tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86088461957883360132024-03-18T20:33:21.108-07:00Unearth and FathomLife learning, observing, knowing. Strewing for the unschooled.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-54035010426139113142012-09-12T06:32:00.005-07:002012-09-12T07:43:54.093-07:00Get Your Free Online Education<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu3sOzYkMWym6oLc2CwE6K_sqXLflJVjacCSIFTCNSI_g7Zsvuprjnwp2xH99RKuzA9Mah4tWo7Icv1648X58zfpjAkH9DYOF_SDICnH1Vir6E3UinRukmAOuNWapvq-P0vkAFLPL3OuE/s1600/coursera_320x245.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu3sOzYkMWym6oLc2CwE6K_sqXLflJVjacCSIFTCNSI_g7Zsvuprjnwp2xH99RKuzA9Mah4tWo7Icv1648X58zfpjAkH9DYOF_SDICnH1Vir6E3UinRukmAOuNWapvq-P0vkAFLPL3OuE/s400/coursera_320x245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787299084618074930" border="0" /></a><br />For those of us rethinking education, more and more tools are becoming available for advancing our learning. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/" target="top">Coursera</a> and <a href="https://www.coursera.org/" target="top">Udacity</a> are just two examples of how online courses are <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/07/17/is-coursera-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-traditional-higher-education/" target="top">making higher education</a> available to <span style="font-weight:bold;">all</span>, for free. Further, anyone taking these free courses who can demonstrate mastery, can get a certificate of completion. (<span style="font-weight:bold;">Fast Company</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3000042/how-coursera-free-online-education-service-will-school-us-all" target="top">How Coursera, A Free Online Education Service, Will School Us All</a></span>, by Anya Kamanetz, August 8, 2012)<br /><blockquote>Starting with MIT's OpenCourseware in 2001, universities have increasingly seen the provision of such resources as an essential part of their public mission. Indeed, hundreds of millions of people have viewed lectures from top universities for free online in the past 10 years. But until now, these resources have been passive, like Wikipedia. They haven't been organized and sequenced for active learning or paired with social media tools. More crucially, they haven't been offered with certification. That's beginning to change, says Chow, as for the first time traditional universities offering online courses will certify that students have mastered the contents. </blockquote><br />For unschoolers or non-schoolers, life-learners and autodidacts, and those seeking to un-college, this is a very big deal. These courses have the potential to provide huge opportunities in learning, skill-building and mastery. With or without certification, the experiences these courses can provide can make all the difference when seeking career opportunities as employers increasingly embrace <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/02/conventional-online-universities-consider-strategic-response-moocs" target="top">competency-based learning</a> in a constantly changing, technologically innovative world.<br /><blockquote>"In my job interview, I don't think it was, 'Oh, you took the class, you get the job.' It was more that I'd learned enough to have a conversation and seem like I knew what I was talking about." - <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3000042/how-coursera-free-online-education-service-will-school-us-all" target="top">Fast Company</a><br /></blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Free Online Courses</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.coursera.org/" target="top">Coursera</a><br /><a href="http://www.udacity.com/" target="top">Udacity</a><br /><a href="https://www.edx.org/" target="top">edX</a><br /><a href="http://minervaproject.com/" target="top">The Minerva Project</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-46727532936896935402011-11-07T09:59:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:38:40.588-08:00Now, Honey<span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind</span>.</span> - Friedrich Nietzsche<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/merbabies/6185022433/" title="the bees by On Bradstreet, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6185022433_8bf3b5401c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="the bees"></a><br /><br />We discuss the <a href = "http://bangordailynews.com/2011/06/24/outdoors/maine-beekeepers-busy-rebuilding-devastated-hives/" target = "top">benefits and health</a> of bees fairly frequently, and now that grandparents are adding yet another hive, we should be well-supplied with our favorite rich, dark amber, <a href = "http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/raw-honey.html" target = "top">raw honey</a>. Which is why my nose crinkled in disgust when I read this article, <a href = "http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/" target = "top">Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey</a>. (And if we hope to either help with or have our own hives someday, <a href = "http://mainebeekeepers.org/beekeeping-resources/bee-schools/" target = "top">we should take a class</a>.) <br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4RGt10EFKCs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />Tigger, your loss, man. I mean cat. <br /><br />A word about honey's expiration date: it lasts a <span style="font-weight:bold;">very long time</span>. Apparently centuries, as long as it is not contaminated with water or other particles. I tried researching more about honey found in tombs, and nothing I found was very reliable or current, (<a href = "http://www.snopes.com/horrors/cannibal/honey.asp" target = "top">some were disturbing</a>), but it's fairly clear that people have had a <a href = "http://www.bee-hexagon.net/en/creativeexpression.htm" target = "top">long history</a> bee keeping and collecting honey. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oGiLPvqY8J-MVqZ_lBQ6ly0mNEKl41Qx0STKPvsVyURq0cE9qdqimJ32jTo8oCtlr0wroD5xg83VuehajfijSyl8ASAesPFEmAmb5C0_GxqrD1bKA5WkRUe5cCF0koZ6-Tl0lyRcRYsk/s1600/pouring_honey_egypt_hieroglyphs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oGiLPvqY8J-MVqZ_lBQ6ly0mNEKl41Qx0STKPvsVyURq0cE9qdqimJ32jTo8oCtlr0wroD5xg83VuehajfijSyl8ASAesPFEmAmb5C0_GxqrD1bKA5WkRUe5cCF0koZ6-Tl0lyRcRYsk/s400/pouring_honey_egypt_hieroglyphs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672337065841645394" /></a><br /><br />As for that phrase <span style="font-style:italic;">the bee's knees</span>, have a look at its <a href = "http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bees-knees.html" target = "top">possible origins</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CEUGTzxj3T_DdfMGm577RNK3FhYpmaLsmkz8ubjJBmzRjuwOmaN-f-NLgqNKHFmhLbI5J3ERHKQGHbWwRjqMRcXkuM8SPgBPBHSLi0Ii-1rBJEGDQp7PWA_n5CbV9oYnQChTDXX-Ptjf/s1600/work_6100390_1_flat%252C550x550%252C075%252Cf_bees-knees-i.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CEUGTzxj3T_DdfMGm577RNK3FhYpmaLsmkz8ubjJBmzRjuwOmaN-f-NLgqNKHFmhLbI5J3ERHKQGHbWwRjqMRcXkuM8SPgBPBHSLi0Ii-1rBJEGDQp7PWA_n5CbV9oYnQChTDXX-Ptjf/s400/work_6100390_1_flat%252C550x550%252C075%252Cf_bees-knees-i.