Be a fountain, not a drain.

Can I just say how RUDE I think it is when I am talking to someone, and their significant other stares off into space with a look of utter boredom on their face, as if they are barely tolerating the inconvenience?!

More than once recently, I have seen an old friend with their girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife who I don't particularly know. Rather than that person making eye-contact, or listening, or even--gasp--participating in the conversation, they hang on the arm of their other half, and watch the grocery checker ring up customers, instead of talking to me. It's as if they say to themselves, "Oh, it's Schnookem's friend, nobody important, not one of my friends, I guess I'll just have to stand here and wait until they stop talking, I do wish they'd hurry it up." How ungracious is that? In fact, I consider it a sign that my friend is dating/married to an idiot. An immature idiot who is grossly lacking in social graces. By contrast, I'm always delighted to discover a friend whose significant other is friendly and engaging.

Call me old-fashioned, but I actually want to get to know the friends and family of those who I date. Odd, huh? I have really appreciated the in-laws in my family who make an effort to have a relationship with me and find out a little bit about what's going on in my life. The in-laws who are not very friendly are sort of metaphorical drains rather than fountains at family functions. And they too have that expression of detachment, and seem to tug at the sleeves of their spouse, as if to say "Can we pleeease go yet?" They don't seem to have very much fun, and they aren't much fun to be around, which is a pity, because it doesn't have to be that way.

So there you have it! If your honey passes the "I am polite/not self-absorbed enough to converse with my sweetie's friends, family, and acquaintances" test, it doesn't guarantee that you're not dating an unmannered egotist, but if they fail the test, at least I think it's a pretty good indicator that they might be...

Mary's Little Donkey and The Flight to Egypt

When I was a about nine or so, my aunt gave my mom a book called, "Mary's Little Donkey and the Flight to Egypt" by Gunhild Sehlin, a Swedish author. It is a wonderful Christmas story to read to young children! I loved it as a kid, and I just pulled it out again to read to the little boy I tutor-- he loved it as well! This is a great book to add to your collection, or give as a gift. It is a bit difficult to find, since it is a "foreign" book, and the English translation is mostly sold in the UK, but I found several places where it could be ordered online. It's a little late for me to be posting this for Christmas, but it's really a story that could be used at any time of year. The story is interesting and sweet, and it was all I could do not to cry three or four times as I was reading it out loud. (I wonder if my pupil noticed the crack in my voice each time.) I highly, highly recommend it as one of my favorite Children's books.

Short Synopsis from Floris books:
"The stubborn, dirty little donkey who is of no use to anyone in Nazareth becomes a quick and willing helper under Mary’s care. The other animals in Mary's stable like him and together they wait for the birth of Mary's child.

But Mary and Joseph have to leave Nazareth obeying Caesar's decree, and the donkey carries Mary to Bethlehem where the child is born.
The donkey hopes to carry Mary and her son quickly back to Nazareth but instead they have to flee to far-away Egypt. Willingly, the donkey makes this journey through the desert. Only after a long time could they return home where the other animals in Mary's stable welcome them.

An engaging alternative to the traditional Christmas story, to be read to children age 6-8, or for children age 8-10 to read to themselves."

"There goes your first date..."

My favorite M&M commercial. I get a kick out of my name being used in it. ;)

Humanitarian Opportunities

A couple of weeks ago I got a World Vision humanitarian catalog in the mail-- they use donations to (among other things) purchase animals for families in poverty-stricken countries. I thought it was a great idea, but was a little disappointed at the prices involved-- and discovered that not all of the money went directly to helping the people in need. A portion of the donations pay for fund-raising and administration costs... certainly it is still a very good cause...but I discovered that perhaps one of the best humanitarian efforts to support is Latter-Day Saint Charities.

I was curious if Latter-day Saint Charities had any similar programs to those of World Vision, or if they were limited to emergency relief, and a few special projects. I was happy to discover that they work with many other agencies to provide a wide range of humanitarian services. To see a list of worldwide projects click the link here. I'd recommend browsing through; it's quite interesting! Because other Church funds pay for administration and fund-raising, 100% of any donations to the Humanitarian Fund go directly to purchasing items or services for the needs of individuals. Through the web-site ldsphilanthropies.org you can donate online, and may even specify which program you would like your contribution to go toward. Neat, eh?

Another interesting web-site to look at is Kiva.org --Rather than giving money, a short-term loan enables people in need to invest in their livelihood and lift themselves out of poverty. For example: a woman could use a small loan to purchase a sewing machine and some fabric--an initial investment that would allow her to sell her work for a profit, repay the loan, and continue to have an income. Loan increments can be as small as $25, and you can chose who will benefit from the loan. When the loan is re-payed (generally within a few months), you can loan again to a different entrepreneur, or you may withdraw your money.

Trivia by Fives.

Tagged again! (I admit tags are somewhere between cheesy and fun ;) )

5 Fears:
1. The dark. I have an "active" imagination, and I scare kind of easy. When I was a young teenager I once watched my first and last episode of the X-files; it was so freaky I asked my mom sleep in my room for a couple of weeks. It was a really evil episode-- I'll never watch another one again. Bleeeck!

2. Driving on roads that have a cliff on one side, and shear mountain face on the other. Or cliffs on both sides, or shear mountain on both sides.

3. Deep water. Wind-surfing sounds like fun, but I don't think I'm likely to ever get on a surfboard.

4. Wolves. Ok, well I'm not really afraid of them anymore, but they were my big fear as a kid. Not the boogie man, or a monster in my closet, wolves. (You'd be amazed how much knot holes in a wooden fence can look like glaring wolf eyes.) I blame a few "children's books" for this. (I don't recommend "Lon Po Po" for kids, I don't care if it won a Caldecott.) I still am not especially fond of the animals.

