Read responsibly
27 Sep 2009 4 Comments
in Books, Life, Thoughts Tags: Banned Books Week
My wife & I recently discussed the impact of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s controversial 2003 novel concerning the Holy Grail legend and Mary Magdalene’s role in the history of Christianity. Her point was that Brown’s book can be considered deleterious in that it causes Christians to doubt the teachings of the Church and question their faith. The author should be held responsible for the damage his book has done. My response was that intellectual freedom is of paramount importance. The artist must be free to express his thoughts and the public to experience them. Our debate soon centered on the concept of responsibility: Should artists be held responsible for the psychic impact of their creations? Does an artist’s freedom to convey ideas absolve him from the impact art has upon the viewer? Or should freedom be balanced with responsibility? Most would agree that shouting Fire! in a crowded theater is an irresponsible act. What about printing cartoon images of the prophet Muhammad? Where do you draw the line between the freedom to express and experience artworks, and responsibility for the results of such expression?
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Banned Books Week (BBW): Celebrating the Freedom to Read is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.
Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.
As the Intellectual Freedom Manual (ALA, 7th edition) states:
Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate; and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of the work, and the viewpoints of both the author and receiver of information. Freedom to express oneself through a chosen mode of communication, including the Internet, becomes virtually meaningless if access to that information is not protected. Intellectual freedom implies a circle, and that circle is broken if either freedom of expression or access to ideas is stifled.
Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
Related link: Banned Books Week adopts author’s anti-censorship poem as manifesto
Dog snuggie!
21 Sep 2009 4 Comments
in News, Thoughts Tags: Snuggie, Snuggies for Dogs
Remember Dad’s post about the Snuggie? That ridiculous yet surprisingly popular blanket with sleeves that captivated infomercial audiences last year? Well, the Snuggie has just gotten better more ridiculous, with a new, improved version for…. dogs!
Snuggie for dogs...
Really? Really, America? Do we really need blankets with arms for dogs? Dogs already have built in coats!
Snuggies for dogs? The catwalk doesn’t lie from USA Today
~MS the Younger (and decidedly mystified O.o)
Healing arts
18 Sep 2009 1 Comment
in Art, Life, News, Outsider art Tags: Survivors Art Foundation
Check out this interview Candyce Brokaw of the Survivors Art Foundation participated in at Galerie BelAge for the Suffolk County Department of Health on the 4th Annual “Outsider Art in the Hamptons Exhibition.” You’re sure to learn something of the healing power of art.
“In human services, we’re accustomed to regarding art as a means to recovery. In the art world, recovery can become a vehicle to create art.”
~MadSilence
Digital Bookmobile showcases eBooks
16 Sep 2009 3 Comments
in Book, Bookmobiles, Books, Life, News, Uncategorized Tags: digital bookmobile, eBooks
Digital Bookmobile - New York City Skyline
In an earlier post MadSilence discussed the history of the American bookmobile and predictions concerning the demise of these mobile book delivery systems. Now it appears the bookmobile has experienced not a decline, but a transformation, evolving from a purveyor of hardcopy books to digital ebooks.
As reported at DigitalBookmobile:
As Americans spend an increasing amount of time online at home and connected through mobile devices, America’s libraries are engaging readers digitally with eBook and audiobook downloads. The Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com) will showcase eBooks and other digital formats available 24/7 from America’s libraries with a unique exhibit at the 2009 National Book Festival on Saturday, September 26 in Washington, DC. The high-tech 18-wheeler, as part of a national tour, will feature download services available from more than 9,000 libraries worldwide. Visitors will be able to browse a library’s download website, sample eBooks, digital audiobooks, music and video on interactive PC and Mac computer stations, learn how to download, and, test compatible devices including the iPod, Zune, and Sony Reader.
The Digital Bookmobile is sponsored by OverDrive, Inc., a leading full-service digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video.
CNN recently reported on the growing popularity of digital books:
“The U.S. wholesale e-book market was about $50 million in 2008 (retail would be about double), but it’s growing exponentially,” McGuire said, citing figures from the International Digital Publishing Forum, a group that tracks the e-book market. [Hugh McGuire is CEO of Book Oven, an online company that builds Web tools for publishing e-books and print-on-demand titles.] McGuire said that in the first quarter of 2009, the wholesale market was about $25.8 million, an increase of 53 percent over the previous quarter. McGuire concedes that e-books are only 1 to 3 percent of the overall publishing market. But the success of the Kindle, and moves by Google — who, along with Sony, is offering free titles online — indicate a bright future, he said. “I would expect 20 percent of book sales to be digital by 2014, but some have predicted an even bigger percentage by then,” he said. “Twenty percent of the current book market is something like $5 billion.”