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672339545916570946" /></a><br /><br />Perhaps you've wondered if honey badgers do indeed eat honey? According to <a href = "http://www.honeybadger.com/FactFile/Diet.htm" target = "top">this</a>, what they are mostly eating is <a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_(honey_bee)" target = "top">bee brood</a>, or larva, and are less interested in the honey.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWyFcKYbGmrHioJx5DSuxsIRAEGMaFNmxYLNwpoXFIFjLUvDmGKw19tVGeLaE723y0yYERopQ1lYxax1phVr92cK7iBgiiihC1mb87DR2-fa6L-nJYm560fbPgGXyl4cfPNyTZgfqvD7m/s1600/Honey-Badger-Dont-Care.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWyFcKYbGmrHioJx5DSuxsIRAEGMaFNmxYLNwpoXFIFjLUvDmGKw19tVGeLaE723y0yYERopQ1lYxax1phVr92cK7iBgiiihC1mb87DR2-fa6L-nJYm560fbPgGXyl4cfPNyTZgfqvD7m/s400/Honey-Badger-Dont-Care.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672332267895359106" /></a><br /> <br />And since we're on the topic of honey vs. adulterated honey, let's just agree now that we'll never have <a href = "http://www.auntjemima.com/" target = "top">this</a> on our pancakes. As with honey, <a href = "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/fake-maple-syrup-law_n_1067114.html" target = "top">maple syrup</a> faces similar legal and consumer issues.<br /><br />Hmm, a cup of tea with honey sounds good, right about now. I'm just glad ours is the sort that contains actual bee's knees, aren't you?Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-85408151890969434132011-07-10T07:05:00.000-07:002011-07-10T08:50:22.301-07:00Digital Learning: The Key To KnowingWith annoying regularity, articles like Lanier's <a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19fob-essay-t.html" target = "top"><span style="font-style:italic;">Does the Digital Classroom Enfeeble the Mind?</span></a> surface, replete with short-sightedness and much tsk-tsking, to the point where we can see the author chewing their lips and wagging fingers while muttering about <span style="font-style:italic;">newfangled machines</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">kids these days</span>. Never mind that such articles rarely address <span style="font-weight:bold;">We, Of The Non-Institutional Learning</span>. In the limited vision of these articles, all learning must be dissected and transmitted <span style="font-weight:bold;">by the teacher to the student</span>, in a classroom, <span style="font-style:italic;">but of course</span>.<br /><br />Always too, there's much lamenting about how so few of us actually <span style="font-weight:bold;">understand</span> the technology we are using (meaning, I suppose, that we didn't design, build or otherwise produce said technology) so therefore, the reasoning goes, technology is immediately rendered heartless and cold, while being imbued with magical qualities. This reasoning leads me to think that either I and my family, (my friends, my acquaintances, the shopkeepers...) must be existing in some woefully ignorant and skill-less alternative universe, or, conversely, (and I think I might have something here) most of us don't know how most things work, let alone know how to build them. Unless of course, I'm wrong and indeed, everyone outside my social circle knows how their home's plumbing works or how to make an edible loaf of bread from milled flour or regularly build expansion bridges. <br /><br />The reasoning in Lanier's article goes on to say that having these technologies figured out for us by an oddball few, destroys the mind, heart and soul, of we, the technology user, because we didn't come by the information ourselves. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /><blockquote>This way of seeing is becoming ever more common as people have experiences with computers. While it has its glorious moments, the computational perspective can at times be uniquely unromantic. <br /><br />Nothing kills music for me as much as having some algorithm calculate what music I will want to hear. That seems to miss the whole point. Inventing your musical taste is the point, isn’t it?</blockquote></span><br /><br />Funny he mentions <span style="font-style:italic;">missing the point</span>. Before the likes of Pandora or any other algorithmic-based music program, my options for curating a very personal music library were limited. It's a little like needing to know how to spell a word and looking it up in the dictionary, <span style="font-weight:bold;">without knowing how to spell the word</span>. That's a problem. If I've never been exposed to a variety of music because I'm limited by what the DJ (or more accurately, the media giant like Clear Channel) plays, how do I know what exists? Oh, I suppose, I could <span style="font-weight:bold;">purchase every item of music</span> available to me and sort through all of it in the hopes of distilling what I liked. At this point, of course, I risk becoming the singularly focused oddball Lanier accuses Silicon Valley types of being, but hey, at least music isn't <span style="font-weight:bold;">chosen for me</span>. Lanier misses the point completely here. Never before was it so easy and rewarding and life-enhancing to build a music library. Never before have people been able to access music they had no idea existed! With Pandora, for instance, one song, one artist, becomes the key that unlocks <span style="font-weight:bold;">limitless other music</span> for me. <br /><br />Ah, but also according to Lanier, I (and in his example, students) <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">come to conceive of themselves as relays in a transpersonal digital structure</span></span>. He argues that there is only this relay-effect, but no actual critical thinking is happening on the student's part. (This is particularly perplexing to me, since I read Lanier's article, published on-line, aloud in the car to my family as I read from my smartphone via a link someone shared via Twitter, which then led to an hour long dissection of his points by my two teens). And here, we revisit my analogy about dictionaries and mystery words, when he says: <br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">The artifacts of our past accomplishments can become so engrossing in digital form that it can be harder to notice all we don’t know and all we haven’t done. While technology has generally been the engine that propels us into unknowable changes, it might now lull us into hypnotic complacency. </span></blockquote><br /><br />He says <span style="font-style:italic;">it can be harder to notice all we don't know and all we haven't done</span>. Yes, it's very difficult to look up words we don't know how to spell, or indeed, find music we don't know. Using technology to learn doesn't make us passive digital relays. Instead, we're using technology to explore things that before was <span style="font-weight:bold;">previously unknown</span> to us (and in most cases, we did it without knowing the word we were looking for). If Lanier would spend a week on <a href = "http://tumblr.com" target = "top">Tumblr</a>, for instance, and witness the intelligent sharing information and social activism that exists there; if he watched more movies made by young people featuring special-effect-edited sequences enhanced by the <a href = "http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperAdamGalaxy#p/u/19/qwKhNZNPtkE" target = "top">music of Carl Orff</a>, he just might be convinced that those spaceships he'd like to see built, are, and in many cases, especially, I argue, among the self-directed learners, have already taken off and landed many times. And perhaps, like <a href = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L6--RGAvI0&feature=player_embedded" target = "top">Douglas Thomas</a>, author of <a href = "http://www.amazon.com/dp/1456458884?tag=braipick-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1456458884&adid=133PVZDR8FEFR1031V7K" target = "otp">A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination For A World Of Constant Change</a>, says,<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">We’re stuck in a mode where we’re using old systems of understanding learning to try to understand these new forms, and part of the disjoint means that we’re missing some really important and valuable data.