And for more details about the legacy of offensive sports mascots and team names, check out the report from October 2013 put out by the National Congress of American Indians: Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports and the Era of Harmful "Indian" Sports Mascots.
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Proud To Be: a Native Ad for the SuperBowl
February 1, 2014
The National Congress of American Indians has just released this commercial, that for a variety reasons, will never air during the "Big Game" this Sunday night. The fight to change the name of the Washington Redskins, the professional football team in the nation's capital, was renewed this past year, but so far, ignorance has largely fueled the resistance to change. Help get this side of the argument heard and share this video widely.
And for more details about the legacy of offensive sports mascots and team names, check out the report from October 2013 put out by the National Congress of American Indians: Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports and the Era of Harmful "Indian" Sports Mascots.
And for more details about the legacy of offensive sports mascots and team names, check out the report from October 2013 put out by the National Congress of American Indians: Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports and the Era of Harmful "Indian" Sports Mascots.
For Your Consideration this Thanksgiving
November 27, 2013
Another moving TedX talk, this one by photographer Aaron Huey that offers some true insight into the roots of the tradition of giving thanks. From TedX:
Another moving TedX talk, this one by photographer Aaron Huey that offers some true insight into the roots of the tradition of giving thanks. From TedX:
"Aaron Huey's effort to photograph poverty in America led him to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where the struggle of the native Lakota people -- appalling, and largely ignored -- compelled him to refocus. Five years of work later, his haunting photos intertwine with a shocking history lesson in this bold, courageous talk."
Can Trees Communicate? With a Little Help from Fungi.
by douglas reeser on November 13, 2013
The idea that plants communicate is an old one, and increasingly, scientists are uncovering just how this communication takes place. Last year we wrote about how plants use sound and vibration to send signals to one another, and just this week I came across this short video featuring the work of Suzanne Simard, professor of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Simard explains how trees use their roots, with the help of fungi, to form networks in the forest that they use to feed and communicate with one another. Mother Trees, the old and grand trees we sometimes see, nourish vast networks in the forest, and these networks produce a diversity that protects trees and the forest from extreme events. The more we learn about nature, plants, the environment, and our surrounding (and supporting!) ecosystems, the more amazing it becomes.
Check out the video for more on how trees communicate in the forest:
The idea that plants communicate is an old one, and increasingly, scientists are uncovering just how this communication takes place. Last year we wrote about how plants use sound and vibration to send signals to one another, and just this week I came across this short video featuring the work of Suzanne Simard, professor of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Simard explains how trees use their roots, with the help of fungi, to form networks in the forest that they use to feed and communicate with one another. Mother Trees, the old and grand trees we sometimes see, nourish vast networks in the forest, and these networks produce a diversity that protects trees and the forest from extreme events. The more we learn about nature, plants, the environment, and our surrounding (and supporting!) ecosystems, the more amazing it becomes.
Check out the video for more on how trees communicate in the forest:
The Curandera: Healing in Action
July 10, 2013
Traditional healers play an integral role in the health and well-being of people around the world, and are able to treat ailments and conditions in ways unfamiliar to biomedical science. Check out this brief video that shows such a healer in action in Mexico and how and why they have maintained their effectiveness.
"A short (seven minute) piece that shows a rural curandera treating various village children with plants and other methods including various types of limpias or cleansings. Through interviewing the curandera we learn what is the most important thing that enables healing..."
Traditional healers play an integral role in the health and well-being of people around the world, and are able to treat ailments and conditions in ways unfamiliar to biomedical science. Check out this brief video that shows such a healer in action in Mexico and how and why they have maintained their effectiveness.
"A short (seven minute) piece that shows a rural curandera treating various village children with plants and other methods including various types of limpias or cleansings. Through interviewing the curandera we learn what is the most important thing that enables healing..."
United Natures: a Film for Gaia
June 18, 2013
"When you think of the declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, the concept and practice of Earth Democracy that we are building in India - these are all contributions towards building an Earth Community, thinking of a United Natures - a United Nations of all Species" - Vandana Shiva
"I think it's about the rediscovery and recreation of new indigenous culture, that is our cultural task."
