Fro some time now, I've been teaching myself the web design tool, Joomla!, an open source, free content management system (CMS), in this case a web CMS. I've benefited greatly from the advice and postings of other members of the Joomla! Boston User Group, the large community of Joomla! developers and web designers in the Joomla Community Forums and the Joomla! Official Documentation wiki. Another great resource has been SiteGround's online tutorials, a provider where I have some other Joomla! websites.
Learning by doing is fine; I've learned 95% of my technical skills that way. But it does not mean we have to do it alone. When we go it alone, we may develop as many bad habits as good ones. We miss the coaching that could improve our success and shorten our learning curve. And it's more fun to work with others on something real to us; something that matters.
There are many books and tutorials out there on web design and tools that can also help you learn how to use these tools. The biggest hurdle I encounter with these is that I am missing some technical prerequisite and have to find another resource to bring me up to the level of the book. I have to learn more than just the tool in my hand. I have to learn other things that make that tool work. On a very simple scale, it's a little like following written instructions on how to change a flat tire without knowing what a tire iron is, what lug nuts are, and what a car jack is. You have to become familiar with the underpinnings of the job in order to do the job right.
I follow several blogs and am engaged with various discussion groups on web design, social networking, and social media. Quite a few people fall into the trap of saying the task is easy or a particular tool is easy to use when they have not identified that at least some familiarity with other tools is helpful, if not a necessity. But that does not mean it's impossible to learn or that you shouldn't try it. We'd never grow out of our comfort zone if we adopted that philosophy.
Instead, I recommend that if you venture into some of these new areas (new to you, they're hardly new to many of the techies out there), get yourself into a user group related to the task or tool, use the online forums that are available, and don't be afraid to be a "newbie." Admitting that you don't "hack" core code or know any programming skills may generate a negative response from some folks. Remember, they weren't always programmers or coders; they were beginners once too. Others will be very helpful to you. They may want to share their knowledge, help others gain skill in a particular area, or just get a chance to go back to the beginning and remember what it was like when they started out.
I am hardly done with the website. There are some links to "placeholders" to get our volunteers to work on those articles for publication. There are some documents ready that I need to put into place. More features and functionality are also coming along. Then I need to teach some volunteers how to add documents to the site, get more critiques on features and functionality, and see what else we want to do with it.
But for now, the site has enough information to have its place front and center, pushing out the old site and making its debut "live" for our members/patrons and everyone else.
Use the comment feature here to let me know what you think after you check out the Cyber Cafe @ Malden Square.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Anti-Foreclosure Public Meeting/Vigil
Last evening a group of individuals and organizations from Worcester to Merrimack Valley to the South Shore met at Revere City Hall, joined by Revere Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino, to urge the MA House of Representatives to pass H4595, An Act to Stabilize Neighborhoods, often called the "anti-foreclosure bill."
Why a Vigil Now and in Revere?
With two weeks left to the current legislative session, and unanimous passage of a Senate version of this bill, people do not want to wait any longer for foreclosure assistance. Every month means more homeowners and tenants face eviction. Many claim that House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who represents Revere and the rest of the Nineteenth District, has blocked the bill from moving to the House floor. The bill was favorably referred out of the Joint Committee on Housing and sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means back in April -- a committee that DeLeo chaired before becoming House Speaker. Current Chair is Charles Murphy.
Organized and attend by tenants, homeowners, and organizations such as City Life/Vida Urbana, Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), the public meeting/vigil attracted the eye of many passers-by, some of whom admitted to a sense of unease for their own neighborhoods even if their own homes were not in jeopardy. Foreclosures turn banks into landlords and homeowners. The result often is a tenant eviction, through no fault of the tenant, and an empty house that gets vandalized or used/abused by those with no right to be there. With so many homes in foreclosure, these become abandoned properties that can devalue all the homes and increase crime in a neighborhood. Communities lose good homeowners and good tenants. Homes in these neighborhoods "automatically decrease in value by 1% and ... local housing prices by as much as 5.7%."**
Completed Foreclosures in May 2010 were Double the Number for May 2009!*
For anyone who claims that foreclosure prevention programs are "doing the job," the actual number of foreclosures in Massachusetts tell another story. Year-to-date foreclosures increased a whopping 48% compared to the same period in 2009, and auctions posted for May 2010 were more than double those in May 2009. This is a scary situation that is getting worse, not better.
Unemployment Increases the Risk
With Congress stalling on unemployment extensions while more and more homeowners face mortgage payments they cannot make, both homeowners and tenants are at risk. H4595 could provide the relief that makes the difference, which is why it is described as "legislation to stabilize neighborhoods."
H4595 Helps Homeowners, Tenants, and Banks
Information prepared by UMASS Boston, McCormack Center for Social Policy points out that this bill works for everyone affected by foreclosures and the spillover effects of soaring foreclosure rates. Remember, the Massachusetts Senate has already unanimously passed a similar bill, S2394.
Former MAAPL Coordinator Grace Ross, a recent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, recorded her reflections on the vigil and the issue and sent it to me for inclusion in this post. I've added some slides to her audio recording and hope you'll take time to learn more about the problem and then call your state representative. Urge him or her to demand that Speaker DeLeo present H4595 for a vote. There's not much time left, so do it today!
You may want to press the "full screen" button in the lower right corner of the video screen for some of the slides.
Thank you!
*Figures provided by MAAPL
**UMASS Boston, McCormack Center for Social Policy, June 2010
Why a Vigil Now and in Revere?
With two weeks left to the current legislative session, and unanimous passage of a Senate version of this bill, people do not want to wait any longer for foreclosure assistance. Every month means more homeowners and tenants face eviction. Many claim that House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who represents Revere and the rest of the Nineteenth District, has blocked the bill from moving to the House floor. The bill was favorably referred out of the Joint Committee on Housing and sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means back in April -- a committee that DeLeo chaired before becoming House Speaker. Current Chair is Charles Murphy.
Organized and attend by tenants, homeowners, and organizations such as City Life/Vida Urbana, Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), and Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), the public meeting/vigil attracted the eye of many passers-by, some of whom admitted to a sense of unease for their own neighborhoods even if their own homes were not in jeopardy. Foreclosures turn banks into landlords and homeowners. The result often is a tenant eviction, through no fault of the tenant, and an empty house that gets vandalized or used/abused by those with no right to be there. With so many homes in foreclosure, these become abandoned properties that can devalue all the homes and increase crime in a neighborhood. Communities lose good homeowners and good tenants. Homes in these neighborhoods "automatically decrease in value by 1% and ... local housing prices by as much as 5.7%."**
Completed Foreclosures in May 2010 were Double the Number for May 2009!*
For anyone who claims that foreclosure prevention programs are "doing the job," the actual number of foreclosures in Massachusetts tell another story. Year-to-date foreclosures increased a whopping 48% compared to the same period in 2009, and auctions posted for May 2010 were more than double those in May 2009. This is a scary situation that is getting worse, not better.
Unemployment Increases the Risk
With Congress stalling on unemployment extensions while more and more homeowners face mortgage payments they cannot make, both homeowners and tenants are at risk. H4595 could provide the relief that makes the difference, which is why it is described as "legislation to stabilize neighborhoods."
H4595 Helps Homeowners, Tenants, and Banks
Information prepared by UMASS Boston, McCormack Center for Social Policy points out that this bill works for everyone affected by foreclosures and the spillover effects of soaring foreclosure rates. Remember, the Massachusetts Senate has already unanimously passed a similar bill, S2394.
Former MAAPL Coordinator Grace Ross, a recent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, recorded her reflections on the vigil and the issue and sent it to me for inclusion in this post. I've added some slides to her audio recording and hope you'll take time to learn more about the problem and then call your state representative. Urge him or her to demand that Speaker DeLeo present H4595 for a vote. There's not much time left, so do it today!
You may want to press the "full screen" button in the lower right corner of the video screen for some of the slides.
Thank you!
*Figures provided by MAAPL
**UMASS Boston, McCormack Center for Social Policy, June 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Networked Nonprofit - book review
I eagerly awaited the virtual launch of The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change, by Allison Fine and Beth Kanter and bought my copy during their virtual launch party two weeks ago. I read it this week, when I could read it in one sitting. It took patience to wait that long, but I am tired of starting something I really want to read and having to put it aside for days.
Fine and Kanter are leaders in the social media (SM) movement for nonprofits. They are the people that people like me go to for advice; we follow their blogs, tweets, FB pages...they are our virtual guides in this world of getting our non profit organizations connected to clients in a meaningful way beyond the borders of our organizations' walls.
Beth Kanter introduced me and the Cyber Cafe @ Malden Square, back in 2005, to how easily SM tools can be used for various purposes. A tool designed for blogging quickly became our Community Resource Guide, giving us a powerful way to share many resources among staff, volunteers, clients, and...the world. She doesn't just think outside the box; she thinks beyond the box. The box does not exist -- there is no barrier.
Straightforward, Practical, and Proven
Both Fine and Kanter are energetic, knowledgeable, and engaging. The Networked Nonprofit is what you'd expect from them. Straightforward advice, tested and with proven examples, on how nonprofits need to change their view of the world to survive and flourish in the digital world.
