According to teachers' ratings, 15 minutes of recess improves the classroom behavior of third graders. (>15 minutes recess showed no measurable improvement.) The study, conducted by the Dept. of Pediatrics at the Albert Eintstein School of Medicine, used public data from 11,000 students. The researchers also found that students with no recess were "much more likely to be black, to be from families with lower incomes and lower levels of education, to live in large cities, to be from the Northeast or South, and to attend public school."
Read the abstract in the journal Pediatrics, or the NYT article .
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Thoughts on Fear
Usually in a moment of actual danger we don't have time to think about being afraid. Imagining dangerous situations creates the real difficulty. We have an experience of fear and then we project it out. We do that because it gives us an opportunity to fight against that situation or run from it. But they're both ways of avoiding the actual experience of fear.
To simply experience a moment of danger can open up into wonder and excitement. It's the avoidance of danger that causes us such difficulties.
paraphrased from an interview of Robert Kull on the NPR program, To the Best of Our Knowledge.
Water
Deepa Mehta's Oscar-nominated film Water tells the tragic story of widowed women in India. According to her faith's Holy Scriptures, a Hindu wife has three options when her husband dies: she can kill herself, marry her husband's younger brother, or live in isolation.
The widows in the story live as social outcasts in an ashram, either by choice or coercion, dependent on alms (and, as the audience learns later, prostitution) for their rent and food.
When one of the shamed widows takes her own life, a deeply religious widow named Shakuntala begins to question the morality of her religion's doctrine. She takes an exploited young widow away from the ashram to see Gandhi speak. The Great Spirit -- a champion of India's oppressed widows and Untouchables -- states "For several years, I believed that God is truth; but now I have realized that Truth is God."
Gandhi's speech erases the moral doubt of the widow (and the audience). The message is clear: we should treat every person humanely, even if it means defying our society's most sacred institutions. In the touching final scene, Shakuntala tries to save her young companion from the hardship of a widow's life, by giving her away.
The widows in the story live as social outcasts in an ashram, either by choice or coercion, dependent on alms (and, as the audience learns later, prostitution) for their rent and food.
When one of the shamed widows takes her own life, a deeply religious widow named Shakuntala begins to question the morality of her religion's doctrine. She takes an exploited young widow away from the ashram to see Gandhi speak. The Great Spirit -- a champion of India's oppressed widows and Untouchables -- states "For several years, I believed that God is truth; but now I have realized that Truth is God."
Gandhi's speech erases the moral doubt of the widow (and the audience). The message is clear: we should treat every person humanely, even if it means defying our society's most sacred institutions. In the touching final scene, Shakuntala tries to save her young companion from the hardship of a widow's life, by giving her away.
Paul Virchow Quotes
“Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine on a large scale.”
“It is the curse of humanity that it learns to tolerate even the most horrible situations by habituation.”
“Medical education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community.”
“The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should largely be solved them.”
excerpted from Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.
“It is the curse of humanity that it learns to tolerate even the most horrible situations by habituation.”
“Medical education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community.”
“The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social problems should largely be solved them.”
excerpted from Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.
Greenhouse Gas Poisons Oceans, Too
Carbon dioxide, long considered the primary culprit of global warming, is now facing a second serious charge: it's threatening precious marine life as well.
The burning of fossil fuels in our cars, homes, and factories have led to an ever-increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Most of the carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming; one fourth of those emissions, however, are absorbed by the world's oceans.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is soluble in water -- it dissolves in water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). Scientists estimate that the acidity of the oceans have increased 30% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The acidity threatens the survival of coral reefs and shellfish, which in turn, can disrupt the food web of oceans.
Read the original article in the NYT.
The burning of fossil fuels in our cars, homes, and factories have led to an ever-increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Most of the carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming; one fourth of those emissions, however, are absorbed by the world's oceans.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is soluble in water -- it dissolves in water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). Scientists estimate that the acidity of the oceans have increased 30% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
The acidity threatens the survival of coral reefs and shellfish, which in turn, can disrupt the food web of oceans.
Read the original article in the NYT.
Terry Gross Receives 2007 Literarian Award
Sometimes when I love a novel, there is a question I'm tempted to ask, but don't. And the question is something like, 'How did you manage to look into my own heart? How did you find the words to express feelings I didn't even know I had before reading your book?' I guess that's a question a lot of readers might like to ask, but it's also a question no writer can ever really answer.
View Ira Glass' intro and Terry Gross' acceptance speech.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Backpacking the JMT
A teacher takes 6 of his high school students on a 220-mile backpacking trip across the John Muir Trail.
High Sierra HD - Backpacking the John Muir Trail from Pete Bell on Vimeo.
High Sierra HD - Backpacking the John Muir Trail from Pete Bell on Vimeo.
"Begone Dull Care" featuring the Oscar Peterson Trio
"Begone Dull Care" is an abstract film that features the dazzling piano play of Oscar Peterson. Duke Ellington dubbed Peterson the "Maharaja of the Keyboard."
Friday, January 30, 2009
South Africa's Answer to American Hip Hop
This song was featured prominently in the 2005 South African film Tsotsi. According to Wikipedia, the languages heard in the film include Tsotsitaal (an Africaans creole 'thug' language), Zulu, Xhosa, English, and Africaans. Not too surprising, given that South Africa has 11 official languages.
MIA speaks about music as agent for social change
Grammy- and Oscar-nominated artist MIA speaks about the Sri Lankan genocide of Tamils on the Tavis Smiley Show (Click link to view interview).
"The pressure of standing up for nothing is just so big."
"The pressure of standing up for nothing is just so big."
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
William James Quote
The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
John Lewis Quote
I have fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation. I've heard the reasons for opposing civil marriage for same-sex couples. Cut through the distractions, and they stink of the same fear, hatred, and intolerance I have known in racism and in bigotry.
-- Civil Rights Leader and Congressman John Lewis.
Read the full editorial at the Boston Globe.
Recurring Themes in John Irving's Work
Recurring themes in John Irving's work are New England, prostitutes, wrestling, Vienna, bears, deadly accidents, a main character dealing with an absent or unknown parent, sexual relationships between young men and older women and other variations in sexual relations.
