California is desperate for rain. The past several days in San Diego have been overcast, we even got a couple sprinkles. But we are long overdue for serious rainfall. And if we don’t get the rain we need in the next 6-10 weeks it’ll have a dramatic impact on life here in California. But also around the country and the cost of things manufactured and grown here will go up.
Category: Culture
-
Reclaiming Communities
I’m fascinated about things like traffic. People are annoyed about sitting in traffic, driving to work, the lack of free parking. They are also annoyed about traffic in their neighborhoods, the speed of cars, the fact that no one walks anymore, the fact that kids don’t play outside anymore.
And, of course, they are annoyed about the price of gas, the effect of emissions on the environment, and the import culture this creates in a nation who defines itself by its independence.
It’s cognitive dissonance. (Feeling conflict by holding onto competing values.)
But…
-
This Tragedy Has Changed Us
On June 15th, 1904 the PS General Slocum was chartered by St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of New York City for $350. 1,360 people showed up that Wednesday for the 17th annual Sunday School picnic. It was a calm and beautiful morning… anyone who has visited Manhattan in the summer can envision this morning. The sun warming away cool breezes, the river waves slapping the dock, and building excitement as people arrived for a fun day.
Even by today’s standards… a church event with 1,360 people is a really, really big deal.
-
Long-term effects of violence in teenage dating
I spotted a story about teenage dating on the main page of USA Today this weekend. A recent study showed a connection between violence in teen dating and the long-term impact on these individuals adult relationships.Here’s the highlights:
When researchers analyzed data from the same young adults five years later, they found notable differences:
- Girls victimized by a teen boyfriend reported more heavy drinking, smoking, depression and thoughts of suicide.
- Boys who had been victimized reported increased anti-social behaviors, such as delinquency, marijuana use and thoughts of suicide.
- Those of both sexes who were in aggressive relationships as teens were two to three times more likely to be in violent relationships as young adults.
Last week, I quoted another study about a link found between “hooking up” and depression. (Here’s a conversation that was started as a result) With the data from this study, it seems as though a case could be made against unmonitored casual dating among teenagers. (By unmonitored I simply mean that sometimes parents tune out and are relatively uninvolved as a third-party in the dating life of their teenager.) The simple reality is that if they are sexually active with someone casually or if they find themselves in a controlling and/or abusive dating relationship, the cost is quite high both now and in the future. In other words, parents need to be all up in the dating lives of their teenage kids even though its uncomfortable.
This study brings up some teaching points for your next parents meeting.
- Emotional and physical boundaries in dating relationships.
- Warning signs that their relationship might be controlling or even abusive.
- How you handle relationships in your ministry.
- Signs of a healthy adolescent relationship.
Idea: Partner with a local counselor and create a community-wide parent meeting exploring some of the latest research of teenage sexuality. You know, Good News to parents in your neighborhood.
-
How does a teenager become an adult?
How does a teenager become an adult?
Is it something intrinsic? Like, does a person become an adult because of the way they think of themselves? Is it when they except responsibility for themselves internally and start making adult-like decisions? Is it putting them on a pathway towards independence? (Vocation, education, relationships)
Or is it extrinsic? Do you cross a threshold physically to become an adult? Does turning 18 years old make you an adult? Does achieving some physical characteristic make you an adult? Does some level of educational achievement or military service make you an adult?
-
A link found between adolescent hook-ups & depression
From a paper published in September, 2012.
Depression and Adolescent Sexual Activity in Romantic and Nonromantic Relational Contexts: A Genetically-Informative Sibling Comparison
Results indicated that adolescent dating, in and of itself, was not associated with depressive symptoms. The association between depressive symptoms and sexual activity with a romantic partner was fully accounted for by between-family genetic and shared environmental confounds. In contrast, sexual activity with a nonromantic partner was significantly associated with both mean levels of depressive symptoms and clinically severe depression, even within sibling dyads. This relationship was greater for younger adolescents (<15 years). These results are consistent with a growing body of research demonstrating that relationship contexts may be critical moderators of the psychosocial aspects of adolescent sexual experiences.
Not surprising for anyone working with teenagers. Does the above statement surprise you in any way?
-
12 Gift Ideas for the Geek in Your Life
I’m a geek. You know a geek. Geeks are sexy these days.
We have a lot in common.
So what does the geek in your life want for Christmas? This year we want gadget accessories, classy art, and stuff ironically associated with internet memes. If you can’t find anything else, we’ll take an iPad mini.
Here’s 12 ideas for the geek in your life
The Glif ($20)
It’s a stand and tripod mount for an iPhone. I’ve got one of these, it’s totally handy on planes, when making Skype calls, or when you are trying to take nice photos.
From Photojojo
(more…)
-
The Bloodless Revolution
In the 4 years that we’ve lived in San Diego I’ve learned to love bodyboarding. It’s one of my favorite Sabbath activities. And while I’m not great at it I love trying.
The concept of bodyboarding is fairly simple.
- You swim out past the break point of the waves. (Just past where they are cresting) Most often for me this isn’t really swimming as you can still touch the bottom. I’m kind of a wimp so I don’t like to go out past where I can touch the bottom.
- You bob around going over small waves and diving under bigger ones, waiting for the right wave to come along that you’d like to ride.
- When you see a wave you’d like to ride, you position yourself by paddling or pushing off the bottom so that you and your board are on the shore side of the wave… then go.
- When you are on the wave you are kind of at the mercy of it. You can steer a little and you can decide when to hop off. But riding a wave is done with the understanding that the wave is really in control and you’re just along for the ride.
When it goes perfect is exhilarating. But when you do it wrong you get beat up, held under water, flipped, and dumped off where the little kids play near the shore. It’s humiliating and painful to get it wrong.
-
Rednecks of Sweden
Proof: Being a redneck is not limited to geography.
Lesson: Don’t let your ethnocentricity cloud your judgement.
