Labor Day Weekend Mishmash

Well, it’s Monday of Labor Day Weekend.  The weekend has flown by, again…
Book Review:
Saturday, I completed my third Richard P. Feynman book:  “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”  The first book was a collection of three lectures.  The second was the sequel to this book.  So, now I’ve read them in completely the wrong order.  It’s not you, Dr. Feynman, it’s me.  Sometimes even when you buy them correct, you end up reading them wrong.  The doctor is still funny and his observations about human nature are still accurate, but this book is referenced in the sequel and some of the ideas are expanded on in the lecture series, so sometimes reading this seemed like it was re-hashed.  Again, this book is a compilation of stories about the life and adventures of Dr. Feynman.  It’s a very fast read because he led an interesting life and because he is able to describe his adventures in a humorous and self-deprecating way.  Highly recommended!
Family:
Yesterday, Hil and I went to Sunday Mass and I found, once again, the readings spoke to me personally. They were:
7  “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel;  so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
8  When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
9  But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.
—  Ezekiel 33:7-9
2  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
—  Psalm 95:2
8  The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is to fulfill the law.
9  All these:  You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and all the other commandments that there are, are summed up in this single phrase:  You must love your neighbour as yourself.
10  Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfillment of the Law.
—  Romans 13:8-10
Ezekiel struck me because it reinforced in me the view that we have a responsibility to each other to tell each other when a person is acting badly (against God’s wishes).  The failure to say anything is enough to warrant your own accountability for the action (you did not do yourself).  Interestingly, it does not say we are compelled to act to prevent an action – only that we must speak out against the action.
The Psalm was actually one of several verses stated, but this was the line which gave me pause.  I’ve been reading a number of posts in Facebook, by various individuals who are against some of the changes in the practice of the Mass since Vatican II.  Among the objections were the music, singing and dancing.  The views seemed to be the music was trivial (folk-song-ie, popular), the singing was about the participants instead of about God, and dancing altogether.  It seems the “current” Mass is “lateral  / horizontal” (about the Church members) instead of “vertical” (praise to God).  As a consequence, I’ve been reading the words to the song lyrics more closely instead of just singing along.  Are they more about “me” or about “God”?
To be honest, this view has never entered my mind before and I find it puzzling.  My first reaction was:  “You folks seriously need to get a Life!”  Last week, I examined the songs and verses from “the other side of mind” and I concluded there may be more to this than I at first gave any credit.  After yesterday, though, I’ve decided – no, my first impression was correct.  Some of what goes on in the service is about “Me” instead of about God, but seriously, does anyone think God cares?  I may feel a little put off by folks dancing (“look at me”), but they may be put off just as much when I sing out loudly.  In other words:  “To each their own in the celebration of your faith!”
I wonder if it is possible to “love your neighbor” if you are wrapped up in whether someone else’s dancing or singing in Mass is about them or about praising God?
Family:
After Mass, we picked up Mom and went to visit my sister Carm for a BBQ.  My brother Sean was there with his son, and I got to chat with Art (Carm’s husband), and Patrice (one of Carm’s sons).  I really wanted to discuss learning with my sister – she has a master’s degree in education, but we were only able to have a brief conversation.  Basically, I’m interested in if there is a systematic method of conveying “understanding”, not just memorization of steps in a learning environment.  I explained my goal is to train some folks in the use of a tool for using databases and all I’ve ever been able to come up with are examples and “performance based training” (a training concept I learned back in my Army days).  With PBT, the instructor shows and tells the steps, walks the student through each of the steps and then the student performs the steps.  If they are not able to perform the steps, the instructor goes back to step one (show and tell).  My sister was not sure there was any superior way.
Subsequently, on the drive home, I posed the same question to my daughter who works in the California State Dept. of Education.  Her response was there is no such thing as a silver bullet and every class situation and student will be different.  Over dinner we continued the conversation, but it seems with our years of education – classes, apprenticeships, core curriculum – we still don’t have a proven system.
Neither response was very encouraging.
I guess the question is:  Can we stimulate curiosity and the ability to apply specific learning to general (new) situations (extrapolation and interpolation) systematically?
At the moment, my response is – I don’t know…
Song Lyrics:
Since I finished a book, I went out an bought another handful.  And – since my local used bookstore was having a sale, I also picked up a DVD series:  “The Greatest American Hero“.  I watched the pilot and the first episode today – and I loved it!!  It’s a Sci-Fi comedy crime series about and odd couple who are handed an alien spacesuit which grants one of the couple superpowers.  Robert Culp plays the FBI Agent (the straight guy) and William Katt plays the superhero (gets the suit and the girl).  The “girl” is played by Connie Sellecca – Katt’s character’s lawyer / girl friend / eventual wife.  The series originally came out in 1981 and I remember watching at least some of it on TV.
Anyway, I found the pilot brilliant!!  It has lots of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” moments in it and it’s funny and reasonably well written and acted (it’s just a superhero show, it’s not meant to be Shakespeare).  I understand it’s also on Netflix and Hulu – so check it out.  The title song is:  “Believe It Or Not” and it’s one of those one hit wonders that will stay stuck in you head for a week.  But it’s also fun!  So, who cares?  Check out the lyrics on my poems page and then go listen to it on YouTube.  It’s great!!
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On This Day In:
2021	Losing One’s Edge
	Can I Get An Up Front Seat?
2020	Are You Sure?
	Who Could It Be?
2019	Living Art
	Day 7: Week 1 – Mathematics
2018	Hey, #45: Are We Sick Of Winning, Yet?
	Day 40: Wrists
2017	Heart Vision
2016	A Labor Day / Pre-Election Hope
	Trust Me, Too
2015	Without Hope
	Things Known And Unknown
2014	A Wall Too High, A Bridge Too Far
2013	Glory = Danger
	Chicago Magic
	Feelin’ It
2012	How Did We Get Here?
2011	Labor Day Weekend Mishmash
	More, More, More

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More, More, More

Do more than belong:  participate.  Do more than care:  help.  Do more than believe:  practice.  Do more than be fair:  be kind.  Do more than forgive:  forget.  Do more than dream:  work.
—    William Arthur Ward
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On This Day In:
2021	Losing One’s Edge
	Can I Get An Up Front Seat?
2020	Are You Sure?
	Who Could It Be?
2019	Living Art
	Day 7: Week 1 – Mathematics
2018	Hey, #45: Are We Sick Of Winning, Yet?
	Day 40: Wrists
2017	Heart Vision
2016	A Labor Day / Pre-Election Hope
	Trust Me, Too
2015	Without Hope
	Things Known And Unknown
2014	A Wall Too High, A Bridge Too Far
2013	Glory = Danger
	Chicago Magic
	Feelin’ It
2012	How Did We Get Here?
2011	Labor Day Weekend Mishmash
	More, More, More

Read Full Post »