Scroll down Irving's Wikipedia page to view the table of recurring themes. Hilariously bizarre.
Scroll down Irving's Wikipedia page to view the table of recurring themes. Hilariously bizarre.
Are we too clean?
A baby cannot resist stuffing anything within reach into her mouths, often to the chagrin of her paranoid parents.
Biologists are studying why a baby's instinctive behavior -- specifically, stuffing dirt into her mouth -- would be in fact beneficial. They propose a 'hygiene hypothesis," eating dirt and the billions of microbes and, yes, worms inside that dirt may sicken the child (and parent) in the short term, but will reduce the chance of developing immune-related illnesses in the long run.
According to immunologist Mary Ruebush, children raised in a hyper-clean environment are not exposed to the organisms that help them develop appropriate immune circuits. Research suggests that the increase in immune system disorders (e.g., asthma, allergies, multiple sclerosis, Type I diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease) in the US may be due to our restrictions on the environment and behavior of our children.
Dr. David Elliott of the University of Iowa cites specific evidence in developing countries; for example, he claims that the eradication of worms in some villages in Gambia have led to an increase in children's skin allergies.
Obviously, dirtiness is not a desirable outcome. But too much cleanliness is harmful, too. Professor Ruebrush suggests that we rue antibiotic products and stick with plain soap and water whenever our hands need washing. Dr. Joel Weinstock of Tufts Medical Center goes even further: “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat." He also suggests that kids have two dogs and a cat, which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.
Read the NYT article here.
9/17/09 Update:
A man infects himself with hookworm to cure his asthma and hayfever. Listen to his account on Radiolab (his story begins at ~32 minute mark in the show).
This cute little bloodsucker can cure your asthma.
Biologists are studying why a baby's instinctive behavior -- specifically, stuffing dirt into her mouth -- would be in fact beneficial. They propose a 'hygiene hypothesis," eating dirt and the billions of microbes and, yes, worms inside that dirt may sicken the child (and parent) in the short term, but will reduce the chance of developing immune-related illnesses in the long run.
According to immunologist Mary Ruebush, children raised in a hyper-clean environment are not exposed to the organisms that help them develop appropriate immune circuits. Research suggests that the increase in immune system disorders (e.g., asthma, allergies, multiple sclerosis, Type I diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease) in the US may be due to our restrictions on the environment and behavior of our children.
Dr. David Elliott of the University of Iowa cites specific evidence in developing countries; for example, he claims that the eradication of worms in some villages in Gambia have led to an increase in children's skin allergies.
Obviously, dirtiness is not a desirable outcome. But too much cleanliness is harmful, too. Professor Ruebrush suggests that we rue antibiotic products and stick with plain soap and water whenever our hands need washing. Dr. Joel Weinstock of Tufts Medical Center goes even further: “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat." He also suggests that kids have two dogs and a cat, which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.
Read the NYT article here.
9/17/09 Update:
A man infects himself with hookworm to cure his asthma and hayfever. Listen to his account on Radiolab (his story begins at ~32 minute mark in the show). This cute little bloodsucker can cure your asthma.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Work
The growth of the exploiters' revolution on this continent has been accompanied by the growth of the idea that work is beneath human dignity, particularly any form of hand work. We have made it our overriding ambition to escape work, and as a consequence have debased work until it is only fit to escape from. We have debased the products of work and have been, in turn, debased by them. Out of this contempt for work arose the idea of a nigger: at first some person, and later some thing, to be used to relieve us of the burden of work. If we began by making niggers of people, we have ended by making a nigger of the world. We have taken the irreplaceable energies and materials of the world and turned them into jimcrack "labor-saving devices." We have made the rivers and oceans and winds niggers to carry away our refuse, in doing this to the world that is our common heritage and bond, we have returned to making niggers of people: we have become each other's niggers.
But is work something that we have a right to escape? And can we escape it with impunity? We are probably the first entire people ever to think so. All the ancient wisdom that has come down to us counsels otherwise. It tells us that work is necessary to us, as much a part of our condition as mortality; that good work is our salvation and our joy; that shoddy or dishonest or self-serving work is our curse and our doom. We have tried to escape the sweat and sorrow promised in Genesis -- only to find that, in order to do so, we must forswear love and excellence, health and joy.
from The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry
What if?
Imagine a women’s magazine that positively featured round models, short models, old models – or no models at all, but real individual women. Let’s say that it had a policy of avoiding cruelty to women, as some now have a policy of endorsing products made free of cruelty to animals. And that it left out crash diets, mantras to achieve self-hatred, and promotional articles for the procession that cuts open healthy women’s bodies. And let’s say that it ran articles in praise of the magnificence of visible age, displayed loving photo essays on the bodies of women of all shapes and proportions, examined with gentle curiosity the body’s changes after birth and breast-feeding, offered recipes without punishment or guilt, and ran seductive portraits of men.
It would run aground, losing the bulk of its advertisers. Magazines, consciously or half-consciously, must project the attitude that looking one’s age is bad because $650 million of their ad revenue comes from people who would go out of business if visible age looked good. They need, consciously or not, to promote women’s hating their bodies enough to profitably hungry, since the advertising budget for one third of the nation’s food bill depends on their doing so by dieting. The advertisers who make women’s mass culture possible depend on making women feel bad enough about their faces and bodies to spend more money on worthless or pain-inducing products than they would if they felt innately beautiful.
