Standing, for a moment, with refugees

Refugees, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq prepare to board a train at a refugee transit camp, or reception center for refugees and migrants, in Gevgelija, Macedonia on October 2, 2015.

The refugee crisis is inescapable in today’s news. Striking visuals emerging from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa illustrate a story of both desperation and hope. These images allow viewers to stand for a moment alongside migrants and refugees fleeing their home countries in search of a new life and new opportunities.

Refugees and migrants enter a registration and transit center in Opatovac, Croatia, on October 7, 2015. Approximately 4000-5000 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, pass through this border town every day on their way to Western Europe.

On November 14-15, the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) and VII Photo Agency mark 10 years of collaboration with a series of seminars and workshops at VII Perspectives: Migration. VII founder and Chair of IGL’s Program for Narrative and Documentary Practice, Gary Knight, will be joined by leading VII photojournalists for two days of dialogue and hands-on experience. A selection of several of the photographers’ work on the refugee crisis is highlighted below (via).

One thousand migrants and refugees from countries including Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, as well as regions of the Balkans and Africa at an emergency shelter at Olympia Stadiom in Berlin, Germany on September 24, 2015.

 

Photos by Ashley Gilbertson

Ashley Gilbertson’s images capture refugees – mostly from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, as well as regions of the Balkans and Africa – on their way into and through Europe during September 2015.

The exodus of people from Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East to Europe is the largest movement of people since World War II. Working in the refugee transit centers, which see thousands of people daily, the photographer notes that conditions at some of the camps are getting slightly better. However, some conditions – such as five hour train rides packed so tightly there is no room to move beyond the spot people are standing – reflect challenges in addressing the scale of the crisis.

Refugees primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are called to by volunteers as they land near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015.

Refugees primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are helped by volunteers as they disembark boats near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015. The Agean sea is particularly rough, with the first signs of winter storms beginning today. Many refugees were sea sick, some to the point of life threatening conditions due to dehydration and cold.

Kadoni Kinan, 26, a volunteer, helps a young Syrian boy as he disembarks a boat near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015. Kadoni Kinan left his home in Saragep, Syria five years ago. Kinan successfully filed for refugee status, and today lives in Belgium, where he studies Flemish at school and volunteers for the Red Cross.

Photos by Ed Kashi

In November 2013, photographer Ed Kashi went to Iraq and Jordan, working with the International Medical Corps (IMC). IMC is a humanitarian non-profit organization that provides aid and relief to those affected by conflict and crisis.

The photographer’s work reflects IMC’s efforts to increase awareness and improve not only the physical, but also the mental health of young refugees plagued by depression, fear, suffering, and the sense of a life turned upside down. His images intimately llustrates the plight of this lost generation.

Children gather in an enclave of tents at the Al Za'atri refugee camp for Syrians near Mafraq, Jordan on Nov. 25, 2013.

A young girl enjoys a lollipop while watching shoppers in the Domiz Camp for Syrian Refugees just outside of Dohuk, Iraq on Nov. 23, 2013.

Refugees walk through the overcrowded Al Za'atri refugee camp for Syrians, near Mafraq, Jordan on Nov. 17, 2013. There, International Medical Corps, IMC, is pushing to increase awareness and improve not only the physical, but also the mental health of young refugees plagued by depression, fear, suffering, and the sense of a life turned upside down.

Photos by Ron Haviv

Like Maciek Nabrdalik’s, this selection of Ron Haviv’s photographs are centered on the Lesvos, Greece. There, he has captured the work of volunteers helping refugees to arrive safely, as well as the migrants’ journey once they have made it to shore.

A refugees looks towards Turkey after arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos.

A Spanish volunteer lifeguard helps refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos.

While looking at these images of hope and love, I couldn't help but think, "Where is America?"

Then I remembered. We're building walls.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :   Amazing Photos  :  Humanity

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Humans of New York. S1: E1.

“Humans of New York began as a photography project in 2010.  The initial goal was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s inhabitants" (via). Since then, it has become one of the most popular ongoing documentaries of humanity, expanding over twenty different countries, and gaining over 18 million followers world wide.

Recently, the premiere episode of Humans of New York aired. Filmed over four years with more than 1200 interviews, BRANDON STANTON is sharing the lives of the people of New York, one story at a time (via). 

"These stories focus on specific populations, examining their experiences and the challenges that they face" (via), which is both encouraging and heartbreaking. 

Encouraging because we can be reminded that we are not alone in our hardships and difficulties, and heartbreaking because they are us and we are them. And when they ache, we all ache.

Or, at least we should.

You can follow Brandon Stanton and the humans of New York on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  Regular People, like us  :  Real People, Real Stories

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Stunning Native American portraits, by Kirby Sattler

Using an extremely thin brush, the main focus is now on the eyes - the most essential part of the painting. 

That last line needs repeating - "the most essential part of the painting." These are paintings, not photographs, and they are truly fantastic.