5. Inflation/rising costs.

Collections/Obsessions:
1. Collection: Books-- I have 5 bookcases of various sizes, and they are now all full!

2. Collection: Blue and white pottery. I love that so many countries of the world have a variation of blue and white pottery. I started this collection when I went to Italy. Happily, my treasures all made it home in one piece. Eventually I'd like to visit and bring home pottery from England, Ireland, The Netherlands, China, Denmark, Belgium, etc.

3. Collection: Snoopy stuff.

4. Obsession: Jane Austen.

5. Obsession: British accents and the men who have them.

Surprising facts:

1. I was 22 before I flew for the first time. (In an airplane--I'm not actually Superman's sister.)

2. I was an English major, but I've never read any Harry Potter, or Twilight, in fact, whenever there is anything that excites mass hysteria, I tend to be repelled. I usually go for the stuff off the beaten path-- I don't like most box-office hit movies, and I don't keep up with trends.

3. I don't particularly like shopping, unless I'm just browsing and not looking for anything in particular. Clothes and shoe shopping are the worst! I like cute clothes, but I HATE looking for them.

4. I assisted officers in a marijuana bust.

5. My earliest memory is from a few days after I turned two.

I Give Obama a 100% Approval Rating*

*Some terms and conditions apply, limited-time offer, read blog for details.

I remember when Julia Roberts, the Dixie Chicks, and other celebrity figures said of George W. Bush, "He's not my president." It's easy to feel that way when the candidate you supported was not elected, and when you dislike or disagree with the candidate who won.

Recently on Glenn Beck's conservative talk show, a Georgia man called in to say that he refused to accept Barack Obama as president. I really thought Glenn's response was insightful. He said, "How very un-American of you. He is the American president. ... this is the way our system works."

Speaking along a similar vein, Rush Limbaugh said, "Barack Obama is my president of the United States. I couldn't care less where he was born, what his name is, how old he is, or the color of his skin. He's not black. He's not white. He's not Asian-American or Mexican. He's not Chavez's brother or Islamic. I don't see Americans as members of groups. I see individual human beings. It is his ideas I am terrifically, tremendously worried about."

Stu Burguiere is the exec.-producer for the Glenn Beck Program. On Stu's blog, he wrote that he thinks the incoming president ought to be given a chance (a courtesy that wasn't extended eight years ago.)

I agree with Stu's way of thinking, "...Today, I give Barack Obama a 100% approval rating. If and when he screws up, I’ll deduct points. Let’s make it a maximum of 10 points for each individual annoying event. If he does something great—I’ll add points. I’m that kind of guy. Let’s see how long he stays above 50%.

I don’t think Obama will be a good president. But I HOPE for a CHANGE in that opinion. I hope he’s the greatest president in history. I hope the pre-election promises of perfection are realized. [Boy, I'm not sure I'd want the fulfillment of all of his pre-election promises, but that's just me.] I doubt they will be, but I want to at least give him a chance to screw it up before I say he screwed it up.

Regardless, he’ll be my president until he leaves office---even if his nationwide approval rating is zero (which will be impossible unless the on air staff of MSNBC is left out of the sample.)"

Like Stu, I've got my score-card ready, but it's a clean slate.

Now that the election is over...

I just can't help myself, this is too funny not to post. With profound apologies to my friends who think Obama is the cat's meow...

World's Worst Teacher

This would be an instance where a teacher's personal bias went WAY out of control in the classroom. This clip comes from a Finnish made documentary about the American Presidential election. No matter who you voted for, this is an outrage.

Cell Phones

I've read about cell phone health hazards for several years. Here are the basics for reducing your risk:

*Don't believe that cell phones "can't hurt" or think that it's hoakey to be concerned. (As a side note, I once held up a cell phone to each of my ears at the same time and immediately felt dizzy and weird-- and I got a bit of a headache. After that experience I was convinced that they could adversely affect health.)

*Don't let children use cell phones (if you must, use an ear piece-- research has shown detrimental effects that children are especially prone to because their brains are developing.

*Use an ear piece or speaker phone yourself.

*Don't carry your cell phone on your person as much as possible. Particularly avoid wearing it on your hip (where bone marrow is produced.) Don't carry your cell phone in your pocket especially if you are a male, as cell phones-- I am not making this up-- can cause the production of abnormally shaped spermatozoa.

*Don't sleep with your cell phone in your bedroom at night. It can interfere with your quality of sleep. Charge your phone in another room of the house.

* Purchase an electromagnetic chaos protection chip for your cell. Purportedly these chips will neutralize the negative emissions from your cell.

*Don't walk around with a bluetooth on your head. Bad for your health. Bad for your social life.

*Pay attention to your body. If you think you feel an unwanted stimulus from your cell phone- don't use it, or switch to a phone model you are less sensitive to.

For further information that reiterates the information I have written, read the following recent article from KSL.com:

New warning about possible link between cell phones and cancer

November 7th, 2008 @ 6:37pm

By John Hollenhorst

The cancer risk from cell phones is unproven, but Dr. Devra Davis, with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Environmental Oncology, says new studies in Europe are raising fresh concern.

"If these projections are true, we could have a massive global epidemic of brain cancer, and we can't afford for that to happen," Davis says.

She's a leading expert on environmental causes of cancer. She spoke at the University of Utah's Institute of Human Genetics. She said, "Let me be clear about something. I can not tell you that cell phones are dangerous, but I have very good reasons for concern."

A worrisome study by the University's Dr. Om Ghandi found that phone signals are absorbed very deeply into the brain, and they are absorbed much more deeply into the head of a 5-year-old than they are into the brain of an adult.

She asked, "Now, would you allow your child to smoke? Would you allow your child to play Russian roulette?"

She said precautions are in order until science has answers. She said use a speaker phone or an ear-piece and don't keep the phone on your body all the time. She said that keeping the phone on your hip was a concern because that's where bone marrow is made...

