This week's Share Spotlight comes from Verily Magazine:
Ditch the Resolutions: Make SMART Goals Instead
New Year's Resolutions never seem to turn out the way we plan, and, quite frankly, I've given up making them. Instead, I follow something very close to the guidelines outlined by Verily Magazine.
I start a new goal whenever I feel that I have the others I've made down to a habit. I'm learning new languages, doing yoga, and keeping up with the news (via Twitter, but still).
In the next year, I want to keep up with all of that and find a part time job. Which means I need to start making goals to get me there.
What do you want to accomplish this coming year? Do you have any other tips for sticking to those plans?
I also would like to ask for recommendations. Is there a gap in the kinds of posts I share on the Share Spotlight? Recommend a blog for me to follow!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Protests in Ukraine
Protests have gone on in Kiev for the last month, hoping to reverse the government's decision to move away from the EU.
I don't know if you've heard, but there have been massive protests in Ukraine's capital city, Kiev. After moving toward friendlier relations with the European Union, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, announced in late November that Ukraine would not sign the agreement with the EU. Protests began almost immediately.
Called Euromaidan, protesters have taken up residence in Independence Square, calling for the resignation of the President and generally decrying the corruption of the government. Riot police made an attempt on November 30 to remove the protesters, but the resulting violence only strengthened national and international support for the protestors.
The protestors have blockaded Independence Square and two rallies have gathered over 200,000 protesters. The protests have been going strong for over a month now and have garnered support from many of the countries of the EU, the US, and numerous organizations in Ukraine, including some state run museums.
Have you heard about these protests? What do you think should happen next?
For some more information, check out:
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU Agreement from BBC News
"Our History Museums will Include the Events of These Days" from The Uncataloged Museum
I don't know if you've heard, but there have been massive protests in Ukraine's capital city, Kiev. After moving toward friendlier relations with the European Union, Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, announced in late November that Ukraine would not sign the agreement with the EU. Protests began almost immediately.
Called Euromaidan, protesters have taken up residence in Independence Square, calling for the resignation of the President and generally decrying the corruption of the government. Riot police made an attempt on November 30 to remove the protesters, but the resulting violence only strengthened national and international support for the protestors.
The protestors have blockaded Independence Square and two rallies have gathered over 200,000 protesters. The protests have been going strong for over a month now and have garnered support from many of the countries of the EU, the US, and numerous organizations in Ukraine, including some state run museums.
Have you heard about these protests? What do you think should happen next?
For some more information, check out:
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU Agreement from BBC News
"Our History Museums will Include the Events of These Days" from The Uncataloged Museum
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Share Spotlight: Life Isn't Always Like a Christmas Movie
This week's Share Spotlight comes from the Busted Halo blog:
Life Isn't Always Like a Christmas Movie
The Holiday Season is wonderful, but it can also be bit difficult, particularly if you are far from home or the only single girl left in your family.
Luckily for me, neither of these things are true this year, but this list from Busted Halo is a great reminder that you are in charge of your attitude during the holidays. The holidays often mean an incredible amount of stress, but how we respond to that stress can make the difference for ourselves and those around us. You can make the line at the Post Office fun or miserable, sit at the side of the party or join in.
How do you make sure that you keep an upbeat attitude during the holidays or other sometimes difficult times?
Life Isn't Always Like a Christmas Movie
The Holiday Season is wonderful, but it can also be bit difficult, particularly if you are far from home or the only single girl left in your family.
Luckily for me, neither of these things are true this year, but this list from Busted Halo is a great reminder that you are in charge of your attitude during the holidays. The holidays often mean an incredible amount of stress, but how we respond to that stress can make the difference for ourselves and those around us. You can make the line at the Post Office fun or miserable, sit at the side of the party or join in.
How do you make sure that you keep an upbeat attitude during the holidays or other sometimes difficult times?
Friday, December 20, 2013
Christmas Time in Scandinavia
So, Tuesday you got a Share Spotlight about Las Posadas. Today, you get post about Christmas in another part of the world!
