’s My Boy and The Dictator seemed to fade as quickly as it appeared. But now we have Ted, the first live action film from writer and director Seth MacFarlane; and I must say fellow nerds, the man behind Family Guy and American Dad delivers! Ted begins with an extended prologue, narrated by Starfleet’s own Sir Patrick Stewart, that explains the titular teddy bear’s magical origin. After little John Bennett (played as an adult by Mark Wahlberg) wishes for a friend on Christmas, his wish is granted in the form of a walking, talking teddy bear named Ted (voiced by

"Ted” Directed (and co-written) by Seth MacFarlane Two weeks ago, we were presented with a character who grew up in Boston, became famous as a child for unlikely reasons, and who grew up into an obnoxious, broadly accented, substance abusing, painful embarrassment to those who ought to be nearest and dearest. And now we have another – but with a key difference. Then it was Adam Sandler who single-handedly managed to stink up what might possibly have been a moderately funny, albeit inherently crass, story (“That’s My Boy”) about a kid who impregnated his teacher and then squandered the fame, fortune, and parental relationship that ensued. This time around it’s a walking, talking teddy be

Give your children pocketknives and let them play with fire. Let them deconstruct appliances, throw spears and drive a car, and trust them to develop necessary skill sets when given the tools. These were just a few of the ideas shared with the crowd of 100-plus children and adults at the TEDxYouthDay event Saturday night in the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. TED is a small non-profit best known for its TED Talks and Podcasts that bring the worlds’ most innovative, entrepreneurial and inspirational speakers together to give the speech of their lives and share ideas worth spreading via global conferences and TEDx events. The TEDx program brings TED talks to the local level as independently

April 16 marked the arrival of TEDx in Sacramento, bringing a “TED-like experience” to our area. What is TED? TED stands for “Technology, Education, Design.” It is a small nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Started in 1984, its purpose has spread to include an annual U.S. conference in Long Beach as well as a TEDGlobal conference in the United Kingdom, a TEDTalks online video site, an annual TED Prize, a nationwide local program called TEDx and more. Per TEDx Sacramento, “The TEDx Conference provided a license and general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.” Brandon Weber, TEDx Sacramento curator, said the local team want

On the heels of Sacramento's first TEDx conference, grads from California State University, Sacramento, will launch a TED Talks spinoff on Thursday. "Talks Unleashed" is one of several local events created in the vein of TED Talks, a social movement that began in Monterey in 1984. TED Talks are conferences organized to inspire the spread of ideas to benefit the world through 18-minute lectures and collaboration opportunities. They originally featured talks on technology, entertainment and design. Now focused on science and culture, the events have spread throughout this country and into Europe and Asia, as well as on the Internet. About 200 people filled Sac State's Hinde Auditorium Fri

Who is Ted and why is he so popular? The nearly 200 people who attended Sacramento’s inaugural TEDx conference last night at Hinde Auditorium at Sac State discovered that “what is TED?” is the better question. TED is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds--Technology, Entertainment, and Design--and now its scope has become ever broader. Since the launch of the TEDx program only six months ago, thousands of individuals have gathered to enjoy independently organized TEDx events. Last night, Sacramento made local history with its first TEDx conference. TEDx Sacramento curator Brandon Weber, co-owner of