from The Beauty Myth (1991) by Naomi Wolf
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wendell Berry Quote
We do need a 'new economy,' but one that is founded on thrift and care, on saving and conserving, not on excess and waste. An economy based on waste is inherently and hopelessly violent, and war is its inevitable by-product. We need a peaceable economy.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Jenny Holzer's Truisms
A STRONG SENSE OF DUTY IMPRISONS YOU
ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION CAN BE A FORM OF FREEDOM
AMBIVALENCE CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE
ANY SURPLUS IS IMMORAL
ANYTHING IS A LEGITIMATE AREA OF INVESTIGATION
ARTIFICIAL DESIRES ARE DESPOILING THE EARTH
AT TIMES INACTIVITY IS PREFERABLE TO MINDLESS FUNCTIONING
AT TIMES YOUR UNCONSCIOUS IS TRUER THAN YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND
AUTOMATION IS DEADLY
BEING JUDGMENTAL IS A SIGN OF LIFE
CALM IS MORE CONDUCIVE TO CREATIVITY THAN IS ANXIETY
DEVIANTS ARE SACRIFICED TO INCREASE GROUP SOLIDARITY
DISORGANIZATION IS A KIND OF ANESTHESIA
EVERY ACHIEVEMENT REQUIRES A SACRIFICE
FAKE OR REAL INDIFFERENCE IS A POWERFUL PERSONAL WEAPON
FREEDOM IS A LUXURY NOT A NECESSITY
GIVING FREE REIN TO YOUR EMOTIONS IS AN HONEST WAY TO LIVE
GOING WITH THE FLOW IS SOOTHING BUT RISKY
GRASS ROOTS AGITATION IS THE ONLY HOPE
GUILT AND SELF-LACERATION ARE INDULGENCES
HIDING YOUR MOTIVES IS DESPICABLE
HOLDING BACK PROTECTS YOUR VITAL ENERGIES
HUMOR IS A RELEASE
IF YOU HAVE MANY DESIRES LIFE WILL BE INTERESTING
IF YOU LIVE SIMPLY THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
IGNORING ENEMIES IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT
ILLNESS IS A STATE OF MIND
INHERITANCE MUST BE ABOLISHED
IT'S BETTER TO BE A GOOD PERSON THAN A FAMOUS PERSON
IT'S BETTER TO BE LONELY THAN TO BE WITH INFERIOR PEOPLE
IT'S CRUCIAL TO HAVE AN ACTIVE FANTASY LIFE
IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY CLEAN ON ALL LEVELS
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONCILE YOUR HEART AND HEAD
IT'S JUST AN ACCIDENT YOUR PARENTS ARE YOUR PARENTS
IT'S NOT GOOD TO HOLD TOO MANY ABSOLUTES
IT'S VITAL TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
JUST BELIEVING SOMETHING CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
KEEP SOMETHING IN RESERVE FOR EMERGENCIES
KILLING IS UNAVOIDABLE BUT IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF
KNOWING YOURSELF LETS YOU UNDERSTAND OTHERS
LEARN TO TRUST YOUR OWN EYES
LEISURE TIME IS A GIGANTIC SMOKESCREEN
LETTING GO IS THE HARDEST THING TO DO
LISTEN WHEN YOUR BODY TALKS
LOOKING BACK IS THE FIRST SIGN OF AGING AND DECAY
LOVING ANIMALS IS A SUBSTITUTE ACTIVITY
LOW EXPECTATIONS ARE GOOD PROTECTION
MANUAL LABOR CAN BE REFRESHING AND WHOLESOME
MODERATION KILLS THE SPIRIT
MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FIT TO RULE THEMSELVES
MUCH WAS DECIDED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN
MYTHS MAKE REALITY MORE INTELLIGIBLE
OFFER VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF
OLD FRIENDS ARE BETTER LEFT IN THE PAST
PAIN CAN BE A VERY POSITIVE THING
PEOPLE WHO GO CRAZY ARE TOO SENSITIVE
PEOPLE WON'T BEHAVE IF THEY HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE
PLAYING IT SAFE CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THE LONG RUN
POTENTIAL COUNTS FOR NOTHING UNTIL IT'S REALIZED
PURSUING PLEASURE FOR THE SAKE OF PLEASURE WILL RUIN YOU
PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE
RECHANNELING DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSES IS A SIGN OF MATURITY
REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE
REPETITION IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN
REVOLUTION BEGINS WITH CHANGES IN THE INDIVIDUAL
SACRIFICING YOURSELF FOR A BAD CAUSE IS NOT A MORAL ACT
SIN IS A MEANS OF SOCIAL CONTROL
SOLITUDE IS ENRICHING
SOME STONES ARE BETTER LEFT UNTURNED
SOME WOUNDS NEVER HEAL
SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LOOK THE OTHER WAY
SOMETIMES SCIENCE ADVANCES FASTER THAN IT SHOULD
STRONG EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT STEMS FROM BASIC INSECURITY
TALKING IS USED TO HIDE ONE'S INABILITY TO ACT
THE CRUELEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS WHEN YOU LET YOURSELF DOWN
THE LAND BELONGS TO NO ONE
THE MORE YOU KNOW THE BETTER OFF YOU ARE
THE MOST PROFOUND THINGS ARE INEXPRESSIBLE
THE MUNDANE IS TO BE CHERISHED
THE UNATTAINABLE INVARIABLY IS ATTRACTIVE
THREATENING SOMEONE SEXUALLY IS A HORRIBLE ACT
TIMIDITY IS LAUGHABLE
TO DISAGREE PRESUPPOSES MORAL INTEGRITY
TO VOLUNTEER IS REACTIONARY
TRUE FREEDOM IS FRIGHTFUL
UNIQUE THINGS MUST BE THE MOST VALUABLE
UNQUESTIONING LOVE DEMONSTRATES LARGESSE OF SPIRIT
USING FORCE TO STOP FORCE IS ABSURD
VIOLENCE IS PERMISSIBLE EVEN DESIRABLE OCCASIONALLY
WHEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS PEOPLE WAKE UP
WISHING THINGS AWAY IS NOT EFFECTIVE
WORDS TEND TO BE INADEQUATE
WORRYING CAN HELP YOU PREPARE
YOU ARE A VICTIM OF THE RULES YOU LIVE BY
YOU ARE GUILELESS IN YOUR DREAMS
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTITUTING THE MEANING OF THINGS
YOU MUST KNOW WHERE YOU STOP AND THE WORLD BEGINS
YOU OWE THE WORLD NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
YOU SHOULD TRAVEL LIGHT
YOU SHOULD STUDY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
See the unabridged list.
ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION CAN BE A FORM OF FREEDOM
AMBIVALENCE CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE
ANY SURPLUS IS IMMORAL
ANYTHING IS A LEGITIMATE AREA OF INVESTIGATION
ARTIFICIAL DESIRES ARE DESPOILING THE EARTH
AT TIMES INACTIVITY IS PREFERABLE TO MINDLESS FUNCTIONING
AT TIMES YOUR UNCONSCIOUS IS TRUER THAN YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND
AUTOMATION IS DEADLY
BEING JUDGMENTAL IS A SIGN OF LIFE
CALM IS MORE CONDUCIVE TO CREATIVITY THAN IS ANXIETY
DEVIANTS ARE SACRIFICED TO INCREASE GROUP SOLIDARITY
DISORGANIZATION IS A KIND OF ANESTHESIA
EVERY ACHIEVEMENT REQUIRES A SACRIFICE
FAKE OR REAL INDIFFERENCE IS A POWERFUL PERSONAL WEAPON
FREEDOM IS A LUXURY NOT A NECESSITY
GIVING FREE REIN TO YOUR EMOTIONS IS AN HONEST WAY TO LIVE
GOING WITH THE FLOW IS SOOTHING BUT RISKY
GRASS ROOTS AGITATION IS THE ONLY HOPE
GUILT AND SELF-LACERATION ARE INDULGENCES
HIDING YOUR MOTIVES IS DESPICABLE
HOLDING BACK PROTECTS YOUR VITAL ENERGIES
HUMOR IS A RELEASE
IF YOU HAVE MANY DESIRES LIFE WILL BE INTERESTING
IF YOU LIVE SIMPLY THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
IGNORING ENEMIES IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT
ILLNESS IS A STATE OF MIND
INHERITANCE MUST BE ABOLISHED
IT'S BETTER TO BE A GOOD PERSON THAN A FAMOUS PERSON
IT'S BETTER TO BE LONELY THAN TO BE WITH INFERIOR PEOPLE
IT'S CRUCIAL TO HAVE AN ACTIVE FANTASY LIFE
IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY CLEAN ON ALL LEVELS
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONCILE YOUR HEART AND HEAD
IT'S JUST AN ACCIDENT YOUR PARENTS ARE YOUR PARENTS
IT'S NOT GOOD TO HOLD TOO MANY ABSOLUTES
IT'S VITAL TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
JUST BELIEVING SOMETHING CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
KEEP SOMETHING IN RESERVE FOR EMERGENCIES
KILLING IS UNAVOIDABLE BUT IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF
KNOWING YOURSELF LETS YOU UNDERSTAND OTHERS
LEARN TO TRUST YOUR OWN EYES
LEISURE TIME IS A GIGANTIC SMOKESCREEN
LETTING GO IS THE HARDEST THING TO DO
LISTEN WHEN YOUR BODY TALKS
LOOKING BACK IS THE FIRST SIGN OF AGING AND DECAY
LOVING ANIMALS IS A SUBSTITUTE ACTIVITY
LOW EXPECTATIONS ARE GOOD PROTECTION
MANUAL LABOR CAN BE REFRESHING AND WHOLESOME
MODERATION KILLS THE SPIRIT
MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FIT TO RULE THEMSELVES
MUCH WAS DECIDED BEFORE YOU WERE BORN
MYTHS MAKE REALITY MORE INTELLIGIBLE
OFFER VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF
OLD FRIENDS ARE BETTER LEFT IN THE PAST
PAIN CAN BE A VERY POSITIVE THING
PEOPLE WHO GO CRAZY ARE TOO SENSITIVE
PEOPLE WON'T BEHAVE IF THEY HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE
PLAYING IT SAFE CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THE LONG RUN
POTENTIAL COUNTS FOR NOTHING UNTIL IT'S REALIZED
PURSUING PLEASURE FOR THE SAKE OF PLEASURE WILL RUIN YOU
PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE
RECHANNELING DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSES IS A SIGN OF MATURITY
REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE
REPETITION IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN
REVOLUTION BEGINS WITH CHANGES IN THE INDIVIDUAL
SACRIFICING YOURSELF FOR A BAD CAUSE IS NOT A MORAL ACT
SIN IS A MEANS OF SOCIAL CONTROL
SOLITUDE IS ENRICHING
SOME STONES ARE BETTER LEFT UNTURNED
SOME WOUNDS NEVER HEAL
SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LOOK THE OTHER WAY
SOMETIMES SCIENCE ADVANCES FASTER THAN IT SHOULD
STRONG EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT STEMS FROM BASIC INSECURITY
TALKING IS USED TO HIDE ONE'S INABILITY TO ACT
THE CRUELEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS WHEN YOU LET YOURSELF DOWN
THE LAND BELONGS TO NO ONE
THE MORE YOU KNOW THE BETTER OFF YOU ARE
THE MOST PROFOUND THINGS ARE INEXPRESSIBLE
THE MUNDANE IS TO BE CHERISHED
THE UNATTAINABLE INVARIABLY IS ATTRACTIVE
THREATENING SOMEONE SEXUALLY IS A HORRIBLE ACT
TIMIDITY IS LAUGHABLE
TO DISAGREE PRESUPPOSES MORAL INTEGRITY
TO VOLUNTEER IS REACTIONARY
TRUE FREEDOM IS FRIGHTFUL
UNIQUE THINGS MUST BE THE MOST VALUABLE
UNQUESTIONING LOVE DEMONSTRATES LARGESSE OF SPIRIT
USING FORCE TO STOP FORCE IS ABSURD
VIOLENCE IS PERMISSIBLE EVEN DESIRABLE OCCASIONALLY
WHEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS PEOPLE WAKE UP
WISHING THINGS AWAY IS NOT EFFECTIVE
WORDS TEND TO BE INADEQUATE
WORRYING CAN HELP YOU PREPARE
YOU ARE A VICTIM OF THE RULES YOU LIVE BY
YOU ARE GUILELESS IN YOUR DREAMS
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTITUTING THE MEANING OF THINGS
YOU MUST KNOW WHERE YOU STOP AND THE WORLD BEGINS
YOU OWE THE WORLD NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
YOU SHOULD TRAVEL LIGHT
YOU SHOULD STUDY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
See the unabridged list.