She's calling on cell-phone companies to release billing records so scientists can do proper exposure studies but, instead, the companies offer a two word response: trust us.

Davis said, "I trust in God, but all others have to provide data."

She said right now, in this country, there are no studies being done. She says that's unconscionable.

She believes the industry can design safer cell phones but, so far, it hasn't felt enough pressure to do it.

Celebrities, Politicians Answer that Classic Question:

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where’s my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken doesn’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he’s guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart-warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

(I found this on Dr. Laura's Blog; she received it as an e-mail forward)

Prescription for Disaster

I don't mean to be insensitive to people with depression, keep that in mind as you read.
Lately I've seen magazine and television ads for a new prescription drug called "Abilify." It is a drug to take in addition to an antidepressant such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxcil CR, etc. Why? Because people who are taking these and other antidepressants are still having symptoms of depression!
(No kidding, really?)

Could it be because hormones primarily drive your sense of emotional well-being, and prescription drugs, and a diet of processed, artificial, non-nutritional "food" disrupt your body systems, including your hormones?

The second greatest factor in mood and emotion is brain chemistry-- again, if the chemistry you put into your body isn't good (poor food, drugs, chemicals) then it is to be expected that the internal chemistry will be messed up as well!

Depression is one of the most naturally treatable ailments. To begin to balance the hormones and adrenal system: eat natural, healthy foods; take Omega-3s; exercise-- everyday; get sunlight; look at your life stressors and possible solutions or resources; and do something to feel good about.

When I was sick as a teenager, I had my own bout with depression-- my body was out of whack, including my hormones. The M.D.s didn't know what to do to help me recover from feeling sick and exhausted all the time, but they offered antidepressants to help with the feeling like crap.
I'm happy to say (no pun intended) that I never took any. As I started doing healthy things for my body, the depression was alleviated and then gone. I think most people on antidepressants continue to have problems if they stop taking the drug. Obviously taking an antidepressant is not a cure, it's a symptom cover-up. Sometimes it doesn't even treat the symptoms! According to Abilify's own ad, 2 out of 3 people have unresolved symptoms of depression when taking an antidepressant.

I find it ironic that the side effects of antidepressants can include being more depressed, and suicidal. In violent crime cases such as the Columbine High School shootings, the perpetrators were on antidepressants. What most people don't realize is that studies are suggesting that the antidepressants can actually cause these incidents. (See Ann Blake Tracy's book, "Prozac: Panacea or Pandora.") You see, the anti-depressants aren't smart enough to distinguish "good" emotions from "bad" ones. They may block feelings of sadness, but they can also block feelings of joy, love, and empathy for others.

In a 2002 study (Penninx and others) depression patients were told to do aerobic walking exercise, and they were given a tricyclic antidepressant. Another group did aerobic walking exercise only. The study found that the treatment that included the antidepressant was no more effective than exercise alone. And there were no side effects!

As for the side effects of Abilify, it can effect behavior, create uncontrollable movements that may become permanent, cause seizures, and impair judgment and motor skills. It increases the risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stroke, coma and death. More than 10% of Abilify users experienced nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness, an inner sense of restlessness, anxiety, and insomnia. Hmm... I mean, this is all in the fine print right on the ad! Somehow we still think this is an ok thing to have on the market? Then again, I guess it's about the same as all other prescription drugs. As a society we've come to accept these effects-- I shouldn't call them side effects, they are effects.

I understand myself the discomfort and fear of being sick, and of having depression. There are times that a prescription drug may be necessary, even life-saving-- but I think that 95% percent of the time, we as a nation are popping pills rather than taking responsibility and doing something for our own health. ("Effort-- waaaahh!") We put our trust in medical doctors who may be well-meaning, but also get a kick-back for each Rx they write up, and seem to either not know or not care about what makes the body function at its best and heal itself.

Illness is not fun whether is is physical, mental, or emotional, but there are things we can do to truly be cured with nature, not just to be "treated" with bad science.

Wielding Influence

Earlier this week I went to the library to vote early. The line was longer than I've ever waited on election day, so I ended up just coming home. Too bad I couldn't get a sticker that said, "I Tried to Vote." ;) Anyway, whilst I was there contemplating whether or not to stand in a line longer than a wait for a Disneyland ride, a book on the display caught my eye. It was called "Save the World On Your Own Time." Since I'm all about world saving, I thought this might be a clever book about doing good in the world, even with a busy schedule, or something like that.

When I read the inside jacket however, I discovered that it was a full-length complaint about university professors who pontificate their politics or their morality or their pet causes to their students. I have mixed feelings on the subject. While I don't appreciate heavily biased slants in the classroom, I have also appreciated my professors bringing up issues or perspectives that I may not have been previously aware of. Sometimes I have agreed with my professors, and sometimes I have disagreed, but it has interesting to hear their own views. In fact, usually their philosophies would either validate my own, or remind me why I beg to differ. I subscribe to the idea that "those who do not know their opponent's argument do not completely understand their own."

I admit that if I ever become a secondary English teacher, I don't necessarily want to tell my students what to think, but I want to give them some things to think about. Here's a moment of honesty on my part: what is this blog really, if not my soapbox? (After all, I don't have any cute kids to post pictures of just yet.)

Teachers/Professors can go overboard, that's for sure. When their agendas interfere with learning the subject, or threaten to prevent their classroom from being a safe place for different opinions, then there is a real problem. (English classrooms can be an especially interesting platform for indoctrination. I had some English professors who made their tenants especially clear.) I feel cheated as a student when a teacher either presents their ideas too adamantly and too often, or when they don't share them at all. It's a balance. The author of the book I mentioned may or may not have taken the "balance" view, I don't know.

The word "discrimination" has become as filthy as a brown banana peel at the bottom of a smelly dumpster, but it's not always a bad thing! It's also means "the power of making fine distinctions" -- distinctions that are necessary, and help define who we are (and aren't) and what is important to us.