Ever since reading about it in the American Girl book Kirsten's Surprise (yes, that was a long time ago and yes, I do want to read it again every Christmas) I've loved the celebrations of Saint Lucia that happens in Scandinavia.
Saint Lucia of Syracuse (St. Lucy to most of the rest of the world) was an early Christian martyr. Her name means light and, with her feast day the 13th of December, she came to be associated with midwinter celebrations of the return of longer days.
In many Scandinavian countries, a girl dresses in a white robe with a red sash and wears a wreath of candles on her head (though these days the candles are most likely to be electric, thank goodness). She often distributes "St. Lucia buns" or other baked goods. Usually, a traditional song is sung, with lyrics about how St. Lucia overcame the darkness.
St. Lucia celebration, from Wikipedia Commons.
In Sweden, it is common for the eldest girl in the family to play this role while other Scandinavian countries tend to have a single girl play St. Lucia for the town or region. To be picked to be St. Lucia is considered a great honor.
In Italy, she is celebrated as the patron saint of Syracuse in Sicily, and her day is National Day on the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Italian and Scandinavian immigrants also brought the tradition to the United States and celebrations can be found particularly in the Midwest.
Wherever her day is celebrated, she stands for the triumph of light over darkness.
"But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light." --Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Share Spotlight: Celebrating Las Posadas
This week's Share Spotlight comes from the Busted Halo blog:
Celebrating Las Posadas: "Enter Pilgrims; I Did Not Recognize You."
I've been wanting to do a post about Christmas traditions around the world, but with my busy schedule, I just haven't had time to do the research.
Luckily for me, Busted Halo is ready with some information on Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a custom in Mexico, and with some Mexican Americans, in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I'm most familiar with it from the movie, The Three Caballeros, (yeah, the one starring Donal Duck from the forties), but I've always loved the tradition.
People dress up as Mary and Joseph and travel from house to house, knocking on doors and singing, until finally, they arrive back at the first house and are let inside. It's a great show of community and of faith.
What traditions do you have for this time of year, Christian or otherwise? Are there any traditions you've heard of that you'd like me to look up and write about?
Celebrating Las Posadas: "Enter Pilgrims; I Did Not Recognize You."
I've been wanting to do a post about Christmas traditions around the world, but with my busy schedule, I just haven't had time to do the research.
Luckily for me, Busted Halo is ready with some information on Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a custom in Mexico, and with some Mexican Americans, in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I'm most familiar with it from the movie, The Three Caballeros, (yeah, the one starring Donal Duck from the forties), but I've always loved the tradition.
People dress up as Mary and Joseph and travel from house to house, knocking on doors and singing, until finally, they arrive back at the first house and are let inside. It's a great show of community and of faith.
What traditions do you have for this time of year, Christian or otherwise? Are there any traditions you've heard of that you'd like me to look up and write about?
Friday, December 13, 2013
Imagine What You'll Know Tomorrow
I'm swamped with end of semester work, so this week, y'all get a post about... my homework.
Today, my 12 to 14 page paper is due. It's the last major project of the semester and, Praise be to God, it's written. I still need to edit it before four o'clock, but at least I have something to turn in.
This paper has been a long and bumpy road for me. I have an anthropology background and I'm writing for a history professor. I've learned that we don't always think the same way and communication has been a consistent problem (seems to be a theme this semester, in fact).
There are some good things, though. I love my topic.
I'm writing on how archaeologists (and historians, and museums) look at how people got to the Americas. That theory you learned in school? That people walked across the Beringia Land Bridge roughly 14,000 years ago and then came down the ice free corridor into lower North American and eventually all the way to Tierra del Fuego?
Yeah, it's wrong.
Turns out people have been in the Americas for a lot longer than that and the archeological community can no longer deny the mounting evidence.
But what's really fascinating is what's happening now. The Beringia theory has been around for more than fifty years with virtually no opposition. That means that archaeologists are working almost from scratch to create new theories and widening their net to collect new evidence. It's the scientific theory in progress!
Sorry, minor geek out there. I find it fascinating.
If you want to learn about these new theories, I would suggest 1491 by Charles C. Mann for a good general Pre-Columbian history of the Americas. Mann is a personable writer that has pretty much made his living interpreting science history for the public.
