We're #1 (and not in Princeton Review)

Maybe this explains Econ 490 from the students perspective.

The 30 most fun colleges in America - Business Insider via kwout

Inner Speech - An Interesting Read

The piece linked below is different yet perhaps still relevant to our class.  If you have internal conversations on a regular basis, then our in class conversations might have offered a model for that.  The second half of the piece, on hearing voices, is not so relevant but it is interesting to read about.  I wonder though, when we are dreaming if we hear voices that way and it is entirely normal.

The Voices in Our Heads - The New Yorker via kwout

You also might enjoy reading the original story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by James Thurber, which to my knowledge is the first piece to characterize daydreaming.  The piece was written in 1939, yet the story still holds up. 

Last Reminder - Discussion Group

So far there are two students who have indicated interest.  It really would be good to have at least three students, so I am asking about this one more time.  The original message is here.  Thanks.

Some Sort of Spiritual Alternative to Being Online

When I was an undergrad at Cornell, there were quite a few weekends in the fall and the spring where we'd go traipsing around in the woods for a few hours, often at a park called Buttermilk Falls.  It seemed like a good thing to do.  Later when I was a grad student at Northwestern, I would sometimes sit on the rocks (artificial landfill) and stare at Lake Michigan, letting the view dominate my thoughts.

I wonder, do Illinois students do something like that now and, if so, what do students do to clear their heads?  This question was motivated by reading the piece linked below by Andrew Sullivan, a former uber blogger, very well published, who had a breakdown from being online all the time.  He ultimately recovered but now seems to be reverting to his old ways.  It's a long read, but interesting, at least it was to me.

Andrew Sullivan: My Distraction Sickness — and Yours via kwout

One last post before the New Year

This is an interesting read about the philosophy of emotions.  It might aid some of your own inner reflection as well as to help you make new year's resolutions that have been to you.

The Philosopher of Feelings - The New Yorker via kwout

Mindfulness Again

This piece appeared in the Sunday NY Times Week in Review, a reposting of something from four years earlier.  I thought you might find it interesting.  I hope your vacation has been relaxing.  I know that for me it has taken more than a week to unwind.

The Power of Concentration - The New York Times via kwout

Compulsory Viewing When I Was A Kid

If you've never seen this before, you might be amused by it, even though the image quality is a bit shaky.  I saw that it was colorized and that version might be easier to view, but I didn't see a free version of that.   The March of the Wooden Soldiers, which happens right at the end is what people remember of this movie.