At the end of June I met a friend to travel to Edwardsville, Illinois
We wanted to hear a program about Buckminster Fuller to see the geodesic dome built by Fuller and his architect partner Shojie Sado located on the expansive campus of Southern Illinois University.
The program had been arranged by an organization working for gun safety. We were a group of more than 15 men and women. We were invited to have lunch at a well appointed home close to the University and to tour the Dome afterward.
Buckminster Fuller was an architect, engineer, inventor, poet and global visionary who created the concept for the dome. Fuller also created the "World Game" which was played by other universities and governments throughout the world. The Game's purpose was to practically demonstrate how interdependent we all were for environmental and economic resources on this planet our "Spaceship Earth."
It was at one "World Game" event that I first encountered the thinking of this unusual man and his
universal respect for all effort that is made toward negotiating boundaries, walls and cultures as
waves of people moved from one place to another.
Ironically my trip to Edwardsville and the Buckmaster Center* came at a time when candidates for
elected office here and around the world are playing loose with human life and environmental resources as though there is no need to negotiate with each other much less respect our differences.
We need to remember Buckminster Fuller as we go to the polls and vote.
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS
*www.fullerdome.org
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
SHORT STORY: PLAGIARISM AND ME?
At one time I had the pleasure of serving as an adjunct professor in a large urban university.
My course was a practical one about the field of public relations, the skills required by the
practitioner and the relationship between public relations and journalism.
There were 30 undergraduate students in my class, the majority of whom worked part-time and took classes in night school.
Students were required to write and to demonstrate their understanding of strategic management
by facilitating campaign for a program or company they identified as their "client."
One of my students, in his senior year, produced a strategic plan for an art museum, along
with mock-ups for print products.
I had worked hard with this particular student during the semester. I felt I had seen improvement
with each week that passed and I looked forward to receiving his paper as the term ended.
As I read through his work, I was gratified, almost impressed by how well he handled the assignment until I realized, with a sickening feeling that I had read his words elsewhere, his work was plagiarized. I felt my trust had been betrayed.
When I read what happened with the Donald Trump campaign and the way words were being plagiarized, vulgarized and demonized, I wondered could voters not feel a sickening sense of betrayal as I did so many years ago?
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
My course was a practical one about the field of public relations, the skills required by the
practitioner and the relationship between public relations and journalism.
There were 30 undergraduate students in my class, the majority of whom worked part-time and took classes in night school.
Students were required to write and to demonstrate their understanding of strategic management
by facilitating campaign for a program or company they identified as their "client."
One of my students, in his senior year, produced a strategic plan for an art museum, along
with mock-ups for print products.
I had worked hard with this particular student during the semester. I felt I had seen improvement
with each week that passed and I looked forward to receiving his paper as the term ended.
As I read through his work, I was gratified, almost impressed by how well he handled the assignment until I realized, with a sickening feeling that I had read his words elsewhere, his work was plagiarized. I felt my trust had been betrayed.
When I read what happened with the Donald Trump campaign and the way words were being plagiarized, vulgarized and demonized, I wondered could voters not feel a sickening sense of betrayal as I did so many years ago?
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
Saturday, July 16, 2016
HIS NAME IS DAVID!
He came in wide-eyed and curious.
He had blond curly hair and big brown eyes.
He walked sure of himself.
As he took the table next to me our eyes met.
He smiled and I asked for his hand. He gave it to me.
I asked for a high-five he gave it to me.
He was there with his father.
I found out that his name was David and he was not quite two.
As his father went for breakfast he sat quietly taking in all the activity.
He was fascinated with all the people, some greeting each other.
As I watched this bright, beautiful, curious child, some of the ache inside of me created by the turmoil of this past week left me.
David demonstrated there is still much to discover and learn at his age and mine.
I left the coffee shop feeling brighter than when I went in.
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
MY PRESENTIMENT ODE TO TURMOIL?
I live in an apartment on a high floor in a building in St. Louis, Missouri. The view I get of the sky is sometimes bland, sometimes frightening and at other times a delight. Though I do not see the sun rise, I am able to see it begin to call in the dawn.
On occasion I write a small ode about what it is that I see. Last week, the day before I became aware of the turmoil in Dallas Texas, this is what I saw.
The sun's strong waves of color call me from bed
To watch as they chase clouds grey and gloomy
From a distance, lightning shouts its defiance
Leaving me to wonder
How will this battle turn out?
