6.58 are you sure where my SPARK is?

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.

—Steve Maraboli (via rememberyourfirstlove)

(Source: simply-quotes, via gradnessmadness)

Training teaches how to carry out a specific task more efficiently and reliably. Education, on the other hand, opens and enriches a person’s mind. To train a person, you need know nothing about who they really are, or what they love, or why. Education reaches out to embrace the whole person. Historically, we have treated money as a matter of training, rather than education in its wider and more dignified sense.

—What the philosophy of education teaches us about worrying less about money. (via explore-blog)

Gradness Madness: Contented living

“Nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to…

Thought for the day

gradnessmadness:

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.”

- Robert Bresson

It’s a New Year and with it comes a fresh opportunity to shape our world.

So this is my wish, a wish for me as much as it is a wish for you: in the world to come, let us be brave – let us walk into the dark without fear, and step into the unknown with smiles on our faces, even if we’re faking them.

And whatever happens to us, whatever we make, whatever we learn, let us take joy in it. We can find joy in the world if it’s joy we’re looking for, we can take joy in the act of creation.

So that is my wish for you, and for me. Bravery and joy.

—Neil Gaiman’s New Year’s Wish… (via wilwheaton)

(via wilwheaton)

Thought for the day

gradnessmadness:

“You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings.”

― Elizabeth Gilbert

end of semester rant

Yeah, it’s that time in the semester when I write emails to students in my head like:

See, there is something called a ‘Syllabus.’ It was posted on Blackboard, oh, 4 months ago. I also have something called a ‘Schedule’ posted on Blackboard. It tells you what we’re doing every day. Then there’s this other thing called a ‘Lecture.’ I offered 3 of them every week just for you. Before each lecture, I discussed deadlines. For those students who never attended class, like you, I even went so far as to post Announcements every week. I also emailed EVERY SINGLE announcement because I knew some students would never look at Blackboard. I provided SIX opportunities for extra credit this semester - none of which you completed. So, no, you cannot magically get some other opportunity today just because you “have to pass this class.” You’re just not the brightest crayon in the box if you can’t figure out a deadline via the five sources I provided. And bless your heart for thinking you get some magical exception even though you skipped multiple exams and never came to class. BTW, you paid almost $900 to take this class and you got nothing out of it. I earned maybe $20 per student to teach this semester, but I still worked my ass off because I love it and I wanted you to have the best possible education. So, thanks for never doing your part. And thanks for wasting so much of my time by emailing me idiotic questions all semester. What’s that? Oh, no, there is such a thing as a dumb question. You’re an adult now.

See also: I will NEVER teach 150 students in the Fall (aka mostly Freshman) without a TA ever ever again. It was not this bad in the Spring, seriously. Geez. Thank goodness for the other end of the distribution - they keep me sane and remind me why I love teaching.

/endrant

7th Nov 2012

The election

I woke up to so much joy and so much anger this morning. I was going to write down some thought and keep them private, but decided to share them anyway.

Obama has a *lot* of work to do, but I am glad we gave him four more years to do that work. He was a better choice for me and, in my opinion, my family and friends. He was the better choice for me as a woman working to better her life, a woman who knows she absolutely would not have gotten this far without her family, mentors, circumstances, education, etc. - many Americans are not as fortunate. I know many of you are upset today.

I will continue to criticize my President and government on a number of issues, like drones and the war drugs. At the end of the day, you and I may have very different worldviews, but we tend to want the same thing - a better world for everyone. I so wish we could come together to create that world. NPR was talking about this - let’s get our churches and universities and homes and non-profits together and work to end poverty with its vast complexities or to create equality in education so we can actually give every kid the same opportunity instead of staying inside our biased comfort zones and working separately on polarizing issues. We can come together and demand that our elected officials work on these issues.

Congress, get your shit together. Friends, demand that your elected officials get their shit together. As Obama said, progress is made when we make compromises and when we cooperate and show compassion for both sides. These are some of the most difficult things for us as humans - cooperation is risky, scary.

On a happier note - there are other things to celebrate! An end to three strikes in CA. Moving toward marriage equality in multiple states. A record number of women in multiple elected offices (we need more, but I’ll take it).

And don’t forget - the political ads and junk mail and snarky phone calls will subside for awhile! :)

Forward.

Let’s do this.

“I honor the place in you where the Spirit lives. I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light, of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, then we are One.” Namaste.