As this precise work is demanding and tiring, the work must alternate channeling the soul of the subject through the eyes, and other less involving details such as feathers, "models" for which are temporarily taped to the canvas.

The background and landscape elements are sketched as rough outlines. 

Out of all the stages of painting a portrait, this stage is the most crucial. This is when the painting's future is being investigated. 

If Kirby decides that he did not portray the emotion he envisioned, he will destroy the canvas (via).

I came across Mr. Sattler because, in my junior English class, we're studying Native American mythology. The other day, we used these paintings to discuss the inherited worldview of the various Native American people, which, although varied, tends to agree upon a few basic truths: mankind is subject and responsible to Nature. In many of their mythological stories, it is Nature - not the heavenly beings - that bring and sustain life. So it is Nature that they respect, worship, and honor. 

Their intricate headdresses are an extension and manifestation of their beliefs, their answers to the essential questions of life: what is the role of God, the role of Man, and the purpose of Life?

So we studied their faces.

This activity was the product of a hopeful new adventure in my teaching - Art Starts. It's a new theory and practice that stems from Gene Roddenberry's quote, "All art is an attempt to answer the question, 'What is it all about?'"

Not only do I fully agree with this statement, absorbing its truth into the classroom has provided me (and us) a powerful foundation to begin the school year, a sure rudder to guide each discussion, and an answer to the repeated question, "Why are we doing this? Is this important?"

"Because," I tell them, "Someone is giving you their answer to the greatest question we can ever ask, and if we aren't careful, we might begin to believe it. Whether we want to or not."

This methodology is in its infancy stage, so as of now there isn't much to write or produce, but I hope to share more as the year continues. 

But as of now, only two weeks in, I'm loving. So do the students because, whether they've been able to articulated it or not, deep down, they agree with Lyndon B. Johnson: "Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish." 

What better place to dissect, discuss, and interact with art than a classroom?

You can see more of Kirby Sattler's ridiculous art at his website.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Portraits  :  President Bush paints those who went to war  :  Art

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

The Tank Man : At the cost of life

Photo by Jeff Widener

There are several videos that capture this event, and a few with Jeff Widener describing the moments surrounding this iconic photo. They're all pretty good, but this one, the one without any music or explanation, is the best. Without the distractions, you can almost feel it. The crowd, the tanks, and the moment of a man who has finally had enough, and decides to do something about it.

Even at the cost of his life. 

No one knows what has happened to the Tank Man. He has never surfaced and no one has ever claimed him as a father, son, husband, or friend, but his actions have inspired countries and individuals around the world.

After yesterday's post on the Charlottesville shooting, remembering this event which occurred on June 5, 1989, seems most appropriate.

So does this quote, which was recently shared with me by a friend.

It reads,

We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.
- Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and the author of Night.

And this one, by Alan Patton: 

In the deserted harbour, there is yet water that laps against the quays. In the dark and silent forest there is a leaf that falls. Behind the polished panelling the white ant eats away the wood. Nothing is ever quiet, except for fools. - Cry, the Beloved Country

May we never be considered fools. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humility  :  Tank Man Documentary

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Charlottesville: An up-close look at race and terror

This is perhaps the best on-the-ground view of what went down in Charlottesville over the weekend. It’s graphic in spots. Prepare to be angry and sad and frustrated and scared (via).

Because this, too, is America. 

On Saturday hundreds of white nationalists, alt-righters, and neo-Nazis traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia to participate in the “Unite the Right” rally. By Saturday evening three people were dead – one protester, and two police officers – and many more injured. 

“VICE News Tonight” correspondent Elle Reeve went behind the scenes with white nationalist leaders, including Christopher Cantwell, Robert Ray, David Duke, and Matthew Heimbach — as well as counter-protesters. VICE News Tonight also spoke with residents of Charlottesville, members of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Charlottesville Police.

From the neo-Nazi protests at Emancipation Park to Cantwell’s hideaway outside of Virginia, “VICE News Tonight” provides viewers with exclusive, up close and personal access inside the unrest (via).

In the face of such hatred, how do we forgive? How do we improve? 

Where do we go from here?

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  How to Forgive  :  Chris Paul forgives the men who killed his grandfather

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Bacon and God's Wrath : After 90 years, a Jewish woman eats bacon

I was recently asked by a friend who isn't exactly an atheist, "What if you're wrong?"

He didn't ask this in an arrogant or A-hole sort of way - the way many people do - but in a genuine, inquisitive sort of way; in a way that lead me to believe he has asked himself the same question many times, and, more importantly, will continue to do so. 

Since that day, which was almost three weeks ago now, I haven't been able to put the thought down. Even now, my mind hasn't found a conclusion yet, and I doubt it ever will. Which is a good, I think, because, what if I am wrong? And not just about my faith, but about a million other things I feel so certain about that, seemingly, have grave and everlasting (or not) consequences? What if I'm wrong not just on a few small things, but a few huge things?

