I recently decided to change insurance.
And I'm glad I did.
I really thought that State Farm was a good bet and why change to another company, yadda yadda yadda. One of my former coworkers had told me how the insurance game works, though-
When there's a big natural disaster in one area of the country, then they depend on the other areas to contribute through higher (and higher) rates to pay for the damage. State Farm is the most popular insurance carrier in the South and with all their floods and hurricanes, I have watched my insurance rates get repeatedly jacked up for no explained reason.
So, change here can be a good thing.
But then you have to spend hours of your life answering the insurance questions:
How far do you drive to work? (telecommute)
Do you now or in the future have any intention of participating in rock climbing? (No)
Do you now or in the future have any intention of becoming an airplane pilot, a light weight airplane pilot, a glider pilot? (No- if you only knew how I felt about airplane pilots)
How much alcohol do you drink? (I don't- I'm breastfeeding)
Has anyone in your immediate family died before the age of 60 from cancer? (uhm, no they're all alive).
Has anyone in your immediate family died before the age of 60 from a heart attack (Uhm.....I said they're all alive!)
Has anyone in your immediate family died before the age of 60 from a stroke? (can we shorten this interview a tad by just agreeing that my family members are alive?)
Do you dye your hair?
No, I just made that last one up, but if they could add more to their questionnaire that would give them a profile on my insurability, I'm sure they would.
One question that was missing, I felt was:
Do you consume caffeine?
Let's face it: people who drink caffeine are usually doing it because they have migraines or they are exhausted and need the extra stimulation. It's a drug and we need to admit that it is one...even if it's OTC available to everyone.
But caffeine can be quite dangerous and lead to death, as well as continued sleeplessness and anxiety and chest pains- all of which the insurance company asks you to disclose in their questionnaires. And we all know that driving while tired is more dangerous than driving while drunk...if one can state it that way. Wouldn't a high consumption of caffeine indicate that you're more likely to be driving while tired?
Weird that they kind of "overlook" the caffeine question, then, right?
Wonder how many insurance companies are held by coffee plantation owners...
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Good Ol' Days
Well, it's that time of year- to think back to the high school days- of the few friends I had....
...and wonder what in the world happened to them after high school.
It was pretty much a well accepted fact that all the smart kids at my school got out of California as fast as they could. And they went everywhere- Boston, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, and Thailand. This was before days of the internet and email, so we didn't exactly stay in touch.
So, I often wonder what happened to them.
Some of them are on LinkedIn and Facebook, but the women mostly changed their names...and then the ones that you really want to be in contact with either have private profiles or aren't on Facebook (yes, some people still aren't on Facebook- by choice)
But I finally found some of my friends and I have to say, I'm really impressed with how different everyone's lives became after high school.
One friend went back to Thailand to take over the family IT business...and became a monk. (go figure)
One friend became an investment broker who is on CSPAN.
One went to broadway and is a costumer for productions out of Radio City Music Hall (I know! He probably knows a few Rockettes).
One friend changed sides (I won't tell you which way) and went to be part of the whole Peace Corps thing- moving around the world rebuilding stuff.
But the most interesting (at least to me) was a friend that was pretty close for a long time. She was probably the only friend that was a ring leader that I followed (ah-em, I didn't do much following). I had thought I found her years ago - a brochure for a Maryland community theatre.
Today, I found out, that she became a mezzo soprano opera singer- quite good, too.
I just can't even imagine how one goes about BECOMING an opera singer.
And then I have to wonder what I've done with my life when I look at everything everyone did with theirs.
...and wonder what in the world happened to them after high school.
It was pretty much a well accepted fact that all the smart kids at my school got out of California as fast as they could. And they went everywhere- Boston, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, and Thailand. This was before days of the internet and email, so we didn't exactly stay in touch.
So, I often wonder what happened to them.
Some of them are on LinkedIn and Facebook, but the women mostly changed their names...and then the ones that you really want to be in contact with either have private profiles or aren't on Facebook (yes, some people still aren't on Facebook- by choice)
But I finally found some of my friends and I have to say, I'm really impressed with how different everyone's lives became after high school.
One friend went back to Thailand to take over the family IT business...and became a monk. (go figure)
One friend became an investment broker who is on CSPAN.
One went to broadway and is a costumer for productions out of Radio City Music Hall (I know! He probably knows a few Rockettes).
One friend changed sides (I won't tell you which way) and went to be part of the whole Peace Corps thing- moving around the world rebuilding stuff.
But the most interesting (at least to me) was a friend that was pretty close for a long time. She was probably the only friend that was a ring leader that I followed (ah-em, I didn't do much following). I had thought I found her years ago - a brochure for a Maryland community theatre.
Today, I found out, that she became a mezzo soprano opera singer- quite good, too.
I just can't even imagine how one goes about BECOMING an opera singer.
And then I have to wonder what I've done with my life when I look at everything everyone did with theirs.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Make Your Own Cow Patties
So, my in-laws and I were sitting around having lunch yesterday when my mother-in-law offered us some of this "free" hamburger that they got.
I know, right- you need to be suspicious of "free" meat.
And I was.
I remember, though, that my grandparents used to get the best cheese and peanut butter for free from the senior center (which we all privately joked was to kill off the seniors quicker....half joked). But, anyway, I told my mother-in-law, "Maybe".
That's when she started selling me hard on taking this free meat.
"Hamburger Patties"
"Uhm, no"
"It's 'Choice'."
"Uhm, no."
Then she went and got it out of the freezer.
"Don't you use it for meatloaf or something?"
"errr" (we prefer ground chicken and ground turkey) "Well, what's the % fat in it?"
...and it wasn't listed.
I actually didn't know how to calculate percent fat in beef- was it weight/weight or weight/volume or some other calculation?
When I got home, I looked it up. It is weight/weight (fat weight/total weight). And there's a requirement that ground beef contain nor more than 30% fat weight/total weight....but that's ground beef.
Turns out that % fat is not required to be listed on "Prepared" products like hamburgers. They are required to put the little RDA label on the products. And the little label said 48g fat in 150g total weight.
That's 32% fat.
I know that's kind of close to the limit, but it is a good example of how buying prepared food, even if it's marked as not having any preservatives, is not as good for you as buying the "raw" ingredients and making it yourself.
I just didn't realize that it was truly better to make your own cow patties than buy them.
I know, right- you need to be suspicious of "free" meat.
And I was.
I remember, though, that my grandparents used to get the best cheese and peanut butter for free from the senior center (which we all privately joked was to kill off the seniors quicker....half joked). But, anyway, I told my mother-in-law, "Maybe".
That's when she started selling me hard on taking this free meat.
"Hamburger Patties"
"Uhm, no"
"It's 'Choice'."
"Uhm, no."
Then she went and got it out of the freezer.
"Don't you use it for meatloaf or something?"
"errr" (we prefer ground chicken and ground turkey) "Well, what's the % fat in it?"
...and it wasn't listed.
I actually didn't know how to calculate percent fat in beef- was it weight/weight or weight/volume or some other calculation?
When I got home, I looked it up. It is weight/weight (fat weight/total weight). And there's a requirement that ground beef contain nor more than 30% fat weight/total weight....but that's ground beef.
Turns out that % fat is not required to be listed on "Prepared" products like hamburgers. They are required to put the little RDA label on the products. And the little label said 48g fat in 150g total weight.
That's 32% fat.
I know that's kind of close to the limit, but it is a good example of how buying prepared food, even if it's marked as not having any preservatives, is not as good for you as buying the "raw" ingredients and making it yourself.
I just didn't realize that it was truly better to make your own cow patties than buy them.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Tiger Balm
Ever tried this stuff?
It's a liniment....which I seem to need more and more for my aging body. It's what Icy Hot and Ben Gay are based off...
...and it works SO much better.
I started using it back in high school of my wrists- I had carpel tunnel syndrome before it was a syndrome. Too much flag spinning (e.g. colorguard)
I think it was tiger balm that really helped get me through the backache of pregnancy. Smear that all over your back and butt (hey, it's doing a shocking amount of work!) and wait for the burn.
Yes, it does have a burn-light feel. Probably why most wimps prefer Ben Gay or Icy Hot. But they also don't work as well.
I did try Traumeel- it's German product for the same aches and pains- it seemed to work, but worked more on actual injury sites, like bruises, more than just over use.
But the one thing that I like about tiger balm - that it WORKS- is also the thing that is keeping me from using it lately. I'm scared to death that I'm going to get it on my baby. So, I'm severely limited to when I can use it.
Tiger balm does make a patch, which I thought would get around this issue, but the patch is super saturated with the stuff so you have to get it on your hands when you take the patch out.
And because it's super saturated with ointment, the patch doesn't stick until the patch dries out.
Shocking right?
In the meantime, I've invested in some nitrile gloves- they seem to work ok...just make sure that you remember where you put the tiger balm when you remove the glove.