</span></blockquote><br /><br />Of course, perhaps Lanier can't be blamed for not seeing the word he doesn't know how to spell.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-36483921305844993632011-05-27T06:41:00.000-07:002011-05-27T10:44:49.378-07:00Summer Begins: Exploring Memorial Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZK6-Q2MOIB6KCjbMBGtqdE0wLuCEkAyagqTee_vLT85uJ4uzu035NilWajc7hsvx783DSKK7oeCGwOi0UqDUxgoKdbHFdReHpf9j3piz3kHWJsjxndcjUJmy5xRyx3-0ljQKNnKP6IC5/s1600/untitled.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZK6-Q2MOIB6KCjbMBGtqdE0wLuCEkAyagqTee_vLT85uJ4uzu035NilWajc7hsvx783DSKK7oeCGwOi0UqDUxgoKdbHFdReHpf9j3piz3kHWJsjxndcjUJmy5xRyx3-0ljQKNnKP6IC5/s400/untitled.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611426413541124994" /></a><br /><br /><a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day" target = "top">Memorial Day Weekend</a> is here. In our beach town, this signals the return of the summer people, the amusement park and board walk open and yard sale signs flutter from every corner telephone pole. On Monday, the traditional date for Memorial Day, our town holds a parade, commemorating the service and sacrifice of our military, (but will also include older adult men, riding tiny cars, and other such parade goofiness.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd-sMCvprFloXMKwvGrgAH4lZ0Dhm0yHbZl9T4_ZPimnOeXV2qS2gOdBwaB8_fVKRU1ehOod1SCLwiNahkLkkFHQ_vuvlzHDRZjNtchwbMcdb0KW2BLTOFilc-3ciu_HTvyOWrjJQMTGL/s1600/DSC01396.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd-sMCvprFloXMKwvGrgAH4lZ0Dhm0yHbZl9T4_ZPimnOeXV2qS2gOdBwaB8_fVKRU1ehOod1SCLwiNahkLkkFHQ_vuvlzHDRZjNtchwbMcdb0KW2BLTOFilc-3ciu_HTvyOWrjJQMTGL/s320/DSC01396.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611395363569305554" /></a><br /><br />Memorial Day when I was a kid, way back when in the 1970s, living in a small, coastal village downeast, meant we woke early to decorate our bikes in red, white and blue crepe paper. We then rode our bikes to the town cemetery where a solemn ceremony was held, with flags, pipes and drums and folks dressed in uniforms of wars gone by. (<a href = "http://www.charleenwiseman.com/journal/archives/2009_05.html" target = "top">This blog</a> has photos of that town's Memorial Day ceremonies, which look just the same now as they did 35 years ago.) We also decorated with tissue paper poppies, some we made and others were bought for .25 at the market, from a veteran. <a href = "http://www.cal-mum.com/poppy.htm" target = "top">Poppies</a> have long been a symbol of remembrance. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-RE0wytyMb_N4ywxlCRv5wAImDBdppo-NZ-c7PYGSOZLMDPJzJiSJ4viI4lGWds20grjgkMKY4F6Wa9tm2oY5GAty2vrKy2ZZ_fWLIGlzml1_J4MqrcMNzEMwYGs6V7d3Dr8Uepmt8KX/s1600/f081415c0f5676bd3ebc401a5ae7cfa4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-RE0wytyMb_N4ywxlCRv5wAImDBdppo-NZ-c7PYGSOZLMDPJzJiSJ4viI4lGWds20grjgkMKY4F6Wa9tm2oY5GAty2vrKy2ZZ_fWLIGlzml1_J4MqrcMNzEMwYGs6V7d3Dr8Uepmt8KX/s400/f081415c0f5676bd3ebc401a5ae7cfa4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611426166884569474" /></a><br /><br />Today, many people still celebrate Memorial Day by decorating grave sites with flags and flowers, attending parades, firework displays and pops concerts. Others still, simply gather with family and friends, have cookouts, or head to the beach or lake.(Still others shop the big sales that have somehow become associated with this holiday.) <br /><br />There are some interesting ways to view Memorial Day (and similar holidays, like Independence Day and Labor Day). Is it truly just a day for remembrance or is it an example of something known as <a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion" target = "top">American civil religion</a>, which is the idea that, "Americans embrace a common <span style="font-style:italic;">civil religion</span> with certain fundamental beliefs, values, holidays, and rituals, parallel to, or independent of, their chosen religion?" This theory talks about how a new country relied on civil ceremony during times of social crisis (the Revolutionary War, Civil War and Vietnam War) to define, unite and direct the country. This process has close ties to the idea of American exceptionalism. This idea was originally used to mean that America was unique in it's democratic foundation. Eventually however, especially during the <a href = "http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/what%20was%20the%20cold%20war.htm" target = "top">Cold War</a>, between the US and USSR, <a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism" target = "top">American exceptionalism</a> became the idea that America was <span style="font-weight:bold;">uniquely</span> moral, right, justified, strong, worthy and chosen by God to assert its values on the world. Through that lens, Memorial Day can be seen as a celebration of America's <span style="font-style:italic;">God-given directive</span>. While honoring the memory of those who served, we participate in an act of civic <a href = "http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nationalism" target = "top">nationalism</a>, designed to profess our loyalty to the myth of America, Better Than All The Rest, (not to mention white and Christian.*) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwp36k1h-b2lGvsrZsjjNHNhHZQeieQINQFeLLomZKfUzSU7HpGQzJxa7Wh_O6wjAEulbXNoiRX0TwM5F7wnVixkpAJDQTOmHMhpF_Ys_2mrkmQw3mYcJuHwi4qlADr_grem321Yiw2su/s1600/FeaturedImage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwp36k1h-b2lGvsrZsjjNHNhHZQeieQINQFeLLomZKfUzSU7HpGQzJxa7Wh_O6wjAEulbXNoiRX0TwM5F7wnVixkpAJDQTOmHMhpF_Ys_2mrkmQw3mYcJuHwi4qlADr_grem321Yiw2su/s400/FeaturedImage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611448659515540130" /></a><br /><br />So, what do you think? Do you think it hurts to participate in Memorial Day activities, this civil religion? Does it bring communities together, forge a common identity as a nation? Is it just about remembering the loss of so many during times or war, or is it about giving American a big <span style="font-style:italic;">whoop-whoop</span>? Is it possible to both recognize America's unique-it's exceptional, place in the world, while also being able to recognize America's faults or overreach? Or has Memorial Day become so far removed from its origin, that it is only about barbecues and car sales? <br /><br />*For a good read on what it means to have a white culture, <a href = "http://ht.ly/543a6" target = "top">read this</a>.