The question I had in that early morning last week became one that stays with me now. This land, my country and yours, is hurting. It is hurting from our behavior, lack of respect and use of language toward each other.
There is an urgent need for each of us to begin to listen, and see and reach out to each other without
condescension or violence. Nor can we easily hold on to those things and people we use so easily to accomplish corrupt deeds and intimidation without losing our own humanity.
There are and will be a lot of words and plans and hopes made to try to set right what Dallas now seems to represent. Yet Dallas could become the turning point for each of us to realize we are all part of a huge undertaking called America and we need each other to make it work.
How will this battle turn out? The answer is within each of us. We need to do our part!
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
On occasion I write a small ode about what it is that I see. Last week, the day before I became aware of the turmoil in Dallas Texas, this is what I saw.
The sun's strong waves of color call me from bed
To watch as they chase clouds grey and gloomy
From a distance, lightning shouts its defiance
Leaving me to wonder
How will this battle turn out?
The question I had in that early morning last week became one that stays with me now. This land, my country and yours, is hurting. It is hurting from our behavior, lack of respect and use of language toward each other.
There is an urgent need for each of us to begin to listen, and see and reach out to each other without
condescension or violence. Nor can we easily hold on to those things and people we use so easily to accomplish corrupt deeds and intimidation without losing our own humanity.
There are and will be a lot of words and plans and hopes made to try to set right what Dallas now seems to represent. Yet Dallas could become the turning point for each of us to realize we are all part of a huge undertaking called America and we need each other to make it work.
How will this battle turn out? The answer is within each of us. We need to do our part!
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
THE SOUND & LOOK & UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUTURE?
I was intrigued by a conversation I had recently with a friend who told me he was working on a project which would require a 3D mock up.
I am familiar with two-dimensional films, cards and printing. I do have a printer, nearly 20 years old with my computer, so I thought I knew what he was talking about.
But I did not. I was not able to comprehend how he could indeed print out a physical mock up from a "printer" until he showed me pictures of the technology that did just that.
The link which explains the technology is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
To my surprise, when I used it, I found that the concept for the technology was introduced in the '70s in crude devices.
Today, 3D printers produce large and small parts used in equipment of all kinds and for smaller
projects such as the one my friend was developing.
The link above demonstrates the process on a film in which the 3D printer actually produces a lovely lattice designed basket.
Watching the link, I was reminded of the Robotic competition that is held in high schools in this nation and other countries around the world in which students design robots of their own.
As I write this, I listen for the sound of "beep,beep" that is expected to come on my radio tomorrow from Juno the small probe which was launched by NASA five years ago on an Atlas V Rocket designed to land on the planet Juniper.
As we turn from June to July we find the weather still dancing irrationally around the world while events of the past and present and glimpses of the future seem to be merging at a dizzying pace.
We marked the past with deaths of notables along with our own personal losses as we retold the history of this country's struggle for Independence on this holiday weekend.
Can we acknowledge the importance of equitable education, science and the use of technology as we move forward to meet the future and will we recognize the importance of our stake in that future as we vote in our election?
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
I am familiar with two-dimensional films, cards and printing. I do have a printer, nearly 20 years old with my computer, so I thought I knew what he was talking about.
But I did not. I was not able to comprehend how he could indeed print out a physical mock up from a "printer" until he showed me pictures of the technology that did just that.
The link which explains the technology is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
To my surprise, when I used it, I found that the concept for the technology was introduced in the '70s in crude devices.
Today, 3D printers produce large and small parts used in equipment of all kinds and for smaller
projects such as the one my friend was developing.
The link above demonstrates the process on a film in which the 3D printer actually produces a lovely lattice designed basket.
Watching the link, I was reminded of the Robotic competition that is held in high schools in this nation and other countries around the world in which students design robots of their own.
As I write this, I listen for the sound of "beep,beep" that is expected to come on my radio tomorrow from Juno the small probe which was launched by NASA five years ago on an Atlas V Rocket designed to land on the planet Juniper.
As we turn from June to July we find the weather still dancing irrationally around the world while events of the past and present and glimpses of the future seem to be merging at a dizzying pace.
We marked the past with deaths of notables along with our own personal losses as we retold the history of this country's struggle for Independence on this holiday weekend.
Can we acknowledge the importance of equitable education, science and the use of technology as we move forward to meet the future and will we recognize the importance of our stake in that future as we vote in our election?
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
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