What you must bring
For the beach: Sunscreen, hat, sunscreen!, beach shoes (the sand gets very hot), more sunscreen, beach umbrella (unless you want to rent one at Store Bay), bottled water, money (to use public bathrooms or shop at Store Bay)
For your apartment rental: Dish soap (let's be green and not use disposable dishes), vinegar (for cleaning), toilet tissue, towels, paper towels, laundry soap (if you plan on doing handwashing or machine washing), road map (to find your way around), filter bottle or jug to filter the tap water.
Public transportation
Taxis from the port can range from $7 (the ones you find on the street) to $60 (the ones who accost you first)
What's within walking distance of beaches (Store Bay and Pigeon Pt.)?
Bonkers Inn, Coral Inn (not advertised well - you may have to know someone who knows), Best Resort (yup that's the name) and others along John Gorman Rd. in the region of Crown Point/Bon Accord
Some special tips for Coral Inn (not the same as Coral Reef)
from personal experience:
Coral Inn is a great little set of two-bedroom apartments, with the basic amenities: Pool (the water is quite warm on evenings), hot water shower, a/c in one bedroom, TV (TRICO cable service), stove, fridge, microwave, electric kettle, two slice toaster, cups, plates, bowls, flatware. There are a few things you may miss though.
-Some S-hooks and over door hooks will be useful for hanging wet things that can't be laid out on the porch chairs.
-Bring a jug for juice or purchase a large bottle of water from the nearby mini mart to mix your juice unless you plan on buying individually-packaged drinks or bottled soda.
-If you're particular about your coffee mugs, better bring one.
-Planning on a lot of baking: bring a baking tray (medium sized, the ovens are not very large)-there's one medium tray in each apartment.
-Can opener is old-fashioned requires muscle, easier to walk with one that you're comfortable with.
-Sharp knives are important to people who want to cook in the shortest possible time, so bring one if you think you will need it.
-No washing machine, so plan on handwashing in the bathroom/kitchen sink if you need to do any clothes washing.
-No wifi so if you don't have a Blackberry and want internet access, there's a cafe nearby.
Other facilities nearby (within walking distance):
-Bike rental ($55 per 24hr- closed on Sunday)
-Bonkers Inn restaurant
-Bar
-Two other mini marts
-Vegetable vendor (not the freshest but great in a pinch)
-Local preserves/local candy vendor (walk south to corner and turn left at Bonkers): tamarind balls, red mango, bene sticks, bene balls, nut cakes (very ginger-y), sugar cakes (made with coconut), toolum (molasses and coconut) and fudge.
Enjoy your trip!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Optimising our human potential
Below you will find the entire text of Dr Noel Kalicharan's Address at Naparima College on July 8, 2011. It is worth repeating. No copyright infringement intended.
The bottom line: stop drugging our children, stop drumming our archaic ideas into their heads, revolutionise our school "system" or at least begin to be cognisant of the facts as they have been and will continue to be: not all children will blossom in an environment that stifles creativity. I wrote a calypso about this for my niece to sing at school this year (She got cold feet and promised to perform it next year).
The chorus goes like this:
I have potential,
So much to be realised.
I'm more than special
A masterpiece in God's eyes,
But when you stifle my creativity,
You really rob the whole of humanity.
Optimising our human potential
I first heard the following from a talk by Ken Robinson, educator extraordinaire. An elementary school teacher was giving a drawing class to a group of six-year-old children. At the back of the classroom sat a little girl who normally didn't pay much attention in school. In the drawing class she did. For more than twenty minutes, the girl sat with her arms curled around her paper, totally absorbed in what she was doing. The teacher found this fascinating. Eventually, she asked the girl what she was drawing. Without looking up, the girl said, "I'm drawing a picture of God." Surprised, the teacher said, "But nobody knows what God looks like." The girl said, "They will in a minute."
This story reminds us that young children are wonderfully confident in their own imaginations. Most of us lose this confidence as we grow up. Ask a class of eight-year-olds which of them thinks they're creative and they'll all put their hands up. Ask a group of university students the same question and most of them won't.
About twenty years ago, I wrote, "With each passing year, I see more evidence of the devastation the emphasis of our current education system has wrought on the best young minds in the country. Einstein once said that there is born into the minds of all men and women an intense curiosity and desire for knowledge, but for most people, this is soon educated out of them."
I've been teaching computer science at UWI for thirty-five years. The vast majority of students have no desire for knowledge. Imagine students wanting a degree in computer science or information technology but try their best to avoid doing computer programming courses. Most have no curiosity at all about the subject area they are pursuing. They just want a degree and they are quite happy if you can give it to them. Some get quite upset if you refuse to tell them what's coming on the examinations. Those of us who require them to work for their degree are not very popular.
We are all born with tremendous natural capacities but, unfortunately, these deteriorate over time. As Einstein suggested, the irony is that this happens because of education and our education systems. The result is that too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they are really capable of achieving.
Given the tremendous changes that technology has brought to society and to our lifestyles, and the fact that these changes are proceeding apace, it has become even more critical that we arrest this wastage of our human potential and prepare our children to live in a world that none of us can predict what it would be like in ten years time, much less fifty, when current secondary school students would be retiring. Given such uncertainty, those who can creatively adjust to a changing world are the ones who will survive.
In his book The Element, Ken Robinson tells the following story: Gillian was only eight years old, but her future was already at risk. Her schoolwork was a disaster. She turned in homework late, her handwriting was terrible, and she tested poorly. She was a disruption to the entire class, one minute fidgeting noisily, the next staring out the window, forcing the teacher to stop the class to pull Gillian's attention back, and the next doing something to disturb the other children around her. Gillian wasn't particularly concerned about any of this—she was used to being corrected by authority figures and really didn't see herself as a difficult child—but the school was very concerned.
They wrote her parents that they thought Gillian had a learning disorder of some sort and that it might be more appropriate for her to be in a school for children with special needs. All of this took place in the 1930s. Nowadays, they would have said she had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and they'd put her on Ritalin or some similar drug. But ADHD hadn't been invented yet. People didn't know they could have that and had to get by without it.