It's a liniment....which I seem to need more and more for my aging body. It's what Icy Hot and Ben Gay are based off...
...and it works SO much better.
I started using it back in high school of my wrists- I had carpel tunnel syndrome before it was a syndrome. Too much flag spinning (e.g. colorguard)
I think it was tiger balm that really helped get me through the backache of pregnancy. Smear that all over your back and butt (hey, it's doing a shocking amount of work!) and wait for the burn.
Yes, it does have a burn-light feel. Probably why most wimps prefer Ben Gay or Icy Hot. But they also don't work as well.
I did try Traumeel- it's German product for the same aches and pains- it seemed to work, but worked more on actual injury sites, like bruises, more than just over use.
But the one thing that I like about tiger balm - that it WORKS- is also the thing that is keeping me from using it lately. I'm scared to death that I'm going to get it on my baby. So, I'm severely limited to when I can use it.
Tiger balm does make a patch, which I thought would get around this issue, but the patch is super saturated with the stuff so you have to get it on your hands when you take the patch out.
And because it's super saturated with ointment, the patch doesn't stick until the patch dries out.
Shocking right?
In the meantime, I've invested in some nitrile gloves- they seem to work ok...just make sure that you remember where you put the tiger balm when you remove the glove.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Daylight Savings- A Modern Joke
I grew up with Daylight Savings.
It used to begin sometime in April and end sometime at the end of September- in other words, about 1/2 a year...the spring/summer half.
Funny how that would work out that way.
It used to matter, too, I supposed- for saving candle power and whatnot in churches and government buildings by starting an hour later.
Nowadays, it doesn't really matter. EVERYTHING has lights.
EVERYTHING.
People don't work 9-5. They work 24/7.
Daylight Savings Time doesn't help us out AT ALL. It just confuses the rest of the world when we're trying to interact as a modern, global business.
And the dates keep changing- now, "Standard Time" is only from mid-November to the beginning of March. How does 3 months help us?
More to the point, how is that "standard" time? o_O
Somehow, states are able to opt out of Daylight Savings Time.
Arizona doesn't do Daylight Savings Time.
Neither does Hawaii.
Indiana didn't used to, but suddenly changed in 2006. (wonder who made that bright idea- ha ha)
And Mexico now has adapted Daylight Savings Time for their three time zones, though I bet they would change if the US got rid of the silly thing.
Why do we perpetuate this nonsense?
Perhaps it's an employment deal. hmm...You see, all the electronics now have clocks. Your oven, your microwave, your phone, your coffee maker- heck, even dishwashers have clocks now. And all of those clocks need to have programming to accommodate this nonsense called Daylight Saving Time. Think of how many jobs are created by simply requiring software to update all of those clocks...
Well, I think we just found out why we'll never get rid of Daylight Savings Time in the US...
...though perhaps when the law makers realize that most of the coding is done in India and other off-shore development locations, they'll be ok with finally putting Daylight Savings Time to bed.
It used to begin sometime in April and end sometime at the end of September- in other words, about 1/2 a year...the spring/summer half.
Funny how that would work out that way.
It used to matter, too, I supposed- for saving candle power and whatnot in churches and government buildings by starting an hour later.
Nowadays, it doesn't really matter. EVERYTHING has lights.
EVERYTHING.
People don't work 9-5. They work 24/7.
Daylight Savings Time doesn't help us out AT ALL. It just confuses the rest of the world when we're trying to interact as a modern, global business.
And the dates keep changing- now, "Standard Time" is only from mid-November to the beginning of March. How does 3 months help us?
More to the point, how is that "standard" time? o_O
Somehow, states are able to opt out of Daylight Savings Time.
Arizona doesn't do Daylight Savings Time.
Neither does Hawaii.
Indiana didn't used to, but suddenly changed in 2006. (wonder who made that bright idea- ha ha)
And Mexico now has adapted Daylight Savings Time for their three time zones, though I bet they would change if the US got rid of the silly thing.
Why do we perpetuate this nonsense?
Perhaps it's an employment deal. hmm...You see, all the electronics now have clocks. Your oven, your microwave, your phone, your coffee maker- heck, even dishwashers have clocks now. And all of those clocks need to have programming to accommodate this nonsense called Daylight Saving Time. Think of how many jobs are created by simply requiring software to update all of those clocks...
Well, I think we just found out why we'll never get rid of Daylight Savings Time in the US...
...though perhaps when the law makers realize that most of the coding is done in India and other off-shore development locations, they'll be ok with finally putting Daylight Savings Time to bed.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Gotta Start Trusting My Intuition
Ever notice how some days just seem to be when EVERYTHING is happening? And it's generally all at the same hour, too....
Well, of late, that's April 25th...from about 10am Eastern US time to 12 Eastern US time.
I checked it out and it turns out that there's a lunar eclipse happening at that time. A "pink moon".
Go figure.
But the really interesting question is: how does everyone know about these events...without KNOWING about these events?
I think it comes down to water. You see, the human body is at least 70% water (just like the planet! weee, oh the connections!). Water is affected by the movement of the moon...in other words, the tides. As the moon is in different positions, the tides are affected because of the gravitational pull on the water.
Sooooo, by extension, don't we have tides, too? And wouldn't we be able to "pick up" on some of these celestial events due to large planetary bodies?
Just makes you realize how "psychic" we all are, huh?
Well, of late, that's April 25th...from about 10am Eastern US time to 12 Eastern US time.
I checked it out and it turns out that there's a lunar eclipse happening at that time. A "pink moon".Go figure.
But the really interesting question is: how does everyone know about these events...without KNOWING about these events?
I think it comes down to water. You see, the human body is at least 70% water (just like the planet! weee, oh the connections!). Water is affected by the movement of the moon...in other words, the tides. As the moon is in different positions, the tides are affected because of the gravitational pull on the water.
Sooooo, by extension, don't we have tides, too? And wouldn't we be able to "pick up" on some of these celestial events due to large planetary bodies?
Just makes you realize how "psychic" we all are, huh?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Off to The Store
Well, this morning, I need to run to get groceries for the family.
In looking through the local grocery ad, though, I get more and more disgusted by what's on sale- it's all prepackaged, prepared foods. It's amazing how a can of Spaghetti Os is still $1 on sale, but you can't find an onion for less than $1/lb.
An onion!
It's a trend that I've noticed steadily growing this year in the local markets: whether it be Target, Walmart, or Cub (the local IGA grocery). The prices on all unprepared, healthy foods is steadily rising by at least .25/lb every couple of month, but the junk food remains at the same price.
Why is this? The prepared foods actually take more energy to generate- you have to START with corn or rice and then ADD chemicals and preservatives to it. You generally have to cook it first, too.
Perhaps it's a matter of quality- in a bag of chips, you can't tell that the manufacturers used feed corn instead of sweet corn.
In looking through the local grocery ad, though, I get more and more disgusted by what's on sale- it's all prepackaged, prepared foods. It's amazing how a can of Spaghetti Os is still $1 on sale, but you can't find an onion for less than $1/lb.
An onion!
It's a trend that I've noticed steadily growing this year in the local markets: whether it be Target, Walmart, or Cub (the local IGA grocery). The prices on all unprepared, healthy foods is steadily rising by at least .25/lb every couple of month, but the junk food remains at the same price.
Why is this? The prepared foods actually take more energy to generate- you have to START with corn or rice and then ADD chemicals and preservatives to it. You generally have to cook it first, too.
Perhaps it's a matter of quality- in a bag of chips, you can't tell that the manufacturers used feed corn instead of sweet corn.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Favorite Recipe of the Year
Being gluten intolerant, it's really hard to find something worthy of eating. But these are a fan favorite in the Irish house; everyone, even my cat and daughter, love them (yeah...don't ask how the cat learned to like them...it wasn't PLANNED).
But seriously, they're easy to make and quite yummy. It's based off a Brazilian recipe- didn't know that there was so much yucca everywhere in the world!
You can use different cheeses, but you will have to monitor the oil and moisture content of the cheeses you add- cut back on oil if you use Extra Sharp Cheddar because the extra oil makes the muffins crunchier, but not as puffy.
Cheese Pop-overs
2 C tapioca starch/cassava root starch/tapioca flour/yucca flour (it's all the same- go figure!)
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 Extra Large eggs
Preheat 400*F
Blend (in a blender) on high for 60 seconds.
Pour into muffin cups.
>about 8 large muffins or
>about 20 regular muffins
Bake in the oven for 27 minutes for the large muffins or 12- 15 minutes for the regular muffins.
They puff up quite a bit, but if you leave them in the muffin cups, they will sink. And just like any souffle, don't open the oven or slam any door while they're baking.
They don't stay crunchy long, either, so don't plan on making them in advance.
But seriously, they're easy to make and quite yummy. It's based off a Brazilian recipe- didn't know that there was so much yucca everywhere in the world!
