Hannah Montana

This Christmas, my daughter wanted Hannah Montana. Everything to do with Miley Cyrus as she is otherwise known, was what B wanted for her presents. Poster, stickers, cd's, clothes. And she got her wish-quite a lot of said stuff.

I have had to listen to this singer/actor for over 4 months now-ever since our neighbour introduced her to my daughter. As much as I despise it all- the showing off, the fanfare, all the attention (not to mention wealth) this individual has still, I decided to look on the bright side and started listening to some of the messages. Everybody makes mistakes, nobody's perfect- I gotta work it again and again..Don't let anyone tell you that you're not good enough,Life's what you make it... and so on.
The songs are upbeat, encouraging, accepting of others and fun. The shows are squeaky clean, the father is responsible and she looks up to her daddy- so basically these are all good things. I can live with it.

I did wonder though if the spectacle is what sticks in the kid's mind over anything else so when we came to the documentary bits in a Miley Cyrus film we watched, we discussed how much work actually goes into a show- how many people are involved to make a concert work, how Miley doesn't actually dress the way she does all the time (wears baggy pants and sweat shirts not shiny glittery stuff when off stage etc).
My daughter realized that she should avoid playing girly music and stuff in front of her already girly almost 3 year old cousin. On her own she said, "it could spoil her childhood. She ought to be having fun playing in the snow wearing dungarees!"

My point precisely. So dialoguing, discussing pop culture with you child is really important and helpful in dsipelling the spell that it throws over our children's minds.

satirical santa

Life Learning

Home based education pioneer, Wendy Priesnitz , has just put out Life Learning: Lessons from the Educational Frontier.

It's a collection of essays from the leading edge of educational theory and practice. Priesnitz has collected essays from back issues of Life Learning magazine. that describe both the philosophy and the experience of life learning/radical unschooling

I have an essay in it too! Makes a good introduction to those not familiar with the ideas of un schooling-and is a handy companion to those unschoolers who are faltering.

More from Artemis

Angeline.

Coral pink

frail

yet filled with light.

With a stronger backdrop

of warm mahogany.

Porcelain doll.

Sheltered.

Placed out of harm

on a high shelf

Little china doll

What happens when you shatter?

Foaly.

Light blue,

Covered by tempered steel.

A light,

Longing to shine.

Shine!

Light up the darkness.

Before it can engulf you.

Opal.

A precious gem.

Once so bright a red.

Now darkened.

Distorted.

A broken glass.

Irreparable.

Were you always that way, Opal?

Stained so dark?

Blood red.

Bloodstains.

They never wash out.

Herald of death.

Dwindle.

Fade.

Seeing in Colours

My daughter tells me she thinks in colour. She wrote this piece based on the Artemis Fowl books (of which she is a huge fan). Even without having read the books, you get the sense of what the characters are like. Enjoy!

Artemis

The colour of clouds

After a sunset.

Purple.

Cool indigo.

Shot with silver arrows.

Metallic.

Edgy. Aware.

Tinged with coldest blue.

Holly

Red hazel.

Stripes of turquoise.

Swirling.

Always moving.

Shifting emotions.

Tears.

Laughter.

Confusion.

Unspoken pain.

A kaleidoscope.

Courage.

Trouble

Golden brown.

The colour of sunlight

Striking polished wood.

Safe.

Steadfast.

A shelter.

A tree in violent storm.

Kind.

Julius

Navy blue.

Bright red.

Lightest pink.

A pattern of octagons.

Moving in procession.

What lies under the mask

Of cutting words,

And ferocious anger?

A tear drop,

Lightest pink.

Meditation

Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 3, 2008

"Listen to the howl of our spiritual brother, the wolf, for how it goes with him, so it goes for the natural world."
--Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman, Traditional Circle of Elders


If we watch nature, we can tell a lot about what is going on in the world. The animals and the plants are great teachers. Some time ago, crops were sprayed with a poison to kill the insects. Other animals ate the insects. The small animals were eaten by the Eagles and the Wolves. We live in an interconnected system. What we do to one, we do to all. If our spiritual brothers are living in balance, chances are we humans are also living in balance.

Great Spirit, let me listen to my Earth teachers, the plants and the animals.

Kill to shop

Colleen Long
The Associated Press

NEW YORK (Nov 29, 2008)

A Wal-Mart worker died yesterday after a throng of "out-of-control" shoppers broke down the doors at a Long Island store in a scramble for bargains.

It occurred shortly after the store opened at 5 a.m. on so-called Black Friday, the start of the holiday sales rush in the United States.

At least four other people, including a woman eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries.

The store closed for several hours before reopening.

Nassau police said the impatient crowd knocked the man to the ground as he opened the doors.

"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesperson Lieutenant Michael Fleming.

Witnesses said that even as the worker lay on the ground, shoppers were stepping over him.

Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."

"When they (officials) were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling, 'I've been in line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."

The man, 34, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., police said.