The American Dream at its Finest

Once in a while something beautiful happens on our blue and green planet that restores my faith in the power chipping away at the corporate machine. Ok...local news is hardly the corporate machine but it makes up a part of its body, perhaps the big toe that we all know is so important. When I first watched this video I was not certain it was a prank because local news usually has the dumbest segments ever but once he started yo-yo'ing he, like the ginger, captured my heart. He is so convincing...damn it...I'm in love!

Upon further investigation, I found out the Zip Zap is a non-profit organization, but one that trains kids to be in the circus in South Africa. Oh...this guy is good. To quote the website, "The Zip Zap Circus is a non-profit organisation which aims to create opportunities for children. It is not just a circus school where children learn how to juggle or ride a unicycle, it is also a place where children learn the life skills which build the basic pillars of a successful life while continuing to bridge the remnants of racial divide in South Africa. Zip Zap’s mission is to provide innovative professional training and entertainment, and therefore provide opportunities for children to fulfill their potential." Their potential at the unicycle! Don't worry about being called Kafir, you can ride a unicycle and juggle on stage under bright lights and music far enough away from the crowd that you won't hear anyone yelling that at you. They can't, however, guarantee that the shameful walk to the dressing room that the kid shares with "Morty the Elephant" and "The Man with Two Penises" the won't make him look in the mirror and wonder if he has misunderstood the meaning of the words opportunity and potential for his entire young life.

BTW...he refers to the company name as Zip Zap but his shirt says Zim Zam...heyo!

Reason # 23480u3w4t to move to Norway

Who are these people!? Link

Ten years and 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner ($252 million) in the making, Halden is spread over 75 acres (30 hectares) of gently sloping forest in southeastern Norway. The facility boasts amenities like a sound studio, jogging trails and a freestanding two-bedroom house where inmates can host their families during overnight visits. Unlike many American prisons, the air isn't tinged with the smell of sweat and urine. Instead, the scent of orange sorbet emanates from the "kitchen laboratory" where inmates take cooking courses. "In the Norwegian prison system, there's a focus on human rights and respect," says Are Hoidal, the prison's governor. "We don't see any of this as unusual."

The cells rival well-appointed college dorm rooms, with their flat-screen TVs and minifridges. Designers chose long vertical windows for the rooms because they let in more sunlight. There are no bars. Every 10 to 12 cells share a living room and kitchen. With their stainless-steel countertops, wraparound sofas and birch-colored coffee tables, they resemble Ikea showrooms.

Halden's greatest asset, though, may be the strong relationship between staff and inmates. Prison guards don't carry guns — that creates unnecessary intimidation and social distance — and they routinely eat meals and play sports with the inmates. "Many of the prisoners come from bad homes, so we wanted to create a sense of family," says architect Per Hojgaard Nielsen. Half the guards are women — Hoidal believes this decreases aggression — and prisoners receive questionnaires asking how their experience in prison can be improved.

There's plenty of enthusiasm for transforming lives. "None of us were forced to work here. We chose to," says Charlott-Renee Sandvik Clasen, a music teacher in the prison and a member of Halden's security-guard chorus. "Our goal is to give all the prisoners — we call them our pupils — a meaningful life inside these walls." It's warmth like that, not the expensive television sets, that will likely have the most lasting impact.


Take that Foucault!!! I don't think it is a coincidence that the name of this prison is Thoreau's Walden with an H.

Take note America...this could have been you if you. Remember back as late as the 70s when you too believed in rehabilitating prisoners and lowering recidivism rates? Then you wanted to get tough on crime resulting in about 2 million (!) people housed behind the sad walls of your prisons without programs that may help them integrate into society better. Hmmm...maybe if someone was treated like shit their whole life they might change their attitude if they were shown a little bit of love.