When students have a half day, teachers have to stay after school and attend class. Today, we had a suicide prevention workshop. A well-respected physician from Montefiore Medical Center came in and talked about suicide among adolescents. Certainly a grim but important topic.
A few highlights from today's lecture:
1. Suicide rates increase with age. There are virtually no suicides among children younger than 10 and very little among middle schoolers. The suicide rate begins to climb steadily from high school onwards. Senior citizens have the highest rate of suicide -- it's just not publicized because it's the 25th leading cause of death among the elderly. On the other hand, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States among those aged 15-24 (behind accidents and homicide).
2. Suicides can happen in waves. A single suicide can spark copycats throughout a community. Therefore, it's very important how leaders in the community handle these crises -- drawing lots of media and community attention may be unhealthy for others going through problems of their own.
3. Boys are four times more likely to succeed in a suicide attempt than girls. The common perception is that girls are more dramatic than boys and attempt suicide to not kill themselves but to draw attention. This, at best, is a partial truth. Rather, girls are much more likely to attempt suicide by digesting pills and boys are much more likely to use more violent and effective methods. It's much easier for a physician to save a patient who overdoses on drugs than it is to save a patient who shoots him/herself.
4. Girls are four times more likely to attempt suicide than boys. The risk factors leading to suicide among teens -- family disruption, substance/sexual abuse, gay/lesbian sexual orientation -- lead to feelings of powerlessness in our society. Girls, I believe, have less avenues to excise these feelings and are therefore more likely to act out on their own bodies (e.g., cutting, anorexia, bulimia, and suicide) than boys.
So, what do we do? The support system in the Bronx is woefully inadequate -- our speaker today acknowledged that the medical system here does "triage" -- since there are an overwhelming number of individuals who need help, doctors attend only to the worst cases. Really, it's up to the rest of us -- friends, family, teachers, etc. -- to look out for our own.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sustainable South Bronx
Majora Carter is one of those few brilliant people trying to make a difference. See what she has to say about "greening" the South Bronx.
Majora, I love you.
Majora, I love you.
Floating Pool at Baretto Point Park
According to online local news sources Curbed and Gothamist, a 260 foot long barge with a full-sized swimming pool, AKA The Floating Pool will be docked at Baretto Point Park this summer.
Baretto Point Park is a relatively new NYC Park located in Hunts Point, a neighborhood located in the South Bronx. It's part of the community's plan to "green the ghetto." Although there have been complaints of foul odors emanating from nearby industrial plants, the Floating Pool should help draw thousands of locals this summer to the area.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
NYC Bridges
Even though I hate sitting in traffic and polluting the environment, I will miss driving to work every day across the Whitestone Bridge. The views of both Manhattan and the Long Island Sound are spectacular.
"Man Made," an interesting and informative series on the National Geographic channel, had a great episode on NYC bridges earlier this year. The combination of science, engineering, and history makes for irresistible television!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech
A few years ago, Steve Jobs, the current CEO of Apple, gave an inspiring commencement speech at Stanford University. He had three personal stories to share, with three simple lessons:
1) Your life is a random assortment of events that you can't (completely) control. Even though you may have no idea how these 'dots' will connect, you just have to believe that they will, somehow. "You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
2) Do what you love. "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
3) Be in control of your own life. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."
Thanks for the advice, Mr. Jobs.
Read the full transcript of his speech on Stanford's website.
1) Your life is a random assortment of events that you can't (completely) control. Even though you may have no idea how these 'dots' will connect, you just have to believe that they will, somehow. "You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
2) Do what you love. "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
3) Be in control of your own life. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."
Thanks for the advice, Mr. Jobs.
Read the full transcript of his speech on Stanford's website.
What Funky Body Odor Says About You
With temperatures rising above 100 degrees this week in New York City, it's inevitable your olfactory nerves are going to be impinged upon by another person's body odor. Even though you may not enjoy the experience, you can learn something about your neighbor just by taking a whiff.
For one, body odor can indicate a person's health. For example, people who give off the scent of ammonia may be suffering from kidney or liver disease. And for those who smell sweet -- while it may sound great in theory, it may mean that you're developing diabetes. So...not so great.
Even though most of us try to mask our natural scents, scientists believe that we may be covering up a good thing -- these odors may be used to communicate information and emotions to others. We're more likely to recognize and feel comfortable around the smell of our kin, and feel fear around those who smell different than us.
And guys -- worried about sweating in front of your crush across the table from you? It turns out it may not work against you: women who are fertile pick up on certain chemicals found in men's sweat that women who are not fertile do not. So if you're interested in picking up a beautiful young lady, your best bet may be to work up a sweat! Just try not to sweat on the lady; I'm pretty sure they're not too keen on that.
Read the article here for yourself.
For one, body odor can indicate a person's health. For example, people who give off the scent of ammonia may be suffering from kidney or liver disease. And for those who smell sweet -- while it may sound great in theory, it may mean that you're developing diabetes. So...not so great.
Even though most of us try to mask our natural scents, scientists believe that we may be covering up a good thing -- these odors may be used to communicate information and emotions to others. We're more likely to recognize and feel comfortable around the smell of our kin, and feel fear around those who smell different than us.
And guys -- worried about sweating in front of your crush across the table from you? It turns out it may not work against you: women who are fertile pick up on certain chemicals found in men's sweat that women who are not fertile do not. So if you're interested in picking up a beautiful young lady, your best bet may be to work up a sweat! Just try not to sweat on the lady; I'm pretty sure they're not too keen on that.
Read the article here for yourself.
David Sedaris
David Sedaris has released a new book of essays entitled "When You Are Engulfed In Flames." I have been a fan of Sedaris since high school -- his writings are often both touching and funny -- and look forward to reading his new book.
You can watch Mr. Sedaris read one of his famous essays below:
You can watch Mr. Sedaris read one of his famous essays below:
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
"Cucurrucu Paloma" by Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso performs "Cucurrucu Paloma" in Pedro Almodovar's 2004 film, Talk to Her. You probably won't understand a single word in the song (it's sung in Portuguese), but you don't need to speak the language to understand the emotion Veloso is conveying in his performance. Beautiful!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Words to Live by
The superior man goes through life without any one preconceived course of action or any taboo. He merely decides for the moment what is the right thing to do.
- Confucius
- Confucius
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
nobody but you
by Charles Bukowski
nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and/or die quietly
inside.
nobody can save you but
yourself
and it will be easy enough to fail
so very easily
but don't, don't, don't.
just watch them.
listen to them.
do you want to be like that?
a faceless, mindless, heartless
being?
do you want to experience
death before death?
nobody can save you but
yourself
and you're worth saving.
it's a war not easily won
but if anything is worth winning then
this is it.
think about it.
think about saving your self.
your spiritual self.
your gut self.
your singing magical self and
your beautiful self.
save it.
don't join the dead-in-spirit.
maintain your self
with humor and grace
and finally if necessary
wager your life as you struggle,
damn the odds, damn
the price.
only you can save your
self.
do it! do it!
then you'll know exactly what
I am talking about.
nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and/or die quietly
inside.
nobody can save you but
yourself
and it will be easy enough to fail
so very easily
but don't, don't, don't.
just watch them.
listen to them.
do you want to be like that?
a faceless, mindless, heartless
being?
do you want to experience
death before death?
nobody can save you but
yourself
and you're worth saving.
it's a war not easily won
but if anything is worth winning then
this is it.
think about it.
think about saving your self.
your spiritual self.
your gut self.
your singing magical self and
your beautiful self.
save it.
don't join the dead-in-spirit.
maintain your self
with humor and grace
and finally if necessary
wager your life as you struggle,
damn the odds, damn
the price.
only you can save your
self.
do it! do it!
then you'll know exactly what
I am talking about.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Street Art
Interested in graffiti and street art?
Here's your to do list:
1. Watch Infamy, a top notch documentary.
2. View photos at The Wooster Collective, an online gallery of street art. Tagged by artist.
3. Visit 5 Pointz, an abandoned warehouse in Long Island City, Queens
4. Check out the Graffiti Hall of Fame at 106 and Park.
5. Hang out with graffiti artists at The Point in the South Bronx.
6. Read up on David Choe, my favorite graffiti artist.
Here's your to do list:
1. Watch Infamy, a top notch documentary.
2. View photos at The Wooster Collective, an online gallery of street art. Tagged by artist.
3. Visit 5 Pointz, an abandoned warehouse in Long Island City, Queens
4. Check out the Graffiti Hall of Fame at 106 and Park.
5. Hang out with graffiti artists at The Point in the South Bronx.
6. Read up on David Choe, my favorite graffiti artist.
Bored?
