Victory Gardens in 2020

I've been waffling on creating a garden in the backyard for just about 3 seasons (maybe 4, whatever). The coronavirus outbreak got my butt in gear. I started listening to podcasts, started a garden journal, bought supplies and seeds and plants. And hopefully my first season as a vegetable gardener isn't a total bust. Yesterday I was surprised by a soil delivery that I wasn't expecting for another week!

I subscribed to a couple newsletters to help with my second gardening season (first vegetable) and have REALLY enjoyed them both so far. They are both providing me with great beginner info AND engaging me with cool history.

• Journey with Jill - Beginner's Garden🌱
  Honestly, until I looked up the link, I had no idea that Jill was like super Bible study lady. I'm a secular gal, myself, but her gardening newsletter is awesome. It doesn't have any religious undertones. Plus, the faith of others doesn't bug me one bit. Her knowledge and willingness to share it will definitely bless my garden! Check it out.
• Old Farmer's Almanac 🌱
  This an oldie, but goodie. As a librarian, I always wondered if the Almanac was full of nonsense, but after subscribing to their newsletter, I'm hooked. They had a fantastic post about Victory Gardens. My head was already there and then this post came through. I was fascinated to learn this nugget (emphasis added by moi):
  
  "Eleanor Roosevelt began a new Victory Garden campaign after Pearl Harbor was bombed and Americans dug in once again for Uncle Sam. By the end of WWII, 40% of the country’s produce came from backyard gardens."

Let's Goooooooooo (garden)!

The Freedom School: "We're not anarchists, we're autarchists" - yeah okay pal

This book I'm reading, Dark Money, is pretty disturbing. I'm not even halfway through and I can't tell if I'm supposed to laugh or cry. Do I continue to believe in humanity, or make a hermit plan and escape society? I'm gonna' stick around, but, dang humanity. Do better.

This book starts off with some history on the Koch family and about libertarian movement. I always fancied libertarians as harmless. Just some sweet little anarchists that want to smoke pot and get a prostitute legally. Nah, I was wrong. They aren't harmless. The ones in charge are dangerous and they are very, very smart.

And of course some are crazy af. Like this Santa Claus-looking dude Robert LeFevre that created a fringe group called the Freedom School in 1957. LeFevre hated Communism. Simultaneously, he favored abolition of the United States government. He also thought he had supernatural powers, floundered into bankruptcy, and was obsessed with a 14 year old girl. 

Listen to the crap this Freedom School belched out into the world of ideas (real shit ideas, I might add):

• Taught a revisionist history that painted robber barons as heroes and the Gilded Age as the U.S.'s golden era.
• Taxes were theft.
• The weak and poor should be taken care of by the wealthy, not by government.
• The South should have been allowed to secede and people "should be allowed to sell themselves into slavery if they wished." (No, I'm not making this up.)

It's no surprise a group of teachers that went to the Freedom School for a session immediately called the FBI after they returned. The teachers said the school was proposing the Bill of Rights be reduced to "just a single one: the right to own property" and calling for no police, no fire, no help for the poor, etc.

While, this LeFevre freak clearly should not have been an inspiration to any-damn-body, the book says that the Freedom School was "seminal to Charles Koch's political evolution."

Welp...

Storytelling and Identity Cooking

Henry David Thoreau said that "An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." My walk this morning certainly was. It's not only the fact I'm out and about, moving my feet, enjoying a perfect Michigan morning, but it's also what I'm listening to. Today, I tried out two new podcasts and wanted to share them with you.

