One of my daughters is working with the Boys and Girls Club’s SPARK program in Milwaukee, which helps struggling readers age six to nine to reach proficiency at their grade level. Many of these children have every reason to fail: For some, their only daily meal is at school; for others, their home is contaminated with lead; and crime is evident throughout their neighborhoods. (more…)
In his inaugural address, President Obama expressed his hope that all Americans take a renewed interest and pride in their country, that they become responsible citizens with a focus on the common good.
All new presidents express this same hope in one form or another when they are about to take office. Any one who remembers John F. Kennedy will never forget his famous inaugural appeal: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” (more…)
Last weekend my wife and I finished watching the latest of The Librarian TV movies. The protagonist is a bespectacled thirty-something bookworm with scores of university degrees who finds himself employed as the secret guardian of an untold number of legendary objects. Part of the job involves adventuring across the globe to recover items that aren’t yet safely ensconced in that collection. Frequently, his survival depends upon esoteric bits of knowledge he gained during his many years of school, and part of the character’s charm is the delighted manner in which he spills forth details about a particular plant or architectural feature or ancient language or whatnot. Not that the villains appreciate that, of course. I had to chuckle when in this most recent episode, one of the antagonists suddenly erupted, “Must you always speak in whole paragraphs!” (more…)
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