You can use different cheeses, but you will have to monitor the oil and moisture content of the cheeses you add- cut back on oil if you use Extra Sharp Cheddar because the extra oil makes the muffins crunchier, but not as puffy.
Cheese Pop-overs
2 C tapioca starch/cassava root starch/tapioca flour/yucca flour (it's all the same- go figure!)
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 Extra Large eggs
Preheat 400*F
Blend (in a blender) on high for 60 seconds.
Pour into muffin cups.
>about 8 large muffins or
>about 20 regular muffins
Bake in the oven for 27 minutes for the large muffins or 12- 15 minutes for the regular muffins.
They puff up quite a bit, but if you leave them in the muffin cups, they will sink. And just like any souffle, don't open the oven or slam any door while they're baking.
They don't stay crunchy long, either, so don't plan on making them in advance.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Fashionable?
My mother taught me to sew on the sewing machine when I was in elementary school. She took my sister and I to the fabric store where we got a pattern that we wanted to make and some fabric.
Since it was the 80s, I made the mistake of selecting a pair of shorts with the little drawstrings up the side and some velour. My mother, in all of her patience, just got them for me when I said that was what I wanted to sew....
...and that was pretty much the last thing I wanted to sew for a LONG time. It wasn't until high school when I bought I vest from Limited that didn't fit through the torso right that I actually came back to sewing clothes. Two little Princess seams later and I was thinking how easy it was.
I actually did become a seamstress in my own right for awhile- I made 40s recreations (Vogue and Butterick released their Vintage lines of patterns) and I even did custom costumes for the Renaissance Festival- hand beaded and hand jeweled- the whole 9 yards (yes, I did make a kilt!)
So, I consider myself, a capable seamstress.
And because I'm a capable seamstress, I feel that I can confidently pronounce this design I saw in the Target ad today as the DUMBEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN.
It's obvious that someone sewed two different sizes together incorrectly. I had always that the skirts and dresses with the uneven or sideways hems looked dumb, but this out-does them both. And it's made all the worse by the choice of horizontal striped fabric- WHO WEARS those!?
The model must have been really desperate for the job to pose in this. I mean, she isn't even looking at the camera...
...because she's embarrassed to be in that stupid dress.
I guess one way of looking at it: if you bought it, you could easily teach yourself to sew a hem after you whacked off the tail in the back.
Or, as my husband suggested, you can pull the tail between your legs and wear it like a diaper- just sew a couple of buttons on the front.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Cat Videos
So, the internet is mainly a vehicle for sharing cat videos.
In fact, cat videos are THE most prominent item on the internet, followed by cat pictures.
Gotta love cat people.
One of my favorites: Simon Cat
Turns out he's got his own website now!
In fact, cat videos are THE most prominent item on the internet, followed by cat pictures.
Gotta love cat people.
One of my favorites: Simon Cat
Turns out he's got his own website now!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Dumb Internet Functions
So, being an internet Business Analyst, I have seen some rather dumb functions on websites...that are done ON PURPOSE.
This really is what distinguishes dumb from poor design.
For example, in today's era, having webpages that require you to scroll to the right or left to see content...WHY? This is not accessibility (disability) compliant and it's a pain because scrolling on mice is VERTICAL not HORIZONTAL.
Another example: windows that have content that doesn't resize when you resize the window. Now, from a development perspective, I understand: this is hard. BUT, who has their browser open to the full screen size? Honestly?!? So, having content that truncates when the page is resized is completely stupid.
Now, I can't say too much about which websites these are because these are, like I said, client websites.
However, I can point out a newly discovered dumb function that Amazon has on their websites:
Mandatory Comments and Mandatory Thank Yous.
This is really rotten functionality. If you want to rate a seller or a product on the Amazon site, you have to leave at least a 20 character comment. Now, this is truly dumb because if everything showed up as expected, on time, what do you have to say?
But the far worse functionality is the Mandatory Thank You.
If you happen to be lucky enough to get a digital/emailed gift certificate from Amazon, the site FORCES you to write a 20 character thank you to the sender before it will apply the amount to your account.
I call that really rotten.
What if you go it for yourself because of some credit card rewards? You still have to write out a 20 character thank you.
This along with the sharply decreasing shipping quality from Amazon is driving me to shop elsewhere. Thanks for helping me decide where to shop, Amazon!
This really is what distinguishes dumb from poor design.
For example, in today's era, having webpages that require you to scroll to the right or left to see content...WHY? This is not accessibility (disability) compliant and it's a pain because scrolling on mice is VERTICAL not HORIZONTAL.
Another example: windows that have content that doesn't resize when you resize the window. Now, from a development perspective, I understand: this is hard. BUT, who has their browser open to the full screen size? Honestly?!? So, having content that truncates when the page is resized is completely stupid.
Now, I can't say too much about which websites these are because these are, like I said, client websites.
However, I can point out a newly discovered dumb function that Amazon has on their websites:
Mandatory Comments and Mandatory Thank Yous.
This is really rotten functionality. If you want to rate a seller or a product on the Amazon site, you have to leave at least a 20 character comment. Now, this is truly dumb because if everything showed up as expected, on time, what do you have to say?
But the far worse functionality is the Mandatory Thank You.
If you happen to be lucky enough to get a digital/emailed gift certificate from Amazon, the site FORCES you to write a 20 character thank you to the sender before it will apply the amount to your account.
I call that really rotten.
What if you go it for yourself because of some credit card rewards? You still have to write out a 20 character thank you.
This along with the sharply decreasing shipping quality from Amazon is driving me to shop elsewhere. Thanks for helping me decide where to shop, Amazon!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Three Letter Words
Have you ever noticed how men's names are generally three letters long?
Or at least one syllable.
Rob
Dan
Bob
Mike
Blake
Dave
Jack
John (or Jon)
...the list goes on and on.
It's an amazement to me. I would say at least 90% of the men I meet are introduced with a single syllable name. Then there's about 5% that are introduced as "Michael"...and they mean "Michael", not "Mike".
I wonder what's behind the single syllable. I tried doing some research on it and found that there are at least a million hits about using single names for boys, but not for girls. One site did try to give examples of single syllable names for girls, but it was a real stretch "Skye" (Gaelic), "Mare" (Gaelic), and "Fleur" (French) were names...but they're not English names. Of course, the same site spelled "Arte" as "Art", so you can't really believe much of what was written there. Sad because it's near the top of the hit list. I won't dignify the site with a link.
Anyway, what I find interesting is that most girl names are two or three syllables:
Jennifer
Samantha
Kimberly
Stefani (Stephanie, Steffany...spelling doesn't matter)
Christine
Katherine
(and the most commons): Sophia and Elizabeth
Now what I also find interesting is that boys do have more pack mentality than girls. We all KNOW that's true- girls that run in cliques are not packs- they're individuals trying to use each other to get boys attention, where as boys are definitely a pack- they either lead or follow. And my own antedotal experience is that men with single syllable names are more often to be found in packs than multi-syllable named men-
Michaels and Jonathans don't usually run in the pack, but Mikes and Johns do.
I don't know if there is any real sociological research done on humans, but there is a LOT of research done showing that single syllable names are recommended for naming dogs if you want to maintain superiority.
The reason?
Single syllables are easier to order around.
Honest.
So...what does that say about single syllables in people?
Or at least one syllable.
Rob
Dan
Bob
Mike
Blake
Dave
Jack
John (or Jon)
...the list goes on and on.
It's an amazement to me. I would say at least 90% of the men I meet are introduced with a single syllable name. Then there's about 5% that are introduced as "Michael"...and they mean "Michael", not "Mike".
I wonder what's behind the single syllable. I tried doing some research on it and found that there are at least a million hits about using single names for boys, but not for girls. One site did try to give examples of single syllable names for girls, but it was a real stretch "Skye" (Gaelic), "Mare" (Gaelic), and "Fleur" (French) were names...but they're not English names. Of course, the same site spelled "Arte" as "Art", so you can't really believe much of what was written there. Sad because it's near the top of the hit list. I won't dignify the site with a link.
Anyway, what I find interesting is that most girl names are two or three syllables:
Jennifer
Samantha
Kimberly
Stefani (Stephanie, Steffany...spelling doesn't matter)
Christine
Katherine
(and the most commons): Sophia and Elizabeth
Now what I also find interesting is that boys do have more pack mentality than girls. We all KNOW that's true- girls that run in cliques are not packs- they're individuals trying to use each other to get boys attention, where as boys are definitely a pack- they either lead or follow. And my own antedotal experience is that men with single syllable names are more often to be found in packs than multi-syllable named men-
Michaels and Jonathans don't usually run in the pack, but Mikes and Johns do.
I don't know if there is any real sociological research done on humans, but there is a LOT of research done showing that single syllable names are recommended for naming dogs if you want to maintain superiority.
The reason?