It seems to me that we tend to appreciate educators who teach "values" when they are our values, and hate them when they aren't. (Was that grammatically correct? Oh well.)
While it is possible (and good) to teach with minimal bias, it would be impossible and even unfortunate to attempt to teach without any bias at all. The politically correct way of thinking is that because we don't all have the same values/ideas, we should avoid teaching or talking about them as much as possible. I disagree. Maybe we should be careful about teaching values, but we should not be so absurdly PC that we are afraid to talk about them. We don't want to teach religion in the classroom, for example; but we should certainly be able to talk about religion. The freedom to talk about moral issues, political issues, values, etc. is a right that is afforded to teachers in law, but many educators still shy away from those discussions out of fear. I think it's unfortunate. If teachers were trained a little to be able to mediate and facilitate meaningful class discussions, etc. with confidence, I think that would be more worthwhile than training teachers to drill their students in cold, unhuman facts and figures.

In some ways I agree with the author who urges "save the world on your own time," but in other ways, I see education as a good venue for "saving the world" if we can appropriately, and openly talk about the concerns and topics that affect us.

What the fruit?

Now that it's early voting season, I realize that I know next to nothing about the candidates who are running closer to home. Trying to figure out who I do and don't want to vote for is a little frustrating, and leads me to express (as my British high school teacher would say,) "What the fruit?!"
Happily, there is VoteSmart.org again. Enter your zip code and see who's running. On the right side of each candidate's profile are helpful links including the"Issue Positions" link. Some candidates have provided information about what they would support if elected. Other candidates, such as those running for re-election, have not provided information, but may have voting records for you to view. If a candidate has not provided issue information and doesn't have a voting record to see, there is usually at least a campaign web-site for you to peruse. It's still not as easy as it ought to be to find out about the candidates, but it's a start.
Other good sources of information are county web-sites, and Voter Information booklets, with overviews of the candidates and the proposals-- these can usually be viewed PDF, or are available at county libraries.
Go forth, informed citizens, and cast your ballot!

"Federal Arithmetic and Reading Test"

Alright, if you aren't interested enough about educational issues to read my ramblings, skip to the second part of this entry for a parody of standardized tests and "No Child Left Behind." Rated PG for mild potty humor. (No, I didn't write it.)

STANDARDIZED TESTS
They are hated by students and teachers alike, and with good reason. Standardized tests take up considerable time in classrooms, and the tests and their scores are largely inconsequential as far as good instruction or assessment of learning are concerned. I wanted to shout hallelujah when Alfie Kohn, an author/former educator/education critic/lecturer, choose to speak specifically about the problems of standardized tests and the mentality associated with them when he spoke at this year's UEA (Utah Education Association) convention. To read Alfie's position, click on "The Case Against Tougher Standards" when you reach the page linked here. It's worth reading.
I might post my own comments about these tests later, but for now I just want the word to get out that in many cases students do not have to take these tests. Parents can deny their permission for their student to participate in testing. (Teachers can facilitate this by not giving "points" for taking the test.) Politicians and federal government officials tend to listen to parents more than educators about educational practices. Frankly, neither Republicans or Democrats seem to have it right on the issue of improving education. If enough parents send out the message that they don't appreciate these tests, then policies and practices will have to be changed.
I hope that the following parody on standardized tests won't be considered too crass. I didn't write it, but I laughed so hard I cried when I first read it.

Federal Arithmetic and Reading Test

In response to President Bush's Federal "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB), it is proposed that students will have to pass a test to be promoted to the next grade level.
In the hope that this proposal will be uniformly adopted by all of the states, the new test will be called the Federal Arithmetic and Reading Test (FART).
All students who cannot pass a FART in the second grade will be retested in Grades 3, 4 and 5 until they are capable of passing a FART score of 80%. If a student does not successfully FART by grade 5, that student shall be placed in a separate English program known as the Special Mastery Elective for Learning Language, or SMELL.
If, with this increased SMELL program, the student cannot pass the required FART test, he or she can still graduate to middle school by taking another one-semester course in Comprehensive Reading and Arithmetic Preparation, or CRAP.
If by age fourteen the student cannot FART, SMELL, or CRAP, he or she can earn promotion in an intensive one-week seminar known as the Preparatory Reading for Unprepared Nationally Exempted Students, or PRUNES.
It is the opinion of the Department of Instruction for Public Schools (DIPS) that an intensive week of PRUNES will enable any student to FART, SMELL, or CRAP.
This revised provision of the student component of the House Bill 101 should help "clear the air" as part of "No School Left Standing."

Quirky, moi?

It took me a while to notice I had been tagged by Tawni (see "blogs I read" for Tawni's link) for the personal weirdness confession blog. I had a hard time thinking of quirks at first (that may come as a shock, I know.) But after a while I discovered I'm more strange than I realized. ;)
Not many of my posse are fellow-bloggers, and those who are have probably already done this, so I'm going to break the rules and not tag anyone. Except for Erica; I don't think I've read about her quirks yet. :)

Here are the rules I am breaking/loosely following:
- Link the Person who Tagged you.
- Mention rules on your blog.
- Tell about 6 quirks of yours.
- Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
- Leave a comment to let them know.

Quirky Sheryl:
1- I save my fortune cookie fortunes if I like them. I save a lot of silly/sentimental things, actually. While I’m not a total pack-rat, I do like to save memorabilia– anything that is “history”– ticket stubs, programs, stuff that reminds me of a fun event, etc. Oh, and I make a photo copy of my correspondence to someone (ie: a letter, or a card) so that I remember what I said when I hear back from them. This was really helpful when I wrote to friends on missions– by the time I got something back it would sometimes say, “In answer to your first question, yes I am.” Uh...what was my first question, again? Since I had a copy of my letter, I could find out.

