Sick of rain and snow, my husband and I opted to spend all of Saturday doing errands and getting the kids and myself out of the house. I freelance write and had been completing assignments for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and a travel guide for a city in Vermont. There has been nothing but rain and gloom for 9 days here, and this was topped off by a snow storm yesterday. Our basement is now flooding and in general I am sick to death of this weather.
Anyway, Saturday we are driving down Shelburne Road, not one of the best roads in town due to the congestion, and this woman on a side street decides she wants to ignore the red light and pull out in front of traffic. My husband didn't have time to stop, so he got past her okay by swerving into the other lane half way, but she was obviously pissed that he didn't stop and let her out ahead of him. A few miles down the road, she passes us on the right by using a turn-only lane and misses our car by inches as she cut back in. Now, my husband at this point is laughing at her stupidity--she was in a brand new (temp plates anyway) Pontiac Grand Am, our car is a few years old. Had she hit us, she was clearly at fault for passing us in a turn-only lane, and she would have owed us a nice little sum. She then proceeds to give us the finger repeatedly by slowing to a crawl. Meanwhile, there is this elderly woman in the car looking scared to death. I grabbed my cell phone and made it look like I was calling in her license plate number (don't really think that would do any good around here, but it did the trick) she flipped us off once more and sped off until she was on another car's bumper.
Usually this would tick me off more than it did, but the speeds were slow enough that I know any damage caused wouldn't have hurt any of us. This was apparently only the beginning however. We then ran into a real jerk who kept pushing his cart into my daughter anytime she wasn't tucked right against my cart. Instead of apologizing, he would comment that she needed to get out of the way of adults. This store, Mr. G's, doesn't have huge aisles, I understand that, but at the same time, he seemed to be following us around. I would see him go into an aisle and bypass it and all of the sudden he would be right there again, so I'd backtrack to an area I missed and he'd be there again.
At another store (a Bouyea Fassetts Bread store), the clerk insisted that a sale item wasn't on sale until the manager came up front and told her he'd discussed it in the staff meeting and that if she looked at the sales notice pinned to the register she would have seen it.
It just seemed no matter where we went, the people were extremely pushy and argumentative. With this in mind, I wonder how much of this is weather related. I know I deal with SAD from time to time, but this long dreary period when we should be much warmer must be affecting lots.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Fate's Twisted Humor
Growing up in VT, Ben and Jerry's has been a staple of my life for decades. Unfortunately, in the past decade, their quality has gone downhill in my opinion. It's mass produced now and you can tell it.
So a couple weekends ago, I came across another locally made ice cream, Island Ice Cream, that is made about 15 miles from my house. We drove over to the islands in Lake Champlain to buy some. http://www.islandhomemadeicecream.com/
On the drive to Keeler's Bay Variety Store, we saw a smooshed rabbit in the road. Now, obviously my kids are older so this wasn't too disturbing to them. Nonetheless, my daughter did have to ask about how many kids were seeing this dead rabbit and thinking Easter Bunny... It was rather twisted to think about it being the day before Easter and there was a bunny dead in the middle of the road...
So a couple weekends ago, I came across another locally made ice cream, Island Ice Cream, that is made about 15 miles from my house. We drove over to the islands in Lake Champlain to buy some. http://www.islandhomemadeicecream.com/
On the drive to Keeler's Bay Variety Store, we saw a smooshed rabbit in the road. Now, obviously my kids are older so this wasn't too disturbing to them. Nonetheless, my daughter did have to ask about how many kids were seeing this dead rabbit and thinking Easter Bunny... It was rather twisted to think about it being the day before Easter and there was a bunny dead in the middle of the road...
The Feminine Mistake?
So I recently heard about the major debate over author Leslie Bennetts' book "The Feminine Mistake." Apparently, the author brings up points about why becoming a stay-at-home mom is a bad thing. My immediate goal was to find out more about this woman. She is a mom, so she gets minor points there.
I have been a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years. Sure, I rely on my husband for money, the government told me long ago that I'm useless to them and that as a "non-working" entity, I am entitled to NOTHING, I do some writing from home to supplement our income and to earn enough credits to qualify for any social security benefits that may or may not be around by the time I am of retirement age. I will not argue the author's points regarding the financial aspects of being a stay-at-home mom.
However, I would not change my life. I'll take the lower pay scale having been out of the actual work force for more than a decade. My kids are well-adjusted, do not touch drugs or alcohol, they have not had sex by the age of 13 like many of their peers, and they are both straight A students. To me, that is far more important that money.
In my childhood, almost every mom in the neighborhood stayed home until the kids were in middle school. We are all well adjusted. The one mom who did work. Her son has been in and out of jail, beats his wife, and is raising his children by ignoring them unless they've done something wrong and in that case he'll smack them around too.