Single syllables are easier to order around.
Honest.
So...what does that say about single syllables in people?
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tazo Green Tea Latte
I started drinking Green Tea Lattes when I was trying to cut out the caffeine- I still wanted to treat myself at Starbucks, but I didn't want to buy a coffee drink. My Chinese friend recommended I try the Green Tea Latte, though she said that it was probably not something like Americans would like because it's very strong.
Well, I tried it and I liked it.
But like all things in America, Starbucks kept raising their prices.
My husband and I looked for something similar at the local Asian grocery- United Noodles. They had something called "Green Milk Tea" and I thought I would try it.
Well, I just (luckily) picked one that tasted JUST LIKE the Green Tea Lattes at Starbucks- a brand called Sweet Garden. It's not just green tea, but it's got kudzo root in it, which is some sort of herbal "balancer" for your chi (or qi as I've recently learned to write it).
....and then the supply Sweet Garden became scarce. Don't know why, but we can't find it on the web for sale and the local grocery store only gets so much of it.
sigh
So, we tried the other green milk teas. The one by GreenMax - a green boba tea powder- tastes like straight matcha, which is the green tea that is used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It's INTENSELY green and nearly weedy taste...and doesn't blend well with milk- even 1% milk. There have been several others that we've tried, but their names are in Chinese, and cursive at that, so neither husband nor I can read them.
In vain, we've been searching for another green milk tea to get us through the dry patches when Sweet Garden is not available. My husband found one by Tazo. We were both interested in trying it because we like many of the other Tazo teas...and this one had several claims that is tasted just like Starbucks Green Tea Latte.
Wow, are they COMPLETELY WRONG.
Tazo Green Tea Latte is anything but green tea. It comes in a little cardboard container that you keep in the frig. I found this.....unexpected.
It's in liquid form.
I was growing skeptical.
I read the ingredients...
...It's made of an "infusion" of green tea,which means that it's green tea that's been brewed, but doesn't have any of the solids.
In other words, no matcha AT ALL.
I read on...the majority of the ingredients are apple and honeydew melon juices.
o_O
So, as I cynically opened the container and took a taste, I was completely unsurprised to find that it tastes like- WAIT- GUESS??? Old honeydew melon juice. And the appearance? It looks like putrefied fruit- greenish brown and a little gloppy.
It's absolutely HORRIBLE. I have to wonder who was writing in about it tasting like green tea- it hardly has any in there AT ALL. Perhaps they were smokers and have burned off most of their taste buds. I don't know.
I DO know that you shouldn't waste your money on this Tazo product AT ALL. Absolutely disgusting.
Well, I tried it and I liked it.
But like all things in America, Starbucks kept raising their prices.
My husband and I looked for something similar at the local Asian grocery- United Noodles. They had something called "Green Milk Tea" and I thought I would try it.
Well, I just (luckily) picked one that tasted JUST LIKE the Green Tea Lattes at Starbucks- a brand called Sweet Garden. It's not just green tea, but it's got kudzo root in it, which is some sort of herbal "balancer" for your chi (or qi as I've recently learned to write it).
....and then the supply Sweet Garden became scarce. Don't know why, but we can't find it on the web for sale and the local grocery store only gets so much of it.
sigh
So, we tried the other green milk teas. The one by GreenMax - a green boba tea powder- tastes like straight matcha, which is the green tea that is used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It's INTENSELY green and nearly weedy taste...and doesn't blend well with milk- even 1% milk. There have been several others that we've tried, but their names are in Chinese, and cursive at that, so neither husband nor I can read them.
In vain, we've been searching for another green milk tea to get us through the dry patches when Sweet Garden is not available. My husband found one by Tazo. We were both interested in trying it because we like many of the other Tazo teas...and this one had several claims that is tasted just like Starbucks Green Tea Latte.
Wow, are they COMPLETELY WRONG.
Tazo Green Tea Latte is anything but green tea. It comes in a little cardboard container that you keep in the frig. I found this.....unexpected.
It's in liquid form.
I was growing skeptical.
I read the ingredients...
...It's made of an "infusion" of green tea,which means that it's green tea that's been brewed, but doesn't have any of the solids.
In other words, no matcha AT ALL.
I read on...the majority of the ingredients are apple and honeydew melon juices.
o_O
So, as I cynically opened the container and took a taste, I was completely unsurprised to find that it tastes like- WAIT- GUESS??? Old honeydew melon juice. And the appearance? It looks like putrefied fruit- greenish brown and a little gloppy.
It's absolutely HORRIBLE. I have to wonder who was writing in about it tasting like green tea- it hardly has any in there AT ALL. Perhaps they were smokers and have burned off most of their taste buds. I don't know.
I DO know that you shouldn't waste your money on this Tazo product AT ALL. Absolutely disgusting.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
There's ALWAYS A Template
So, recently, I got this seemingly great job. I get to work at home a lot (telecommuting) and frankly, I think it's about time that more companies do that.
But what has not improved in this highly modern approach is communication. More specifically, communicating expectations.
Now, honestly, I should know better. I've been in the IT business now for 15 years in various fashions and I've pretty much found that Dilbert is spot-on for all offices.
Office Space is a documentary.
So when my new boss said that there isn't a template or set method for gathering requirements, I initially thought, "yeah right". I prodded him for more details on what he would like to see. When he repeated that there wasn't a set process or template, I let the matter drop.
Boy, was that a mistake.
After now having been given the lovely, time-wasting task of reformatting my work, REPEATEDLY as new template elements arise, I can honestly tell you:
THERE'S ALWAYS A TEMPLATE.
It doesn't matter what business you're in, what tasks you do every day,
THERE'S ALWAYS A TEMPLATE.
This is one of the sage secrets of being a "senior" on the team.
Evidently, though, knowing that there is a template and prying that template out of someone...well, that's two different things.
But what has not improved in this highly modern approach is communication. More specifically, communicating expectations.
Now, honestly, I should know better. I've been in the IT business now for 15 years in various fashions and I've pretty much found that Dilbert is spot-on for all offices.
Office Space is a documentary.
So when my new boss said that there isn't a template or set method for gathering requirements, I initially thought, "yeah right". I prodded him for more details on what he would like to see. When he repeated that there wasn't a set process or template, I let the matter drop.
Boy, was that a mistake.
After now having been given the lovely, time-wasting task of reformatting my work, REPEATEDLY as new template elements arise, I can honestly tell you:
THERE'S ALWAYS A TEMPLATE.
It doesn't matter what business you're in, what tasks you do every day,
THERE'S ALWAYS A TEMPLATE.
This is one of the sage secrets of being a "senior" on the team.
Evidently, though, knowing that there is a template and prying that template out of someone...well, that's two different things.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Acetate Pages
I was reading my daughter a story the other night called Castles. It's a little kid book with some acetate pages- you know, those clear plastic pages? You can flip them back and forth and there's new images underneath. It's a book that I got late in my childhood and I kept all these years. I tried looking for it online, but it seems that it, like so many books, is out of print.
It dawned on me, while I was helping my daughter flip the acetate pages back and forth, that the era of the encyclopedia ended.
It's sad, really, because it the encyclopedia died quietly- just slipped away.
When I was a kid, I remember the World Book salesman coming to the door and trying to sell my parents on getting the set for my sister and I. They used to sell the full set and partial sets. Really. You could buy some of the common letters and not have to buy the XYZ book and so on.
I remember getting pretty excited about the idea and trying to talk my mom into getting them. I think I would have been in 4th or 5th grade, so perhaps 9 or 10 years old. I kept talking about how nice it would be to get the set and we wouldn't have to go to the library that was so far away- and it's moldy in there, you know? And the school only has one set that's really old....
And, yes, we got them. I think that the set was something like $900, which was a small fortune in the 80s. I remember cracking open the pages and looking through them for the first time. All those pretty colored pictures!
But when I opened the A and looked for the Anatomy pages, I was disappointed.
There were no acetate pages for the anatomical man.
My dad has a set of Encyclopedia Britannicas and IT had the acetate pages. It was the only colored pictures in the whole set, but it sure was neat! Turning those seven different pages to reveal the next anatomical system underneath.
So, while I'm sitting with my daughter naming things on the page that she's pointing to (portcullis, portcullis, portcullis....she likes to make me repeat a bunch), I realized that she'll never get to have that experience with the acetate anatomy pages.
It made me quite sad. It's not just something that was neat to play with- it was a cultural thing. EVERYONE of my generation or older knows about those acetate pages in the Encyclopedia Britannica. I tried Googling to find an image of the old pages, but all that shows up in the top searches is the modern on-line encyclopedia pages. It's especially sad because I think that those pages helped direct me to biology- there's just something about being able to interact with a physical object that piques curiosity...something the internet will never provide.
Monday, April 15, 2013
In vs. De
I was recently accused of making up a word by one of the clients at work:
"Inactivate"
They actually told me, in writing, that it wasn't a word. They said that the word is supposed to be "Deactivate"
And the client was a school.
