As a cat psychologist, I can tell you the cat was dealing with some painful memories brought on from the intensity of a family reunion over Christmas. It's quite common for cats at this time of year.

Imagine being the art student that proudly brought this first piece of work back to show at the family reunion.

"but... but... nobody understands me!!!"

Haha...I thought the same thing.>> ^TheFreak:

All I wanted was a Pepsi!

Oh I watched that moment yesterday when I was viewing a ten minute clip of a "reunion" thing they did. Should be this one at about the 7:30 mark.... I would do it from the 7:10 mark so you can get your own emotions in line.. and you can cry with fonzy.

summer, summer, summertime

time to sit back and unwind

Verse One: Fresh Prince

Here it is the groove slightly transformed

just a bit of a break from the norm

just a little somethin' to break the monotony

of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be

a little bit out of control it's cool to dance

but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance

give me a soft subtle mix

and if ain't broke then don't try to fix it

and think of the summers of the past

adjust the base and let the alpine blast

pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme

and put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime

Chorus

Verse Two: Fresh Prince

school is out and it's a sort of a buzz

a back then I didn't really know what it was

but now I see what have of this

the way that people respond to summer madness

the weather is hot and girls are dressing less

and checking out the fellas to tell 'em who's best

riding around in your jeep or your benzos

or in your Nissan sitting on lorenzos

back in Philly we be out in the park

a place called the plateau is where everybody goes

guys out hunting and girls doing likewise

honking at the honey in front of you with the light eyes

she turn around to see what you beeping at

it's like the summers a natural afradesiac

and with a pen and pad I compose this rhyme

to hit you and get you equipped for the summer time

Chorus

Verse Three: Fresh Prince

it's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet

hustle to the mall to get me a short set

yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair

cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there

the temperature's about 88

hop in the water plug just for old times sake

break to ya crib change your clothes once more

cause you're invited to a barbeque that's starting at 4

sitting with your friends cause y'all remincise

about the days growing up and the first person you kiss

and as I think back makes me wonder how

the smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia

all the kids playing out front

little boys messin round with the girls playing double-dutch

while the DJ's spinning a tune as the old folks dance at your family reunion

then six o'clock rolls around

you just finished wiping your car down

it's time to cruise so you head to the summertime hangout

it looks like a car show

everybody come lookin real fine

fresh from the barber shop or fly from the beauty salon

every moment frontin and maxin

chillin in the car they spent all day waxin

leanin to the side but you can't speed through

Two miles an hour so everybody sees you

there's an air of love and of happiness

and this is the Fresh Prince's new defintion of summer madness

I'm not terribly good with formatting these broken quotes, so excuse the cut off of your reply

There is definitely something to be said about standardising such a thing, I wouldn't be on board with a 2-day experiment as the norm, we don't really get to see if friendships were mended etc, so you have a point there. My comment was more about discussing the topic at that age level in a more serious way than just doing the old "ugly duckling" story.

There is something about discrimination that is hard to understand from just hearing it's wrong, it's horrible to wish the feeling upon someone but what I would try to aim for is the lighter more humbling discrimination. For example, if you come from a white dominant culture and travel to a different culture, you feel a little "reverse discrimination", it's not like a "I feel like crap for being hated" feeling, it's just more eye-opening.
>> ^MilkmanDan:

>> ^yellowc:
If you have an issue with the age of the kids in this video, maybe you should step back and actually listen to how they talk. They are MORE than capable of learning this lesson, I think people forget how switched on our brains are at that age. You'll also see they grew up just fine, why ignore that part when discussing how young they were.

I did listen to the kids. Many seemed highly uncomfortable with the experiment as it was happening (which is arguably the point), and their comments at the reunion as adults never really confirmed whether or not they were glad that they went through it in hindsight. I agree that young kids are often more clued in than we give them credit for, and also that this particular sample set "grew up just fine". I don't think that I ignored that in my original post - here's a snip:
>> ^MilkmanDan:
I think the teacher definitely had good intentions and arguably got good positive results; ie., her point was made and the lesson was learned, and learned in a much more weighty way than merely talking about it.
But to clarify, I still think that this particular methodology combined with this age group of students is a risky combination. If this was a standard teaching exercise probably most kids would go through it, benefit from learning the lesson, and have no real negative effects. But there would be a few for whom this experiment / lesson could potentially have long-lasting consequences; lost friends, confidence, etc. The consequences would probably not be severe, but eventually it boils down to a value assessment.
I'd concede the point that this technique teaches the lesson in a way that will have much more impact and be much more memorable than nearly any other (reasonable) approach. However I think that simply talking about discrimination at this age, asking the students to imagine how it would feel to be discriminated against on some arbitrary basis, etc. could have, say, 90% of the same positive effect. Follow that up with further contemplation, history, etc. when they are older and it might be 95-99% as effective. 99+% effectiveness with no risk of having things go too far seems most likely preferable to me.
I guess it is very open to differences in opinion, which is probably what makes it interesting. So, upvotes for the video and discussion!

