Shout Out to Greta

I have to say BRAVO to my friend, Greta Oblesby, who just received a most excellent review yesterday for her performance in August Wilson's "Piano Lesson" currently playing at the Penumbra Theater.

A couple excepts:
"After attending Marion McClinton's 1993 production of "The Piano Lesson" at Penumbra Theatre, playwright August Wilson remarked that he had seen the work's definitive staging. If he were alive today, he might reconsider."

"At Penumbra, much of the credit for the strength of this "Piano Lesson" goes to Greta Oglesby."

Let me know who wants to go catch this show with me between now & March 16th!

Post after Cabo

So Cabo was mostly relaxing in the sun: pool, beach, bar, then back again. Absolutely spectacular weather! So really not much to write home about. I did have to get online once to finish a lab assignment for my stats class, but I didn't check email or otherwise do any work. :) Four days was perfect - any longer & the work would have piled up back here too much. Just enough time to catch up on sleep & get a tan.

Post before Cabo San Lucas

I'm off tomorrow with friends to celebrate our impending 40th b-days in Mexico. I do not intend to post from Cabo - but the R&R might bring me some perspective on life that will be interesting to share when we return. Or I might just get tan & empty my brain for a few days - we'll see!

What Would Molly Do?

Susan Lenfestey - my neighbor for many years growing up - wrote a column recently in the Strib called "What Would Molly Do?" in which she shared that she wishes Molly Ivins was still around to give her perspective on the current presidential race. I have had the same longing.

Molly Ivins always told it like it was - whether you liked her brand of politics of not. I'm sure folks in Texas and around the country have called her lots of things, but I doubt anyone ever called her a liar.

One interesting fact that Lenfestey found but I had somehow missed in '06 was that Ivins apparently wrote in a Jan '06 column: "I'd like to make it clear to the people who run the Democratic Party that I will not support Hillary Clinton for president. Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation, and equivocation."

Wow - how did I miss that two years ago?

Ivins also wrote a piece about Gene McCarthy that - while not intended to be a comparison to Obama, holds an interesting echo from the 60's that speaks to our needs in America today:

"There are times a country is so tired of bull that only the truth can provide relief. If no one in conventional-wisdom politics has the courage to speak up and say what needs to be said, then you go out and find some obscure junior senator from Minnesota with the guts to do it."

Substitute Illinois for Minnesota, as Lenfestey did, and it's no surprise that Molly Ivins was ahead of her time in predicting exactly the wave of Obama support that we're witnessing with his win of three more states this weekend.

Amazing woman. No wonder we miss her!

Same Difference

I was blown away last night by a excellent performance of Sam Roberson's "Same Difference" at the Illusion Theater downtown. Thanks to my work as a high school arts program coordinator in recent years, I still get offers like comp tickets to great local plays. :)

Same Difference is about what it means to be young and black in America - how two different young black men see, interpret, and battle the stereotypes that create great pressure on them. It focuses on two college freshmen and how they are choosing to interact with the world around them - a fascinating addition to the courageous conversations educators have been engaged with around race in recent years.

I loved this show - and THEN I found out in chatting with them afterward that one of the stars, Darien Johnson, is the brother of a former student of mine and a graduate of Mpls North HS - fun connections. The other, Jermaine Small, was a college friend of the playwright and recruited from New York to come play this role when the play was picked up by Illusion. I suspect that the life experiences of both young men have influenced their abilities to embrace these roles.

It's being staged locally through the end of the month - here's the schedule - GO SEE IT!

The Ceremony Made Me Happy and Pissed Me Off

I attended the citizenship oath ceremony at the Federal Courthouse Building in downtown Mpls today - and there were some aspects of it that were really nice. They listed all the countries the new citizens were from, and it was quite a range for such a frosty state! There were 1 to 4 people from each of the following countries:
Bangladesh
Belarus
Cambodia
China
Columbia
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Germany
Ghana
Guatemala
Guyana
Hong Kong
India
Iran
Korea (I guess that means South?)
Laos
Liberia
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Nigeria
Philippines
Russia
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Thailand
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Venezuela
Vietnam

So that was pretty cool. I like the idea that people from all different places around the world are choosing to make their home here in the Twin Cities.

But it makes me angry too, on behalf of all the people who are denied this opportunity! There are VERY few people in this country whose ancestry is 100% Native American, and those are not the people we hear screaming about immigration. I don't think there should be such a thing as an illegal immigrant. I think we should let anyone in who wants to come. I really do. I think everyone deserves a chance at the American Dream. We don't have to extend welfare or even health care - those are separate issues - but I think we need to LET FOLKS IN. Maybe if we had a better attitude about the rest of the world, the rest of the world would have a better attitude about us, and we wouldn't have to worry about terrorism...

We are an incredibly blessed nation. We can afford to be more generous!

Sometimes Age Does Bring Wisdom

From a random email that was forwarded to me:

I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.

Amen!

Tough Choice

I heard from 3 friends today about the Obama rally at the Target Center yesterday, all very enthusiastic. Melissa wrote about it - interesting observations "in the moment."

