Sunday, December 9, 2012

Seen and Pondered Sunday

So much input, so little time...

1)  I could be a serious documentary junkie.  An unnamed someone might be known to give me a hard time about filling up the Netflix instant queue with documentaries that I don't get around to watching.  I'm not deterred though.  I'll get to them one day.  Now I can add these to the list:
5 More Documentaries That Could Change Your Outlook On Life from New Urban Habitat.

2)  Drive In Movies.  Went to a special homeschool showing of Elf at the Blue Starlite Drive In last Sunday. It was all kinds of fun.

3)  Beyond Borders: Thinking Critically About Global Issues by Paula S. Rothenberg.  This book is required for a class on international women that I'll be taking this winter term.  I just started it, but find it fascinating so far.  I really like essays as a form, and especially a good collection of diverse essays built around an interesting theme.  (This is related to my love for a good buffet.  I'm all about a smorgasbord, be it food or books.) The second chapter by Janice Monk challenges us to think critically about the motivations and assumptions that we might take for granted when looking at maps, and how they affect our view of the world. It includes a cartogram similar to this one from worldmapper.org:


"The size of each territory shows the relative proportion of the world's population living there."

4)  Freerice.com I got my first smartphone this week, and I've spent more time than I'd like to admit looking for fun apps to load on to it.  I was giddy to find that there is a free rice app.  I've gone through periods in the past where I've stayed up late trying to get to new levels on the vocabulary portion.  And Charlie Brown and I went through a period a while back where we had a grand time challenging ourselves with the Famous Paintings.  Now they've added even more subjects, although some seem a little glitchy still.

5)  Community radio, on the internet.  My friend Molly has a new program on KOOP radio called Dear Lady Twist.  Currently broadcasting online only on Monday mornings from 8-9 am. Get your week started off right.

"'Get up off that chair, dear lady ...' These inspiring words from Gary US Bonds (Dear Lady Twist, 1961) begin the show's theme song. What follows 'has a good beat and you can dance to it.' Jitterbug, twist, waltz, calypso, funky chicken, two-step, slow stuff, salsa, whatever... 'you can't sit down...' Yikes!
P. S. '...do the twist and you'll never grow old.'"

6)  Finally, more Richard Rohr from Preparing for Christmas:
"I believe Jesus was teaching a larger version of what many of us say today when we say that we must 'think globally, act locally.'  Because I am part of the Big Picture, I do matter and substantially so.  Because I am only a part, however, I am rightly situated off to stage right-and happily so.  What freedom there is in such truth!  We are inherently important and included, yet not burdened with manufacturing or sustaining that private importance."
Happy 2nd Sunday of Advent!

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