I won't say compete in the digital world because one of the points they make is that nonprofits have to stop seeing other nonprofits as competitors. Networking is not about competition; it is about collaboration. I think this is one reason I have never liked the chamber of commerce meeting model, where businesses in the same industry are not supposed to sit together because they are competitors. Even when I was consulting a lot in the for profit world, my "competitors" were my colleagues. We often worked collaboratively because it made more sense; my skill set would complement a colleague's from another organization and vice versa.
I have one foot in the networked nonprofit world at the Cyber Cafe. I have another foot in the not-so-networked world with my major organization. They do network with other organizations, but they are not so ready for the digital foray. (Young padouan must practice patience daily while straddling this dichotomy.)
What's in the Book?
The Networked Nonprofit introduces and defines this concept of the networked nonprofit, describes the social media revolution, and examines the myths surrounding it. These myths, along with lack of a comfort level (shall we say skill?) with SM, is what prevents many non profits from embracing a set of digital tools that could help them with their mission. Fine and Kanter then examine the challenges and trends that non profits face, which creates an urgent need to confront their own lack of understanding in this area and make the transition into becoming a networked nonprofit. The remaining book is divided into how organizations can become a networked nonprofit and how they would operate as one.
Resources
Kanter has set up a wiki for The Networked Nonprofit where people can share ideas on how put this book into action. You can help them develop curriculum and instructional materials to help nonprofits learn at a pace that makes sense for them. Several years ago, I developed a simple model and then a presentation based on the premise that community building in the nonprofit world is like creating a jigsaw puzzle. Collaborations are enabled and enhanced when you view each organization like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. To find the right fit, turn it around and over - examining all the angles - until you see how there might be a fit between your organization and others. Naturally, I call this the JigSaw Puzzlin' Approach (c). I'll work on adding that to the wiki later.
Beth Kanter introduced me and the Cyber Cafe @ Malden Square, back in 2005, to how easily SM tools can be used for various purposes. A tool designed for blogging quickly became our Community Resource Guide, giving us a powerful way to share many resources among staff, volunteers, clients, and...the world. She doesn't just think outside the box; she thinks beyond the box. The box does not exist -- there is no barrier.
Straightforward, Practical, and Proven
Both Fine and Kanter are energetic, knowledgeable, and engaging. The Networked Nonprofit is what you'd expect from them. Straightforward advice, tested and with proven examples, on how nonprofits need to change their view of the world to survive and flourish in the digital world.
I won't say compete in the digital world because one of the points they make is that nonprofits have to stop seeing other nonprofits as competitors. Networking is not about competition; it is about collaboration. I think this is one reason I have never liked the chamber of commerce meeting model, where businesses in the same industry are not supposed to sit together because they are competitors. Even when I was consulting a lot in the for profit world, my "competitors" were my colleagues. We often worked collaboratively because it made more sense; my skill set would complement a colleague's from another organization and vice versa.
I have one foot in the networked nonprofit world at the Cyber Cafe. I have another foot in the not-so-networked world with my major organization. They do network with other organizations, but they are not so ready for the digital foray. (Young padouan must practice patience daily while straddling this dichotomy.)
What's in the Book?
The Networked Nonprofit introduces and defines this concept of the networked nonprofit, describes the social media revolution, and examines the myths surrounding it. These myths, along with lack of a comfort level (shall we say skill?) with SM, is what prevents many non profits from embracing a set of digital tools that could help them with their mission. Fine and Kanter then examine the challenges and trends that non profits face, which creates an urgent need to confront their own lack of understanding in this area and make the transition into becoming a networked nonprofit. The remaining book is divided into how organizations can become a networked nonprofit and how they would operate as one.
Why is this so important?
...because doing so will help them achieve their mission.
Resources
Kanter has set up a wiki for The Networked Nonprofit where people can share ideas on how put this book into action. You can help them develop curriculum and instructional materials to help nonprofits learn at a pace that makes sense for them. Several years ago, I developed a simple model and then a presentation based on the premise that community building in the nonprofit world is like creating a jigsaw puzzle. Collaborations are enabled and enhanced when you view each organization like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. To find the right fit, turn it around and over - examining all the angles - until you see how there might be a fit between your organization and others. Naturally, I call this the JigSaw Puzzlin' Approach (c). I'll work on adding that to the wiki later.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New Template - Hope You Like it
I settled on this template, Watermark, after playing around with another one that just didn't seem right. The photos didn't set right, layout options weren't available as promised, etc. But this one required almost no tweaking to look right to me.
Let me know what you think. Is it easy to read and to find what you are looking for? Is it aesthetically pleasing?
...comments appreciated,
Claire
Let me know what you think. Is it easy to read and to find what you are looking for? Is it aesthetically pleasing?
...comments appreciated,
Claire
Playing with New Template Today
If you visit me today, 7/8/10, you may find some items not quite as visually pleasing or somehow out of synch. I'm playing with a new template and finding out what I like or dislike about its features. Bear with me; I should be settled on something by this afternoon.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Back to Work and Still More Catching up to do - I Need More Vacation Time
I'm back to work this morning so will write a brief post. But I acknowledge that I need more vacation time to finish everything I've started...then again, a 4-day weekend is hardly much of a vacation but it's better than nothing.
I spent most of yesterday working on the Cyber Cafe website . I'm recreating the site in Joomla!, a free open source, web content management system (web CMS). I'm creating the site on a subdomain, so both sites are running parallel right now. But I hope to replace the current site with the new one later this week. It won't be complete, but it will be complete enough to serve its purpose. Websites are never done anyway. They are always works in progress unless you just have a static brochure that changes only occasionally.
I've been teaching myself to use Joomla! over the past year or so, in my spare time. This means I don't often get a good chunk of time to work on it and learn it really well. It's only in a stretch like yesterday that the new concepts and ways to use it effectively can really sink into my brain. Like most things, you learn it best by using it frequently. That way, the concepts become ingrained in your brain and you can visualize how it works even when you are not in front of your computer.
Yesterday I had the time to document how the new site is organized, using PowerPoint to create some teaching tools. This will help my clients edit and maintain their Joomla! sites after I've created them. That takes a lot of work too. I find documenting how I'm working helps me discipline myself. It helps me lay things out and keep them simple because I don't want to write a lot of documentation. Using fewer section and category options can make it easier for an organization to maintain the site and doesn't overwhelm them with choices and decisions. That makes me a better web designer for small organizations and non-profits that have non-tech staff who will have to support the site after I'm done.
I'll post more on my progress later. ...gotta get to work!
I spent most of yesterday working on the Cyber Cafe website . I'm recreating the site in Joomla!, a free open source, web content management system (web CMS). I'm creating the site on a subdomain, so both sites are running parallel right now. But I hope to replace the current site with the new one later this week. It won't be complete, but it will be complete enough to serve its purpose. Websites are never done anyway. They are always works in progress unless you just have a static brochure that changes only occasionally.
I've been teaching myself to use Joomla! over the past year or so, in my spare time. This means I don't often get a good chunk of time to work on it and learn it really well. It's only in a stretch like yesterday that the new concepts and ways to use it effectively can really sink into my brain. Like most things, you learn it best by using it frequently. That way, the concepts become ingrained in your brain and you can visualize how it works even when you are not in front of your computer.
Yesterday I had the time to document how the new site is organized, using PowerPoint to create some teaching tools. This will help my clients edit and maintain their Joomla! sites after I've created them. That takes a lot of work too. I find documenting how I'm working helps me discipline myself. It helps me lay things out and keep them simple because I don't want to write a lot of documentation. Using fewer section and category options can make it easier for an organization to maintain the site and doesn't overwhelm them with choices and decisions. That makes me a better web designer for small organizations and non-profits that have non-tech staff who will have to support the site after I'm done.
I'll post more on my progress later. ...gotta get to work!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Happy Birthday Maureen
Today I'm sharing a virtual birthday card for my sister Maureen. Earlier this month, I shared a card for another sister, Kathleen. Since they both have birthdays in June, I thought it fitting to do the same for both. It's also my nephew Danny's birthday today, so Happy Birthday Dan as well. He's currently serving in the Navy and I'm not sure what part of the world he's in right now. Last I knew, he was shipping off to Afghanistan (the Navy manages much of the supply duty for the Army and his outfit was sent there for that shipping/supply duty).So, here's to Maureen, the eldest of 4 girls and the 2nd of 8 kids. Sometimes it's difficult to be the older siblings in a large family. You end up with a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. And it sometimes seems as if they don't get much of a childhood because they become responsible for the younger ones. Maureen is no exception. She still thinks like a parent, today, especially when dealing with her siblings. She took on a role too young as our de facto mother when our mother wasn't well and I think she lost out on some of her own childhood as a result.
That doesn't mean she didn't have some fun along the way. I remember her in The Student Prince, a musical she performed in at Cardinal Spellman High School. And I remember many a day when she'd tie up the bathroom and gag us all with hair spray as she readied for a date. Teased hair and lots of spray to hold it in place were the style back then.