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-17432706671047292262011-04-12T09:20:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:09:33.000-07:00The Civil War: 150 Years Later And How We Remember<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ_ge-xe6fUb_tAk4MljIV54P0dRFkDHRO8ThLkrv8DUksLkeohyzXbYbQAKnTZzJnoCYzPc22LZdDGYmTxeA5FfDBYIguCcA_NvRazj4Mldm5k3EFoqrWwkEtZT5Gv3UDOwLfTQssGYJ/s1600/logo-resized.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594746473177397570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJ_ge-xe6fUb_tAk4MljIV54P0dRFkDHRO8ThLkrv8DUksLkeohyzXbYbQAKnTZzJnoCYzPc22LZdDGYmTxeA5FfDBYIguCcA_NvRazj4Mldm5k3EFoqrWwkEtZT5Gv3UDOwLfTQssGYJ/s400/logo-resized.jpg" /></a> <br />Because today marks the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, not only will we resume our viewing of <a href="http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/" target="top">Civil War</a>, we will also examine and scrutinize how the Civil War is being remembered 150 years later. Is there national agreement on what the cause(s) of the war? Just how is the Civil War being remembered; with somber ceremonies or celebration? Is the war glorified at all? Does the 150th anniversary mean different things to people? What might some of those differences be? How do you think the Civil War should be remembered? <br /><br />Let's look at that first question: is there national agreement on what the cause(s) of the war? It's telling, I think, that in my link research for this post, so often the <a href="http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/a/cause_civil_war.htm" target="top">main reasons</a> given for the Civil War (slavery, economics, culture, state vs. federal rights, and President Lincoln's politics) <em>slavery</em>, <strong>the actual buying and selling of human beings</strong> is disregarded. Slavery is often discussed only as it pertains to the North vs. South and their respective cultures (city vs. plantation) or framed as abolitionists vs. slave owners. Rarely are the moral and ethical ramifications of human trafficking discussed as a <em>direct</em> cause of the war. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzQYfhTBftkEyM7fZ5dRo-yLDQyALS9kQeQPCkwYgja6ZjhDWkfgwtvjIV5Dh2G3nam8KZ9DDah4NaH8KOoUeR0XfT4CxS2Zt_D6F70rMU8wxr9oLfEbq4M68O_8vLUithSyssKmGhSIH/s1600/mp055.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 244px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 357px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594754164483406386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzQYfhTBftkEyM7fZ5dRo-yLDQyALS9kQeQPCkwYgja6ZjhDWkfgwtvjIV5Dh2G3nam8KZ9DDah4NaH8KOoUeR0XfT4CxS2Zt_D6F70rMU8wxr9oLfEbq4M68O_8vLUithSyssKmGhSIH/s400/mp055.jpg" /></a> <br /><br />Certainly all those other reasons had their role in the cause of the Civil War, but here we are 150 years later and still ignoring the giant elephant in the room, and it's that half of the <a href="http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6729/" target="top">Union owned other people</a>. To argue that the war was fought over states' rights, is disingenuous, as the very right being fought for was the <em>states' right</em> to own people; to continue the slavery. To say otherwise is inaccurate. This blog, <a href="http://usslave.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html" target="top">US Slave</a>, contains many resource links. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMXpfonxzfs4szQ6q3CxXJ-WbghOIEw7bdgsgdoN0_eLc4Wh6IYZvNuR7PTzyVdv0zTjlrgRjfCCLiI_L3U8EqtlD_8DPj4Us0YjuVXBK7VydNZOIcZnePQtK-DlrunrPZjcD06qMAsMM/s1600/civil-rights-suits-mlk.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594745619402074034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMXpfonxzfs4szQ6q3CxXJ-WbghOIEw7bdgsgdoN0_eLc4Wh6IYZvNuR7PTzyVdv0zTjlrgRjfCCLiI_L3U8EqtlD_8DPj4Us0YjuVXBK7VydNZOIcZnePQtK-DlrunrPZjcD06qMAsMM/s400/civil-rights-suits-mlk.png" /></a> <br /><br />Let's note too, that just 50 years ago, the 100 year (or centennial) anniversary of the Civil War coincided with the civil rights movement, when most of the South was still segregated. It was hardly the case that the war resulted in all peoples being free and equal and despite the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/" target="top">Emancipation Proclamation</a>, which freed slaves (not all slaves and those only in the states that had seceded), people still suffered the cruelty of segregation for another hundred years.<a href="http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/civilwar/index.php?section=Media&page=Reading_Emancipation" target="top"> Listen</a> to the Emancipation Proclamation.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0YrUF-13Vs7yFT58L1l18gjF2kMXG2xr_wUtfpjWgNKtvEdnarcw6XYgW0PHYW2l2P3SVQjeKTJb3NV2Hccyr5rOKy3fFvFAYTipDTN31IOY2kdGEeMUUCn4b88aVs8UsCK6fxlHu2PJ/s1600/segregated-drinking-fountains.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 260px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594774906998105394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0YrUF-13Vs7yFT58L1l18gjF2kMXG2xr_wUtfpjWgNKtvEdnarcw6XYgW0PHYW2l2P3SVQjeKTJb3NV2Hccyr5rOKy3fFvFAYTipDTN31IOY2kdGEeMUUCn4b88aVs8UsCK6fxlHu2PJ/s400/segregated-drinking-fountains.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1QKjfZA6I7vCPGTOqhy11TqlgRbf5UtyE3-muSb7Kio6xid7B2UxncAAgHgoQ7eJKkLQceU97ABv9onbRPcBWZaM0ndZMBzRUKB7w5p524efA12HreRI8rikC4s7yU3ZohVM4kbgIlpT/s1600/2709407_431.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594775536987209506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1QKjfZA6I7vCPGTOqhy11TqlgRbf5UtyE3-muSb7Kio6xid7B2UxncAAgHgoQ7eJKkLQceU97ABv9onbRPcBWZaM0ndZMBzRUKB7w5p524efA12HreRI8rikC4s7yU3ZohVM4kbgIlpT/s400/2709407_431.jpg" /></a> <br /><br />Okay, so that was 50 years ago. What about today, does national agreement exist today? If battlefield plaques don't even mention slavery or some state governments continue to fly the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=4316170" target="top">Confederate flag</a> or designate one month as Confederate History Month (<a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/07/virginia-gov-declares-april-confederate-history-month/" target="top">as Virgina did, April 2010</a>, only to retract that proclamation later), can it be said that the entire nation has reconciled its history of slavery with that of the Civil War? Some states are seeking <a href = "http://www.atlantacyclorama.org/overview.php" target = "top">tourism dollars</a> and a boost in <a href = "http://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/" target = "top">their economies</a> by marketing certain war artifacts, battle grounds and museums. Additionally, in some states the commemoration of the Civil War takes on a celebratory tone, replete with parades and beauty contests and battle re-enactments. In Montgomery, Alabama, (the seat of the civil rights movement) one organizer of the <a href = "http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/02/19/Hundreds-mark-Civil-War-150th-anniversary/UPI-49751298096508/" target = "top">150th anniversary</a> festivities there said, "while civil rights activist Rosa Parks is revered by many for moving from the back of the bus to the front, the "people of the Confederacy have been forced to the back of the bus." This viewpoint differs hugely with that of other community leaders