In my own neighborhood now, I look at the homes where the moms either work from home or stay home. Those are the children who never get into trouble. Across the street, we have girls who actively do drugs and are dating boys much older than themselves. In other homes, one boy was dating a girl 10 years older and his mom was at work and seemed not to care "she's slow and seems to be mentally the same age..." A kid down the road almost went to jail for destroying headstones in the cemetary because his mom was working and he was "bored." Some former neighbors used to kill time when their mom was at work by having sex with the neighborhood boys. For these girls it became a game to see how many times they could have sex before the mom came home. Sadly, and far too often, I'd see the mom pull into the driveway and then the boy would be climbing out the bedroom window. Where are they now? Both girls are now in their early twenties and both girls are moms. Each had a child by her 19th birthday.
This isn't what I wanted of my kids. I'll take the loss of pay and stay home until they have matured enough to know right from wrong. My kids know that we could be in a much nicer place financially had I not given up my job as the assistant to the president of a mailing company, but I was willing to sacrifice everything to raise children who know how much I was willing to forego. Eventually, I will be returning to the workforce. In the meantime, I am tired of those who do think that SAHM's are going against the ideals set by feminists years ago. Perhaps the freedom to choose what you feel is right for yourself and your children is the ideal goal.
Would I buy this book? Never. I don't feel the need to pad someone's pockets when they are not showing both sides of the issues.
I have been a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years. Sure, I rely on my husband for money, the government told me long ago that I'm useless to them and that as a "non-working" entity, I am entitled to NOTHING, I do some writing from home to supplement our income and to earn enough credits to qualify for any social security benefits that may or may not be around by the time I am of retirement age. I will not argue the author's points regarding the financial aspects of being a stay-at-home mom.
However, I would not change my life. I'll take the lower pay scale having been out of the actual work force for more than a decade. My kids are well-adjusted, do not touch drugs or alcohol, they have not had sex by the age of 13 like many of their peers, and they are both straight A students. To me, that is far more important that money.
In my childhood, almost every mom in the neighborhood stayed home until the kids were in middle school. We are all well adjusted. The one mom who did work. Her son has been in and out of jail, beats his wife, and is raising his children by ignoring them unless they've done something wrong and in that case he'll smack them around too.
In my own neighborhood now, I look at the homes where the moms either work from home or stay home. Those are the children who never get into trouble. Across the street, we have girls who actively do drugs and are dating boys much older than themselves. In other homes, one boy was dating a girl 10 years older and his mom was at work and seemed not to care "she's slow and seems to be mentally the same age..." A kid down the road almost went to jail for destroying headstones in the cemetary because his mom was working and he was "bored." Some former neighbors used to kill time when their mom was at work by having sex with the neighborhood boys. For these girls it became a game to see how many times they could have sex before the mom came home. Sadly, and far too often, I'd see the mom pull into the driveway and then the boy would be climbing out the bedroom window. Where are they now? Both girls are now in their early twenties and both girls are moms. Each had a child by her 19th birthday.
This isn't what I wanted of my kids. I'll take the loss of pay and stay home until they have matured enough to know right from wrong. My kids know that we could be in a much nicer place financially had I not given up my job as the assistant to the president of a mailing company, but I was willing to sacrifice everything to raise children who know how much I was willing to forego. Eventually, I will be returning to the workforce. In the meantime, I am tired of those who do think that SAHM's are going against the ideals set by feminists years ago. Perhaps the freedom to choose what you feel is right for yourself and your children is the ideal goal.
Would I buy this book? Never. I don't feel the need to pad someone's pockets when they are not showing both sides of the issues.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Unseasonably Cold
Global Warming... I am sure there is some merit to it, but suddenly I find myself in the throes of winter again and given that the weather pattern has shifted oddly like this for hundreds of years, I begin to doubt that the change in weather patterns are truly based on global warming. According to my morning news, the warmest day on record happened more than 20 years ago. The coldest according to the grid at Weather.com occured in the 1920s.
So far our winter started off incredibly warm. Through early January we had little snow to talk about. Then something shifted. We started hitting sub-zero temperatures regularly and this was followed by a pattern of holiday snow storms. Valentine's day dumped more than 20 inches on most of Vermont. The same occurred on St. Patrick's Day. My neighbor jokingly asked what Easter would bring. I really wish he'd kept his mouth shut. They are saying that those of us near the lake will be spared the worst of it, most likely sticking near the 2 to 6 inch range. Those in the mountains, enjoy your 3 to 10 inches! This weather sucks! I've had enough and am extremely ready for spring
So far our winter started off incredibly warm. Through early January we had little snow to talk about. Then something shifted. We started hitting sub-zero temperatures regularly and this was followed by a pattern of holiday snow storms. Valentine's day dumped more than 20 inches on most of Vermont. The same occurred on St. Patrick's Day. My neighbor jokingly asked what Easter would bring. I really wish he'd kept his mouth shut. They are saying that those of us near the lake will be spared the worst of it, most likely sticking near the 2 to 6 inch range. Those in the mountains, enjoy your 3 to 10 inches! This weather sucks! I've had enough and am extremely ready for spring
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Education Today
My daughter is in the 4th grade and has been struggling (very frustrated) with math this half of the year. Our school uses a program developed by the University of Chicago and in my opinion it is worsening the way children are learning math.