>> ^yellowc:

If you have an issue with the age of the kids in this video, maybe you should step back and actually listen to how they talk. They are MORE than capable of learning this lesson, I think people forget how switched on our brains are at that age. You'll also see they grew up just fine, why ignore that part when discussing how young they were.

I did listen to the kids. Many seemed highly uncomfortable with the experiment as it was happening (which is arguably the point), and their comments at the reunion as adults never really confirmed whether or not they were glad that they went through it in hindsight. I agree that young kids are often more clued in than we give them credit for, and also that this particular sample set "grew up just fine". I don't think that I ignored that in my original post - here's a snip:
>> ^MilkmanDan:

I think the teacher definitely had good intentions and arguably got good positive results; ie., her point was made and the lesson was learned, and learned in a much more weighty way than merely talking about it.
But to clarify, I still think that this particular methodology combined with this age group of students is a risky combination. If this was a standard teaching exercise probably most kids would go through it, benefit from learning the lesson, and have no real negative effects. But there would be a few for whom this experiment / lesson could potentially have long-lasting consequences; lost friends, confidence, etc. The consequences would probably not be severe, but eventually it boils down to a value assessment.

I'd concede the point that this technique teaches the lesson in a way that will have much more impact and be much more memorable than nearly any other (reasonable) approach. However I think that simply talking about discrimination at this age, asking the students to imagine how it would feel to be discriminated against on some arbitrary basis, etc. could have, say, 90% of the same positive effect. Follow that up with further contemplation, history, etc. when they are older and it might be 95-99% as effective. 99+% effectiveness with no risk of having things go too far seems most likely preferable to me.

I guess it is very open to differences in opinion, which is probably what makes it interesting. So, upvotes for the video and discussion!

I have to attend my girlfriend's formal family reunion where I'll meet a lot of family I've never met before. I'm thinking about rocking a monocle now...

This video has been seconded as a duplicate; transferring votes to the original video and killing this dupe - dupeof seconded with isdupe by ant.

>> ^kulpims:

dupeof=http://videosift.com/video/Even-Stevphen-The-Reunion


*isdupe

This video has been nominated as a duplicate of this video by kulpims. If this nomination is seconded with *isdupe, the video will be killed and its votes transferred to the original.

*dupeof=http://videosift.com/video/Even-Stevphen-The-Reunion

>> ^NetRunner:

>> ^chilaxe:
"Those at the bottom are no less worthy simply because they werent born with the talents a particular society rewards, Rawls argues."
Right, all the STD-collecting hippies at Burning Man make just as large a contribution to society as the founders of Google or Youtube (on which this video is hosted).

I think you missed the point Rawls was making -- STD-collecting hippies became STD-collecting hippies largely due to factors not of their own choosing. Even if they did, it's not their fault they came to live in a society that calls them STD-collecting hippies and not greatly revered spiritual leaders worthy of great respect and admiration.
It's an argument against the libertarian argument that economic inequalities that arise through free exchange carry some sort of moral force that's beyond reproach. It's an argument against the Ayn Randian philosophy of saying that people who won't bend to the will of the market morally deserve to starve and die.
It's ultimately an argument that demands we respect the basic dignity of every human life, and their ability to freely choose how to use that life, even "STD-collecting hippies".

Interesting response, Netrunner. I do disagree on some points.




1. "STD-collecting hippies became STD-collecting hippies largely due to factors not of their own choosing."

--This isn't an abstract subject to me. I work 60 hours a week and in my off time, instead of doing stupid things, I do thinks like read everything and re-build my personality every month. That's the only reason most of the people at my 10 year high-school reunion were comparative simpletons.

2. Even if they did, it's not their fault they came to live in a society that calls them STD-collecting hippies and not greatly revered spiritual leaders worthy of great respect and admiration.

--Problem solving and labor contribute to the world. It's not arbitrary that we don't reward people for smoking pot.

3. It's ultimately an argument that demands we respect the basic dignity of every human life, and their ability to freely choose how to use that life, even "STD-collecting hippies".

--Yes, people can do whatever they want, but asking serious people to subsidize the loafers in my high school class doesn't reasonable. (I do literally subsidize them; I pay far more in taxes for our local roads etc. than they do.) Indeed, the only reason we're talking right now on computers and doctors can re-grow our organs is because society in the past didn't treat dumb things with respect.



In the big picture, I think the problem of unequal contributions to society will be solved once we build the technological ability to have greater control over the brain. Loafers and STD-collectors are a temporary phenomenon.

>> ^Kalle:

who's the bald guy??


That's Chunk; Jeff Cohen.

Wow, has it been that long already? I saw the Goonies back in the theaters in 1985 and it's still in my top 5 today. I wish I could head up to Astoria for the reunion this summer. Will have to make plans for the next one. So glad they keep having reunions.

My graduating class had about 30 people in it, I don't think we even have reunions...nor would I have any interest in them