Temple Grandin Different Minds
The Life Autistic
This is not the first time I have written about Temple Grandin, animal behaviorist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University--she is one of the smartest and most creative thinkers I have come across. As an autistic person, no one can dispute that she is a different kind of thinker. In this Ted talk, Grandin explores different ways of processing information i.e., through patterns, through visual imagery, through mathematics and music as opposed to the more prevalent verbal fact based thinking. She makes the argument that the world desperately needs all kinds of people and in fact, outside the box types, often screened out by our educational system, are quite frequently the biggest contributors to society. I personally did not know that Thomas Edison was autistic, that Einstein didn't speak until the age of 3, that Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo and Mozart, among many others, were considered to be on the spectrum as well.
Grandin is a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. Today she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and also has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare.
Woodstock
Anti-Semitism is on the rise all over the world and racism is forever rearing its ugly head throughout America. We have never been more divided as a nation, on the verge of civil war. And to top it off, February 25, 2023 has been deemed "a day of hate" by an ultra-right antisemitic group of Nazis alive and well in the U.S. What happened to the days of Peace, Love and Woodstock?! I thought it was time we were reminded of those days with this documentary about the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival. My hope is that we might somehow imagine that good spirit back into our lives...And to accompany that thought, here is a playlist from Friday's Woodstock offerings.
New York Times Ten Most Notable Books 2022
In case you are looking for a new book to read, here is the New York Times List of 10 Most Notable Books of 2022 chosen by their staff.
Painting of the Week
Charity of the Week:
Earthquake Victims
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New York, NY 2022
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.