This is a GREAT song. Just had to share.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
"If it's too hard, I'm not doing it"
With one row of border to go on the afghan that I've been working on off and on (mostly off) for the last six months, I encountered the words "single crochet from left to right"
WHAT?! That's backwards.
That's not how it's done, what does it even do?
Answer: it creates a really cool ripple pattern, spirally.
As I'm sitting here wrapped up in the finished product, I've just realized it's a double helix. You know, like DNA. Because my yarn obsession doesn't make me dorky enough, I had to throw in that example.
I am really proud of this blanket, though. It's my first afghan, and it is proof that I can finish something of ginormous proportions. It might just take half a year.
I'm definitely going to take a break from the epic crochet projects (see picture of tablecloth in earlier post, if you're wondering why) but eventually I'd like to make a complimentary afghan. Same pattern, warm colors, and this one for me so I stop stealing Ben's.
Really, I've spent more time under the thing than he has, and it is his Christmas present.
PS- I swear to god this wallpaper is the same paper Oscar Wilde was talking about. His last words were, and I quote, "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."
WHAT?! That's backwards.
That's not how it's done, what does it even do?
Answer: it creates a really cool ripple pattern, spirally.
As I'm sitting here wrapped up in the finished product, I've just realized it's a double helix. You know, like DNA. Because my yarn obsession doesn't make me dorky enough, I had to throw in that example.
I am really proud of this blanket, though. It's my first afghan, and it is proof that I can finish something of ginormous proportions. It might just take half a year.
I'm definitely going to take a break from the epic crochet projects (see picture of tablecloth in earlier post, if you're wondering why) but eventually I'd like to make a complimentary afghan. Same pattern, warm colors, and this one for me so I stop stealing Ben's.
Really, I've spent more time under the thing than he has, and it is his Christmas present.
PS- I swear to god this wallpaper is the same paper Oscar Wilde was talking about. His last words were, and I quote, "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
State of the Onion
I can't watch the State of the Union (or as Ben says, onion) silently. I can't do it.
But! This is not about the State of the Onion address, because I missed most of it while we were at a panel discussion and then while I was making ravioli when we got home because I was starving.
Today's actual topic is the panel discussion that Ben and I went to on men of color, primarily African American men, in education.
Nothing astoundingly profound was said, mostly stuff that we all already know, but I thought I'd reiterate some of the things that I agree with here.
- It takes a village.
Of course it does. Mostly, their point (and btw, the panel consisted of the Superintendent of Phila, a teacher, a principal, etc) was that if everybody cared for other kids as much as they care for their own, we could convince these kids that school is important. A kid that has one person that cares about their education will be more successful than one that has no one.
- Early childhood education
The super really stressed this, and for the most part I think she's right. If we're letting children leave third grade without basic reading and math skills, they will not succeed. It's nearly impossible to bridge the achievement gap after third grade, and you get 20 year old seniors that are for all intents and purposes illiterate. Fact: children learn the most at a young age.
Why not utilize this information.
I'd like to add that we need administrators who won't push kids through to push papers. If they're failing, fail them.
I missed this because I was counting crochet stitches on my hat, but Ben said that the principal of the charter school was subtly all about getting rid of "the system."
He was in charge of his charter school, and he took responsibility for getting to know the kids, and making sure that they were provided with a well rounded education, which included ARTS, as well as sports, and academics, and just generally making sure that his kids were turning into good people, without answering to the school district of Philadelphia.
Amen. I vote get rid of that system, because clearly, it doesn't work.
We need more TRULY ALTERNATIVE schools. Montessori schools, etc.
And finally, most importantly, the super quoted a sign that hangs on a teacher's door.
"If they can't learn the way I teach, I will teach the way they learn."
Yes, you will. Because that's your job as a teacher.
But! This is not about the State of the Onion address, because I missed most of it while we were at a panel discussion and then while I was making ravioli when we got home because I was starving.
Today's actual topic is the panel discussion that Ben and I went to on men of color, primarily African American men, in education.
Nothing astoundingly profound was said, mostly stuff that we all already know, but I thought I'd reiterate some of the things that I agree with here.
- It takes a village.
Of course it does. Mostly, their point (and btw, the panel consisted of the Superintendent of Phila, a teacher, a principal, etc) was that if everybody cared for other kids as much as they care for their own, we could convince these kids that school is important. A kid that has one person that cares about their education will be more successful than one that has no one.
- Early childhood education
The super really stressed this, and for the most part I think she's right. If we're letting children leave third grade without basic reading and math skills, they will not succeed. It's nearly impossible to bridge the achievement gap after third grade, and you get 20 year old seniors that are for all intents and purposes illiterate. Fact: children learn the most at a young age.
Why not utilize this information.
I'd like to add that we need administrators who won't push kids through to push papers. If they're failing, fail them.
I missed this because I was counting crochet stitches on my hat, but Ben said that the principal of the charter school was subtly all about getting rid of "the system."