2- I have to eat right away when I get up in the morning or I will be sick and nauseated. On trips, I always pack a granola bar or something in my bag, because I can't wait until people are ready to go get breakfast. Along the same line, I have to drink something with all my meals or I can't eat very much at all. If there's no milk, I'll have water with breakfast; I've gotta have something. Apparently my grandma is the same way.

3- I remember my dreams everyday when I wake up. I guess some people don't? I hate waking up to an alarm clock, and I'm slightly less likely to recall what I was dreaming if I'm awakened in this rude manner. ;)

4- I have a mental visualization of the calendar year, and of time. This is always really hard to explain. Since I was five years old or earlier, I've pictured the year as a sort of elongated oval stretched out horizontally. Here's my rough illustration:

Anyway, it works sort of like a game board in space. In my mind I spatially move around the circle during the year. (Like I said, it's really difficult to explain.) August is at the top in my mental picture, probably for two reasons: I was born at the beginning of August, and August is about where a new school year starts, which is an easier reckoning of time for a child than the actual new year.
So the circle is lying down, August is physically at the north, and December is in the south, if you will. It's also interesting to note that the months are not equal in length. (?) Don't ask me! When I hear about a future event, I put it in its place on my visual calendar. When I remember something from the past, I remember where I was on my oval. People sometimes wonder how I can remember things so amazingly well; I credit it to my brain's calendar.

When I think of several years, it is a long horizontal line in space that "begins" (kind of) in the west, and goes out forever toward the east. Now you're all going to really think I'm nuts, but it works well for me!

5- Because I was sick for four years as a teenager and the medical profession did absolutely nothing to help, I am into natural medicine and health. I think it's great, but some people might think it's quirky if they haven't studied, or been sick for an extended period of time. Some of my "wierdisms" include: not owning a microwave (I truly don't even miss it); giving up fingernail polish (the 80's are over, I don't miss it either); using natural products-- from shampoo without sodium laurel sulfate, to makeup without propylene glycol; not eating foods with nitrates or aspartame; rarely if ever drinking a soda; not using any nonstick cookware; NOT using sunblock; etc., etc. Besides the list of things I don't do, there are plenty of things I do do that may seem a little odd, but like I said, I think it's great, and I feel soo much better.

6- I am a habitual list maker and thought-writer. I can't remember a time that I haven't done this, but I've done it more especially since junior high school days. I write all the time. I have notebooks and files, and binders... hopefully I'll have a chance to put some of my ideas to good use in my lifetime.

7- Bonus quirk: I love name dictionaries. I bought my first baby name book when I was thirteen. I was checking them out of the library long before that. I think now I have four different name books.

There you go! Feel free to let me in on your own quirks, or fill me in if I have some I've failed to mention. :)

Then what ARE you?

The little boy I tutor has a five-year-old sister, Zoey, the Drama Princess. The other day she asked me,
"Sheryl, are you a mom?"
"Nope, I'm not a mom yet."
"Are you a teenager?" she said.
"No, thank goodness, I'm not a teenager anymore." I replied.
She looked a little confused and then said, "Then what are you?!"

I mean, what else is there?

My pupil discovered last week that I was 24, and upon hearing the news he dropped his jaw. (Apparently 24 is pretty old.) He asked why I didn't go to the same church as he does. "I go to a single adult ward." I told him. (What's a single adult ward?) As I explained this I found myself clearing up a misconception. "But I thought you were married to Brother Wilde." (My Dad!)
Oh, man. There's nothing like kids to keep you humble.

Happy Novemeber 4th-- Vote!

Most of us have probably already decided who will win our presidential vote, but I just found two web-sites that are great tools for verifying you're selecting the candidate who best represents your views. Both sites are politically neutral. GlassBooth features a quiz where you are asked your opinions, and then you are "matched" with the best running-mate. You can easily see how you agree and disagree with the candidates. VoteSmart allows easy access to the candidates past voting records, and other helpful/interesting information.

GlassBooth.org

VoteSmart.org

Hoorah for Period Drama

I think my regular subscribers are an audience of four: Amy, Tawni, Erica, and Tammy. Woo baby! :)
Well, anyway, I think most of y'all like Jane Austen, so here are some trailers to whet (no, that's not a typo) your appetite for some mini series and films I HIGHLY recommend. And I'm always looking for others, so let me know if there are some you like I haven't included. I think both Weber and Davis Counties have most of these in their libraries.

WIVES AND DAUGHTERS (Miniseries) - Featuring my favorite literary heroine!


NORTH AND SOUTH (Miniseries) - Think "Charles Dickens meets Jane Austen"


CRANFORD (miniseries) - Featuring Dame Judi Dench. Probably too new to get at the library. There's not as much romance in this one, more drama, but I still really liked it. It is based on three novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, the author of Wives and Daughters and North and South.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT (miniseries) No trailer! How sad. This is about the real-life love story of the teenage Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert. Trivia: Albert is played by Jonathan Firth, Colin Firth's brother. Incidentally, Jonathan Firth also has a role in the next film I'm recommending, Luther. Victoria is played by Victoria Hamilton who has a small part as Mrs. Forrester in the A&E Pride and Prejudice.

LUTHER (film) - Very interesting film about the Protestant Reformation. I was first introduced to it in my World Religions Institute class. (Rated PG-13 for some violence.) This isn't my favorite trailer; I think it's a bit overdone, but at least you get some idea.

Confessional- my BBB addiction

I suppose it started long before they started coming in the mail, but the regularity with which I indulge in my addiction has increased. Yes, it's true. I am a sucker for the Bed Bath and Beyond coupon. Particularly the $5 off coupon-- I mean come on, pay ten bucks for fifteen dollars worth of merchandise! While it may be true that I currently have no need for my own stainless steel measuring cups (or spoons) or the place-mats I bought on sale, or the towels, or the snazzy glass pitcher... in the next few years (or less--oh please, oh please, oh please) I will actually have my own place where these things will come in handy.

