New Job; New Insights

So about five months ago I started a new job as a News Producer at a small market T.V. station. And boy has it been eye opening. I'm still pulling together all my tendrils of thought on it, but one thing has been really interesting is that my old school texts are starting to have whole new meaning.  In particular, I started re-reading On Television by Pierre Bourdieu, and he is right on when it comes to T.V. journalists.  I'll write more when Ive put together a more cohesive and comprehendible thesis about my current situation.  All I can say right now is, it's madness.

Read this!

Check out Bootstrapping Priorities over at "this ain't livin'." It's a well written way of saying what I've been trying to tell people for years... screw Horatio Algers. This very American concept is especially important to reevaluate now with so many more people not being able to pull themselves up by their bootstrap.

I grew up with pediatricians for parents which means I don't get as grossed out as I should by talking about bodily functions over the dinner table. It also means I can trust the recommendations I get for good layperson medical-type books.  These are two books my mother is recommending:

When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection, by Gabor Mate

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, also by Gabor Mate

(Thanks Mom, I'm guessing you think the stress-disease one is especially pertinent to my situation.)

This story from the AFP on the US ranking in quality of motherhood says more about the state of our nation then so many other indexes.  Should we really be called a developed nation if we can't take care of mothers and children? Apparently we rank among the poorer countries of the world.

Return From India

I just returned from India this weekend after a 2 week visit.  This first week was spent with the Cheema family celebrating Sukha's wedding.  It was amazing and colorful.  Sukha was a beautiful bride.  The second week was spent in the state of Kerala.  I went with boona to the city of Cochin which was a Portuguese fort once upon a time.  We found a tuk-tuk (3 wheel vehicle) driver who gave a us a whirlwind tour of the place, full of history, teeming with local commerce and production, and containing more churches, temples mosques, etc. per square foot then I've seen anywhere else.  It was fascinating to talk to the locals about religion and politics in their community.  As far as religion, you can find just about everything there... minus the strife and conflict you find between all these religions elsewhere.  The philosophy seems to be live and let live.  Politics is in a whole other realm.  The people don't seem to fight over politics, but there is certainly a healthy amount of debate, as can be seen from the posters, graffiti and any tuk-tuk driver you ask (at least the ones we asked). The current political climate and history, seem to me fairly unique.  It is a very poor place, yet it has one of the highest literacy rates in the world and everyone has access to health care   And the communist party is currently running the state government...by popular vote.  The people I met there were extremely friendly, jovial, and genuinely seemed to enjoy life.  They were educated, and although they did not all speak English well, I did not find it too difficult to communicate.  Beyond all of this Kerala is also a tropical paradise with sandy beaches and palm trees. We also spent a few days at Cherai swimming in the Arabian sea. Sigh... I hope I get to go back again sometime soon. If I get around to it, I will post video from the trip on Oscopy. (below: Cherai beach at sunset)