Read these blogs and try these ideas from the Free Idea Factory or these assignments from Learning to Love You More.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Miracle Fruit
The New York Times reports about a so-called miracle fruit that makes everything taste sweet. The miracle fruit, Synsepalum dulcificum, is native to West Africa and has been known to Westerners since the 18th century. The cause of the reaction is a protein called miraculin, which binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids, according to a scientist who has studied the fruit, Linda Bartoshuk at the University of Florida’s Center for Smell and Taste.
Read the original article here.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Drugstore Cowboy
I saw Drugstore Cowboy last night, a 1989 film directed by Gus Van Sant. It's about a crew of drug addicts who rob drugstores to feed their addiction for dope. I was impressed with many elements of the movie and particularly struck by the character of the protagonist, Bob. Bob is the undisputed ringleader of his crew, a lifelong junkie who has spent his entire life trying to get high. His need for a steady diet of dope has led him to a life of crime, and he's found himself down a path where he will be spending the rest of his life on the lam or in prison.
Despite this bleak future, Bob is an admirable character -- he is strong, handsome, smart, principled and caring. He just has one fatal flaw -- his hopeless addiction to drugs -- and that one flaw has set him upon a path for destruction.
Bob is the quintessential tragic character -- a person built for a life of glory, success, and honor, brought down by his Achilles heel.
I can't help but reflect on my own life and those of my friends, family, and students, and worry that we may suffer from the same fate. My Achilles heel? A lack of discipline -- an overt distaste for the mundane, an inability to persist and follow commitments through to the end. This flaw, unfortunately, extends in both my professional and personal life, and I worry that it may be my undoing.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
I think (I am popular), therefore I am.
The key to your social success is what other people think of you, right? Wrong. According to this Newsweek article, what matters is your perception: if you think people like you, then you're more likely to get the house party invite (even if you are a jerk, weirdo, or dork). The converse is also true: if you think people don't like you, then you're less likely to get invited to Eric's super cool bash on Saturday night. It doesn't matter whether or not you're well liked -- it matters whether you think you are or not. Mind over reality, apparently.
Listening to this song will do you no good in the popularity department, but I love it anyway.
Listening to this song will do you no good in the popularity department, but I love it anyway.
World Science Festival 2008
The World Science Festival is coming to NYC next weekend, which means a whole lot of events with famous science people. Check out the website here.
I will be attending this performance/lecture on Music and the Brain.
I will be attending this performance/lecture on Music and the Brain.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Oh! My Mama by Alela Diane
This Tuesday will mark the 10th anniversary of my mother's death. I miss you, Mom.
Zen Master and the Little Boy
I like this quote from Charlie Wilson's War:
There was a little boy. And this boy, at his 14th birthday, gets a horse. And everybody in the village says, "How wonderful, the boy got a horse!" The Zen master says, "We'll see."
Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg and the whole village says, "How terrible!" The Zen master says, "We'll see."
Then a war breaks out and all the young men have to go out and fight, except that this boy can't, because his leg is all messed up, so now everybody in the village says, "How wonderful!"
...You know what the Zen master said.
And the Zen master says 'We'll see.'
There was a little boy. And this boy, at his 14th birthday, gets a horse. And everybody in the village says, "How wonderful, the boy got a horse!" The Zen master says, "We'll see."
Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg and the whole village says, "How terrible!" The Zen master says, "We'll see."
Then a war breaks out and all the young men have to go out and fight, except that this boy can't, because his leg is all messed up, so now everybody in the village says, "How wonderful!"
...You know what the Zen master said.
And the Zen master says 'We'll see.'
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Food Party 3
My brother showed me a copy of this video a friend of his friend made. I have to admit, I watched the DVD and fell in love with the the creator. What a weirdo!
Spanish Dancers
Check out the beautiful movement of this graceful animal, the sea slug (which is classified in the mollusk phylum and more specifically the gastropod class). They are called "Spanish Dancers" for good reason!
Reminds me of the flamenco dance I saw at Riverdance in high school.
Rock the Bells
This festival is loaded.
Performing artists include A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, De La Soul, Rakim, Method Man & Redman, Raekwon & Ghostface, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs, Spankrock, Wale, Santogold, Jay Electronica, B.O.B., Kidz in the Hall, Amanda Blank.
Sunday, August 3 at Jones Beach. Ticket prices start at $40. Probably need to get them early before they sell out.
More info here.
And check out two of the best hip hop tracks ever -- "Drop" and "Runnin'" by The Pharcyde.
Performing artists include A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, De La Soul, Rakim, Method Man & Redman, Raekwon & Ghostface, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs, Spankrock, Wale, Santogold, Jay Electronica, B.O.B., Kidz in the Hall, Amanda Blank.
Sunday, August 3 at Jones Beach. Ticket prices start at $40. Probably need to get them early before they sell out.
More info here.
And check out two of the best hip hop tracks ever -- "Drop" and "Runnin'" by The Pharcyde.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Black Latino Lineages and Linkages: Historical Ties that Bind
I got this email the other day. Looks pretty good --I've heard about the Schomburg Center and have wanted to visit, and Mark Naison is an entertaining speaker.
Saturday, May 17, 2008 1 – 4 pm
Schomburg Center — 135th Street & Malcolm X Blvd.
Join us for a public conversation on the historical and cultural connections between New York's
African American and Caribbean communities with particular attention to the AfroLatino/a experience.
Co-hosted by Schomburg Center & El Museo del Barrio
Participants:
William "Sandy" Darity – Duke University
Manuela Arciniegas – Cultural activist, The Legacy Circle
Mark Naison – The Bronx African-American History Project
Victoria Archibald-Good – Social Worker & long-time Patterson Houses resident
Ryan Mann-Hamilton – Graduate student researching U.S.–Samaná, D.R. migrations
"Music of Morrisania"– students of PS 140
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Dance Parade
The 2nd annual NYC Dance Parade will be held May 17. So far there's 28 dance styles registered to participate -- from roller disco to tangoliquide to Korean contemporary. Check out the website here.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Blackout Poems
Austin Kleon creates wonderful poems in a unique way. The formula: The New York Times + Sharpie = Poems
Click the pics above to view full size images, or, even better, visit his blog here.
U.S. News' Overrated Careers
According to U.S. News, the most overrated careers in 2008 are
Advertising executive
Architect
Attorney
Chef
Chiropractor
Clinical psychologist
Medical scientist
Nonprofit manager
Physician
Police officer
Real estate agent
Small-business owner
Teacher
The article discusses the upsides and downsides of each career choice, and best of all, offers an alternative career that may be a more suitable choice.
Find out more here.
Advertising executive
Architect
Attorney
Chef
Chiropractor
Clinical psychologist
Medical scientist
Nonprofit manager
Physician
Police officer
Real estate agent
Small-business owner
Teacher
The article discusses the upsides and downsides of each career choice, and best of all, offers an alternative career that may be a more suitable choice.
Find out more here.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Using Metamaterials to Render Objects Invisible
Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku discusses the possibility of rendering objects invisible using tiny light-bending materials in this Natural History article.
In order to make an object invisible, visible light needs to be bent around the object. Think of a stream of water flowing around the surface of a stone: water flows around the perimeter until it makes it way completely around that stone and continues along its original path. If the same feat can be done with light rays, that stone would be invisible!
Doing so requires light waves to be bent at extreme angles previously thought impossible. But scientists have synthesized new "metamaterials," that do just that. In 2006, researchers at Duke University and Imperial College London built materials that made objects invisible to microwave radiation.
These metamaterials must be smaller than the wavelengths of the radiation they are bending, so doing the same with visible light is a considerably more difficult feat: while microwaves have a wavelength of 3 centimeters, visible light waves have a wavelength of only a few hundred nanometers. (One nanometer is one billionth of a meter. That's really really small: approximately five atoms fit across one nanometer.)