But I also remember her Mr. Donut uniform and how she grew to hate even the smell of donuts. Working hard every day after school to add some money to the family budget was necessary. You just did it. And later she worked full time for Ma Bell (if you have to ask, you're too young).
Like my sister Kathleen, Maureen tried to help keep our parents in their own home when their health failed. She uprooted herself from California to Boston and moved in with them. Working all day, setting up procedures in the home to manage my parents health care, and going back to school to complete the degree she had begun to work on in CA...she interrupted her life to make theirs' more comfortable.
Maureen is good at setting up systems and procedures to make things work more smoothly and efficiently. Whether it's work or home, there's always a system of record-keeping and documentation in place. Medications are organized and labeled so someone else can come in and do the tasks easily. Paperwork is in neatly labeled file folders. The bills are organized.
A bit more than a year ago, Maureen started a special project. She spent countless hours putting together a gift for my uncle Bill (our mother's brother) and my aunt Ruth (our father's sister). They are the remaining relatives from our parents' generation. She asked each of us to write a short letter of our memories of each one and send them to her. What had been intended as a Christmas present took a bit longer, partly because she waited for each of us to do our part. She prepared a beautiful portfolio for each with all our memory-letters enclosed. She then copied each one and sent a copy to all of us. Each one was carefully rolled and tied with a ribbon. It was a wonderful way to let our uncle and aunt know how much they meant to each of us. And we each learned a little something about our siblings' experience with our aunt and uncle and even some things about ourselves that we'd forgotten.
It is evident that a lot of love went into that project and I'm glad she did it and encouraged us to be part of it. What a nice way to say thank you to people who have been an important part of our lives for so many years.
I'm so happy she retired. She spent many years trying to recover from an industry downturn that meant her long-time employer went bankrupt and she had to start over -- not just in a new job, but had to learn new skills and start over at the bottom of the corporate ladder. She'd sacrificed much to help my parents stay together in their home, and that decreased her employment options.
All her life, she was the responsible one. And I think that took something away from her. In retirement, she can relax more, not worry about improving her job skills or employability. She can take an interesting job/project for a time and work at a reasonable pace. She can choose and that is probably the most important thing. So, Happy Birthday Maureen. I hope your day is sweet and relaxing. Do something fun. Do something just for you!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Denmark Rising - Part IV
Before fixing dinner last night, I finished Barry Clemson's novel, Denmark Rising. As I said in yesterday's blog, I already knew the outcome in general. But Clemson has written well and has made me care about the characters in the book. Most of them are real names, of real people, with some interpretation on Clemson's part about their feelings and actions on the day-to-day basis. It is a delicate balance -- writing about historical figures while staying true to what we do know about them. Completing the book gave me some closure as to what happened to many of the characters who were prominent throughout the book and about whom I was very curious.
War takes its toll in many ways and these characters were no exception. Clemson brings to light ethical, moral, and human issues throughout the novel. These are just a few that come to my mind from my reading this week.
Let me know what you think after you read Denmark Rising.
War takes its toll in many ways and these characters were no exception. Clemson brings to light ethical, moral, and human issues throughout the novel. These are just a few that come to my mind from my reading this week.
- Danish youth and adults who were angry about the occupation and felt that Viking warriors should rise up and strike back -- how to convince them that strategic nonviolence is an appropriate response and is actually a weapon?
- German Wermarcht (regular army) who served in Denmark throughout Germany's occupation and saw no reason to kill civilians who'd done no harm to them -- how do they resolve orders to kill them against their Christian upbringing?
- Can you order an action, knowing it will result in the deaths of innocents, yet it means far fewer people will die than if you ordered alternative actions?
- When "my turn" comes for punishment from the oppressor, will I stand up and face it or will I run and hide, leaving my comrades to face my punishment?
- How can I practice nonviolence yet plan actions that will kill many others, even if they are the enemy? Can we do anything to prevent those deaths while maintaining our resistance?
Let me know what you think after you read Denmark Rising.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Denmark Rising - Parts II & III
Yesterday I wrote about this novel by Barry Clemson and said I'd read Part II last night. I did. Then I stayed up later and read Part III as well. If I didn't have to get up for work this morning, I'd have read Part IV; this book is that good.
I am engaged with this story and don't want to put it down. I already know the outcome. World War II has been for over many years. The German tyranny against the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and other "non pure" groups is well documented. Many of the officers who participated in Hitler's persecution have been brought to trial and found guilty. Others are still being hunted.
So what makes this book so compelling? I admit to being fascinated with history. The people who tell me that history is boring just haven't read the books I've read. Books such as "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich;" some non-fiction books I read many years ago -- one set in Poland describing Jewish exiles' escape attempts -- another set in Russia describing a young man's years as a member of the Russian Youth Brigade who was trained to persecute any religious practitioners and given wide latitude in their own personal habits; this is living history.
Denmark Rising is fictional but uses living history to go beyond storytelling to raise important philosophical questions and introduce strategic nonviolence on a grand scale. It is a timely novel, engaged as we are in two wars so far away from our own safe homes and facing the terrorism threats that have pervaded other parts of the world far longer. Can peaceful, strategic nonviolence work on a large scale? Can it work in today's conflicts? What are we willing to sacrifice to make it work? Is that sacrifice less than the price we are currently paying?
Read the book and ask yourself these questions. If you are a teacher, use the book as a springboard for discussion with your students. If you are a student, introduce it to your teachers/faculty. Clemson has provided a discussion forum, Teaching with Denmark Rising, to aide you. While reading and discussing, also take time to appreciate the readability of this book and check out other works by Clemson.
Good Reading to You,
Claire
I am engaged with this story and don't want to put it down. I already know the outcome. World War II has been for over many years. The German tyranny against the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and other "non pure" groups is well documented. Many of the officers who participated in Hitler's persecution have been brought to trial and found guilty. Others are still being hunted.
So what makes this book so compelling? I admit to being fascinated with history. The people who tell me that history is boring just haven't read the books I've read. Books such as "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich;" some non-fiction books I read many years ago -- one set in Poland describing Jewish exiles' escape attempts -- another set in Russia describing a young man's years as a member of the Russian Youth Brigade who was trained to persecute any religious practitioners and given wide latitude in their own personal habits; this is living history.
Denmark Rising is fictional but uses living history to go beyond storytelling to raise important philosophical questions and introduce strategic nonviolence on a grand scale. It is a timely novel, engaged as we are in two wars so far away from our own safe homes and facing the terrorism threats that have pervaded other parts of the world far longer. Can peaceful, strategic nonviolence work on a large scale? Can it work in today's conflicts? What are we willing to sacrifice to make it work? Is that sacrifice less than the price we are currently paying?
Read the book and ask yourself these questions. If you are a teacher, use the book as a springboard for discussion with your students. If you are a student, introduce it to your teachers/faculty. Clemson has provided a discussion forum, Teaching with Denmark Rising, to aide you. While reading and discussing, also take time to appreciate the readability of this book and check out other works by Clemson.
Good Reading to You,
Claire
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Denmark Rising - "The Danes said, 'No!'”
Barry Clemson has written a fascinating, fictional novel that poses the question, "What if the Danish government led its people in nonviolent resistance against the German army in Germany's occupation of Denmark in WW II?"
Although fiction, it is historically accurate regarding this period of great uncertainty and brutality. The main exception to this accuracy is in presenting the Danish government as leading this nonviolent resistance. In truth, it was a grassroots resistance effort that slowed Germany's efforts in Denmark for several years. Danish government finally did say "No," when Germany tried to arrest Danish Jews in 1943.
I admittedly was eager to read the book, so when it arrived in my mailbox Monday I put everything else aside for the evening and started reading. I didn't stop until I'd finished Part I. From the opening paragraph, Denmark Rising captured me. I am putting this evening aside to read Part II.
Clemson's passion for "liberty, equality, and justice," and strategic nonviolent responses to abuses of these, is reflected in his work. A self-proclaimed scientist/activist/novelist, Barry writes and educates. He hopes Denmark Rising will be used to help teach and understand the philosophy of nonviolent resistance.
This page on Clemson's website helps explain his strategic nonviolent response philosophy. In that article, Clemson explains the "John Wayne syndrome," in which there are only warriors and cowards; there are "good guys," "bad guys,"and the people who need to be saved from the bad guys. Our television and movie world is filled with examples of John Wayne syndrome in action. It becomes easy to emulate because it is so visible.
However, there are many examples of strategic nonviolence available. We just have to search a bit more for them. Some examples, include Jesus, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) is an example of an organization that led nonviolent responses to racial oppression in the American South. With that group, Clemson experienced first-hand how strategic nonviolence could radically change the attitudes of many and lead government to change.
Add Denmark Rising to your reading list and enjoy a thought-provoking yet easy read. It may give you food for thought and the soul.
For reviews of Denmark Rising, see this page on Clemson's site.
Although fiction, it is historically accurate regarding this period of great uncertainty and brutality. The main exception to this accuracy is in presenting the Danish government as leading this nonviolent resistance. In truth, it was a grassroots resistance effort that slowed Germany's efforts in Denmark for several years. Danish government finally did say "No," when Germany tried to arrest Danish Jews in 1943.