He was in charge of his charter school, and he took responsibility for getting to know the kids, and making sure that they were provided with a well rounded education, which included ARTS, as well as sports, and academics, and just generally making sure that his kids were turning into good people, without answering to the school district of Philadelphia.
Amen. I vote get rid of that system, because clearly, it doesn't work.
We need more TRULY ALTERNATIVE schools. Montessori schools, etc.
And finally, most importantly, the super quoted a sign that hangs on a teacher's door.
"If they can't learn the way I teach, I will teach the way they learn."
Yes, you will. Because that's your job as a teacher.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
I finally got around to this book. It was on the list for awhile because it got so popular so fast, and that was also the reason that I never made a huge effort to read it. I was curious why it took off the way it did, but I was also a little wary of it because some other things that have rocketed to the top of the bestseller list have been absolute crap.
This is not the case with this book.
At book club, where we discussed the book before I had finished it, someone else who hadn't read it yet asked why it was so popular.
In my opinion, for two reasons.
1) It has a little bit of everything, which makes it appealing to a lot of people.
2) It's an exceptionally well plotted mystery.
For example, it's dark, it's thrilling, there's some gore, lots of casual sex which I'm sure appeals to all the men. I mean really, what man doesn't want to have the relationships that Mikael has? He sleeps with EVERYONE and yet NOBODY seems to mind. Genius ploy to acquire male readers.
At the same time, there's loads of girl power to attract the women. The women Mikael sleeps with are using him just as much as he's using them, which is kind of a refreshing change. And then there's Lisbeth Salander, who is quite frankly, awesome.
As for part two of my two reasons, it's rare to encounter a mystery that I can't solve. This one is incredibly well plotted- the pace is steady, and it's long, but it's all necessary (except maybe the financial world jargon at the beginning. If I was his editor I'd have made him make that part shorter) But really, I'd have only cut the thing by maybe 50 pages. The red herrings for me were clearly red herrings, but they don't point you in the direction of the actual clues. The only other writers I can think of that do this well are Mary Higgins Clark and Arturo Perez-Reverte.
If you like a good mystery, go read them. And this book. The blurbs on the cover are right- it's thrilling. I found myself reading so fast that I wasn't giving proper thought to whodunit, and subsequently, I couldn't solve it. I'm not sure that I'd have been able to solve it even if I was thinking about it. Larsson gives you so much information that you can't know what's relevant until he tells you.
Oh, and there's lots of James Bond type stuff, too. Disguises, gadgets, hacking, the usual.
I need the next two books in the trilogy. I recommend having them close by when you're done with this one.
Go forth and read.
This is not the case with this book.
At book club, where we discussed the book before I had finished it, someone else who hadn't read it yet asked why it was so popular.
In my opinion, for two reasons.
1) It has a little bit of everything, which makes it appealing to a lot of people.
2) It's an exceptionally well plotted mystery.
For example, it's dark, it's thrilling, there's some gore, lots of casual sex which I'm sure appeals to all the men. I mean really, what man doesn't want to have the relationships that Mikael has? He sleeps with EVERYONE and yet NOBODY seems to mind. Genius ploy to acquire male readers.
At the same time, there's loads of girl power to attract the women. The women Mikael sleeps with are using him just as much as he's using them, which is kind of a refreshing change. And then there's Lisbeth Salander, who is quite frankly, awesome.
As for part two of my two reasons, it's rare to encounter a mystery that I can't solve. This one is incredibly well plotted- the pace is steady, and it's long, but it's all necessary (except maybe the financial world jargon at the beginning. If I was his editor I'd have made him make that part shorter) But really, I'd have only cut the thing by maybe 50 pages. The red herrings for me were clearly red herrings, but they don't point you in the direction of the actual clues. The only other writers I can think of that do this well are Mary Higgins Clark and Arturo Perez-Reverte.
If you like a good mystery, go read them. And this book. The blurbs on the cover are right- it's thrilling. I found myself reading so fast that I wasn't giving proper thought to whodunit, and subsequently, I couldn't solve it. I'm not sure that I'd have been able to solve it even if I was thinking about it. Larsson gives you so much information that you can't know what's relevant until he tells you.
Oh, and there's lots of James Bond type stuff, too. Disguises, gadgets, hacking, the usual.
I need the next two books in the trilogy. I recommend having them close by when you're done with this one.
Go forth and read.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Patterns from the Past
I'm on a yarn kick, as you can tell. I mean, I'm always on a yarn kick, that's why it's an addiction, but on the blog I've been talking about yarn a lot. So here's today's post/picture.
It's a sweater that I've been working on for over a year. And I haven't picked it up in almost a year. I'd like to finish it though. After the gazillion other projects that I have lined up.
Oh, well. It will get done eventually.
It's a sweater that I've been working on for over a year. And I haven't picked it up in almost a year. I'd like to finish it though. After the gazillion other projects that I have lined up.
Oh, well. It will get done eventually.
Friday, January 21, 2011
video crack
Actually, this has nothing to do with QuickDraw.
It does have to do with my current song addiction.
Enjoy.
It does have to do with my current song addiction.
Enjoy.
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