Cliff Young
In 1983, the Westfield Ultramarathon in southeast Australia featured an unlikely contestant named Cliff Young. Mr. Young did not resemble his fellow competitors. First, he was 61 years old. Second, he showed up for the race in overalls and workboots. As a result, many feared for his health and safety -- after all, the event did cover a grueling distance, 543.7 miles, the distance from Melbourne to Sydney. When the race started, Mr. Young shuffled at a leisurely pace while the other competitors ran out to an early lead. However, Mr. Young did not stop running at night. He continued his shuffle for the whole race without stopping for sleep, and he ended up not only winning the race but setting a new course record.
Today, many ultramarathon runner emulate Mr. Young's running style; it's been dubbed the "Young-shuffle."
You can read more about the legend of Cliff Young here.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Kafka Quote
There is no need for you to leave the house. Stay at your table and listen. Don't even listen, just wait. Don't even wait, be completely quiet and alone. The world will offer itself to you to be unmasked; it can't do otherwise; in raptures it will writhe before you.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Haiku from Loserland
These brilliant drawings and poems were done by a friend.
I draw back, and hope
it won't take all afternoon
to find the arrows.
Susan's lunch lecture:
true bible stories and the
downside of large breasts.
Sunday night's garbage:
dead mouse, burnt cupcakes, mangled
puppet theater.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Best Sports Story of 2008
David Slays Goliath -- The New York Giants stun the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLII
The football cognoscenti have all but coronated the 18-0 Patriots as the greatest team of all time.
Twelve point underdog New York trails 14-10 with only 1:15 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The G-men are pinned down on their own 44 yard line. It's 3rd and 5, do or die.
Quarterback Eli Manning hikes the ball from the shotgun.
Immediately, the pocket collapses. Everyone has a hand on Manning, but he manages to squirm free from the pocket and launch the ball into traffic downfield:
Unheralded wide receiver David Tyree miraculously hauls down Manning's pass to set up the winning play.
Manning connects with Burress in the end zone, and Spagnuolo's defensive line stuffs the Patriot's vaunted offense one last time.
David slays Goliath, The emperor Bill Belichick and golden boy Tom Brady have no clothes, and Manning goes from chump to champ.
I leap and scream in ecstasy.
Final score of Superbowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Downside of Pornography
Naomi Wolf deconstructs the "Porn Myth" in New York magazine:
Young men and women are indeed being taught what sex is, how it looks, what its etiquette and expectations are, by pornographic training—and this is having a huge effect on how they interact.
But does all this sexual imagery in the air mean that sex has been liberated—or is it the case that the relationship between the multi-billion-dollar porn industry, compulsiveness, and sexual appetite has become like the relationship between agribusiness, processed foods, supersize portions, and obesity? If your appetite is stimulated and fed by poor-quality material, it takes more junk to fill you up. People are not closer because of porn but further apart; people are not more turned on in their daily lives but less so.
The onslaught of porn is responsible for deadening male libido in relation to real women, and leading men to see fewer and fewer women as “porn-worthy.”
The reason to turn off the porn might become, to thoughtful people, not a moral one but, in a way, a physical- and emotional-health one; you might want to rethink your constant access to porn in the same way that, if you want to be an athlete, you rethink your smoking. The evidence is in: Greater supply of the stimulant equals diminished capacity.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Edward Abbey Quote
A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches -- that is the right and privilege of any free American.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tyron Edwards Quotes
- Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.
- Science has sometimes been said to be opposed to faith, and inconsistent with it. But all science, in fact, rests on a basis of faith, for it assumes the permanence and uniformity of natural laws -- a thing which can never be demonstrated.
- Between two evils choose neither; between two goods, choose both.
- Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past.
- Hell is truth seen too late -- duty neglected in its season.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Satish Kumar, Jain monk and environmental activist
The following is a transcript of a converation with Satish Kumar on the PRI program, To the Best of Our Knowledge (Listen to the interview yourself here):How about going on a pilgrimage, and walking 8,000 miles barefoot across India. When he was only nine years old, Satish Kumar joined the wandering brotherhood of Jain monks in his native India. At 18, he became a campaigner for land reform and one of Gandhi's followers. To protest the nuclear arms race, he made an 8,000 mile peace pilgrimage, walking from India to America, without any money. Years later, he did it again, celebrating his 50th birthday by walking 2,000 miles with no money around Great Britain. Now in his 70s, Satish Kumar is one of the leading voices bringing together spirituality and ecology. He's the editor of Resurgence magazine and the founder of Schumacher College in England. Steve Paulson sat down with Mr. Kumar recently and asked how his spiritual values have informed his life.
Steve Paulson: When you were nine years old, you joined the wandering brotherhood of Jain monks, and you stayed a monk until you were 18. What did those years living as a monk teach you about nature?
When I was a monk, I meditated upon nature. I would go out in nature, and stand under a tree because I would remember that even the Buddha learned from the tree. He was enlightened while sitting under a tree, because when you are standing or sitting under a tree, you can see how all life is connected. The rain is falling and nourishing the tree roots. The birds are coming and sitting on the tree. The seeds are falling and giving fruit and food and nourishment to the worms. Worms are making the land fertile and nourishing the tree. So how, the cycle of life and the connectivity of life, how it is all together, how the interrelationship of all living beings act, I learn by standing and meditating under a tree.
SP: I wonder if there is something about Jainism, about this religious order that you joined that let you into some of these insights.
The specific quality of Jain religion is adherence and its belief in nonviolence. There is no other religion greater than nonviolence. So as a Jain, I will not even wear shoes, because if you are wearing shoes you might tread on some creatures on the earth, and they might get hurt. Whereas the feet are soft, and even if I am walking bare feet, I will look down watching the earth, so I don't tread on any creatures. And, if at night I'm walking, I'll have a little brush in my hand, and I'll sweep the floor before I put my foot down. So this way, Jains practice nonviolence to its extreme level, and that's what I love. And so nonviolence to nature, my nonviolent ecology, came from Jain ecology.
SP: Let me ask you more about walking, because you've spent years walking. I mean, I know you went on pilgrimages in various points in your life. You would walk across an entire continent. It sounds like you're saying that walking can have real spiritual significance.