I, of course, asked my husband (who was sitting right next to me when I got this challenging email) and HE thought that Inactivate wasn't a word.
Now, unlike former President Bush, I'm not one to make up words.
This really, REALLY irritated me.
So, I did what any modern person with a similar problem would do:
I ran a Google search.
And what did I find? MANY, many dictionaries showing that Inactivate IS a word. It means to render inert, non-functional,paralyzed, inactive (duh on the last one).
And "Deactivate"?
It means something similar: to turn off, usually a computer.
So, what I found hilarious was that BOTH inactivate and deactivate are words...but inactivate is usually used for biology and chemistry (e.g. INERT or PARALYZED) and deactivate is a more modern word usually used for computers. I found it hilarious because, I'm a scientist by trade..my husband is a techie.
But the morale of the story, which I find important to point out:
The school was wrong.
Make sure you always check their facts.
"Inactivate"
They actually told me, in writing, that it wasn't a word. They said that the word is supposed to be "Deactivate"
And the client was a school.
I, of course, asked my husband (who was sitting right next to me when I got this challenging email) and HE thought that Inactivate wasn't a word.
Now, unlike former President Bush, I'm not one to make up words.
This really, REALLY irritated me.
So, I did what any modern person with a similar problem would do:
I ran a Google search.
And what did I find? MANY, many dictionaries showing that Inactivate IS a word. It means to render inert, non-functional,paralyzed, inactive (duh on the last one).
And "Deactivate"?
It means something similar: to turn off, usually a computer.
So, what I found hilarious was that BOTH inactivate and deactivate are words...but inactivate is usually used for biology and chemistry (e.g. INERT or PARALYZED) and deactivate is a more modern word usually used for computers. I found it hilarious because, I'm a scientist by trade..my husband is a techie.
But the morale of the story, which I find important to point out:
The school was wrong.
Make sure you always check their facts.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Another Need for the Modern Home
So, why don't home have foot pedals for sinks?
I was contemplating this while scrubbing my face (and have the water running because, let's face it, when your face is full of soap, you don't go looking to turn the water on again).
I mean, this is technology that's been around quite awhile.
I think of all the gallons of water that are wasted each year in the kitchen and bathroom sinks just because we have to turn on the water and then come back to the flow because our hands are full or dirty...
...Just think how nice it would be to have a foot pedal or a lean bar for when your hands are full of chicken guts!
Of course, we'd still want to have the handle option for a constant flow (though, I can't think why we would really need to, frankly...when do you ever need to have the water running when you're not standing there?)
drip, drip
I would think Californians would be all over this...I mean, in a city like LA where they came up with a rhyme for when it's ok to flush the toilet, think what you could come up with for a foot pedal sink!
"Tap for the Tap"
or
"Foot stops the flood"
or
"Toes for Flows" (thank you hubbie)
drip, drip
I was contemplating this while scrubbing my face (and have the water running because, let's face it, when your face is full of soap, you don't go looking to turn the water on again).
I mean, this is technology that's been around quite awhile.
I think of all the gallons of water that are wasted each year in the kitchen and bathroom sinks just because we have to turn on the water and then come back to the flow because our hands are full or dirty...
...Just think how nice it would be to have a foot pedal or a lean bar for when your hands are full of chicken guts!
Of course, we'd still want to have the handle option for a constant flow (though, I can't think why we would really need to, frankly...when do you ever need to have the water running when you're not standing there?)
drip, drip
I would think Californians would be all over this...I mean, in a city like LA where they came up with a rhyme for when it's ok to flush the toilet, think what you could come up with for a foot pedal sink!
"Tap for the Tap"
or
"Foot stops the flood"
or
"Toes for Flows" (thank you hubbie)
drip, drip
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Another Great Idea for Your Home
We have a red light in our bathroom fan fixture.
I get a lot of questions (and smirking ones, at that) about why we have a red light in our bathroom.
Well, I'll tell you:
Night vision.
It's a trick that I learned on a stargazing walk with my family in Toulome Meadows (Yosemite). The guide had a flash light with red Saran wrap over the edge. I heard others ask why and she told us: Night Vision.
You see, red light has a long frequency, low amplitude in the color spectrum. In other words, it's a slow moving photon (spec of light). It's why it's on the longest side of a rainbow. For this same reason, it reacts the least with rhodopsin (the light-sensing molecule in your eye's retina). Rhodospin is also known as Visual Purple. Rhodospin is made from Vitamin A (see the connections?)
Soooo...red light causes the least change in your eye once you're in "night vision" mode.
It does make you wonder, then, why aren't there more night lights that are red instead of green or blue (which are the most reactive colors with rhodospin). It seems that these safety lights aren't doing you any favors- once you look into their lit area, you can't see anything else very well.
hmm
Manufacturers- any reason why??? Seems like another crummy design pushed onto consumers.
I get a lot of questions (and smirking ones, at that) about why we have a red light in our bathroom.
Well, I'll tell you:
Night vision.
It's a trick that I learned on a stargazing walk with my family in Toulome Meadows (Yosemite). The guide had a flash light with red Saran wrap over the edge. I heard others ask why and she told us: Night Vision.
You see, red light has a long frequency, low amplitude in the color spectrum. In other words, it's a slow moving photon (spec of light). It's why it's on the longest side of a rainbow. For this same reason, it reacts the least with rhodopsin (the light-sensing molecule in your eye's retina). Rhodospin is also known as Visual Purple. Rhodospin is made from Vitamin A (see the connections?)
Soooo...red light causes the least change in your eye once you're in "night vision" mode.
It does make you wonder, then, why aren't there more night lights that are red instead of green or blue (which are the most reactive colors with rhodospin). It seems that these safety lights aren't doing you any favors- once you look into their lit area, you can't see anything else very well.
hmm
Manufacturers- any reason why??? Seems like another crummy design pushed onto consumers.
Friday, April 12, 2013
How Hot Is It?
So, I was giving my daughter a bath the other night and doing the whole pouring of the bath water bit:
She sits on my lap to watch the water.
I run the tap into the little toddler bath.
I lean forward to test the temperature while trying to balance her on my lap....
And then it hit me:
Why don't toddler bath tubs have heat-sensitive stickers or paint or something?
You know like those coffee cups that you pour something hot into them and the outside changes to a new picture? I used to have one like that- it was Carpe Diem or Seize the Day....
Anyway, why not put those on the kiddy baths? They have paint that can be very temperature sensitive- like those little disposable thermometers that the doctor's some times use; they measure temperature within a F point. That's pretty accurate.
Or even just a sliding scale?
And they'd need to put them around the perimeter of the tub so that you can see if the temperature is different in different locations...
It's just a thought- wouldn't that be nice? And think of all the design possibilities!
And then I thought: why limit it to just kiddy baths? You could put a few of neat looking tiles in sinks, too- or even pools! And wouldn't you like the extra warning before jumping into a potentially cold (or flaming) shower?
Someone needs to jump on these. I'll put my order in now. My daughter likes butterflies, so please make some in butterfly shapes.
She sits on my lap to watch the water.
I run the tap into the little toddler bath.
I lean forward to test the temperature while trying to balance her on my lap....
And then it hit me:
Why don't toddler bath tubs have heat-sensitive stickers or paint or something?
You know like those coffee cups that you pour something hot into them and the outside changes to a new picture? I used to have one like that- it was Carpe Diem or Seize the Day....
Anyway, why not put those on the kiddy baths? They have paint that can be very temperature sensitive- like those little disposable thermometers that the doctor's some times use; they measure temperature within a F point. That's pretty accurate.
Or even just a sliding scale?
And they'd need to put them around the perimeter of the tub so that you can see if the temperature is different in different locations...
It's just a thought- wouldn't that be nice? And think of all the design possibilities!
And then I thought: why limit it to just kiddy baths? You could put a few of neat looking tiles in sinks, too- or even pools! And wouldn't you like the extra warning before jumping into a potentially cold (or flaming) shower?
Someone needs to jump on these. I'll put my order in now. My daughter likes butterflies, so please make some in butterfly shapes.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Bathrooms are on The Right
Ok, so, I guess it all started when I was kid and I heard this song about "There's a Bathroom on the Right". Sung it that way for years.
My sister knew it the same way.
My mother thought it sounded like that, too....or was just humoring me.
My dad (notice the only one not mentioned above) had a good laugh when he heard me singing the words to that song.
It's when I found out what the lyrics actually are, "There's a Bad Moon on The Rise".
Go figure. It's still family joke every time we're somewhere new:
"Where's the bathroom?"
"Well, isn't it always on the right?"
ha ha ha
But that got me interested in making up new words to other songs- I guess in a Weird Al kind of way.