About people?

And about Life?

"What if you're wrong" might be the hardest, most important question to answer because if we are, it means we have to admit it, and that we have to change. 

It means having to say we're sorry, which, at times, is harder than sliding a camel through the eye of a needle. 

You're torn between the safety of where you are and the loyalty to your parents. I can't help but wondering if it's somewhat that's part of the genes. Part of the brain pattern. I think that for me, this is the essential part of the documentary.

That connectedness. It was more than I ever got from going to synagogue.

It's courageous to choose to the truth, even if that means abandoning what we know.

At the root of all humanity, there is doubt. We all doubt, even though we speak of absolutes and act with deep certainty, at the depths of us all, there is doubt. And because so, it should be something that unites us, not divides. Knowing that all of us are without absolutely certainty should fill us with compassion and patience, not arrogance and piety. 

At least, that's what Philip Seymour Hoffman says.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  On playing Devil's Advocate  :  Where Ideas come from  :  On Empathy

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Monica Lewinsky: The Price of Shame

At the age of 22, I fell in love with my boss. At the age of 24, I learned the devastating consequences. Not a day goes by that I'm not reminded of my mistake. And I regret that mistake deeply. In 1998, after being swept up in an improbable romance, I was then swept up into the eye of a political, legal, and media maelstrom like we had never seen before. It was the first time the traditional news was usurped by the internet for a major news story. A click that reverberated around the world. What that meant for me personally was that overnight, I went from a complete private figure, to a publicly humiliated one. Worldwide.

A few months ago I listened to Monica Lewinsky share her story on the podcast To Endure, by TED Radio Hour. The whole hour is worth listening to but Ms. Lewinsky's story, starting at minute marker 30:56, is truly inspiring, and revealing, and I strongly encourage you listen to the the interview. I thought it better than the TED Talk because, like she says from the TED stage, "It was easy to forget that that woman was dimensional." And she's right. This interview provided, perhaps for the first time in my life, empathy towards her and her plight. 

I was only fifteen-ish when the story broke, but my understanding of her then and up until I listened to her story was most certainly, one dimensional. Because it was easy. And because, if I'm honest, I didn't really care that much to change it. Now, I'm eager to.

Here is another dimension of Monica Lewinsky.

We need to return to being a culture of compassion. Compassion and empathy.

Since the scandal of '98, Monica Lewinsky went on to receive a Masters in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 2014, she released an essay for Vanity Fair named "Shame and Survival," which was nominated for a National Magazine Award. She's currently involved with anti-bullying projects in the U.S. and U.K. (via). 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Dangers of a Single Story  :  Humanity  :  TED Talks

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

"Former enemies, now friends" : WWII Vets reunite with Japanese soldiers

"An Oregon couple is providing closure to the descendants of Japanese soldiers killed in World War II by repatriating the "good luck" flags they carried into battle, which were acquired by American GIs. Lee Cowan talks to veterans and their families about a respectful and emotional return - and of a bond born of war and strengthened in peace" (via).

At age 95, Bud still doesn't take lightly. "I provided all the ammunition that killed all these folks. And I'm not exactly, totally happy that I did that. But at the time, that was my job. I couldn't question that.

Why is it important to return the flags now?

"It's a closer. You can't keep hating people."

"It wasn't some souvenir. It was their father come home."

This generation will soon be gone, and so will their stories, their lessons, and their pain. The oldest living WWII Vet is 109 years old. WWII wasn't good, but they had to go. And, more times then often, they represent the best of us. 

World War II veterans visited Iwo Jima for the 70th anniversary of one most iconic battles of World War II, March 21, 2015.

I recently passed a man in a local grocery store who was wearing a "WW II Veteran" hat. I walked past, in the traditional silence I pass most people in a grocery store. Later, I wish I had said stopped him and said, "thank you." Watching films like this affirms the need to do this in the future. To say thank you for going, thank you for shouldering the burden of coming home, and thank you for loving us all - the many men and women whom you'll never know - so much.

Our lives, our freedoms, are because of you. 

Thank you. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Real People  :  Humanity

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Privileged America, your table is ready

This morning, after listening to the podcast "State vs Johnson," by Malcolm Gladwell I was uncomfortable. No, that's not right. I was angry - pissed even - because I just hate stories like these. It's about a colored man accused of raping a white woman during the Jim Crow era. He didn't do it, but that didn't matter. She said he did.

The podcast ended about seven minutes before the walk was over so I had time to try and digest it a bit. It was a bit like trying to swallow a much too large piece of apple. After forcing it down with a giant chin-to-chest gulp, it scraped all the way down, leaving my chest soar and bruised for the rest of the day. Suddenly, simple eating becomes a painful chore. 

Around noon, I grabbed a beer and tried to sort out my thoughts. I drank coffee instead.

A few nights earlier, I wasted too much time watching Louis C.K. videos because a good friend of mine, Eric Trauger, always talks about him, and for good reason: Louis C.K. is brilliant - in a hysterically difficult to watch sort of way - because, well, he nails us. Right on the head. And it's super uncomfortable.

