ken atchity door to door: August 2024

The Bookwheel!

17th century device that allowed researchers to read up to 8 open books at a time.

Researching information in the 16th century could be a challenge.

Books at that time were typically large and heavy, so if you needed to review several volumes simultaneously, much lifting and desk space was required. Enter Agostino Ramelli, who in 1588 invented the Bookwheel. It allowed the placement of multiple books on a wheel that could be easily rotated in front of the reader. It worked vertically like a water wheel and took up no more space than a table.

This beautiful model pictured here is from the 17th century and can be found in the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. Puebla, Mexico (also the source of the image).

Frank Morris and The Seeing Eye Dog

Frank Morris was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1908. At the age of six he lost his right eye after hitting a tree branch while horseback riding, and at the age of 16 he lost his left eye during a boxing match. Morris was very frustrated with depending on others to help him get around.

In November 1927, Morris's father read him an article by Dorothy Eustis, an American philanthropist living in Switzerland who operated a school that supplied dogs to the police and Red Cross. The article described schools in Germany that trained guide dogs for WWI veterans who had gone blind from mustard gas.

Morris was inspired to write Eustis for help. "Is what you say really true? If so, I want one of those dogs! And I am not alone. Thousands of blind like me abhor being dependent on others. Help me and I will help them. Train me and I will bring back my dog and show people here how a blind man can be absolutely on his own. We can then set up an instruction center in this country to give all those here who want it a chance at a new life." Eustis agreed to help.

Morris went to Switzerland and trained with a female German shepherd named Kiss, which he quickly renamed Buddy. The training was hard, but after a few weeks Morris was able to get around the Swiss village safely with Buddy's assistance.

In June 1928, Frank returned to the US with Buddy in New York City. He notified the media and demonstrated Buddy's abilities by crossing a busy New York street. According to Morris "She [Buddy] moved forward into the ear-splitting clangor, stopped, backed up, and started again. I lost all sense of direction and surrendered myself entirely to the dog. I shall never forget the next three minutes: 10-ton trucks rocketing past, cabs blowing their horns in our ears, drivers shouting at us. When we finally got to the other side and I realized what a really magnificent job she had done, I leaned over and gave Buddy a great big hug and told her what a good, good girl she was."

Morris sent a one-word telegram to Eustis: "SUCCESS!"

In January 1929, Morris and Eustis cofounded the first guide dog school in the US called The Seeing Eye. It operated in Nashville for two years and then relocated to New Jersey because the weather was more suitable for training dogs. Between 1929 and 1956, Morris traveled throughout the US spreading the word about the organization and the need for equal access laws for people with guide dogs. By 1956, every state in the US had passed laws allowing blind people with guide dogs access to public spaces.

Buddy died on May 23, 1938. Morris named his next dog Buddy, as he would all his subsequent seeing eye dogs. On April 29, 2005, a sculpture of Frank Morris and Buddy titled The Way to Independence was unveiled in Morristown, New Jersey.

Harry and Snowman

Pictured are Harry Deleyer and Snowman

Snowman was an old Amish plow horse that Harry rescued off a truck that was bound for the meat and glue factory for only $80. Less than two years after he rescued Snowman, they rose to become the national show jumping champions and were the Cinderella story and media darlings of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Very few horse stories have been able to truly touch the hearts of a nation. Red Pollard & Seabiscuit did it in the 1930s, Harry deLeyer & Snowman did it in the 1950s and then Ron Turcotte & Secretariat were the last to do it in the 1970s.

HARRY & SNOWMAN (the movie) will be the first time that Harry's remarkable and heartfelt life story will be told by 85-year-old Harry himself.

John Singer Sargent’s "Portrait of Madame X"

Few paintings have stirred as much controversy as John Singer Sargent’s "Portrait of Madame X", a masterpiece that shocked Parisian society when it debuted at the 1884 Salon.

The portrait's subject, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, was a well-known socialite known for her beauty and daring fashion sense. However, the reaction to her portrayal was far from flattering, leading to a scandal that echoed through the art world and beyond.

The Scandal of the Original Version

When Sargent first exhibited the painting, titled Portrait de Mme**, it featured Gautreau in a stunning black gown with one strap daringly slipping off her shoulder. This subtle yet provocative detail suggested a level of sensuality that was considered scandalous, especially for a woman of her social standing. Critics and the public alike were appalled, not only by the perceived impropriety of the pose but also by Gautreau’s pale, almost ghostly complexion. The backlash was immediate and severe, with many mocking the painting and deriding Sargent’s artistic choices.

