Those of us who live in Lubbock hear over and over again that Lubbock it a boring place. But really, it is not, and there is so much to do in Lubbock, it is amazing. There are multiple sights online that give us lists of events in Lubbock: Lubbock Events Calendar; Lubbock Online Calendar, Latino Lubbock, Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Lubbock Cultural District to name a few.
It is amazing to me what social, cultural, educational, and entertainment events are available in Lubbock.
Lubbock is not a boring place!
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2018
Monday, July 10, 2017
The Declaration of Independence
The Ancestry.com https://www.ancestry.com/ advertising people came up with a very interesting item for the Fourth of July 2017. They replicated John Trumbull's painting "Declaration of Independence" http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/Trumbull.html for the advertisement http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/powerful-new-ad-features-multiethnic-descendants-of-americas-founding-fathers_us_59564da7e4b05c37bb7dc3ea. They used the multi-ethnic descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to recreate the picture. So is this a cheesey stunt, or is this an advertisement that can teach us something about ourselves and our country? Definitely it is an advertising platform for Ancestry.com to promote using its genealogy and DNA identification services. Is there something wrong with self-promotion while teaching us something? Who in this world is so altruistic that they never expect to get something back for doing something good? Sure, people might do the right thing altruistically but I suspect most people do the right thing because of some other motive, even if it is because their religion tells them to do the right thing, and they want to follow the tenets of their religion for the related benefits, including idealistic or spiritual benefits.
We let the The Walt Disney Company https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/ invite us to "The Magic Kingdom" without criticizing them for making a profit on our pleasure. We let the Coca-Cola Corporation http://www.coca-colacompany.com/ "Teach the World to Sing" and did not criticize them. Let's face it, advertising is advertising. Why do you think all the major corporations get involved with all the altruistic activities they do: Foundations, fundraising benefits, national promotions of charities. Some of it may be for good, but much of it, such as the special uniforms for special events developed by Under Armour https://www.underarmour.com/en-us, are also about brand recognition and sales. Don't deceive yourself.
We let the The Walt Disney Company https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/ invite us to "The Magic Kingdom" without criticizing them for making a profit on our pleasure. We let the Coca-Cola Corporation http://www.coca-colacompany.com/ "Teach the World to Sing" and did not criticize them. Let's face it, advertising is advertising. Why do you think all the major corporations get involved with all the altruistic activities they do: Foundations, fundraising benefits, national promotions of charities. Some of it may be for good, but much of it, such as the special uniforms for special events developed by Under Armour https://www.underarmour.com/en-us, are also about brand recognition and sales. Don't deceive yourself.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
The American Wind Power Center
Lubbock has the American Wind Power Center http://windmill.com/. I have been there before inside and out. Recently, they have opened a new exhibit center, which houses windmills and a miniature train display, miniature houses, and windmill artifacts. There is also a millstone exhibit.
These might seem strange inclusions in a wind power museum, but in some way, they make sense. Having grown up in the Northeast, I would not think of this, but the steam engines crossing the prairies needed to have a source of water, and sometimes, oftentimes, access to that water was only due to the construction of a windmill. The miniature train display is incomplete, has quite a bit of landscaping around it, and has a circular rise/decline, so the train can travel to a track well above the floor and back down. It has a trestle bridge, an old fashioned iron bridge, and a turn around so the train can travel back down to the floor display. There is a tunnel, with a train travelling in a loop on the display. I think having a train over head is a bit magical, making me think of Christmas displays of times gone by. I hope they continue to do the landscaping, including on the upper track.
Again, my thought of a mill location would be on some sort of waterway that would allow the water power to be harnessed by a water wheel. Not so in many places in the world, and windmills were used for this in areas where running water was not available. The place I think of the most using windmills is The Netherlands http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2015/05/10-things-you-should-know-about-dutch-windmills/. I always thought the windmills were used for land reclamation, but obviously that was not the case.
This trip to the Wind Power Center opened my mind and educated me, which is what a museum is supposed to do. So, I would say this museum is a success!
These might seem strange inclusions in a wind power museum, but in some way, they make sense. Having grown up in the Northeast, I would not think of this, but the steam engines crossing the prairies needed to have a source of water, and sometimes, oftentimes, access to that water was only due to the construction of a windmill. The miniature train display is incomplete, has quite a bit of landscaping around it, and has a circular rise/decline, so the train can travel to a track well above the floor and back down. It has a trestle bridge, an old fashioned iron bridge, and a turn around so the train can travel back down to the floor display. There is a tunnel, with a train travelling in a loop on the display. I think having a train over head is a bit magical, making me think of Christmas displays of times gone by. I hope they continue to do the landscaping, including on the upper track.
