Wednesday, July 20, 2005

evening

Barbie Says, “Math Is Hard”

I admit it, I’ve always hated math.  For some reason, when I was in school (and really, now too), I had difficulty with things I didn’t understand immediately or wasn’t able to to teach myself.  Math was one of those things, so I ended up just not trying very hard.  To be fair to me, I also had some pretty crappy math teachers throughout the years.  Except for Mr. Meadors in junior high, I pretty much hated them all.  So, it surprised me when I actually liked a book about...M-A-T-H.  Count Down : Six Kids Vie for Glory at the World’s Toughest Math Competition - I think I liked learning that math could be a creative process and these kids were rewarded with thinking up creative ways to solve a math problem.  Perhaps if I’d been exposed to learning math this way, I would’ve enjoyed it more.  So, for those of you with math hating kids, get them to read this book.  It might get them to find an interest in math, which can only be good.  I wish I’d worked harder in school because honestly, if some of the kids in my class could pass Geometry B, there was no reason for me to fail it.  I will admit that taking Basic Math in high school with the, uh, less academically inclined kids was fun.  We did a worksheet of basic math problems every day.  The teacher would pass out the worksheet, then explain it to everyone.  By the time he was done explaining it to everyone, I was done with it.  That adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing stuff was always pretty easy.  It made me feel S-M-R-T (™ The Simpsons)

early evening

Welcome to America - Your Rights Stop At The Border

In Canada, Leigh-Ann and I can now legally get married. In the United States, our president nominated a judge to the highest court in the land who would joyfully love to overturn Rove v. Wade.  You know, I’m not in favor of abortion, because really, who is?  But I’m in favor of every woman (or man, for that matter) choosing what’s right for our own bodies/lives.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

evening

Templates Schmemplates

Still working on it.  Maybe if I’d actually read a book about CSS or something…

Finally finished reading Down Came the Rain : My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields.  I thought the first half of the book was important information for mothers.  The 200+ page book was about 100 pages too long.  Her message is important and lots of mothers may identify with the first half of the book...and the last maybe twenty pages.  Between that, it was a whole lotta boring stuff about her going back to work and going to therapy.  Really, I like Brooke Shields and I wanted to like the whole book, but she lost me halfway.  I guess I missed some of the dialogue between her and her husband that was in the beginning of the book.  He seems like a sweet and funny husband/father.  Since I don’t have any kids, perhaps actual moms might feel differently about the book.

I don’t know if Heather Armstrong considers the relapse of her depression after the birth of her baby to be related to PPD, but I have to say that if you’re going to read about someone’s struggles with depression and the struggle to overcome it, I’d recommend her depression archives over Brooke Shields’ book any day.  And hey, for now, her writing is free. 

I think Brooke Shields has done an important thing, by putting a famous face to post-partum depression and getting the message out there, but her book could’ve used some editing and perhaps a little ghostwriting by her husband.  But damn, that’s one cute baby she has.

Monday, July 18, 2005

early afternoon

Snippets

I stretched too hard and hurt my neck, giving myself a headache.  Lame.
I started reading the Brooke Shields book last night - someone should MAKE Tom Cruise read it.
I’m tired.  I need a schedule.  I need to not go to bed at 4am.
I need to clean up my desk.  It’s not dirty, but it’s grotesquely messy.
Anyone who had anything to do with leaking Valerie Plame’s name should have to be have to be Helaine Olen’s nanny, until her children are adults.  Plus, live in her house.  And pay a twenty million dollar fine.  And then have to move to Iraq, because it’s like a democracy now, ya know.
I’m quickly losing my memory.  It’s kind of frightening.
Von’s grocery delivery is awesome.  You can even buy ice and not have to rush home because it’s 116F/46.66666666666667C outside.
I wonder when I’ll tire of the Fahrenheit/Celsius converter?
Can anyone find these cookies for me - Tarallini con Sesamo?  We got them at CoffeeFest and they were fabulous, but every single site I’ve found when looking for them is in Italian.  I don’t know Italian.  It’s too bad they weren’t Spanish cookies.  I could muddle my way through Spanish sites.
Starbucks now has Green Tea Frappuccinos - they don’t taste like algae, like green tea bubble tea.  I guess it’s green tea for wusses.  Anyway, I likey.

From my blog weather module - “Feels Like: 127°F (53°C)”  

Sunday, July 17, 2005

late morning

Two People - That’s Popular Demand, Right?

Okay, I’ve waitlisted for BlogHer.  Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.  Or something like that…

I really need to figure out how to curve my text.  But, for now, the pool calls!  Yes indeedy, it’s 114F/45.55555555555556C here today.