In the past month, I have kept notes regarding what she is learning from day to day, week to week. In mid-February, they switched from learning multiplication to division. They started by memorizing basic division (the tables). It hasn't come horribly easy to her, but she's working on it.
The first trouble came when the unit jumped into long division in mid-January. They still didn't have their tables memorized and this suddenly became a huge challenge to many of them. My daughter learned this odd way that I can't see how it helps and now the frustration is kicking in because she cannot understand my way and I think her way is making the paperwork and time involved triple.
So to divide 7 into 320, the kids have to guesstimate how many times 7 would fit into 320. My daughter did a problem similar to this, guessed 30 and that leaves you with 110. She then has to figure out how many times 7 fits into 110, etc. At the end, she adds all of her "guesstimates" and gets the correct answer eventually.
Most of us learned to divide 7 into 32. Subtract, bring down the 0, and continue. It is so much faster, and neater!
Anyway, a week after this assignment, they jumped to geometry and started working on triangles. A week later they were working on surveys/polls. The next week they worked on fractions. Supposedly this breaks up the boredom. Meanwhile, we are back division now, but they are learning how to turn fractions into decimals and she's utterly confused because the division wasn't enforced for long enough that she can get the problems done. Come to find out, not that it was on the homework papers at all, they are supposed to be using a calculator now until they have learned division.
Why not just learn division before you start showing children how much easier and quicker it is to use a calculator? I think it is sad that they are teaching kids to use a calculator before they are teaching them how to do the actual math.
I'm working with her now to teach her my way of division and we are working daily so that it sticks. Sadly, I know many schools started using this "Everyday Mathematics" and I don't think that this system is truly going to help children in the long run!
In the past month, I have kept notes regarding what she is learning from day to day, week to week. In mid-February, they switched from learning multiplication to division. They started by memorizing basic division (the tables). It hasn't come horribly easy to her, but she's working on it.
The first trouble came when the unit jumped into long division in mid-January. They still didn't have their tables memorized and this suddenly became a huge challenge to many of them. My daughter learned this odd way that I can't see how it helps and now the frustration is kicking in because she cannot understand my way and I think her way is making the paperwork and time involved triple.
So to divide 7 into 320, the kids have to guesstimate how many times 7 would fit into 320. My daughter did a problem similar to this, guessed 30 and that leaves you with 110. She then has to figure out how many times 7 fits into 110, etc. At the end, she adds all of her "guesstimates" and gets the correct answer eventually.
Most of us learned to divide 7 into 32. Subtract, bring down the 0, and continue. It is so much faster, and neater!
Anyway, a week after this assignment, they jumped to geometry and started working on triangles. A week later they were working on surveys/polls. The next week they worked on fractions. Supposedly this breaks up the boredom. Meanwhile, we are back division now, but they are learning how to turn fractions into decimals and she's utterly confused because the division wasn't enforced for long enough that she can get the problems done. Come to find out, not that it was on the homework papers at all, they are supposed to be using a calculator now until they have learned division.
Why not just learn division before you start showing children how much easier and quicker it is to use a calculator? I think it is sad that they are teaching kids to use a calculator before they are teaching them how to do the actual math.
I'm working with her now to teach her my way of division and we are working daily so that it sticks. Sadly, I know many schools started using this "Everyday Mathematics" and I don't think that this system is truly going to help children in the long run!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
American Idol/Sanjaya #2
Never mind, I was just reading that Howard Stern has been on a quest to prove that he can control who wins American Idol. He's been urging his listeners to vote for the worst contestant. Given that, we all know that Sanjaya is guaranteed to win. May as well stop watching now.
American Idol
Okay, I'm not a big fan of reality shows over all, but I do watch American Idol. Like many viewers, I'm left wondering exactly what these teeny-boppers see in Sanjaya.
American Idol is supposed to be about TALENT not looks, yet week after week the rather lame Sanjaya whose performances strike me as very bland, makes it another round. His faux-hawk was just as weak as his performance, and I have a feeling that hair-do helped him stay out of the bottom three.