Check out the trailer to this important new film and ponder the implications of the project...
"When you think of the declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, the concept and practice of Earth Democracy that we are building in India - these are all contributions towards building an Earth Community, thinking of a United Natures - a United Nations of all Species" - Vandana Shiva
"I think it's about the rediscovery and recreation of new indigenous culture, that is our cultural task."
Check out the trailer to this important new film and ponder the implications of the project...
Health or Debt? It's Really Not a Choice
March 21, 2013
Strike Debt, the organization that grew out of the Occupy Movement and began buying up student debt, has added medical debt to its list of targets. This great animated video explains why in a pretty clear way, and hopefully it continues to inspire solidarity and collective action. It is by helping each other that we will find our way forward through all of this...
Check out the video, and then visit Strike Debt to get involved.
Strike Debt, the organization that grew out of the Occupy Movement and began buying up student debt, has added medical debt to its list of targets. This great animated video explains why in a pretty clear way, and hopefully it continues to inspire solidarity and collective action. It is by helping each other that we will find our way forward through all of this...
Check out the video, and then visit Strike Debt to get involved.
Bradley Manning and Subconscious War
 |
| ~ Bradley Manning ~ Photo from Wikipedia |
News is again active with reports on the latest turn in the Bradley Manning case. If you've missed the story, Manning is the U.S. Army soldier arrested and accused of releasing classified material to WikiLeaks. Reuters reports that the case is the largest leak of government secrets in the history of the United States. To the surprise of many, Manning has just plead guilty to charges that he "misused classified information." However, in a slight twist to the story, he denied the top charge of "aiding the enemy" (the Iraqi "insurgents"). Manning, who has been jailed for nearly 3 years now, was able to testify:
I believe that if the general public ... had access to the information ... this could spark a domestic debate as to the role of the military and foreign policy in general... I felt I accomplished something that would allow me to have a clear conscience... This was the type of information...[that] should become public.
The need to have a public re-evaluation of the role of war in U.S. foreign policy is long passed (the War in Iraq started in 2003, and we've been at war for the 10+ years since). A look through the many documents on WikiLeaks helps explain why the U.S. army and government want to see Manning imprisoned for life. The counter-argument is that citizens have the right to know of the actions taken in their name by their own government.
If you're unconvinced, take the time to watch this 30 minute documentary, Subconscious War, which was created with some of the more disturbing footage that Manning released.
Honor the Treaties: A Native American Resistance Project
February 6, 2013
Honor the Treaties is a new and growing movement from within Native American communities in the US that aims to create a complete database of treaties signed between the US government and Native American groups, while becoming the hub of action for treaty issues facing tribes today. Learn more and take action by visiting honorthetreaties.org, and watch this moving short film that helps explain why we all need to get involved.
Honor the Treaties is a new and growing movement from within Native American communities in the US that aims to create a complete database of treaties signed between the US government and Native American groups, while becoming the hub of action for treaty issues facing tribes today. Learn more and take action by visiting honorthetreaties.org, and watch this moving short film that helps explain why we all need to get involved.
Consumption Junction: "Forget the Money"
by Lana Lynne on November 30, 2012
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That ubiquitous childhood refrain echoes throughout many people's lives, evolving with each new chapter of experiences. When we're young, the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations. As we get older, for many these choices begin to fit into pre-molded channels, into recognizable and attainable occupations. By the time we're "grown up," what we want to be has been replaced by what we do for money. Our options for alternative lifestyles are few, and unceasing bombardments by consumerist messages tell us what to do with our money, each tailored to our socioeconomic positions. Cultural critics call us automatons of the industrial complex, and as members of "the masses," we fall in lockstep time to a soundtrack of retail therapy.