Fearing the worst, Gillian's parents decided to take her to a psychologist for assessment. Gillian told me that she remembers an imposing man in a tweed jacket. He sat her down on a huge leather sofa. Nervous about the impression she would make, she sat on her hands so that she wouldn't fidget. The psychologist went back to his desk, and for the next twenty minutes, he asked Gillian's mother about the difficulties Gillian was having at school and the problems the school said she was causing.
Gillian was extremely uneasy and confused. Even at this tender age, she knew that this man would have a significant role in her life. She knew what it meant to attend a "special school", and she didn't want anything to do with that. She genuinely didn't feel that she had any real problems, but everyone else seemed to believe she did.
Eventually, Gillian's mother and the psychologist stopped talking. The man rose from his desk, walked to the sofa, and sat next to the little girl. "Gillian, you've been very patient, and I thank you for that," he said. "But I'm afraid you'll have to be patient for a little longer. I need to speak to your mother privately now. We're going to go out of the room for a few minutes. Don't worry; we won't be very long."
Gillian nodded apprehensively, and the two adults left her sitting there on her own. But as he was leaving the room, the psychologist leaned across his desk and turned on the radio. As soon as they were in the corridor outside the room, the doctor said to Gillian's mother, "Just stand here for a moment, and watch what she does." There was a window into the room, and they stood to one side of it, where Gillian couldn't see them. Nearly immediately, Gillian was on her feet, moving around the room to the music. The two adults stood watching quietly for a few minutes, transfixed by the girl's grace. There was an expression of utter pleasure on her face. At last, the psychologist turned to Gillian's mother and said, "You know, Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn't sick. She's a dancer. Take her to a dance school."
I asked Gillian what happened then. She said her mother did exactly what the psychologist suggested. "I can't tell you how wonderful it was," she told me. "I walked into this room, and it was full of people like me. People who couldn't sit still. People who had to move to think." She started going to the dance school every week, and she practiced at home every day. Eventually, she auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in London, and they accepted her. She went on to join the Royal Ballet Company itself, becoming a soloist and performing all over the world.
When that part of her career ended, she formed her own musical theater company and produced a series of highly successful shows in London and New York. Eventually, she met Andrew Lloyd Webber and created with him some of the most successful musical theater productions in history, including Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
Little Gillian, the girl with the high-risk future, became known to the world as Gillian Lynne, one of the most accomplished choreographers of our time, someone who has brought pleasure to millions and earned millions of dollars. This happened because someone looked deep into her eyes—someone who had seen children like her before and knew how to read the signs. Someone else might have put her on medication and told her to calm down. But Gillian wasn't a problem child. She didn't need to go away to a special school. She just needed to be who she really was.
His name was Paul and he attended the Liverpool Institute in England. In school, he fooled around. He loved music but didn't enjoy music lessons. He applied to join the choir of the Liverpool Cathedral but was turned down because he wasn't a good enough singer. Outside of school, he spent most of his time listening to rock music and learning the guitar. At a bazaar one day, he met John. They impressed and liked each other and soon after, they formed a band with two others. Calling themselves The Beatles, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr revolutionized pop music. And the choir that rejected young McCartney because he couldn't sing? They ended up staging two of his classical pieces some years later.
These are just two examples of the many, many people who would have been considered failures by the school system, yet went on to become world leaders in their fields. We all know stories of people who became very successful without ever having had much formal schooling or who dropped out of school at an early age. When such stories are told, we tend to hear "they became successful despite not having a formal education". I believe the opposite is true: they became successful because they dropped out of school, before the school system had a chance to strangle their creativity.
Some months ago, I heard the Minister of Education mention that there were 4000 students "missing" from the school system, that we must find them and bring them back into the fold. Sure, we could try and find out what they are doing but I would suggest that, except in special cases like being involved in unsavoury activities, we let them be to pursue whatever they have figured out is best for them. Imagine the world's loss if the British educational authorities had found Gillian Lynne dancing and forced her to go back to regular school!
Many people blame the "school system" for a number of our ills, sometimes with good reason. Interestingly, the problem lies in the word "system" (singular). When we talk about the school system, the implication is that there is one system for all. Nobody can argue with the nobility of the vision of "school for all". What is terribly wrong with that notion is that we have interpreted it to mean "same school for all".
"School for all" is a worthy social and political goal but don't you think we were better off when fewer students actually went to high school? Don't misunderstand me. I believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to pursue their ambition. However, the mistake we've made is to believe that school (the way it is structured) is for everyone. The result is that large numbers of students are deemed qualified to attend high school, but once there, are literally forced to try to learn things for which they have neither the aptitude nor the inclination.
Imagine a whole class of Gillian Lynnes! Clearly, we would think we have a discipline problem when the issue is simply that these students are in the wrong place. Before "school for all" those who didn't make it to high school would find satisfactory employment learning to be mechanics, carpenters, masons, tailors, seamstresses, etc. The society was better off for it—we all know how difficult it is to find a good mechanic or plumber these days—and there were less indiscipline problems in schools.
I believe that many of these problems arise from the great disconnect between what the student is being asked to do and what he/she really wants to do or is capable of doing. No wonder we are wasting such a high proportion of our human capital. The major reason for this vast waste is what Robinson calls "academicism"—the preoccupation with developing certain sorts of academic ability to the exclusion of others, and its confusion with general intelligence.
Don't get me wrong. Many people do well in the school system as it is and love what the education system has to offer. But too many leave school unsure of their real talents and equally unsure of what direction to take next. Too many feel that what they're good at isn't valued or encouraged by schools. Too many are led to believe that they're not good at anything.
Each of us has distinctive talents and passions that can inspire us to achieve far more than we may think possible. Understanding this changes everything. It also offers us our best and perhaps our only promise for genuine and sustainable success in a very uncertain future. According to Robinson, "We are all born with extraordinary powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition and spirituality but, for the most part, we use only a fraction of them. We also tend to think that life is linear, that our capacities decline as we grow older, and that opportunities we have missed are gone forever. Many people simply do not understand their constant potential for renewal." Why is this? We need to look at our education system.