Developing the nanotechnology required to make invisibility cloaks appear to be researchers' biggest challenge. So scientific teams across the world are currently exploring different methods of refracting red light, since red light has the longest wavelength in the visible spectrum. Whether or not any of these methods succeeds is anybody's guess; but, the ultimate goal is to bend all frequencies of light completely around the object, rendering it invisible. Far out.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Bring Back Board Games!
I will freely admit that (1) I'm 26 years young and (2) I still love playing board games. Although I'll never be a true gamer, I wish I could play more often than I currently do -- a few times a year, when a sufficient number of my dorky friends gather together.
Just like Michael Jackson's Thriller album, board games need to make a comeback. KanYe West proves that you needn't be a nerd to enjoy a good game:
Connect 4 - Jonah Hill vs. Kanye from kwest on Vimeo.
(BTW, I found this video at Kanye West's blog. He's got lots of cool stuff to check out.)
Just like Michael Jackson's Thriller album, board games need to make a comeback. KanYe West proves that you needn't be a nerd to enjoy a good game:
Connect 4 - Jonah Hill vs. Kanye from kwest on Vimeo.
(BTW, I found this video at Kanye West's blog. He's got lots of cool stuff to check out.)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg
"They Will Say"
Of my city the worst that men will ever say is this:
You took little children away from the sun and the dew,
And the glimmers that played in the grass under the great sky,
And the reckless rain; you put them between walls
To work, broken and smothered, for bread and wages,
To eat dust in their throats and die empty-hearted
For a little handful of pay on a few Saturday nights.
"Who Am I?"
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I reach my hands and play with pebbles of destiny.
I have been to hell and back may times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading "Keep Off."
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
"At a Window"
Give me hunger,
O you gods that sit and give
The world its orders.
Give me hunger, pain and want,
Shut me out with shame and failure
From your doors of gold and fame,
Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger!
But leave me a little love,
A voice to speak to me in the day end,
A hand to touch me in the dark room
Breaking the long loneliness
In the dusk of day-shapes
Blurring the sunset,
One little wandering, western star
Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.
Let me go to the window,
Watch there the day-shapes of dusk
And wait and know the coming
Of a little love.
Of my city the worst that men will ever say is this:
You took little children away from the sun and the dew,
And the glimmers that played in the grass under the great sky,
And the reckless rain; you put them between walls
To work, broken and smothered, for bread and wages,
To eat dust in their throats and die empty-hearted
For a little handful of pay on a few Saturday nights.
"Who Am I?"
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I reach my hands and play with pebbles of destiny.
I have been to hell and back may times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading "Keep Off."
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
"At a Window"
Give me hunger,
O you gods that sit and give
The world its orders.
Give me hunger, pain and want,
Shut me out with shame and failure
From your doors of gold and fame,
Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger!
But leave me a little love,
A voice to speak to me in the day end,
A hand to touch me in the dark room
Breaking the long loneliness
In the dusk of day-shapes
Blurring the sunset,
One little wandering, western star
Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.
Let me go to the window,
Watch there the day-shapes of dusk
And wait and know the coming
Of a little love.
The "Transformer" Owl
What do you do when confronted by an enemy -- ruffle up your feathers and prepare for a showdown, or shrink in size and try to hide? If you're the Southern White-Faced Owl (P. granti), it all depends on the enemy. When confronted with a slightly larger bird, the owl increases its size and aggressiveness to ward off a potential conflict. When confronted with a much larger bird, however, it decreases its size and attempts to hide and avoid confrontation. Check out the YouTube video above -- it's hilarious.
Milwaukee Arts Museum
A few years ago, I attended an exhibition of Santiago Calatrava's sculptures at the Met. His designs had a unique organic structure/fluidity to them, leaving a distinct impression on me. So when I visited friends in Chicago this Spring Break, I made it a priority to check out the Milwaukee Arts Museum, and, in particular, the pavilion the Spanish architect designed. I was not disappointed -- stepping into the space literally took my breath away.
For more of his work, visit his website. Two of his most recent projects are proposed structures in NYC -- the WTC Transportation Hub and the residential complex 80 South Street.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Archaeologists Use Ancient Droppings to Date the Presence of Humans in North America
Recent evidence suggests people settled North America at least 14,000 years ago. The evidence? None other than human coprolites -- a fancy scientific term for fossilized feces -- discovered in an Oregon cave.
The photograph above is none other than a healthy helping of number two deposited over 12,300 years ago, containing 14,000 year old human DNA and protein. (Not sure why a person's doo-doo contains human DNA and protein -- the New York Times article, unfortunately, doesn't address this issue).
This is certainly not the first time I've heard of scientists using scat for evidence. Wildlife enthusiasts often use dookie to track and locate animals. Because of my field trip to Taconic three years ago, I can now discern deer defecation from other animal leavings (they are small round balls often in neat little piles). And one of my coolest professors from Swarthmore College was an ethnobotanist who analyzed the chemistry of elephant droppings to determine the nutrients elephants consumed when they became ill -- information that could potentially be used to synthesize new medicines for humans. Pretty neat (though mildly nauseating) stuff.
So the next time you take time to vacate your bowels, ponder this: What are you leaving behind for the rest of the world to discover, and what is it saying about you?
:-/
The photograph above is none other than a healthy helping of number two deposited over 12,300 years ago, containing 14,000 year old human DNA and protein. (Not sure why a person's doo-doo contains human DNA and protein -- the New York Times article, unfortunately, doesn't address this issue). This is certainly not the first time I've heard of scientists using scat for evidence. Wildlife enthusiasts often use dookie to track and locate animals. Because of my field trip to Taconic three years ago, I can now discern deer defecation from other animal leavings (they are small round balls often in neat little piles). And one of my coolest professors from Swarthmore College was an ethnobotanist who analyzed the chemistry of elephant droppings to determine the nutrients elephants consumed when they became ill -- information that could potentially be used to synthesize new medicines for humans. Pretty neat (though mildly nauseating) stuff.
So the next time you take time to vacate your bowels, ponder this: What are you leaving behind for the rest of the world to discover, and what is it saying about you?
:-/
Friday, March 28, 2008
Photographs by Jan Von Holleben
The pic above is from Jan Von Holleben's series entitled "Dreams of Flying." View more of his work here.
I heard about Jan Von Holleben and Tiffany Bozic from the excellent online publication, "Lost at E Minor."
The Philosophy & Art of Tiffany Bozic
"There's always something that I'm trying to lock down and I don't know what it is. It's the same thing in my mind that almost is like music where everything is almost connected by this fluidity.".
"What I always think of first and foremost is just how incredible and ornate every single thing is. Everything just seems so perfect. And then you realize that it's not finished. That it's still evolving. What are they going to look like in a thousand years even? And that to me is really exciting. Seeing these things alive, that's what I'm trying to capture: the life."
See more of Tiffany Bozic's artwork here.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Daily Mammal
The elephant shrew, above, is more closely related to elephants than rodents.Jennifer Atkins has an ambitious goal: draw every mammal species on Earth. Since there are 5,000 named mammals, she expects the project to take 14 years if she draws one animal every day.
Follow her progress here.
Top 10 Wildlife Conservation Stories for 2007
Read brief summaries about the work being done by conservationists to save nature's endangered species.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Duelity
At duelity.net, the Vancouver Film School presents a pair of beautiful animations that illustrate two opposing theories of the origins of life, evolution and creationism.
View the videos here.
I want to stress that the theory of evolution is a scientific one, supported by evidence gathered from the natural world. Creationism is a religious doctrine; it is substantiated not by scientific data but by Christian belief.
The conflict between science and religion, I think, arises when one discipline infringes upon the boundaries of the other. Science -- because of its inability to gather data beyond the natural world -- should not make any claims about the existence or non-existence of God. Religion -- because of its inability to discredit scientific theories based on rigorous data -- should not make any claims about the validity of the theory of evolution.
Science can not tell you that you do not have a soul, or that God does not exist. Likewise, religion can not tell you that the world is flat or that humans did not share a common ancestor with other primates. To avoid conflict, keep the areas of expertise between the two disciplines distinct. For I believe there should be room for both science and religion in a moral, rational, and free-thinking human being.
View the videos here.
