The Water Cooler

September 10th, 2010

This Week’s Topics…

Service
How can you help alleviate world hunger as a college student? Feel Good is a 'youth…
Service
You might know of the organization called charity: water, whose mission revolves around…
Work
My son reminded me all day Monday that it was Labor Day (Hey, I don't need to unload the…
Learning
I found that this article tracks a lot of the advice I'm giving my kids right now about…
History
But it seems the President's new rug has got some historical problems. As the kids go…
Children's Books
If you were a fan of the Phantom Tollbooth, written by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer,…

Service

Feeding the World, One Grilled Cheese at a Time

How can you help alleviate world hunger as a college student?

Feel Good is a 'youth movement, a social enterprise whose mission is to "end world hunger, one grilled cheese at a time.' FeelGood empowers college students to run non-profit Delis on their campuses, giving away gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in exchange for a donation."

We'd love to see it in action, or hear from people who've worked with them.

Now That's Honesty

by Mark Basnage

You might know of the organization called charity: water, whose mission revolves around getting water to people in countries where there isn't much. One thing they do is dig a lot of wells. They love to talk about things going ... well. But they're remarkably transparent when things don't go according to plan.

Watch the video of them digging for 30 hours, 700 feet down in the Central African Republic...

Work

Thinking about Kids and Work

by Jill Joiner

My son reminded me all day Monday that it was Labor Day (Hey, I don't need to unload the dishwasher today... I can take the trash out tomorrow.) But Nancy's article inspired me to think a little more purposeful about our kids and work. So, what's next? This online job chart is getting good reviews from friends . Has anybody else tried it?

Freedom and Knowledge

by John Wunderli

I found that this article tracks a lot of the advice I'm giving my kids right now about classes to take in high school and beyond. I've long maintained that people should take statistics and economics principally so you won't be unduly influenced by many statistical or economic arguments. Ultimately, this professor's core approach is defense oriented. You need to understand certain core subjects, not necessarily so you can do something productive with that information, but more so you can defend yourself against all the noise and misdirection that comes from those disciplines. With that defensive foundation, you can do exactly what he recommends at the end: Ignore advice as you see fit.

Redecoration Rarely Causes Such a Stir

by Nancy French

But it seems the President's new rug has got some historical problems.

As the kids go back to school, they might take this as inspiration to study their history lessons a little more fervently?

I doubt it. But it is kind of an interesting story -- about Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as Theodore Parker. What? You don't recognize Parker's name?

It seems like his this innovative antebellum abolitionist's words have gotten, um, swept under the rug. Read here for more details!

Phantom Tollbooth Welcomes a Neighbor

by Mark Basnage

If you were a fan of the Phantom Tollbooth, written by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer, there's great news. After 40+ years, they are both still around (who knew?), and have collaborated on a new book, The Odious Ogre. Read more about their partnership in this NPR article, listen online, or read an excerpt of the new book.

This Week’s Poll

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