Clemson's passion for "liberty, equality, and justice," and strategic nonviolent responses to abuses of these, is reflected in his work. A self-proclaimed scientist/activist/novelist, Barry writes and educates. He hopes Denmark Rising will be used to help teach and understand the philosophy of nonviolent resistance.
This page on Clemson's website helps explain his strategic nonviolent response philosophy. In that article, Clemson explains the "John Wayne syndrome," in which there are only warriors and cowards; there are "good guys," "bad guys,"and the people who need to be saved from the bad guys. Our television and movie world is filled with examples of John Wayne syndrome in action. It becomes easy to emulate because it is so visible.
However, there are many examples of strategic nonviolence available. We just have to search a bit more for them. Some examples, include Jesus, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) is an example of an organization that led nonviolent responses to racial oppression in the American South. With that group, Clemson experienced first-hand how strategic nonviolence could radically change the attitudes of many and lead government to change.
Add Denmark Rising to your reading list and enjoy a thought-provoking yet easy read. It may give you food for thought and the soul.
For reviews of Denmark Rising, see this page on Clemson's site.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Happy Birthday Kathleen
We are a large family (8 children - all adults now, living all over the country). Growing up in a large clan like this means we learned to deal with many different personalities and we are representative of several generations and life experiences.
Kathleen is one of those people who thinks things through, sees alternatives, and works to make things work. She inspires others and is a catalyst for getting things done.
I admire how she worked for so many years and earned both her bachelor and master degrees later in life while working full time. She helped my parents so much, especially in their later years, sacrificing her time, energy, and money to make sure they were able to stay in their home even through severe illnesses. I'll save the "thank you's" to my other sister, Maureen, for her birthday which is later this month.
There were weeks and probably months that Kathleen never saw her own apartment, as she'd fly in from a multi-day trip for work and immediately get on another plan to come to Boston to stay a few days with my parents and take care of their needs. Then she'd be off to another work trip and repeat the process just a few days later. Oh, and she was studying for school at the same time.
Her sacrifices made it easier for Maureen and me, who were more local, to do our part. Without Kathleen, though, I suspect the system wed' set up would have broken down. As I said, she's a catalyst. Within minutes of arriving somewhere, she's figured out what needs to be done and gets it started. I think that's why she's good at her career in financial planning and investing.
Everyone needs someone "outside" to review what and where they are in life so they can plan for the future. Kathleen is good at looking at a person, their relationships and finances, and helping them figure out what do to next to prepare for the future. She's careful about what and whom she chooses to associate with. She doesn't look for the quick fix that gives an immediate but false sense of security. She looks longer term and tries to balance now with future.
That's probably why she's someone I can go to for advice for just about anything in my life. She thinks about now and future before saying anything. She considers the relationships involved and isn't afraid to point out where some may be holding you back. Whether it's a person or a job or whatever, she looks at the situation and gives her assessment of how it's affecting you; then she advises you.
More importantly, she doesn't say "I told you so," if you choose another path. She just helps you move on. That's admirable in any relationship. It's invaluable in a friend and in a family member.
Happy Day and I hope many more will come.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
People often express amazement at how many volunteers across the nation work as VITA Volunteers, taking many hours of training and then reporting after work each day or spending all day Saturdays during tax season preparing other people's taxes.
This short video offers some insight into that and offers food for thought for management about motivating paid employees as well.
This short video offers some insight into that and offers food for thought for management about motivating paid employees as well.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
When Social Networking "Friends" Become Abusers
Friend or Abuser?
It's really sad when people who have friended you on a social networking site (or they just have your email address) become so obsessed with what they can do that they force it upon everyone else. I'm talking about the people who send out photos, videos, or other things they come across to "everybody" in their friend list, even when asked to stop.
Getting an inspirational clip, story, or photo/video is nice; sharing such is nice. But I think that sending these to everyone at once diminishes the intent. Getting a message that was shared with "you and 168 other friends" means they didn't really think about sending it to me. They just wanted to send it to anyone - to everyone -they just have to send it - maybe it's just plain obsession.
How Can I Not Want All This Great Stuff?
What is worse is the reaction some people have when you ask them to stop sending you these. Hey, I'm working 60 hours/week, even from home early in the morning, and manage 10+ email accounts for various programs. I don't have time for this stuff to fill my mailbox; I don't want to wade through all the messages that so-and-so has sent you a video and then see all the responses, "Oh, that's awsome;" "Hey, that's really cool." Getting that stuff ocassionally is one thing. But getting several a day from the same sender is too much. I get the feed on my social networking site, so if I want to view it I can do it.
I can't just shut off this sender without shutting off all the alerts and there are things I want to get. I'd even appreciate stuff from this person if it wasn't so much, so often. It's become an obsession. When do these people actually work?
Asking People to Stop Sending You Stuff
So far, I haven't found a good way to stop getting stuff from one person without shutting everything off. I've privately messaged the person, asking them to take me off their "send" list for these things. I've explained my time constraints and how it's clogging my mailbox. I've received the "Oh, I'm so sorry; I never meant to offend you" responses. They promise they'll be more considerate.
...and then? Well, sad to say, the volume increases. Now instead of getting them every few days or several in a day, I'm getting daily multiple doses. It's as if I've opened a floodwater from that individual. Sadly, I have had to "unFriend" such people from my social networking groups.
True Friends "Get It"
I will say that there are one or two people who send a lot of emails or requests and when it starts to get to be too much, I'm simply emailed and reminded them that 10-15 posts in the same day is too much for me. I end up sorting by their name and deleting everything so I can get back to my own business. These are true friends because they respond with an apology and then edit their "sends" to not include me in all the trivia. What I want to hear from friends is how THEY are, what is going on for THEM, not every cool picture or website they visited that day. Then, when they do share something, it is special and it is a friend sharing, not spam.
What They Do When They Don't "Get It"
Well, now I'm sure I'm dealing with an obsession because the individual I've unFriended starts adding my name to every other social networking site they belong to. I get their invitations to connect, and every few days a reminder to connect. Yes, I know the reminders are automatically sent by the program, but most of them have a selection button to do that. And, the initial invitation demonstrates that this person just cannot believe someone would unFriend them. How Dare I - who am I to unfriend them - they'll teach me a lesson!
Why It's Abusive
I consider this abusive of me and my time. This person is not my friend. I'm a number on their social networking site that increases the number of friends they have. They are not interested in connecting with me, personally. They're just interested in pushing themselves on me and others. They want those hundreds of alerts sent out so they get the "That's awesome; really cool," responses back so they can sit back and read and reread them and feel good about themselves.
This is really sad. Have we, with all the promise and good parts of the web, created yet another source of people turning inward and only feeling good about themselves by the number of friends and posts on their social networking sites? What about getting up off the chair, going outside, and connecting with a real person? What about asking that person how their day is going? Instead of sending an "inspirational" message created by someone else, how about thinking of a way to make someone physically near you feel good about themselves when they're having a bad day? Make something for them; a pot of tea, some baked goods, a card that expresses that you feel badly when they're having a bad day?
Be a Friend, Not an Abuser
Let's remember to connect in real time with real people, face-to-face no less, and edit ourselves a little bit. I think we'll discover that numbers on social networking sites aren't a measure of our worth. What matters is how we feel about ourselves and whether people in real life actually value time they spend with us. If it's always about trivia, it's acquaintanceship, not friendship.
But let's not abuse our acquaintances either. After all, every friendship begins with an acquaintanceship.
It's really sad when people who have friended you on a social networking site (or they just have your email address) become so obsessed with what they can do that they force it upon everyone else. I'm talking about the people who send out photos, videos, or other things they come across to "everybody" in their friend list, even when asked to stop.
Getting an inspirational clip, story, or photo/video is nice; sharing such is nice. But I think that sending these to everyone at once diminishes the intent. Getting a message that was shared with "you and 168 other friends" means they didn't really think about sending it to me. They just wanted to send it to anyone - to everyone -they just have to send it - maybe it's just plain obsession.
How Can I Not Want All This Great Stuff?
What is worse is the reaction some people have when you ask them to stop sending you these. Hey, I'm working 60 hours/week, even from home early in the morning, and manage 10+ email accounts for various programs. I don't have time for this stuff to fill my mailbox; I don't want to wade through all the messages that so-and-so has sent you a video and then see all the responses, "Oh, that's awsome;" "Hey, that's really cool." Getting that stuff ocassionally is one thing. But getting several a day from the same sender is too much. I get the feed on my social networking site, so if I want to view it I can do it.
I can't just shut off this sender without shutting off all the alerts and there are things I want to get. I'd even appreciate stuff from this person if it wasn't so much, so often. It's become an obsession. When do these people actually work?
Asking People to Stop Sending You Stuff
So far, I haven't found a good way to stop getting stuff from one person without shutting everything off. I've privately messaged the person, asking them to take me off their "send" list for these things. I've explained my time constraints and how it's clogging my mailbox. I've received the "Oh, I'm so sorry; I never meant to offend you" responses. They promise they'll be more considerate.