Especially if you're privileged white. 

In "State vs Johnson," Gladwell points out the parallel between Johnson's case and that described in To Kill a Mockingbird. The only difference being, Johnson didn't have Atticus Finch. He had a drunk who didn't understand the constitution, or the rights of all men.

(As a side note, I absolutely, with all that I know and am, disagree with Gladwell's assessment of Atticus' motive of persuasion).

Soon after the podcast ended, one thought that came to mind was on the idea of rights. After the trial, where Johnson was unsurprisingly found guilty, a new lawyer, Vernon Jordan, stepped in to try and rectify the verdict on the basis of violated Amendment rights - the fourteenth specifically- which says that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (via)." 

Johnson, a born citizen of the United States, had certain unalienable rights. But because of the color of his skin and because of the egregious actions he was assumed to have done, his rights were tossed aside, like crumbs on a picnic table. 

Suddenly, inherent rights, seam so fickle, so fragile, only as strong as the men and women who ensure them. 

The twin brother to rights is deserve, and in our American culture, we use them interchangeably. He or she deserves or has the right to do this or that, we feel the freedom to buy or do as we please because we deserve it, and please, feel the freedom to speak up and speak out because it is our First Amendment right, any high schooler knows that.

These ideas of complete independence and freedom are rooted in the declarations of our constitution, that all men are created equal and with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans, we understand these truths, and we hold them to be self-evident.

But, what if they're not? What if we don't actually deserve anything? What if we, really, have absolutely no right to demand any rights at all?

What if, like Atticus Finch, all we really have is the weight of responsibility. 

None of us chose anything about our birth, we just showed up, involuntarily. Louis C.K. hits on this when he says, "If it were an option, I would re-up (on being white) every year." 

That's a pretty important "if" because it emphasis the point that none of us had a choice in anything about how we came into this world. Not who are parents are, their nationality, or ethnicity they are or decided to have sex with. We didn't decide any of it. We had not a single bit of input. Even after we were born, our opinions didn't count. If our parents lived on a farm, we lived on a farm. If they moved to the city, we went along - kicking and screaming or otherwise. From the beginning, we had no say, none, on some of the most deciding factors of life. 

We didn't even have a say if we wanted to be born at all.

However, overtime, we begin to expect, demand even, what we are so confident think we deserve. 

Yet, these men and women, without rights and without privilege, shaped the course of America.

We know America is what we make of it. That, "the Tuskegee Airman, and the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Japanese Americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty (a right or privilege) had been denied" taught and lived out for us a great lesson on what it means to be American, and what it means to be human.

"We are all called to do something. We are all called, to play a role," not simply sit about, demanding our rights and privileges, but to live a life of deep responsibility, like Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Atticus Finch

Many of those men and women who walked that bridge, including that southern baptist preacher who had a dream, didn't look to the Constitution for strength to stand up and do something, they looked to their responsibility, their role within the time, and they made something of it. They were men and women of integrity, not entitlement. And they, along with many others both past and present, are what have helped make America great. Not their rights. 

But we're not finished. In fact, if we look around, I think it's clear to say we are far from it.

May we, especially those of us born into undeserved privilege, live in a similar way and with like conviction and embrace the roles we are called to play - to make our homes, our communities, our country and our world great, not simply ourselves. To live, not with selfish and ambition, but with a sense of urgent responsibility, to use our gifts and talents and rights for the benefit of others, not merely ourselves. And to love. Good God may we learn to love and think of each others as more important than ourselves. 

Then, and only then, will We be great. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  History  :  The Misunderstood Black Panther Party

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Danny Macaskill : The Ridge

Sometimes, people amaze me.

Born December 23, 1985, Danny MacAskill is a Scottish trials cyclist, from Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. He works professionally as a street trials pro rider for Inspired Bicycles Ltd and is one helluva crazy dude. 

You can read more about Danny on his website and watch his new video, Wee Day Out where he explores the rural landscape around Edinburgh. The film "sets out to capture the simple fun of a ride in the country with moments of incredible riding and a touch of humor. Danny pulls off never-seen-before tricks, most of which would normally be assumed impossible on a mountain bike, like leaping onto a single train track, turning a hay bale into a giant unicycle, riding over a cottage, and disappearing into a 6ft puddle."

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :   Other Guys who will make your palms sweat  :  Great Wall Adventures

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

President Bush : in search of atonement

George W. Bush is painting portraits of soldiers, and they're pretty amazing.

"In his book, 'Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors'" Peter Schjeldahl writes, "President Bush has painted ninety-eight portraits of "physically and/or mentally wounded Armed Forces veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars" (via).

