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.

84, Charing Cross Road

It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I hold in my hand the paperback I just finished reading. I know it's a small book, and a quick read. Furthermore, I had to read it for a class- but Heaven knows that there have been plenty of books that I've had to read for classes that I only "kinda" read and then supplemented with the film version.

I like to read- I don't know why I don't spend more time doing it. I used to read all the time as a kid and a preteen. Sometimes I think it would have been nice to have taken two years off from college and done nothing but go to the library and raid it. I'd read from all different kinds of genres and sections; I'd check out all different kinds of music too- go through every classical CD on the shelf, listen to every Beatles song ever recorded- wade through the whiney saxophone jazz to get to the really good stuff. I'd bring home old movies, and I'd write every day. And from the books I'd bring home I'd teach myself history, art, and gardening.

I almost feel strangely guilty these days when I think about reading a book that I just want to read. I feel like there's something else I probably should be doing instead. And when I actually do take a rest from school assignments and work, I find myself dosing off after a few pages. I curl up with the book, start to read, put the book down-just for a minute- and two hours later I wake up. Sigh.

About the book I read today: I've always wondered if I was some kind of freak in the English Department because I'm not a real big fiction reader. I love kid's books and young adult novels. I'm a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and Jane Austen's writings. But I've never opened the cover of a Harry Potter book, for example (unless it was the back cover to scan the barcode and check it in). I've read a lot of fiction "Classics" in my literature classes, but most of them I read and never think about again. Right now I'm doing "The Grapes of Wrath" -- and I'll admit it, I'm getting bored. Even though Steinbeck went to a great deal of trouble and research in writing this book, his characters aren't that real to me; I don't really sympathize too strongly with his crass Joad family. And the detail- although it's amazing well-written - has lost its thrill for me. Get on with it, already! The book I just finished, however, I'm sure I will read again, and actually think about it in my life. "84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff. What a great read. The book is a series of letters between an American writer (Helene) and a British bookseller, Frank Doel. I think Helene describes my real problem with popular fiction in one of her letters, "I never can get interested in things that didn't happen to people who never lived."

Fact is stranger than fiction anyway. And less predictable. Generally speaking, I'm a much better writer of stories based on life. Maybe because it interests me more. Adult fiction just isn't as good as children's fiction, or young adult fiction; it's far less imaginative too. Adult fiction usually can fit in one of three categories: sappy/sleazy romance, violent/gory murder, or elf-infested fantasy. No wonder I'm not wild about it. Ah, well. Enough for now. I just had to celebrate "The Finishing of The Book" if nothing else to remember how good it feels to do it.

In the Beginning...

As an English major, I am pursing a degree in a department that perhaps has the distinction of boasting graduates who can produce more baloney in oral or written form, than graduates in any other field of study. Don't get me wrong, I love English. But I also understand how ridiculous people in my area can be. There is nothing worse than the agony of sitting in an upper-division English class, listening to some brown-nosing student go on about the apparent symbolism in the novel you are reading.

"The yellow tie," they will begin to explain, "represents the regrets that hang about his neck for his lost childhood." English students and professors are notorious for finding the "deeper meanings" in a text, that may or may not actually exsist. The freshman student will be sitting in one of these classes and start to question their adequacy, terrified, thoughts will come to their head like, "Am I just plain stupid? I never would have seen that in this book- maybe I don't belong at the University- the yellow tie stands for what? I wonder if that will be on the Final."

The student who is making the comment- if they buy into it, and like making up that kind of rubbish, will probably pursue the college teaching route (someday I may eat crow for that). If however, you thoughtfully reach the conclusion that this is balderdash, your writing career looks bright. Then college-age students across the country can read your book and overanalyze the symbolism, hidden motivations of characters, the obvious Oedipus complex in your leading man, and the political agenda you, the author, were trying to push.

Ah yes, it's a great major- and if anyone ever says it isn't, at least you can effectively use clever language and five-dollar words to develop a clear arguement with a strong thesis supported by at least three main points!