Aaron VonderHaar - Latest Comments

Re: Why not to “date” me

kelsie klink — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:50:07 -0000

Hi my name is kelsie. I am 12 years old. What i like in a guy is funny,smart,cute,nice,dose not get mad easilly, dose not get jelis easilly and have a nice family.

Re: the next four years

Aaron V. — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:48:26 -0000

Thanks for your support :)

Re: the next four years

Heather — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:08:54 -0000

Awesome, Aaron. Really. Really. Awesome.

Re: the pace of relationship

Laura — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:33:28 -0000

Plus, she had a crush on Ryan the whole time.

Re: the pace of relationship

Laura — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:05:53 -0000

Just to put in my two cents, I have to say that I think what went wrong is that you misjudged her opinion of others people's opinions of her. Most people didn't like Lee and, in a way, she knew it, and, while she mostly ignored it, it colored her perceptions of how people treated her, meaning that just because it was obviously to everyone that you liked her didn't mean she could accept it. She needed it stated and demonstrated plainly over and over again (rather like you). Usually, people don't come right out and say they like one another and want to have a relationship and define the terms and the changes in the relationship. I know we did, but we were weird, and I know I was just making it up as I went along (and you could see how well that worked out). Usually, people follow traditions to make it clear that they're asking the other person out, that they like them, and that they're interested in pursuing things further. I have gleaned this wisdom from asking my friends, by the way. Despite having dated a few other people since you, I still don't really have it down. If I were you, I'd go for obvious. That seems to work a lot better than just waiting.

Re: showdown of self-discovery

Laura — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:49:37 -0000

I enjoyed reading your entry. You jump back and forth from what you wanted to feel to what you felt, back and forth and back and forth, worrying so much about connecting the two instead of allowing them to affect each other. I don't think that's clear, but I'm not sure how to say it. You expect so much and so specifically that you seem to panic when faced with actualizing things, worried about goals and regret, both of which are later things and not present things. It's like what happened sometimes with my friend Nora's teaching: she'd spend tons of time preparing and planning, staying up all night to get it just right, and be too exhausted to implement it well. What I guess I mean is: plan and reflect but also FEEL and DO. I'm glad you know that you love to dance!

Re: showdown of self-discovery

kait — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:44:29 -0000

i'd say that this blog certainly evoked a feeling of shared experience... and it's neat to see how other people articulate it, how they get their heads around stuff like this.

it's funny... the big events seem to have been the most likely to induce dance crisis for me. there's so much... pressure to be that particular sort of dancer. last year at ALHC i had to be pretty much dragged out of my room to face the crowd at one point... (from whence i proceeded to have one of the finest nights of dancing i've had, once i figured out that for that evening, i really wanted to be "fun" more than i wanted to be "good") this year at ILHC, i almost completely walked out, was ready to throw up my hands and quit dancing, etc. and i wasn't even really competing. but it does seem like hitting that wall of total frustration IS a way to get to finding the pieces of dancing you love again.

Re: Who teaches the teacher

James Blackburn-Lynch — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:04:40 -0000

To clarify, I (James Blackburn-Lynch) don't advocate calculator use at all. That is what MJ (the author of the original video) ascribed to the reform math, and sometimes it definitely does. But I don't allow calculator use in my class, except when mastery of the skills has been demonstrated. What my videos argue is that understanding should be the central goal, with practice a necessary follow-up, and that drills first lead to students never learning the habit of even bothering to try to understand.

As an example of my point, a student in a class we are offering this term to support our College Algebra courses, told me that he watched his professor derive the quadratic formula through a long, complicated series of algebraic manipulations, and when the professor was done, he (the student) realized that it led to the quadratic formula. Realizing that was the result, he erased all of his notes except the conclusion. I believe this thinking is a result of students being taught/believing that math is a series of formulas to memorize, not to understand. And certainly not to understand the purposes and meanings of.