If you are a little braver, try Across Atlantic Ice by Dennis Stanford and Bruce Bradley. It's a good bit more technical, though they do attempt to explain their terms, and really meant for archaeology students. However, their theory is fascinating and well worth the investigation.
Find any other neat books or theories? Let me know!
"Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow." --Kay, Men in Black
Today, my 12 to 14 page paper is due. It's the last major project of the semester and, Praise be to God, it's written. I still need to edit it before four o'clock, but at least I have something to turn in.
This paper has been a long and bumpy road for me. I have an anthropology background and I'm writing for a history professor. I've learned that we don't always think the same way and communication has been a consistent problem (seems to be a theme this semester, in fact).
There are some good things, though. I love my topic.
I'm writing on how archaeologists (and historians, and museums) look at how people got to the Americas. That theory you learned in school? That people walked across the Beringia Land Bridge roughly 14,000 years ago and then came down the ice free corridor into lower North American and eventually all the way to Tierra del Fuego?
Yeah, it's wrong.
Turns out people have been in the Americas for a lot longer than that and the archeological community can no longer deny the mounting evidence.
But what's really fascinating is what's happening now. The Beringia theory has been around for more than fifty years with virtually no opposition. That means that archaeologists are working almost from scratch to create new theories and widening their net to collect new evidence. It's the scientific theory in progress!
Sorry, minor geek out there. I find it fascinating.
If you want to learn about these new theories, I would suggest 1491 by Charles C. Mann for a good general Pre-Columbian history of the Americas. Mann is a personable writer that has pretty much made his living interpreting science history for the public.
If you are a little braver, try Across Atlantic Ice by Dennis Stanford and Bruce Bradley. It's a good bit more technical, though they do attempt to explain their terms, and really meant for archaeology students. However, their theory is fascinating and well worth the investigation.
Find any other neat books or theories? Let me know!
"Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow." --Kay, Men in Black
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Share Spotlight: Museum Marathon
This week's share spotlight comes from a UK blog, Mad Cap Science:
Museum Marathon....16 Miles, 26 Museums and One Suffragette
On December 7th, a group of intrepid individuals participated in a Museum Marathon in London. They ran/walked 16 miles and visited 26 (or 27) museums over the course of a day to raise money for guide dogs.
I love this event on two levels.
First, it's a charity event, much like other marathons are. They allow people to give their time to help a great cause.
Second, what a great way to introduce people to new museums! Only been to the Science Museum? Come in and try the Natural History Museum! Love the V&A? Check out the Sir John Soane's Museum!
Where can you see this working in the US? I think New York City is a great candidate, but where else might people be able to take a whirlwind tour of the city museums?
Museum Marathon....16 Miles, 26 Museums and One Suffragette
On December 7th, a group of intrepid individuals participated in a Museum Marathon in London. They ran/walked 16 miles and visited 26 (or 27) museums over the course of a day to raise money for guide dogs.
I love this event on two levels.
First, it's a charity event, much like other marathons are. They allow people to give their time to help a great cause.
Second, what a great way to introduce people to new museums! Only been to the Science Museum? Come in and try the Natural History Museum! Love the V&A? Check out the Sir John Soane's Museum!
Where can you see this working in the US? I think New York City is a great candidate, but where else might people be able to take a whirlwind tour of the city museums?
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Share Spotlight: Accessibility to Inclusion: The Next Step
This week's Share Spotlight comes from Museum Matters, the official blog of my Intro to Museums class:
This week's topic in my Intro to Museum Studies class was inclusion: how do we make sure everyone can enjoy our museum?
It's an important question.
Inclusion can mean a lot of different things because it can refer to a number of different groups. If you want to include an ethnic group, you'll do different things than if you want to include a group of people who are sight-impaired.
But whatever you do, it's important that it's sustainable. A special exhibit smacks of tokenism. While it may draw visitors in once, is it really likely to keep them coming back?
Do you have any suggestions? What programs or infrastructure do different groups need to feel comfortable in a museum? What have other fields done to promote inclusion?
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