Historical Questioning of Text July 11, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: History, KERA, podcasts, Religion, Think
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I was listening to a podcast of radio talk show in Texas, called Think on KERA the other day. They were discussing a book written about the books of the Bible by a university history professor. And I will admit that I know quite little about the Bible. However, I know enough about the Christian religion that it is supposed to teach openness and forgiveness. The author was discussing the different books of the Bible have discrepancies that can not be explained.
What I found interesting (at least enough to blog about)…. was how someone called in and made very disparaging comments about the author and his findings. She even went as far as saying she would not listen to this radio show any longer. Her tone was obviously one of anger and almost fear – the host, author and other callers were all clearly taken aback by this woman’s reaction.
My interest in this interaction took two directions… 1) was in the findings of the book and 2) was the reaction of the caller. Even I know, that the Bible is made of my several books, written by different people. These people all had different viewpoints and recollections. Much like the childhood game, Grapevine, where a message or story is passed down the line and everyone waits to hear what the differences are between what the first person said and what the last person heard. To me, these types of things are not at all surprising and after 2000 years, one would think most people would recognize these problems without surprise.
But the real concerning interest that I had in this call was the true energy and what I think was fear this caller was expressing. It really troubles me that a belief system that is supposed to give someone faith and enlightenment could cause such a reaction at the acknowledgement of discrepancies. I would not at all classify this person as a religious fanatist, but it looks like this is what religion is becoming. Everyone is right and everyone else is wrong. I hope that people start to understand what religion or any spiritual beliefs truly are… a person method to guide and lift the individuals through their personal life… no one is right or wrong when it comes to spirituality.
Addicted to Multi-Tasking May 20, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness, Politics, Society, Technology, Work.Tags: addiction, multi-tasking, podcasts, Running, tracker
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In the past couple of months, I have come to realize that I am addicted to multi-tasking. In some ways I think this is okay. I certainly accomplish more tasks this way. As I write this, I am watching the American Idol finale with my lovely wife. (Oh, and I am charging my Garmin Forerunner 305.) Today, as I took my lunch break, I listened to music as I ran 45 minutes, carrying hand weights – those 45 minutes complete the activity level for our organization’s Spring into Action wellness initiative as well as keep me in the lead for the overall organization in minutes tracked.
I could go on and on. I workout at home, watching hulu.com. I often do yard work and drive to work, listening to podcasts. At work even, I often have podcasts playing the background, drowning out the sound of the cube-farm I am surrounded by. But as you can guess by the fact that I am putting this out there, I have an element of guilt. I may be getting more done, but is the fact that I am doing two or more things at once a bonus or a detraction?
As the addicted one, I don’t think I can give a fair answer. For me, it depends on reason and things I am combining. For example, I don’t multi-task when I am having dinner with my family or playing with the boys… ok, well, I have to keep Ian occupied as I put away laundry last night…. ultimately, I think it often impossible not to multi-task. There is just too much to get done these days!
Lessons Learned: Flu of 1918, SARS, Avian, Swine May 7, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Politics, Society, Technology.Tags: 1918, Avian, epidemic, Flu, H1N1, H5N1, immunization, Pandemic, podcasts, SARS, Swine, Tamiflu, TED, virus
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Please read the whole thing before knowing why I think everyone should watch this video… I am of the belief that early on the media blew the H1N1 (Swine flu) virus out of portion. As many people argue, more people (36,000) die in the US from the human influenza then are even coming down with this is H1N1 virus.
However, numbers really mean nothing. What the media seems to be shying away from is the intangible. The real threat of these viruses is what it can become. As is often mentioned is that there is currently no immunization developed specifically for H1N1. Yes, Tamiflu seems to be effective, but who knows against what strains.
Watch this video and learn why it is the future versions of the virus that might have a more dangerous effect on the world… or, if we are lucky, might not!
Talk about foresight… this talk was given at a TED conference in 2007 after rise in concern over the Avian Flu. As much as these sudden and dramatic media blitzes is annoying. I think we all need to be conscience of what is happening around the world. It would be nice if the media could focus on the facts and avoid sound bites that get aired over and over and create more than necessary panic.
Loss of Focus February 25, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness, Politics, Society, Technology.Tags: back pain, Cold Weather, focus, Hobbies, Interests, Life Plan, marathon, photography, podcasts, Weather, Wii Fit
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I have lost my focus. I have all these thoughts and interests and tasks running through my head. And here I sit, browsing through random WordPress blogs. I see lots of good sites and entries about lots of things I am interested in…. photography, their dogs, their kids, religion (or lack thereof), politics, etc, etc.
And here I sit – days since my last blog entry – still with nothing to say.
I wonder if it is winter blues. I haven’t felt “blueish”. I even had Strep Throat and feel like it didn’t get me that down. I have enjoyed all the snow – but from the inside mostly, due to trying to keep the little warm, dry and healthy. But boy, has this season been cold. We had a couple of warm days a few weeks ago and the forecast has more in sight, but it was 3 degrees yesterday morning. The swing is big though since it is getting into the 40s today.
My back has been bothering me lately – namely the past couple of days. I think it is mostly from the fact that I had a good run of working out last month, but haven’t done anything of significant for the last 2 weeks. The back and hamstrings have gotten super tight. I can say that I managed to do a little Wii Fit two nights ago and got on the treadmill for 20 minutes or so last night. Hopefully I can keep doing one or the other for the next couple of nights.
So, how do I get the focus back? Over the years, I have relinquished the riens to my wife to plan trips and schedules and such. But at this point there are starting to be things I want to get done that I am letting myself not do. I think I need to put together a plan and get to it. I am good with lists and followed my 16-week workout plan to finish my second marathon within 3% of my goal. (And marathon #3 is going to be within this plan.)