The quality of the art is astonishingly high for someone who—because he “felt antsy” in retirement, he writes, after “I had been an art-agnostic all my life”—took up painting from a standing stop, four years ago, at the age of sixty-six. Bush’s eye and hand have improved drastically since hacked images of a couple of clumsy, apparently nude self-portraits in a bathroom surfaced, in 2013. (He made those, he said, to shock his painting tutor—the first of three plainly crackerjack ones whom he acknowledges in the book.)

Bush now commands a style, generic but efficient, of thick, summary brushwork that aims to capture expression as well as physiognomy. There’s a remoteness in the use of photographs. The subjects aren’t present to the artist. They’re elsewhere. But they look honestly observed and persuasively alive.

I love this acknowledgement because it highlights the closeness, the intimate connection, President Bush has with these men and women - even if they're not physically present. He isn't painting their portraits as a publicity stunt or to merely "be liked" by a country that criticized him so often. He's doing it because his heart and mind are wrestling through the immense responsibility of being a President, of sending people he didn't know into war, while he stays behind.

A responsibility and weight we'll will never understand. 

President Bush sent these men and women into harm’s way, and they came back harmed—often minus limbs from I.E.D. and mine explosions—and, in all cases, traumatized to some degree. Ex-President Bush met them in the course of running a charity, the George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, which he set up to honor and aid veterans.

Bush’s portraits are accompanied in the book by upbeat tales of recovery . . . the book’s tone isn’t self-congratulatory. It’s self-comforting, rather, in its exercise of Bush’s never-doubted sincerity and humility—virtues that were maddeningly futile when he governed, and that now shine brighter, in contrast with Trump, than may be merited.

Having obliviously made murderous errors, Bush now obliviously atones for them. What do you do with someone like that? (via)

I love that concluding question, and I love that a New Yorker journalist asked it because a journalist of such caliber is supposed to answer questions, relieve doubt and confusion, and articulate a way we should and want to think. 

But he doesn't. Which makes it a perfect ending. Because it leaves it up to us - we are responsible for figuring it out - for concluding his thoughts. 

What do you do with someone like that?

Well, we Forgive,  empathize, and allow him to live outside of our constructed single story. We allow him to be a human who lived out his humanity on the grandest of stages, for everyone to see. And we allow him, and learn from, his attempts to seek amends. Because that's what heroes do.

And, if Michelle Obama can take to the former president, despite their vast differences, I think we all can.

I just love this photo and all that it represents. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :   Humanity  :  History of the "President"  :  A Mapping of US Presidents

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Where Ideas Come From

I think this is the same artist in Daniel Pink's, "The Surprising Truth About What Motivates You" which I also love. 

I also love the notion that ideas come not from isolation (as the Romantics might suggest), but from community and connection - from collaboration. 

Earlier this year I read, "Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed the World." It was okay. But, I did love this bit about coffee houses, "They came to be known as penny universities, because for that price one could purchase a cup of coffee and sit for hours listening to extraordinary conversations -or, asa 1657 newspaper advertisement put it, "PUBLICK INTERCOURSE." . . . "The coffeehouses provided England's first egalitarian meeting place, where a man was expected to chat with his stablemates whether he knew them or not" (pg 12).

The New York Times even went so far as to say that these places and opportunities, if filled with people of difference, has the ability to make us smarter because "When surrounded by people 'like ourselves,' we are easily influenced, more likely to fall for wrong ideas. Diversity prompts better, critical thinking. It contributes to error detection. It keeps us from drifting toward miscalculation." A process involving, and appropriately called, "Cognitive friction."

In and of ourselves, our ideas are incomplete, because we are. Which, to me, points to the beautiful completeness of a collective humanity and not the false bravado of self and isolated brilliance. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  On Creativity

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Check it - a documentary from Louis C.K.

Check It is a truly powerful documentary about the singular gang of gay black teens who warded off their vulnerability by becoming a protective family of their own while living on the streets of Washington, D.C. The film was directed by Toby Oppenheimer and Dana Flor with Steve Buscemi serving as executive producer. While wrapping up the excellent online series Horace and Pete, Buscemi invited co-star Louis C.K.to a screening of the film. The comedian was so impressed that he’s made the film available for purchase on his site (via).

The film knocked me right over. It was an amazing emotional ride. It was funny and moving, I learned a lot and it gave me a lot to think about after. …It’s not an easy film. It takes on life right where the rubber hits the road. What made me love it was just the kids themselves. They are like any kids, like anyone’s children. They are trying to cope against terrible odds, they are funny and full of hope and life. Their lives are difficult and complex.

The LBGTQ is, for sure, not my enemy, but they are unknown. Admittedly, I don't have many friends from this community, but I do have a few, and what I've discovered isn't all that surprising: we're more alike than we are different. 

However, and sadly, many would consider the LBGTQ community enemies, and because so, this sort of film would stir emotions of anger and frustration and possibly even an affirmation of some already held prejudices. To that, all I can say is the LBGTQ is not a single story, and they deserve, like anybody else, to be known. Even if they're not agreed with.