Absolutely. For when you are walking, you are touching the earth. When you are touching the earth, you feel a sense of belonging to the earth. And earth is holding you, earth is sustaining you, and walking becomes a spiritual practice. This is why all great religious teachers have gone on pilgrimages because walking is the best form of meditation and best form of relationship with the natural world, the earth, the trees, the air, the sunshine, with the whole, whole existence. And so walking is a beautiful and a very high form of spiritual practice.
SP: I'm surprised that you didn't also say that it forces you to slow down, that you can't go too fast.
Spirituality and speed don't go together. The very fact that you are walking, you have to go slowly and you have to believe that when God made time, he made plenty of it. There is no shortage of time. You don't have to get somewhere quickly. Getting somewhere is not as important as how you get there. So the process of living, the process of walking, is more important. This is why I call my autobiography, No Destination, because when you are obsessed with reaching somewhere, you take any means of travel. But when journey itself becomes important, then you realize that not only this walking, where you are going somewhere, the life itself is the journey.
SP: Well, I have to ask you about this because you are not a monk anymore, living in England you edit a magazine, you teach at a college, you give talks around the world, it sounds like it can be very demanding. I'm wondering how much you can incorporate these principles of slowness and walking and not venturing too far off, how much that you can incorporate all that into your own life.
All those things I do slowly. I get up in the morning and I spend an hour reading spiritual scripts, I spend at least half an hour doing yoga and meditation every day. And then I have a siesta after lunch at least half an hour, so whatever work I'm doing, editing a magazine, or lecturing, or whatever work I'm doing, I'm never hurried. The quality of your work is more important then the speed and quantity of your work. So I always shift my consciousness from quantity to quality.
SP: Do you end up saying no a lot, when people ask you to do things?
Um, yes, to some extent I have to say no because if somebody's asking me to go to a conference, and I'm already doing something else in my diary, then I will have to say no. But I try to say yes as much as I can because I like to honor people's requests and people's invitation. So, I do it with a very light, light sort of foot. I don't feel any kind of stress or strain when I do something. I do slowly, and I do with love and with care, and that way I can live simple and slow life.
SP: I'm trying to figure out how you manage to do this when I can't, and so many other people can't. I mean, for me it seems to be this, this test to see if I can fit everything that I seem to need to do into a day.
I do only one thing at a time. When I'm doing that thing, I'm doing only that thing at that time. I'm not doing anything, I'm not thinking about anything else that I have to do too much other things. I will do what I am doing fully, totally present in that moment, and when I finish doing that, then whatever next comes, I will do that fully and totally at that moment. So I live in the moment, in the here and now, every moment is a very beautiful moment and my full concentration, full attention, full mindfulness is there. And that way, I don't feel any stress. I don't think that I have to do too much. I have a day, a whole day, time is always coming, I have plenty of time to come, and plenty of time to do things and if I don't accomplish everything in this life, there's a next life. So I...
SP: [Laughing] So are you saying you don't have any stress in your life?
No stress.
SP: No stress at all?
No stress at all. Because if you are living in the moment, in the here and now, and everything you do is a work of spiritual practice, and a work of art, then there is no stress. When you are painting a picture, you can't feel stress because this is what you want to do. If you are writing a poem, you can't feel stress because this is what you want to do. So I do only what I want to do, and when I do it, I do it with imagination, with mindfulness, with slowness and with creativity, with imagination and with full presence and mindfulness. And there's no stress. Stress is because we are worried, "Am I going to achieve?" I'm not trying to achieve anything. There's nothing to achieve. Action in itself is its own reward.
SP: Doesn't success also come from trying to do certain things, to take responsiblity. I mean maybe you have a job most of the day, you have children and you have all kinds of responsiblities there. I'm just trying to think of how some of what you're talking about applies to the typical American lifestyle.
I do things without doing them. I'm not the doer. Things are happening through me, but I am not the doer. I don't take any burden of the action. Action is naturally flowing through me so, like children come through you not from you, Khalil Gibran said. In the same way, actions and words come through you. I'm speaking to you now. These words are coming through me, I'm not taking any kind of ownership, or worry, or I'm not in any stress, I'm not in any hurry. I'm just speaking in a nice, relaxed way. So this way, I do every action, and there is no need to have any stress. I'm not interested in any outcome, I'm not interested in any achievement, I'm not trying to get somewhere. I'm not trying to succeed in my life. My life is not about success, my life is about self-realization and fulfillment. And if we seek fulfillment, we'll have no stress. If we seek success, we will have stress.
SP: As you look around the world right now, you are an activist, and you campaign for the principles of simplicity. You're shaking your head. You don't do that?
I am, but not in a kind of visionary way. I'm not trying to preach anything. And I'm not saying that people must listen to me, and follow me, and they must change as I want them to change. Like you plant a seed, and the planting the seed is your action. After that, the seed will grow by itself. And your work is to water the seed maybe. So what I am doing in my mission, and it's not really a mission, in my work when I'm trying to promote simplicity, sustainabilty, nonviolence, peace, all these things are like watering the seed. The tree will grow by itself. The seed knows how to become a tree. I don't have to tell people to be peaceful. People know how to be peaceful. I am only there to encourage them, to remind them to water the seeds of peace in their heart. That's all I'm doing and if the peace does not grow, then too bad. I'm not taking any responsiblity. So you can say I'm very irresponsible in that way. But I don't want to take the burden of the world on my shoulders. I'm not God, I'm not shaping the whole world. It's not my responsiblity to change the whole world. I'm here not to change the world, but to serve the world. When you want to change the world, you take a burden of changing and responsiblity of changing. And that can be stressful. When you are serving the world, you do your best and that's it.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Confucius Says...
In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Manufactured Landscapes by Edward Burtynsky
Nature transformed through industry is a predominate theme in my work...These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence...Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction.
View Mr. Burtynsky's portfolio here.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Chuck Close
Twenty years ago, Chuck Close was a successful artist, painting photorealistic portraits with incredible technical skill. Then, one day he was suddenly paralyzed by a rare spinal artery collapse. Although the partial paralysis left him unable to paint with the precision he was renowned for, his art evolved into a more abstract and interesting form (see pics above). He talks about the transformation and its effect on the Charlie Rose Show.