And yet, the idea of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" or, as Alan Watts puts it, "What if money were no object?" still resonates with us. A short video made by a 20-year-old "self-taught video creator" takes a snippet of Alan Watts speaking about living a meaningful life to narrate a nicely spliced montage of dreamy time-lapse images. Watts asks listeners straightforward, "What makes you itch? What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?" For the rest of the video, he laments people's complacency with "doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living." "Forget the money," he says, "because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time."
On Youtube, the video has gotten more than one million views. On Facebook, one posting of the video was shared over 200,000 times. Is this a whisper from within the masses of complacent consumers, breaking free of the amnesiac lullabies of monetary desire? Or has our ability to answer Watts' question been reduced to a like and a share?
Read more about Recycled Minds' exploration of similar ideas in this article about a world without money, this one about profiteering in academia, and this one on how Occupy is helping people out of debt.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That ubiquitous childhood refrain echoes throughout many people's lives, evolving with each new chapter of experiences. When we're young, the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations. As we get older, for many these choices begin to fit into pre-molded channels, into recognizable and attainable occupations. By the time we're "grown up," what we want to be has been replaced by what we do for money. Our options for alternative lifestyles are few, and unceasing bombardments by consumerist messages tell us what to do with our money, each tailored to our socioeconomic positions. Cultural critics call us automatons of the industrial complex, and as members of "the masses," we fall in lockstep time to a soundtrack of retail therapy.
And yet, the idea of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" or, as Alan Watts puts it, "What if money were no object?" still resonates with us. A short video made by a 20-year-old "self-taught video creator" takes a snippet of Alan Watts speaking about living a meaningful life to narrate a nicely spliced montage of dreamy time-lapse images. Watts asks listeners straightforward, "What makes you itch? What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?" For the rest of the video, he laments people's complacency with "doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living." "Forget the money," he says, "because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time."
On Youtube, the video has gotten more than one million views. On Facebook, one posting of the video was shared over 200,000 times. Is this a whisper from within the masses of complacent consumers, breaking free of the amnesiac lullabies of monetary desire? Or has our ability to answer Watts' question been reduced to a like and a share?
Read more about Recycled Minds' exploration of similar ideas in this article about a world without money, this one about profiteering in academia, and this one on how Occupy is helping people out of debt.
Žižek on Reconceptualizing Nature
by douglas c reeser on November 1, 2012
In some of my recent articles, I've brought up the need to begin rethinking the world around us. The current capitalist-driven approach is likely to more deeply embed the problems and issues that we currently face. Most appear eager to continue down this path, but there are a growing number who are beginning to question that wisdom (or lack thereof). But how do we rethink what has become so normal, so routine, so everyday?
One of the more popular social critics of our time is Slavoj Žižek, and he has a gift of being able to identify large-scale social problems and offer new ways of examining and addressing them. What follows, a 10-minute clip of Žižek from the documentary Examined Life, is such an example. Žižek offers his views on the environmental problems facing humanity (appropriate now, considering the destructive hurricane Sandy that just battered the northeastern US). He then goes on to offer a reconceptualization of nature, and the start of a different way to move forward to address one of our most pressing predicaments.
Check it!
In some of my recent articles, I've brought up the need to begin rethinking the world around us. The current capitalist-driven approach is likely to more deeply embed the problems and issues that we currently face. Most appear eager to continue down this path, but there are a growing number who are beginning to question that wisdom (or lack thereof). But how do we rethink what has become so normal, so routine, so everyday?
One of the more popular social critics of our time is Slavoj Žižek, and he has a gift of being able to identify large-scale social problems and offer new ways of examining and addressing them. What follows, a 10-minute clip of Žižek from the documentary Examined Life, is such an example. Žižek offers his views on the environmental problems facing humanity (appropriate now, considering the destructive hurricane Sandy that just battered the northeastern US). He then goes on to offer a reconceptualization of nature, and the start of a different way to move forward to address one of our most pressing predicaments.
Check it!
