On the Horizon: Things are Bigger in Texas (and the “Neighboring State” effect)

Funny how a little rain can make all the difference in how things look. It’s been so dry that even the well-watered plants around the house have been looking a little thirsty. But if you think it’s been dry here, just head south to Texas. I was there in September and the leaves were already falling from the severe drought they have been dealing with.

So while we have been dry, they are parched, which has just exacerbated what has been a growing problem for the Lone Star State…lots of people and not enough water for them. In this week’s video blog we take a closer look at Texas’ thirst and the implications that could have on Oklahoma’s water supplies.

~Rob McClendon

 

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There’s No Beauty Cream For THESE Wrinkles

Most of us try to live our lives according to the Golden Rule, but “Love Thy Neighbor” is a daunting mandate when you start to think about how to turn words into actions. Should we love our neighbors by giving hugs each time we see them? Do we show our love by being a good listener? Does this mean we put others’ needs ahead of our own? And who are these pesky neighbors anyway?

Just because I’m an adult does not mean I have completed my education on showing my love to others. Every day is a new learning opportunity and my hope is that I do far more encouraging and empowering than belittling and devaluing. I think I do a pretty good job most days, but the failures stay in my thoughts long after the offenses occur. I do not fear the words “I’m sorry”, but also know an apology is a poor substitute for conducting myself in a manner which does not require apologies at all.

When it comes to teaching my children how to treat others, I feel even more concerned with how to impart meaningful knowledge instead of simply reprimanding them for failure to say “please” and “thank you.” I tend to forget how difficult some concepts are for children to understand and my recent experience trying to talk about friendship, kindness, understanding, humility and consideration has reminded me that these are big words with a heckuva lot of collective meaning.

As with any task, I think the key to educating children on this broad topic is to take it one step at a time – one concept at a time, if you will. I also believe in illustrations and stories to help them connect to and remember ideas. I’ve stumbled upon a couple of illustrations/activities over the years which have been particularly helpful in communicating to my kids about how I expect them to treat others. The following illustration is something my daughter learned in Kindergarten and I think it is so powerful! Continue reading There’s No Beauty Cream For THESE Wrinkles

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The 2011 Imaginary Family Project – Week 41

#41 of 52 : CLIFFORD, EDDY, and FRANCES (not shown)
The Imaginary Family Project - Week 41

External Photo Clues:
None

Imagine:
The afternoon was so hot and still that the only real signs of life were the locusts humming lazily in the trees around the neighborhood. Clifford, Eddy and their next door neighbor, Frances, were sitting in the shade of Frances’s willow tree, discussing their entertainment options, which were a little lean that day. Continue reading The 2011 Imaginary Family Project – Week 41

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On the Horizon: Thinking in Pictures

The first time I met the focus of today’s video blog, I didn’t know quite what to think. I was sitting in an out of state conference, when Temple Grandin sat down beside me. Decked out in a pair of wranglers and an embroidered pearl snap western shirt she did stand out a bit. Actually a lot.

Fast forward a few years, and I send a TV crew to Colorado to interview a leading animal behaviorist, and guess who is there in her pearl snaps. Dr. Grandin is widely credited as driving force in the humane treatment of animals in slaughter houses. (Interesting note: while many people in the meat industry refer to animal slaughter as “harvesting” Temple says such semantics are bunk. She says not only should the industry not try to “sanitize” what’s going on, but slaughter houses should have cameras set up to webcast the entire process.)

To fully understand Temple’s impact on the meat industry you need to understand her background. Grandin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and diagnosed with autism in 1950. Having been labeled with brain damage at age two, she was placed in a structured nursery school with what she considers to have been good teachers. Grandin’s mother spoke to a doctor who suggested speech therapy, and she hired a nanny who spent hours playing turn-based games with Grandin and her sister.

At age four, Grandin began talking, and making progress. She considers herself lucky to have had supportive mentors from primary school onwards. However, Grandin has said that middle and high school were the worst parts of her life. She was the “nerdy kid” whom everyone teased. At times, while walking down the street, people would taunt her by saying “tape recorder,” because she would repeat things over and over again. Grandin says that, “I could laugh about it now, but back then it really hurt.”

After graduating from Hampshire Country School, a boarding school for gifted children in Rindge, New Hampshire, in 1966, Grandin went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College in 1970, her master’s degree in animal science from Arizona State University in 1975, and her doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989.

Grandin is considered a philosophical leader of both the animal welfare and autism advocacy movements. Both movements commonly cite her work regarding animal welfare, neurology, and philosophy. She knows all too well the anxiety of feeling threatened by everything in her surroundings, and of being dismissed and feared, which motivates her in her quest to promote humane livestock handling processes.

Take a look at this week’s video blog. I am interested in what you think.
Rob McClendon

 

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My Little Victory Garden: “Thank you, Starbucks!”

Okay, it’s true.  I’ve raged against the machine.  I’ve ranted about diesel fuel being sucked into trucks then its aftermath being spewed into the air I breathe.  And I’ve specifically wailed about Starbucks in general.  I’m all about “keep it local, keep it green, keep it real, know the person behind the businesses you use…”

But I’m also well aware that more than half of the products and services I use are somehow connected to things or people who are NOT local.  And in the winter, when I have to buy produce from the grocery stores on a regular basis, that number might be higher.  And, I also like imported chocolate.  I carefully guard my tiny vial of saffron threads.  And, I fly or drive to explore places in the world I’ve never seen.  So, I try my best to balance my “machine raging” with some sort of tempered logic.  And events like what happened yesterday help with that trying behavior…

You see, Starbucks had a $2.00 special running on their breakfast sandwiches, and if you’ve ever eaten one of their bacon Gouda offerings you’ll know why I was visiting the Hall of Fame Street location at 6:45 in the morning.  Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: “Thank you, Starbucks!”

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Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.