Thursday, October 05, 2006
A Prestigious Occupation
In a July 2006 Harris Poll, teaching was considered by adults to be one of the six most prestigious occupations. Since Harris began asking adults in 1977 to rate the prestige level of various occupations, teaching has been the only occupation that has shown an increase. Go teachers!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Movies Worth the Time
We recently enjoyed an independent film with a rather unusual title “Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.” It is a movie that I thought demonstrated the power of devotion, forgiveness, and moving on to embrace life after loss in a very offbeat and entertaining way.
Smile is a surprise winner and one that touched our hearts. It tells the story of the Doctor’s Gift program, where doctors go to other countries to do surgery on people with facial deformities – giving them a new identity and outlook on life in the process.
Another movie with a somewhat misleading title is Seducing Dr. Lewis. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in years. A small town wants a factory to locate there, but the factory won’t come unless there is a doctor there. What the townspeople go through to get a doctor to locate there is great fun and amusing deception!
If you like classical music and having to think through several layers of a story, check out Taking Sides. It draws the viewer into the life of the great German conductor, Wilhelm Furtwangler and the questions that swirled around whether or not he was a Nazi sympathizer. Does art transcend politics? Very entertaining with no Hollywood ending!
Another surprise is the movie Something the Lord Made – the true story of the unlikely pairing of two medical pioneers who worked on a medical breakthrough in heart surgery. Very well done and one that can be viewed with the family as well – helps to educate about past racial history and break down barriers. Outstanding movie.
Lest you think that I have been viewing movies a lot lately – the movies above were viewed over the course of this past year! One movie we did watch on vacation this summer was also very entertaining and illustrated a life of great resolve and character. We were very pleasantly surprised by The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio – a true story of how a 1950’s stay at home mom (didn’t they all then?) kept her family afloat financially and spiritually by entering and winning contests. My wife and I also found it fascinating from a historical/cultural context as we remembered many of the toys, commercials, furnishings, etc. that are used in the movie.
So - any good movies to recommend?
Smile is a surprise winner and one that touched our hearts. It tells the story of the Doctor’s Gift program, where doctors go to other countries to do surgery on people with facial deformities – giving them a new identity and outlook on life in the process.
Another movie with a somewhat misleading title is Seducing Dr. Lewis. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in years. A small town wants a factory to locate there, but the factory won’t come unless there is a doctor there. What the townspeople go through to get a doctor to locate there is great fun and amusing deception!
If you like classical music and having to think through several layers of a story, check out Taking Sides. It draws the viewer into the life of the great German conductor, Wilhelm Furtwangler and the questions that swirled around whether or not he was a Nazi sympathizer. Does art transcend politics? Very entertaining with no Hollywood ending!
Another surprise is the movie Something the Lord Made – the true story of the unlikely pairing of two medical pioneers who worked on a medical breakthrough in heart surgery. Very well done and one that can be viewed with the family as well – helps to educate about past racial history and break down barriers. Outstanding movie.
Lest you think that I have been viewing movies a lot lately – the movies above were viewed over the course of this past year! One movie we did watch on vacation this summer was also very entertaining and illustrated a life of great resolve and character. We were very pleasantly surprised by The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio – a true story of how a 1950’s stay at home mom (didn’t they all then?) kept her family afloat financially and spiritually by entering and winning contests. My wife and I also found it fascinating from a historical/cultural context as we remembered many of the toys, commercials, furnishings, etc. that are used in the movie.
So - any good movies to recommend?
A New Challenge
I have recently begun consulting work for Christian Schools International, while maintaining my current work on a half-time basis for Holland Christian. I am excited about this new opportunity to serve in a consulting/developing/networking role with other schools in CSI (Christian Schools International, not the TV show!)
Among other things, I hope to begin another blog soon related to faith nurture wearing my new CSI hat and will activate this link to it when I have it up and running. On this blog I hope to share books, movies and reflections on our culture on a more informal basis.
Among other things, I hope to begin another blog soon related to faith nurture wearing my new CSI hat and will activate this link to it when I have it up and running. On this blog I hope to share books, movies and reflections on our culture on a more informal basis.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Interesting Stuff...
Stuff…The average American now spends more money on entertainment than gasoline, household furnishings, and clothing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most affluent 20 percent spend more on cable TV, high speed Internet connections, movies, sports events, and other diversions - $4,516 a year – than on health care, utilities, clothing, and food eaten at home. (from The New York Times, quoted in The Week, December 2, 2005)
Room for the Stuff…The average U.S. home is now 2,349 square feet, a 12 percent increase from 10 years ago. (from The Economist, quoted in The Week, November 18, 2005)
Eating habits…Americans are so busy that they’re turning their cars into dining rooms. On average, we eat 32 restaurant-purchased meals in our cars every year, up from 19 in 1985. (from USA Today, as quoted in The Week, October 14, 2005)
Fill ‘er up…At the current price of $2.07 per gallon for commercial jet fuel, it costs $110,975 to fill up Air Force One. (Associated Press, as quoted in The Week, October 21, 2005)
Heavy metal…recent tests show that Beethoven actually died of lead poisoning, according to scientists at the Argonne Laboratory in Chicago. X-rays of six of his hairs and a few pieces of his skull showed lead levels about 100 times higher than normal. Scientists surmise that he got the lead exposure from his liberal overindulgence in wine consumed in lead cups or from a lifetime of medical treatments, which in his day were laced with heavy metals. (Grand Rapids Press, December 11, 2005)
Room for the Stuff…The average U.S. home is now 2,349 square feet, a 12 percent increase from 10 years ago. (from The Economist, quoted in The Week, November 18, 2005)
Eating habits…Americans are so busy that they’re turning their cars into dining rooms. On average, we eat 32 restaurant-purchased meals in our cars every year, up from 19 in 1985. (from USA Today, as quoted in The Week, October 14, 2005)
Fill ‘er up…At the current price of $2.07 per gallon for commercial jet fuel, it costs $110,975 to fill up Air Force One. (Associated Press, as quoted in The Week, October 21, 2005)
Heavy metal…recent tests show that Beethoven actually died of lead poisoning, according to scientists at the Argonne Laboratory in Chicago. X-rays of six of his hairs and a few pieces of his skull showed lead levels about 100 times higher than normal. Scientists surmise that he got the lead exposure from his liberal overindulgence in wine consumed in lead cups or from a lifetime of medical treatments, which in his day were laced with heavy metals. (Grand Rapids Press, December 11, 2005)
Transported
It has been a while since I have contributed to this page. The past few months have been a time of loss and healing - as well as a retreat from this writing. It was a great shock to get the phone call that my brother-in-law, riding home from his cottage on an unusually warm and beautiful Saturday afternoon in October, had struck a deer with his motorcycle and was instantly transported to heaven. He loved creation, and often remarked that he hoped that he died while out on a hike or ride outdoors - for him that would be the best way to go. We believe that all things happen within, not outside of, God’s plan, that death is not the final answer, and rejoice that LOVE WINS. We miss him, but are happy for him to be reunited with his son Brian who was killed in a car accident when a junior at Calvin College, with his dad, and his grandfather Poel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