...and then? Well, sad to say, the volume increases. Now instead of getting them every few days or several in a day, I'm getting daily multiple doses. It's as if I've opened a floodwater from that individual. Sadly, I have had to "unFriend" such people from my social networking groups.
True Friends "Get It"
I will say that there are one or two people who send a lot of emails or requests and when it starts to get to be too much, I'm simply emailed and reminded them that 10-15 posts in the same day is too much for me. I end up sorting by their name and deleting everything so I can get back to my own business. These are true friends because they respond with an apology and then edit their "sends" to not include me in all the trivia. What I want to hear from friends is how THEY are, what is going on for THEM, not every cool picture or website they visited that day. Then, when they do share something, it is special and it is a friend sharing, not spam.
What They Do When They Don't "Get It"
Well, now I'm sure I'm dealing with an obsession because the individual I've unFriended starts adding my name to every other social networking site they belong to. I get their invitations to connect, and every few days a reminder to connect. Yes, I know the reminders are automatically sent by the program, but most of them have a selection button to do that. And, the initial invitation demonstrates that this person just cannot believe someone would unFriend them. How Dare I - who am I to unfriend them - they'll teach me a lesson!
Why It's Abusive
I consider this abusive of me and my time. This person is not my friend. I'm a number on their social networking site that increases the number of friends they have. They are not interested in connecting with me, personally. They're just interested in pushing themselves on me and others. They want those hundreds of alerts sent out so they get the "That's awesome; really cool," responses back so they can sit back and read and reread them and feel good about themselves.
This is really sad. Have we, with all the promise and good parts of the web, created yet another source of people turning inward and only feeling good about themselves by the number of friends and posts on their social networking sites? What about getting up off the chair, going outside, and connecting with a real person? What about asking that person how their day is going? Instead of sending an "inspirational" message created by someone else, how about thinking of a way to make someone physically near you feel good about themselves when they're having a bad day? Make something for them; a pot of tea, some baked goods, a card that expresses that you feel badly when they're having a bad day?
Be a Friend, Not an Abuser
Let's remember to connect in real time with real people, face-to-face no less, and edit ourselves a little bit. I think we'll discover that numbers on social networking sites aren't a measure of our worth. What matters is how we feel about ourselves and whether people in real life actually value time they spend with us. If it's always about trivia, it's acquaintanceship, not friendship.
But let's not abuse our acquaintances either. After all, every friendship begins with an acquaintanceship.
Friday, February 19, 2010
School Used Laptop Webcams to View Students at Home
This one goes in the utterly stupid corner. Utterly Stupid. Utterly Wrong. Utterly deserving of a lawsuit.
When we think about students who don't know how to do basic research, maybe we should look at who's educating them? If school districts and educators think it is all right to install and turn on electronic surveillance devices, in this situation the webcams installed on the school-provided laptops, to observe students' behavior while out of school -- well, they haven't done their research. To make this even worse, they never even informed the students or parents about this monitoring capability. Now they're being sued.
They should be sued. Whoever signed off on this and whoever used it should lose their jobs. Let's face it, I don't always agree with the ACLU on some privacy issues. I wish there were more surveillance cameras in my apartment building because of the vandalism and other issues we have to put up with caused by other people who live there and/or their friends or people that they just let into the building who don't belong there. But that doesn't mean I would agree to cameras everywhere.
Viewing students at home, under the premise that you are monitoring their use of the school-provided laptop, is wrong! You can install software on the computer that would monitor where they surf, if your goal is to keep them from using the laptop to view inappropriate websites. But you cannot simply turn on a webcam when the laptop is most likely in someone's home, to see what they're doing.
I won't say more; I'll let others say what they think. You can read a brief article on Boing Boing. Or, click here for the site noting the class action lawsuit that has been filed; it has a pretty clear description of the charges filed against the school.
When we think about students who don't know how to do basic research, maybe we should look at who's educating them? If school districts and educators think it is all right to install and turn on electronic surveillance devices, in this situation the webcams installed on the school-provided laptops, to observe students' behavior while out of school -- well, they haven't done their research. To make this even worse, they never even informed the students or parents about this monitoring capability. Now they're being sued.
They should be sued. Whoever signed off on this and whoever used it should lose their jobs. Let's face it, I don't always agree with the ACLU on some privacy issues. I wish there were more surveillance cameras in my apartment building because of the vandalism and other issues we have to put up with caused by other people who live there and/or their friends or people that they just let into the building who don't belong there. But that doesn't mean I would agree to cameras everywhere.
Viewing students at home, under the premise that you are monitoring their use of the school-provided laptop, is wrong! You can install software on the computer that would monitor where they surf, if your goal is to keep them from using the laptop to view inappropriate websites. But you cannot simply turn on a webcam when the laptop is most likely in someone's home, to see what they're doing.
I won't say more; I'll let others say what they think. You can read a brief article on Boing Boing. Or, click here for the site noting the class action lawsuit that has been filed; it has a pretty clear description of the charges filed against the school.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Haitian Relief Effort; Local Groups & Individuals Can Help
It seems silly to say it aloud, but sometimes there is so much going on that it's difficult to focus on one thing to write about. Combine that with my schedule and many projects and it makes it more difficult.
Or, write a check to the Tri-City Haitian Relief Effort and send it to Century Bank, 140 Ferry Street, Malden, MA 02148. Or, by 1/29/10, send it to Tri-CAP, 110 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148. Your check will be deposited to the Century Bank relief account. The money will be added to Tri-CAP staff and board contributions to cover the cost of a plane ticket to Haiti ($500) so medical personnel can go there and aid earthquake victims.
The fund was established by local Haitian churches, Tri-CAP, and Century Bank. Local Haitian nurses, doctors, and LPNs from our tri-city churches will be going to Haiti on 2/6/10 to bring aid directly to earthquake victims living on the streets in Port-au-prince. Those going have agreed to take only one change of clothes with them. They will carry suitcases filled with medical supplies.
Haiti Needs Help
So many people and organizations are trying to help the earthquake victims in Haiti and get information to their families in other parts of the world who don't know what has happened to family members, that I wont' post a lot on that. Suffice it to say, my day job (tri-cap.org, the area's anti-poverty agency) is one of the organizations helping to mobilize resources. Contact me if you're in the Medford, Malden, Everett, MA area and want to know more, especially if you can donate medical supplies (contact me for a list; just comment to this post & I'll get it). Or, write a check to the Tri-City Haitian Relief Effort and send it to Century Bank, 140 Ferry Street, Malden, MA 02148. Or, by 1/29/10, send it to Tri-CAP, 110 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148. Your check will be deposited to the Century Bank relief account. The money will be added to Tri-CAP staff and board contributions to cover the cost of a plane ticket to Haiti ($500) so medical personnel can go there and aid earthquake victims.
The fund was established by local Haitian churches, Tri-CAP, and Century Bank. Local Haitian nurses, doctors, and LPNs from our tri-city churches will be going to Haiti on 2/6/10 to bring aid directly to earthquake victims living on the streets in Port-au-prince. Those going have agreed to take only one change of clothes with them. They will carry suitcases filled with medical supplies.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Patience Required During the Holidays
Last night was a great example of how a little bit of patience can make a difference, especially during the holidays. I wasn't thinking about the fact that it was Christmas Eve when I stopped at the grocery store last night. I had been driving around the 2-4 miles required to let the "flat tire fix" work it's way through my always low tire before filling it with more air. And it had totally frustrated me that I paid for air at a gas station and the pump didn't work. I even tried it on another tire; no luck. This was the 5th gas station this month where I've tried to fill that tire and found a broken or unavailable air pump. And the attendant didn't seem to care that I'd paid for a service that wasn't delivered. He just took my gas money and I was on my own -- even though I had him try the pump too. I'll go back during the week and speak to the owner; I shouldn't have to pay for something that doesn't work.
So, back to the grocery store story. I needed 2 or 3 items to bake some rolls and a quiche this morning (my next task!). We grabbed a cart and heard the announcement: "Attention please, Stop and Shop will close in 20 minutes. Please bring all your items to the checkout line. We will close at 6 PM. Merry Christmas." We really did have only a few items to get and knew the store layout, so it only took us a few minutes to get what we needed and get in line.
Oh...very long lines. Seems everyone was stopping at the grocery store on their way home from work. One woman was taking charge while yelling back at the loudspeaker, "Hey, just put some Christmas music on. It would be nice to hear something pleasant for a change." She had no one behind her and snagged our cart and dragged it up behind her. "Come on, I'll be fast; don't worry. "
She talked nonstop; our new friend. We quickly realized that she probably has some mental health issues but was making the best of a crowded store with employees who wanted to get home. Thankfully, the store was staffed with extra help at the front, especially for those self-serve checkout registers like ours. She picked up some perishables someone had left behind and shouted for a store clerk to come get them before they went bad. Then she yelled at the loudspeakers again. We settled in for what we suspected would be a long wait.
