In the news.... and other thoughts.

An interesting piece on the inauguration:
DC says White House Won't reimburse Inauguration Costs
Whose money is it? And does the inauguration qualify as a use of Homeland Security funds?

Ethics of a secret life? Where does privacy end and honesty begin?
The Secret Lives of Just About Everybody

Ethics of prisoner treatment: Where is the line? And was it crossed?
Lawyer: Iraqi Abuse Was Like Act of 'Cheerleaders'


Wrapping up the philanthropy projects: In reading over both your midterms and the final reports that came in today, I am pleased with the overall outcome. Based on the discussion today in class it seems that parts of this project fell short of people's expectations. I disagree... if only from an educational standpoint. Could it have been improved in format and structure? Certainly. Would you have learned as much about the nature of charity and kindness to others if we had? The fact that many of you were able to articulate some of the conflicts and paradoxes involved indicates we accomplished some of what I hoped. For that, you are to be commended. And when you tally up all the random acts of kindness, the aggregate (the total) is impressive. If I get a spare minute (they are few and far between these days), I'd like to compile it into some sort of combined format (Something like one of those "priceless" Mastercard commercial, maybe?) As if to say, here is all the good that you guys have accomplished and for that collectively you should be satisfied.

And your longing for a more perfect format or outcome... well that's hopeful too. We will always continue to long for more perfect solutions for the problems that surround us. But as long as there are only 24 hours in a day and and everyone has a wonderfully unknown life to live before them, there will never be a "perfect answer".

In the words of Gertrude Stein, "There ain't no answer. There ain't going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That's the answer."

Understand that, and find a way to continue on in spite of it, more hopeful that ever... and I'd call that wisdom.

Because there is something in the best of us that we are still determined to prove otherwise... to defy our fate and the worst parts of our own nature... there is HOPE where our rational mind insists there shouldn't be. But more on that later...

And yes, quietly disguised as the world most laid back class, we are learning things (at least I have my suspicions)... but only time will tell (and it may take years). But I am more encouraged than ever.

-Mr. C

PS: Wednesday, we need to talk fieldtrips. NYC, anyone? Seriously. But more on that in class. I am trying to get back to the idea that we are the ones who constrain what we are capable of. Of what is possible? We who ask the question 'Why?' instead of the question, 'Why not?' The idea that this class is so full of potential, if only we have the courage to follow it where it leads.