School systems across much of the world are very similar to each other. Firstly, there is the preoccupation with certain sorts of academic ability, with certain types of critical analysis and reasoning, particularly with words and numbers. Important as those skills are, there is much more to human intelligence than that. Secondly, there is the hierarchy of subjects. At the top are mathematics, science, and language skills. In the middle are the humanities. At the bottom are the arts. In the arts, music and visual arts normally have a higher status than theater and dance.
Yesterday I experienced a moment of serendipity (a happy accident) when I came across an article from April 2010 in the Queen's Hall News which stated, "Three students of Naparima Girls' High School and Naparima College were winners in the Queen's Hall 50th anniversary Secondary School Essay Competition... The students also received plaques for writing on the importance of the arts to the development of society." Very topical indeed.
Thirdly, there is the growing reliance on particular types of assessment. Children everywhere are under intense pressure to perform at higher and higher levels on a narrow range of standardized tests. This is the biggest destroyer of creativity.
This system was developed to meet economic interests in the 18th and 19th centuries, interests that were driven by the Industrial Revolution (roughly 1760-1850) in Europe and America. Math, science, and language skills were essential for jobs in the industrial economies. Of course, our education system is derived mainly from the British model.
While this system has worked well for the purpose for which it was intended, times have changed, and changed quite dramatically in the last twenty years. The one-size-fits-all approach to education stopped working a long time ago, yet we persist with it even as it becomes less relevant and effective.
How many schools teach dance and music every day as a formal part of the curriculum they way they teach math? Come to think of it, how many schools teach computer programming every day to all students they way they do science? I can make (and have made) a compelling case that all students, starting from elementary school, should learn computer programming.
I would wager that, in some of our schools, very many more students would be interested in dance and music than math. Interestingly, Gillian Lynne said that she did better in all of her subjects once she discovered dance. She was one of those people who had to "move to think". Unfortunately, most kids don't find someone to play the role the psychologist played in Gillian's life. When they fidget too much, they're drugged and told to calm down.
The role of education should be to develop our natural abilities and enable us to make our way in the world. Instead, it is stifling the individual talents and abilities of too many students and killing their motivation to learn. Our education system increasingly encourages teachers to teach students in a uniform manner. The result is that most students never get to explore the full range of their abilities and interests. Those students whose minds work differently become alienated from the whole culture of education, reducing their capacity for creative thinking.
The changes now sweeping the world have no historical precedent. No other period in human history could match the present one in the sheer scale, speed, and global complexity of technological change and innovation. In such a world, we will not succeed with "business as usual school systems".
We are preoccupied with preparing students for the world that existed two hundred years ago when we should be preparing them for the world of their future—a world in which many will have multiple careers over the course of their working lives and many will have jobs that haven't been conceived as yet. All we know is that the future will be radically different than it is now. Shouldn't we be encouraging our students to explore as many avenues as possible with an eye to discovering their true talents and passions?
At graduation time, you will hear many speeches exhorting you to follow your dreams and pursue your passions—all good advice. But one gets the impression that you are supposed to do this only after you have left the school system. I submit that we should change the way we view education and restructure our education system so that many more of our young people can begin to pursue their dreams and ambitions during their school years.
If we do that, we will produce happy people whose lives have meaning and purpose in and beyond the work that they do. If we do not, many of our children will be left behind, leading to more crime and violence among the young; we would not be able to produce the problem-solvers and creative thinkers this country so desperately needs, and our society would descend to a level of anarchy and chaos we cannot even begin to imagine.
Noel Kalicharan
The bottom line: stop drugging our children, stop drumming our archaic ideas into their heads, revolutionise our school "system" or at least begin to be cognisant of the facts as they have been and will continue to be: not all children will blossom in an environment that stifles creativity. I wrote a calypso about this for my niece to sing at school this year (She got cold feet and promised to perform it next year).
The chorus goes like this:
I have potential,
So much to be realised.
I'm more than special
A masterpiece in God's eyes,
But when you stifle my creativity,
You really rob the whole of humanity.
Optimising our human potential
I first heard the following from a talk by Ken Robinson, educator extraordinaire. An elementary school teacher was giving a drawing class to a group of six-year-old children. At the back of the classroom sat a little girl who normally didn't pay much attention in school. In the drawing class she did. For more than twenty minutes, the girl sat with her arms curled around her paper, totally absorbed in what she was doing. The teacher found this fascinating. Eventually, she asked the girl what she was drawing. Without looking up, the girl said, "I'm drawing a picture of God." Surprised, the teacher said, "But nobody knows what God looks like." The girl said, "They will in a minute."
This story reminds us that young children are wonderfully confident in their own imaginations. Most of us lose this confidence as we grow up. Ask a class of eight-year-olds which of them thinks they're creative and they'll all put their hands up. Ask a group of university students the same question and most of them won't.
About twenty years ago, I wrote, "With each passing year, I see more evidence of the devastation the emphasis of our current education system has wrought on the best young minds in the country. Einstein once said that there is born into the minds of all men and women an intense curiosity and desire for knowledge, but for most people, this is soon educated out of them."
I've been teaching computer science at UWI for thirty-five years. The vast majority of students have no desire for knowledge. Imagine students wanting a degree in computer science or information technology but try their best to avoid doing computer programming courses. Most have no curiosity at all about the subject area they are pursuing. They just want a degree and they are quite happy if you can give it to them. Some get quite upset if you refuse to tell them what's coming on the examinations. Those of us who require them to work for their degree are not very popular.
We are all born with tremendous natural capacities but, unfortunately, these deteriorate over time. As Einstein suggested, the irony is that this happens because of education and our education systems. The result is that too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they are really capable of achieving.
Given the tremendous changes that technology has brought to society and to our lifestyles, and the fact that these changes are proceeding apace, it has become even more critical that we arrest this wastage of our human potential and prepare our children to live in a world that none of us can predict what it would be like in ten years time, much less fifty, when current secondary school students would be retiring. Given such uncertainty, those who can creatively adjust to a changing world are the ones who will survive.
