UNICEF distributes early childhood development kits in Jacmel, Haiti

UNICEF distributes early childhood development kits in Jacmel, Haiti

JACMEL, Haiti, 6 April 2010 – When the earthquake shook the mountains outside this port city in southern Haiti on 12 January, rural schools throughout the area were destroyed or damaged. Not only were classes cancelled for the short term, but looking ahead, parents were afraid to send their children back into damaged classrooms that they feared might collapse.

Desiderata

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Not "Found in Old St. Paul's Church"! --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even to the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love,

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

reBlog from Aaron Solomon Adelman: Divine Misconceptions

Does anyone else think that portraying a fanatical monotheistic suicide-bomber as Arab-American on the new SyFy show Caprica is horribly misconceived?

As Aaron Solomon Adelman blogged back in December:

Today’s topic:  The pilot for Caprica, the prequel to Battlestar Galactica (new series), has shown up on Hulu, and since it is riddled with religious ideas, it is my job to blog about it.  Where do I start?…Aaron Solomon Adelman, Divine Misconceptions, Dec 2009

There are a lot of religious undertones to the plot of Caprica. This series is set up to be the backstory for the history-making remake of Battlestar Galactica, which also had a lot of religion in it, and it seems that religion is central to the differences between the Cylon and human races that populate the BSG universe.

All of that is well and good, but if you watched BSG you will realize that the whole story cycle is supposed to take place in *our past*, before humans were even making fire.

The BSG civilization was a pre-Earth space-age civilization with human-like qualities, but they exist before all of earthly human history.

Caprica happens even *earlier*-- so why is there an Arab-American suicide bomber? What frakked up vision of human destiny posits that in every possible human history there are people with Arab blood who hold fanatical beliefs and are willing to kill themselves and others to make a point?

This is a poor generalization even in our current historical situation, much less in some pre-historical super-society on the planet Caprica.

I'm disgusted that they would cast things this way.

Are they reducing the whole BSG universe to a morality play about modern conflicts? Then they are selling themselves short.

Ursula K. Le Guin could teach these guys a whole hell of a lot about creating a believable, relevant extra-terrestrial civilization whose behavior and beliefs shed light on our own.

Ditto the late, great Octavia Butler.

I am deeply disappointed.

LJD01: Lightbulb Joke of the Day

Here's my lame attempt at a light bulb joke. An inside-joke for the Fringe crowd! (it's a show on Fox):

Q: How many characters from Fringe does it take to change a light bulb?

A: 4. One to recognize that the light bulb was manufactured by Massive Dynamic; one to remember where he hid the replacement bulb in another dimensional reality; one to storm various houses in the greater Boston area, removing light-bulbs that were about to spawn a genetically altered trans-dimensional electricity monsters; and another to stand by with a very serious expression on his face and watch, with complete credulity, as the action unfolds.

LJD00: Lightbulb Joke of the Day

Q: How many women with PMS does it take to change a light bulb?

A: One. Only ONE!! And do you know WHY it only takes ONE? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb. They don't even know the bulb is BURNED OUT. They would sit in this house in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it OUT. And once they figured it out they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past SEVENTEEN YEARS. But if they did, by some miracle, actually find the light bulbs, TWO DAYS LATER the chair that they dragged from two rooms over to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE CRUMPLED WRAPPER THE STUPID @*!#$% LIGHT BULBS CAME IN! WHY?! BECAUSE NO ONE IN THIS HOUSE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE 12 FEET DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE. THE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS... I'm sorry...what did you ask me?

Adolescence Is Real, Dude...

For those who argue that adolescence is an invented category-- something that we came up with in the 50's along with car-culture and diners and Elvis-- this new research provides a subtle rebuke: Hormonal Effects Reverse During Puberty, Causing Anxiety.

Basically, the article shows how certain receptors increase in number during puberty, causing different effects from the same hormones we all have swimming around in our brains. These effects are less present in childhood and diminish in adulthood.

This explains a lot of adolescent behavior (especially female behavior), but also neatly makes an argument for the reality of a developmental period called adolescence.

It's not all in their heads! They can't help it-- their BRAINS are changing.

Any other divergent thoughts out there?

Jay Hanson's most excellent essay-- "The Society of Sloth"

Jay Hanson, of www.dieoff.org notoriety, wrote an essay titled "The Society of Sloth."

You can read it and some broad-ranging commentary here: http://campfire.theoildrum.com/node/5377