Again, my thought of a mill location would be on some sort of waterway that would allow the water power to be harnessed by a water wheel. Not so in many places in the world, and windmills were used for this in areas where running water was not available. The place I think of the most using windmills is The Netherlands http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2015/05/10-things-you-should-know-about-dutch-windmills/. I always thought the windmills were used for land reclamation, but obviously that was not the case.
This trip to the Wind Power Center opened my mind and educated me, which is what a museum is supposed to do. So, I would say this museum is a success!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Honoring Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra was a great Yankee catcher, but he did more. He served in World War II, including participating on D-Day. He was involved in civil rights activities, and in educational activities. So, there is a petition on his museum website to sign, to have him be a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. They need 100,000 signatures by Monday, June 8, 2015, and when I signed a few minutes ago, they were at over 53,000. The link is https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/award-yogi-berra-presidential-medal-freedom-his-military-service-and-civil-rights-and-educational-activism. I was watching the national broadcast of the Yankee vs. Angels game, and this was announced during the game. When I tried to get on the website right after the announcement, I could not. That tells me a lot of people also signed on. I was just checking, and they have over 55,000 signatures now. I have to believe there will be enough signatures by Monday.
This is not about honoring a great Yankee player. This is about honoring an iconic American.
This is not about honoring a great Yankee player. This is about honoring an iconic American.
Friday, April 17, 2015
I Am Exhausted
Today was the day of the South Plains Branch of NASW annual ethics workshop. We used, once again, the beautiful venue of the International Cultural Center at Texas Tech http://www.depts.ttu.edu/international/. Our topics this year were about the LGBTQ community, and ethical and practice implications working with LGBTQ youth. Both speakers, Ann Aiken, MEd, MDiv-eq, LPC and Adam McCormick, MSW, PhD, were excellent.
I have been on the workshop committee off and on for more than 20 years. I enjoy helping to put the workshop together: my job is sending out announcements, developing sign in sheets, and helping with sign in.
For the most part, the workshop went off well. Our refreshments in the morning did not include coffee, but Bonnie Anne Rudd, the chairperson, resolved that issue. We started a little late in the morning, but all was well.
Our numbers were small. We used to have 40-70 attend our annual meeting. Several things have happened to diminish that number: We had a year of not very good presentations in a location that was noisy and not conducive to hearing the presenters. The economy has effected employer's willingness to pay for attending workshops, and although our workshop was not very expensive, there are much less expensive online CEU opportunities. But our numbers were respectable.
And, today, our topic was a little risqué for this part of the world. Last August, we had the morning speaker, Ms. Aiken, address our monthly CEU meeting about the topic, and she was well received, with many social workers saying they wanted to learn more. But, we also had people who were so repelled by the topic, that they disengaged themselves from the group! That is really sad. Social workers are supposed to be open to working with any client, at least to do no harm, and send them to a more appropriate professional, if need be. My thought is that the social workers present today were the ones who did not need to be there, and, as the speakers acknowledged, they were "speaking to the choir." Although our social work ethics require us to be culturally competent, there are many professionals in this part of this world who are not culturally competent, based on a conservative "Christian" orientation.
Usually, these workshops exhilarate me, recharge me. Not so today. I was just glad the day was over with. While I really appreciated both presentations, I was just tired at the end of the day.
I did stop at the Lifestyle Center before going home to do a PT routine. My hip was hurting, although I spent most of my day sitting, which generally helps my pain, and although I did not have to walk far or spend a lot of time on my feet today.
So, I came home, and fed the cats, and used the workshop paperwork to update the email information we have for the communication network.
But, I am tired. Not recharged.
The one good thing I can say is that I worked on the baby blanket for my youngest grandniece. She is some 13 months old, and I hate that I did not finish the blanket before she was born, but it is what it is.
But, I am not sure why I am so exhausted. Maybe I am just getting old.
I have been on the workshop committee off and on for more than 20 years. I enjoy helping to put the workshop together: my job is sending out announcements, developing sign in sheets, and helping with sign in.
For the most part, the workshop went off well. Our refreshments in the morning did not include coffee, but Bonnie Anne Rudd, the chairperson, resolved that issue. We started a little late in the morning, but all was well.