In his book The Element, Ken Robinson tells the following story: Gillian was only eight years old, but her future was already at risk. Her schoolwork was a disaster. She turned in homework late, her handwriting was terrible, and she tested poorly. She was a disruption to the entire class, one minute fidgeting noisily, the next staring out the window, forcing the teacher to stop the class to pull Gillian's attention back, and the next doing something to disturb the other children around her. Gillian wasn't particularly concerned about any of this—she was used to being corrected by authority figures and really didn't see herself as a difficult child—but the school was very concerned.
They wrote her parents that they thought Gillian had a learning disorder of some sort and that it might be more appropriate for her to be in a school for children with special needs. All of this took place in the 1930s. Nowadays, they would have said she had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and they'd put her on Ritalin or some similar drug. But ADHD hadn't been invented yet. People didn't know they could have that and had to get by without it.
Fearing the worst, Gillian's parents decided to take her to a psychologist for assessment. Gillian told me that she remembers an imposing man in a tweed jacket. He sat her down on a huge leather sofa. Nervous about the impression she would make, she sat on her hands so that she wouldn't fidget. The psychologist went back to his desk, and for the next twenty minutes, he asked Gillian's mother about the difficulties Gillian was having at school and the problems the school said she was causing.
Gillian was extremely uneasy and confused. Even at this tender age, she knew that this man would have a significant role in her life. She knew what it meant to attend a "special school", and she didn't want anything to do with that. She genuinely didn't feel that she had any real problems, but everyone else seemed to believe she did.
Eventually, Gillian's mother and the psychologist stopped talking. The man rose from his desk, walked to the sofa, and sat next to the little girl. "Gillian, you've been very patient, and I thank you for that," he said. "But I'm afraid you'll have to be patient for a little longer. I need to speak to your mother privately now. We're going to go out of the room for a few minutes. Don't worry; we won't be very long."
Gillian nodded apprehensively, and the two adults left her sitting there on her own. But as he was leaving the room, the psychologist leaned across his desk and turned on the radio. As soon as they were in the corridor outside the room, the doctor said to Gillian's mother, "Just stand here for a moment, and watch what she does." There was a window into the room, and they stood to one side of it, where Gillian couldn't see them. Nearly immediately, Gillian was on her feet, moving around the room to the music. The two adults stood watching quietly for a few minutes, transfixed by the girl's grace. There was an expression of utter pleasure on her face. At last, the psychologist turned to Gillian's mother and said, "You know, Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn't sick. She's a dancer. Take her to a dance school."
I asked Gillian what happened then. She said her mother did exactly what the psychologist suggested. "I can't tell you how wonderful it was," she told me. "I walked into this room, and it was full of people like me. People who couldn't sit still. People who had to move to think." She started going to the dance school every week, and she practiced at home every day. Eventually, she auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in London, and they accepted her. She went on to join the Royal Ballet Company itself, becoming a soloist and performing all over the world.
When that part of her career ended, she formed her own musical theater company and produced a series of highly successful shows in London and New York. Eventually, she met Andrew Lloyd Webber and created with him some of the most successful musical theater productions in history, including Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
Little Gillian, the girl with the high-risk future, became known to the world as Gillian Lynne, one of the most accomplished choreographers of our time, someone who has brought pleasure to millions and earned millions of dollars. This happened because someone looked deep into her eyes—someone who had seen children like her before and knew how to read the signs. Someone else might have put her on medication and told her to calm down. But Gillian wasn't a problem child. She didn't need to go away to a special school. She just needed to be who she really was.
His name was Paul and he attended the Liverpool Institute in England. In school, he fooled around. He loved music but didn't enjoy music lessons. He applied to join the choir of the Liverpool Cathedral but was turned down because he wasn't a good enough singer. Outside of school, he spent most of his time listening to rock music and learning the guitar. At a bazaar one day, he met John. They impressed and liked each other and soon after, they formed a band with two others. Calling themselves The Beatles, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr revolutionized pop music. And the choir that rejected young McCartney because he couldn't sing? They ended up staging two of his classical pieces some years later.
These are just two examples of the many, many people who would have been considered failures by the school system, yet went on to become world leaders in their fields. We all know stories of people who became very successful without ever having had much formal schooling or who dropped out of school at an early age. When such stories are told, we tend to hear "they became successful despite not having a formal education". I believe the opposite is true: they became successful because they dropped out of school, before the school system had a chance to strangle their creativity.
Some months ago, I heard the Minister of Education mention that there were 4000 students "missing" from the school system, that we must find them and bring them back into the fold. Sure, we could try and find out what they are doing but I would suggest that, except in special cases like being involved in unsavoury activities, we let them be to pursue whatever they have figured out is best for them. Imagine the world's loss if the British educational authorities had found Gillian Lynne dancing and forced her to go back to regular school!
Many people blame the "school system" for a number of our ills, sometimes with good reason. Interestingly, the problem lies in the word "system" (singular). When we talk about the school system, the implication is that there is one system for all. Nobody can argue with the nobility of the vision of "school for all". What is terribly wrong with that notion is that we have interpreted it to mean "same school for all".
"School for all" is a worthy social and political goal but don't you think we were better off when fewer students actually went to high school? Don't misunderstand me. I believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to pursue their ambition. However, the mistake we've made is to believe that school (the way it is structured) is for everyone. The result is that large numbers of students are deemed qualified to attend high school, but once there, are literally forced to try to learn things for which they have neither the aptitude nor the inclination.
Imagine a whole class of Gillian Lynnes! Clearly, we would think we have a discipline problem when the issue is simply that these students are in the wrong place. Before "school for all" those who didn't make it to high school would find satisfactory employment learning to be mechanics, carpenters, masons, tailors, seamstresses, etc. The society was better off for it—we all know how difficult it is to find a good mechanic or plumber these days—and there were less indiscipline problems in schools.