I guess what I don't understand. Sanjaya seems to be a decent, slightly shy kid. He has to know he's not as good as the rest of the competition. By now he knows he is the laughing stock and that he's even pushed one woman (slightly deranged albeit) to go on a hunger strike until he's booted out. In fact, he's even pushed Simon to serious consideration of not returning for another season. With all of this in mind, how can he not resign? Apart from some ten-year-olds, and what 17 year old wants to be the object of a 10 year old's devotion, and his family and friends, he's not getting support from the rest of us. In fact, I know quite a few people who loathe him.
After last night, I had to wonder. Is it really the 10 year old crowd that is pushing him through? Perhaps, those who have hated Idol and all it stands for are voting for the weakest link to show just how ludicrous the show has become...
Ratings are down over last year - I don't find that surprising. Even I am sick of it. Tony Bennett is next week, I think I won't mind skipping it at all.
American Idol is supposed to be about TALENT not looks, yet week after week the rather lame Sanjaya whose performances strike me as very bland, makes it another round. His faux-hawk was just as weak as his performance, and I have a feeling that hair-do helped him stay out of the bottom three.
I guess what I don't understand. Sanjaya seems to be a decent, slightly shy kid. He has to know he's not as good as the rest of the competition. By now he knows he is the laughing stock and that he's even pushed one woman (slightly deranged albeit) to go on a hunger strike until he's booted out. In fact, he's even pushed Simon to serious consideration of not returning for another season. With all of this in mind, how can he not resign? Apart from some ten-year-olds, and what 17 year old wants to be the object of a 10 year old's devotion, and his family and friends, he's not getting support from the rest of us. In fact, I know quite a few people who loathe him.
After last night, I had to wonder. Is it really the 10 year old crowd that is pushing him through? Perhaps, those who have hated Idol and all it stands for are voting for the weakest link to show just how ludicrous the show has become...
Ratings are down over last year - I don't find that surprising. Even I am sick of it. Tony Bennett is next week, I think I won't mind skipping it at all.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
How It Should Be Vs. How It Is
American Idol - Sanjaya. I realize he'll win because of his amazingly large population of fans. He just doesn't have the talent in my opinion. With training perhaps, but he has no stage presence and his vocals are far too weak and timid. His hair, I don't even want to go there. When he told Simon he was just jealous - trust me Simon had nothing to be jealous over. The hair was ridiculous!
Television:
Television in general. It was a dreary, rainy day yesterday so I watched some television in the afternoon while waiting for my daughter's bus. Here there is a rule that a child is not dropped off unless the parent is visible. Flipping channels, I came across The Real Housewives of Orange County - WHY are people paying these women to act ridiculous? Then one of my top billed "Shows that have no place on television" I Love New York. WHY are these men fighting to get to be with her? I've yet to understood that. She's loud, brass, obnoxious, and sorry but just not that attractive at all. I can't imagine why they stay and put up with her. I'd like to see the tides of TV turn and get away from reality TV and focus on something better that doesn't make my mind melt after thirty seconds. Too many people are now making money for ludicrous reasons.
Music:
My daughter came home and told us she had to do a report for her music class (4th grade) and had chosen Ray Charles. First, I'm impressed by her choice. Second, I'm happy to say that we've listened to lots of Ray Charles in the past week and she's really enjoying most of it. I wish more schools could offer music classes and take this approach to showing kids that there is a lot more out there. Sadly, I also know that many schools have given up their music classes to keep budgets down. If teachers would stop asking for dramatic pay raises in some areas. (Speaking from experience, my son's 2nd grade teacher was making $50,000 five years ago, she's now up to $62,000. She's not a great teacher and often made him feel very inadequate, despite the fact that he has never received less than an A- in any class.)
Speaking of teachers, I got another letter from my children's school. My son has just missed his fifth day of school this school year due to illness. The school still wants to keep student absences under three per school year. I tore up the letter and have this to say:
1. If students can't miss more than three days, why has my son's science teacher, the brainchild behind the attendance committee, already been out 10 times this year. I'm keeping tabs this year and so far he is definitely slacking!
2. How about you disinfect the school!! In my daughter's class, we were just talking to her teacher. There are 17 children in her class. One now has viral pneumonia, 10 have had strep, all 17 wound up with the stomach bug back in February, 10 had this weird high fever and lack of energy. If the kids are bringing it home to their siblings and friends, you cannot possibly expect other kids to remain healthy.
What I'm sick of is the school's attendance committee's decision that children who miss more than three days per year will fall behind in their classwork. I'm certain that is true for some. Pushing kids to attend school when they are sick is absurd. My own son is a straight A student, has been since kindergarten, and always completes any work that he misses. Until this changes, stop wasting my tax paying money and stick to focusing on the kids who truly are delinquent.