Our numbers were small. We used to have 40-70 attend our annual meeting. Several things have happened to diminish that number: We had a year of not very good presentations in a location that was noisy and not conducive to hearing the presenters. The economy has effected employer's willingness to pay for attending workshops, and although our workshop was not very expensive, there are much less expensive online CEU opportunities. But our numbers were respectable.
And, today, our topic was a little risqué for this part of the world. Last August, we had the morning speaker, Ms. Aiken, address our monthly CEU meeting about the topic, and she was well received, with many social workers saying they wanted to learn more. But, we also had people who were so repelled by the topic, that they disengaged themselves from the group! That is really sad. Social workers are supposed to be open to working with any client, at least to do no harm, and send them to a more appropriate professional, if need be. My thought is that the social workers present today were the ones who did not need to be there, and, as the speakers acknowledged, they were "speaking to the choir." Although our social work ethics require us to be culturally competent, there are many professionals in this part of this world who are not culturally competent, based on a conservative "Christian" orientation.
Usually, these workshops exhilarate me, recharge me. Not so today. I was just glad the day was over with. While I really appreciated both presentations, I was just tired at the end of the day.
I did stop at the Lifestyle Center before going home to do a PT routine. My hip was hurting, although I spent most of my day sitting, which generally helps my pain, and although I did not have to walk far or spend a lot of time on my feet today.
So, I came home, and fed the cats, and used the workshop paperwork to update the email information we have for the communication network.
But, I am tired. Not recharged.
The one good thing I can say is that I worked on the baby blanket for my youngest grandniece. She is some 13 months old, and I hate that I did not finish the blanket before she was born, but it is what it is.
But, I am not sure why I am so exhausted. Maybe I am just getting old.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
It Was a Productive Day
Work was a little slow today, but I got to see all of the patients I needed to see, and completed the appropriate documentation.
I went to a lunch time educational meeting and learned A LOT! So much practical stuff that I can use with my patients. Sometimes, this is difficult because we are limited in the prison setting. And, although a lot of the information was geared towards junior high school or high school students, I could see how I could adapt it with my patients.
And, I had some patient interviews in the afternoon, and already started using the information! For a one hour in-service, this is amazing!
So, it really was a productive day at work, once again! After the workshop, I went back to work so charged with my knew perspectives about dealing with the every day situations we deal with, it was exciting! And, I got to share this with a couple of colleagues!
I went to a lunch time educational meeting and learned A LOT! So much practical stuff that I can use with my patients. Sometimes, this is difficult because we are limited in the prison setting. And, although a lot of the information was geared towards junior high school or high school students, I could see how I could adapt it with my patients.
And, I had some patient interviews in the afternoon, and already started using the information! For a one hour in-service, this is amazing!
So, it really was a productive day at work, once again! After the workshop, I went back to work so charged with my knew perspectives about dealing with the every day situations we deal with, it was exciting! And, I got to share this with a couple of colleagues!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Latino Americans
PBS is airing a series called Latino Americans http://www.pbs.org/search/?q=Latino%20Americans. I have watched some of this. I believe it is a very well done series. It explores the various aspects of the Latin Americans, and their many, many stories. Latin Americans include the historical Americans who were of Spanish descent in the early years of the United States. It includes the people from Mexico, from Central America, from Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Although somewhat less dramatic, but not totally less traumatic, especially for the individuals and families involved, the discrimination against Latin Americans was not always as intense and ingrained as it was against the Afro Americans. But even as the discrimination was perpetrated, it was hurtful and inhumane. It was inexcusable and unacceptable. And it continues to sometimes relegate Latino Americans to second class citizenship.
No discrimination is acceptable. Although the United States has legislated equality, those laws are not always enforced as intended. There are still many, many barriers for peoples to overcome.
Maybe the series about Latino Americans will shed some honest light on their history, and offer some source of pride to those Hispanic Americans who watch the show.
Although somewhat less dramatic, but not totally less traumatic, especially for the individuals and families involved, the discrimination against Latin Americans was not always as intense and ingrained as it was against the Afro Americans. But even as the discrimination was perpetrated, it was hurtful and inhumane. It was inexcusable and unacceptable. And it continues to sometimes relegate Latino Americans to second class citizenship.
No discrimination is acceptable. Although the United States has legislated equality, those laws are not always enforced as intended. There are still many, many barriers for peoples to overcome.
Maybe the series about Latino Americans will shed some honest light on their history, and offer some source of pride to those Hispanic Americans who watch the show.
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