I want to stress that the theory of evolution is a scientific one, supported by evidence gathered from the natural world. Creationism is a religious doctrine; it is substantiated not by scientific data but by Christian belief.
The conflict between science and religion, I think, arises when one discipline infringes upon the boundaries of the other. Science -- because of its inability to gather data beyond the natural world -- should not make any claims about the existence or non-existence of God. Religion -- because of its inability to discredit scientific theories based on rigorous data -- should not make any claims about the validity of the theory of evolution.
Science can not tell you that you do not have a soul, or that God does not exist. Likewise, religion can not tell you that the world is flat or that humans did not share a common ancestor with other primates. To avoid conflict, keep the areas of expertise between the two disciplines distinct. For I believe there should be room for both science and religion in a moral, rational, and free-thinking human being.
Best Astronomy Photos of 2007
APOD (Astronomy Pic of the Day) has posted its favorite astronomy pics of 2007. The one below is my favorite -- be sure to click inside the pic to view a larger image of it.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Cat vs. Crawfish and The Unknown Rebel
Here's a cute video of a pet cat toying with a very well defended crawfish (and a disinterested dog in the background). I love the acoustic version of the Imperial March (Darth Vader's theme song in Star Wars).
The video reminded me of one of the heroes of the late 20th century, the Unknown Rebel.
Watch the video of the Unknown Rebel defying a fleet of tanks here. What do you do when you're staring down impossible odds? Very few choose to stand and fight.
The video reminded me of one of the heroes of the late 20th century, the Unknown Rebel.
Watch the video of the Unknown Rebel defying a fleet of tanks here. What do you do when you're staring down impossible odds? Very few choose to stand and fight.
The True Origins of Hip Hop
Did you know that hip hop began in a Mongolian farming village? A funny (but fake) story about the origins of hip hop.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Untidy Beds May Keep Us Healthy
Don't like making your bed? Use science to justify your sloth!According to the BBC, a new study suggests that unmade beds are less habitable by house dust mites. These pesty dust mites are thought to cause problems like allergies and asthma. The theory is that unmade beds dry sheets and mattresses better than made beds; made beds tend to be warmer and moister, ideal conditions for dust mite habitation.
"Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die," Dr Stephen Pretlove said.
Read the BBC article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4181629.stm
Origami Master
Eric Joisel is a true origami master, able to create life-like sculptures out of single sheets of paper. He is able to simulate the emotions, postures, and movements of people (out of paper, mind you) far better than multi-million dollar Hollywood action movies like Beowulf.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Goethe Quote
Readers of this blog know though that I love poetry and science. So when I see a quote about the two together, my heart skips a beat.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced Ger-ta) said "Science arose from poetry...when times change the two can meet again on a higher level as friends."
I admire Goethe's work. He's a German romantic who wrote one of my favorite novellas, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and he's one of the most quotable guys around. But I'm not sure what he means here. Science arose from poetry?? When did that happen? How can they meet again? I have some ideas about what he's trying to say -- namely, mind/body dualism -- but, still, I am puzzled. Anyone want to take a stab at interpreting what Goethe means?
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced Ger-ta) said "Science arose from poetry...when times change the two can meet again on a higher level as friends."
I admire Goethe's work. He's a German romantic who wrote one of my favorite novellas, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and he's one of the most quotable guys around. But I'm not sure what he means here. Science arose from poetry?? When did that happen? How can they meet again? I have some ideas about what he's trying to say -- namely, mind/body dualism -- but, still, I am puzzled. Anyone want to take a stab at interpreting what Goethe means?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Raising Tadpoles
SEM kids --
Here is some info about raising tadpoles. If you have some extra time, please read it! I will look into acquiring the necessary materials this week.
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/tadpoles/
http://www.fdrproject.org/pages/POtads.htm
Here is some info about raising tadpoles. If you have some extra time, please read it! I will look into acquiring the necessary materials this week.
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/tadpoles/
http://www.fdrproject.org/pages/POtads.htm
A Love Poem...
...written by one of my 8th graders. i think it is beautiful.
i wrote to you about my feelings
but you just put it aside
i told you that i cherished you
but you acted like you didn't care
i see you smile
and that makes me feel pure inside
i see you talking to your friends
i wonder...
"why can't we be like that"
i keep thinking about you
even when you put me down
i try to help you
thinking that something might occur
i say i love you
and you take it...
like someone passing you a ball
catch it and throw it to someone
like nothing...
i wrote to you about my feelings
but you just put it aside
i told you that i cherished you
but you acted like you didn't care
i see you smile
and that makes me feel pure inside
i see you talking to your friends
i wonder...
"why can't we be like that"
i keep thinking about you
even when you put me down
i try to help you
thinking that something might occur
i say i love you
and you take it...
like someone passing you a ball
catch it and throw it to someone
like nothing...
Confirming a Bias
In a previous post, I warned you of the danger of squirrels. New Scientist, a reputable scientific journal, has published legitimate scientific research to back up my claims!
Relying on data collected from infrared (IR) video taken, scientists have concluded that squirrels use heat-emitting bushy tails to ward off predators! And I quote Jeff Hecht:
What's really amazing is that the ground squirrel will heat its tail when confronted by a rattlesnake, which detects IR light, but will not heat its tail when confronted by a gopher snake, which does not detect IR light.
Don't believe me? See for yourself. View the YouTube videos in the New Scientist article.
Relying on data collected from infrared (IR) video taken, scientists have concluded that squirrels use heat-emitting bushy tails to ward off predators! And I quote Jeff Hecht:
It's Californian ground squirrel versus rattlesnake in a potentially lethal showdown. But the squirrel has a secret weapon that until now has remained invisible to the human eye.
The ground squirrel heats up its tail then waves it in the snake's face - a form of harassment that confuses the rattler, which has an infrared sensing organ for detecting small mammals.
What's really amazing is that the ground squirrel will heat its tail when confronted by a rattlesnake, which detects IR light, but will not heat its tail when confronted by a gopher snake, which does not detect IR light.
Don't believe me? See for yourself. View the YouTube videos in the New Scientist article.
Light Writing
Check out the work of these two German artists. I wonder if they are responsible for the light writing in this Red Hot Chili Peppers video.
The Energie Motion website has more pics and a YouTube video.
The Energie Motion website has more pics and a YouTube video.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Mid-Autumn Festival
Notice the moon at all this week? It is at its biggest and brightest today, and the Chinese celebrate this event every year. It's called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and, along with New Year's, is one of the biggest Chinese holidays. During this time, many Chinese people eat a special food called Moon Cake -- it's a sweet pastry with red bean paste in the middle (although it looks delicious, I'm not a big fan...it tastes a bit weird if you're not used to eating East Asian sweets).
The Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with their family, because the full moon makes you long for home and your loved ones. To mark the occasion, my family went out to dinner on Sunday and enjoyed a delicious seafood meal in Flushing.
Hope you enjoy your Mid-Autumn Festival!
The Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with their family, because the full moon makes you long for home and your loved ones. To mark the occasion, my family went out to dinner on Sunday and enjoyed a delicious seafood meal in Flushing.
Hope you enjoy your Mid-Autumn Festival!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Tree Climbing Goats!
Out in Morocco between Marrakech and Esouria, goats eating in a Argan tree.
It seems goats are attracted to the berries of Argan trees in Morocco. Argan tree branches are generally a bit of reach for the generally short goat, but the berries are so enticing that the goats become adroit tree climbers during berry season.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Chemistry Videos from the Journal of Chemical Education
The Journal of Chemical Education has 16 very short and interesting (e.g., toxic substances, solutions, ferrofluids, explosions!) chemical experiments caught on video. View them here.
Here's mercury behaving like a beating heart. Wild.
And a feather causing a big kaboom!
Be careful what you touch in the lab!
Here's mercury behaving like a beating heart. Wild.
And a feather causing a big kaboom!
Be careful what you touch in the lab!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
An Annotated Bibliography of Good Summer Reading Books
Today, I attended a lecture highlighting the best fiction and non-fiction books out there for middle school readers. I'm not going to type up the full bibliography (email me if you want the complete list), but I will write a brief annotated bibliography of a few books that got my attention. The bibliography is grouped by my interests -- first up is origami, then pop up books, and finally other fine children's books. Young or old, I encourage you to go out to the library and check out any that grab your attention!
