The Thrill of Competitive Collegiate Sailing

Honeytrip Part 1- Friday Afternoon

My cousin's apartment is a cute studio in old city with breezy windows looking out at curious neighborhood porches and rooftop gardens. She had left chocolates, a list of recommended city establishments, and a hundred other thoughtful details. We are charmed! (And so thankful)
Starved, we headed for Fat Salmon's purportedly located at 7th and Walnut. For the life of us we couldn't find it. So we ended up at Umai Royal, a basement level restaurant serving Chinese, Japanese, AND Thai food since they are all so similar. I wasn't feeling too optimistic but hoping for the best. The Coconut Vegetable Soup with lemongrass was excellent. We ordered an Alaskan Roll and a spicy shrimp tempura, both excellent. Still feeling hungry we ordered a spicy tuna roll, which was horrible. Mashed fish meat that could have easily been canned with food dye. Au revoir Umai.

YCDS trip to CEI and Island School, Eleuthera 2014

See our Google Presentation here!

Radio and Fashion: Cultural Changes in the 1920s

What is the difference between an action that drives cultural change and one that is a symptom of a cultural change? 


PART I: Radios- Technology as a Driver of Cultural Change

1) A Brief History of Broadcast Radio- Link to article here.

2) Charles "Doc" Herrold, teacher and radio pioneer from San Jose, CA


Credit: PBS

3) "Future Pastimes: Breaking the News to Her Papa -by Radio." Herbert Johnson, 1922


Credit: Digital History and the LOC

The radio inspired both wonder and fear. What is a present day equivalent?


PART II: Fashion- Style as an Expression of Cultural Change

1) "Masculine women! Feminine men!" words by Edgar Leslie, music by James Monaco, 1925

2) Lady Sybil, Downton Abbey, Season 1, Episode 4 

Interview with Caroline McCall, Costumer of Downton Abbey

 


 

from "Three Sonnets" by Edna St. Vincent Millay, 1930

I know my mind and I have made my choice;
Not from your temper does my doom depend;
Love me or love me not, you have no voice
In this, which is my portion to the end.
Your presence and your favours, the full part
That you could give, you now can take away:
What lies between your beauty and my heart
Not even you can trouble or betray.
Mistake me not -unto my inmost core
I do desire your kiss upon my mouth;
They have not craved a cup of water more
That bleach upon the deserts of the south;
Here might you bless me; what you cannot do
Is bow me down, that have been loved by you.



Is it possible that some actions, in fact most actions, are both drivers and symptoms of cultural change?

Post Script...


Is this really 1926? Where? Who? @HistoryInPics

The Fascinating Story of Fritz Haber: Scientific hero or military monster?

"During peace time a scientist belongs to the World, but during war time he belongs to his country."

-Fritz Haber

Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen

Read by Joshua Kelly

Winner, Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest

 

"Here's a guy that just wanted to do everything better than it had been done before...and he does...but he does it with a kind of immoral athleticism, he does it without humility, without a lot of doubt. It's a craft, but it's a craft with consequences... I would rather have scientists that carry doubt with them as they proceed." (17:30 RadioLab)

Poem Update: Poem Included in Versify E-Book

Stacia Fleegal continues to advocate for York County poetry with her work for YDR and the Versify blog. Here's an e-book she created to showcase the "poems of the month" for 2013-2014. My poem, The Summer Without the Fence, is included under November. Thanks Stacia! Follow her @ShapeShifter43 and @VersifyYDR

A Song for My Children

Andrew Peterson continues to say what we want to say, but lack the words for.

Martin's Dream May Not Be Yours

I may not have the right to preach

As I may not have the ability to sing gospel

Or the relationship to call him Martin

(No rare meeting, no kin, no skin)

But that which we do have in common is strong,

For I am

In his words

A transformed conformist

Which is, by the way, a direct reference to Romans 12:2

A point easily forgotten by those sharing his passion but not his power

This much I know and claim-

Because we are brothers, bound by two common threads

The former now always taking precedence

Ignoring the latter such that any creed or crusade becomes his-

And I too am all too prone to put words in the mouths of the sleeping

It's an every day struggle (some call it jihad) 

To reconcile the heart and the head.

My saving grace, and Martin's too?

My man's not dead.