Terrible, Thanks for Asking

Without a doubt, I subscribed to this podcast because of its name. The first episode I listened to today was episode #41 and it's called The Stories We Tell. As a fundraiser, my work is based on relationships and storytelling is an important part of that, so I'm always looking to hear stories from all walks of life. This particular episode had me tearing up for a number of reasons: it was a story of a daughter's relationship with her parents, how memory fails us, how stories change and family myths are born. However, when I really got emotional was when the father started talking about how important HIS father found education. In Laos, in the early 20th century, a man felt as passionate about educating his kid because he knew it was a way out of abject poverty. He was right. I learned a little bit about the "Secret War" that was happening concurrently with the Vietnam War in that part of the world. Finally, I was so delighted to hear that the matriarch of the family, after being on the podcast, wrote and sang a song about her family's experience.  So cool! It is a haunting song. I think this podcasts has some interesting surprises, so this is about as detailed as I get, but I highly recommend this podcast and this episode. I think Nora McInerny is great. She describes her podcast as "a funny/sad/uncomfortable podcast about talking honestly about our pain, our awkwardness, and our humanness, which is not an actual word." Definitely my jam.

To the Best of Our Knowledge

Closely following Terrible, Thanks for Asking, I took in my first episode of the Wisconsin Public Radio's To the Best of Our Knowledge. I browsed some of the episode topics and felt that there was quite a potpourri of knowledge to sift through. Since I am trying to expose myself to more random bits of knowledge lately, this was exactly what I sought in a podcast. It did not disappoint. The episode was In Search of "Real" Food. First, Simran Sethi talked all about chocolate and how there are actually 14 gene clusters of chocolate across the world. At first I didn't get her point, but by the end of the segment, I knew that it was to savor and truly appreciate the food that we love, like excellent chocolate. REAL chocolate. Then I discovered the author Michael Twitty, who wrote The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African-American Culinary History in the Old South. He was fascinating because his cooking is at the cross-section of African American, Jewish and gay culture. He is so connected to his ancestors through his cooking. It's amazing. This entire episode made me really think about how flavors tell stories.

So my walk this morning was great because I got to discover and listen to two new, excellent podcasts. I hope you get a chance to enjoy one of these. Never stop telling stories! And never stop listening to them.

Michigan at the cusp of its third century

"As we embark on Michigan's third century, I believe our future success will be defined in part by our ability to contribute to the solution of society's most daunting problems, bringing to bear the full intellectual might of our academic breadth and depth."  

"More than any other university, we have the potential to be so much more than the sum of our many excellent parts. It's this potential to have a positive impact on the society we serve that represents our greatest value as a university. It drives our work. It reflects our values as a 200-year-old public university. And I hope it inspires our elected leaders, donors, partners and all members of the public to support our faculty and students."

~Mark Schlissel 

Source: Looking back and forward, Schlissel stresses U-M's impact on society 10/3/17

"What's the point of being a world class university if you're not going to help change the world?" 

~ Jim Burnstein

Etymology: Analytics

For a long time, whenever I typed the word "analytics" I would see a red squiggle indicating a spelling error. I figured the word must have been new, but it's been around since the late 1500s.

But not the definition that I was thinking of analytics as:

n. The collation and analysis of data or statistics, esp. by computer, typically for financial or commercial purposes; the data that results from this; (also) software used for this purpose.

This definition is very recent compared to the one used in philosophy:

• 1966 - Econ. & Polit. Weekly 15 Oct. 377/1   A correct conclusion from the analytics of comparative statics.
• 1980 - Amer. Banker (Nexis) 25 July   Understanding the analytics, setting servicing standards, and selling the system to branch operating folks.
• 2001 - Financial Times 27 Jan. 9/7 (advt.)    All the features active traders need, including news, charts, analytics and direct trading capabilities.
• 2009 - A. Kaushik Web Analytics 2·0 xiii. 394   In the last few years I have implemented at least 25 analytics tools on my blog.

Etymology: Thong

There are just some words that make me titter. Titter, for example, is hilarious. The other day I saw a coworker wearing a sandal known as a thong. Thong is DEFINITELY a word that makes me titter. The main reason? This book. It was very popular during my intern days and it still makes me laugh today.

