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Category: Deep Thought

Life is a Classroom

Life is a Classroom

The following article fits very well with the topic of "School," which is something that doesn't appear much on my site but it is important to both in my professional and private life. This week we got into a discussion that can be summed up as: "The school system does too little for high-performing students." We addressed other problems, such as school performance, grading, pressure on performance, etc. but that was at th heart of the debate. As teachers we…

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Not I: How I Avoid Becoming the Super Consumer

Not I: How I Avoid Becoming the Super Consumer

I like to shop. Most people I know like to shop. So how does one avoid becoming the super consumer in situations like that? To avoid falling into that pattern as best I can I made a couple of hard and fast rules, which I am going to throw out there. Function is more important than aesthetics. Aesthetics also play a big role, for example in clothing or furniture, but it must not be the sole criterion: An uncomfortable sofa,…

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Meeting Gorbachev

Meeting Gorbachev

Conversations with Gorbachev are inevitably when one examines world history. German director Werner Herzog visited the former Soviet Union's last state and party chief three times with his film crew near Moscow. It was about politics and history, about glasnost and perestroika. The result is the documentary "Meeting Gorbachev." An immensely fascinating encounter between two contemporary witnesses. "He made reunification possible without violence, without bloodshed. In earlier Soviet times, the tanks would have rolled – as in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia,…

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The Coffee Was Defective

The Coffee Was Defective

Eliminate the chaos It is one of those days. Either the coffee was defective or somebody slipped me some decaf. I clearly sense that I have no desire to clean up the rest of the paperwork on my desk or take my coffee mug sitting on the same desk into the kitchen. I talk myself into thinking that I don't have time or energy to clean up right now or continue. After all I have worked all day. The fact…

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Be Natural

Be Natural

The documentary "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché" premieres in Holywood. Jodie Foster leads as a narrator through the life story of pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché, who, around the turn of the 20th century, became the first director in the world to capture stories on film. Producer Pamela Green who directed the documentary said: "As for Hollywood and the women's rate of four percent and the lack of female directors, well, they're there. They just need more opportunities. With…

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