Charlie Rose: What was the hardest thing about adjusting to what happened to you? I mean, you were a very healthy man. You were 49 years old.
Chuck Close: Well, 48, the same age my father was when he died. And it's interesting to have an event that corresponds...because I thought about every year that I had with my children that he didn't have with me. And as hard as my life was, I realized that every one of those years was a gift, and was to be cherished and appreciated. I think, in a funny way, it's made it a lot easier.
CR: How many years have you had since then?
CC: Nineteen.
CR: That's incredible. Nineteen years of gift to your children, that your father hadn't...
CC: Well, I'm not so sure they think it's a gift. [Laughing]. Some of those years I don't think they appreciated it.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
America's Best Adventures
In 2004, National Geographic Adventure put out a list of the top 100 outdoor expeditions in the United States. Here's the top 10:
1. Rafting the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Arizona
2. Sea Kayaking the Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii
3. DogSledding in the Brooks Range, Alaska
4. Mountain Biking Kokopelli's Trail, Colorado and Utah
5. Hiking the Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah
6. Skiing Corbet's Couloir, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
7. Climbing the El Capitan, Yosemite
8. Hiking the Presidential Range Traverse, New Hampshire
9. Competing in the "Beast" Adventure Race, Alaska Range
10. Diving Bonne Terre Mine, Bonne Terre, Missouri
Thus far, I can only scratch off one of the items of the list, hiking the Narrows of Zion NP (#5). So much to do, so little time!
The Small Stakes
Jason Munn is an artist who lives in the "O" (Oakland). I first saw his beautiful silk screen posters at the SFMOMA a few weeks ago, and was delighted to see that his work is also on sale at the Small Stakes website for $20-45.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Apropos of the Times
"Our lives are controlled by a ruling class with vested interests not merely in change but in crisis and chaos. 'Uninterrupted disturbance, everlasting uncertainty and agitation,' instead of subverting this society, actually serve to strengthen it. Catastrophes are transformed into lucrative opportunities for redevelopment and renewal."
- Marshall Berman, All That is Solid Melts into Air
- Marshall Berman, All That is Solid Melts into Air
Monday, September 22, 2008
TED Talks: James Howard Kunstler
"When you degrade the public realm, you automatically degrade the quality of your civic life and the character of all of the enactments of your public life and communal life that take place there."
View Mr. Kunstler's diatribe here.
View Mr. Kunstler's diatribe here.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Career Advice, Manga Style
1. There is no plan. "Playing it safe" or "keeping your options open," generally speaking, don't lead to advancement. Instead, decide what you really want now -- take a job because it's cool or interesting, not because you think it'll lead you somewhere. In the end, you'll probably end up somewhere better.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses. Research shows successful folks don't worry about their weaknesses but capitalize on their strengths.
3. It's not about you. Your job is about serving others, not serving yourself.
4. Persistence trumps talent. Persistence and performance feed on each other, allowing for faster growth than talent alone.
5. Make excellent mistakes. Mistakes don't mean that you're a failure -- they mean that you've tried. You improve yourself by going out there and trying to succeed where others haven't.
6. Leave an imprint. Think about what you want to accomplish at the end of your lifetime, and start doing something about that now.
from "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need" by Daniel H. Pink.
Here's a trailer for the book:
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses. Research shows successful folks don't worry about their weaknesses but capitalize on their strengths.
3. It's not about you. Your job is about serving others, not serving yourself.
4. Persistence trumps talent. Persistence and performance feed on each other, allowing for faster growth than talent alone.
5. Make excellent mistakes. Mistakes don't mean that you're a failure -- they mean that you've tried. You improve yourself by going out there and trying to succeed where others haven't.
6. Leave an imprint. Think about what you want to accomplish at the end of your lifetime, and start doing something about that now.
from "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need" by Daniel H. Pink.
Here's a trailer for the book:
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Burning Man 2008
Check out pics from this year's festival at Camp Montage.
My favorite overheard quote from BRC:
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How many glow sticks are in your outfit?"
"Umm, I'm not sure. Around 500."
"Cool."
My favorite overheard quote from BRC:
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How many glow sticks are in your outfit?"
"Umm, I'm not sure. Around 500."
"Cool."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
72 and sunny
72 and Sunny makes some of my favorite ads, including those for Bugaboo, Callaway, and, of course, Discovery Channel.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Rattlesnake!
My brother Jeff, his girlfriend Danielle, my friend Joe and I went camping up at Lake George this past weekend. After two days of roughing it and camping in the wilderness, we decided to give ourselves a break and camp in a designated site. As soon as we pitched our tents, I heard my brother scream like a little girl and run towards the car. Usually I ignore my brother's screaming, but Danielle screamed too. So I took a look and here is what I saw:
The funny thing is, no one really freaked out. After the snake went along its way, we continued to pitch our tents with hardly a worry. If this had happened in 'the wilderness' (a site not designated for camping), we all would have insisted on a motel room.
The funny thing is, no one really freaked out. After the snake went along its way, we continued to pitch our tents with hardly a worry. If this had happened in 'the wilderness' (a site not designated for camping), we all would have insisted on a motel room.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Pyrrhic Victory
Pyrrhic victory \PIR-ik\, noun:
A victory achieved at great or excessive cost; a ruinous victory.
A victory achieved at great or excessive cost; a ruinous victory.
Studio DDT
DDT is the studio that creates the wonderfully bizarre special effects in Guillermo del Toro's movies Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. I can't wait to see del Toro's latest, Hellboy II.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Seven Deadly Social Sins
1. Politics without principle
2. Wealth without work
3. Commerce without morality
4. Pleasure without conscience
5. Education without character
6. Science without humanity
7. Worship without sacrifice
2. Wealth without work
3. Commerce without morality
4. Pleasure without conscience
5. Education without character
6. Science without humanity
7. Worship without sacrifice
Wall-E Origami
Brian Chan has designed an original origami of Wall-E for Geekologie. See more pics of Wall-E (and Iron Man) here.