who see the events another way. "It's almost like celebrating the Holocaust," <a href = "http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/civil_wars_150th_anniversary_s.html" target = "top">said Benard Simelton</a>, president of the Alabama conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "Our rights were taken away and we were treated as less than human beings. To relive that in a celebratory way I don't think is right." <br /><br />Obviously <em>holocaust</em> is a strong word and sensitivity is required when choosing to use it, so let's take a moment to examine whether <em>holocaust</em>, as used above, applies to slavery. First, <a href = "http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holocaust" target = "top">holocaust</a> can be defined as <em>any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life</em>. So let's look at the facts. <br /><br /><blockquote>approximately <a href = "http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/historysleuth/archive/2009/02/05/calculating-the-slave-trade-s-human-toll.aspx" target = "top">10,700,000 Africans</a> were displaced when they were brought on slave ships during the Middle Passage (the journey over the Atlantic) to America. <br /><br />approximately 1,800,000 Africans died en route, their bodies thrown overboard.<br /><br />current estimates for the number of Africans forced into the slave trade: 12,500,000, <a href = "http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/assessment/index.faces" target = "top">the largest forced migration in modern history</a>. Here is another <a href = "http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/landing.cfm?migration=1" target = "top">excellent source</a> on the forced migration. <br /><br />the <a href = "http://thomaslegioncherokee.tripod.com/distributionofslavesinunitedstateshistory.html" target = "top">1860 census</a> numbers the amount of U.S. slaves at just under 4 million. <br /><br />total <a href = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war" target = "top">military casualties</a> of Civil War: 625,000</blockquote><br /><br />The Civil War was brutal and resulted in terrible losses and of course it should be commemorated. To do so, however, without acknowledging the holocaust that slavery was, and one that lasted for over 300 years, and one that led to war that nearly destroyed a young country and her democracy, is not honoring the past with honesty and accuracy. To celebrate rather than remember what was lost by so, so many, is abhorrent. What should be historical remembrance, somber and respectful, becomes glorified and hateful and perpetuates the divisiveness and racism of 150 years ago. <br /><br />By no means is this post exhaustive. To further read about history spanning the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, <a href="http://historymatters.gmu.edu/search.php?function=find" target="top">this is a good place to start</a>.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-9415598407346037532011-03-09T16:46:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:33:06.629-07:00Like A Box Of ChocolatesThis post is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.<br /><br />What's a <a href="http://yourscenesucks.com/" target="top">Scenester</a>? Do you recognize any <em>apple store indies</em>, perhaps? Do you think it's <a href="http://www.geekmom.com/2011/02/your-scene-sucks/" target="top">fair to generalize</a> about others based on fashion, or do you think the portraits are largely accurate? Do you recognize yourself in any of the scenesters? Is there a point where seeking <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/individualism" target="top">individualism</a> simply becomes a uniform; is it possible to be the non-conforming conformist? And if indivdualism is the goal, to be outside the <em>collective interest</em>, how is adopting a fashion trend,<strong> emo</strong>, for instance, contrary to this goal--or is it? Can you think of examples where individual expression morphed into a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fad" target="top">fad</a>?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqNd6F4WVxLUpL-OOoX9mGumlxXbO277TVbvpFsainCZohLbVgOxdYQUFiik5O9se59bPkFcUCQBlR4LyqTAh07I1r7IC0BpRVQnmDYZEOUSKxzKhAXd3KZZso8kPa7E3ixUgojMbCdfK/s1600/scene.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 342px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqNd6F4WVxLUpL-OOoX9mGumlxXbO277TVbvpFsainCZohLbVgOxdYQUFiik5O9se59bPkFcUCQBlR4LyqTAh07I1r7IC0BpRVQnmDYZEOUSKxzKhAXd3KZZso8kPa7E3ixUgojMbCdfK/s400/scene.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594704943095476962" /></a><br /><br />In fascinating science news, did you know it was possible to help make a reef out of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/08reef.html" target="top">old subway cars?</a> It's happening along the east coast (USA) and these subway reefs are teeming with life, in areas that were once practically <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/27/oecan-deserts.html" target="top">ocean deserts</a>. Why are <a href="http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral4.htm" target="top">reefs so important</a>? Though the practice has been discontinued primarily, it's only because the subway cars are being built differently and it's not financially beneficial or necessary to dispose of old cars this way. Environmentally it seemed to be a winning solution. Watch a short <a href="http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1170991485467" target="top">video here</a>.<br /><br />In creepy science news, the newly discovered <a href="http://www.livescience.com/13046-zombie-fungus-carpenter-ant-brain-altering.html" target="top">zombie-ant fungus</a> <strong>ZOMBIE- ANT FUNGUS</strong>, surely takes the cake. (What the heck does the phrase <a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/take-the-cake.html" target="top"">take the cake</a> mean, anyway?)<br /><br />Because yesterday was <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp" target="top">International Women's Day</a> and <a href="http://www.cmgww.com/stars/baker/about/biography.html" target="top">Josephine Baker</a> came up in conversation, read more about her. I think we all found her heroic work with the French Resistance during WWII to be the most intriguing, but by no means is this her bravest act. (You can read all about it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker" target="top">here</a>, under the heading <strong><em>Rise To Fame</em></strong>. *There is one bare-breasted photo of Josephine.) It's important to understand, as you read about Ms. Baker, that every ounce of her life was impacted by racism. While she left the US for France and Europe to escape the <a href="http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/jcrow02.htm" target="top">Jim Crow Laws</a> in the US, her ready acceptance and fame in France was very much due in part to <a href="http://www.africa.upenn.edu/K-12/French_16178.html" target="top">France's then-colonization of Africa</a> (the height of which occurred in the 1920s-1930s, when Ms. Baker arrived in France). African art, images and yes, people were embraced for consumption by the whites, and African-descent people were objectified, so it's important to read about her life, her career and mutual admiration of her and the French people in this context. For another look at her life, view this six-part video of <strong><a href = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8M6vSZMB2U" target = "top">Josephine Baker: The First Black Superstar</a></strong>.