The downer is that in the meantime, I'm completely outgrowing my bedroom. With my room filled to capacity and my treasures occupying three boxes downstairs, my parents aren't always excited to see me bring home new things (although some of the time I'm with my mom when I buy.) There have been times when I sneaked my sack to the basement without the show and tell. ;)
Last November I got caught in the act when I stopped at Bed Bath and Beyond on my way home from school; when I came out with my new purchase, the car wouldn't start.
I guess I really should stop stocking up on stuff for the future, but it's so fun! It's my twenty-something equivalent of playing "house." For the most part I have restrained myself when it comes to buying large items, but last summer I did go ahead and buy the cutest three piece wrought-iron bistro patio set. (Not from BB&B incidentally, but it was on sale!) For now, it lives in the basement.

I've added a good number of items to my "inventory"- some more frivolous than others. Maybe I'm quirky weird; I admit to uh... actually buying a really adorable, soft baby reindeer stuffed animal when I was fourteen years old with hypothetical baby's first Christmas in mind. (I know, I know.)

What can I say? At least I come with a heck of a dowry.

Opportunity to Hear Alfie Kohn Speak!

Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The author of eleven books and scores of articles, he lectures at education conferences and universities as well as to parent groups and corporations. Kohn's criticisms of competition and rewards have been widely discussed and debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as "perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixation on grades [and] test scores."
(From www.alfiekohn.org)

October 17, 2008

Sandy, UT SPONSOR: Utah Education Association EVENT: keynote annual convention FOR MORE INFO: (801) 266-4461

Hey all! If you are interested in education or children even remotely, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend going to see Alfie Kohn as the keynote speaker at this year's UEA convention at the South Towne Expo Center.
I heard him speak on parenting a few years ago at the Dee Events Center and it was amazing! I've also read some of his work and consequently come to think of both teaching and parenting in a much different way; and when I have kidlets I want to be the kind of parent he talks about in his book "Unconditional Parenting," which I think should be mandatory reading before they hand you your newborn at the hospital (just kidding, but I really do think it's a very important, thought-provoking book.)
I'll definitely be there when he speaks this fall!

Mark your calendar now! :) A ticket is not required, although you may need to pre-register for $5. The registration fee would also allow you to see other workshops and presentations that day. I'll post more information closer to the event and after I get my little convention booklet in the mail.

Dreaming of My Mansion

Apparently I've been watching too many movies and shows set in Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century England. (As if it was possible to watch too much of the genre!)

I watched "Wives and Daughters" again this summer, and I just finished the last season of "Jeeves and Wooster" yesterday-- I love it! And now I'm sort of even more obsessed than I already was with the culture and time period of England from 1800 or so to the 1930s.
(I've also become obsessed with Hugh Laurie, but that's a whole other story.)

Earlier this week I discovered the Universal Furniture website and fell in love with this formal dining room. It looks a little more impressive with the extra leaf and two more place settings, but I couldn't for the life of me get that picture off of their website. It reminds me of a modernish version of the sort of dining room that Emma Woodhouse or Bertie Wooster might have "luncheoned" in.

I have my doubts about it fitting in my first house, but somewhere down the line I envision it in the formal dining room of my gorgeous (but tasteful) mansion. I'll invite you over for dinner, and try to make the evening as unpretentious as possible. :)

Plastic-- For Your Health's Sake

We've been hearing about more lately about how using certain plastics can be detrimental to your health. I learned a few things I didn't know from this month's Healthy Utah magazine.

Check the bottom of your water-bottles, baby bottles, and any plastic containers you use for food or water. In a small triangle on the bottom, each container has a printed number. If the number is anything other than a 2, 4, or 5, ---TOSS IT!

Plastics with other numbers contain BPA (Bisphenol A) which can affect normal human development and reproduction. Plastics have also been linked to hormone disruption, and cancer--via the carcinogens in their chemical makeup.
Keep in mind that styro-foam and plastic cling-wrap are considered health no-no's. :(

It is best to limit using plastic as much as we can, because when we toss "bad plastic" it usually ends up being burned at a landfill, which can release toxic chemicals into our environment-- which in turn, affects our health.

As a general rule: try to use glass, wood, stainless steel, and good quality ceramic when it comes to the kitchen.

We live in an age of convenience, but it comes at a costly price.

To read the article my information came from, click here.

Children and the Media

I can't say that I'm really surprised that people are postponing having children, having fewer children, refusing to have children at all, or refusing to raise their own children (instead using day-care, nannies, etc.) I think it's terrible, but whenever I turn on the t.v. (which isn't all that often) I can't say that I'm amazed. Just look at the way the media portrays children! It's not that the media alone is responsible for all of the aforementioned trends, but I think it does have a negative influence on the way adults think of children, and the messages it sends to children about what we think of them.

More often than not, children on popular shows or films are portrayed as being bratty, selfish, demanding, inconvenient, and a nuisance. They are represented as some kind of sub-human category, far different from adults, and incapable of reason, maturity, or love.

Then there is the overdone teen-aged character: rude, back-talking, tramp-dressing, high-drama. This exaggerated stereotype was annoyingly present in "Dan In Real Life" where Dan's teenage daughters frequently tell their dad how badly he screws up, and how out-of-touch he is. The day after a minor incident, his daughter won't even say good morning to him. Maybe I was just an angelic teen, but I even when I was very upset with my parents, I didn't treat them with so much contempt, especially over "storms in a teapot."

When I tell people I'm going to teach secondary school I sometimes get the response that I must be crazy because teenagers are so awful. I have to wonder if these people actually know any teenagers, or if their comments are distorted perceptions based on the generalizations that are perpetuated by the media and us as its consumers. I was at a family reunion on my thirteenth birthday, and all day long, relatives I've never met made obnoxious comments to me and my parents. Oh no! Now I was a teenager! As if my Dr. Jekyll was going to morph into Mr. Hyde for the next seven years.