The scandal had a profound impact on both Sargent and Gautreau. Gautreau’s mother demanded the painting be withdrawn, lamenting its damage to her daughter’s reputation. Sargent, devastated by the negative reception, ultimately decided to alter the painting. He repainted the offending strap to sit securely on Gautreau’s shoulder, in an attempt to diminish the outcry and preserve his own career.

Photograph of the painter John Singer Sargent in his studio in Paris, Circa 1884. He is standing next to one of his most famous works, "Madame X".

The Aftermath and Legacy

Despite the changes, the damage had been done. Sargent left Paris soon after, moving to London where he continued his career but avoided such risky subject matter in the future.

However, the painting has endured as a symbol of artistic daring and societal constraints. When Sargent donated the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1916, he insisted that Gautreau's identity remain concealed, hence the enigmatic title "Madame X."

Today, "Portrait of Madame X" is celebrated not just for its technical brilliance but also for its bold statement about beauty, sexuality, and the role of women in society. The painting remains one of Sargent’s most famous works, and its history is a testament to the fine line between art and scandal.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

This aerial photograph reveals an intriguing feature of the Great Pyramid of Giza: it has 8 sides instead of the commonly perceived 4. Each face of the pyramid has a slight concavity, creating this effect noticeable only from above and under certain lighting conditions. This architectural nuance, visible during specific times like the equinoxes, showcases the extraordinary precision and ingenuity of ancient Egyptian builders, deepening the enigma of this ancient wonder.

Check out this extreme close-up of the Great Pyramid of Giza's blocks. Some of these stones have been moved around, likely by people searching for secret entrances or hidden treasures. The indents on the blocks show where the capstone was meant to sit, but it’s now gone. This tampering highlights the precision with which these enormous stones were originally positioned, a testament to the impressive engineering prowess of the ancient Egyptians.

The Arita Cone

The Arita Cone, an almost perfect conical formation, rises strikingly from the vast expanse of the Salar de Arizaro in the Puna de Atacama, a region spanning Chile and Argentina.

This geological spectacle, shaped by natural erosion, creates a surreal sight in the middle of the desert. Photographer John Seager utilized a drone to capture the cone's impressive shadow on a clear, sunny day, emphasizing its dramatic silhouette against the salt flats.

The Arita Cone’s distinct shape and isolated beauty make it a remarkable natural landmark, offering a glimpse into the awe-inspiring forces of nature.

American Indian Dog

It's not a wolf or coyote; it's an American Indian dog known for its long pointy ears, thick coat, intense stare, and impressive build. These working companion animals were almost lost to history after the American Indians were segregated onto reservations and often left without the resources necessary to maintain the ancient breed. According to the experts at Animal Corner, the Native

American Indian Dog is believed to be up to 30,000 years old. Yes, it's possible that the breed shared parts of North America with some of the earliest Native Americans to inhabit the land. Some specialists have theorized that the Native American Indian Dog breed could even be the missing link between wolves and the modern-day dog as we know it today.

When Hotel Room Service goes too far ...

The Town with a Subculture of Secret Tiny Doors

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a series of what is known as ‘fairy doors’, began popping up around the area in 2005, built into buildings, shops and restaurants and quickly acquired a cult following. Father and children’s book author, Jonathan B. Wright, believed to be behind the installation of the whimsical tiny portals, is kind of like the Banksy of fairy doors.

One of the fairy doors in Ann Arbor, outside the Peaceable Kingdom store. There’s a miniature replica of the shop behind the door built under the window display, which can also be seen from tiny windows inside the store…

It all began in 1993 when Jonathan was renovating his home and decided to install some fairy doors for his daughters (one in the fireplace and two in the kitchen). You can see the doors he built for them here. Over a decade later, he decided to go public. On April 7, 2005, the first public fairy door appeared outside Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea. Ten days later, the Peaceable Kingdom one appeared.

Ann Arbor Public Library

Elephants Don't Change Thier Habits

The Elephants in the Room: Watch a Herd Walk through a Hotel

Why go on a safari when you can watch wildlife right from the comfort of your hotel?

Inviting big, exotic animals inside probably wasn't the plan when the Mfuwe Lodge was built in Zambia in 1998, but that’s what wound up happening. The lodge surrounds a mango tree that a local group of elephants likes to feed on and sits on the path they traditionally used to get to it.

When Mfuwe opened for business, the elephants made it clear they had no intention of changing their route. They walked in like they owned the place, shuffled through the lobby and out into the courtyard to feast on mangoes.

The spectacle, no doubt concerning to whoever was working the reception desk the first time it happened, has become one of the lodge’s main draws, and attracts crowds of tourists every year. According to the lodge, the group that makes the annual stroll through the lobby includes three generations of one elephant family, including their matriarch “Wonky Tusk” and the young “Lord Wellington,” who was born on the lodge grounds in 2009.

