3 posts tagged “anthropology”
Let me start out by saying that, if you are a supporter of intelligent design (as opposed to evolution), you may be offended by this post. I think that that's a fair warning. Walk away now. If you get all huffy and angry at me and want to start a debate, I will probably ignore you. I'm not trying to change your mind, and I would appreciate the same consideration from you.
As you may know from earlier posts, I teach anthropology part-time at a local community college. Several weeks ago, I lectured on my favorite unit - religion, myth, and spirituality. My main focus is to introduce the various ways in which people all over the world interpret the world and their place in it. One of the perks is that I can also introduce different psuedosciences you may encounter in the United States - mainly belief in astrology, spiritualists being able to speak with the souls of the dead, and people who claim to have been reincarnated and who can access memories from their past lives.
I have a video I generally show in which the Amazing Randi appears. James Randi was a magician who grew disheartened by how many people believed he was performing magic as opposed to simply tricking their eyes and their minds. He began an institute to debunk claims from psuedoscientists, spiritualists, and flim-flam men (and women) who are simply trying to dupe a credulous public.
Randi's website presents his views on the world - and since I'm not dealing with him personally, I find him delightfully curmungeonly.
I was browsing his latest newsletter today. He ends it on a painful, yet amusing note:
That video was painful enough. It was the next one that caught my eye and, well...you decide for yourself:
I wonder how long they were deprived of oxygen. Their brain damage doesn't seem to have affected their motor skills - just their reason and logic.
Actually, now that I think about it...both videos above have to do with food - and peanut butter and bananas are a great combination! How much weed did they have to smoke to gain these insights?
Oh - and may I say: NOOOOOOO! Oh, Kirk Cameron...why have you gone over to the dark side? I remember you fondly from my youth - when I was foolish enough to be entertained by Growing Pains. What happened to the charming, roguish boy from the poster that used to hang on my teenage bedroom wall?
Man, have I been cranky lately! Seriously, if you showed me a glass partially filled with water, I'd definitely see it as half empty. Why is that?
Well *settles down into armchair psychologist mode* we haf here a sit-yoo-a-shun in which I - the subject - am bored with zee class I am teaching.
That is to say, I'm bored with the topic, not the students. I'm teaching cultural anthropology - and don't get me wrong: I am so very glad to have this job, adjunct professor though I may be.
My degrees are in archaeology and physical anthropology. For those of you who are familiar with the subfields of anthropology, you know that I have just covered two of the four. I never touched linguistics (it simply didn't exist for me). That leaves cultural anthropology - definitely a lesser favorite.
Don't get me wrong - cultural anthropology can be fascinating. It just doesn't hold my interest the way that physical anthropology does.
I luf the skeletal system - it is a beautiful thing both in form and function - in growth and development - pretty much in any way that you look at it.
I'm most fascinated with the human skeleton, but in a pinch, any skeletal system will do. It's that fascinating.
Hand to god, I am that much of a skeletal geek...nerd...whateva.
However, I am teaching cultural anthropology - part-time
Sigh.
I can really tell a difference in the way the course is going this semester - it's my third time teaching this wonderful course. I'm just not as enthusiastic about the material I need to pass along to my students.
In return, my students are bored (I think). At the very least, they don't discuss as well as I would like them to.
Whine, whine, whine, mope, complain, whine.
I need to get over this.
*****
Okay, I'm over it. I'm getting back to work.
Still, you can't blame a girl for trying.
Why am I here? Well, not for the blogging capabilities of Vox - great as they are.
I'm not even here to be seen.
My pictures, though, please take a gander through them!
As you might be able to guess - by the sheer number of the photos of my cats - that I heart kitties.
I may talk about the wee 'uns - Mike, Megan, and O - the most on the blog.
This will be followed by posts about my adorable nephews - Ray and Kasey.
Only slightly less important will be my comments about how my class is performing - I teach one section of anthropology at a local community college.
Finally, I shall sprinkle references to my husband - we've only been married for four months - throughout.
When I write, that is.
Enjoy!
