May 30, 2020

First they came for the journalists...

May 29, 2020

Working from home with pets: Guaranteed to make you smile, if not LOL

https://twitter.com/i/status/1262387776147918859

May 29, 2020

Anyone watching Rachel interview the Minneapolis mayor? He's calling for

charging the officers, not just firing them. He's impressive. Lots of empathy. Supporting the protesters while begging for peace; stating how needed food, etc. is and asking them not to destroy what is needed for people in their community to survive the pandemic.

May 17, 2020

Check out LeBron's body language; the way he gestures. Very inclusive.

Really interesting the way he keeps bringing his fingers together. To me, it expresses an open heart and inclusiveness.
I tried to find an image or video clip but didn't. Maybe a little too early for them to be posted yet. But the way he used his hands to gesture was quite unique and conveyed a lot of heart.

May 10, 2020

6 boys shipwrecked 15 months in 1965 very different from Lord of Flies. They cooperated & survived!

Very inspiring and extraordinary true story about surviving by cooperating.

"When a group of schoolboys were marooned on an island in 1965, it turned out very differently from William Golding’s bestseller, writes Rutger Bregman."

snip

"I began to wonder: had anyone ever studied what real children would do if they found themselves alone on a deserted island? I wrote an article on the subject, in which I compared Lord of the Flies to modern scientific insights and concluded that, in all probability, kids would act very differently. Readers responded sceptically. All my examples concerned kids at home, at school, or at summer camp. Thus began my quest for a real-life Lord of the Flies. After trawling the web for a while, I came across an obscure blog that told an arresting story: “One day, in 1977, six boys set out from Tonga on a fishing trip ... Caught in a huge storm, the boys were shipwrecked on a deserted island. What do they do, this little tribe? They made a pact never to quarrel.”

snip

Story details how the author found the sea captain who rescued the boys and then found the boys, now ages 67-83. He interviews them and finds out how they not only survived, but survived very well.

Snip

"The kids agreed to work in teams of two, drawing up a strict roster for garden, kitchen and guard duty. Sometimes they quarrelled, but whenever that happened they solved it by imposing a time-out. Their days began and ended with song and prayer. Kolo fashioned a makeshift guitar from a piece of driftwood, half a coconut shell and six steel wires salvaged from their wrecked boat – an instrument Peter has kept all these years – and played it to help lift their spirits. And their spirits needed lifting. All summer long it hardly rained, driving the boys frantic with thirst. They tried constructing a raft in order to leave the island, but it fell apart in the crashing surf.

Worst of all, Stephen slipped one day, fell off a cliff and broke his leg. The other boys picked their way down after him and then helped him back up to the top. They set his leg using sticks and leaves. “Don’t worry,” Sione joked. “We’ll do your work, while you lie there like King Taufa‘ahau Tupou himself!”

SNip

But “by the time we arrived,” Captain Warner wrote in his memoirs, “the boys had set up a small commune with food garden, hollowed-out tree trunks to store rainwater, a gymnasium with curious weights, a badminton court, chicken pens and a permanent fire, all from handiwork, an old knife blade and much determination.” While the boys in Lord of the Flies come to blows over the fire, those in this real-life version tended their flame so it never went out, for more than a year.

Conclusion of article:
"It’s time we told a different kind of story. The real Lord of the Flies is a tale of friendship and loyalty; one that illustrates how much stronger we are if we can lean on each other. After my wife took Peter’s (picture, he turned to a cabinet and rummaged around for a bit, then drew out a heavy stack of papers that he laid in my hands. His memoirs, he explained, written for his children and grandchildren. I looked down at the first page. “Life has taught me a great deal,” it began, “including the lesson that you should always look for what is good and positive in people.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months?utm_source=pocket-newtab

May 6, 2020

This is how Oregon is carefully and gradually reopening state parks:

https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_featureArticle&articleId=272
This is very well thought-out and coordinated with nearby communities.

Here is just part of the plan (the rest is at the link) to give you an example:

2. How will you reopen safely?

All decisions about reopening follow recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority and are based on these main points:

.Where can we open without straining nearby communities?
How can we keep visitors and staff as safe as possible, given reduced services and staffing?
How can we keep facilities clean, allow for adequate physical distancing and monitor parking lots, among many other operational duties?

3. Why are only these parks open right now?
We are opening parks for limited day-use carefully and methodically, and after consultation with local communities. Other parks will slowly resume some services beginning May 11.

4. What should we expect now that some parks are open for day-use visits?

Because of the closure, we did not bring on our usual seasonal staff and volunteer hosts. Staffing is very limited and will continue to be limited when we slowly welcome back visitors. Please understand that service levels may not be what you are used to, and areas and buildings within the park may be closed. Visitors should also expect new restrictions that discourage group gatherings and congestion.

Visitors should expect a different state park experience than they are used to.

Please prepare:
• Stay home if you’re sick.
• If you visit, stay local and close to home-- meaning less than 50 miles in urban areas.
• Only visit the park with members of your household.
• Bring all supplies—food, water, hand cleanser—needed for a short trip.
If a park appears crowded, leave and come back at another time.

If there’s space at the park, please:
• Wear a face covering. Homemade is fine.
• Stay at least six feet away from people who aren’t from your household. Further apart is better.
• Cover your cough with a tissue (then throw it away), or the inside of your elbow.
• Leave no trace: pack out everything you bring with you.
• Stick to low-risk activities to reduce stress on local emergency response and health care systems.
• Keep your visit short. Restrooms and other buildings may be closed.
• Watch for signs at the park for more information.

May 6, 2020

Harry Potter At Home: Daniel Radcliffe reads Harry Potter & Philosopher's Stone/Sorcerer's Stone

https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-boy-who-lived

Video at link.

Chapter One: 'The Boy Who Lived'
By J.K. Rowling
Read by Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe reads the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone, as part of Harry Potter At Home. Look out for more special video readings in the upcoming weeks.

Daniel will be the first of many exciting contributors to help us read through the first Harry Potter book, as he introduces the Dursleys, who don’t like anything mysterious... So, get comfy and enjoy! You can register with the Harry Potter Fan Club to get all the latest updates on further video readings too.

Lots of great kid activities too. Then there is this:
For parents, carers and teachers, our friends at Scholastic have put together a wonderful discussion guide called Finding Strength in Harry Potter which you can find here. It encourages children to engage with themes in the first Harry Potter book, such as belonging, kindness, courage and friendship. Scholastic have provided this resource at the start of your child's journey, but it acts as a perfect companion for the whole book – so watch out for spoilers!