So, here's a couple of my newly worded songs- they're kind of personalized for the equal-parenting world:
Hush little baby don't say a word
Mommy's goin' buy you a mocking bird
And if that mocking bird don't sing
Daddy's goin to buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don't shine
We're goin make you a valentine
And when that valentine is read
We're goin kiss your pretty head
And after we finish kissin you
We'll have to sing this song anew (back to the top)
So, there you go- equal time for mommy and daddy. And I don't understand all that other stuff in the original, anyway.
Then there's the Ten Little Kitties (courtesy of my mom):
One little, two little, three little kitties
Four little, five little, six little kitties
Seven little, eight little, nine little kitties,
Ten little kitty cats
(put your hand on top of your head like cat's ears) MEOW!
And the latest one that we heard our nanny singing: Put Your Finger in the Air... I just don't quite "get" this song, but here's what my husband and I devised (well, my husband is to blame for the nose verse) because we didn't know the real words:
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger in the air, and you waive it here and there
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger on your head, are you blonde or are you red
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your nose and see how far it goes
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your ear, in your ear
Put your finger in your ear, in your ear
Put your finger in your ear, clean it out so you can hear
Put your finger in your ear, in you ear
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Put your finger on your knee, can you crawl over to me?
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Well, have fun with your own verses :P
My sister knew it the same way.
My mother thought it sounded like that, too....or was just humoring me.
My dad (notice the only one not mentioned above) had a good laugh when he heard me singing the words to that song.
It's when I found out what the lyrics actually are, "There's a Bad Moon on The Rise".
Go figure. It's still family joke every time we're somewhere new:
"Where's the bathroom?"
"Well, isn't it always on the right?"
ha ha ha
But that got me interested in making up new words to other songs- I guess in a Weird Al kind of way.
So, here's a couple of my newly worded songs- they're kind of personalized for the equal-parenting world:
Hush little baby don't say a word
Mommy's goin' buy you a mocking bird
And if that mocking bird don't sing
Daddy's goin to buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don't shine
We're goin make you a valentine
And when that valentine is read
We're goin kiss your pretty head
And after we finish kissin you
We'll have to sing this song anew (back to the top)
So, there you go- equal time for mommy and daddy. And I don't understand all that other stuff in the original, anyway.
Then there's the Ten Little Kitties (courtesy of my mom):
One little, two little, three little kitties
Four little, five little, six little kitties
Seven little, eight little, nine little kitties,
Ten little kitty cats
(put your hand on top of your head like cat's ears) MEOW!
And the latest one that we heard our nanny singing: Put Your Finger in the Air... I just don't quite "get" this song, but here's what my husband and I devised (well, my husband is to blame for the nose verse) because we didn't know the real words:
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger in the air, and you waive it here and there
Put your finger in the air, in the air
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger on your head, are you blonde or are you red
Put your finger on your head, on your head
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your nose and see how far it goes
Put your finger in your nose, in your nose
Put your finger in your ear, in your ear
Put your finger in your ear, in your ear
Put your finger in your ear, clean it out so you can hear
Put your finger in your ear, in you ear
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Put your finger on your knee, can you crawl over to me?
Put your finger on your knee, on your knee
Well, have fun with your own verses :P
Rules of Literature, The
I remember learning the rules of using an index when I was in grade school. I was thinking on this lately...thinking about how an Index and a Table of Contents are dying trends in writing. Nowadays, people just type in search words into Google or Wikipedia...do they even teach indexing, footnoting, and tables of contents in school anymore?
The reason I ask is that when I got to download files, on say Amazon, the file is entitled:
"The_Allman_Brothers"
Now, this is completely perplexing to someone who learned that titles in an index, or a list, should be titled:
"Allman_Brothers_The"
And why is that?
Because "the" is an indefinite article. It doesn't contribute to the content at all. It's not like "a", which is a definite article- it actually contributes to the content.
Well, all of that aside, it is frustrating when you go to look for your new song title in your music folder and it's not there....because you're looking under "A" for "Allman Brothers".
Go freakin' figure.
Can someone please tell me why this has changed or should I just not be surprised that decorum and manners and grammar are falling to the way side in American culture?
The reason I ask is that when I got to download files, on say Amazon, the file is entitled:
"The_Allman_Brothers"
Now, this is completely perplexing to someone who learned that titles in an index, or a list, should be titled:
"Allman_Brothers_The"
And why is that?
Because "the" is an indefinite article. It doesn't contribute to the content at all. It's not like "a", which is a definite article- it actually contributes to the content.
Well, all of that aside, it is frustrating when you go to look for your new song title in your music folder and it's not there....because you're looking under "A" for "Allman Brothers".
Go freakin' figure.
Can someone please tell me why this has changed or should I just not be surprised that decorum and manners and grammar are falling to the way side in American culture?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Free Scoop Day
It's Ben & Jerry's annual free scoop day, so if you're near one today and have the time to wait in line, enjoy.
I just hope that they finally have something that doesn't have chocolate or gluten in it. I remember having their chocolate and peanut butter cookie dough ice cream in high school and how great it was...only to find out years later that it was contributing to the destruction of my intestines.
ahhh, the memories.
I just hope that they finally have something that doesn't have chocolate or gluten in it. I remember having their chocolate and peanut butter cookie dough ice cream in high school and how great it was...only to find out years later that it was contributing to the destruction of my intestines.
ahhh, the memories.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Happy 20 Years
I hated high school.
It wasn't that it was all the hormones and the having a crush on every guy that looked half decent (ok, I HAD my standards- I only crushed on the best looking ones...who were unavailable). I hated high school like most other smart kids because it's 4 painful years of learning that the rest of the world is stupid...and you're stuck with them for the rest of your life.
Now, it didn't really sink in at the time that that was what high school had to teach me- I kept relearning this lovely lesson for the past twenty years since I graduated.
And it still baffles me.
But this year, I find looking back, that I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow I woke up tomorrow and I was heading to high school. I guess time is funny like that.
What's different for me in the past couple of years is that I've never before had such an affinity to the age that I grew up in. Perhaps that's just me getting old- remembering the "good ol' days". But I definitely feel like things were a great deal different growing up in the age before the internet and cell phones in every home. People generally had to work harder to become educated- and, hence, the educated were more respected.
Now, some of this problem is that the educational system is broken. There isn't enough support for real educators to actually EDUCATE. They certainly can't discipline the students that are acting out, so they can only babysit. No one gets an education. No one has respect for school. ...and no one wants to be harsh on students lest the student come back with a gun and shoot the teacher and class.
I truly feel for this problem. The school system in America is broken. We need a major reform. Students, parents, educators- we shouldn't be in a position where people are going to come and shoot you for giving them an F. And you shouldn't have to have metal detectors on the classroom doors to protect yourselves.
What we need is REFORM.
The age of public school as we've known it is over. The killing blow was the poorly devised No Child Left Behind Act; educational standards have declined dramatically ever since while animosity and school violence has sharply increased. We should be looking to hire tutors, or better yet, start training our children to do something meaningful- like internships at businesses and really return to education for its true purpose- not an internment camp with armed guards for our children every day.
So, in this year, the 20th anniversary of my high school graduation, I have decided to never send my daughter to public school. The system is broken. There's nothing that she's going to benefit from in public schools that she wouldn't get from other group activities and home schooling.
I ask for other parents to seriously consider doing the same. Reform won't happen until there's a MAJORITY of people that want it.
On that note, kiss your kids before you send them to the bus this morning. Hopefully the next school shooting won't be at your school.
It wasn't that it was all the hormones and the having a crush on every guy that looked half decent (ok, I HAD my standards- I only crushed on the best looking ones...who were unavailable). I hated high school like most other smart kids because it's 4 painful years of learning that the rest of the world is stupid...and you're stuck with them for the rest of your life.
Now, it didn't really sink in at the time that that was what high school had to teach me- I kept relearning this lovely lesson for the past twenty years since I graduated.
And it still baffles me.
But this year, I find looking back, that I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow I woke up tomorrow and I was heading to high school. I guess time is funny like that.
What's different for me in the past couple of years is that I've never before had such an affinity to the age that I grew up in. Perhaps that's just me getting old- remembering the "good ol' days". But I definitely feel like things were a great deal different growing up in the age before the internet and cell phones in every home. People generally had to work harder to become educated- and, hence, the educated were more respected.
Now, some of this problem is that the educational system is broken. There isn't enough support for real educators to actually EDUCATE. They certainly can't discipline the students that are acting out, so they can only babysit. No one gets an education. No one has respect for school. ...and no one wants to be harsh on students lest the student come back with a gun and shoot the teacher and class.
I truly feel for this problem. The school system in America is broken. We need a major reform. Students, parents, educators- we shouldn't be in a position where people are going to come and shoot you for giving them an F. And you shouldn't have to have metal detectors on the classroom doors to protect yourselves.
What we need is REFORM.