Origami
- Kasahara, Kunihiko. Extreme Origami. (2003). New York: Sterling.
The origami art found in this book is certainly not for the novice folder! Kasahara is an origami master; along with engineers like Robert Lang, Kasahara's been expanding the reach and production of origami through new and innovative designs. This book has instructions for a number of novel and stunningly beautiful origami pieces.
Pop Up Book Manuals
-Carter, David A. and James Diaz. The Elements of Pop Up. (1999). New York: Little Simon.
My bookmaking teacher calls this the 'bible' of pop up books. It gives you a set of step-by-step instructions for making 50 different pop ups, starting with the most basic and ending with some rather complex designs. I will definitely invest the $25 needed to own this manual.
- Diehn, Gwen. Making Books that Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist, & Turn. (1998). Asheville, NC: Lark Books.
One of my friends made me a photo album as a birthday gift, and I've been showing it off to all my friends since. Using this book as a guide, you can impress your own friends by making your own photo albums and much, much more.
- Pop-Up Books.
This binder is for teachers -- it provides lesson plans and materials for teaching a course in making pop up books.
Other Children's Books
- Sabuda, Robert & Matthew Reinhart. Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs. (2005). Boston: Candlewick Press.
There are three books in series: Dinosaurs (2005), Sharks (2006), and Mega Beasts (2007). They are all pop up books constructed by the master Robert Sabuda. Each page is jam packed with cool pop ups and interesting info about prehistoric animals.
- Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Carbret. (2007). New York: Scholastic Press.
This is one of the thickest children's books I have ever seen, but almost half of it is composed of beautiful illustrations. The story begins with 40 pages of illustrations; just when you start to wonder what's going on, the text begins. Throughout the rest of the book, Selznick weaves his drawings with his words to tell the story of Hugo Carbret.
- Wiesner, David. Flotsam. (2006). New York: Clarion Books.
A beautiful children's book. Wiesner has won 3 Caldecott Awards for his books, and this one may be his finest. The story is about a young boy who discovers a camera on the beach, develops the film, and discovers a hidden secret. Check out the book to find out what he discovers!
- Young, Dwight. Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of National Archives. (2005). Washington: National Geographic Society.
Read actual letters sent to the president throughout history. The letter sent by Elvis Presley requesting to be a Secret Federal Agent is a hoot!
Origami
- Kasahara, Kunihiko. Extreme Origami. (2003). New York: Sterling.The origami art found in this book is certainly not for the novice folder! Kasahara is an origami master; along with engineers like Robert Lang, Kasahara's been expanding the reach and production of origami through new and innovative designs. This book has instructions for a number of novel and stunningly beautiful origami pieces.
Pop Up Book Manuals
-Carter, David A. and James Diaz. The Elements of Pop Up. (1999). New York: Little Simon.My bookmaking teacher calls this the 'bible' of pop up books. It gives you a set of step-by-step instructions for making 50 different pop ups, starting with the most basic and ending with some rather complex designs. I will definitely invest the $25 needed to own this manual.
- Diehn, Gwen. Making Books that Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist, & Turn. (1998). Asheville, NC: Lark Books.One of my friends made me a photo album as a birthday gift, and I've been showing it off to all my friends since. Using this book as a guide, you can impress your own friends by making your own photo albums and much, much more.
- Pop-Up Books.
This binder is for teachers -- it provides lesson plans and materials for teaching a course in making pop up books.
Other Children's Books
- Sabuda, Robert & Matthew Reinhart. Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs. (2005). Boston: Candlewick Press.
There are three books in series: Dinosaurs (2005), Sharks (2006), and Mega Beasts (2007). They are all pop up books constructed by the master Robert Sabuda. Each page is jam packed with cool pop ups and interesting info about prehistoric animals.
- Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Carbret. (2007). New York: Scholastic Press.
This is one of the thickest children's books I have ever seen, but almost half of it is composed of beautiful illustrations. The story begins with 40 pages of illustrations; just when you start to wonder what's going on, the text begins. Throughout the rest of the book, Selznick weaves his drawings with his words to tell the story of Hugo Carbret.
- Wiesner, David. Flotsam. (2006). New York: Clarion Books.
A beautiful children's book. Wiesner has won 3 Caldecott Awards for his books, and this one may be his finest. The story is about a young boy who discovers a camera on the beach, develops the film, and discovers a hidden secret. Check out the book to find out what he discovers!
- Young, Dwight. Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of National Archives. (2005). Washington: National Geographic Society.
Read actual letters sent to the president throughout history. The letter sent by Elvis Presley requesting to be a Secret Federal Agent is a hoot!
Confratute
Greetings from UCONN! Mr. Connolly, Ms. Lewis, Ms. Stupart, and I are attending a week-long summer institute at the University of Connecticut called Confratute (conference + fraternity + institute). The conference's goal is to offer enrichment activities to teachers, so teachers can make class more fun and interesting for students. I'm taking two classes this week: one on bookmaking and the other on modular origami.
In my bookmaking class today, I learned about a v interesting book called Spoiled: The Refrigerators of New Orleans by Tom Varisco. Varisco photographed the spoiled refrigerators during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. These Katrina Refrigerators became a mode of self-expression during the aftermath of Katrina's destruction -- residents used spray cans and garbage to create graffiti with humorous, satirical, and/or political messages.
As you can see, creativity comes in a multitude of unexpected forms...For example, at lunch today, Mr. Connolly inverted a coffee cup lid to use as a ketchup container. I've also seen him use the gulf of space between a 4-cup cupholder. Creative, but honestly, also a bit depressing. The man, clearly, likes his ketchup.
In my bookmaking class today, I learned about a v interesting book called Spoiled: The Refrigerators of New Orleans by Tom Varisco. Varisco photographed the spoiled refrigerators during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. These Katrina Refrigerators became a mode of self-expression during the aftermath of Katrina's destruction -- residents used spray cans and garbage to create graffiti with humorous, satirical, and/or political messages.
As you can see, creativity comes in a multitude of unexpected forms...For example, at lunch today, Mr. Connolly inverted a coffee cup lid to use as a ketchup container. I've also seen him use the gulf of space between a 4-cup cupholder. Creative, but honestly, also a bit depressing. The man, clearly, likes his ketchup.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Panda Teamwork
Looks like the last video I posted was taken down for copyright reasons, so here's a similar one. Not as cool as a prison break, but you get the idea.
Tape Figures
Think you need a lot to do a lot? Think again. All of the following sculptures were made from ordinary scotch tape and an artist's imagination. (Unfortunately, I don't have any info about the artist.)
Thanks Thuy for the email!
Thanks Thuy for the email!
A Summer Vacation Spiel
So it's summer vacation -- time to take a break from learning, right? WRONG! Learning happens all the time, not just in my classroom (stop laughing -- admit it, you learned something in there). Turn off the television, computer, video game, and cell phone, get off your behind, and learn by DOING! My summer is going to be awesome because it's going to be jam packed with learning. I'm going to an educators' workshop in Connecticut next week so I can beef up my teaching chops. Then I'm off to Southeast Asia -- Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand -- so I can absorb the culture and food :) on the other side of the world. Then I'm flying back into California so I can help take care of my grandmother while my aunt recovers from shoulder surgery, and hopefully learn more about my late mother and her extended family. Finally, I hope to take a road trip up from LA to Vancouver with some friends, so I can soak in some sun, a few National Parks, and good people. Sounds like a great summer, right? The funny thing is, I'm most looking forward to the 20+ hour airplane ride to and from Asia. Just so I can buckle down and read some books I've been dying to get to all year.
Not going to CTY this summer? Don't have the $$$$ required to travel 'round the globe? Doesn't matter. Learning can take place in any setting -- you just have to have the proper mindset. Now's the time to pick up activities that interest YOU. Set some (achievable) goals for yourself, find out how to accomplish them, and get started! I expect a full report the next time we meet.
So have fun this summer, relax, learn a little, and be safe!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Manhattanhenge
Manhattanites take it for granted that their avenues run north-south and their streets run east-west. But truly observant inhabitants know that Manhattan's street grid is rotated 29 degrees away from the north-south axis.