For a detailed history on "one of American history's darker moments," the Stonewall Riots, where the gay rights movement was galvanized in the United States, check out this episode on Stuff You Should Know.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  Listening to the Stories of others  :  How the Rainbow Flag Became a Symbol of LGBTQ Pride

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Human, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Below is a short excerpt from a film entitled, "Human" by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

"I am one man among seven billion others" Bertand writes. "For the past 40 years, I have been photographing our planet and its human diversity, and I have the feeling that humanity is not making any progress. We can’t always manage to live together.
Why is that?
I didn’t look for an answer in statistics or analysis, but in man himself."

Yann Arthus-Bertrand was born in 1946, and has always nurtured a passion for animals and the natural world. At a very early age, he began to use a camera to record his observations and accompany his writings.

On the occasion of the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, Yann decided to embark upon a major photographic project about the state of the world and its inhabitants: Earth From Above. This book enjoyed international success, selling more than three million copies. His open-air photographic exhibition was shown in around 100 countries and seen by some 200 million people.

Yann continued his commitment to the environmental cause with the creation of the GoodPlanet Foundation. Since 2005, this non-profit organization has been investing in educating people about the environment and the fight against climate change.

This commitment saw him appointed United Nations Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador in 2009. That same year, he made his first feature-length film, HOME, about the state of the planet. This movie was seen by almost 600 million spectators around the world (via).

You can watch the full-length movie here.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  On Living

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Critical Thinking does not mean criticizing. And it's time we separate the two.

Recently, and not so recently, I've been wrestling with the difference between critical thinking and criticism because, in and out of the classroom, the seem to have become synonymous. And they shouldn't be.

As in most cases, somebody has done a study on why this is, why we tend to criticize rather than encourage, and, as in most other cases, I disagree with the findings. 

Teresa Amiable, director of research for Harvard Business School, says we tend to focus on criticism because of hypercriticism and the idea that when we hear negative statements, we think they’re inherently more intelligent than positive ones (via).

Teresa began exploring hypercriticism back in the 1980s when "she took a group of 55 students, roughly half men, half women, and showed them excerpts from two book reviews printed in an issue of The New York Times. The same reviewer wrote both, but Amabile anonymized them and tweaked the language to produce two versions of each—one positive, one negative. Then she asked the students to evaluate the reviewer’s intelligence" (via).

For the excerpt that was negative, the students thought the author, “definitely smarter" and "more competent," but also “less warm and more cruel, not as nice."

“The brain," according to Prefessor Nass, "handles positive and negative information in different hemispheres," and "Negative emotions generally involve more thinking, and the information is processed more thoroughly than positive ones. Thus, we tend to ruminate more about unpleasant events — and use stronger words to describe them — than happy ones" (via).

Negative emotions involve more thinking, and are processed more thoroughly, which is why they are regarded as higher levels of thinking. It's also why "almost everyone remembers negative things more strongly and in more detail.”

Roy F. Baumeister, a professor of social psychology at Florida State University and co-author of “Bad Is Stronger Than Good,” agrees. “Research" he argues, "over and over again shows this is a basic and wide-ranging principle of psychology," because “It’s in human nature, and there are even signs of it in animals." He did a lot of experimenting with rats and concluded that, “Bad emotions, bad parents and bad feedback have more impact than good ones. Bad impressions and bad stereotypes are quicker to form and more resistant to disconfirmation than good ones.”

Although I resonate with much of Baumeister's findings, his research method also points to the fallibility of the solution. Namely, we're not rats. We're humans, and as such, we are able to reason, discern, and, through sincere analysis, change our habits, and our way of thinking. 

We are not creatures of instinct and survival alone. We are extremely complex, and fully human - we are set apart from the animal kingdom.

Yet, the findings are hard to refute, and I find myself nodding along to Professor Amabile's conclusions that "the negative effect of a setback at work on happiness was more than twice as strong as the positive effect of an event that signaled progress. And the power of a setback to increase frustration is over three times as strong as the power of progress to decrease frustration" (via).

Some theorists speculate this mindset, this way of thinking, is evolutionary and beneficial because in the ancestral environment, "focusing on bad news helped you survive" (via).

This is difficult to swallow because, even if it is true, that focusing on bad news helps us survive, I don't think it's what any of us want, to merely survive. We want us to thrive. And constantly pointing out someone's errors and where they could have improved, how they could have said something better, or how their actions (or inactions) were offensive doesn't help anyone to thrive and live and grow. It breaks down and destroys. It creates a culture of disappointment and fear.

A few months ago, while waiting in line to buy some baozi, I noticed the shirt of the woman standing behind me. It was all black with a simple white font that read, "If you reach out and touch the darkness, the darkness will touch you back." When we focus on bad news, when critical thinking becomes synonyms with criticism, we begin to not only reach out and touch the darkness, we embrace it, cling to it, and all to quickly we begin to drown in it - kicking, scratching, and fighting. Surviving.