The age of public school as we've known it is over. The killing blow was the poorly devised No Child Left Behind Act; educational standards have declined dramatically ever since while animosity and school violence has sharply increased. We should be looking to hire tutors, or better yet, start training our children to do something meaningful- like internships at businesses and really return to education for its true purpose- not an internment camp with armed guards for our children every day.
So, in this year, the 20th anniversary of my high school graduation, I have decided to never send my daughter to public school. The system is broken. There's nothing that she's going to benefit from in public schools that she wouldn't get from other group activities and home schooling.
I ask for other parents to seriously consider doing the same. Reform won't happen until there's a MAJORITY of people that want it.
On that note, kiss your kids before you send them to the bus this morning. Hopefully the next school shooting won't be at your school.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Another one bites the dust
I've been a fan of British tellie shows for awhile. Their dry humor and uncensored broadcasts are quite refreshing to watch.
HOWEVER
In the recent Top Gear season, the gents are off to find the source of the Nile River in Africa. This proves to be just as much of a farce as most of their road shows, though my favorite is still the motorcycling through Vietnam.
However, I'm not sure if I'll really be able to enjoy Top Gear, ever again. You see, the gents took their three off-road/estate cars (we call them station wagons in America) through the Serengeti plains where they proceeded to drive all over the plains, OFF ROAD and then when that wasn't enough fun, decided to play bumper cars.
While I don't know if they actually retraced their skid marks and picked up all the debris that they left all over the plains, I sincerely doubt it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I believe that they just continued on, leaving a trail of shiny, dangerous sharp objects for unwary, endangered animals to eat or get caught in their feet. this is not to mention the dripping of miscellaneous toxic fluids all over the plains, or the fact that tearing up the top soil absolutely ruins the ground cover- a point they proved earlier in this same season with their destruction of the turf on Twickenham Stadium.
Now, I'm a speed demon and I love that about this show- more power! But when you decide that you and your dumb show are more important than parks like the Serengeti with its marvelous compliment of endangered animals, I really have to draw the line.
It's really quite sad that the hosts decided that the beauty and serenity of the plains were just for them and their little car shenanigans. It's one thing to put your own lives at risk, but when they decided to further endanger the lives of endangered species by playing bumper cars in their backyard, I have a real problem with that.
You are all asses and I hope that a lion dines on your entrails while you're awake, then leaves you to die in the plains.
HOWEVER
In the recent Top Gear season, the gents are off to find the source of the Nile River in Africa. This proves to be just as much of a farce as most of their road shows, though my favorite is still the motorcycling through Vietnam.
However, I'm not sure if I'll really be able to enjoy Top Gear, ever again. You see, the gents took their three off-road/estate cars (we call them station wagons in America) through the Serengeti plains where they proceeded to drive all over the plains, OFF ROAD and then when that wasn't enough fun, decided to play bumper cars.
While I don't know if they actually retraced their skid marks and picked up all the debris that they left all over the plains, I sincerely doubt it. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I believe that they just continued on, leaving a trail of shiny, dangerous sharp objects for unwary, endangered animals to eat or get caught in their feet. this is not to mention the dripping of miscellaneous toxic fluids all over the plains, or the fact that tearing up the top soil absolutely ruins the ground cover- a point they proved earlier in this same season with their destruction of the turf on Twickenham Stadium.
Now, I'm a speed demon and I love that about this show- more power! But when you decide that you and your dumb show are more important than parks like the Serengeti with its marvelous compliment of endangered animals, I really have to draw the line.
It's really quite sad that the hosts decided that the beauty and serenity of the plains were just for them and their little car shenanigans. It's one thing to put your own lives at risk, but when they decided to further endanger the lives of endangered species by playing bumper cars in their backyard, I have a real problem with that.
You are all asses and I hope that a lion dines on your entrails while you're awake, then leaves you to die in the plains.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Annie's Bunnies
As we close out the bunny season, I saw these on sale at the grocery store:
I found them shockingly tasty. They're crispy, crunchy cookies..AND unlike most gluten-free products, they didn't get stale as soon as I opened the bag.
Now, I rather despise chocolate and if someone who doesn't like chocolate finds some chocolate tasty- well, it's a good indicator that the chocolate is tasty.
I've been diagnosed gluten-intolerant for about 20 years now and finding a good cookie is difficult. I think that the chocolate ones taste like a gourmet Oreo. The vanilla ones are very vanilla.
Though I didn't get a chance to try it myself, I think that these would probably be great with ice cream.
I'm not sure that I agree with their retail price of $5.50 for the little box, but if you find them cheaper, I'd recommend them.
Guten Appetit
I found them shockingly tasty. They're crispy, crunchy cookies..AND unlike most gluten-free products, they didn't get stale as soon as I opened the bag.
Now, I rather despise chocolate and if someone who doesn't like chocolate finds some chocolate tasty- well, it's a good indicator that the chocolate is tasty.
I've been diagnosed gluten-intolerant for about 20 years now and finding a good cookie is difficult. I think that the chocolate ones taste like a gourmet Oreo. The vanilla ones are very vanilla.
Though I didn't get a chance to try it myself, I think that these would probably be great with ice cream.
I'm not sure that I agree with their retail price of $5.50 for the little box, but if you find them cheaper, I'd recommend them.
Guten Appetit
Friday, April 5, 2013
Bring Back the Best To Disneyland
When I was a girl, we went to Disneyland at least once a year.
Not Disney World-
DISNEYLAND
The ONLY park that Walt Disney walked in.
It was a tradition that started from when I was in utero and it's been in my blood ever since. I would honestly have to say that the things I miss most about living in California are the annual trip to Disneyland and the annual trip to the beach- there's nothing like the sound of the ocean and the salt water in the air...and the morning fog.
Anyway: Disneyland.
We would get there early so that we could see Main Street USA before the rope went down to let you into the "real" part of the park. While we were waiting in line, we'd have this big debate:
what do you see first?
It was always a toss up between the ORIGINAL Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain. We only did the Pirates first a couple of times- mostly because the rest of the attractions over in New Orleans Square weren't open yet (and it took a long time before I even knew about the whole play island in the middle of the Rivers of America).
So, we'd push up to the front of the rope as the clock approached 9 am...waiting impatiently.....
and then we'd head RUN over to Tomorrowland as fast as we could. That was before they stopped you from running.
Well, after running all the switchbacks to get into Space Mountain and seeing the asteroid cookie, we'd head over to Inner Space.
This was one of the MOST IMPRESSIVE ride to my young mind. You get shrunk down to microscopic and then atomic levels and see molecule shapes and all sorts of "invisible" things.
Now, granted, I DID end up becoming a molecular biologist...and I honestly thing that it was in part due to this ride. I LOVED this ride.
What happened to it?
It got torn out for Star Tours.
While impressive for its time, I was still upset about losing the Inner Space ride...still sore about it today.
(though, now that I looked at the sponsor, I have this sickening feeling in my guts)
And then, I was wondering: why don't they bring back something like that for Tomorrowland? They could accelerate you in an atom super-collider or something- to keep it fast and modern. I just think about how much of the flavor of Tomorrowland has been replaced (no America Sings, no House of the Future, no Carousel of Progress) until now it's really "Space and Technology land".
Bring back the science!
Not Disney World-
DISNEYLAND
The ONLY park that Walt Disney walked in.
It was a tradition that started from when I was in utero and it's been in my blood ever since. I would honestly have to say that the things I miss most about living in California are the annual trip to Disneyland and the annual trip to the beach- there's nothing like the sound of the ocean and the salt water in the air...and the morning fog.
Anyway: Disneyland.
We would get there early so that we could see Main Street USA before the rope went down to let you into the "real" part of the park. While we were waiting in line, we'd have this big debate:
what do you see first?
It was always a toss up between the ORIGINAL Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain. We only did the Pirates first a couple of times- mostly because the rest of the attractions over in New Orleans Square weren't open yet (and it took a long time before I even knew about the whole play island in the middle of the Rivers of America).
So, we'd push up to the front of the rope as the clock approached 9 am...waiting impatiently.....
and then we'd head RUN over to Tomorrowland as fast as we could. That was before they stopped you from running.
Well, after running all the switchbacks to get into Space Mountain and seeing the asteroid cookie, we'd head over to Inner Space.
This was one of the MOST IMPRESSIVE ride to my young mind. You get shrunk down to microscopic and then atomic levels and see molecule shapes and all sorts of "invisible" things.
Now, granted, I DID end up becoming a molecular biologist...and I honestly thing that it was in part due to this ride. I LOVED this ride.
What happened to it?
It got torn out for Star Tours.
While impressive for its time, I was still upset about losing the Inner Space ride...still sore about it today.
(though, now that I looked at the sponsor, I have this sickening feeling in my guts)
And then, I was wondering: why don't they bring back something like that for Tomorrowland? They could accelerate you in an atom super-collider or something- to keep it fast and modern. I just think about how much of the flavor of Tomorrowland has been replaced (no America Sings, no House of the Future, no Carousel of Progress) until now it's really "Space and Technology land".