As I have written before, I have mixed feelings about Obama. I worry that he's more abut inspiration than the work of the job, and that if he actually wins he'll never live up to expectations and will be picked apart like crazy. I don't think he will end racism - I think racism will eat him alive.

But I realized recently that black men got the vote several decades before women did in this country, so I suppose it follows that a black man should attain the presidency before a woman.

Although I will support him fully if he wins the nomination, I think that Hillary Clinton would do a fantastic job of restoring America's global reputation and of taking us into the next era. I just want her to get the chance.

My One Worry About This Race

Only One Point?!!

I was surprised by the outcome of the Wolves-Boston game on Friday. The NBA's best team, playing at home, beat the worst team by... only one point?!

Gotta give the Wolves credit! The celtics are 34-7; the Wolves are 7-35. Literally. And the game was that close.

Go Wolves!!! :)

I Own Snowpants!

If you know me, you will be surprised to learn that I own snowpants. You will try to remember a time - since I was about 12, anyway - that I was outside doing something more than skating or playing broomball, and you will come up blank. And as you think about it, you'll be pretty sure you have not seen me on a frozen lake or pond in recent years.

I just returned from two days out in the cold with 160 6th graders at the environmental learning center at Eagle Bluff. For the occasion of standing for 2 hours on a 30-foot-tall platform on a high-ropes course helping kids navigate from one challenge to the next, I utilized my new warm jacket, insulated boots, snowpants (with two layers under them) big mittens AND gloves, which I switched off (the gloves were better for clipping carabiners) and a warm hat. It was below zero for most of the morning, but I was just fine. (And shocked to be so!)

I am reasonably sure that I have not worn a winter hat since my dog died in '04 and I no longer had to walk her in the cold. Which means I have not been out in the cold for more than 10 minutes at a time in the last few years... but even though it was below zero for most of the time we were up there (oops, down there) we all had a great time.

One funny moment: as we began our night hike, we walked down a steep hill toward the path. The kids figured out that they could slide down on their butts just as well as walk - and all I could think was: "yay for snowpants!"

On Obama

In his analysis for the LA TImes, James Rainey explains much better than I can why an Obama win really matters to some people. Having a president who looks like you is symbolic in many ways:

Rainey, talking to voters in South Carolina, found that: "On Saturday, black schoolteachers talked about how an Obama in the White House would motivate students who complain that the deck is stacked against them. Parents hoped it would help them keep distracted sons on the straight and narrow. One woman said she felt it might even push those Confederate flags, occasional dots on the piney landscape, a little farther into the shadows."

It's the potential result of having a black president that excites people. And I don't disagree. For my students, and my friends, this is a big deal. I think I have the same reaction in wanting Hillary Clinton to win. If she wins and does well, it has the potential to shatter the last myths about what women can't do - which impacts me personally.

Rainey noted that: "Most of the Obama voters expressed no animosity for Clinton. "If she can win, that would be big, too," Chandler said." That's how I feel about Obama.

Either way, America wins.

Post from Eagle Bluff

I just returned from two days out in the cold with 160 6th graders at the environmental learning center at Eagle Bluff. I want to say "up north" but it's actually south of here. We had a BLAST - but it was an adventure in more ways than one! And although I did have an internet connection and my laptop, I didn't have time to post.

The picture here shows Brenda standing on the platform of the high-ropes course that I was on for most of the morning, helping students navigate through the challenges. I took the picture from another one further along. I'm not afraid of heights, so being up there was actually pretty fun.

The interesting thing about the ropes course is that it's full of choices - you can go the easy way, a couple middle-level options, or complete the challenge and go all the way. Kids do whatever they can handle. It is not my habit with physical challenges to go for the max, but I did on this one and finished the whole course - just to entertain the kids. This was a classic case of doing something "for the kids" that I was not so excited about, and finding that it was actually entertaining for me as well.

Big Brother Goes to Court

I'm glad to see that the Indiana law requiring a photo ID in order to vote is being heard by the Supreme Court. The more I think about it, the more inane this law seems! And yet I know it's quite the opposite - it's intentionally disenfranchising certain voters. There is a special place you-know-where for the perpetrators of this idea. There is no documentation of any voter fraud at polling places in Indiana - or Georgia or Minnesota, where leaders are trying to pass similar laws. The fraud comes at the vote-counting level, an issue this law doesn't pretend to touch.

But the League of Women Voters (LWV) has rightly jumped into the battle. If you're not familiar with it, the League is: "a nonpartisan political organization, [which] has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. It neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government." In other words, fols who care about the process and getting it right!

The League filed an Amicus Brief in the case, which (as I understand it) is a friend-of-the-court document from someone who doesn't represent either side, but has a relevant opinion in the case. According to LWV: "The brief points out that while those burdened by the Voter ID Law may be in the minority that does not change the fact that each individual has a fundamental right to vote." The League has documented several cases since the law passed in Indiana in which votes were either not counted, or people were simply not allowed to vote. (For example, although one can supposedly get a photo ID card for free, the birth certificate required to get it costs a fee. One woman found she would ave to spend $50 just to vote. Good grief.)