What would happen if we focused on critical thinking yet pointed out the positives?  And I don't mean the "everyone is a hero" or "everyone deserves a trophy" sort of positives, because that isn't critical thinking. It's the complete opposite. That's why it's been so damaging to an entire generation.

To be a critical thinker means spending time with something, dissecting and analyzing something (or someone) and formulating an educated opinion of it (or them). Great movies are, "Critically acclaimed masterpieces" because they've been vetted and the movie critic can give clear and articulate reasons why they loved it, why it was brilliant, and why we, the audience, should spend our time with it. This is very different than the "A for effort" sort of mentality. It's critical and deeply analyzed, and although flawed, it still has plenty to celebrate.

But this also, I think, articulates the difference of positive and negative criticism. 

Think back to a time when someone gave you positive criticism, and then when someone gave you negative criticism. Then think of another time. And another.

I bet, if you think through these moments long enough, something like this will emerge.

Over the past ten years of teaching and public speaking, I've had a decent amount of responses from the student or audiences, and it's the negatives that have stuck with me over the months and years that follow, which isn't surprising. Negative experiences tend to do that. Recently, however,  I've begun to believe that negative experience carry more weight not simply because they're negative, but in how they are negative. They are more specific.

For example. Last fall, after giving a presentation entitled Stories Matter at the ACSI Teacher Conference, an elderly woman, who sat in the front row with a head of thinning white hair (she reminded me a lot of my grandmother), found me and said, "I loved it. It touched me here (she pointed to her head) and here (and pointed at her heart). Thank you." I was touched, and fully encouraged. But only for a short while because there was nothing specific about it. It was too generic. I know she meant well and truly it meant a lot that she sought me out to say something, but because there was nothing to grab hold of and use and grow on for the next time, it paled in comparison to the person who could articulate with rather acute specifics, where the presentation floundered. 

Whenever people criticize, most of the time, it's with specifics. They'll say, "When you said (something), I was offended" or "The way you did (this other thing), it was hurtful" and "When you act like (something else), it's immature. I've never had someone come in and say, "What you said or did was terrible. All of it. Just terrible." They come in with specifics. Things I can hold on to.

But I have had people praise that way. "Thank you," or "You did a really good job, really good" and things of this nature, which is great and I truly do believe they mean well - and it's far better than saying nothing at all. But it leaves me with nothing to hold on to. And when the rain and winds come, I need something strong and concrete to grab hold of. Otherwise, I kick and scratch and scream and try to survive. 

Being critical thinkers does not mean we have to be criticizers. But it does mean we have to work hard at changing the way we think. Finding why we disagree or how we're offended has become too easy - its' second nature. But is also touches the darkness. Critically encouraging someone, with detailed and concrete specifics, offers light in a dark world . . . or when all other lights go out (does anyone else having running Lord of the Rings quotes forever in their head?). 

Teresa Amiable says we tend to focus on criticism because of hypercriticism and the idea that when we hear negative statements, we think they’re inherently more intelligent than positive ones. I think it's time we holistically disagree with this statement.

We're not rats. We're not animals. We're deeply complex and intelligent humans who can critically analyze situations, make predictions, and act based on intelligence, not instinct. And our goal is not mere to survive, but to thrive.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  On Humanity  :  On Living

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Mr. Rogers wore a lot of sweaters. He did some other stuff too.

Using data from The Neighborhood Archive, Owen Phillips charted the color of every sweater Mister Rogers wore on his PBS television program from 1979 to 2001 (via).

Some sweaters were worn once and then never again, like the neon blue cardigan Rogers wore in episode 1497. Others, like his harvest gold sweaters, were part of Rogers’ regular rotation and then disappeared. And then there were the unusual batch of black and olive green sweaters Rogers wore exclusively while filming the “Dress-Up” episodes in 1991.

His mother knit the sweaters . . . I'm gonna let that sink in for a bit. His mother. knit. ALL of his sweaters! Because that's how she loved people, by making them sweaters. “I guess that’s the best thing about things. They remind you of people.” Good GOD he's good.

To enjoy more of Mr. Rogers' brilliance, you can watch them on Amazon Prime.

I recommend closing your eyes for the ten seconds when Fred Rogers says, "I'll watch the time."

I did: Eric Beard, Eric Trauger, Mr. and Mrs. Hampstra, Paul and Dorothy Keisling, Mr. Paladino, Diane Larson, Grandpa and Grandma Miller, and in younger years, my parents. 

And of course, Mr. Rogers.  

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  On Living  :  Humanity

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

A Heineken commercial that inspires more than a drink

My friend, Amanda Bedford, posted this the other day, and ever since, I can't stop thinking about it.

I think what I love most about this is the brutal honesty of showing the videos. It's one thing to work together, in a simulation, and to discover, over time, someone's differences and, perhaps, modified views. But when the video is shown, of their unadulterated and perhaps even puffed up ultra views, there is nothing to hide behind. They are bare, and they are open. 