Television:
Television in general. It was a dreary, rainy day yesterday so I watched some television in the afternoon while waiting for my daughter's bus. Here there is a rule that a child is not dropped off unless the parent is visible. Flipping channels, I came across The Real Housewives of Orange County - WHY are people paying these women to act ridiculous? Then one of my top billed "Shows that have no place on television" I Love New York. WHY are these men fighting to get to be with her? I've yet to understood that. She's loud, brass, obnoxious, and sorry but just not that attractive at all. I can't imagine why they stay and put up with her. I'd like to see the tides of TV turn and get away from reality TV and focus on something better that doesn't make my mind melt after thirty seconds. Too many people are now making money for ludicrous reasons.
Music:
My daughter came home and told us she had to do a report for her music class (4th grade) and had chosen Ray Charles. First, I'm impressed by her choice. Second, I'm happy to say that we've listened to lots of Ray Charles in the past week and she's really enjoying most of it. I wish more schools could offer music classes and take this approach to showing kids that there is a lot more out there. Sadly, I also know that many schools have given up their music classes to keep budgets down. If teachers would stop asking for dramatic pay raises in some areas. (Speaking from experience, my son's 2nd grade teacher was making $50,000 five years ago, she's now up to $62,000. She's not a great teacher and often made him feel very inadequate, despite the fact that he has never received less than an A- in any class.)
Speaking of teachers, I got another letter from my children's school. My son has just missed his fifth day of school this school year due to illness. The school still wants to keep student absences under three per school year. I tore up the letter and have this to say:
1. If students can't miss more than three days, why has my son's science teacher, the brainchild behind the attendance committee, already been out 10 times this year. I'm keeping tabs this year and so far he is definitely slacking!
2. How about you disinfect the school!! In my daughter's class, we were just talking to her teacher. There are 17 children in her class. One now has viral pneumonia, 10 have had strep, all 17 wound up with the stomach bug back in February, 10 had this weird high fever and lack of energy. If the kids are bringing it home to their siblings and friends, you cannot possibly expect other kids to remain healthy.
What I'm sick of is the school's attendance committee's decision that children who miss more than three days per year will fall behind in their classwork. I'm certain that is true for some. Pushing kids to attend school when they are sick is absurd. My own son is a straight A student, has been since kindergarten, and always completes any work that he misses. Until this changes, stop wasting my tax paying money and stick to focusing on the kids who truly are delinquent.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
So, Anna Nicole Smith
For years, I have been telling my husband that Anna Nicole Smith needed serious help. I was saddened when she passed on, but I can't honestly say I was surprised. Every appearance she'd made, her speech was always slurred and she looked lousy.
Yesterday, the results on her autopsy came in. Three different antidepressants, Human Growth Hormones, sleeping pills, and pain killers. They've deemed her death accidental. I'm sure it appears that way. However, I don't get one thing. The people around her - her assistants, her supposed husband, how could they stand by and watch her pop all these pills. To me this is the real tragedy. The woman was grieving the death of her son, she was understandably despondent, and probably postpartum depression was kicking in as well. Perhaps she was in counseling, but she needed to be kept in-house and not just handed pills. She needed serious rehab.
Who was her doctor that happily prescribed her all of these different pills? I know the sleeping pill came from her friend and psychiatrist- the woman's license needs to be carefully examined in my opinion. How could those around her sit and let her take all these pills? Pills are NOT a solution!! To me that is the real tragedy. While they didn't actually kill her, from what I see they sure didn't lift a finger to help her out either. She should have been placed in a mental hospital a long time ago and taught to be independent and weened from all pills.
Yesterday, the results on her autopsy came in. Three different antidepressants, Human Growth Hormones, sleeping pills, and pain killers. They've deemed her death accidental. I'm sure it appears that way. However, I don't get one thing. The people around her - her assistants, her supposed husband, how could they stand by and watch her pop all these pills. To me this is the real tragedy. The woman was grieving the death of her son, she was understandably despondent, and probably postpartum depression was kicking in as well. Perhaps she was in counseling, but she needed to be kept in-house and not just handed pills. She needed serious rehab.
Who was her doctor that happily prescribed her all of these different pills? I know the sleeping pill came from her friend and psychiatrist- the woman's license needs to be carefully examined in my opinion. How could those around her sit and let her take all these pills? Pills are NOT a solution!! To me that is the real tragedy. While they didn't actually kill her, from what I see they sure didn't lift a finger to help her out either. She should have been placed in a mental hospital a long time ago and taught to be independent and weened from all pills.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Per Yesterday's Post
Yesterday, my "American Idol" post ticked a few people off. I went back in and edited it, deleted every post, and then planned to come in today and restate exactly how I (emphasis on I) feel. Those who wish to respond in a civil manner certainly may, otherwise expect your post to get dumped.