I believe that many of these problems arise from the great disconnect between what the student is being asked to do and what he/she really wants to do or is capable of doing. No wonder we are wasting such a high proportion of our human capital. The major reason for this vast waste is what Robinson calls "academicism"—the preoccupation with developing certain sorts of academic ability to the exclusion of others, and its confusion with general intelligence.
Don't get me wrong. Many people do well in the school system as it is and love what the education system has to offer. But too many leave school unsure of their real talents and equally unsure of what direction to take next. Too many feel that what they're good at isn't valued or encouraged by schools. Too many are led to believe that they're not good at anything.
Each of us has distinctive talents and passions that can inspire us to achieve far more than we may think possible. Understanding this changes everything. It also offers us our best and perhaps our only promise for genuine and sustainable success in a very uncertain future. According to Robinson, "We are all born with extraordinary powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition and spirituality but, for the most part, we use only a fraction of them. We also tend to think that life is linear, that our capacities decline as we grow older, and that opportunities we have missed are gone forever. Many people simply do not understand their constant potential for renewal." Why is this? We need to look at our education system.
School systems across much of the world are very similar to each other. Firstly, there is the preoccupation with certain sorts of academic ability, with certain types of critical analysis and reasoning, particularly with words and numbers. Important as those skills are, there is much more to human intelligence than that. Secondly, there is the hierarchy of subjects. At the top are mathematics, science, and language skills. In the middle are the humanities. At the bottom are the arts. In the arts, music and visual arts normally have a higher status than theater and dance.
Yesterday I experienced a moment of serendipity (a happy accident) when I came across an article from April 2010 in the Queen's Hall News which stated, "Three students of Naparima Girls' High School and Naparima College were winners in the Queen's Hall 50th anniversary Secondary School Essay Competition... The students also received plaques for writing on the importance of the arts to the development of society." Very topical indeed.
Thirdly, there is the growing reliance on particular types of assessment. Children everywhere are under intense pressure to perform at higher and higher levels on a narrow range of standardized tests. This is the biggest destroyer of creativity.
This system was developed to meet economic interests in the 18th and 19th centuries, interests that were driven by the Industrial Revolution (roughly 1760-1850) in Europe and America. Math, science, and language skills were essential for jobs in the industrial economies. Of course, our education system is derived mainly from the British model.
While this system has worked well for the purpose for which it was intended, times have changed, and changed quite dramatically in the last twenty years. The one-size-fits-all approach to education stopped working a long time ago, yet we persist with it even as it becomes less relevant and effective.
How many schools teach dance and music every day as a formal part of the curriculum they way they teach math? Come to think of it, how many schools teach computer programming every day to all students they way they do science? I can make (and have made) a compelling case that all students, starting from elementary school, should learn computer programming.
I would wager that, in some of our schools, very many more students would be interested in dance and music than math. Interestingly, Gillian Lynne said that she did better in all of her subjects once she discovered dance. She was one of those people who had to "move to think". Unfortunately, most kids don't find someone to play the role the psychologist played in Gillian's life. When they fidget too much, they're drugged and told to calm down.
The role of education should be to develop our natural abilities and enable us to make our way in the world. Instead, it is stifling the individual talents and abilities of too many students and killing their motivation to learn. Our education system increasingly encourages teachers to teach students in a uniform manner. The result is that most students never get to explore the full range of their abilities and interests. Those students whose minds work differently become alienated from the whole culture of education, reducing their capacity for creative thinking.
The changes now sweeping the world have no historical precedent. No other period in human history could match the present one in the sheer scale, speed, and global complexity of technological change and innovation. In such a world, we will not succeed with "business as usual school systems".
We are preoccupied with preparing students for the world that existed two hundred years ago when we should be preparing them for the world of their future—a world in which many will have multiple careers over the course of their working lives and many will have jobs that haven't been conceived as yet. All we know is that the future will be radically different than it is now. Shouldn't we be encouraging our students to explore as many avenues as possible with an eye to discovering their true talents and passions?
At graduation time, you will hear many speeches exhorting you to follow your dreams and pursue your passions—all good advice. But one gets the impression that you are supposed to do this only after you have left the school system. I submit that we should change the way we view education and restructure our education system so that many more of our young people can begin to pursue their dreams and ambitions during their school years.
If we do that, we will produce happy people whose lives have meaning and purpose in and beyond the work that they do. If we do not, many of our children will be left behind, leading to more crime and violence among the young; we would not be able to produce the problem-solvers and creative thinkers this country so desperately needs, and our society would descend to a level of anarchy and chaos we cannot even begin to imagine.
Noel Kalicharan
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Karaoke
Good clean fun never killed anyone...that's karaoke for me. Going to try to sing some songs and have some fun. Will let you know how that goes.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monday, November 27, 2006
Your blessings
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. The second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a booming voice from Heaven. "Why are you leaving your companion behind?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered, and so does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
The motto? For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but also those of another praying for us.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. The second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a booming voice from Heaven. "Why are you leaving your companion behind?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered, and so does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
The motto? For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but also those of another praying for us.
Monday, July 31, 2006
A story about crackerjacknpez
Sabs is the coolest Pretender fan I know! She calls all these fans all over the world to talk about the awesome show The Pretender! When she talks you can just imagine the animated look on her face too and you can feel her enthusiasm and it is very infectious! I hope I get to meet her someday!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Sweet Rewards turned sour
Miss Parker's Sweet Rewards
Dedicated sound file site for The Pretender and Andrea Parker
http://mpsr.genis-x.com
now a plant forum!! horror! and the most popular site on starpages too...what a travesty!
Dedicated sound file site for The Pretender and Andrea Parker
http://mpsr.genis-x.com
now a plant forum!! horror! and the most popular site on starpages too...what a travesty!