And still, they are chosen. I love that.

What this video also points to is this: one person cannot change the situation. When the bald guy walks off and the transgender mother sits down, for a moment, we see just how awful it can be. But then, just as quickly, how a stiff "solemn" man can also be instantly funny, and turn an awkward situation into a communal one. 

God I love this. Because, if only.

Related links . . .

Solution: #EatTogether  :  Diversity makes us Smarter  :  Let's just talk - Maya Angelou  :  Walking to Listen

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  On Living  :  Commercials

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

The Great Wall Lovers reunite 22 years later . . . for one minute.

In 1988, after 12 years of love and collaboration, the notorious performance artists Marina Abramović and Ulay decided to take a spiritual journey that would culminate in the ending of their relationship. The project was called “The Lovers: the Great Wall Walk.”  

Starting from the two opposite ends, each of them walked half the length of the Great Wall of China. After three months, they met in the middle, and ended their relationship.

(via).

The performance was recorded by Murray Grigor for the BBC (16mm film, transferred to video), which resulted in the documentary The Great Wall: Lovers at the Brink.

Twenty two years later, they reunited for one minute.

In 2010, as part of her MoMA retrospective, Abramović sat in a chair under bright spotlights opposite an empty chair, where members of the public could sit as long as they wanted, gazing into her eyes. A seemingly endless number of people lined up for the opportunity to sit with her, many sitting multiple times on different days, several for as long as ten hours, some even after waiting all night. 

Unannounced, Ulay showed up.

One of Marina's "most daring and notorious performances (named Rhythm 0) was to test the limits of the relationship between a performer and his/hers audience. Abramović placed on a table 72 objects that people were allowed to use in any way that they chose. Some of these were objects that could give pleasure, while others could be wielded to inflict pain, or to harm her. Among them were a rose, a feather, honey, a whip, olive oil, scissors, a scalpel, a gun and a single bullet. For six hours the artist allowed the audience members to manipulate her body and actions." At the end, she stood up and started walking toward the audience. Everyone ran away, to escape an actual confrontation (via).

In 2015, Marina Abramović, the world’s best-known performance artist, was sued by her former collaborator and romantic partner, the German artist Ulay, in a dispute over works they created jointly (via).

This frustrates the hell out of me, because it taints and smears the idea of Love. Two people, equally passionate about life and expression and beauty of humanity, and neither can get beyond their own skin and fully love another more than themselves. 

What's the point of it all? Of the walks and exhibits if, at the root of it all, is self? 

It seems empty, and fully unfulfilling. As is most things that begin and end with thy self. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  :  On Living

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

Syrian Artist Creates Sculptures From Remnants of War

Embed from Getty Images

Abu Ali al-Bitar, a 45-year-old house painter who collected dozens of rocket debris and spent ammunition casings, flattens bread dough using a leftover rocket in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, on April 20, 2017. Eastern Ghouta, a besieged opposition stronghold east of Damascus, has been battered by regime air strikes and shelling since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011. Since then, children have grown accustomed to warnings not to play outside -- but the grown-ups are finding creative ways to make sure kids can still have fun (via).

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

In spite of pain, like a clawing and kicking against the dark, art and beauty and the human spirit survive. Perhaps even thrives, because we're made for it. Not to kill and break and destroy, but to create and cultivate. To rise above, and for holding flowers.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  : On Living  :  Real People  :  Humanity

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND SUBSCRIBE - THANKS FOR READING!

These guys will make your palms sweat.

It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.

- Sir Edmond Hillary

"ALEX HONNOLD is a professional adventure rock climber whose audacious free-solo ascents of America’s biggest cliffs have made him one of the most recognized and followed climbers in the world. A gifted but hard-working athlete, Alex “No Big Deal” Honnold is known as much for his humble, self-effacing attitude as he is for the dizzyingly tall cliffs he has climbed without a rope to protect him if he falls. Honnold has been profiled by 60 Minutes and the New York Times, featured on the cover of National Geographic, appeared in international television commercials and starred in numerous adventure films including the Emmy-nominated “Alone on the Wall.” (via)

He also has a new book out, Alone on the Wall which "recounts the seven most astonishing achievements of Honnold's extraordinary life and career, brimming with lessons on living fearlessly, taking risks, and maintaining focus even in the face of extreme danger" (via).

"Chris Sharma’s preternatural climbing ability and visionary first ascents have earned him an enduring reputation as one of the world’s best rock climbers. This American professional athlete, ambassador and entrepreneur from Santa Cruz, California, has been on a global odyssey, now two decades in the making, in search of the planet’s most difficult and beautiful rock climbs. Sharma has dedicated years of his life to discovering and climbing singular, aesthetic and seemingly impossible routes—always with his humble, meditative approach and powerful, dynamic style of movement. Today he continues to climb at the world standard, pushing the limits of what’s possible and always reimagining the direction of his remarkably storied climbing career (via)."

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Real People