For all of the Taylor Hicks fanatics. I didn't mind him last year. He reminded me of a young Michael McDonald at times. For the record, I do have his album and I think it sucks. And I did see a news story - tabloid or not, I can't exactly remember who had posted it so I can't cite my reference as some have demanded - that said he was disappointed that his fans had suddenly become absent in terms of record sales. He may be the greatest guy in the world, but I can also truly believe he would wonder where all of his fans were when his record failed to sell extremely well.
Kelly Clarkson fanatics (funny how there were about a dozen of Kelly's #1 fans who posted, I'm afraid you cannot have multiple #1 fans, and I would be her immediate family get to truly claim that title) - I did happen to see her in the Reba M. tribute and yes she was great there, she and Martina worked well together. I'm also sure she really got to practice. I saw her aired live before a Nascar concert a few weeks ago and she was horrible. Again, maybe it was an off day, but based on that one live show I wouldn't pay money to see her.
Let's see. Clay Aiken - he has a few fans too, but I still don't like him. That's my opinion and telling me that I have to see his concerts before I judge him. I think not. I have better things to do with my money. I heard all I wanted on American Idol.
Kellie Pickler - again, still don't like her and all the fans in the world won't convince me to change my mind.
For those who then wondered exactly where my music tastes do stand. They vary. I would far prefer to spend my money on people like Jonny Lang or Shannon Curfman who can play guitar better than some "pros" and never seem to break out into the limelight. I expect Stevie Ray Vaughn quality from my musicians. I want to hear a voice and not have to name fifteen others before getting the right artist. Louis Armstrong, you'll identify his voice every time. The same is true of Maria McKee, Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, etc. There are other bands that sound so much alike that they've become boring to me. Many of the Idol "stars" follow down that sound-alike, boring path.
That's one of my things. For an artist to have true talent, let's see these American Idols pick up an instrument, write their own music, and have America judge those songs. It worked extremely well for Chris Young - he took the Nashville Star win. Though I'm not fond of his style of country, I hate twang, he wrote a song, performed it, and won the competition. To me, that is true talent.
For all of the Taylor Hicks fanatics. I didn't mind him last year. He reminded me of a young Michael McDonald at times. For the record, I do have his album and I think it sucks. And I did see a news story - tabloid or not, I can't exactly remember who had posted it so I can't cite my reference as some have demanded - that said he was disappointed that his fans had suddenly become absent in terms of record sales. He may be the greatest guy in the world, but I can also truly believe he would wonder where all of his fans were when his record failed to sell extremely well.
Kelly Clarkson fanatics (funny how there were about a dozen of Kelly's #1 fans who posted, I'm afraid you cannot have multiple #1 fans, and I would be her immediate family get to truly claim that title) - I did happen to see her in the Reba M. tribute and yes she was great there, she and Martina worked well together. I'm also sure she really got to practice. I saw her aired live before a Nascar concert a few weeks ago and she was horrible. Again, maybe it was an off day, but based on that one live show I wouldn't pay money to see her.
Let's see. Clay Aiken - he has a few fans too, but I still don't like him. That's my opinion and telling me that I have to see his concerts before I judge him. I think not. I have better things to do with my money. I heard all I wanted on American Idol.
Kellie Pickler - again, still don't like her and all the fans in the world won't convince me to change my mind.
For those who then wondered exactly where my music tastes do stand. They vary. I would far prefer to spend my money on people like Jonny Lang or Shannon Curfman who can play guitar better than some "pros" and never seem to break out into the limelight. I expect Stevie Ray Vaughn quality from my musicians. I want to hear a voice and not have to name fifteen others before getting the right artist. Louis Armstrong, you'll identify his voice every time. The same is true of Maria McKee, Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, etc. There are other bands that sound so much alike that they've become boring to me. Many of the Idol "stars" follow down that sound-alike, boring path.
That's one of my things. For an artist to have true talent, let's see these American Idols pick up an instrument, write their own music, and have America judge those songs. It worked extremely well for Chris Young - he took the Nashville Star win. Though I'm not fond of his style of country, I hate twang, he wrote a song, performed it, and won the competition. To me, that is true talent.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
American Idol
After laughing my way through the auditions, I have watched a little more Idol this year than I normally would. I don't enjoy the popularity contest that this show endorses. Become a singer if enough of the world loves you for your looks/appearance versus your actual talent. Sanjaya is solidly proving my theory.
The kid can almost sing. I'll give him that. He has no stage persona, however, and for that reason he needed to be out of that show WEEKS ago. Unfortunately, I think there is a strong aspect of racism here. Whine if you like, but he is Indian (the country) by ancestry and I think the majority of those voting for him are voting for who he is/where his family comes from versus his actual talent. I won't even go into a rumor I've been hearing about those from India that work for U.S. companies managing to get in and vote. Maybe it's true, maybe not - but either way there needs to be a stricter voting system in place.