Wildlife cameraman Nathan Pilcher recently (2014) went to Mfuwe to see the elephants for himself, and you can watch his short movie by clicking the following link! --- December 14, 2015

The Elephants that came to dinner|Mfuwe Lodge, Zambia

Three-time Olympian Kimia Yousofi is running for the girls and women of Afghanistan

Kimia Yousofi ran the 100-metres at the Olympics in a pedestrian 13.42 seconds, then spent so much longer than that in the mixed zone, delivering a poignant message of stolen freedom. That’s why she is here.

“I’m not for the result here. I’m here for Afghan girls. I feel responsibility for Afghan girls instead of Afghanistan because they can’t talk, they can’t have interview. They can’t do anything. They have to be silent. Why? No one can decide for others. I’m human. I decide what should I do. Not anyone else.”

On the back of her racing bib, she scrawled the words education, sport and our rights. She hopes that sign and her message resonates.

“I’m just saying that I think it’s true. I don’t know if it’s powerful or not. I’m not a politician. I’m not a politics person. I just do what I think is true. I can talk. I can talk with media. I can be voice of Afghan girls instead of Afghanistan.”

Yoga Gives Back

Written by Kayoko Mitsumatsu

From Posture To Power: Microcredit Changes Lives On Both Sides of the Ocean

We can talk about making change. But affecting real change in the world comes from impacting the lives of individuals. It comes from empowering people to be independent and able to make a living on their own while at the same time being fully integrated in our interdependent global community. Sometimes it takes something that seems to be radical to make this change, but these shifts can be deceptively small. They can be even as small (or as large) as the cost of a Los Angeles Yoga class.

How could this be? In the practice of microcredit, lending seemingly small amounts of money to small-scale entrepreneurs allows them to succeed and change their circumstances. This is the fundamental basis of microcredit’s transformative power; it’s a revolutionary concept in finance. This practice shifts the emphasis from financial transactions being focused only about large loans and large scale businesses, which are out of reach of many one-person operations, institutions and organizations – to lending practices that actually make a positive difference in a person’s life. Microcredit practices based on social justice and empowerment operate through a combination of small-scale loans based on trust and community support, with structured repayment plans and programs that encourage savings. In these situations, people actually have the opportunity to solidify long-term change in their lives.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the Yoga Gives Back Team: Joel Bender, Leslie Hendry, Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Kayoko Mitsumatsu (left-right)

In 2006, economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the institution he founded, the Grameen Bank, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This award was in recognition of their revolutionary efforts to create this micro-credit model, support sustainable economic practices, and provide an alternative to what were exploitive norms. When a person is caught in a cycle of poverty, they may become trapped in the system, particularly since large banking institutions have historically ignored people without assets or credit histories, who are just starting out and who may not have already proven themselves. Most banks prefer to lend large sums of money that represent a greater profit margin and are set up only for large loans in order to make a profit themselves. And even making it more challenging, people at the bottom of the economic scale worldwide have had to rely on moneylenders charging usurious terms and interest rates to obtain funds to plant the next crop, buy inventory of new equipment, or upgrade a business in any way. Institutions such as the Grameen Bank and their affiliates are offering another approach. It’s one that has significantly impacted millions of people.

As Dr. Yunus described in an exclusive interview with Yoga Gives Back in May, 2009, “We started in 1976, and today within Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, eight million people borrow micro loans, ninety-seven percent of them women.” This represents an enormous potential for change and empowerment that just did not exist on a large scale in this form prior to 1976.

There is a social cycle in economics, and Dr. Yunus explained this: “Poverty is not inside the person. Poverty is forced from outside. Poor people are as capable [a] human being as anybody else. They have the same power and energy, same potential. But they are denied such facilities. They cannot express themselves. Money is one of the most important items missing in their lives. You need a dollar to catch a dollar. You cannot catch a dollar with an empty hand. So, that first dollar, nobody has given to her. So she remains dependent on someone else. She has to be hired, to slave; she has to work to make food available on the table. What we have done, we have put that first dollar into her hands as a banking proposition. Conventional banks never come to the poor people. They go to rich people to make more money. The person who does not have a dollar – she cannot get it. So we did it. We did it in a way that is affordable to her. Because we do not insist on collateral. There is no collateral.”

While that may seem like a radical concept, the Grameen Bank has proven that their success is much more than ideological. Dr Yunus cited statistics for us, “The repayment rate is almost 100%, without collateral or anything. This is the strength of microcredit which is now spread all over the world. There are by now at least 150 million borrowers in the world today. Bu it is still very small comparing to the need. We need more microcredit organizations in the world so that more people can be reached.”