Monday, November 28, 2005
My Netflix queue
MacGyver: Season 3: Disc 5 (Mitzi Kapture)
Ellen: Season 2: Disc 1 (Andrea Parker)
The Providence Collection: Disc 2 (Rob Estes)
Gilmore Girls: Season 3: Disc 5 (Rob Estes)
ER: Season 2: Disc 1 (Andrea Parker)
Seinfeld: Season 4: Disc 2 (Andrea Parker)
Married... with Children: Season 3: Disc 3 (Andrea Parker)
Ellen: Season 2: Disc 1 (Andrea Parker)
The Providence Collection: Disc 2 (Rob Estes)
Gilmore Girls: Season 3: Disc 5 (Rob Estes)
ER: Season 2: Disc 1 (Andrea Parker)
Seinfeld: Season 4: Disc 2 (Andrea Parker)
Married... with Children: Season 3: Disc 3 (Andrea Parker)
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Free Screening Clinics
Clinics that offer Free Cancer Screenings
Listed by Zip Code
10456
Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center
718 681-3400
3674 Third Avenue
10467
Medical Oncology
718 920-7100
111 E. 210 St.
GO BACK TO RESOURCES
These Sites offer Screening for Breast Cancer
Listed by Zip Code
10451
Health Care Center
718 579-2500
305 East 161st Street
Lincoln Hospital Clinic
718 579-5200
234 East 149th Street
http://www.aecom.yu.edu/cancer/outreach/index_Resources.htm
Listed by Zip Code
10456
Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Center
718 681-3400
3674 Third Avenue
10467
Medical Oncology
718 920-7100
111 E. 210 St.
GO BACK TO RESOURCES
These Sites offer Screening for Breast Cancer
Listed by Zip Code
10451
Health Care Center
718 579-2500
305 East 161st Street
Lincoln Hospital Clinic
718 579-5200
234 East 149th Street
http://www.aecom.yu.edu/cancer/outreach/index_Resources.htm
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
harry potter
Harry Potter
Claim: Harry Potter books are sparking a rise in Satanism among
children.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2000]
Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children
Ashley Daniels is as close as you can get to your typical 9-year-old
American girl. A third-grader at Lock Haven Elementary School, she
loves rollerblading, her pet hamsters Benny and Oreo, Britney Spears,
and, of course, Harry Potter. Having breezed through the most recent
Potter opus in just four days, Ashley is among the millions of
children who have made Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire the
fastest-selling book in publishing history.
And, like many of her school friends, Ashley was captivated enough by
the strange occult doings at the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And
Wizardry to pursue the Left-Hand Path, determined to become as adept
at the black arts as Harry and his pals.
"I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said
Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the
three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that
magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the
Bible is nothing but boring lies."
Origins: The
excerpt quoted above about the Harry Potter series of books drawing
impressionable young children under Satan's spell is the opening to a
fictional article taken directly from The Onion, a satirical
publication.
Unfortunately, hysterical religious groups determined to demonstrate
that any children's book dealing with "wizards" and "magic" must be a
pernicious, evil influence upon young minds have not only failed to
realize this article is satire, they've actually cited it as proof
that the ghastly phenomenon of satan-worshipping youngsters is real:
Dear Christian, This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes on in
10 years . . . and no one seems to understand its threat.
The Harry Potter books are THE NUMBER ONE selling children's books in
Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks storefront.
Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. Hear the touting by educators
and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to see the youth so
eagerly embracing the reading experience!"
Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher who
promotes witchcraft and Satanism. Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.'
Her creation openly blasphemes Jesus and God and promotes sorcery,
seeking revenge upon anyone who upsets them by giving you examples
(even the sources with authors and titles) of spells, rituals, and
demonic powers.
I think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material.
The name seems harmless enough . . . Harry Potter. But that is where
it all ends. Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced
readers themselves:
"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about
magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your
enemies" said Hartland, WI, 10 year old Craig Nowell, a recent convert
to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the
Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving
me a D." (A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.)
Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6
year old when asked about her favorite character: 6 year old Jessica
Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."
And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average age reader
of Harry Potter: "I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday
School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus,
the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me
that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that
the Bible is nothing but Boring lies."
DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION?
If not, how about a quote from High Priest of Satanism: "Harry is an
absolute god send to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First
Church Of Satan in Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on
new blood (no pun intended) and we've had more applicants than we can
handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are virgins,
which is gravy."
(Since 1995, open applicants to Satan worship has increased from
around 100,000 to now . . . 20 MILLION children and young adults!)
It makes me physically ill, people!
But, I think I can offer you an explanation of why this is happening.
Children have been bombarded with action, adventure, thrills and
scares to the point Hollywood can produce nothing new to give them the
next 'high.' Parents have neglected to see what their children are
reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied that 'Little Johnny is
interested in reading.'
AND . . . educators and the NEA are PUSHING this with NO WARNING as to
the effects or the contents.
Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make
up your own mind. And finally, a quote from the author herself, J. K.
Rowling, describing the objections of Christian reviewers to her
writings:
"I thinkit's absolute rubbish to protest children's books on the
grounds that they are luring children to Satan," Rowling told a London
Times reporter in a July 17 interview. "People should be praising them
for that! These books guide children to an understanding that the
weak, idiotic Son Of God is a living hoax who will be humiliated when
the rain of fire comes ... while we, his faithful servants, laugh and
cavort in victory."
My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in getting the
word out about this garbage. Please FWD to every pastor, teacher, and
parent you know. This author has now published FOUR BOOKS in less than
2 years of this 'encyclopedia of Satanism' and is surely going to
write more. I also ask all Christians to please pray for this lost
woman's soul.
Pray also for the Holy Spirit to work in the young minds of those who
are reading this garbage that they may be delivered from its harm.
Lastly, pray for all parents to grow closer to their children, and
That a bond of sharing thoughts and spiritual intimacy will grow
between them.
Web publications such as WorldNetDaily ran a 26 November article by
Ellen Makkai (ironically described as someone who "began writing
columns 16 years ago in response to what she perceived as the moral
and intellectual laxity among many feminist commentators"), about how
the Harry Potter phenomenon is "definitely draw[ing] kids to
witchcraft" which included (without intended irony) the following
quote straight out of The Onion's parody:
High Priest Egan of The First Church of Satan in Salem, Mass.,
celebrates Harry's contribution, saying, "Harry is an absolute godsend
. . . we've had more applicants than we can handle lately."