Our new friend finally got to the register, still promising us that she'd be quick. Of course, she spent enough time gesturing and talking to us that it slowed her down. But she was compensating for the stress of the lines, the looks people were giving her, and her own internal issues that make such shopping difficult. She had a system. She'd put through 4 or 5 items, then go down to the end and bag them and put them back in her cart. She bagged each item separately -- yes, each single item got its own plastice bag and then was placed in two more bags; each item got 3 bags. I started to revisit Monk, recognizing that her OCD was in full force. So we just settled in and waited. We knew this would be a little bit of a wait but we really weren't in any hurry. The store was in a hurry, but that was immaterial. We were next in line and had no need to try to hurry this woman up.
She talked with us the whole time she scanned and bagged her items. Then she found an item that had a mark on the package. Oh, Oh. That usually means something has to go back. "You know," she said, "Normally I'd have to send this back, but I can adjust. I can do this." She really was trying to be quick, to adjust to the situation, and to hurry herself. I was impressed with her candor and efforts.
The young man behind us moved to another line and was out of the store before we got to the register. But we stayed put and talked with this woman who was trying so hard to accommodate the situation and control her impulses. She was impressed that we were so patient, so I imagine that people generally give her a hard time. I was glad we were not on any sort of deadline, because we would have been out of the store much more quickly had we not been in line behind her. But we had no deadlines, no one waiting for us to bring dinner home, or anything like that. Spending a little more time in line, enjoying ourselves and talking with this woman, seemed like the right thing to do. She made it out of the store without the usual stress I imagine she feels and the store didn't have to deal with angry customers fuming over someone holding things up.
It was a small piece of the day, overall, but one that reminded us that everyone has their issues and problems. Sometimes these affect us; in this case, very indirectly. But this woman has to deal with this every day, all day; directly. A little patience on our part meant she could get out of the store still in a pleasant mood and we were still in the same frame of mind as well.
Patience. Isn't that one of the 7 Virtues? We don't practice it often enough. Road rage is largely due to impatience at the wheel. Texting while driving is largely due to impatience (can't wait to stop somewhere to safetly send a message). Pusing others, either verbally or physically, is often due to impatience.
I think we need to practice patience a lot more. It can help us slow ourselves down so we can appreciate others and ourselves even more. And it can help us when someone else isn't able to not do what they're doing that aggravates us so much. Like the woman last night, some things are difficult to control. Yet, she did try to control it and it was partly due to our patience with her. Our patience helped her relax enough to maintain some control over something that tends to control her.
So we gave each other a gift; our patience to her control. And isn't that what a Christmas gift should be all about?
So, back to the grocery store story. I needed 2 or 3 items to bake some rolls and a quiche this morning (my next task!). We grabbed a cart and heard the announcement: "Attention please, Stop and Shop will close in 20 minutes. Please bring all your items to the checkout line. We will close at 6 PM. Merry Christmas." We really did have only a few items to get and knew the store layout, so it only took us a few minutes to get what we needed and get in line.
Oh...very long lines. Seems everyone was stopping at the grocery store on their way home from work. One woman was taking charge while yelling back at the loudspeaker, "Hey, just put some Christmas music on. It would be nice to hear something pleasant for a change." She had no one behind her and snagged our cart and dragged it up behind her. "Come on, I'll be fast; don't worry. "
She talked nonstop; our new friend. We quickly realized that she probably has some mental health issues but was making the best of a crowded store with employees who wanted to get home. Thankfully, the store was staffed with extra help at the front, especially for those self-serve checkout registers like ours. She picked up some perishables someone had left behind and shouted for a store clerk to come get them before they went bad. Then she yelled at the loudspeakers again. We settled in for what we suspected would be a long wait.
Our new friend finally got to the register, still promising us that she'd be quick. Of course, she spent enough time gesturing and talking to us that it slowed her down. But she was compensating for the stress of the lines, the looks people were giving her, and her own internal issues that make such shopping difficult. She had a system. She'd put through 4 or 5 items, then go down to the end and bag them and put them back in her cart. She bagged each item separately -- yes, each single item got its own plastice bag and then was placed in two more bags; each item got 3 bags. I started to revisit Monk, recognizing that her OCD was in full force. So we just settled in and waited. We knew this would be a little bit of a wait but we really weren't in any hurry. The store was in a hurry, but that was immaterial. We were next in line and had no need to try to hurry this woman up.
She talked with us the whole time she scanned and bagged her items. Then she found an item that had a mark on the package. Oh, Oh. That usually means something has to go back. "You know," she said, "Normally I'd have to send this back, but I can adjust. I can do this." She really was trying to be quick, to adjust to the situation, and to hurry herself. I was impressed with her candor and efforts.
The young man behind us moved to another line and was out of the store before we got to the register. But we stayed put and talked with this woman who was trying so hard to accommodate the situation and control her impulses. She was impressed that we were so patient, so I imagine that people generally give her a hard time. I was glad we were not on any sort of deadline, because we would have been out of the store much more quickly had we not been in line behind her. But we had no deadlines, no one waiting for us to bring dinner home, or anything like that. Spending a little more time in line, enjoying ourselves and talking with this woman, seemed like the right thing to do. She made it out of the store without the usual stress I imagine she feels and the store didn't have to deal with angry customers fuming over someone holding things up.
It was a small piece of the day, overall, but one that reminded us that everyone has their issues and problems. Sometimes these affect us; in this case, very indirectly. But this woman has to deal with this every day, all day; directly. A little patience on our part meant she could get out of the store still in a pleasant mood and we were still in the same frame of mind as well.
Patience. Isn't that one of the 7 Virtues? We don't practice it often enough. Road rage is largely due to impatience at the wheel. Texting while driving is largely due to impatience (can't wait to stop somewhere to safetly send a message). Pusing others, either verbally or physically, is often due to impatience.
I think we need to practice patience a lot more. It can help us slow ourselves down so we can appreciate others and ourselves even more. And it can help us when someone else isn't able to not do what they're doing that aggravates us so much. Like the woman last night, some things are difficult to control. Yet, she did try to control it and it was partly due to our patience with her. Our patience helped her relax enough to maintain some control over something that tends to control her.
So we gave each other a gift; our patience to her control. And isn't that what a Christmas gift should be all about?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"Thinking Out Loud: Feminist Edition"
For the past few months I have been been a recurring guest and sometimes co-host of the show, "Thinking Out Loud, Feminist Edition," on WUML, 91.5 FM, Friday 9:00 AM, produced by Charlotte Crockford in Lowell, MA.
Charlotte and I quickly became friends after re-meeting several years ago at the 501 Tech Club. We'd first met at the Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, when I was consulting to them and several other Lowell community based organizations on volunteer management. Charlotte was managing volunteers at this public access center and learning all she could about media publishing and broadcasting.
What I admire(d), then and now, about Charlotte is her energy, drive, and desire to mentor to younger people. In her retirement, she works harder now than she probably did during her working years. Always on the go - to a shoot or interview, training someone on portable, digital camera and sound equipment, looking for people to interview - whatever the task, it's move, move, move. Charlotte is unstoppable.
"Thinking Out Loud, the Feminist Edition" is a weekly show and Charlotte has interviewed many notable and not-so-well-known women, including Paula Poundstone, Linda Fife, Paula Fortier, Lorre Fritchy, Jaclyn Friedman, Paula Fortier, Tamara Krenn, Young Sisters for Justice in Philanthropy, Amy Goodman, and Angela Davis.
Just as important as the interviews, though, is the fact that Charlotte is training young women in studio technology and techniques through her show. She mentors to several young women and has mentored to both men and women over many years. She's a natural teacher and says she gets some of her energy from being around younger people. But I'll warn you that she outlasts many of them in a given day, so pack your energy bars if you're going on the road with Charlotte!
Some places to pick up the show include
Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Charlotte and I quickly became friends after re-meeting several years ago at the 501 Tech Club. We'd first met at the Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, when I was consulting to them and several other Lowell community based organizations on volunteer management. Charlotte was managing volunteers at this public access center and learning all she could about media publishing and broadcasting.
What I admire(d), then and now, about Charlotte is her energy, drive, and desire to mentor to younger people. In her retirement, she works harder now than she probably did during her working years. Always on the go - to a shoot or interview, training someone on portable, digital camera and sound equipment, looking for people to interview - whatever the task, it's move, move, move. Charlotte is unstoppable.
"Thinking Out Loud, the Feminist Edition" is a weekly show and Charlotte has interviewed many notable and not-so-well-known women, including Paula Poundstone, Linda Fife, Paula Fortier, Lorre Fritchy, Jaclyn Friedman, Paula Fortier, Tamara Krenn, Young Sisters for Justice in Philanthropy, Amy Goodman, and Angela Davis.
Just as important as the interviews, though, is the fact that Charlotte is training young women in studio technology and techniques through her show. She mentors to several young women and has mentored to both men and women over many years. She's a natural teacher and says she gets some of her energy from being around younger people. But I'll warn you that she outlasts many of them in a given day, so pack your energy bars if you're going on the road with Charlotte!