Fahrenheit Roller Coaster
Hershey Park's newest ride is the steepest roller coaster ever, featuring a 97-degree slope (7 degrees beyond vertical!) that results in 4 G's worth of force. Looks like a piece of cake.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Darwin Quote
"It's not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most
intelligent, but most responsive to change." -Charles Darwin
intelligent, but most responsive to change." -Charles Darwin
The Science Barge
How do we city folk get our food?
The answer today is grim: our food is grown far away, mass produced on giant industrial farms using harmful chemical pesticides, and transported at a great cost to our environment.
The good people at New York Sun Works are trying to change that paradigm by building a prototype urban farm called "The Science Barge."
The Science Barge grows tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce with zero cost to the environment -- the farm is completely sustainable, wasting no energy, using no chemical pesticides, and producing no carbon dioxide.
You can visit the Science Barge at Riverside Park South throughout the summer.
Images from the Hubble Telescope
Check out Harvard Magazine's "Eye on the Universe," an interesting article accompanied by amazing photographs taken from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Jake Beckman
I checked out the website of an acquaintance from college today and was really impressed. Jake Beckman is an incredibly gifted artist. I love his artwork: well-executed, fun, and thoughtful.
NYC's Top 10 Ice Cream Sandwiches
Time for your first homework assignment of the summer: Read this article. Choose a destination. Grab a friend and get a bite. Take pics and write a food review. Publish. I want to know what's good!
Goodbye, MH3!
My four year tenure at Mott Hall 3 ended yesterday with little pomp and circumstance. I moved a few things from my room, handed out yearbooks to 8th graders, and turned in my keys to Ms. Rose. Quiet, just the way I like it.
A few words I wished I told you...I leave Mott Hall 3 feeling blessed. Blessed that I had the opportunity to teach awesome kids, work with cool colleagues, and grow as a teacher and human being. Certainly, MH3 has seen the best and worst of me -- things I never knew I had in my me.
I leave knowing that I have learned, taken, and given so much, and I hope that whatever I do next will afford me the same opportunity.
A million thanks to all of you!
A few words I wished I told you...I leave Mott Hall 3 feeling blessed. Blessed that I had the opportunity to teach awesome kids, work with cool colleagues, and grow as a teacher and human being. Certainly, MH3 has seen the best and worst of me -- things I never knew I had in my me.
I leave knowing that I have learned, taken, and given so much, and I hope that whatever I do next will afford me the same opportunity.
A million thanks to all of you!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Central Park Summerstage
Check out the 2008 calendar for Summerstage, the free summer concert series at Central Park.
A few highlights:
1) Friday, July 11, 2008 | 8-10 p.m.
Rennie Harris / Pure Movement
Francesca Harper Project
Rennie Harris Pure Movement is a hip hop dance company out of Illadelph (Philly). They do a lot of exciting and athletic dancing -- if you like ABDC (America's Best Dance Crew), then you'll probably enjoy this free show.
2) Thursday, July 17, 2008 | 7-10 p.m.
Junot Diaz
Junot Diaz is a Dominican-American writer who wrote this year's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. He also wrote the popular short story collection Drown. If you haven't read his stuff yet, then do yourself a favor and go to the library, find these books, and read them. Thank me later.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Largest Rodent in the World
The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. Its extinct ancestors were once the size of grizzly bears! Discover more about capybaras on Wikipedia.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
Dry or Wet Earwax?
When I was young, I always wondered why they called the gunk in your ear "wax." My ear wax has always been powdery, and today I discovered that I'm not alone.
Unlike other ethnicities, most East Asians have a mutation that make their ear wax dry and flaky. Eureka.
Read the Live Science article here and the New York Times article here.
Unlike other ethnicities, most East Asians have a mutation that make their ear wax dry and flaky. Eureka.
Read the Live Science article here and the New York Times article here.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ben Kingsley on Adolescence
"I think youth has become very tangled up with consumerism. And I think the very extraordinary years that we call adolescence, moving from childhood to adulthood, they're very fleeting. And, I don't recall my adolescence being so consumer driven, so constantly invaded by peer pressure, fashion, gossip, uhhh very transient musical fashions and tastes, clothes, uh umm role models. It seems to be very cluttered, and adolescence is hard enough without a whole multibillion dollar consumer industry jumping on the backs of adolescence and making them, and squeezing them, squeezing dollars out of them. Well in fact, the reverse should be happening, that we should as an adult society, be squeezing encouragement into them and decent values into them and beautiful thoughts and ideas into them. No, we just want their money. It's pathetic, and I think somewhere in this story and in the dynamic, in the essentials of adolescence being a necessary time for experiment...But at the heart of it is, in order to grow, you have to make mistakes, you must be reckless, you cannot follow the herd, you have to follow your heart, you have to, to quote my crazy character, end up face down in the gutter, get your heart broken, make a mess of things because that is what adolescence is. And it's self healing. We make a mess as adolescents and it's self healing. Unless of course we stray into narcotics which will kill us or into alcohol which will kill us or into any kind of very compulsive destructive behavior but we are constantly, adolescents are constantly invited to be constant consumers. So it's a little unfair to expect adolescents to be free of certain substances, eating disorders, drug disorders, alcohol disorders and at the same time say but you do have to consume. It's very unfair of them, you know."
Watch the video of Ben Kingsley on the June 17, 2008 taping of the Tavis Smiley Show here.
Watch the trailer for Ben Kingsley's new movie The Wackness here.
Watch an example of rampant childhood consumerism here.
Watch the video of Ben Kingsley on the June 17, 2008 taping of the Tavis Smiley Show here.
Watch the trailer for Ben Kingsley's new movie The Wackness here.
Watch an example of rampant childhood consumerism here.
NYC Waterfalls
This summer's fun new public art project is almost here: four waterfalls created on the East River by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. More info here.
Entertaining Review of the Incredible Hulk
Movie review of the Hulk. Written in the voice of the Hulk himself. Review funny. Movie not. Read here.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lupe Fiasco's Album "The Cool"
Lupe talks about the concept behind his newest album, "The Cool" on the Tavis Smiley Show:
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