"Global Noise" Makes a Racket around the World
by douglas reeser on October 15th, 2012
The Occupy Movement has not been in the mainstream headlines all that much lately, however that does not mean it has stalled out. Just this weekend, Occupy camps from across the US too part in the "Global Noise" rallies that are attempting to link and unite protest movements active in all parts of the globe. Check out this short video from the Real News Network on the Global Noise rallies, and continue to spread the word.
The Occupy Movement has not been in the mainstream headlines all that much lately, however that does not mean it has stalled out. Just this weekend, Occupy camps from across the US too part in the "Global Noise" rallies that are attempting to link and unite protest movements active in all parts of the globe. Check out this short video from the Real News Network on the Global Noise rallies, and continue to spread the word.
Mrs. Robinson ~ Winner, Best Belizean Film 2012
by douglas reeser on September 23, 2012
As many of our more regular readers know, I have spent most of the last year and half living in the southern-most district of the small Central American/Caribbean nation of Belize. A little earlier this summer was the 7th annual Belize International Film Festival, and while I was unable to attend in person, a number of the shorter films can be seen online. Mrs. Robinson is "one woman's story of her return to the beginning" - a short (15 minutes) film by Tom Hines about reflecting on a life spent in Belize. It was the winner of Best Belizean Film of 2012 in this year's festival. Enjoy!
As many of our more regular readers know, I have spent most of the last year and half living in the southern-most district of the small Central American/Caribbean nation of Belize. A little earlier this summer was the 7th annual Belize International Film Festival, and while I was unable to attend in person, a number of the shorter films can be seen online. Mrs. Robinson is "one woman's story of her return to the beginning" - a short (15 minutes) film by Tom Hines about reflecting on a life spent in Belize. It was the winner of Best Belizean Film of 2012 in this year's festival. Enjoy!
From the festival site:
"A documentary about one woman’s return to her country of her birth after living abroad in Belize, Central America for 56 years, this is the story of her return to the beginning. The main and only character is Mrs. Patricia Robinson, [Thomas Hines’s] grandmother, and a woman who inspires [him] to keep on keeping on. She has made a very big change at the age of 83 and decided to return to England because she wants to pass away there, where her mother, brother and sisters have died before her. In returning to England, the country of her birth and youth, she must say good-bye to the country of her husband’s birth, where she lived with him for many years until he sadly passed away when she was 60; her many friends who she became very close with over the years she spent there; and the lifestyle that she had become accustomed to for so many years. In doing this though she will fulfill her wish, which is to die in the place of her birth."
Tampa Ride-through at Start of RNC
Posted on August 26, 2012
From our old friend Broseph in Tampa, comes this short video of a ride through downtown at the start of the RNC convention. Broseph will be providing exclusive coverage of the RNC as it unfolds in the Sunshine State. You can follow him on Twitter: @brosephlives - and be sure to check back here for more commentary and coverage.
From our old friend Broseph in Tampa, comes this short video of a ride through downtown at the start of the RNC convention. Broseph will be providing exclusive coverage of the RNC as it unfolds in the Sunshine State. You can follow him on Twitter: @brosephlives - and be sure to check back here for more commentary and coverage.
There are No LImits Here: Bob Ross Remixed
PBS continues with its series of audio-video remixes of some of its classic shows. We shared the Mr Rogers Garden of Your Mind Remix, and had to share this one of the public TV painter, Bob Ross. This remix continues with the positive and creative messages espoused by these great shows of 1970s and 1980s public broadcasting. We're loving the memories - and the reminder to continue to explore our minds...
Three Monks: Antique Animation from China
by douglas reeser on July 17, 2012
Recently a friend turned us on to Obscure Animation, a channel on youtube that has a bunch of old and rare animations. It's difficult to choose a favorite, as they're all interesting in their own way. It's just cool to see such an excellent collection in one place. With a big thanks to those behind Obscure Animation, we present for you here, Three Monks, a quite famous animated short made in 1980 by the celebrated director, A Da.
The film is based on the proverb that posits: "One monk will shoulder two buckets of water, two monks will share the load, but add a third and no one will want to fetch water."