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-6982133400070989362011-03-02T11:26:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:27:17.484-07:00State Of The UnionWith our eyes and ears focused on Wisconsin and other state legislators as <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0216/In-Wisconsin-standoff-a-test-Has-governor-gone-overboard-to-trim-deficit" target="top">collective union bargaining</a> power is increasingly threatened, let's revisit <a href="http://money.howstuffworks.com/labor-union.htm" target="top">unions</a> and their role in democracy. A year ago you both read Upton Sinclair's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle" target="top">The Jungle</a>.<br /><blockquote>"And, for this, at the end of the week, he will carry home three dollars to his family, being his pay at the rate of five cents per hour-just about his proper share of the million and three quarters of children who are now engaged in earning their livings in the United States." <em>Chapter 6</em></blockquote><br />And<br /><blockquote>"To Jurgis the packers had been equivalent to fate; Ostrinski showed him that they were the Beef Trust. They were a gigantic combination of capital, which had crushed all opposition, and overthrown the laws of the land, and was preying upon the people." <em>Chapter 29</em></blockquote><br />Also, read about the <a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/story/introduction.html" target="top">Triangle Factory Fire of 1911</a>. Do you think labor unions are as important today as they were in reforming the factory at the start of the Industrial Revolution? What about the protests in WI indicates that unions are still considered necessary? Why do you think so many have chosen to <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-best-protest-signs-at-the-wisconsin-capitol" target="top">protest</a>?<br /><br />In the coming weeks, as we watch the political events unfold in the state governments, consider any parallels between today's politics, labor disputes, political philosophies, debates, etc, between today's events and what we learn about the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/" target="top">Civil War</a>.<br /><br />Don't worry, we'll have lots of discussion about these topics and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-45080325801115623112011-02-18T18:53:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:24:12.644-07:00Touchstones Of The WeekTo catch us up a bit after days of being ill, I'll cover things that we discussed this week.<br /><br />Since we just celebrated Valentine's Day, let's take a look at the <a href="http://atheism.about.com/od/springholidays/p/ValentinesDay.htm" target="top">history of the holiday</a>.<br /><br />Hey, you know that piece about making a cola that tasted like Coke, that we heard part of the other night? Here's the <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/" target="top">entire piece</a>. Have fun exploring <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives" target="top">the archives</a> for all kinds of interesting stories, from exploring <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/406/true-urban-legends" target="top">True Urban Legends</a> to asking <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/423/the-invention-of-money" target="top">What Is Money?</a><br /><br />So, remember when Angela (Bones, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524955/" target="top">The Foot In The Foreclosure</a>, season 5) used the fictional <strong><em>Palentone </em></strong>color and ink palette to track down that orange fabric found in the crime scene? There is such a resource and it's called <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=19295&ca=10" target="top">Pantone</a>. Watch how Pantone works, <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?ca=4&pg=20378" target="top">here</a>.<br /><br />(And while I love Bones, I personally agree, she's no <a href="http://www.geekmom.com/2011/02/why-todays-women-need-dana-scully/" target="top">Dana Scully</a>.)<br /><br />You know that long car ride discussion we have sometimes, about winning the lottery (that we don't play) and how we would use the money? Ever wonder just how much a billion dollars is? Read <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/nine-pictures-of-the-extreme-incomewealth-gap67743" target="top">this</a> and find out. What do you think about this article? Does it raise any moral or ethical questions for you regarding wealth distribution? Does it make sense to you that so few should have control over so much? Do you think billions are being used well? Would you do anything differently if you had a billion(s) dollars?<br /><br />I think you know, but <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are-4648.htm" target="top">Planned Parenthood</a> is an organization that provides information, health care and screening, birth control and abortions, std (sexually transmitted disease) protection and prevention, counseling, and many other services to anyone seeking help, and often to people without socio-economic privilege (meaning they have under or unemployment, low wages, no health care benefits, and often minimal education-but not always-as well as other negative societal impacts, such as gender barriers, childcare, transportation, disabilities, etc). Today, the Republican controlled House <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-pn-planned-parenthood-20110219,0,203573.story" target="top">voted to cut all funding for Planned Parenthood</a>. Without federal funding, services provided to those who are <strong>the least economically and socially privileged </strong>will be hindered or eliminated completely. What are your thoughts about this? Do you think Planned Parenthood is a necessary institution? Do you think religious or political convictions have a place in deciding who has access to health care? How does this issue compare to the previous paragraph regarding wealth distribution? Let's discuss this further, as I look forward to hearing your thoughts.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-37517752308540034442011-02-07T11:18:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:21:26.060-07:00Monday's Combinations and PermutationsGood Monday!<br /><br />Because the topic of social media and whether it has a positive influence on society, or not, comes up frequently for discussion, while at our family dinner table, no less, I thought we'd explore <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/01/31/social-media-grandparents/" target="top">this author's ideas</a>. The comments on this article are interesting reading, also, and many answer the criticism of social media and how it is not face-to-face interaction (or so it's assumed--<strong>Skype</strong>?), by noting that much of the communication that happened in older generations was done by letter, or phone or even telegram, and not face-to-face, either. Let's discuss this some more, how about over dinner?