Why should you care? Well, as Geoff Manaugh writes in his delectable BLDGBLOG, this angle carries "interesting astronomical side effects" -- namely, "Manhattanhedge," as coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson. For two days every year (May 28 and July 12/13), the setting sun lines up perfectly with the east-west streets of Manhattan's main street grid. The result, needless to say, is spectacular:
Unfortunately, I'll be out of town next week. Otherwise, I'd be simultaneously watching the sunset and sweeping a lady off her feet in Union Square Park like the couple above :)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Evolution Store
One of my favorite stores in the city is The Evolution Store found in the unlikeliest of neighborhoods, uppity-buppity SoHo. Even though you don't need to be a science geek to enjoy visiting this store, it sure helps. The first time I visited, I felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory: so many things to see, so many things to play with, so little time! I walked away with one of my prized possessions, a Venus fly trap (which, sadly, died from owner neglect).
Like many shoppers, I was amazed by the gamut of biological artifacts found there -- when NY Magazine visited the story, they found that it was "packed to the rafters (which are hung with snakes, anatomical charts, and prehistoric shark jaws) with softball-size ostrich eggs, Venus flytraps, and the skulls of skunks, minks, and muskrats." As one online reviewer stated, "Their stock is enough to make you want to start a collection of dead things in vials." Yup, totally sweet.
And reviewer Megan C. perhaps put it best when she said,
Going to Evolution is sort of like spying on your cool older brother while he makes out with his super-pretty girlfriend, except that in this case your older brother is time and his girlfriend is nature.
You can get disgustingly cheap fossils at Evolution. I'm not sure what the monetary value of a genuine fossil of some snail-thing from 30 million years ago ought to be, but I feel certain that it should be more than six dollars. Plus, this is the only place I know of where I can buy a complete set of models of the skulls of all the "found links" between a monkey and myself.
Intrigued? The Evolution Store is located at 120 Spring St. near Mercer St. Take the 6, E, or C to Spring St. It is open 7 days a week, from 11 am to 7 pm.
My City
If you came to my city,
You wouldn't hear
A robin chirping
As she nests in the trees.
You would hear
The wild, tangled coos
Of furious pigeons fighting
Over a hard piece of bread.
If you came to my city,
You wouldn't hear
The sound of silence
In the morning.
You would hear car horns,
People yelling, dogs barking,
And the occasional
Cat screech.
Yep, my city
Is noisy, loud, and unfair,
But it's my home
And what I grew up with.
Though it maybe be tough,
Mean and hard
It will always be
My city.
Reina Samuels
Washington, D.C.
from Paint Me Like I Am
You wouldn't hear
A robin chirping
As she nests in the trees.
You would hear
The wild, tangled coos
Of furious pigeons fighting
Over a hard piece of bread.
If you came to my city,
You wouldn't hear
The sound of silence
In the morning.
You would hear car horns,
People yelling, dogs barking,
And the occasional
Cat screech.
Yep, my city
Is noisy, loud, and unfair,
But it's my home
And what I grew up with.
Though it maybe be tough,
Mean and hard
It will always be
My city.
Reina Samuels
Washington, D.C.
from Paint Me Like I Am
Why I Write Poetry
by Kevin Powell
I have not always been a fan of poetry. Nah. In fact, I hated it and thought poetry an activity for the overly sensitive--and suckers. Suckers in the sense that I, a Black boy from the ghetto, would--could--never let my guard down long enough for you, the observer,to see me--naked--as I am. But the reality is that I had always, on the down low, dug poetry, be it the sensual sonnets of William Shakespeare, the dark meditations of Edgar Allan Poe, or the lonesome thoughts of Emily Dickinson.
However, it was not until I encountered the first very traumatic experience of my adult life, at age twenty-two, that poetry really began to mean something to me. You see, I was suspended from my university for an indiscretion I will not share here. Having been the first person in my immediate family to attend college, I was devastated and could not tell my moms what had happened. Between sudden bouts with insomnia and school-mandated trips to a therapist, I scrawled words which became stanzas which became my initial attempts at poetry. Although I had studied this literary form in both high school and college, I did not know if poems were supposed to be long or short, nor if what I was writing was actually good or not.
Back then I did not care, to be honest. I had wanted to be a writer since I was eleven and, outside of some short fiction I penned during my high school years, this post-college writing was the first time I felt free—and truly felt that I was, indeed, a writer. And how amazing it was, yo. To be able to say whatever I wanted, to push the door to my imagination and walk through, without fear, to those spaces I never knew existed.
And it was not enough for me to write poetry in isolation. I knew I had to share my words with other people and I soon found myself in hole-in-the-wall spots in north Jersey and New York City, reading to audiences of maybe ten people. I was mad happy about that too. I felt empowered, that my voice, my life, my world, mattered. That poetry was, no doubt, special, magical, a gift from some greater being and I was merely the vessel carrying the word.
It took me a few years but I eventually recovered from that college suspension. Now all these years later, after five books, numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and travels across America and outside of the States to places like England, France, and the Caribbean. I cannot help but think back to those very innocent days when I kept a tiny notepad in my back pocket and tried to capture everything I felt at any given moment, on the subway, at a grocery store, while walking down a street in Newark or Harlem, or Brooklyn.
Today I cannot picture what it would be like not being a poet. Yeah, I am sensitive, because one cannot be a poet without having some level of sensitivity. Without some connection to one’s soul, and the souls of other human beings. And, yeah, I am a sucker, for words. For sure, I love words and the poetry made from stringing just the right words together. In this coming together of pen and paper, of fingers and computer keys, of raw-dog emotions and instant testimonies that make poetry—to me—as necessary as the blood beating a path to our hearts.
The New York City-based Kevin Powell is a poet, journalist, essayist, activist, and public speaker. Kevin is the author of five books, including his editorship of the recent HarperCollins release Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography (images by Ernie Paniccioli), which is the first-ever pictorial history of hiphop. Kevin's essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in many publications, including the Washington Post, Essence, Newsweek, and Vibe, where he was a longtime staff writer. A highly sought-after political and pop cultural commentator, Kevin has shared his views on VH1, BET, CNN, and a host of other media outlets. And Kevin first reached the national spotlight as a cast member on the original season of MTV's The Real World, the most successful reality-based program in television history.
I have not always been a fan of poetry. Nah. In fact, I hated it and thought poetry an activity for the overly sensitive--and suckers. Suckers in the sense that I, a Black boy from the ghetto, would--could--never let my guard down long enough for you, the observer,to see me--naked--as I am. But the reality is that I had always, on the down low, dug poetry, be it the sensual sonnets of William Shakespeare, the dark meditations of Edgar Allan Poe, or the lonesome thoughts of Emily Dickinson.
However, it was not until I encountered the first very traumatic experience of my adult life, at age twenty-two, that poetry really began to mean something to me. You see, I was suspended from my university for an indiscretion I will not share here. Having been the first person in my immediate family to attend college, I was devastated and could not tell my moms what had happened. Between sudden bouts with insomnia and school-mandated trips to a therapist, I scrawled words which became stanzas which became my initial attempts at poetry. Although I had studied this literary form in both high school and college, I did not know if poems were supposed to be long or short, nor if what I was writing was actually good or not.
Back then I did not care, to be honest. I had wanted to be a writer since I was eleven and, outside of some short fiction I penned during my high school years, this post-college writing was the first time I felt free—and truly felt that I was, indeed, a writer. And how amazing it was, yo. To be able to say whatever I wanted, to push the door to my imagination and walk through, without fear, to those spaces I never knew existed.
And it was not enough for me to write poetry in isolation. I knew I had to share my words with other people and I soon found myself in hole-in-the-wall spots in north Jersey and New York City, reading to audiences of maybe ten people. I was mad happy about that too. I felt empowered, that my voice, my life, my world, mattered. That poetry was, no doubt, special, magical, a gift from some greater being and I was merely the vessel carrying the word.
It took me a few years but I eventually recovered from that college suspension. Now all these years later, after five books, numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and travels across America and outside of the States to places like England, France, and the Caribbean. I cannot help but think back to those very innocent days when I kept a tiny notepad in my back pocket and tried to capture everything I felt at any given moment, on the subway, at a grocery store, while walking down a street in Newark or Harlem, or Brooklyn.
