Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Friday, January 17, 2020

CCT raised some notions about retirement...

I have recently had thoughts about what retirement is, really. Mothers can't easily retire from mothering, no matter what age the kids are. And, of course, there are grandkids to consider, and eventually their kids, too. You can't retire from motherhood. I'm thinking that retirement is about letting go of habitual concerns, letting go of senses of obligation and required conformities. I just saw something about a small Irish island looking to hire a couple of caretakers. Not that I'm up for the... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Steinbeck

There is a book I have known of for years, but never got around to reading until this past couple of weeks. It's John Steinbeck's TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY. In 1960, Steinbeck had a pickup truck mounted with a bespoke camper, and with his French poodle, Charley, set out to find America. This book is the record of that trip, a long essay on America and Americans, and an autobiographic portrait of himself at 59. I read OF MICE AND MEN back in high school, and saw the movie. I also saw the movie of his... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Learning Puzzle

Imagine if kids loved learning... Imagine if we had loved learning. Consider how the educational system we grew up under has relied on long-obsolete notions and assumptions of the nature of children, how they learn, that they, by nature, resist learning. What they resist is the system, not the learning. But association kills the love of knowing new things, and costs students the great feelings of accomplishment and empowerment, the exhiliration of that AH-HA! moment when a new thing suddenly... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Not that clever...

Because Trump acted without consent of Congress, without even notification of those who by law should have been notified, this latest action was not legal or military action, it was assassination. That is what leaves us vulnerable and gives Iran and Iraq all the provocation they need to react with wide approval from the rest of the world. So once again, he demonstrates how little he comprehends the powers and the limits of the Presidency, or the implications of his impulsive words and... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 23, 2019

"It's just how I am..."

Times have changed with technology and the pace with which we lead our lives: People wander off from online conversations without a farewell to let you know the conversation is over. People have meals with other people and never make eye contact because they are immersed in their separate worlds--It used to be newspapers or books, now it's electronics. Real attention, real contact is fleeting, and old traditional courtesies of a slower-paced age are unknown, forgotten or just disregarded.... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Here we go some more...

It's like a group of mature adults on one side, and a group of children on the other. And they have to work out the problem together. So even with all the childish blathering, distractions, ridiculous arguments and accusations, the adults have to deal with it to get the job done. They have to sit and listen and respond as if the kids are making actually meaningful contributions to the process, even though we can all see, they are simply trying to derail it. It's like a family where if the kids... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Education is the most important thing...

...and we are screwing it up. Whoever is responsible, the educational system in the US is failing to produce desireable results--unless we want a society of poorly-informed, learning-resistant people with gun-violence induced PTSD. Teaching to tests is a disaster for everyone, based on mistaken ideas of solving problems through statistics. It limits teachers' ability to bring their own particular skills and talents to teaching; it overwhelms students, discouraging any enthusiasm of learning and... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Is homosexuality condemned in the Bible?

Here's an interesting thing: https://www.forgeonline.org/blog/2019/3/8/what-about-romans-124-27?fbclid=IwAR1LLUF2gh413SlW3_2ZyPDWD70bWx57VRlmdOwtZiCGtNys4qOa1Lp-PJs Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Who do they think we are?

Nestle's would have to raise the price of candy bars if they are held accountable for practicing child slavery. Amazon defends its treatment of workers in fulfillment centers on the basis that people want 1- and 2-day delivery. What kind of people do these big corporate machines think we are? Would we not pay that little more for candy to eliminate child slavery? Would we not be willing and able to wait a day or two or three or a week longer, if it means treating workers humanely? When we know... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Cult-proofing the children

More and more parents & teachers are coming to understand this: Kids at every age need two things: connection and education. Because they will find them, and follow whoever gives them a sense of connection, and they will believe whatever that person teaches them. Cult recruiters know it. They have always exploited this dynamic: finding the disaffected, the lonely, the disconnected, the kids--of whatever age--who feel unloved, unheard, unvalued, and inviting them to belong. Charles Manson knew... Sign in to see full entry.

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