So I looked up the word "thong" in the old Oxford English Dictionary, one of my absolute favorite databases. There are meanings, sure. I included the first one. But I love learning about a word's different forms and its etymology. Here's what we have for "thong" from the OED:

Pronunciation: Brit. /θɒŋ/, U.S. /θɔŋ/, /θɑŋ/Forms: α. OE ðwong, ðuong, ðwangc, þwæng, ðuuencg, OE–ME þwang; ME thuang, ME (Sc. and north.–18) thwang (ME thwange, twange, 15 thwangue), ME–16 Sc. thwayng. β. ME þwong, þuong(e, ME thwong(e (dial. twonge). γ. ME þong, ME– thong, (ME þonge, thongh, 15–16 thonge, 15 thongue). δ. ME thownge, thowyng; dial.17–18 thung, thunk, thonk.(Show Less)Etymology: Old English þwang , þwǫng strong masculine (also feminine); also, Old Northumbrian plural ðuuencgu , N. Anglian þwænga , agreeing with Old Norse þvengr ( < þvaŋgiz ); all from ablaut stem *þwing- , *þwang- , *þwung- , to restrain < Indo-European root *twenk : compare German zwingen : see twing n., twinge v.1, and compare the dialect form whang n.1

Definition: a.) A narrow strip of hide or leather, for use as a lace, cord, band, strap, or the like.

I also thought this sample sentence was funny:

1981 - H. Engel Ransom Game (1982) xxx. 197 She..handed me a pair of Japanese thongs. I slipped them on and felt the skin between my first two toes protest.

Etymology: Podcast

This word was a surprise! I could have sworn that I was listening to what I thought were called "podcasts" back in the early 2000s - 2001, 2002 or so. But according to the trusty ole Oxford English Dictionary, the word sprouted in 2004?!?

Poem: To the Western World

This poem has one of the best last lines I've ever read.

To the Western World

Related Poem Content Details

BY LOUIS SIMPSON

Movie: Hidden Figures

This movie is what I needed. You need this movie. This movie is what the United States of America needs right now. Everyone in the United States should definitely see this movie. That was the long and short of my night.

Also, I'm definitely going to read the book Hidden Figures so I can learn more and continue to be inspired by these women and others like them. I've been reading some pretty depressing stuff - WWII history, dystopian fiction, etc. - so it's time for some stories about amazing females. It's a perfect addition to invigorate my reading challenge for 2017. I mean, come on, NASA archivists were involved.

And this movie. 

I am so grateful that I got to watch the pre-screening of "Hidden Figures" tonight with my alma mater - the University of Michigan-Dearborn. I watched it with students and alumni, members of my family and many of my dear friends. It was a packed house and a great night in Dearborn.

"Hidden Figures" follows three awesome women who overcame all kinds of odds and, frankly, bullshit, to succeed at helping build up the NASA program. Katherine Johnson was a human "computer" and overall mathematical powerhouse. Dorothy Vaughan was the boss lady that wasn't paid like a boss, but learned, looked after her team and became THE boss lady supreme. And Mary Jackson, who fought to be able to become an aerospace engineer. 

I took a tally of how many times I teared up: 8. That is pretty high, even for me! This movie really, really moved me. It was a strange juxtaposition of widespread racism and segregation, but still had so much triumph, so much progress. Like, we wanted to reach friggin' space before the Commies and we really came together to do it. Anyway, it was inspiring to watch women influence science and technology, especially black women in the south. 

As I stated at the beginning, everyone should go see this film. The performances were great. It was shot well. It is especially great for families. Also, go to the library and get the book, too.

Year of Gratitude - Day 273 - Elie Wiesel

Today is the birthday of Elie Wiesel. I read Night in the early 2000s and it changed me. I started to learn about the Holocaust, the role Poland, my home country, played in it and the very complex human issues generated by that genocidal event. Night was the first time I started to think about how memory, bureaucracy and evil can all be intertwined to destroy people, entire societies.  

I am grateful to have read this book and to have embarked on a scholarly journey that, though dark, shows that humanity can overcome itself.

"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere." 

~ Elie Wiesel

Year of Gratitude - Day 188 - Mother Jones

While now I follow the publication on Facebook, I found out that:

"On July 7, 1903, Mary Harris "Mother" Jones began the "March of the Mill Children" from Philadelphia to President Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island summer home in Oyster Bay, NY, to publicize the harsh conditions of child labor and to demand a 55-hour work week. 