My biggest pet-peeve concerning children and the media is putting child actors in appalling movies- particularly horror flicks or thrillers. Probably the worst of all is the horror film where the creepy, demonic thing is a child. (Think "The Ring" and others.) I haven't actually seen these movies, and I have no intention of ever seeing them. The previews and clips I've seen have been quite enough.

Am I taking things too seriously? I imagine that people who regularly associate with children and adolescents don't give too much credence to these less than accurate depictions, but I don't doubt that it does affect our society. Something to think about while you watch.

Family Camp-out '08

Last weekend my grandparents hosted a family camp-out in their large back-yard. It has become an annual summer event. After dinner we played Bocce, and my grandpa's "crazy golf" game. When we all get together on this side of the family, there are fifty-seven of us! Of those of us who came for dinner, only a handful of of us actually opted to "rough it" all night: sleeping under the stars and hoping the skunks and raccoons would stay in the bushes and away from our sleeping bags!


Me and B. my almost three-year-old cousin. Nobody thinks I'm cooler than he does.


Clockwise from left: My dad, brother, mom, uncle, and cousin.


Dessert was homemade blackberry ice-cream, cookies, and cake. Yum!


"The Little Kids' Table" -- we've all served our time there. :)

Sophisticated Song

For anyone who has ever turned into a bumbling idiot around that special someone.
Hugh Laurie in all his comic glory:
"The Sophisticated Song"

Where to Recycle

Check it out! There actually are places to recycle glass, plastic, etc. outside of Salt Lake County! I found this handy pdf file online; it tells you where you can recycle what. For Davis County, there are recycling bins outside of the gates at the landfill, so presumably you wouldn't have to pay to go in.

http://www.recycle.slco.org/pdf/Recycling_Outside_SLCo2.pdf

Modern Slavery

I recently heard that there are more slaves on the earth today than there have been at any other time in history! (An estimated 27 million human beings "forced to work, under threat of violence, for no pay") This disturbing number comes from scholar/researcher Kevin Bales, and is reported in his 1999 book "Disposable People."

According to Bales' anti-slavery organization, these 27 million people "represent the largest number of people that has ever been in slavery at any point in world history and the smallest percentage of the total human population that has ever been enslaved at once."

I came across this information as I was watching a recent episode of ABCNews Nightline, about child slavery in Haiti. The story aired 7-8-08 and was called "How to Buy a Child in 10
Hours: One Reporter's Journey Reveals An Epidemic of Child Slavery in Haiti"

It was truly appalling. The reporter met with "child traffic-ers" using a Haitian translator, and at a hotel pool-side, negotiated the sale of a child to do "whatever you want" with. Later, two hotel personnel called the reporter over to where they were sitting. In English they told him that they had overheard, and that they wanted sell him a child!

In the rest of the program cameras followed the reporter as he visited a young girl who was a slave, and interviewed her, her "owner" and her family. I thought as citizens of the world today we were a little more civilized, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

A new book about modern slavery, "A Crime So Monstrous" by E. Benjamin Skinner, discusses the UNICEF's estimate of 300,000 child slaves in Haiti.

I'm going to request that my library purchase these two books I've mentioned so that I can better educate myself on this issue.

http://www.antislavery.org/

http://www.freetheslaves.net/

Brad Paisley & Kermit the Frog

Ah, two of my favorite personalities: Brad Paisley and Kermit in a musical duel! Enjoy!


Thanks for the tips on how to post videos!

Jeeves & Wooster

The British comedy "Jeeves & Wooster" has been around for a long time, but I just recently discovered it and it is hilarious! Hugh Laurie (House) plays Wooster-- and he's a lot more likable in this role. :) The basic plot line is that Bertie Wooster, an aristocratic bachelor who has eccentric family and friends, gets into ridiculous scrapes. His savvy valet, Jeeves, comes up with an equally ridiculous scheme to save the day.
I've checked out one DVD from the library, and I'm planning on seeing the rest of the episodes this summer.
One of my former co-workers also told me about the Jeeves and Wooster alarm clock! When I start getting a real pay-check, this is on my list of goodies to buy. Check out the link here. Every morning "Jeeves" (Stephen Fry) says something funny to wake up to. An alarm kicks in after a couple of minutes in case you're a heavier sleeper.

Preschool Mythology

My mom, who taught elementary school for thirteen years before I was born, never sent my brother or I to preschool, and I won't be sending my kids to preschool either. I'm not saying that parents who do are "bad" parents, but I feel like it's so much better to let your little kids be at home with mom. From a psychology standpoint, the first eight years are the most crucial to a child's development-- why wouldn't you want to have as much positive influence during that time as possible? From an educator's perspective (mine), the students who had parents at home with them and reading to them/with them are much further ahead than kids who were carted off to preschool at the tender age of three or four. Having gone through a teacher education program, I am more disgusted than not by the trends in public education, and more appalled by the current philosophies of early childhood education than any other level (with the possible exception of special education, but that's a topic for another day.)
This is an excerpt from a listener's letter to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the host of a very popular (and deservedly so) syndicated radio show (am 570 KNRS 1pm-4)-- I thought it captured the essence of why I "don't believe in preschool."

"I am a Stay At Home Mom with a masters degree who chose to quit my job to raise my three sons (age 5, 2, and 11 months). I never dreamed of growing up to be a mom. I wanted to use my brain, get an education, and change the world through my career. Now, every day I find myself using my brain, getting an education, and (hopefully) changing my little piece of the world as I work to shape my boys into men.

I have never been a believer in sending my kids to preschool, for a couple reasons. First, I never went to preschool, and was always at the top of my class. But most importantly, I think kids need time to be kids.