McGuire’s prediction that “20 percent of book sales [will] be digital by 2014″ gives me hope that printed and digital editions will learn to coexist in harmony. Printed books add beauty, grace, and warmth to our lives that ebooks just can’t provide.
~MadSilence
Galileo reborn, what about the rest of us?
12 Sep 2009 3 Comments
in Life, Thoughts Tags: Galileo, Indigo Girls, reincarnation
August 25th marked the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s telescope, an anniversary celebrated in typical Google style with a doodle dedicated to the Italian astronomer and philosopher whose achievements brought both fame and controversy.
Of course, as a newly-minted fan of the Indigo Girls, I immediately made the connection to their song entitled Galileo. And an interesting song it is. Listening to the lyrics on my daily train commute, iPod plugged in and humming, I struggled to make what I considered at first to be a difficult and artificial connection between Galileo and reincarnation, not understanding how Emily Saliers chose to incorporate such an unusual word into her lyrics, let alone make the conceptual connection.
Another recent lyrical innovation that has me scratching my head: Shakira is the only contemporary singer who to my knowledge has incorporated the word “lycanthropy” into her lyrics. “She Wolf”, “Auuuuuu!”
Not that I want to be reborn as a werewolf. The Wikipedia post on Galileo does a creditable job on explaining the connection:
“The song’s lyrics discuss reincarnation, partially through the lens of the story of Galileo Galilei, the 17th century physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the scientific revolution. The song’s chorus invokes both existential angst and Galileo’s genius with “How long till my soul gets it right/Can any human being ever reach the highest light/I call on the resting soul of Galileo/King of night vision, king of insight”, referencing both the clarity of physical vision made possible through his modernizations of the telescope and his support of Copernicanism, which stated that the sun, rather than the earth, was the center of the universe.”
Much of Saliers’ lyrics seem to address the mystery of karma, the law of cause & effect. Saliers laments, “And now Im serving time for mistakes/ Made by another in another lifetime.” The “other in another lifetime” is the same immortal soul, in a previous body. And those mistakes made previously that impact upon life today are examples of the influence of karma with its proffered learning opportunities. Karmic lessons may be perceived as positive or negative by the one who experiences them, whether they address “my fear of motion/ Which I never could explain/ Some other fool across the ocean years ago/ Must have crashed his little airplane” or artistic or musical skills perfected over multiple lifetimes.
The ultimate question concerns the completion of the cycle of rebirth: “How long till my soul gets it right/ Can any human being ever reach the highest light?” Stevie Wonder in the lyrics for Higher Ground is grateful for the opportunity to get it right and will keep on trying:
“I’m so darn glad he let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth I lived a whole world of sin
I’m so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin’
Till I reach the highest ground”
“Can any human being ever reach the highest light?” “The highest ground” that Stevie Wonder keeps on trying for? There is some sense to the idea that it takes multiple lifetimes to reach spiritual perfection. Although personally, I despair to think that this is as far as I’ve gotten over the past hundred lifetimes or so, taking great solace in the Roman Catholic Christian concepts of divine grace, mercy and salvation. Indeed the concepts of karma & rebirth can be beneficial within the context of a single lifetime as we learn from our mistakes and evolve to recreate ourselves on a continual basis. There are many examples of great men & women from history who aspired to “reach the highest light.”
French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s concept of the Omega point, that the universe and its inhabitants are constantly evolving towards higher levels of material complexity and consciousness, may be useful within this context.
And finally, what of Galileo’s karma? His advocacy of the heretical notion of heliocentrism would get him into trouble with the Roman Catholic Church. He was confined in his home under house arrest until his death in 1642. During this time he wrote a book on physics that would receive high praise from both Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. He was formally rehabilitated in 1741, when Pope Benedict XIV authorized the publication of Galileo’s complete scientific works. In 1992, Pope John Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled, as the result of a study conducted by the Pontifical Council for Culture.
~MadSilence
art for everyone
10 Sep 2009 6 Comments
in Art, Culture, Life Tags: 20x200.com, Jen Bekman
I received the gift of art for my August birthday in the form of two gift certificates to 20×200. The creators of the site believe Everyone Needs Art. Their formula for success:
(limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone
“As we see it, there are a lot of people out there who want to sell their art and a lot of people who’d like to buy it. They just have a hard time finding each other. The internet is the perfect place to bring those people together, and we’re exactly the right people to make it happen. We’re passionate about art and the internet at 20×200. We’re really excited about creating a place where almost any art lover can be an art collector.”
The concept is simple. Every week two new pieces of art are introduced on the website: one photo and one work on paper. Most images are available in three sizes. When the site was first launched, the smallest size was reprinted in the largest batch – an edition of 200 – and sold at the lowest price – $20. Hence the name 20×200. Larger sizes are available at higher prices. 20×200 creates an auction-like atmosphere (limited product, internet-expanded audience) with the sense of discovery (weekly new art works).