Today I cannot picture what it would be like not being a poet. Yeah, I am sensitive, because one cannot be a poet without having some level of sensitivity. Without some connection to one’s soul, and the souls of other human beings. And, yeah, I am a sucker, for words. For sure, I love words and the poetry made from stringing just the right words together. In this coming together of pen and paper, of fingers and computer keys, of raw-dog emotions and instant testimonies that make poetry—to me—as necessary as the blood beating a path to our hearts.
The New York City-based Kevin Powell is a poet, journalist, essayist, activist, and public speaker. Kevin is the author of five books, including his editorship of the recent HarperCollins release Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography (images by Ernie Paniccioli), which is the first-ever pictorial history of hiphop. Kevin's essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in many publications, including the Washington Post, Essence, Newsweek, and Vibe, where he was a longtime staff writer. A highly sought-after political and pop cultural commentator, Kevin has shared his views on VH1, BET, CNN, and a host of other media outlets. And Kevin first reached the national spotlight as a cast member on the original season of MTV's The Real World, the most successful reality-based program in television history.
My Soul
Sometimes
When I feel like I'm going to fall apart
I hold my ribs, all the way around,
Both sides.
My ribs hold me together,
Like glue.
Theykeep my breath close to my heartbeat.
They keep my soul from escaping and
Leaving me, grounded.
I hold brightness and shadows in
The hollow where my ribs meet.
I hold them there in the memories
Of slow, sorrowful music and
Porch steps.
I hold my ribs, until I feel solid.
Until my legs are tree trunks and
My fingers are fruit.
Ember Ward
San Francisco
from Paint Me Like I Am
When I feel like I'm going to fall apart
I hold my ribs, all the way around,
Both sides.
My ribs hold me together,
Like glue.
Theykeep my breath close to my heartbeat.
They keep my soul from escaping and
Leaving me, grounded.
I hold brightness and shadows in
The hollow where my ribs meet.
I hold them there in the memories
Of slow, sorrowful music and
Porch steps.
I hold my ribs, until I feel solid.
Until my legs are tree trunks and
My fingers are fruit.
Ember Ward
San Francisco
from Paint Me Like I Am
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Cooperative Pandas Break Out of Zoo!
Enjoy the video? Imagine and create a fictional and humorous dialogue between the two pandas. Post your dialogue in the comments section -- those who submit their sketch before July 9 will receive a PRIZE!
Free Tennis Lessons at Crotona Park
Tired of sitting at home all day with nothing to do? The New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) offers free tennis lessons for kids throughout the city. This is info I gleaned from the organization's website:
This program offers free tennis lessons to children ages 6-18 in the community. Trained coaches provide a comprehensive schedule of instruction, practice and play for all levels. Players develop their skills, make new friends, and learn the rules and sportsmanship of the game of tennis.
Free Summer Programs run July 2 to August 24 unless otherwise specified. Registration is ongoing -- you can sign up at anytime throughout the season.
Crotona Park
East 173 Street
off Crotona Avenue
Mon-Fri 9am -12 noon
Not going to be around Crotona? Here's a list of other locations in the Bronx (and the other, lesser boros).
I hope someone takes advantage of this opportunity to learn how to play tennis. Not because I'm a nice guy, but because I want a tennis partner in the city. Ms. Bernstein offered to play tennis with me a few times, but she always seems to flake out. Plus, if you start learning now, there's a chance you might become good enough to give tennis lessons yourself and charge crazy amounts of money (I, of course, would take a cut of your profits for introducing you to tennis).
What American Accent Do You Have?
Take the quiz and find out!
Strangely enough, I have a Midland accent (from Kansas City to Pittsburgh). Here's the description:
Strangely enough, I have a Midland accent (from Kansas City to Pittsburgh). Here's the description:
("Midland" is not necessarily the same thing as "Midwest") The default, lowest-common-denominator American accent that newscasters try to imitate. Since it's a neutral accent, just because you have a Midland accent doesn't mean you're from the Midland.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Water Balloon + Flame Experiment
What happens when you put a balloon above a lit candle? It pops, right?
Well, what happens if you fill that same balloon with water and put it above the lit candle? The balloon pops and water spills all over the place? Nope!
Water boils at 100 degrees celsius -- a temperature too low to pop the balloon. As long as there is liquid water in the balloon, the balloon's temperature will not rise above the temperature of boiling water; therefore, the balloon will not pop.
Gotta see it to believe it? Check it out here!
There are more Robert Krampf videos here. Let me know if there are any interesting demos you'd like to see in class!
Well, what happens if you fill that same balloon with water and put it above the lit candle? The balloon pops and water spills all over the place? Nope!
Water boils at 100 degrees celsius -- a temperature too low to pop the balloon. As long as there is liquid water in the balloon, the balloon's temperature will not rise above the temperature of boiling water; therefore, the balloon will not pop.
Gotta see it to believe it? Check it out here!
There are more Robert Krampf videos here. Let me know if there are any interesting demos you'd like to see in class!
Carabao Dreams
how how the carabao said to me in a dream
refute the conspiring evils
prove the strength that wills your breath
hold tightly to poetry and loved ones
as a book would bind its pages
share your story through art and song
fix your eyes on the stars so your voice
can be heard
"taas noo, iho, taas noo!"
you are more than
what they say
what they think
what they see
pinoy is more than
brown and alibata
barongs and tinikling
pansit and Goldilocks
you will understand
queer is more than
cocks and A.I.D.S.
white men and the Castro
June and pride marches
you will understand
life is more than
angst and depression
money and aspiration
wanting and loneliness
you will understand
how how the carabao said to me
tell the people your story
don't think an amendment frees your
speech
if they cover their ears and refuse to listen
yell if you have to
you do not have a choice
this is not a request
you need to be heard
how how the carabao said to me
rush out into the world in perfect
surrender
give in to the sun as she licks your face
and thighs
offer no words when the winds
whip at your backside
respect the moon
yield up limber arms in reverence to
the stars
for darkness is also a gift
and silence can be a friend
go out into the world and do these things and you will understand
how how the carabao said to me
sadness is not the absence of happiness
but your incapacity to witness its presence
your soul is not just a bird taking up
wings
your soul is the sea
your spirit is the shore
your mind is the black expanse
that births planets and consumes galaxies
you are not only part of the revolution
but you are the revolution
when you stop building comfortable walls
and notice that your feet are planted
on the same ground on which millions
have stood
you will understand
you will understand
you will understand
you are more than pansit
A.I.D.S.
and depression
how how the carabao said to me in a dream
this is just a dream
these are just my words
breathe life into them
assign them feet
make them real
how how the carabao said to me
how
how
Timothy Arevalo, age 18
from You Hear Me?
carabao - water buffalo
"taas noo, iho, taas noo!" - "Look up, son, look up!"
pinoy - a Filipino person
alibata - ancience Tagalog script
barong - traditional Filipino shirt
tinikling - traditional Filipino dance
pansit - rice noodles
refute the conspiring evils
prove the strength that wills your breath
hold tightly to poetry and loved ones
as a book would bind its pages
share your story through art and song
fix your eyes on the stars so your voice
can be heard
"taas noo, iho, taas noo!"
you are more than
what they say
what they think
what they see
pinoy is more than
brown and alibata
barongs and tinikling
pansit and Goldilocks
you will understand
queer is more than
cocks and A.I.D.S.
white men and the Castro
June and pride marches
you will understand
life is more than
angst and depression
money and aspiration
wanting and loneliness
you will understand
how how the carabao said to me
tell the people your story
don't think an amendment frees your
speech
if they cover their ears and refuse to listen
yell if you have to
you do not have a choice
this is not a request
you need to be heard
how how the carabao said to me
rush out into the world in perfect
surrender
give in to the sun as she licks your face
and thighs
offer no words when the winds
whip at your backside
respect the moon
yield up limber arms in reverence to
the stars
for darkness is also a gift
and silence can be a friend
go out into the world and do these things and you will understand
how how the carabao said to me
sadness is not the absence of happiness
but your incapacity to witness its presence
your soul is not just a bird taking up
wings
your soul is the sea
your spirit is the shore
your mind is the black expanse
that births planets and consumes galaxies
you are not only part of the revolution
but you are the revolution
when you stop building comfortable walls
and notice that your feet are planted
on the same ground on which millions
have stood
you will understand
you will understand
you will understand
you are more than pansit
A.I.D.S.