Instead of sitting in a classroom for a big part of the week, I want my kids to play and read with me and go to the library and find books of their own. I want the freedom of knowing I can wake up and decide that we are going to hang out in our PJs until noon and make bread or watch the birds building nests on our porch. I want to help them make forts and play hide-n-seek and go on adventure walks around the neighborhood, even though it takes us twenty minutes to get past two houses. I want them to go to the store and pick out their own veggies to plant in the garden. I want them to have snowball fights with me when I'm shoveling the driveway and help me fix dinner for someone who is sick... My kids will get to be little and they will get to have fun. They are not in a hurry.
And neither am I. "

To view the full letter click here.

Slow Poisoning the Public

I assigned my sophomores and juniors at Clearfield High to write a persuasive paper; and since I don't ask my students to do something I'm not willing to do myself, I wrote one too. Here it is: my rant about putting flouride in the water. (It's about three double-spaced pages long.)

Slow Poisoning the Public (April 2008)

Doctors and nutritionists recommend drinking several glasses of poison a day. Well, actually they recommend drinking several glasses of water a day, but if you’re drinking fluoridated tap water, it could amount to the same thing. Many cities in the United States now add fluoride to public water supplies, with the intent of preventing tooth decay. Not only does fluoridation of drinking water have little impact on reducing cavities, it actually contributes to a plethora of diseases and abnormalities.
The topic of fluoridation has become a heated debate, and is the subject of numerous articles, reports, studies, and publications. Promoters of fluoridation use non-profit web sites as a platform to refer to their opponents as “poison mongers” or “quacks” and suggest that the so-called “scare tactics” of those opposed to fluoride are comparable to the techniques of Adolf Hitler (http://www.fluorideinfo.org). While these parties name-call and refute current medical evidence, they fail to produce substantial support for the benefits of fluoridated water. Professor Albert Schatz, Ph.D. (Microbiology), the discoverer of streptomycin & Nobel Prize Winner declared, “Fluoridation ... it is the greatest fraud that has ever been perpetrated, and it has been perpetrated on more people than any other fraud has” (http://www.apfn.org/apfn/poison.htm).
Simply put, fluoride is a chemical compound that combines of the basic element of fluorine with another element. The naturally occurring fluorine is defined as “a corrosive, toxic, greenish-yellow gaseous chemical element” (Agnes, 545). The main fluoride chemical added to water is called hydrofluorocilic acid, and it is an industrial waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry! The National Academy of Sciences has stated that fluoride is not an essential nutrient. In other words the body doesn’t need fluoride for any of its functions, and tooth decay is not caused by a lack of fluoride (http://www.fluoridealert.org).
Even if fluoride could guarantee the consumer would never have another cavity, which it certainly can’t, an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) scientist, Dr. William Marcus, called fluoride “a carcinogen by any standard we use” (http://www.apfn.org/apfn/fluoride-expert.htm).
Cancer or cavities, which is worse? Fluoridation has been linked to bone cancer, but there are several other health risks as well.
Studies published by scholarly medical journals have linked low and moderate doses of fluoride to bone fracture, joint pain, arthritis, skin rash, reduced thyroid activity, and decreased IQ. Perhaps the most common disorder that results from too much absorption of fluoride is dental fluorosis, which creates stained, mottled, brittle teeth. (http://www.fluoridealert.org). While fluoride can do something to prevent tooth decay, it provides the greatest benefit when it is in direct contact with the teeth, not when it is ingested. The United States and Canada have been slow to discover what Europe has already learned about water fluoridation. Most Western European countries have rejected this procedure, including: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland (http://www.fluoridealert.org).
The American Dental Association (ADA) is a major proponent of fluoridated water,
(although increasingly dentists are renouncing this practice) however even the ADA has admitted that it is unsafe for infants to drink formula mixed with fluoridated water. Babies have a greater risk of developing dental fluorosis, and the U.S. National Research Council reports that fluoride can interfere with the functions of the brain (http://www.fluoridealert.org).
Should people stop drinking fluoridated water? Absolutely! “Is it really that bad?” Yes!
Fluoridation has been easy for the public to ignore, because most people don’t experience the
negative side effects immediately. They might drink a glass of water and say, “I feel fine.” just as a smoker might light up and say, “That didn’t hurt me.” Over time fluoride builds up deposits in the bones. Young adults who don’t care today, will pay dearly tomorrow.
The growing number of Americans who don’t want fluoride in their water have been
greatly imposed upon. Standard water filtration systems, such as Brita, cannot eliminate fluoride from water. Only expensive reverse-osmosis or activated alumina filters will effectively remove fluoride. It is relatively easy for those who want to take fluoride internally to swallow a tablet, or otherwise add it to their water, but families who don’t want fluoride have to purchase a costly filter, or buy all their drinking and cooking water. That still doesn’t keep fluoride from invading them at local restaurants, or public drinking fountains, and they still have to shower and water their lawn and garden with the chemical.
When it comes to something as basic and necessary as water, people should not be forced to have an additive in the water that comes into their home. The Past President of the American Medical Association, Dr. Charles Heyd said, “I am appalled at the prospect of using water as a
vehicle for drugs. Fluoride is a corrosive poison that will produce serious effects on a long range
basis. Any attempt to use water this way is deplorable” (http://www.apfn.org/apfn/fluoride-expert.htm).
Those who value their own health and rights can begin today to reduce or eliminate their
consumption of fluoridated water. Those who value the health and rights of their family,
friends, and neighbors can inform them of the danger that exists each time they turn on the
faucet, or fix a bottle for their baby. It’s also time to let local and national representatives know
that this is an important issue for the 170 million Americans who are subjected to fluoridated water. The risks immensely exceed any possible benefits, and forcing fluoridation on the
American public violates medical ethics and denies freedom of choice.