From Obscure Animation:
Recently a friend turned us on to Obscure Animation, a channel on youtube that has a bunch of old and rare animations. It's difficult to choose a favorite, as they're all interesting in their own way. It's just cool to see such an excellent collection in one place. With a big thanks to those behind Obscure Animation, we present for you here, Three Monks, a quite famous animated short made in 1980 by the celebrated director, A Da.
The film is based on the proverb that posits: "One monk will shoulder two buckets of water, two monks will share the load, but add a third and no one will want to fetch water."
From Obscure Animation:
Three Monks is a Chinese animated short, released in 1980 and directed by A Da. It is one of the most famous and beloved of Shanghai Animation Film Studio's productions, and has won awards at film festivals throughout the world. A note about the columns of text that appear at the beginning: the first column reads, "one monk fetches water to drink", the second column reads, "two monks carry water to drink", and the third one merely says, "three monks". The unfinished sentence reflects the film's central question, which is whether the three main characters will learn to work together so that they can all have water to drink.
Mister Rogers & the Garden of Your Mind
I grew up with Mister Rogers, and his show always held a fond place in my heart. This great video by Symphony of Science's John Boswell helps explain why!
Did you ever grow anything... In the garden of your mind....?!
It's really strange how this video pulls at some strings for someone who watch the show as a youth. And it's such a stark contrast to the programing on tv today.
Mr McFeely... I didn't order any whistles...
Did you ever grow anything... In the garden of your mind....?!
It's really strange how this video pulls at some strings for someone who watch the show as a youth. And it's such a stark contrast to the programing on tv today.
"Did you ever see a cat's eyes in the dark, and wonder what they were? Did you ever grow anything, in the garden of your mind? It's good to be curious... about many things. You can grow ideas... in the garden of your mind. All you have to do is think, and they'll grow..."You can download the mp3 of the song here >>>
Mr McFeely... I didn't order any whistles...
Leadership and the Tribe
 |
| A tribal tattoo by Nissaco from Chopstick Tattoo. Photo courtesy of Tao of Tattoos. |
Does anyone remember the social network called "tribe"? It was something like the anti-social network, where people who practiced alternative lifestyles gathered online instead of creating profiles on myspace. Facebook wasn't in the picture yet, and at the time, the idea of the tribe appealed to something more primal than mainstream society had to offer, and it had the feel of going against the grain (I decided to check to see if it's still up, and to my surprise, it's still going - tribe.net). The idea of the tribe has fallen a little out of vogue these days, and I wonder if it has something to do with the proliferation of "tribal" style tattoos among more mainstream youth.
Whatever the case, while chatting with a visiting friend from Miami, she brought up a talk about tribes and leadership from TedX (see below) that had made an impression on her. It turns out the talk is by David Logan, and his TedX lecture is about his theory on a human typology - and he claims that all humans fall into one of five different tribes. Having only watched the TedX talk, I feel like I have a limited understanding of his typology (he has also authored a book titled "Tribal Leadership), but I'll attempt to give a short recap:
There are five levels of tribes. Level one is comprised of about 2% of the population and includes violent and criminal people - he mentions "jail culture" as an example. Level two claims about 20% of the population and is comprised of people that hate life and feel sorry for themselves - a step up from level one, but still highly negative. Level three, about 35% of the population is where most people reside - they are "one-up" types, or people who will listen to you and then jump in and explain why they're that much better than you. Level four, another 20% or so, are a bit more positive, and have a type of self awareness that allows them to encourage others to move "up" to the next level. Finally there is level five, again only about 2% of the population, who are people that are leaders in that they can bring people from disparate groups together and let them work together for the benefit of all.
I don't love this typology, but I found the talk fairly interesting. As an anthropologist, I realize that most attempts to put humans into a strict typology have been largely left in the past by scholars - mainly because such generalizations gloss over too many individualities and peculiarities. However, Logan's ideas allow for an understanding of how negativity and positivity can affect our outlook on life and our relationships with others. It allows for self-improvement, and even the improvement of humanity as a whole. And perhaps most important, Logan explains how bringing people together who may not otherwise meet is a unique, effective and highly valuable type of leadership that we can all strive to practice.