I agree with your basic point. Understanding comes with struggling with practical problems, which leads to the ability to deepen ones understanding by doing more difficult practical problems. Right now, I'm always thinking of these things in terms of learning to hit a good forehand in tennis, rather than swing dancing, but the principles seem universal.

Re: I am community

Aaron V. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:26:53 -0000

Don't try to limit me! I never said community was the only thing I am :P I am also peace, love consciously expressed, joy, commitment, inspiration, boldness, integrity, intimacy, healing and synergy. And just for the record, it's not easy to commit to being even just one of those things-- I almost didn't post this blog entry last night because doing so means that now I have to follow through with actions that back up who I am.

I'm not sure I understand your question, but until the future passes, who I am and who I will be are necessarily the same thing. I suppose the exception would be if I sought myself, and then once I had found myself, copped out and decided not to become myself. Did I miss what you're asking?

And alright, I'll bite: what are some of your words?

Re: Child of the 90’s

jasfitz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:05:37 -0000

I am delighted by this in many ways… particularly due to the Canadianness of this post. But also largely because of the ridiculously important role that music plays in our lives. I appreciate how you have addressed it here. When I listen to certain things, I get lost in the past, much like this. I guess the lesson here is most certainly to appreciate others' music recommendations. :)

Re: I am community

jasfitz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:01:25 -0000

Your commitment in your self-assessments is always so fiery. I love that kind of enthusiasm.
I find it surprising, however, that who you are can be narrowed down to one word. It's a damn good word. Though I am not sure I would want it to be my only word. It's an important word… yes. An inspiring word… yes. But are there not other important and inspiring words as well? For me, I suppose they are sort of smaller words… more intimate words. But equally valuable and important to me. When you use the word community do you use it as an umbrella term? Or when you use this word, do you mean who you *are* or who you *seek to be*?

Re: The bottom line

Aaron V. — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:34:24 -0000

"may ultimately help"? Well I guess in that case, small steps are nice. But I'm talking about ending war "absolutely" and "right now". It would be done if the actions were taken.

There is a gaping difference. Deciding whether war is good or bad is entirely inconsequential. The consequential question is this: are you taking the necessary actions to stop war, or are you taking actions necessary to cause war?

Re: The bottom line

jasfitz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:25:10 -0000

But isn't there a gaping difference between the agreeing that ending war would be a good idea, and then the taking of action that would physically put a stop to war? Myself, and a friend I have in the army both agree that war would be better ended. But he will not stop going to war, just because we agree it would be better if it were over.

A global phone tree is a potentially good step. But I like to think that the solving of small problems may ultimately help us to solve the big problems.

Re: The bottom line

Aaron V. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:24:12 -0000

I would use a global phone tree. Actually it would take me longer than one day-- there are 1080 people in my address book, so I'd start calling them one-by-one and asking them, in turn to call everyone they know, and so on. So one-by-one we'd get everyone's agreement to end violence. If you talked to someone who didn't agree, you'd call back to the person who called you for emotional support.

Re: The bottom line

kait — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:51:51 -0000

out of curiosity, what course of action do you see that leads to ending war?

Re: stretched a little thin

jasfitz — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:23:27 -0000

I think that if I could only have truly epic conversations, life would be incredible. And also the immensity of everything would probably be more taxing than I could handle.

I think your approach to regular self-assessment is both good and somewhat scary. I would be frightened to find I might be assessing myself poorly, and having to face up to that. But I suppose that would be a very good reason to do it, really.

I promise that I am far more frightened of speaking on the phone than you are. So much so, in fact, that when you rung me today, 'not getting to the phone on time' was only part of the excuse. The reason I didn't get to the phone on time is because I spent the first three rings building up the courage to answer it. I don't know just what I am afraid of, really. All this to say that I am glad you rung me.

Re: Who teaches the teacher

Jack — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:10:16 -0000

wow, synthesis and generalization, induction and deduction? I think those words finally made sense to me too. Very profound, Aaron!