<br /><br />Speaking of dinner, a little late to the table perhaps, but I keep seeing mention of the game <a href="http://www.minecraft.net/" target="top">Minecraft</a> pop up (you know, when I'm using social media) and thought you might like to check it out? Apparently it's wildly popular, and among creative, unschooled types as well. Learn more about it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft" target="top">here</a>.<br /><br />Moving along. Ever since we caught a bit of that travel show on monorails of Europe, I've been both fascinated and <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flummoxed" target="top">flummoxed</a> by why we don't build and utilize more monorail systems here in North America. I found this fascinating site <a href="http://www.monorails.org/index.html" target="top">about monorails</a>. I am struck by how <a href="http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/enviro.html" target="top">environment</a>, design, and people friendly monorails are and did I mention being baffled? What do you think? Would a monorail system in Maine be beneficial? In what way? Also, can you name possible reasons for why monorails haven't been built or promoted in the US? How might politics play a part, for instance?<br /><br />Adam, I know you enjoy your set of <a href="http://www.getbuckyballs.com/?gclid=CO7jkvnF9qYCFUlN4AodLWX2IA" target="top">magnetic balls</a> and you've made some amazing things with it, so here's more inspiration. Wow! It reminds me of the awesomeness of the <a href="http://www.rubiks.com/" target="top">Rubix Cube</a>, and in order to solve (or design) either, you must use <a href="http://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations.html" target="top">combinations and permutations</a>.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gidumziw4JE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Okay, just for fun: since we just watched that X-Files episode, <em>Hollywood A.D</em>. ( aka, <em>The Lazarus Bowl, </em>season 7, 2000), where Gary Shandling plays Mulder in the movie...here's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgQXNXu89gk&feature=related" target="top">a scene</a> from the Larry Sanders Show (season 5, 1996-97, HBO).Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-30284985468858690332011-02-04T10:23:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:17:27.803-07:00Of Rabbits, Art and Revolution<a href="http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/" target="top">GUNG Hey Fat Choy!</a> Happy New Year! This is the Year of the Rabbit, which means, Adam, that <a href="http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/more_zodiacs/rabbit.htm" target="top">this is your year</a>, as you were born in 1999. <a href="http://www.cafammaine.org/celebrations.html" target="top">Tomorrow</a> we'll get the chance to really celebrate this Chinese spring festival, and once again we'll wonder, <em>just what is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea" target="top">bubble tea</a></em>? Also, check out this gorgeous work <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/urchinmama/5412711045/" target="top">by a local artist.</a><br /><br />What do you think of Colin Firth's <a href="http://www.kingsspeech.com/" target="top">The King's Speech</a> after hearing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAhFW_auT20" target="top">the actual speech</a> given by King George VI?<br /><br />I know, Olivia, you especially were taken with Van Gogh's art (thanks to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khvC1M14S1M&feature=related" target="top">this inspiring Doctor Who episode</a>--see, tv is valuable), and as it happens, the recently debuted <a href="http://www.googleartproject.com/" target="top">Google Art Project</a>, makes it possible to see paintings and art up close, including Van Gogh's work--the <strong>Van Gogh Museum </strong>Amsterdam is a great place to start. After choosing a museum and artist, you can view a slide show of the paintings, and by using the little frame in the lower right corner, you can zoom in on the painting, too. It's incredible to see the textures, brush strokes and layers of paint, don't you think?<br /><br />Finally, earlier this week, Sean Hannity of Fox News said, "“Can you name any country that became a democracy after a violent revolution? Honestly, can you even name one?” So, <strong>can you name one country that became a democracy following a violent revolution</strong>? Further--can you name a second, third, fourth or fifth*? <br /><br />Does the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_Revolution" target="top">Czech Revolution of 1989</a> mirror the current political climate in Egypt in any way? Do you see any dissimilarities?<br /><br /><strong>*</strong> The United States, France, India, The Czech Republic, Poland, East Germany (and much of eastern Europe in 1989), all have had revolutions that involved loss of life, in the pursuit of democracy.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-12084723883628554332011-01-31T09:05:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:13:59.818-07:00Bones BreakAs we eagerly await the final episodes from season 3 of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bones_(season_1)">Bones</a> (shakes fist at Netflix), I thought it might be interesting to note that there are only about 100 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_anthropology">forensic anthropologists</a> in the US and Canada, and Maine <a href="http://www2.umaine.edu/anthropology/Sorg.html">has one of them</a>. Also, there's an organization called the <strong>Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams</strong>, or <a href="http://www.dmort.org/">DMORT</a>, of which many of these forensic anthropologists assist. (Maine is part of Region I.) Kathy Reichs, the author of the Temeprance "Bones" Brennan books, was part of the DMORT team assigned to the World Trade Center disaster. This video, aside from being rather dull, is also moderately informative and does talk about what sort of training one needs to become a forensic anthropologist. (Also, but I could have sworn it was Eric Millegan, aka, Zack Addy, narrating this piece-the narrator and Eric sound so alike.)<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1M_Kr1Y9etY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Here's more about <a href="//science.howstuffworks.com/body-farm2.htm">the work</a> of forensic anthropologists.<br /><br />I know you two have a new-found appreciation of some rock ballads thanks to your time with Guitar Hero, so I thought you might enjoy this version of Queen's <strong><em>Bohemian Rhapsody</em></strong>--on ukulele.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qadUoaWkRW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Hey, Adam--since we have been doing that deep clean of your room and putting things into piles and emptying drawers and putting things away into boxes, it made me think of compartmentalization. Remember when we were talking about how all life just seems to mimic the functions of other parts of life, no matter how small or large? So just like our very cells spend time compartmentalizing, we'll be finishing up in your room, just as soon as we put those Legos into that specialized membrane.