So YAY for LWV and people who care enough to step up and challenge those who would pervert our political process for their own selfish ends. Someone has to.

Instead, We Should Ask...

A recent commentary by Rosa Brooks has the headline: "Can a Woman or Black Man Be the Next President?" Which of course I found annoying, but it did pull me in to read the article.

She not only makes a case that it CAN, but given the way America has changed in the last generation, she concludes with:

"Can a middle-aged white guy possibly be qualified to lead us into the future?"

She lays out some interesting statistics, including the fact that in 2006, less than 20% of older Americans (60+) were of color, compared with about 40% of younger Americans (under age 40 - I'm still there!) And she points out that the range of people of color is so much broader now, both in ethnicity and socioeconomic level, that the old black-white paradigm just doesn't fit anymore.

Thus, she asserts, questions like "would you vote for a black man for president" make no sense to the younger generation, because "black" is not a fixed notion for them the way it might have been in the past.

Food for thought!

A related aside - when I looked up her original piece in the LA Times, it had a different headline: "Sex, Race and Gen Y Voters" - I think it's interesting that the Strib changed it...

Big Brother No Longer Scares Us

I am so disgusted with Minnesota - we are seriously moving toward requiring ID to vote! People are so used to Big Brother that they don't even think about how completely unconstitutional such a thing is. One guy was quoted as saying that it bothers him that he is not asked for ID when he votes because: "I could be anybody" - as opposed to what? Why aren't we offended at the implication that there are people out there who don't deserve to vote?

Rep. Ellison had the good sense to note that it's a poll tax - an unconstitutional poll tax - all official forms of ID cost money!

Mary Kiffmeyer, (our former Secretary of State) on the other hand, shows her true colors with a great quote: "I assure you that applying for a photo ID is as easy or easier than getting on welfare or other social services." How the hell would she know? Has she applied for welfare? Does it cost money to apply for welfare?

And even if the state decides to waive the fee, does that make it OK to require citizens to bring ID? Yes, we have to pay taxes, yes, we register to vote, but photo ID? Oh come on.

People in the middle class think carrying and showing an ID is easy because they just do it. People who live in poverty don't have it so easy. When you move regularly, things get lost. When you have no extra cash, and no transportation, getting a new ID isn't so "easy".

I have worked as an election judge in a poor area of north Minneapolis - and will again this year. Folks move and don't know where to vote - we help them figure it out, but then they have to get there! And if they're not registered, they still need proof of address. All this - and now we add photo ID?

So what happens when this law passes? Lots of poor folks don't vote. This is a blatant attempt to disenfranchise voters - no different than all the shitty ways they did it under Jim Crow.

An old Jim Crow joke:
"A white man goes into the polling place to vote. They hand him a reading test - the book, Run, Spot, Run - which he reads with some difficulty. The judges let him vote. Then a black man goes into the same polling place to vote. They hand him a reading test - a Chinese newspaper. He hesitates. The men laugh and ask: what's the matter, can't you read it? He replies: oh yes, I can read it. Well then, what does it say? He responds: It says there won't be any black folks voting here today."

Mean people suck.

Redefining "Refugee"

No update from Baghdad Burning since October... have to wonder how she's doing and keep praying! Here is an interesting excerpt from her most recent post:

By the time we had reentered the Syrian border and were headed back to the cab ready to take us into Kameshli, I had resigned myself to the fact that we were refugees. I read about refugees on the Internet daily… in the newspapers… hear about them on TV. I hear about the estimated 1.5 million plus Iraqi refugees in Syria and shake my head, never really considering myself or my family as one of them. After all, refugees are people who sleep in tents and have no potable water or plumbing, right? Refugees carry their belongings in bags instead of suitcases and they don’t have cell phones or Internet access, right? Grasping my passport in my hand like my life depended on it, with two extra months in Syria stamped inside, it hit me how wrong I was. We were all refugees. I was suddenly a number. No matter how wealthy or educated or comfortable, a refugee is a refugee. A refugee is someone who isn’t really welcome in any country- including their own... especially their own.

[In Syria] We live in an apartment building where two other Iraqis are renting. The people in the floor above us are a Christian family from northern Iraq who got chased out of their village by Peshmerga and the family on our floor is a Kurdish family who lost their home in Baghdad to militias and were waiting for immigration to Sweden or Switzerland or some such European refugee haven.

Here's My Excuse

My mother was giving me a hard time this fall about my choice not to get a flu shot - I never have - and my standard "why put anything into my body that doesn't belong there" response was not working...

But maybe this will: Kids in Nigeria, which has had a tough time eradicating polio, are contracting it from the vaccine. (Read more here.) I seriously suspect I would get the flu from the vaccine - rightly or not - and that's why I won't do it.

I have not taken a sick day for myself in my entire 15 year career (knock wood, praise the Lord - though I did take four for my kid in '02) and it seems to me that the way to keep it that way is to keep doing what I'm doing! (That's lots of water and sleep, if you're curious. :) So the flu shot is still not on my list.