I think it is high time that American Idol sits down and looks at their format. It is far too easy to vote for this show and no one has to vote responsibly. Hire a panel to vote or allow the judges to have a larger say in who really stays or goes.
The kid can almost sing. I'll give him that. He has no stage persona, however, and for that reason he needed to be out of that show WEEKS ago. Unfortunately, I think there is a strong aspect of racism here. Whine if you like, but he is Indian (the country) by ancestry and I think the majority of those voting for him are voting for who he is/where his family comes from versus his actual talent. I won't even go into a rumor I've been hearing about those from India that work for U.S. companies managing to get in and vote. Maybe it's true, maybe not - but either way there needs to be a stricter voting system in place.
I think it is high time that American Idol sits down and looks at their format. It is far too easy to vote for this show and no one has to vote responsibly. Hire a panel to vote or allow the judges to have a larger say in who really stays or goes.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Energy Efficient Lightbulbs
After reading the news a few weeks back about California's decision to outlaw normal lightbulbs, I spent a little bit fuming about the price that some families are now having to spend. I will not argue the impact on the environment, but in my small house, I would need to purchase 29 light bulbs to cover all of the lights inside, in the basement, and outside. Some stores here sell those bulbs at $10 a pop so that would be pretty costly.
I did, however, make the change this week. If you have a Costco, they are selling 8 packs of those bulbs at a ridiculously low price. Here they are $10 for the 8 pack, but the state is offering an instant rebate of $8 - making the 8 pack cost a meager $2. Not bad, so I stocked up and started changing the more frequently used bulbs over. You may want to see if your state is offering a similar rebate.
Anyway, I also stumbled across this website. The biggest draw is that it records your purchases and tells you your total yearly savings to date. I'm up to $120 a year now - so my electricity bill should show a difference of $10 per month. Just one month has paid for all the bulbs I need.
I did, however, make the change this week. If you have a Costco, they are selling 8 packs of those bulbs at a ridiculously low price. Here they are $10 for the 8 pack, but the state is offering an instant rebate of $8 - making the 8 pack cost a meager $2. Not bad, so I stocked up and started changing the more frequently used bulbs over. You may want to see if your state is offering a similar rebate.
Anyway, I also stumbled across this website. The biggest draw is that it records your purchases and tells you your total yearly savings to date. I'm up to $120 a year now - so my electricity bill should show a difference of $10 per month. Just one month has paid for all the bulbs I need.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Video Games Vs. Egos
I am the first to admit that at times I can be a wicked kid at heart. I see nothing wrong with this! Everyone should let their hair down, ditch grown up responsibilities, and enjoy themselves periodically. Given it is my birthday week (we celebrate weeks here in my home rather than a single day it's far more rewarding), I was given a PS2 for my birthday. While some of my presents will wait for the actual day, I did receive three presents from others earlier. This leads me to two very popular games that I have spent plenty of time with this weekend.
Guitar Hero II is going to drive me batty. I would like to think it has nothing to do with my age, but as someone who can type 80 words a minute, I know my fingers are capable. For the life of me, I cannot make my brain and fingers connect for Guitar Hero II. I did manage to pull a three star rating on Heart's Crazy on You, but for the most part I will be in a pattern of red red yellow yellow and then have to hit green and fail miserably.
In the end, I am highly addicted, but I wonder how many cases of carpal tunnel syndrome will occur from this game! If you want a game that both parents and kids will have so much fun playing together, purchase Guitar Hero II. It's available for either the Xbox 360 or the PS2.
PS2 also offers a new Karaoke Revolution game that is an at home version of American Idol that gives you ample opportunities to have Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and then some Paula Abdul Wannabe named Laura tell you exactly what they think of your singing. This game is PERFECT for those who want an ego boost!!
Now, I realize I can sing. I may be too old for American Idol in real life, but the game has no age restrictions. My issue, I can't get Simon to tell me I suck. I do know that he can do it, he told my son who was imitating Bob Dylan's style that he was horrible. For me, I always wind up with Randy telling me I rock, Paula/Laura saying she can sum me up in two words - Phe and Nominal. Then Simon tells me how much he loves me and how I am the next American Idol in his mind. And the cartoon version of Simon is just as sexy as the real life version. ;-)
Karaoke Revolution American Idol is great fun. I can see it providing hours of entertainment at our next poker/game night. It's another must-have in my book.
Guitar Hero II is going to drive me batty. I would like to think it has nothing to do with my age, but as someone who can type 80 words a minute, I know my fingers are capable. For the life of me, I cannot make my brain and fingers connect for Guitar Hero II. I did manage to pull a three star rating on Heart's Crazy on You, but for the most part I will be in a pattern of red red yellow yellow and then have to hit green and fail miserably.