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jn9oJtXZYcU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />And sometimes when we are in the middle of these cleaning and organizing projects, infinity is on the brain, perhaps, because as soon as you provide space for one thing you have to make space for another and the compartmentalizing seems endless. Like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK5Z709J2eo">this</a>.<br /><br />But the end result is an organized thing of beauty, so why not try your hand at some fractals, today? Take a look at this fractal zoom.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G_GBwuYuOOs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qB8m85p7GsU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Did you know that this set of fractals is known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandelbrot_set">Mandelbrot Set</a>? How does seeing the Mandelbrot Set remind you of cell compartmentalization? If we consider that everything can be broken down into mere patterns, each piece interacting and dependent on another, what does this mean for human life? Are we acting independently, for instance? Or, is there any original action or has everything been done before (or will be done?) To many, this knowledge might give weight to their spiritual practice, while to others, it further informs their scientific exploration. For instance, it's interesting to note that humans have been perhaps thinking about Mandelbrot Sets, long before we could see them. What are your thoughts on the Mandelbrot Set? Explore similar concepts here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zWivbG0RIo">The Golden Mean and Fibonacci Sequences</a> and <a href="http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibInArt.html">here</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.crystalinks.com/mandala.html">Ancient Mandals</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ecofilms.com.au/2010/07/07/building-a-mandala-garden/">Keyhole Gardens in Permaculture practice</a><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth">Labyrinths</a><br /><br />Looking for something to read (along with the other five or so books you each have going, that is?) I may have to check <a href="http://www.geekmom.com/2011/01/review-the-last-survivors/">this series</a> out myself.<br /><br />For those of you who enjoy being quizzed, there's <a href="http://www.sporcle.com/">Sporcle.com</a>. And Olivia, since you've been missing Buffy, <a href="http://www.sporcle.com/games/MackSalmon/Slayage">try this quiz</a>.Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-64931510164758483172011-01-27T08:23:00.000-08:002011-04-12T07:05:38.728-07:00Cold Enough For Ya?As you know, or must know if you live where we do (Maine), that it has been, well, in the Maine vernacular,<em> a bit nippy, deah</em>! And looking ahead to next week's forecast, we are settling in for a nice, cold stretch, too. With that in mind, it looks like Monday might be a great day to make <a href="http://www.geekmom.com/2011/01/watching-frozen-bubbles-making-frozen-bubbles/" target="top">frozen bubbles</a>.<br /><br />Thinking of cold and snow, it's interesting to note that a 19 year old homeschooler from Vermont took the first, amazing photographs of snow crystals--in 1885! Check <a href="http://bentley.sciencebuff.org/collection.asp" target="top">the collection</a> out! Here's more about the <a href="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm" target="top">physics of snowflakes</a>.<br /><br />For Olivia: in honor of you beginning guitar lessons, meet <a href="http://www.classicalguitar.net/artists/segovia/" target="top">Andres Segovia</a>. Here he is playing <a href="http://www.jsbach.org/" target="top">Bach</a>. You can learn more about classical music <a href="http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalmusic101/a/intro072104.htm" target="top">here</a>.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eBQfHJA2Lng" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />For Adam: in honor of you beginning drum lessons, meet <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Lionel_Hampton.html" target="top">Lionel Hampton</a>. Watch him play, <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/louiebellsonhamptonlamond.html" target="top">here</a>. Loads more drumming inspiration <a href="http://www.drummerworld.com/drummerchoice.html" target="top">here</a>.<br /><br />Reflecting on certain beloved tv shows and movies, I wonder how many pass the <a href="http://bechdeltest.com/" target="t'op"">Bechdel Test</a>?<br /><ul><br /> <li>Can you name a couple of examples of some that do pass the test? Which ones?</li><br /> <li> Do you think it's important for tv and films to pass this test, or do you think it's not important at all? </li><br /> <li>What do you think the reasons are that so much tv and film doesn't pass the test? </li><br /> <li>What does it mean to you if a tv show or film doesn't pass the Bechdel Test?</li><br /></ul><br />One more thing to make your brain bigger: see how something called <a href="http://people.ee.duke.edu/~drsmith/about_metamaterials.html" target="top">metamaterials</a> might help make objects invisible, in effect, by<em> fooling light by taking any arrangement of objects and assembling them into some sort of structure.</em> Harry Potter might not be the only one with an <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62H43N20100318" target="top">Invisibility Cloak</a> someday. <br /><ul><br /> <li>Can you think of ways in which this technology could be used for greater good?</li><br /> <li>Can you think of ways in which this technology could be used for doing harm?</li><br /> <li>Do you think the creation and control of this technology could or would have political ramifications? </li><br /></ul>Amy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8608846195788336013.post-73938742334236700432011-01-27T06:53:00.000-08:002011-04-12T06:54:45.341-07:00Welcome!To all unschoolers, and particularly my two, welcome to Unearth and Fathom, your resource for learning something new today! Here I will strew things for you, that is, leave things in your path, so that you may find them and they may spark your curiosity and enrich your day.<br /><br />How this blog will work is that each day or every few days, I’ll submit a post that contains content, links, questions, inspiration, even assignments for you to enjoy. Expect to find content here that relates to things we have been discussing, exploring, seeing and doing, lately. We may go for a long stretch focusing on one topic, or mix it up each day–I’m not yet sure how that will look. What I hope you will do, unschooler, is read each post, follow the links, read the content there, come back here, be inspired, write an answer, question or simply comment at the end of the post, expand on the things you learned, and most of all, come talk with me or someone cool like me. <br /><br />For your consideration and perusal, there are many links on each of the pages at the top of the blog. By no means is this a comprehensive list and if you find something you want to add, let me know. But please take the time to look at them-you never know what you might find! You just might unearth something and then fathom its meaning. See what I did there?<br /><br />Here’s to learning together!<br /><br />~AmyAmy Bradstreethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12912770586738069413noreply@blogger.com0