Check it out here, and share your thoughts and impressions below >>>
Traditional Maya Beekeeping
by douglas reeser on April 21, 2012
Around the globe, bee populations have been mysteriously declining for the last few years. Theories on the cause of the decline include cell phone signals that interfere with bee communications and a variety of chemical pesticides that have had a deleterious effect. Along with the decline in bee populations, it turns out there has been a decline in traditional beekeepers among Maya populations in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. In this short film, Dr. Stephen Buchmann of the Drylands Institute in Tucson, AZ and the Pollinator Partnership offers a glimpse of the ancient practice.
From the producer: "Deep in the rainforest of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, in the shadow of his ancestors' great stone pyramids, one of the last Mayan beekeepers guards an ancient secret. It was passed on to him directly from his fathers in the Mayan language from long before the time of Cortez. He is one of very few modern Maya upholding the beecraft skills of keeping stingless bees. All is unveiled as Emmy award-winning cinematographer Keith Brust (Planet Earth, etc.) takes us deep inside the bees' hidden world and this ages old Mayan tradition for the first time."
Around the globe, bee populations have been mysteriously declining for the last few years. Theories on the cause of the decline include cell phone signals that interfere with bee communications and a variety of chemical pesticides that have had a deleterious effect. Along with the decline in bee populations, it turns out there has been a decline in traditional beekeepers among Maya populations in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. In this short film, Dr. Stephen Buchmann of the Drylands Institute in Tucson, AZ and the Pollinator Partnership offers a glimpse of the ancient practice.
From the producer: "Deep in the rainforest of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, in the shadow of his ancestors' great stone pyramids, one of the last Mayan beekeepers guards an ancient secret. It was passed on to him directly from his fathers in the Mayan language from long before the time of Cortez. He is one of very few modern Maya upholding the beecraft skills of keeping stingless bees. All is unveiled as Emmy award-winning cinematographer Keith Brust (Planet Earth, etc.) takes us deep inside the bees' hidden world and this ages old Mayan tradition for the first time."
The Raising of the Greased Pole: Maya Day 2012
by douglas reeser on 3.27.12
I was lucky enough to make my way out to the rural village of Blue Creek in southern Belize for the annual Maya Day event at Tumul K'in School. Maya Day is a celebration of traditional Maya culture, and along with traditional foods, crafts, products, and plants, they hold traditional events and competitions throughout the day. This year they had stilt walking, a corn husk competition, deer dance performances, marimba music and traditional dancing. They also had a greased pole climb! Check out the video to see how they raised the pole and to learn a bit more about the traditional event.
Consumption Junction: "A Word to the Wives"
by lana lynne on March 10, 2012
Check out this promotional video from a 1955 home construction company, a perfect portrait of advertisers' sale of the American Dream in which two friends cook up a scheme to convince the one woman's husband to buy her a new house with a modern kitchen. The plot involves the husband spending an enlightening two and half days trying to keep house with outdated appliances and a long trip to the trash can, and, in this case, the best laid plans of Mrs. Consumer fall right into place. One of the most interesting parts arises in the assertion of a fifth freedom, following from Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous four freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship God, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The savvy friend with the enviable kitchen calls for "freedom from unnecessary drudgery, freedom to go shopping when the urge hits you...or when there's a sale going on."
Check out this promotional video from a 1955 home construction company, a perfect portrait of advertisers' sale of the American Dream in which two friends cook up a scheme to convince the one woman's husband to buy her a new house with a modern kitchen. The plot involves the husband spending an enlightening two and half days trying to keep house with outdated appliances and a long trip to the trash can, and, in this case, the best laid plans of Mrs. Consumer fall right into place. One of the most interesting parts arises in the assertion of a fifth freedom, following from Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous four freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship God, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The savvy friend with the enviable kitchen calls for "freedom from unnecessary drudgery, freedom to go shopping when the urge hits you...or when there's a sale going on."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)