Of course what you get for $20 is a small print or photo, usually around 8 inches by 11 inches. What’s fun is that you watch expectantly as new pieces are unveiled, waiting to make your selection. It’s a great way to learn what selected artists are up to right now, providing bios and links to individual artist websites.
I’m patiently waiting for more of artist Jorge Colombo’s $20 prints to appear. Colombo creates iSketches drawn using an iPhone application called Brushes. I also enjoy the Charley Harper-ish look of artist Christina Muraczewski. Check out Ann Toebbe’s Red Plastic Plates as well.
Thanks, Carolyn, for the keen birthday gift!
~MadSilence
The Art of Australian Poetry – National Literacy Day
08 Sep 2009 2 Comments
in BloggersUnite, Books, Literature, On Books & Reading, Reading, Uncategorized Tags: Australia, Australian literature, Banjo Paterson, BloggersUnite, The Man from Snowy River, UNESCO World Literacy Day, Waltzing Matilda
UNESCO International Literacy Day
Tuesday, September 8th is UNESCO International Literacy Day!
On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.
September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world.
Some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.
In honor of Literacy Day, I’d like to introduce one of my favorite poets, whom I recently discovered through my Australian friend. Woohoo, that’s a big one, poetry and Australian lit in one go! The man I’m talking about is Banjo Paterson, a man who lived through some turbulent times (1864-1941) and used words to express his love for his country and the amazing people and natural landscapes that make it unique. Born in the bush, riding horses and working his uncle’s farm as a kid, he had many jobs including war journalist, soldier, jockey, lawyer and of course husband and father. He’s the man who who wrote the poem “Waltzing Matilda” which was eventually set to music and became one of the most quintessentially Australian songs ever. Here’s the Dubliners version, it made me run for the tissue box the first time I heard it:
The other poem he’s most famous for is “The Man From Snowy River:”
There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses – he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,
And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight…
The poem is actually really long, so you can find the full version here. “The Man from Snowy River” actually became movie in the 80′s. If you’ve never seen any Australian films (aka anything by director Baz Luhrmann) I’d really suggest hunting this one down, it’s a classic and absolutely beautiful. The first 5 minutes of the movie is this poem. I like listening to it even better then reading it…
I’d really suggest reading more of his poetry, but you might need a dictionary of Australian slang to understand it!
The Art of Catching Noodles
02 Sep 2009 2 Comments
in Food, Japan, Japanese Culture, Life Tags: fresh-water fish, ishikawa, iwana, Japan, Japanese food, nagashi somen, somen, Travel, Tsubata
流しそうめん, nagashi somen, is something you absolutely must experience if you come to Japan during the summer. Nagashi means “flowing” and “somen” is a kind of thin, white wheat noodle, very light and mild tasting. Typical of Japan, they’ve combined the great outdoors with a tasty treat for refreshing summer cuisine.
The waterfall the restaurant is set-up next to.
Playing in the stream after gorging ourselves!
Basically, bamboo or metal slides are set up and cold fresh water runs through the half-pipes. The person at the top of the slide yells “Iku yo!” “Here it comes!” and then throws bunches of delicious cold noodles into the slide. They float down and you grab mouthfuls from the slide in front of you. Since somen itself is pretty flavorless, you dunk it into めんつゆ, mentsuyu, noodle broth, in which you’ve mixed chopped green onion and grated ginger, wasabi and myoga (which are these wild looking little plant bulbs that taste like a cross between ginger, garlic and onion). Usually you pay about 500Y for 15 minutes of all-you-can-grab madness! It leads to noodle stealing and fierce competition even between close friends XD
We traveled to the middle of the mountains for our nagashi somen. You trek up a long mountain road to get there – it’s about half an hour from the nearest town. You get out of your car and trek into the woods, crossing over a strong little brook and find yourself in front of a 3-storey waterfall! The restaurant itself is set up on platforms that straddle the stream. It’s the ultimate natural eating experience!
In this video the kids are yelling “tabetai! tabetai!!” “I wanna eat it! I wanna eat it!” In America, this would be kids going “Ewwww! Fish! Gross!” Ahh cultural differences ^^;;;;
Action shot!
One of the best things about this little restaurant is it’s side dishes – especially iwana, a kind of sweet water fish that lives in the local waterways. They’re caught locally and kept fresh in a mesh metal cage set into the stream. The little old men who run the charcoal grills go downstream occassionally to net up buckets of fresh wiggling iwana, stick them on skewers whole, roll them in salt and then grill ‘em. They’re my favorite fish of all time!
Salt-roasted iwana!
~MS the Stuffed <3
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