Yoga Gives Back is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization begun in LA, with the goal to provide a way for Western Yoga practitioners to give back to India, the birthplace of Yoga, which has given us so much. We’re heeding Dr. Yunus’ call to reach more people through expanded opportunities for and awareness of microcredit and have targeted India and Indian families, women, and would-be entrepreneurs, who would be otherwise stuck in the cycle of poverty that Dr. Yunus described. Yoga Gives Back supports microfinancing operations in India, through the Grameen Foundation, headquartered in Washington, DC. Donations go directly to Grameen Koota, Bangalore, South India and our YGB awareness campaign focuses on the real stories of how poor women are changing their lives with small loans from Grameen Koota.

Ms. Vinatha M Reddy

Grameen Koota was started by visionary teacher and philanthropist, Ms. Vinatha M Reddy (pictured, above) in 1999, who learned about Nobel Peace Recipient Dr Muhammad Yunus’ microfinancing and immediately began exploring ways of replicating his work in her hometown. In 2000, she started providing small microcredit loans, averaging $25.00 a month, to fifty local women. Today, Grameen Koota’s work is reaching out to over 280,000 women in Bangalore, Mysore and many areas of Karnataka state, in South India, making real impact on these women’s lives as well as on the local economy.

Yoga Gives Back

The Los Angeles-based Yoga Gives Back has a worldwide reach and began out of the inspiration and dedication of my Yoga mentor Joel Bender and me. Our group has suddenly started growing almost daily and our mission is shared by a quickly expanding and loving Yoga community.

When I was growing up in Japan, which is a very middle-class society, I had never experienced or seen any real poverty, especially growing up in Tokyo in 1960s and 1970s, when Japan's post-war economic miracle was taking place. Then, I had a chance to live in Brazil in the late 1970s for two years, where as a teenager, I saw the divide between poverty and wealth, the reality of the real slums, kids on the streets begging every time you stopped the car at the traffic light, all very much like India. Social injustice hit me hard.

Once I started Yoga practice and feeling my life being so enriched by it , I felt a need to use my resources to help others. I was producing a documentary on Social Entrepreneurship and learned about microfinancing. I shared this information with Joel [featured in the teacher profile in this month’s issue of LA YOGA] who had been looking for the way he could give back to India since his first visit there – so we teamed up.

When I think about the growth of Yoga Gives Back thus far, I give a lot of credit to the entrepreneurship and volunteer spirit of Americans, willing to embrace and support a new grass roots campaign like ours.

Kayoko Mitsumatsu, co-founder of Yoga Gives Back, is a documentary filmmaker whose films deal with social justice issues, including First They Killed My Father a memoir of a Cambodia’s Killing Fields’ survivor.

A Life Changing Story of Microcredit: Jayashree

Jayashree

Jayashree lives in the suburbs of Bangalore and is married and the mother of two children. We visited her at her humble dirt floor one room home for the first time in 2007. We were touched by her warm smile and most generous hospitality, serving us hot tea and cookies.

Jayashree was born into a very poor family in Bangalore. When she was a child, her family’s financial situation became so severe that she had to drop out of school and work at a garment factory. She toiled throughout her childhood and after she got married at fifteen, her meager earnings had to support her ailing in-laws. She had two children. Her husband’s rickshaw business was not enough to pay her sons’ education or secure food for the family.

In 2007, Jayashree learned from her neighbors about Grameen Koota’s microcredit program and applied for her first loan. She was granted a first loan of 7,000 rupees ($175), and immediately bought her husband’s auto rickshaw. Owning their own rickshaw business increased their income significantly.

Jayashree was able to pay back her entire loan in one year and became eligible for her second loan in 2008. Having proven her diligence, her second loan amount doubled to 15,000 rupees ($375). This time, she bought a sewing machine and started stitching bags. The family’s earnings have now tripled and she is earning 150 rupees ($3.75) a day. In addition, she opened a small shop next to her house to sell her products which is earning her an additional 100 rupees ($2.50) a day.

She is sending her elder son to a medical school. Her son dreams of becoming a doctor and thanks his mother’s business for providing his education, their own home and daily food.

To participate in a Yoga practice where the proceeds support Yoga Gives Back and directly impact the transformation of not only your own life, but that of someone in India, start your Thanksgiving week at Yogaglo, Sunday, November 22, 10:00 A.M. - 12 noon. Some of the teachers include John Sahakian, Felicia Tomasko, Alexandra Aiken and Ally Hamilton; more to be announced. Yogaglo.com; yogagivesback.com.

For more information on Yoga Gives Back or to host a Yoga Gives Back class at your own studio or location, visit: yogagivesback.org or contact yogagivesback@earthlink.net.