Picturing Excess

Another fantastic idea from TED

Hello?

After reading Sunday's New York Times article, Feeling Too Down to Rise Up, I began to wonder ... am I isolated from my neighbors and my community?  Has Twitter, Facebook, and blogging made more of our communication indirect and impersonal?

Yesterday, I was texting a friend while I was in the grocery store. I was unaware of everyone else in that public space; I didn't connect or speak with anyone who was also there shopping for groceries. 

Count the number of people using their phones or ipods the next time you are in a public space ... we narrowly miss each other.

Are we on the losing end of a rigged game? Are we suffering from anger fatigue and cable news ranting? 

Let's actually talk to each other face-to-face and find out.

Stay Focused on a Constructive Outcome

The Art of the Distraction

President Obama said he doesn't want to quell American's anger toward bailed-out insurance giant AIG. But he does want us to channel our anger in a constructive way.

What are you doing with your outrage?

How can we make something positive out of our collective anger and frustration?

Check out Thomas Friedman's op ed in 

the Sunday New York Times

Have we descended into politics worse than usual?

Is no one acting larger than the moment?

I'm on Spring Break.

I'll be back to blogging regularly April 1st.

Thanks!

jobless, flood volunteer positions

From Ranks of Jobless, a Flood of Volunteers

Check out the inspiring article from yesterday's New York Times.

Karen Armstrong

Compassion
That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.

Charter for Compassion

www.charterforcompassion.org

Sunday Children's Book

Listen to the Wind

The story of Dr. Greg Mortenson and Three Cups of Tea

This story is familiar to the 1.2 million adults who have read Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea. Listen to the Wind tells Mortenson's story in the clear, succinct voices of the children of Korphe, Pakistan.

Sunday is a wonderful day to read with a child.

Good Samaritan or Vigilante ?

Thomas Dart, the sheriff of Cook County (which includes Chicago and its suburbs), has refused to perform any more evictions. His plan, a countywide moratorium until new rules and safeguards could be put into place, drew criticism from Illinois banks.

Be sure to read Sheriff Dart's story in Newsweek and on NPR

Never?

This button was worn by Southerners in the 1950's who said they would 'never' agree to integration.

On March 12th, 1956 one hundred members of congress from the south - 19 senators and 81 representatives (96 democrats and 4 republicans) - present a "Declaration of Constitutional Principles" (referred to as the Southern Manifesto) that criticized the Supreme Court in its Brown v. the Board of Education decision for desegregating schools and protested civil rights initiatives.

Why do I bring this up 53 years and 1 day later? Only to remind myself that justice and fairness and truth prevail ... even when people are wearing buttons to the contrary.

How To Serve A Homeless Person

Christine Schanes: How To Serve A Homeless Person: Guide To Gift Bags

Have a look at this article.

I challenge you to make 3 bags, if you are able.

Give it a try.

I would love to know how it goes for you... I'll keep you posted on how it goes for me.

"Do you know anyone who could use this?"

Sir Ken Robinson

Why don't we get the best out of people?

Sir Ken Robinson argues that it's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says. It's a message with deep resonance. Robinson's TEDTalk has been distributed widely around the Web since its release in June 2006.

The most popular words framing blog posts on his talk? "Everyone should watch this."

I am currently reading his latest book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, a deep look at human creativity and education, was published in January 2009.

The Sunday NYT

In the Sunday New York Times this week I read two articles : "Some Things Don't Change in Grovers Corners" by Frank Rich and "The Inflection Is Near" by Thomas Friedman.

Both have stayed with me this week. And, I keep wondering, "Has our economy of late been one big Ponzi scheme?"

Read both articles and let me know:
Are we witness to the inevitable evaporation of an elaborate illusion?
Will our grandchildren ask us, "What was it like when you realized it was all just a house of cards?"

Simon Johnson

Tuesday, March 3rd, Simon Johnson was on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Simon Johnson is a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management. I follow his blog BaselineScenario.com which chronicles the global economic and financial crisis. His interview on Fresh Air is worth a listen. I hope we all hear what he is saying.

International Women's Day

Today in International Women's Day.

Check out this link from the Gates Foundation.

Astounding

Yesterday the Labor Department reported that employers cut 651,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate to 8.1%.

The service industry cut 375,000 jobs (after just shedding 276,000 in January). Financial companies cut 44,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality firms lost 33,000 positions.

The few areas that were spared included education, health care, and government.

Friday afternoon in Ohio, President Obama called the 4.4 million job losses in the last 14 months "astounding". He went on to say that this this cycle of job losses is "not the future I accept for the United States."

A total of 12.5 million workers are now classified as unemployed. In addition, the number of people forced to work part time for "economic reasons" rose from 787,000 to 8.6 million.

Were you "astounded" by Fridays Department of Labor report for February?

What sort of future do you see for the United States?

Tent City, Calif.

In case you missed the Oprah Winfrey Show: Lisa Ling goes inside a tent city in Sacramento, California. Here's a link to watch it now. 

It's painful, but necessary, to put human faces to the job loss numbers and the homeless numbers. 

How This American Life has educated me on our financial crisis.

Listen to the following episodes:

#355 The Giant Pool of Money

#365 Another Frightening Show About the Economy

#375 Bad Bank

I'm a long time fan of Ira Glass.

Surviving in Afghanistan on a dollar a day

Jennifer McCarthy is a Canadian college student living on a dollar a day in the Faryab Province in Afghanistan. Listen to her story at the link below.

Surviving in Afghanistan (4:30) | PRI's The World

Check out Jennifer's blog:  water flows

Mailman Finds Delivery Route Altered by Recession

This story is worth a listen!

Sunday Children's Book

It's Not What You've Got

This book has great ideas on how to speak about money with your children.

It includes ten poetically stated "lessons" about money and abundance.

Sunday is a great day to read with a child!