No, Really, It's Just Fine!

I wear 3-inch heels most days - work and weekends. (I do not, however, wear pointy styles that scrunch up the toes.) People sometimes comment, wondering how I can stand to wear them, and I always say I prefer them and my feet are just fine.

Still, the truth about what women's shoes do to their feet is pretty gross...

No Resolutions

Got a text from a friend asking about my new year's resolutions, and I replied that I have no specific resolutions - just an intention to live right!

Integrity.

Sometimes easier said than done, but so much more important than weight.

A Prayer for Kenya - and the Rest of Us

I got an email from a friend today asking for prayers for Kenya as it struggles in the violent aftermath of messed-up elections... and all I can think is that we had better all learn the lesson from this! In my mind, it's all about corruption.

Last summer, Vanity Fair published a whole issue devoted to Africa - including a really interesting article about Kenya by Binyavanga Wainaina, a native Kenyan. Its focus was on the crazy amount of corruption that goes on in Kenya. It was really interesting.

Coming from Minneapolis, the town of clean politics - because Hubert Humphrey cleaned it up back in the day - I have a strong sense that fair play is, really, good economics too!

New Kruse Connection

I was pleased to see that one of my favorite local comedians - Colleen Kruse - now has a radio show and a video blog on 107.1 - way cool. The chance of me actually having time to listen between 11am-1pm M-F is not real high, but I will try when I can!

I Should Care

I suppose this is something I SHOULD read and I SHOULD care to learn about - but the extent of my interest is that I'll put a link here so you can see The Top Ten Scientific Breakthroughs of 2007 for yourself...

10. Transistors Get Way Smaller
9. Scientists Clone Rhesus Monkey to Produce Stem Cells
8. Planet Discovered That Could Harbor Life
7. Engineers Create Transparent Material as Strong as Steel
6. Soft Tissue from T. Rex Leg Bone Analyzed
5. Laboratory Mice Cured of Rett Syndrome
4. Enzymes Convert Any Blood Type to O
3. Mummified Dinosaur Excavated and Scanned
2. Chimpanzees Make Spears for Hunting
1. Researchers Turn Skin Cells to Stem Cells

But really, I'm more interested in Diablo Cody right now - she is a seriously interesting chick. Check her out at the Strib and on Letterman - and go see Juno if you haven't already!

We're Number One!

Here's a great thing to celebrate being #1 at: most literate city in America! Yay, Minneapolis! And we have to love that St Paul is #3...

The ranking is apparently based on education, booksellers, libraries, magazine & journal publishers, newspapers, and internet use.
The top ten in 2007:

Minneapolis, MN
Seattle, WA
St. Paul, MN
Denver, CO
Washington, DC
St. Louis, MO
San Francisco, CA
Atlanta, GA
Pittsburgh, PA
Boston, MA

She's With God Now

I am horrified that Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated - I wonder if her supporters in Pakistan feel the way Americans did at the death of JFK or MLK...

The editorials don't do her justice, but here's the Strib and Slate just because I want to know more about her...

But if anyone on the planet has earned the right to "rest in peace" it is Bhutto - may God hold her close in eternity.

Amen.

Of Mangers and Other Uncomfortable Things

Meditation on the Manger

By Melissa Borgmann

Consider that straw.

Pointy and prickly in Desert dry space, and supposed to swaddle Him?

Little baby skin - freshly addressing this world.

And then a possible, "Ouch!"

Preparing Him, I suppose.


Preparing him - for the trials of the world. The ever-present thorn in his side that is humanity! What a metaphor. My friend Eva collects creches, little manger scenes, and she says it's because as a teacher of literature she thinks this is literally the greatest story ever told. Homeless couple - need for a safe place to give birth - nowhere comfortable available, but the miracle comes anyway! Isn't life SO MUCH like that?

When was Jesus ever comfortable? When did he say that we should pursue comfort? And yet... isn't that what so much of American life is about? We're so pathetic. Jesus said "Feed my lambs, tend my sheep" - but how much of our lives do we devote to THAT?

Reality check: "Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable" - which side of that phrase am I on?

Merry Christmas!

Sweetness

Coming out of the grocery store, a Salvation army bellringer - but no bell. Instead, a harmonica, playing "Silent Night..."

Slow down and savor!

The Truth about Work

Wellington Grey nails it again:

You at Work - this will look familiar...

Brain-Computer Collage - This is funny - especially if you really are on the computer too much!

Free Rice

This is cool - according to MPR, the FreeRice website was apparently designed by a humanitarian as a way to encourage his son to study for the SAT - they give away rice to needy people for each vocab word you get right. Check it out!

Faith in Youth

I still like the Timberwolves.

The one-point loss to Atlanta the other night was sad, but the quality of play that kept the Wolves within a point for much of the fourth was really fun to watch. (Who's idea was it to remove Corey Brewer at the very end anyway?!)

Being in education, I live my life with faith in youth. Couldn't do the job otherwise. So maybe that's why I'm enjoying this team as much as any since '04 - and probably more. Sure, I still miss Sprewell, but the young ones are really fun to root for.