Some places to pick up the show include
- on Facebook
- at Spinitron
- on iTunes, although I am having difficulty getting the category for this; I'll update it later
Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving Day
On this Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to express my thanks for family, friends, a job in this tough economy, a roof over my head, and in general the people who accept me for who I am and not what I have.
While it's tough to pay the bills because the paycheck always seems just shy of catching up, I have a job and many people don't. I have a warm apartment and many are homeless. I have family and many are alone. These things are very important but we sometimes take them for granted. For the hundreds of thousands of Americans out there who have no job and/or no home, it's a daily reality.
Life is getting harder and harder for many every day. People are still getting laid off. Bank accounts are shrinking for those who have been out of work for months or even a few years. Temp work is not steady work, even for those with the necessary skills. Unemployment goes only so far, for those who were fortunate enough to get it and the several extensions they have made. Some folks who were laid off earlier in the game did not receive any of these extensions. They've been unemployed the longest and are getting the least help.
Many people who lived and worked quite normal lives, but may have had a mild emotional disorder, were hit hard by layoffs, little unemployment, and tough living situations have become "unglued," so to speak. Their slightly fragile psyche has lost the mental guards they'd always put in place in public. Now they are lost in the shuffle of struggling to pay rent, always a little bit behind, find work, see if they qualify for any assistance anywhere, and maintain their dignity in the process. It's a little like always being on stage and having to make wardrobe changes publicly. They are exposed, emotionally fragile, and quite vulnerable to a host of issues. A mild emotional disorder grows proportionately to the degree that their public facade slips, and the longer this continues the more difficult it will be to help them build themselves back to normal functioning. Soon they will be homeless; these are the people who will not survive in a shelter. Instead, they will become a statistic of the violence and abuse that occurs in some shelters when staff is not vigilant. [I am not denigrating shelters; many are good. But tight budgets that are getting cut even more mean shelters will be less able to be as vigilant as they need to be. Good staff can only do so much and it takes a tough psyche to handle shelter living.]
I realize this Thanksgiving message may sound very dour. It wasn't meant to be. Instead, I see the very people I have described above wishing me and other staff a Happy Thanksgiving. They come in with a smile more often than not. They search job boards & apartment listings, network with each other, attend networking events to learn of other opportunities, and do whatever they can to get out of the hole they're in. They are America's latest victims of greed, opportunism, and whatever you want to call the mess we're in. They are facing it as gracefully as they can.
So what is the good news in all this? The tenant association I advise collected food to give to our local food bank (Bread of Life in Malden, MA). The food bank is hosting a complete Thanksgiving Dinner at the high school today and scores of volunteers will be there to assist in peparation and serving. Some volunteers will be delivering those same meals to shut-ins. Many other organizations are doing exactly the same, all across America.
One thing Americans do is help people in need. I'm thankful for that too because it means that when I work with someone who is just getting into this "system" of need, I can point them to resources that help them out. Two resources in my area to find food pantries and soup kitchens, by the way, are listed below. It's the same list of sites, but one is calendar-based and the other is a geographic map of locations. If you are in need and live in my area, check them out.
While it's tough to pay the bills because the paycheck always seems just shy of catching up, I have a job and many people don't. I have a warm apartment and many are homeless. I have family and many are alone. These things are very important but we sometimes take them for granted. For the hundreds of thousands of Americans out there who have no job and/or no home, it's a daily reality.
Life is getting harder and harder for many every day. People are still getting laid off. Bank accounts are shrinking for those who have been out of work for months or even a few years. Temp work is not steady work, even for those with the necessary skills. Unemployment goes only so far, for those who were fortunate enough to get it and the several extensions they have made. Some folks who were laid off earlier in the game did not receive any of these extensions. They've been unemployed the longest and are getting the least help.
Many people who lived and worked quite normal lives, but may have had a mild emotional disorder, were hit hard by layoffs, little unemployment, and tough living situations have become "unglued," so to speak. Their slightly fragile psyche has lost the mental guards they'd always put in place in public. Now they are lost in the shuffle of struggling to pay rent, always a little bit behind, find work, see if they qualify for any assistance anywhere, and maintain their dignity in the process. It's a little like always being on stage and having to make wardrobe changes publicly. They are exposed, emotionally fragile, and quite vulnerable to a host of issues. A mild emotional disorder grows proportionately to the degree that their public facade slips, and the longer this continues the more difficult it will be to help them build themselves back to normal functioning. Soon they will be homeless; these are the people who will not survive in a shelter. Instead, they will become a statistic of the violence and abuse that occurs in some shelters when staff is not vigilant. [I am not denigrating shelters; many are good. But tight budgets that are getting cut even more mean shelters will be less able to be as vigilant as they need to be. Good staff can only do so much and it takes a tough psyche to handle shelter living.]
I realize this Thanksgiving message may sound very dour. It wasn't meant to be. Instead, I see the very people I have described above wishing me and other staff a Happy Thanksgiving. They come in with a smile more often than not. They search job boards & apartment listings, network with each other, attend networking events to learn of other opportunities, and do whatever they can to get out of the hole they're in. They are America's latest victims of greed, opportunism, and whatever you want to call the mess we're in. They are facing it as gracefully as they can.
So what is the good news in all this? The tenant association I advise collected food to give to our local food bank (Bread of Life in Malden, MA). The food bank is hosting a complete Thanksgiving Dinner at the high school today and scores of volunteers will be there to assist in peparation and serving. Some volunteers will be delivering those same meals to shut-ins. Many other organizations are doing exactly the same, all across America.
One thing Americans do is help people in need. I'm thankful for that too because it means that when I work with someone who is just getting into this "system" of need, I can point them to resources that help them out. Two resources in my area to find food pantries and soup kitchens, by the way, are listed below. It's the same list of sites, but one is calendar-based and the other is a geographic map of locations. If you are in need and live in my area, check them out.
- http://maldensquare.org/html/calendar.html (click on Hunger Network on the page)
- http://www.communitywalk.com/hunger_network/map/452893
Saturday, November 14, 2009
NASA Declares it Finds Water on the Moon
Last month (10/10/09) I posted a brief notice about NASA launching rockets into the Moon in its search for water. Yesterday (11/13/09), after several weeks of analysis, NASA announced success in finding water. A number of websites have interesting articles related to this and Google has modified its ever-changing logo to reflect this announcement.
The revised Google logo will only be there a short time, so check it out now. Google has also updated its Moon Map. Mashable has a brief article describing some of the new features, such as panoramic views, scientific charts, and more.
Other articles on Space.com, CNN Tech, and all the major news outlets have articles, but be sure to go to NASA's website for articles on what this means to the scientific community as well as future space exploration plans. One other site of interest, and it'll only take a few minutes to view it, is Live Science's page on the Top 10 Amazing Moon Facts. And if you're an armchair scientist, be sure to read the comments as other readers discuss the science of the facts. Just remember that many people talk as if they know their facts but that does not make it so. Don't confuse assertiveness with correct facts.
Personally, I am excited about all this. Having watched the space program grow from infancy - from looking up in the night sky to see Sputnik after its launch by the Russian space program and waiting for our own space program to develop, to Apollo missions, to today's missions - I eagerly await our next advancements in space. Go NASA! (Can you tell I'm off to homecoming today at NU?)
The revised Google logo will only be there a short time, so check it out now. Google has also updated its Moon Map. Mashable has a brief article describing some of the new features, such as panoramic views, scientific charts, and more.
Other articles on Space.com, CNN Tech, and all the major news outlets have articles, but be sure to go to NASA's website for articles on what this means to the scientific community as well as future space exploration plans. One other site of interest, and it'll only take a few minutes to view it, is Live Science's page on the Top 10 Amazing Moon Facts. And if you're an armchair scientist, be sure to read the comments as other readers discuss the science of the facts. Just remember that many people talk as if they know their facts but that does not make it so. Don't confuse assertiveness with correct facts.
Personally, I am excited about all this. Having watched the space program grow from infancy - from looking up in the night sky to see Sputnik after its launch by the Russian space program and waiting for our own space program to develop, to Apollo missions, to today's missions - I eagerly await our next advancements in space. Go NASA! (Can you tell I'm off to homecoming today at NU?)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Southwest owed no aplogy to woman kicked off plane
This morning's article about Southwest Airlines' apology to a woman who was taken off the plane because of her 2-year old's screaming irked me. Why should the airline apologize to someone who had no control over her child? The flight crew should have removed her, in my opinion, if the child's screaming outbursts,"Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy" really did prevent other passengers from hearing the preflight safety announcements.
An airplane is a very different environment and travelers need to demonstrate a certain level of controlled behavior if they want the privilege of traveling by air. Cabin crews (flight attendants and others) are not just glorified waitrons serving a blanket, pillow, or drinks. They are highly trained in safety and emergency procedures. They must make a judgement call regarding any situation that might affect passenger safety and that includes considering someone's preflight behavior and how that might escalate once in flight.