So, here it is – day 1 – put together the list of things I want to focus on and if possible dates. I think I will replace my List of Lists page with the “The Plan.”
American History and Slavery February 4, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Society.Tags: African American, Alabama, American, Birmingham, Black History Month, Carry Me Home, Diane McWhorter, Europe, History, KERA THINK, Legacy, Martin Luther King Jr., podcasts, progress, Slavery
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I was listening to a podcast from KERA.org. It was an interview with a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Diane McWhorter, who had written about growing up in Alabama during the civil rights movement in her book “Carry Me Home, Birmingham, Alabama: The Climatic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution.” And as this conversation usually does, she touched on slavery. I think the timing of the interview was related to MLK day and of course, the inauguration of our first African American President. It seems like every time I hear the conversation about slavery in America, it is presented as our legacy – something embedded solely in the history of our country.
I really do not understand this view. It is as if people believe that when the settlers got to America in the 1600s they suddenly thought, “we need workers to farm our fields, let’s go to Africa and buy some.” Slavery is not an American thing. And it didn’t just disappear when Abraham Lincoln tried to abolish it. It still exists in places today. Just like the genecides that occur in third world countries, there are horrible things still happening like this around our world.
Slavery was made illegal under the empire of Britain in 1807. It took another sixty years for Amercians to figure out a way to remove this plague from it’s still infantile economic and industrial systems. As wrong as it was, it was embedded in the culture and the ability of the country to survive relied on slaves.
I just hope people begin to realize that our country was founded by people who had a history and traditions that came from other places. We live in a country based on freedoms that we were not available to people at those times. But the first Americans were not impervious to flaws that their ancestors also had. We have come a long way and progress can be grueling. But just because it has always been done this way or that, or because it is an American thing or a foreign thing, we need to stop thinking there is only one way to do things – that it has to be an “American way.”
… my thought process on this moves to our current healthcare and socio-economic conditions in our country. But I think I will need to create a new entry to express myself on that topic.
What’s your passion? January 23, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness, Politics, Society, Technology, Work.Tags: Dreams, Excite, Hobbies, Important, Interests, KERA THINK, Passion, podcasts
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This morning I was listening to one of my favorite podcast radio shows, “Think” from KERA radio. Today was an interview with Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., author of “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything” (Viking, 2009). You can listen to it hear: Finding Your Passion MP3. Whenever I hear conversations about “following your passions” it does make me think. I have lots of interests and I am not sure how to stay focused on one or another.
I enjoy my work – how I pay for living expenses. And I am pretty good at it. But as this author suggests, this is not enough to satisfy your needs. I don’t think he said it this way, but I think the question comes down to: If you had to do any job, and didn’t get paid, what would you do? But I wonder if this is a frivolous conversation. We all have lots of jobs that we don’t get paid for. Maybe the conversation should be about balancing your time against things you have to do and things you “love” to do.
Of course, the point of his book is more about finding your passion. What is it you love to do? Please Comment below!
A Day of Celebration January 22, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Politics, Society.Tags: African American, Channel 955, Emotion, First Black, Kyra, Obama, podcasts, President, White
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We take it for granted. “We” being white people. After 43 white male presidents, it is really difficult to understand the joy, pride, relief, elation, … words can not describe the feelings many African Americans must feel as President Barack Obama begins his Presidency. As a young, white male who was not around during the Civil Rights Movement, has always been aware of the systemic discrimination that occurred, but never directly affected by it, it is really hard to grasp what occurred on Tuesday.
A local radio station (Channel 955) personality, Kyra, wrote this note on her MySpace page. She read it aloud for the radio and I think you too will find it captures so many emotions. (It may take a minute or two to load depending on your Internet connection.)
LISTEN: PART 1
But I am proud too. I am proud that the day after we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 80th birthday, we are able to present a gift of evidence. Evidence of the fact that our country is moving past the background of person or the color of their skin. Barack Obama inspired a nation. Even with the dark hours of the last eight years, people are now excited. They are excited by the promise of a brighter future. I, like many, found President Obama’s speech quite depressing. It was dark. But is was consistent. It was accurate to the pciture of our country. We are down and we need to dig deep. I look forward to seeing how we can continue the togetherness this election has brought us and seeing the progress we can make in the next four years. We have a long way to go and I hope we as a country are not putting unfair expectations on our President. He is just another one of us afterall – albeit an extremely bright and inspiring one.
Change is Happening, Stop Trying to Hide from It! November 4, 2008
Posted by shwaldman in Society, Technology.Tags: Change, Charts, Computers, Earth, Future, Growth, Humans, Nature, Nature vs Humans, Paul MacCready, podcasts, Population, What we can do about it, YouTube
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Because of slogan’s and campaigns, the election focused on the word “change”. But you really need to realize that the world is changing. We can not be left behind. We need to look where we as human’s have been and where we are going. Turning a blind eye is only going to make things worse.
I hope people let go of the old ideas and beliefs and start to recognize we need to start thinking in a whole new way to protect our future.
VOTE! November 4, 2008
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Politics, Society.Tags: Change, Don't Vote, Election, Local, Make A Difference, podcasts, President, Stay The Same, Voice, Vote, YouTube
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It matters!
Current Favorite Podcast July 30, 2008
Posted by shwaldman in Politics, Society.Tags: book review, KERA THINK, podcasts, Politics
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For non-fiction book lovers and people interested in current topics around the world, this is a great podcast/radio show. They get lots of interesting topics, but the host does a fantastic job of asking the questions that make even the guests THINK.