And I have a whole new respect for Marco Jaric!

Facebook, MySpace, and Feeling Old

I received a Facebook invitation by email the other day from a friend who is 12 years my junior. He just turned 28 - not Gen X.

So - although I'm sure my daughter will be appalled - I set up a profile and checked it out - and I turns out that I have more friends on Facebook than I realized - at least 8. Of course only one of them was my age, but no surprise there. (I think it's interesting that the 20-yr-olds are using this is a HUGE way, and the 30/40-yr-olds are just about totally ignoring it....)

What really cracked me up was that a search for people from my high school graduating class of almost 300 people revealed... just me. The class just before ours had 2 people and just after ours had 5. That's it. We're all turning 40 this year and none of us are using Facebook. We are officially OLD.

I also have a MySpace profile, and most of my "friends" there are local artists or former students. All much younger than I am. I started it as a professional tool to keep in touch with the local arts community while I was the arts coordinator at PHHS, but now it's just entertaining.

So I'm reflecting on how my generation doesn't seem to be in on the fun, and then I get an update email from LinkedIn - a professional networking site that I think is a kick, but in this context, just looks like Facebook for Old Folks.

Sigh.

Yeah, Thanks

It is so unlike me to be cynical or ironic about something like Thanksgiving! But here I am, having an attitude, the day after a perfectly lovely holiday. Go figure.

Yes, I have much for which to be thankful, but I guess I don't find overeating to be all that inspirational! So today I am eyeing the leftovers and thinking more about the school & house projects I have to get done this weekend than about blessings... yet feel the need to note some of the blessings of my life:

My daughter turns 19 today - other than being a pretty bad driver, I think she turned out GREAT.

I love my job - it's interesting and fun.

My kitchen ceiling and one upstairs bathroom are being replaced because of some water damage - but it'll all be fixed within a week.

Much love.

Yes, I am thankful! :)

More Doctoral Craziness

I have a 20-page paper to write this week - an analysis - after which I have to take that info & turn it into a research proposal. I was amused to see in the directions for the second part:

Alternative ways to structure a presentation of a research project:
Thematically
Analytically
Exemplificatively
Exegetically
Existentially

I think I'll stick with number one...!

Diamonds or Pearls?

Apparently the last question asked at Thursday’s debate was to Hillary Clinton: does she prefer diamonds or pearls? Flashback to the MTV Forum at which Bill Clinton was asked “boxers or briefs” in 92, and the answer is still – who cares?

What’s even worse is that the UNLV student who asked the question says that CNN didn’t allow her to ask any one of her five previously submitted questions about issues that were important to her, and instead made her ask that one.

So they not only allowed it – they CHOSE it! Pathetic.

Question of the Day

"What if Prince Charming had never shown up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health-care package and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?"

- Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City

Post from Philly (Not)

U Penn's Parent Weekend: actually took a day off work & went out to see my kid. Had such a good time I didn't even think to post!

Nothing earth-shattering, nothing even that interesting... uneventful flights both ways, no big agenda other than SHOPPING - we didn't go to any of the Penn events. I thought it was cool that my kid actually got us tickets to a spoken word poetry performance Sat night - very cool thing to do together!

This was my third trip to Philly this year - we visited in the spring when she was choosing, I took her out this summer to move in, and now I went back just to visit. I'm learning my way around the area so well that I didn't bother to check the directions from the campus to the airport - I just went the way that seemed familiar and it worked perfectly.

So I guess that means I'm getting comfortable with her being out there...?

Yes - I'm still not a huge fan of living alone, but my daughter loves college and she loves U Penn, so I'm comfortable with her being out there. She's doing well - what more can I ask?

Scary

Having been in the Philly Amtrak 30th St Station just a few months ago, this article from Huffpost concerns me even more than it otherwise might. Apparently the power went out, and Amtrak fed a story about it to the press that does not match the reality of those who were there.

While I tend to give big media a lot more credit than many bloggers, I do think this incident is a good example of why a free press is so critical in this country. If mainstream media, consolidated in the hands of a few rich folks with personal agendas, continues to stupidly report the company line on public incidents without actual research & reporting, then it will not only become obsolete, but deservedly so.

The beauty of blogging is that it's cheap, and you build a reputation the same way as mainstream media - consumers like what they get, and come back for more. Huffpost has grown into a serious site, and I have no doubt that Rosenbaum's post is as accurate as anything I'd read in the Strib or Wash Post.

Not that there isn't a LOT of crap out in cyberspace, but these days, if you get your news from blogs instead of TV, that might be a good thing.

(I'll save the implications about readiness for a terrorist attack for another post, another time.)

GPS Your Kid

There are a hundred examples of tension between freedom and education, but this one is really a kick. A school in the UK, Hungerhill School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is trying out a system that embeds microchips into students' uniforms that register their attendance as they come into the classroom. The kids are participating voluntarily as part of a science project.

Of course an article in the London Times today sparked immediate controversy. While the school officials maintain that this is for attendance purposes only and they are not trying "Bog Brother" tactics to monitor students' every move, critics point out that it's not much different that a criminal wearing an ankle-bracelet tracking device.