Apparently the obvious humor of a High Priest of the First Church of
Satan's calling the arrival of the Harry Potter phenomenon a "godsend"
went right over more than a few people's heads. (The Onion's quote has
since been excised from the WorldNetDaily version of this article, but
it still appears in the original from Creators Syndicate).
Those determined to demonstrate that the Harry Potter's popularity is
an evil influence on children incredibly maintain that even if The
Onion piece is parody, it nonetheless accurately reflects author J.K.
Rowling's attitudes and a real-life phenomenon of a massive
recruitment of children by "satanic cults." Everything here is bogus,
from the phony quotes attributed to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling
(from The Onion) to the ludicrous "statistics" about "open applicants
to Satan worship having increased from around 100,000 to now . . . 20
MILLION" (from whoever penned the e-mail rant).
As the Associated Press reported:
Scottish author J.K. Rowling calls the accusations "absurd," saying
Harry Potter's world is entirely imaginary.
"I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a
child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read
these books because now I want to be a witch,'" the author has said.
Though more than 50 million copies are in print worldwide, there has
been no evidence of widespread conversions to paganism or witchcraft.
As to the issue of hordes of children willingly flocking to join
"satanic cults," this concept is ably debunked at length in Jeffrey S.
Victor's 1993 book, Satanic Panic: The Making of a Contemporary
Legend. We can't summarize his lengthy analysis in a single paragraph,
but the introduction offers a good overview of his thesis:
Again and again we are told -- by journalists, police, and
fundamentalists -- that there exists a secret network of criminal
fanatics, worshippers of Satan, who are responsible for kidnapping,
human sacrifice, sexual abuse and torture of children, drug-dealing,
mutilation of animals, desecration of churches and cemeteries,
pornography, heavy metal lyrics, and cannibalism.
This popular tale is almost entirely without foundation, but the
legend continues to gather momentum, in the teeth of evidence and good
sense. Networks of 'child advocates', credulous or self-serving social
workers, instant-expert police officers, and unscrupulous ministers of
religion help to spread the panic, along with fabricated survivors'
memoirs passed off as true accounts, and irresponsible broadcast
'investigations'. A classic witch-hunt, comparable to those of
medieval Europe, is under way. Innocent victims are smeared and
railroaded.
Satanic Panic uncovers the truth behind the satanic cult hysteria, and
exposes the roots of this malignant mythology, showing in detail how
unsubstantiated rumor becomes transformed into publicly-accepted
'fact'.
If The Onion's parody has demonstrated anything, it's that we should
be worrying about adults not being able to distinguish between fiction
and reality. The kids themselves seem to have a pretty good grasp of
it.
Last updated: 2 December 2001
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.htm
Click here to e-mail this page to a friend
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2004
by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
This material may not be reproduced without permission
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Sources:
Breznican, Anthony. "Supernatural Themes in 'Harry Potter'
Continue to Anger Certain Conservative Christian Critics."
Associated Press. 9 November 2001.
Makkai, Ellen. "Harry the Wiz Is the Wrong Biz."
WorldNetDaily 26 November 2001.
Victor, Jeffrey S. Satanic Panic: The Making of a Contemporary
Legend
Chicago: Open Court, 1993. ISBN 0-8126-9191-1.
http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.htm
Claim: Harry Potter books are sparking a rise in Satanism among
children.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2000]
Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children
Ashley Daniels is as close as you can get to your typical 9-year-old
American girl. A third-grader at Lock Haven Elementary School, she
loves rollerblading, her pet hamsters Benny and Oreo, Britney Spears,
and, of course, Harry Potter. Having breezed through the most recent
Potter opus in just four days, Ashley is among the millions of
children who have made Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire the
fastest-selling book in publishing history.
And, like many of her school friends, Ashley was captivated enough by
the strange occult doings at the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And
Wizardry to pursue the Left-Hand Path, determined to become as adept
at the black arts as Harry and his pals.
"I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said
Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the
three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that
magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the
Bible is nothing but boring lies."
Origins: The
excerpt quoted above about the Harry Potter series of books drawing
impressionable young children under Satan's spell is the opening to a
fictional article taken directly from The Onion, a satirical
publication.
Unfortunately, hysterical religious groups determined to demonstrate
that any children's book dealing with "wizards" and "magic" must be a
pernicious, evil influence upon young minds have not only failed to
realize this article is satire, they've actually cited it as proof
that the ghastly phenomenon of satan-worshipping youngsters is real:
Dear Christian, This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes on in
10 years . . . and no one seems to understand its threat.
The Harry Potter books are THE NUMBER ONE selling children's books in
Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks storefront.
Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. Hear the touting by educators
and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to see the youth so
eagerly embracing the reading experience!"
Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher who
promotes witchcraft and Satanism. Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.'
Her creation openly blasphemes Jesus and God and promotes sorcery,
seeking revenge upon anyone who upsets them by giving you examples
(even the sources with authors and titles) of spells, rituals, and
demonic powers.
I think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material.
The name seems harmless enough . . . Harry Potter. But that is where
it all ends. Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced
readers themselves:
"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about
magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your
enemies" said Hartland, WI, 10 year old Craig Nowell, a recent convert
to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the
Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving
me a D." (A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.)
Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6
year old when asked about her favorite character: 6 year old Jessica
Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."
And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average age reader
of Harry Potter: "I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday
School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus,
the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me
that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that
the Bible is nothing but Boring lies."
DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION?
If not, how about a quote from High Priest of Satanism: "Harry is an
absolute god send to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First
Church Of Satan in Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on
new blood (no pun intended) and we've had more applicants than we can
handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are virgins,
which is gravy."
(Since 1995, open applicants to Satan worship has increased from
around 100,000 to now . . . 20 MILLION children and young adults!)
It makes me physically ill, people!
But, I think I can offer you an explanation of why this is happening.
Children have been bombarded with action, adventure, thrills and
scares to the point Hollywood can produce nothing new to give them the
next 'high.' Parents have neglected to see what their children are
reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied that 'Little Johnny is
interested in reading.'