Bring back the science!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
'It's our most popular'
I went to the Tea Source today because I had a coupon for some many dollars off their bulk teas. As I am still breastfeeding, this limits my tea intake to some herbals and mostly decaffeinated teas.
They usually have samples made up of the different teas so that you can taste them before you buy them.
Well, evidently, they don't make up samples of the herbals.
As I was looking through the descriptions of the teas in their big catalog, I came across one called, "Evening in Missoula". The sales lady said that I could smell any of the teas that I was interested in.
Now, I find this a bit disturbing and I think I will have to file a health complaint against them for this. To smell the teas, they bring the big containers over to your nose so that you can breathe into the teas...
...or if you're sick, you can drip your snot in there, I guess...
..either way, the germs from your nasal passages are now mulling about in the bulk tea...along with everyone else's that has smell it. In addition to that, the sales lady put the edge of the container directly against my face, so, really, that container is, uhm...GROSS!
As I was pondering this situation, the sales lady, in an effort to make the sale told me, "You'll really like this one- it's one of our most popular."
This made me respond with a wrinkled brow and an sound that was something like , "urgh-"
Should the fact that other people buy it a lot mean that I'm going to like it?
Now, had already decided that I would try this tea, but it really disturbed me that the sales point to try to get my palate to like something was the fact that it was "popular".
Eating foie gras is also popular and disgusting.
When I got home and made up a cup of this tea, I found that it, alas, is NOT one of my most popular. It is overwhelming flavored with strong chamomile and licorice...only one of which was listed in the description.
Guess I should have known better than to buy a popular item.
They usually have samples made up of the different teas so that you can taste them before you buy them.
Well, evidently, they don't make up samples of the herbals.
As I was looking through the descriptions of the teas in their big catalog, I came across one called, "Evening in Missoula". The sales lady said that I could smell any of the teas that I was interested in.
Now, I find this a bit disturbing and I think I will have to file a health complaint against them for this. To smell the teas, they bring the big containers over to your nose so that you can breathe into the teas...
...or if you're sick, you can drip your snot in there, I guess...
..either way, the germs from your nasal passages are now mulling about in the bulk tea...along with everyone else's that has smell it. In addition to that, the sales lady put the edge of the container directly against my face, so, really, that container is, uhm...GROSS!
As I was pondering this situation, the sales lady, in an effort to make the sale told me, "You'll really like this one- it's one of our most popular."
This made me respond with a wrinkled brow and an sound that was something like , "urgh-"
Should the fact that other people buy it a lot mean that I'm going to like it?
Now, had already decided that I would try this tea, but it really disturbed me that the sales point to try to get my palate to like something was the fact that it was "popular".
Eating foie gras is also popular and disgusting.
When I got home and made up a cup of this tea, I found that it, alas, is NOT one of my most popular. It is overwhelming flavored with strong chamomile and licorice...only one of which was listed in the description.
Guess I should have known better than to buy a popular item.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Teeth and Your Brain
My daughter is teething.
It's because she's between the ages of 3 months and 12 years.
I find it funny when people ask about whether her recent irritability streak could be caused by teething.
Of course it could be caused by teething! She's between 3 months and 12 years of age. Only she knows when one is about to pop through.
Now, my daughter is running a bit behind in comparison to her contemporaries: shes' just over a year and only just now is getting her top two front teeth. (I have to say that I may never get used to her mouth full of teeth). I did notice, however, that the teeth entered in this pattern:
9 months:
Bottom right, Bottom left (within a day or two of each other)
13 months:
Top right, Top left (with a day or two of each other).
Now, it looks like the secondary incisors are coming in and I was wondering as I was trying to keep her gleeful hands out of her diaper change: which side is going to come in first. I started to wonder if there was any linkage between the tooth side that comes in and the handedness of a person.
And it turns out THERE IS.
It turns out that the first teeth to erupt have a strong tendency to indicate handedness; so, as you might guess, I have a right-handed daughter.
So, it seems that there is some sort of genetic factor that is controlling, or at least highly suggesting, handedness. That isn't to say that a person, particularly young enough, can't learn to use other hand. But I do know from anecdotal examples, that doing this is never a good idea for the person- they seems to suffer all sorts of learn difficulties.
But what is interesting to me that, this genetic factor...well, does it mean that it determines handedness in other toothed animals, as well? It's kind of weird to think of a shark having a "right fin", but what if they do?? Perhaps this predisposition toward handedness is actually a result of some ancestral cell division (err....let's just simplify that and say that there are different formats (circles, binary, etc) of cell division....you know mitosis, meiosis? Ok, another topic for another time).
Anyway, it does make one wonder...though I think that most of us with 4-legged companions would all agree that this wouldn't be nearly as surprising as to find out that there are right- and left-handed pigs.
It's because she's between the ages of 3 months and 12 years.
I find it funny when people ask about whether her recent irritability streak could be caused by teething.
Of course it could be caused by teething! She's between 3 months and 12 years of age. Only she knows when one is about to pop through.
Now, my daughter is running a bit behind in comparison to her contemporaries: shes' just over a year and only just now is getting her top two front teeth. (I have to say that I may never get used to her mouth full of teeth). I did notice, however, that the teeth entered in this pattern:
9 months:
Bottom right, Bottom left (within a day or two of each other)
13 months:
Top right, Top left (with a day or two of each other).
Now, it looks like the secondary incisors are coming in and I was wondering as I was trying to keep her gleeful hands out of her diaper change: which side is going to come in first. I started to wonder if there was any linkage between the tooth side that comes in and the handedness of a person.
And it turns out THERE IS.
It turns out that the first teeth to erupt have a strong tendency to indicate handedness; so, as you might guess, I have a right-handed daughter.
So, it seems that there is some sort of genetic factor that is controlling, or at least highly suggesting, handedness. That isn't to say that a person, particularly young enough, can't learn to use other hand. But I do know from anecdotal examples, that doing this is never a good idea for the person- they seems to suffer all sorts of learn difficulties.
But what is interesting to me that, this genetic factor...well, does it mean that it determines handedness in other toothed animals, as well? It's kind of weird to think of a shark having a "right fin", but what if they do?? Perhaps this predisposition toward handedness is actually a result of some ancestral cell division (err....let's just simplify that and say that there are different formats (circles, binary, etc) of cell division....you know mitosis, meiosis? Ok, another topic for another time).
Anyway, it does make one wonder...though I think that most of us with 4-legged companions would all agree that this wouldn't be nearly as surprising as to find out that there are right- and left-handed pigs.
Good Night Moon
I was reading my daughter one of her favorite books last night: Goodnight Moon.
The first page starts off:
"In the great green room,
There was a telephone..."
I looked through the picture with my daughter and realized that the 1940's style phone in the picture a figment of history at this point.
When I thought further about this, I was also a little disturbed to realize that there is no such thing as the "sound of a telephone" any more. Each phone, even landlines, all have different ringers.
So, what are we supposed to do when we teach our kids about telephones?
It's funny because even the Fisher Price music table has a telephone with a classically "ringing" phone.
I wonder about the day when my daughter asks me why we don't have a telephone (we actually have three: mommy's cell, daddy's cell, and a skype phone). And then I wonder about how we're going to explain the skype phone to the (I'm guessing) 2 year old.
And then I wonder if some of these classical books are going to get a face lift as far as the pictures go. I mean, that style phone my daughter will only see in museums now.
The first page starts off:
"In the great green room,
There was a telephone..."
I looked through the picture with my daughter and realized that the 1940's style phone in the picture a figment of history at this point.
When I thought further about this, I was also a little disturbed to realize that there is no such thing as the "sound of a telephone" any more. Each phone, even landlines, all have different ringers.
So, what are we supposed to do when we teach our kids about telephones?
It's funny because even the Fisher Price music table has a telephone with a classically "ringing" phone.
I wonder about the day when my daughter asks me why we don't have a telephone (we actually have three: mommy's cell, daddy's cell, and a skype phone). And then I wonder about how we're going to explain the skype phone to the (I'm guessing) 2 year old.
And then I wonder if some of these classical books are going to get a face lift as far as the pictures go. I mean, that style phone my daughter will only see in museums now.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Our Colored Friends
It's that time of year, where I visit Peeps Research and read any of their latest experiments. You'll love this if you've ever had to read through scientific articles....
You'll think it's "cute" if you know someone who has.
And you'll be completely confused by terms like "glycodermis" if you haven't had a biology education.
I'm waiting for the updating finding with respect the the related Bunny Peep genus.
You'll think it's "cute" if you know someone who has.
And you'll be completely confused by terms like "glycodermis" if you haven't had a biology education.
I'm waiting for the updating finding with respect the the related Bunny Peep genus.
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