Author Archives: milesaway44105

A Message from Santa!

My mother and one of her friends recommended PortableNorthPole.com  to me. It’s a site that allows you to work with Santa in composing a personalized video message for a special recipient. I highly recommend this site. My son watched his special message for over an hour last night and woke up asking for it thisContinue reading “A Message from Santa!”

Models Monday: The Great Depression, Parenting, and Us

I never lived a single day of my life in or near 1929 but because my grandmother was a child of the depression, it touched every aspect of my home life growing-up. I think about this all the time when I consider our current beliefs about how children should be raised so that they shouldContinue reading “Models Monday: The Great Depression, Parenting, and Us”

Models Monday: Reading off the Grid

I read Sara Mosle’s article, “What Should Children Read,” in The New York Times with interest. In the article, Mosle shares her disappointment with the content specified by the Common Core State Standards. The national benchmarks set to go into effect in 2014 require that nonfiction comprise 70% of the curriculum. According to Mosle, David Coleman,Continue reading “Models Monday: Reading off the Grid”

Models Monday: VIP (The Thanksgiving Week Edition–Re-post)

I was invited to moderate a film discussion earlier this week for a film that has received rave reviews. My role was minimal. I was only required to ask two questions before turning it over to the audience. It was an interesting experience. I learned how seriously people take film actors and actresses as wellContinue reading “Models Monday: VIP (The Thanksgiving Week Edition–Re-post)”

Models Monday: Avoiding Shellshock

I have been truly amazed by news reports of how shellshocked Mitt Romney and his supporters were by his loss. Claims that Romney had the “sincere belief” he would win despite the fact that he apparently ignored data to the contrary appear extraordinarily generous. I read this “sincere belief” as delusional. If Romney’s failings haveContinue reading “Models Monday: Avoiding Shellshock”

Models Monday: Resources

In my work as an anthropologist studying consumer issues, I have found it useful to think of the environment as more than air, land, and natural resources. Thinking about the consumer environment, from my perspective, requires also thinking about access to important resources: transportation, education, food, shelter, and increasingly, technology. The consumer environment also includesContinue reading “Models Monday: Resources”

Models Monday: Family Planning

I am in Indianapolis. I got here yesterday. As I thought about the autographed Peyton Manning jersey in the restaurant where I ate dinner last night,I couldn’t help but to reflect on my life with the Cleveland Browns. I was raised on the Browns. As a child, I slept in a Brian Sipe jersey. EveryContinue reading “Models Monday: Family Planning”

Models Monday: Quitting an “Elite” School or Cheryl’s Mother’s Example

The article in The New York Times this weekend about Dalton, the Calhoun School, and Trinity, all on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, suggests that minority students’ experiences don’t help make the case that these “elite” schools are good ones. While these schools were apparently interested in recruiting minority students, they weren’t heavily investedContinue reading “Models Monday: Quitting an “Elite” School or Cheryl’s Mother’s Example”