That's from the Zinn Education Project Facebook (which is also great).  They have this awesome bio on her on the website. I loved this part of the passage (emphasis added):

Mother Jones, honored today by the political magazine that bears her name, lived in a time when women were not allowed to vote. “You don’t need a vote to raise hell,” she said about that. “You need convictions and a voice.” She perhaps is best known for her saying, “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”

This was an incredible women that lived through some pretty serious hardships, including losing four children to yellow fever and everything she owned in a fire after that. Yet, she lived. She truly lived.

Year of Gratitude - Day 165 - Dr. Sidney Bolkosky

Sid was one of my undergraduate professors. On this day, my birthday, in 2013, Sid passed away after a long battle with disease.  I feel so extremely lucky to have been able to take an intense course like The Intellectual History of Modern Europe with him. When I took his classes and completed the homework for them, I felt my intellectualism and critical thinking were at their best. I looked back on some of the stuff I turned in and felt proud. Sid made me realize my inner-scholar existed.

I miss you, Sid.

Year of Gratitude - Day 143 - Germinal

I wish I remembered more about my lessons when I read this for a class. I do, however, feel that I can attribute this book to my understanding that poverty turns people to animals. They turn into animals because they have to survive. I would reread this book someday.

• Germinal on Goodreads

Year of Gratitude - Day 134 - Aldous Huxley

I won't even lie: though I love dystopian novels in general, I did not think Brave New World was all that. However, looking through some of these quotes on Goodreads, I feel like I wasn't paying attention... just breezing through the book, checking it off my list. I'm grateful to be able to try and view the author and his works in a different light.

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” ― Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29 

“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” ― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World 

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” ― Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays

Year of Gratitude - Day 114 - The Oxford English Dictionary

When I returned to my gratitude writings, I realized that this would be my second dictionary post. Alas, I hang out with too many librarians not to be a word nerd. The Oxford English Dictionary is the most splendid of all dictionaries. In its physical form, it spans 20 volumes and sits in the reference section of any respectable library. In its online form, it is a glorious resource for finding those really strange words, like "gaol", better known to Americans as "jail". Not only does the OED provide you with every single possible meaning of a word, but provides a very robust etymology on each, with spellings, dates and sample sentences. 

If you are a word nerd, the OED is a masterwork. All hail the OED!

Year of Gratitude - Day 48 - Creation of Adam

I learned about this part of Michelangelo's legendary fresco painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in my art history class at UM-Dearborn. It was easily one of the best classes I ever had and I had it my first semester at UM-Dearborn. It really got me excited about college. Thanks, Dr. Perlove!

Year of Gratitude - Day 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968. Today, I will be working with my fellow alumni at one the Detroit Rescue Mission's locations. I am grateful for the opportunity to honor this great man's legacy. Admittedly, I know far less about Dr. King than I should. I also haven't heard or read much of his "I Have a Dream" speech, which I would like to ensure I do this year after my day of service.

Read the speech HERE.

Watch the speech HERE, but might not be available when this posts as the Estate of the King family is now enforcing copyright on the video.

Year of Gratitude - Day 9 - Books: The Shock Doctrine

Throughout the year of gratitude, I'm going to be sharing series, like quotes I'm grateful for, poetry and today, books. There are some books that change how you look at the world. After you've finished them, you hear names that in one breath have been hailed as geniuses and on the other as clandestine finance pirates that pillaged the world's poor. History is one of those things that rewrites itself in vicious cycle and Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine really pulls in a lot of history, the many complex layers of disaster capitalism, and presents its horrifying repetition over the last few decades.

Here's my book review from 2009: 

http://knowledgeiscool.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-shock-doctrine-rise-of.html

"you have to take into account the HISTORY as you move underneath the banner of hiphop." 

~QTip to Iggy Azalea

See full thread of tweets on QTip's Twitter.