I have two sisters who between them had more than 70 years experience as flight attendants. The many stories they've told over the years about passenger behavior, dangerous situations (one was even highjacked to Cuba in the 60s or 70s), and overall airline regulations and safety make me a firm believer that I do not want to be on a plane with a passenger who cannot control their own behavior or the behavior of the children accompanying them. When I fly, I want to have confidence in the flight crew and the cabin crew. If they are not permitted to exercise some discretion over the risks posed by passenger behaviors, then we are removing from them one of the tools they have to ensure our safety.
But in today's society, it seems everyone wants an apology and they want money to accompany it. The mother in this episode is expecting reimbursement for having to rent a crib for her overnight stay in a hotel. If the mother had control over her child, she would not have been removed the from plane! So why should the airline cover the cost associated with her inability to control her child's behavior?
Watching some reality TV shows today demonstrates a marked shift in people's behaviors from when I grew up. In Parking Wars, we see people who state the city has no right to boot their car after they have xx number of unpaid parking fines and have shown no intent to pay. Then they try to drive off with or remove the boot, which they've just been told is illegal. In one episode, the man managed to drive off and in the process damaged three other cars. In Airline!, we see people berating gate attendants and supervisors or cabin crews over regulations the staff cannot break.
What makes people think this behavior is justified? In some cases, it is just to show off in front of a camera. But so much of it is also just plain ignorant, rude, selfish behavior that people engage in even without a camera present. Stand in any line and watch how people behave when they do not get what they want. Far too many people leave their manners at home when they go out, if they have any manners at all. They swear and scream at the window agent. They threaten. They broadcast their life story and personal business to everyone around them. The hope is that if they get mean and nasty enough, or just plain loud enough, they'll get what they want.
The standard today has become, "Since the best defense is a good offense, I'll be as offensive as I can be and get my way." Where I live, we have a gated entrance so you can only drive in if you have a cardpass or you are permitted in by a resident whom you buzz on an intercome at the gate. But people literally drive through the gate, breaking it, rather than stopping to buzz the resident. Or, they drive up your bumper when you're going through the gate and ride in on your cardpass. Hey, I'm not letting that person in and I don't want to be responsible for their behavior on the property. It's my cardpass they're coming in on. They have no right to do that and, technically, they're trespassing. I live here and they don't. But if I stop and get out and tell them to back up so the gate can come down, the first words out their mouth are, "Get the F---- out of my way, B----!" This is a total stranger and someone who has no right to be on the property until a resident permits them on it. And yet their first words are that.
This antisocial behavior is becoming the norm. And the norm is being channeled down to younger and younger children by parents who don't parent and older siblings and others who don't think about the effect their words and behavior have on children.
Parents who let their children run amuck and get in other people's way say nothing to them, but if you say something to the child, the parent comes screaming at you. "You have no right to say anything to my child! blah blah blah..." Well, if I even knew you were with the child I would have said something to you but you're on your cellphone and paying no attention, so how am I supposed to know you're the parent? You certainly are not in charge of this child's behavior! The old proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," has been lost on entire generations. If you don't want others to make comments to your children about their behavior, then you need to be aware of and manage your child's behavior!
I used to live near a public school and parents who drove their children to school were so obnoxious I vowed never to live near a school again! One day I had to get out of my car and knock on a woman's window to ask her to move her car which was blocking me in my driveway. Her child was already in the school but she wouldn't move until she finished writing out her checks to pay her bills! What made her think that parking in front of my driveway was OK? Why should I be late because she wants to sit and write out checks? Interestingly enough, I now live near two schools, but there is more parking and access available for them so I don't have the same problem.
Earlier in this post I mentioned that flying is a privilege. We have lost sight of the fact that many things are privileges and not rights. Driving is a privelege. Flying is a privilege. Many things are privileges and owners/operators have the right to deny you that privilege if your behavior warrants it. It is not all right to come into my establishment and let your children pick up things off my desk or run around as if it's a playground. It's not all right to bring your child to a restaurant and let them run around and play unless you're at McDonald's and they are playing in a designated play area. Oh, and at the local buffet, it's not all right to make your children -- who are supposed to be accompanied by adult at the buffet table -- be your waiters and keep running up to the buffet to get your meal and dessert. And I see that a lot!
This post is long enough and I think I've made my point(s)! Adults must be responsible for their own selves and for the children with them. If they cannot or will not, then they should be denied these privileges until they grow up and act responsibly. No compensation is due for denying privileges or revoking privileges based on inappropriate behavior!
An airplane is a very different environment and travelers need to demonstrate a certain level of controlled behavior if they want the privilege of traveling by air. Cabin crews (flight attendants and others) are not just glorified waitrons serving a blanket, pillow, or drinks. They are highly trained in safety and emergency procedures. They must make a judgement call regarding any situation that might affect passenger safety and that includes considering someone's preflight behavior and how that might escalate once in flight.
I have two sisters who between them had more than 70 years experience as flight attendants. The many stories they've told over the years about passenger behavior, dangerous situations (one was even highjacked to Cuba in the 60s or 70s), and overall airline regulations and safety make me a firm believer that I do not want to be on a plane with a passenger who cannot control their own behavior or the behavior of the children accompanying them. When I fly, I want to have confidence in the flight crew and the cabin crew. If they are not permitted to exercise some discretion over the risks posed by passenger behaviors, then we are removing from them one of the tools they have to ensure our safety.
But in today's society, it seems everyone wants an apology and they want money to accompany it. The mother in this episode is expecting reimbursement for having to rent a crib for her overnight stay in a hotel. If the mother had control over her child, she would not have been removed the from plane! So why should the airline cover the cost associated with her inability to control her child's behavior?
Watching some reality TV shows today demonstrates a marked shift in people's behaviors from when I grew up. In Parking Wars, we see people who state the city has no right to boot their car after they have xx number of unpaid parking fines and have shown no intent to pay. Then they try to drive off with or remove the boot, which they've just been told is illegal. In one episode, the man managed to drive off and in the process damaged three other cars. In Airline!, we see people berating gate attendants and supervisors or cabin crews over regulations the staff cannot break.
What makes people think this behavior is justified? In some cases, it is just to show off in front of a camera. But so much of it is also just plain ignorant, rude, selfish behavior that people engage in even without a camera present. Stand in any line and watch how people behave when they do not get what they want. Far too many people leave their manners at home when they go out, if they have any manners at all. They swear and scream at the window agent. They threaten. They broadcast their life story and personal business to everyone around them. The hope is that if they get mean and nasty enough, or just plain loud enough, they'll get what they want.
The standard today has become, "Since the best defense is a good offense, I'll be as offensive as I can be and get my way." Where I live, we have a gated entrance so you can only drive in if you have a cardpass or you are permitted in by a resident whom you buzz on an intercome at the gate. But people literally drive through the gate, breaking it, rather than stopping to buzz the resident. Or, they drive up your bumper when you're going through the gate and ride in on your cardpass. Hey, I'm not letting that person in and I don't want to be responsible for their behavior on the property. It's my cardpass they're coming in on. They have no right to do that and, technically, they're trespassing. I live here and they don't. But if I stop and get out and tell them to back up so the gate can come down, the first words out their mouth are, "Get the F---- out of my way, B----!" This is a total stranger and someone who has no right to be on the property until a resident permits them on it. And yet their first words are that.
This antisocial behavior is becoming the norm. And the norm is being channeled down to younger and younger children by parents who don't parent and older siblings and others who don't think about the effect their words and behavior have on children.
Parents who let their children run amuck and get in other people's way say nothing to them, but if you say something to the child, the parent comes screaming at you. "You have no right to say anything to my child! blah blah blah..." Well, if I even knew you were with the child I would have said something to you but you're on your cellphone and paying no attention, so how am I supposed to know you're the parent? You certainly are not in charge of this child's behavior! The old proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," has been lost on entire generations. If you don't want others to make comments to your children about their behavior, then you need to be aware of and manage your child's behavior!
I used to live near a public school and parents who drove their children to school were so obnoxious I vowed never to live near a school again! One day I had to get out of my car and knock on a woman's window to ask her to move her car which was blocking me in my driveway. Her child was already in the school but she wouldn't move until she finished writing out her checks to pay her bills! What made her think that parking in front of my driveway was OK? Why should I be late because she wants to sit and write out checks? Interestingly enough, I now live near two schools, but there is more parking and access available for them so I don't have the same problem.
Earlier in this post I mentioned that flying is a privilege. We have lost sight of the fact that many things are privileges and not rights. Driving is a privelege. Flying is a privilege. Many things are privileges and owners/operators have the right to deny you that privilege if your behavior warrants it. It is not all right to come into my establishment and let your children pick up things off my desk or run around as if it's a playground. It's not all right to bring your child to a restaurant and let them run around and play unless you're at McDonald's and they are playing in a designated play area. Oh, and at the local buffet, it's not all right to make your children -- who are supposed to be accompanied by adult at the buffet table -- be your waiters and keep running up to the buffet to get your meal and dessert. And I see that a lot!
This post is long enough and I think I've made my point(s)! Adults must be responsible for their own selves and for the children with them. If they cannot or will not, then they should be denied these privileges until they grow up and act responsibly. No compensation is due for denying privileges or revoking privileges based on inappropriate behavior!
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