Action on Rights for Children (ARCH) makes the connection with another recent article about a company that is considering putting microchips into kids' clothing for parents to be able to track them. Apparently, after contacting the company, ARCH found out that this isn't just an idea, but something the company is actively working on. How long until that's something parents can buy at Macy's?

I don't know a ton about the British education system, but the website says the Hungerhill School is a "11-16 comprehensive school" - which implies upper high school grades to me. I think it's interesting to start at the level rather than with younger kids.

What exactly is being accomplished? If it saves the teacher the time of taking attendance, I think that's cool. I have fantasized about a system in which a kid just swipes their ID card at the door & it monitors who's where. This just takes it to the next level - no ID card necessary.

But the idea of having one's movements monitored should be of serious concern to Americans. Right now, if I don't actively turn it off, my cell phone has a GPS that can track me. (I'm not even sure about my work cell - can my boss track me now? Good grief.) In an emergency, sure, I'd love to be tracked down by someone coming to rescue me. But daily life?

As you've seen in previous posts, I long ago gave up any pretense to privacy. In this age, you can find out a lot about me without leaving your living room (or wherever your computer is.) My have always been listed in the phone book, and in 15 years my students have never abused it. I guess I just don't see the point of privacy if I'm not doing anything I shouldn't - and in my profession, doing things I shouldn't isn't really an option. So it's sort of moot for me. But for average Americans, I'm not so sure.

Bottom line - I have no problem monitoring kids and I don't think they need adult freedoms until they are adults. But I think every encroachment on freedom is dangerous, and things like microchips in kids' clothing need to be VERY carefully considered as a matter of public policy.

Ironically, Boondocks today is on technology - so McGruder leaves us with a laugh. :)

Questions about Love

My friend Melissa wrote these questions for another friend to ponder, and I found them powerful....

Questions about Love

* How are our spiritual journeys and falling in love similar?

* How is falling in love, the path toward love and partnership, a metaphor for going toward God?

* What happens when we let go, or realize how not-in-control we really are?

* Who do we discover in such a state of unbalance, or groundlessness?

* What is this love that you have and feel and live for?

* How is it calling you both to the deep waters where you cannot stand?

* What is it to perceive this time as one where you are not in charge as teachers or leaders or ordained people, but rather: mere humans with hearts?

* What is God asking of you as an individual? As a woman or man?

* Where is God for both of you in this love? In this emotion?

* If God resides at the center of your lives, then what do you have to fear?

Blog Action Day and Al Gore

What would happen is bloggers around the world joined together to write about one topic at the same time? Apparently it's "Blog Action Day" and we're all using our blogs to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Did you know that global warming is real?

I do think that Al Gore being among the Nobel Peace Prize recipients this year for his work on environmental awareness is worthy of note... and I'm kindof disgusted that some "conservatives" (quotes because I don't see how anyone can claim conservatism and not be concerned about the environment, but whatever) have called the Nobel committee political - give me a damn break.

Happy Things from Colleen Kruse

Every Saturday I get to my step class a little early - it gets crowded so I have to - and read the new City Pages or Rake mag for a few minutes before class. Rake is no longer weekly, so it's a treat when there's a new one, and I always turn first to Colleen Kruse's column.

She's always funny - I first discovered her as a stand-up comedian well over 10 years ago when she was the warm-up for Lizz Winstead one night, and have been to see her lave many times. But this month's column about the pleasures of autumn is particularly entertaining, so I have to share.

A sample:

I love wearing clothes that cover my stomach. I love that the threat of being invited to something that might require a bathing suit is past. I like incorporating more cheese and less salad into my diet. I love watching television while eating cheese while wearing something that covers my stomach.

At this time of year I love soup. It is hot, salty, soothing liquid love. That sounds dirty but it’s not, so get your damn mind out of the gutter; I’m talking chunky chicken noodle here.

I love turtleneck sweaters, the smell of Vicks VapoRub, and having a sore throat so I don’t have to talk. I love catching cold, because I love soup and I love it when people feel sorry for me and I love complaining about my lot in life while people I love make me soup.

She's random, but she's funny. :)

Prayer - the Original Wireless Connection

A fun local company called Halowear makes T-shirts with funny church-related sayings.

The one I want: Modern Day Church Lady

Other fun ones:
Communion - the Real Wonder Bread
Altar Your Ego
iGod - Free Downloads

Check it out!

Emily X - Not Me, but It Could Be

Interesting concept - a woman who works at a Planned Parenthood clinic started a blog to share her experience there, including the protesters, the work... the whole deal. Worth a look!

I suspect much of Gen X takes legal abortion for granted - it's been legal for most of our lives. Even if we don't it ourselves, we see that it's a necessary option for some folks and just expect it to be there. I sort of know in the back of my mind that abortion rights have actually been scaled back in recent years and in some states it's almost impossible to get one, but it's not high on the radar. I did some fundraising for the MN Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights when I was in college - we do so much more volunteering in college! - but not actively involved since then.

