Archive for February 28th, 2009


Photography – Soul Greater Than Shadow

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Dawn Farmer under Arts & Literature, Scholars & Rogues [ Comments: 1 ]

It takes enormous personal courage to share your pain so others may grow and learn. I wish to celebrate Ann for such story telling. We are all a little more human tonight for her generosity. If you missed Crazy Questions, Sane Answers – go look.


Fighting for their education

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Djerrid under Scholars & Rogues [ Comments: 6 ]

Pakistan Girls SchoolThere is an absolutely heartbreaking documentary by the New York Times on a girls school in Pakistan that is being closed down by the Taliban. Please watch it; it really struck home with me.

I have two girls myself and their hunger for learning is astonishing. My youngest, who’s 4 1/2, is in a Montessori school where they suggested she could move up to kindergarten a year early. Once she caught wind of this, she’s been working her butt off to get into that class. Her goal (not mine, mind you. She got this into her head all by herself) is to read all of the beginners books by herself (at least a couple dozen of them) and she has started making up homework assignments for herself. Last night she was writing down and solving her own addition problems. It would astonish me that a 4-year-old could do this except I’ve seen it all before. My eldest, who’s 8, skipped a grade and  just came home proudly showing us her report card.  She is now reading through the entire Harry Potter series again.

Now I am imagining what I would do if someone tried to hold them back. With guns, public whippings, beheadings. I used to be not very keen on Obama’s plan to add more troops over there. But goddamn we’ve got to do something.