and depression
how how the carabao said to me in a dream
this is just a dream
these are just my words
breathe life into them
assign them feet
make them real
how how the carabao said to me
how
how
Timothy Arevalo, age 18
from You Hear Me?
carabao - water buffalo
"taas noo, iho, taas noo!" - "Look up, son, look up!"
pinoy - a Filipino person
alibata - ancience Tagalog script
barong - traditional Filipino shirt
tinikling - traditional Filipino dance
pansit - rice noodles
Instructions for Life
Catch the football and make sure you score a touchdown;
jump into the mud and make certain it is enjoyable; rip
your jeans and tear your shirts; bleed on the field of glory
and take it like a man; grind the grass stains into your
clothes; order a hot dog at a baseball game; watch the
Super Bowl and tell everyone about the play in the second
half to prove you watched it; root for the home team; get
hurt but don't cry; hide your emotions; pick yourself up
when you are down; watch violent movies and crave blood
and destruction. This is how to act tough on the outside;
this is how you act in front of the guys. Slick your hair
back with your father's gel just the right way to catch the
eye of the girl next to you; don't burp; act like a gentle-
man; wear clothes that make you look cool; walk a walk
that shows the girls how suave you are; act mature; protect
your sister if she needs help. This is how you act in front of
the girls. Do well in school; get straight A's because you
have to get into a good college. This is how to succeed; this
is how to be prosperous; this is how to be happy and live
life to the fullest.
Brando, age 15
from You Hear Me?
jump into the mud and make certain it is enjoyable; rip
your jeans and tear your shirts; bleed on the field of glory
and take it like a man; grind the grass stains into your
clothes; order a hot dog at a baseball game; watch the
Super Bowl and tell everyone about the play in the second
half to prove you watched it; root for the home team; get
hurt but don't cry; hide your emotions; pick yourself up
when you are down; watch violent movies and crave blood
and destruction. This is how to act tough on the outside;
this is how you act in front of the guys. Slick your hair
back with your father's gel just the right way to catch the
eye of the girl next to you; don't burp; act like a gentle-
man; wear clothes that make you look cool; walk a walk
that shows the girls how suave you are; act mature; protect
your sister if she needs help. This is how you act in front of
the girls. Do well in school; get straight A's because you
have to get into a good college. This is how to succeed; this
is how to be prosperous; this is how to be happy and live
life to the fullest.
Brando, age 15
from You Hear Me?
Time Somebody Told Me
Time Somebody Told Me
That I am lovely, good and real
That I am beautiful inside
If they only knew
How that would make me feel.
Time Somebody Told Me
That my mind is quick, sharp
and full of wit
That I should keep on trying
and never quit.
Time Somebody Told Me
How they loved and needed me
How my smile is filled with hope
and my spirit sets them free
How my eyes shine, full of light
How good they feel when they hug me tight.
Time Somebody Told Me
So, I had a talk with myself
Just me, nobody else
'cause it was time
Somebody Told Me.
Quantedius Hall, "son of Reality," age 12
From You Hear Me?
That I am lovely, good and real
That I am beautiful inside
If they only knew
How that would make me feel.
Time Somebody Told Me
That my mind is quick, sharp
and full of wit
That I should keep on trying
and never quit.
Time Somebody Told Me
How they loved and needed me
How my smile is filled with hope
and my spirit sets them free
How my eyes shine, full of light
How good they feel when they hug me tight.
Time Somebody Told Me
So, I had a talk with myself
Just me, nobody else
'cause it was time
Somebody Told Me.
Quantedius Hall, "son of Reality," age 12
From You Hear Me?
The Girl I Like
I saw this girl on my way
home. She is everything
I want in a girl. A girl who
makes me smile when she smiles,
a girl who speaks what she feels.
She makes my heart skip like
a street beat, happy.
Ronnie Ross, age 16.
From You Hear Me?
home. She is everything
I want in a girl. A girl who
makes me smile when she smiles,
a girl who speaks what she feels.
She makes my heart skip like
a street beat, happy.
Ronnie Ross, age 16.
From You Hear Me?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Harriman State Park
For the last two weekends in a row, I've headed to Harriman State Park.
The first week, I went there with my brother Jeff, my friend Danielle, and my dog Cheaper. After a few hours of hiking uphill without a trail, we looked like a motley crew: our clothing was drenched in sweat, our sneakers were soaked from treading through nasty mud, our legs were cut and bleeding from hiking through brush, and our mouths were parched because we had forgotten to bring water. However, we did find a few wild blueberries to munch on. The hard work was worth it though, because we made it to the top of a beautiful vista overlooking nothing but rolling hills covered in lush green trees. I yelled at the top of my lungs and heard my voice echo in the valleys below. It was one of the best feelings in the world!
After we got back to our parked car, we decided to jump in a lake to cool down. As soon as we approached the water, a pair of geese swam over, started flapping their wings aggressively, and honking obnoxiously loud at us. Just the other day, I learned that male and female geese are monogamous partners for life. I assume that this pair was trying to protect its terrority (and perhaps its young ones). Still, that didn't stop my brother and me from jumping in to the lake. As soon as my brother hit the water, the geese lunged. My dog Cheaper instinctively dove into the lake to protect my brother, even though she is terrified of water. Needless to say, the geese were intimidated by the mighty trio (my brother, myself, and my dog) and kept a safe distance away.
I've heard a few people say that the views in Nyack are worth checking out, so I'm probably going to ride my bike there next week.
Thanks for the pics Danielle.
The Bronx Library Center
I went to the Bronx Library Center (310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off of Fordham Rd.) with a group of 6th graders today -- what a fantastic library! Lots of great books, in a beautiful space, with a friendly and helpful staff. If I were a middle school student in the Bx, I'd probably spend every day of my summer there (well, I'd probably split my time at a library and an outdoor destination, like Pelham Bay Park).
The kind staff erased my overdue fines, so I can check out books from the NYPL again. Two of the books I took out are poetry compilations: Paint Me Like I Am and You Hear Me? Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys. I've really started getting into poetry a few months ago; really, ever since I visited Ms. Rymer's poetry class. I find that it really helps me understand myself and others, and it doesn't take a lot of time to get into, like a novel. I like my poetry candid and raw -- I'll post a few of my favorite poems later.
The third book I checked out is called Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini. I was drawn to the book by its title and cool cover -- I'll post a review of it after I finish reading it.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Life: A Journey Through Time by Frans Lanting
Using contemporary photographs taken from different points around the world, photographer Frans Lanting has created a visual timeline of the evolution of life on Earth. The sequence of breathtaking photos trace the history of life, from its fiery beginnings through its evolution in sea, land, and air. I was captivated by many of the photographs, and the accompanying music by Philip Glass only intensifies the experience. If you have 10+ minutes of free time, check out Life: A Journey Through Time.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Riddle
You have three light bulbs inside a windowless room and three switches connected to the light bulbs outside of the room. You need to find out which switches are connected to which lightbulbs; however, you can only enter the room once (and, let's say, only for a brief amount of time).
You need to think outside the box on this one -- no clever contraptions necessary, just make use of the natural properties of light bulbs. Happy thinking!
You need to think outside the box on this one -- no clever contraptions necessary, just make use of the natural properties of light bulbs. Happy thinking!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Battle at Kruger
Lions, crocodiles and water buffalo duke it out in the sickest animal battle I've ever seen!
Pink Dolphins!
You've heard of pink flamingos, but pink dolphins? According to Neatorama, these dolphins are pink for the same reason flamingos are -- their colorful diet. These animals both feed on a large quantity of crustaceans like shrimp, which happen to be high in alpha- and beta-carotenes. Carotenes are pigments that give foods like shrimp (and veggies like carrots) their bright orange and yellow hues. I assume that when the dolphins and flamingos "process" the shrimp, the color changes from orange to pink.Hmmm...I noticed that the yuppies in my room have lost their orange sheen since I lost my fish food. They've been living off of te aquatic plants in the aquarium, and have looked progressively less orange (and more gray).
I wonder if I eat a whole lot of carrots I just might be able turn my skin orange for Halloween??
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