Implicit bias

Do you think you have implicit biases? Here is an excerpt from Charles M. Blow's op-ed:

Project Implicit, a virtual laboratory maintained by Harvard, the University of Washington and the University of Virginia, has administered hundreds of thousands of online tests designed to detect hidden racial biases. In tests taken from 2000 to 2006, they found that three-quarters of whites have an implicit pro-white/anti-black bias. (Blacks showed racial biases, too, but unlike whites, they split about evenly between pro-black and pro-white. And, blacks were the most likely of all races to exhibit no bias at all.) In addition, a 2006 study by Harvard researchers published in the journal Psychological Science used these tests to show how this implicit bias is present in white children as young as 6 years old, and how it stays constant into adulthood.

Want to take a test? Here are some tests that my partner and I found interesting. We both took the race test and found our results interesting. Have fun!

How Disney portrays race and gender

This 52-minute documentary, Mickey Mouse Monopoly, provides a pretty compelling argument for rethinking the influence of 'simple children's entertainment.' You can watch the trailer here or watch it in five parts on youtube starting here.

For you Harvardians, you can watch a screening of it tonight at 7:30pm at Fong Auditorium.

A beautiful music video

Every once in a while, I come across a music video that I consider a work of art. Of course, my disclaimer is that I don't see many music videos, and maybe they are all works of art now. At any rate, Neko Case was featured in the New York Times magazine, and I really enjoyed this video: Maybe Sparrow.

Some say she is indie country, and if this is where country is headed, I just may have to stop disliking it. Enjoy!

The serious need for play

I came across this Scientific American article, The Serious Need for Play, and it made me very happy. The article covers some pretty heavy stuff (how most murderers never played as children), but it also links free play to a number of positives, including creativity and intelligence. So, if play makes us smarter, more sociable and more creative, what are you waiting for? Go out and play!

The original caption: One study found that kids who played with blocks scored higher on language tests than kids who had no blocks. Perhaps the children with blocks simply spent less time on unproductive activities such as watching TV--but the end result was good for them in any case.

And as if the New York Times were reading my mind this morning, here's an article on the necessity of recess.

Falling in love with change

An old friend recently told me she's been wanting to leave Asia and move back to the States for ten years, and I know someone else who has wanted to go from the States back to Asia for equally long. Seeing how unhappy they were in their current lives made me question my desire to move back overseas. When I say I was so happy living in _______ and want to move back overseas again, what am I looking for? Are we actually happier in those places we seek? Or are we just looking for something new and different?

President Obama's change campaign is obvious-- people were dissatisfied with life under George W. Bush, so change was generally considered desirable. In most of our normal lives, however, change is not necessarily obviously better than no-change. So, why do we seek change? Are we just bored?

And what about 'people fear change?' Well, funny enough-- the people who talk about wanting change are often the same people who don't actually change anything. So, yes. We love it and fear it. And if we should follow what we love and fear, then it seems we should all embrace change.

So, what is something that you're scared of but cannot stop thinking about? What's preventing you from trying it?

It is better to do than to have

Or at least that's what this article says: Study: Experiences make us happier than possessions. I found the readers' sometimes hostile reactions to this equally interesting.

It's a valid point to say that cool experiences often aren't cheap and that some possessions (like musical instruments and board games, for example) can actually create many happy memories for years to come.

What do you think makes people happier? Do people need material objects to feel safe? Are experiences more enriching than objects? Does it depend on the object? Do you think it's simply personal preference?

At any rate, I thought the long-term affects were interesting-- how material objects faded in time, but memories often grew even more enjoyable.

If your birthday were coming up, would you want a material gift or an experiential one? Which would make you happier? Why?

Is Black History Month still necessary?

I thought this was a pretty interesting article, debating this issue.

You have proponents who are pushing for an integrated curriculum in which children learn about all races and their contributions to society. Some are saying a separate history perpetuates separation, and some, like Morgan Freeman, are saying that it is ridiculous to have a month dedicated to black history because "Black History is American history."


Others argue that most history courses focus solely on white people and their successes and failures and that if we get rid of Black History Month, there will be no more black history taught in our schools.

What do you think?

Age is really just a state of mind

At least it is for this woman. Wow. Mr. K said he got this from a friend who said she was 90 years old. I better start practicing my moves if I want to be anywhere near as good as she is!



And you really must continue watching, as it gets better and better. Enjoy!

Need some grounding?

Visit my high school English teacher's website: thewhichway.org. I don't email with him every day, but I'm starting to think that might not be such a bad idea. He says the goal of his site is to help him think through and prepare for death.

He's 72, which is young, if one hopes to live to 100, but he is also surrounded by peers who are similar in age and much more frail than he is. While he is hiking and biking and going backpacking with his son in Europe, many of his peers are developing shaky hands, losing their vision and hearing, and unable to walk long before getting winded. One of his friends has been sent by his wife to a distant nursing home. (Just thinking about that breaks my heart.)

Mr. K, as I still call him, reminds me to stay close to nature, reminds me when I'm writing to focus on the characters, reminds me of what matters. He inspires me by living a healthy life, a caring life, a love-filled life. He encourages me to embark on adventures and to be kind and patient with others. He pushes me to face reality and to let go. And he humbles me when my head gets a little too big.

Thanks, Mr. K. You're like the dad I always wished I had. So, stop preparing for death and just live forever, okay?

The honesty challenge

I came across this neat wikihow, How to Practice Radical Honesty, and I thought I'd pose the challenge to you: Do you think you could be 100% honest for a day? A week? A month? How honest do you think you are? What's your opinion on 'little lies'? Do you believe in too much honesty? What do you think the world would be like if we were all completely honest with each other all the time?

If you don't practice 'radical honesty' already, give it a try. Some say honesty is refreshing, and who doesn't want to be refreshing? Who knows? You might become addicted.