Emily X lets us see what's really going on - check it out and see if it matches your expectations.

A Tip of the Hat...

Have to take a moment to acknowledge Congressman Jim Ramstad's retirement - sad all the way around, (except maybe for him!) A truly moderate voice shouldn't be such a rarity these days (as the general population seems to be growing more moderate) but unfortunately, it is. Can't really blame him for getting sick of Washington in the current climate! DC's loss.

Some of my friends have speculated that he may run for governor, and I'm sure I'd have a hard time voting against him, even as a Republican. Will be interesting to see what's next for him!

Now apparently Republican Edina mayor Jim Hovland is thinking about a run for Ramstad's seat - as a Democrat! (Well hey, if you're really moderate, why wouldn't you want to be with the majority?!)

This will certainly be an interesting race...!

Two Years Later, Results Are In…

I was interested to see an article in the Strib this weekend - in the style section, ironically - about the fact that it's been two years since gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts.

And what's the result? Nothing interesting! Life goes on for everyone. Straight people still get married and divorced - with no perceptible impact by gay marriages. (Imagine my surprise.)

Check it out:
Withering Glance: Gay Marriage, a Slippery Slope?

Still Wondering (Tell Me Again... part 2)

Another fun quote from a text I paid a lot of money for:

"Phenomenology asks for the very nature of a phenomenon, for that which makes a some-"thing" what it is - and without which it could not be what it is."

But it gets better...

"The essence of a phenomenon is a universal which can be described through a study of the structure that governs the instances or particular manifestations of the essence of that phenomenon."

Yeah, what he said.

(Max van Manen, if you want more!)

Tell Me Again Why I'm Doing This...

A phrase from the text I'm supposed to be reading tonight for my doctoral work:

"Pedagogy requires a hermeneutic ability to make interpretive sense of the phenomena of the lifeworld in order to see the pedagogic significance of situations and relations of living with children."

That means ya gotta get where the kid's coming from in order to teach 'em.

Yeah, fun stuff.

Beauty in the Form of a Young Poet

I first met this kid when he was about 17, at a poetry slam at the Underground at the U of MN. I was so taken with one of his poems that I introduced myself and asked for a copy to use with my students. I was working with my school's poetry slam team at the time and Ryan's work was inspirational to all of us. We've kept in touch & he recently sent this video for me to check out. You may need to watch it more than once. Beautiful.



Check out more of Ryan's work at www.myspace.com/homelessryank

What Would the World Look Like if Everyone Lived Like You?

OK, still thinking about lifestyle, here's another interesting thing to consider. How do I impact the planet?

Play the Consumer Consequences Game from American Public Media and find out!

I did, and my reactions is - wow – I did much worse than I thought! My scores were good for recycling and saving energy, but because I live alone in a 3-BR home and drive my own car everywhere, my overall impact on the earth is not even close to proportionate to my fair space on the planet!

TRY THIS – it’s really interesting. (It's also quick & easy - will only take a couple minutes.)

Living Biblically

The new book "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" is not fiction. The author, AJ Jacobs, really did spend a year trying to follow ALL the bible's rules. (The book goes on sale Oct 9, so I haven't read it yet, but I imagine I will!)

I love the concept and the outcome. Apparently a task that was sort of a joke turned into a genuine spiritual quest, after which the author found himself a changed person.

Some of the rules he followed:
* No clothing of mixed fibers
* No sitting in a chair that a menstruating woman has used
* No beard cutting
* No winking

Apparently the bible has 72 pages of explicit rules. Not sure what following all of that would do for my soul, but I have a pretty good idea of what it would do to my lifestyle!

Gen X in Power

I’m intrigued by Gen X in power. More of my friends are moving into spaces of influence in their careers and I wonder – how are we different from those who held those positions before us? In some cases, no one did – some are in positions that didn’t even exist a decade ago. But others, like me, are in positions that have existed for a long time. How do I approach my work differently than my predecessors?

A couple things come to mind.

I suspect I’m more inclusive. Is that because I was born in 1968? Yes, I am a product of the feel-good education movement of the 70’s, but I was a high-achiever, so I don’t think that affected me much – certainly not by creating in me any great need for the opinions of others. I am inclusive because I want to be included, so I extend that to others.

I’m not authoritarian. But what does that have to do with my birth year? I suffered under many teachers and bosses who were, and didn’t like it, so I’m different? Hardly. Generations for centuries have learned from authoritarian leaders and turned out just like them. Why should I be different?

I think my leadership is an expression of my personality, and maybe that’s where Gen X comes in to play. It’s not about my age or birth year, except that we believe more in authenticity. I allow my personality into my work because I believe in living out loud, in being who I am, and impacting the world accordingly.

That would not be a bad legacy for our generation.

