A primer from the Washington Post explaining the basic information you need to know to understand what is happening is Syria. (Click on map or link below).
Syria- What You Need To Know About The Latest Geographic Hotspot
A primer from the Washington Post explaining the basic information you need to know to understand what is happening is Syria. (Click on map or link below).
Winner Declared in Chimpanzee Art Contest- New York Times
Disappointing that there are no links to their work:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/its-a-madhouse-winner-declared-in-chimpanzee-art-contest/?src=recg
but here is a resource for some ape artworks:
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn16090-ape-art
Postscript: I own an original painting by "Cheeta" [sic], one of the chimps who played Tarzan's pet in the 30s era Tarzan movies with Johnny Weismuller. He (Cheeta) is mentioned at the end of the article as having won second place and an honorable mention by Jane Goodall).
Jane Goodall Also owns one, so Cheeta perhaps had an unfair advantage, as he was a sentimental favorite. Here's a picture of MY Cheeta original:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/its-a-madhouse-winner-declared-in-chimpanzee-art-contest/?src=recg
but here is a resource for some ape artworks:
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn16090-ape-art
Postscript: I own an original painting by "Cheeta" [sic], one of the chimps who played Tarzan's pet in the 30s era Tarzan movies with Johnny Weismuller. He (Cheeta) is mentioned at the end of the article as having won second place and an honorable mention by Jane Goodall).
Jane Goodall Also owns one, so Cheeta perhaps had an unfair advantage, as he was a sentimental favorite. Here's a picture of MY Cheeta original:
Note that it is signed at the bottom with a thumbprint. Cheeta is the oldest living Chimp ever known, and if you want a painting you better act fast. They are tax deductible, by the way, and cost about a hundred bucks (maybe a bit more now- I bought mine a few years ago. Here is the website:
Culture, Children and Their Toys
In my cultural anthropology class this year I wrote my own definition of culture. I normally use the definition used in whatever textbook we happen to be using, and they are always different. It's daunting to write a definition of culture, but I settled, for better or worse, on the following:
Culture: The characteristic ways that people learn to think and behave, using symbols,toys and tools in the context of a social structure and a modified environment.
I've never seen a definition of culture that includes "Toys" before, but I think it fits, and I would confidently say that play is a cultural universal. Indeed, it is found throughout the mammalian order, if not beyond, although human play, if not qualitatively different, is certainly different by degree at the very least.
I've been a fan of Peter Menzel's work, especially his "Material World" and "Hungry Planet" projects where he photographed families with, respectively, all of their material possessions and a weeks worth of their food. The contrasts between rich and poor are striking, and the cross-cultural comparisons are often surprising and enlightening.
Here, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti's "Toy Story" project is described and his photographs featured. It's much the same idea as Menzel's, but focusing on children and their toys. Click on the picture below for the story:
Galimberti's site (his name is hotlinked above) is worth checking out in addition to the site above.
Thanks to Sarah Wiese for the reference and link.
Culture: The characteristic ways that people learn to think and behave, using symbols,toys and tools in the context of a social structure and a modified environment.
I've never seen a definition of culture that includes "Toys" before, but I think it fits, and I would confidently say that play is a cultural universal. Indeed, it is found throughout the mammalian order, if not beyond, although human play, if not qualitatively different, is certainly different by degree at the very least.
I've been a fan of Peter Menzel's work, especially his "Material World" and "Hungry Planet" projects where he photographed families with, respectively, all of their material possessions and a weeks worth of their food. The contrasts between rich and poor are striking, and the cross-cultural comparisons are often surprising and enlightening.
Here, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti's "Toy Story" project is described and his photographs featured. It's much the same idea as Menzel's, but focusing on children and their toys. Click on the picture below for the story:
Galimberti's site (his name is hotlinked above) is worth checking out in addition to the site above.
Thanks to Sarah Wiese for the reference and link.
PRI's "The World": Family Choices: Fertility and Infertility in Africa
Public Radio International has a great series about fertility in Africa- three great radio documentaries and a wonderful interactive map- check it out:
http://www.theworld.org/familychoices/
http://www.theworld.org/familychoices/
Incarceration Nation
Destined to be a classic- this 2012 essay by Fareed Zakaria on the USA and our insanely high incarceration rates.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2109777,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2109777,00.html
Germany's Population decline
From the August 13, 2013 New York Times:
"The reality is that the German population is shrinking and towns like this one are working hard to hide the emptiness...By 2060, experts say, the country could shrink by an additional 19 percent, to about 66 million."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/world/europe/germany-fights-population-drop.html
"The reality is that the German population is shrinking and towns like this one are working hard to hide the emptiness...By 2060, experts say, the country could shrink by an additional 19 percent, to about 66 million."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/world/europe/germany-fights-population-drop.html
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