AND . . . educators and the NEA are PUSHING this with NO WARNING as to
the effects or the contents.
Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make
up your own mind. And finally, a quote from the author herself, J. K.
Rowling, describing the objections of Christian reviewers to her
writings:
"I thinkit's absolute rubbish to protest children's books on the
grounds that they are luring children to Satan," Rowling told a London
Times reporter in a July 17 interview. "People should be praising them
for that! These books guide children to an understanding that the
weak, idiotic Son Of God is a living hoax who will be humiliated when
the rain of fire comes ... while we, his faithful servants, laugh and
cavort in victory."
My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in getting the
word out about this garbage. Please FWD to every pastor, teacher, and
parent you know. This author has now published FOUR BOOKS in less than
2 years of this 'encyclopedia of Satanism' and is surely going to
write more. I also ask all Christians to please pray for this lost
woman's soul.
Pray also for the Holy Spirit to work in the young minds of those who
are reading this garbage that they may be delivered from its harm.
Lastly, pray for all parents to grow closer to their children, and
That a bond of sharing thoughts and spiritual intimacy will grow
between them.
Web publications such as WorldNetDaily ran a 26 November article by
Ellen Makkai (ironically described as someone who "began writing
columns 16 years ago in response to what she perceived as the moral
and intellectual laxity among many feminist commentators"), about how
the Harry Potter phenomenon is "definitely draw[ing] kids to
witchcraft" which included (without intended irony) the following
quote straight out of The Onion's parody:
High Priest Egan of The First Church of Satan in Salem, Mass.,
celebrates Harry's contribution, saying, "Harry is an absolute godsend
. . . we've had more applicants than we can handle lately."
Apparently the obvious humor of a High Priest of the First Church of
Satan's calling the arrival of the Harry Potter phenomenon a "godsend"
went right over more than a few people's heads. (The Onion's quote has
since been excised from the WorldNetDaily version of this article, but
it still appears in the original from Creators Syndicate).
Those determined to demonstrate that the Harry Potter's popularity is
an evil influence on children incredibly maintain that even if The
Onion piece is parody, it nonetheless accurately reflects author J.K.
Rowling's attitudes and a real-life phenomenon of a massive
recruitment of children by "satanic cults." Everything here is bogus,
from the phony quotes attributed to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling
(from The Onion) to the ludicrous "statistics" about "open applicants
to Satan worship having increased from around 100,000 to now . . . 20
MILLION" (from whoever penned the e-mail rant).
As the Associated Press reported:
Scottish author J.K. Rowling calls the accusations "absurd," saying
Harry Potter's world is entirely imaginary.
"I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a
child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read
these books because now I want to be a witch,'" the author has said.
Though more than 50 million copies are in print worldwide, there has
been no evidence of widespread conversions to paganism or witchcraft.
As to the issue of hordes of children willingly flocking to join
"satanic cults," this concept is ably debunked at length in Jeffrey S.
Victor's 1993 book, Satanic Panic: The Making of a Contemporary
Legend. We can't summarize his lengthy analysis in a single paragraph,
but the introduction offers a good overview of his thesis:
Again and again we are told -- by journalists, police, and
fundamentalists -- that there exists a secret network of criminal
fanatics, worshippers of Satan, who are responsible for kidnapping,
human sacrifice, sexual abuse and torture of children, drug-dealing,
mutilation of animals, desecration of churches and cemeteries,
pornography, heavy metal lyrics, and cannibalism.
This popular tale is almost entirely without foundation, but the
legend continues to gather momentum, in the teeth of evidence and good
sense. Networks of 'child advocates', credulous or self-serving social
workers, instant-expert police officers, and unscrupulous ministers of
religion help to spread the panic, along with fabricated survivors'
memoirs passed off as true accounts, and irresponsible broadcast
'investigations'. A classic witch-hunt, comparable to those of
medieval Europe, is under way. Innocent victims are smeared and
railroaded.
Satanic Panic uncovers the truth behind the satanic cult hysteria, and
exposes the roots of this malignant mythology, showing in detail how
unsubstantiated rumor becomes transformed into publicly-accepted
'fact'.
If The Onion's parody has demonstrated anything, it's that we should
be worrying about adults not being able to distinguish between fiction
and reality. The kids themselves seem to have a pretty good grasp of
it.
Last updated: 2 December 2001
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.htm
Click here to e-mail this page to a friend
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2004
by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
This material may not be reproduced without permission
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Sources:
Breznican, Anthony. "Supernatural Themes in 'Harry Potter'
Continue to Anger Certain Conservative Christian Critics."
Associated Press. 9 November 2001.
Makkai, Ellen. "Harry the Wiz Is the Wrong Biz."
WorldNetDaily 26 November 2001.
Victor, Jeffrey S. Satanic Panic: The Making of a Contemporary
Legend
Chicago: Open Court, 1993. ISBN 0-8126-9191-1.
http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.htm
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
'Evidence' is pointing to Estes on ABC
'Evidence' is pointing to Estes on ABC By Kimberly Speight
Tue Oct 11, 2:37 AM ET
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Former "Melrose Place" star Rob Estes will replace Nicky Katt as one of the leads in ABC's midseason crime drama series "The Evidence."
He'll portray Inspector Sean Cole, who has lost faith in the justice system after the brutal murder of his wife and a botched police investigation. Martin Landau and Orlando Jones also star.
Tue Oct 11, 2:37 AM ET
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Former "Melrose Place" star Rob Estes will replace Nicky Katt as one of the leads in ABC's midseason crime drama series "The Evidence."
He'll portray Inspector Sean Cole, who has lost faith in the justice system after the brutal murder of his wife and a botched police investigation. Martin Landau and Orlando Jones also star.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Tips for Swollen Feet (Post-natal)
Varicose Veins or Swollen feet:
Avoid constriction: crossing your legs
Rest with feet up
Move your feet as if riding a bike.
Avoid constriction: crossing your legs
Rest with feet up
Move your feet as if riding a bike.
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