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Notelets for 2005.11.01
Why Race Isn't as 'Black' and 'White' as We Think - New York Times:
- The test results underscore what anthropologists
have said for eons: racial distinctions as applied in this country are
social categories and not scientific concepts. In addition, those
categories draw hard, sharp distinctions among groups of people who are
more alike than they are different. The ultimate point is that none of
us really know who we are, ancestrally speaking. All we ever really
know is what our parents and grandparents have told us.
Interesting that the Berkeley Public Library chose The House on Mango Street for "Berkeley Reads Together".
Tele-Care
The third Saturday of every month, I make telephone calls for
Tele-Care. Tele-Care is a free-of-charge service which has been in
existence of about 35 years and reaches out to elderly shut-ins or
others who are limited in mobility. We call to make sure they are doing
ok. We also call to express our concern and affection for our clients.
For many Tele-Care clients, the daily phone call is the only regular
form of human contact.
I have been a volunteer for about six years. I've often said that I
don't forsee ending my volunteering until I either move out of the area
or pass away. I've not tried to recruit my friends into volunteering
just yet -- but should they be interested I'd be glad to tell them
more.
Several months ago, the SF Chronicle ran an article about the Tele-Care program on the occasion of a great luncheon: East Bay: Lunch brings Tele-Care volunteers and clients face to face.
Reading the New York Times
I like reading the New York Times on a more or less daily basis. Although its columnists (such as Tom Friedman, Nicholas Kristoff, and Paul Krugman) are no longer available for free, I remain an avid reader. There's hardly a day in which I can't find a piece that is either useful or interesting or both. Here are some recent pieces that I've enjoyed: Researchers Look to Create a Synthesis of Art and Science for the 21st Century on what Larry Smarr is up to at UCSD in the building of Calit2, which some have likenedd to the MIT Media Lab. Learning Everything About an Apartment As an apartment dweller, I find apartment hunting advice helpful, even if it is specialized for NYC. Is It Better to Buy or Rent? covers a topic of perennial interest in the Bay Area. I usually find stories like Saying Goodbye California Sun, Hello Midwest interesting because I like many in the Bay Area don't want to be driven out by high real estate prices but wonder whether life elsewhere might not be just as rewarding if we leave. Hmmm....there's a real estate theme in this list, isn't there?
Which version looks better?
or
peaceful spot at the GTU bookstore
peaceful spot at the GTU bookstore
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
It's been a long time since I spent any time at the GTU Bookstore. Since I walked up to the northside of campus for lunch yesterday (Thursday), I decided to stop in. I didn't remember the couch next to the window, which is a winning feature of the bookstore. How wonderful it would be to contemplate one's life, relationship with the cosmos, with other humans, and with God surrounded by the companionship of books.
Bamboozled by bureaucracy
The last several days, I was unable to write on my weblog because I was engaged in an epic and draining battle with bureaurcracy. The time I would have spent writing was devoted instead of calling officials who were putting parts of my life on hold. I plan to write more about the specifics once I'm completely out the woods. (I've experienced enough unexpected turns for the worse to make hesitate in declaring closure.)
Sister Wendy strikes
I want to thank Chris for turning Laura and me onto Wendy Beckett. Last night, we watched a segment from Sister Wendy - The Complete Collection (Story of Painting/Grand Tour/Odyssey/Pains of Glass): DVD on the "golden ages" of European painting: the time of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Velázquez, and Poussin. My Matisse kick has stimulated for me a more general interest in the history of Western painting. Although I bombed out with Netflix: Artists of the 20th Century: Henri Matisse (which I found to be too dry), I still held out hope that a TV series or multimedia lecture series would be still a great way to learn more about Matisse and art in general. Since I have enjoyed Bach and the High Baroque, I turned to the Teaching Company for more but was disappointed to find that there is currently no course on modern art. When I mentioned my search to Chris, he reminded me of Sister Wendy. We found Sister Wendy's comments to be stimulating. I am already looking at Rembrandt and Velázquez in new ways. (I didn't know that much about the them to begin with, so art veterans might have a different take on Wendy Beckett.) The two paintings that stick in my mind from last night are: Rembrandt: Bathsheba at Her Bath: and VELAZQUEZ, Diego: Las Meninas: 
does purple cauliflower stay purple after cooking?
Laura and I had never seen purple cauliflower before our trip to Berkeley Bowl on Thursday. According to All About Cauliflower, "This variety of cauliflower has a purple colored curd rather than white as on regular cauliflower. It cooks faster than white cauliflower and has a little milder taste. When cooked, its color changes from purple to green. Purple cauliflower can be substituted for white in most recipes."
Not in our experience though:
Hmmm....
Bloggers’ lunch
Bloggers' lunch
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
A good time was had by all. More pictures are available.