"The happiest excitement in life is to be convinced that one is fighting for all one is worth on behalf of some clearly seen and deeply felt good."
- Ruth Benedict
Get Involved
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"The happiest excitement in life is to be convinced that one is fighting for all one is worth on behalf of some clearly seen and deeply felt good." - Ruth Benedict
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Get Involved
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August 28, 2008 | |||||||
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 GoodThings on Public Radio August 16, 2001 We want to hear from you. What's the best public radio story or show you heard this past week? Share. If you want to listen, you'll need RealPlayer on your computer. (If you don't already have it, it's a FREE download.) Visit Real Networks. FRIDAY, August 10 | Learning by Doing A mother ponders whether her four-year-old's first day of pre-school is the beginning of a life of learning or if it's really just the start of her daughter's life of getting up on a schedule, being places on time, trying to keep from falling asleep while teachers and bosses tell you what the culture thinks she's supposed to know. Commentator and anthropology professor Meredith Small thinks all of us have a lot to learn from people who may never have an opportunity to go to school, people who gain life experience by watching and doing. [All Things Considered] Listen (length of clip 3 min). SATURDAY, August 11 | Sandy Refuges Eighteen remote shacks in the dunes of the outermost reaches of Cape Cod have been -- for near seven decades -- sanctuaries for generations of artists. Poets, musicians, thinkers, and painters alike -- from Thoreau to Eugene O'Neill to Harry Camp, the "Poet of the Dunes," have retreated into the sand for inspiration and a return to the simple life as they've sought to create masterpieces. The rustic shacks have been owned by the National Park Service since 1961 and leased (or more appropriately, lent) to residents. They've remained "eerily unchanged" for years and have been declared historic buildings. [Weekend Edition Saturday] Listen (5:15). SUNDAY, August 12 | Intangible Wonder of the World The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (better known as UNESCO) has long declared the world's most important physical places "World Heritage Sites." Now, the organization has begun to recognize the world's less tangible cultural treasures in an effort to increase awareness of their need to be valued and preserved. The Garifuna culture of Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua is one such treasure. There are 250,000 of these descendants of African and South American Indians left in central America. At the root of the UNESCO designation is the rich Garifuna tradition of dance, music, language, and communal spirit. They emerged as free people of color during the period of slavery and have long struggled to preserve their way of life amidst a society that has marginalized them. [Weekend Edition Sunday] Listen (6:15). Learn more about the Garifuna people of Belize. Learn more about how UNESCO seeks to promote creativity and culture. MONDAY, August 13 | Flipping the Switch During the summer energy crisis that has households all over North America thinking creatively about how to beat the heat, one group of people is just fine -- those whose homes are fueled with solar power. Commentator Craig Childs says it's not always an ideal situation -- running a simple string of holiday lights for a night can drain his solar supply -- but he and his wife take great pleasure in their nightly ritual of flipping the single black switch that cuts them off from life in the modern world. They've figured out their own system through trial and error, but have come to appreciate the finer points of living independent of the grid and sparing themselves monthly energy bills. [Morning Edition] Listen (2:54). Get a copy of Craig Childs' book The Secret Knowledge of Water. TUESDAY, August 14 | Firestorm A bipartisan gathering of Western governors in the U.S. has revealed some common ground around the issue of fire. As massive wildfires blaze through the forests of nearly every Western state, governors are seeking public policy consensus in an attempt to expedite the implementation of a plan that will save the forests from being completely engulfed. All are saying that proactive fire planning, which would include periodic controlled burns of the forests and regular thinning of overgrown underbrush that fuels most fires, is absolutely essential. The federal government says the problem is complicated by the number of people now living in close proximity to where the fires rage. [Morning Edition] Listen (3:18). WEDNESDAY, August 15 | Opting Out of Vacation During the month of August, it often seems like the whole world is on vacation. But as many as 25% of working Americans choose not to take vacations at all. Some say their jobs are more fulfilling, more sustaining than any vacation could possibly be, especially those who are doing work they believe is meaningful. Others say vacations are simply for those who want to live "average" lives, choosing to work impossible hours while they are young before their life priorities change. Research by the Families and Work Institute and others indicates, though, that people need breaks from work for their health and well-being and to stimulate the kind of creativity that can improve their businesses. [Morning Edition] Listen (5:23). Learn more from the Families and Work Institute. Get a copy of the book Ask the Children: The Breakthrough Study That Reveals How to Succeed at Work and Parenting. WEDNESDAY, August 15 | Seeking a Durban Breakthrough In this interview with Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, this former president of the Republic of Ireland discusses the issues that have arisen during preparation for the upcoming UN-sponsored global meeting on racism. The U.S. has threatened to boycott the meeting over language that appears in conference materials about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Robinson is hopeful the conference will result in both broad global participation and international solidarity around issues such as racism, colonialism, slavery, and cultural exploitation. She will be pushing for widespread respect and understanding in an effort to bring dignity to those who have faced deep discrimination. [The World] Listen (5:03). Learn more about the United Nations Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa. [ : previous week : ] WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Did we miss a good public radio story this week? Want to recommend one for next week? Share it with us! |
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