Pressure Check

My friend Melissa takes a walk, goes by some firemen testing their equipment, and the result is a fascinating set of questions about life. (She's like that!) Get the context at her blog: QueenMAB Contemplates

What does it mean to do routine pressure checks?
If a particular hose can withstand 400 pounds of pressure, what is the equivalent for a human being?
How do we check our own pressure? (Is this called a "physical"?)
What is the equivalent of us laying ourselves out flat and running force through our bodies?
Do we swell and expand just like fire hoses? What do our hearts look like under pressure?
How does a mind or spirit expand or contract with pressure?
If we are in tune and can withstand such levels of pressure, what is our power in the face of fire?
Are our bodies capable of being conduits for water flow, a kind of saving energy?
As humans, do we have a routine way of doing this?
What happens if we aren't doing routine checks?
Is there any way we can make sure that we can withstand the fire, and be a positive force, rather than add to mess and damage?
What is it to be certain?

Above and Beyond...

from Thoreau:

“Do not be too moral. You might cheat yourself out of much of life. Aim high above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.”

Yes.

Although I was raised in a home that prized integrity above just about everything, this quote resonates with me. Love in action. Making a difference. Appreciation of beauty. These things exist beyond the plane of simple morality. Beyond right or wrong... to intensity and passion, where we really live.

Controversy in Chaska

There's a new law in Chaska:

Should parents be held legally liable for the results of underage drinking that goes on in their home, even if they did not actually procure the alcohol themselves? Even if they are not at home at the time the alcohol is consumed?

First reaction - of course! Raise your kids right, darn it.

Second reaction - hmm... what would that law have meant for my own parents?!

I told my daughter that we could lose our home if anything drug or alcohol related ever happened on our property. (That's actually true in some townhome communities around here - a drug-related arrest is cause for eviction. But Golden Valley hasn't adopted it yet...) I think she believed me!

My parents pretty much had no clue about any of the teenage drinking that went on in their home because it never happened with them there. That's an interesting twist within the law - they don't even have to be home to be responsible.

But if they don't shovel the sidewalk they don't have to be home to lose the lawsuit when someone falls...

Perspective

Shimu's story is not as different from some of our local children's lives as we would like to think. Many American - and Minnesotan - kids still struggle with expectations from families that they work to support the family, and some are still pressured to get married young.

Panthar, on the other hand, truly lives in a different world. Herding cattle is not how most 12-year-old American boys spend their days.

The stories of these two young people are detailed in the StarTribune today under the headline "Their stories reveal struggles of the young for a different future." In Shimu's case, she is resisting her family's pressure for her to quit school & get married, hoping to continue to study and work toward a better future. Panthar's older brother, Bol, goes to school in a nearby town, with the hope of a better life through a "new way."

I will never call any of my students lazy, though some are very unmotivated and unambitious. But I wish they had a clearer sense of what the options are, and how lucky they are not only to have school available to them, but to live in a society that actually expects them to attend & learn. "Poor" in America is nothing like poor in Bangladesh or Sudan. I just wish they all understood that!

Wish I Was This Generous

My friend Melissa shared this poem she just wrote about love found and lost - with a guy she met at my cabin - I am in awe of her ability to know and express herself so openly and honestly!

With Deep gratitude, emotional Clarity,

a poem for this beloved and divine presence:

divine man that appeared, so angelic even.

this beautiful adonis, brown and muscled, tender and sweet.

so amazingly articulate on manners of politics and faith,

conservative core that i appreciated.

touch that inspired a kind of transcendence in wake of wonder, woe.

"what you want: this is what I want."

blessings on the lips.

He is gone. He is sweet. We are friends, if that is called for. Or calls us further. I ask for your prayers as heart matters unfold, life and love manifests. (May God's will, not mine, be done.)

Gratefully,

Melissa

Amen!

Word of the Day

HYPERGOLIC (hy-puhr-GOL-ik) adjective: Igniting on contact. Refers to substances that ignite or explode on contact (without needing an external aid such as a spark). Hypergolic substances are used as rocket fuel and explosives.

[From German Hypergol (hypergolic fuel), from Greek hyper- (over, above) + erg- (work). Ultimately from the Indo-European root werg- (to do) which gave us ergonomic, work, energy, metallurgy, surgery, wright, and orgy.]

Thinking of things that can ignite on contact...

* Hyper middle-school kids
* Democrats & Republicans
* Some couples
* Mitch's gun if anyone ever breaks into his house
* Media with a big story

I'm sure there are more...

Conservatives Starting to Like Clinton?

Gotta love it...

Weekly Standard editor William Kristol:
"Obama is becoming the anti-war candidate, and Hillary Clinton is becoming the responsible Democrat who could become commander in chief in a post-9/11 world."

National Review Online editor Kathryn Lopez:
"In response to more than a few answers tonight - on Iraq, on China - I've said 'she sounds reasonable.' That's really hard to admit."

Bruce Bartlett, in the Los Angeles Times:
On economics, Clinton seems likely to be... fiscally conservative, free-trade-oriented, pragmatic. Clinton said: 'There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets." That's about as good as any conservative can hope for from a Democrat."

Salute to the Wingman!

This is a riot - haven't we all been in this position at some point?

Fun Stuff

Oh the fun things we can find on the web! I'm not too familiar with Tarot Cards, but I love random quizzes, so when I ran across this one I had to do it. And since I found the result amusing, I had to share it!

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.