In the end, I am highly addicted, but I wonder how many cases of carpal tunnel syndrome will occur from this game! If you want a game that both parents and kids will have so much fun playing together, purchase Guitar Hero II. It's available for either the Xbox 360 or the PS2.
PS2 also offers a new Karaoke Revolution game that is an at home version of American Idol that gives you ample opportunities to have Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and then some Paula Abdul Wannabe named Laura tell you exactly what they think of your singing. This game is PERFECT for those who want an ego boost!!
Now, I realize I can sing. I may be too old for American Idol in real life, but the game has no age restrictions. My issue, I can't get Simon to tell me I suck. I do know that he can do it, he told my son who was imitating Bob Dylan's style that he was horrible. For me, I always wind up with Randy telling me I rock, Paula/Laura saying she can sum me up in two words - Phe and Nominal. Then Simon tells me how much he loves me and how I am the next American Idol in his mind. And the cartoon version of Simon is just as sexy as the real life version. ;-)
Karaoke Revolution American Idol is great fun. I can see it providing hours of entertainment at our next poker/game night. It's another must-have in my book.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Online Dating
I recently had to write a series of articles on online dating. I had to write them for sixteen different companies and include the pricing plans, features, and such. This was an easy and interesting task, but I also learned something.
First, everyone tells you not to trust what you see. I would state this is true. In order to access any of the information, I was forced to create free profiles with each site. In every possible case, I added that I was only researching costs and that in order to do so, I had to sign up for an account. This made me active with most of the sites. The men I was matched with --- well some were dead on it seemed while others were so far away from what I like in a man that it wasn't even funny.
I used my traits from today and then based everything else on when I was single.
Note for those creating dating sites - if a person puts absolutely no smoking - don't then turn around and match them with a smoker anyway!!
So basically I worked on two articles per day.
Now if you've been thinking about signing up, be cautious. I created a new account through Yahoo and immediately turned on Spam filters. Even though eHarmony told me they couldn't find me a match because I had shown devotion to my children, they were the first site I enrolled with and I did not get any spam following my enrollment. A few days later, I reached a website called American Singles and then LavaLife and my spam count started multiplying. Perhaps it was coincidence, but it just seemed odd that the day after I finished those articles my spam counts increased.
There was one thing that did happen that made me leery of using online dating. I live 10 miles south of one of Vermont's maximum security jails. I have driven by the correctional center many times and know the building and scenery surrounding it. One potential match, who looked vaguely familiar to me, showed this scraggly looking guy standing in front of a red brick building with a chain fence in the background and trees behind that. Now this is the set up at this correctional center. I began to wonder if he was an inmate there... The city of residence said St. Albans for him so that would still fit. It defintiely made me wonder!
Overall, I think the online dating services are pretty good. Some are far more expensive than others, and some certainly lack. Look for sites that focus more on personalities than looks. You may find your true love sooner than you were expecting. Meanwhile, I'm happy I'm married and out of the dating pool!
First, everyone tells you not to trust what you see. I would state this is true. In order to access any of the information, I was forced to create free profiles with each site. In every possible case, I added that I was only researching costs and that in order to do so, I had to sign up for an account. This made me active with most of the sites. The men I was matched with --- well some were dead on it seemed while others were so far away from what I like in a man that it wasn't even funny.
I used my traits from today and then based everything else on when I was single.
Note for those creating dating sites - if a person puts absolutely no smoking - don't then turn around and match them with a smoker anyway!!
So basically I worked on two articles per day.
Now if you've been thinking about signing up, be cautious. I created a new account through Yahoo and immediately turned on Spam filters. Even though eHarmony told me they couldn't find me a match because I had shown devotion to my children, they were the first site I enrolled with and I did not get any spam following my enrollment. A few days later, I reached a website called American Singles and then LavaLife and my spam count started multiplying. Perhaps it was coincidence, but it just seemed odd that the day after I finished those articles my spam counts increased.
There was one thing that did happen that made me leery of using online dating. I live 10 miles south of one of Vermont's maximum security jails. I have driven by the correctional center many times and know the building and scenery surrounding it. One potential match, who looked vaguely familiar to me, showed this scraggly looking guy standing in front of a red brick building with a chain fence in the background and trees behind that. Now this is the set up at this correctional center. I began to wonder if he was an inmate there... The city of residence said St. Albans for him so that would still fit. It defintiely made me wonder!
Overall, I think the online dating services are pretty good. Some are far more expensive than others, and some certainly lack. Look for sites that focus more on personalities than looks. You may find your true love sooner than you were expecting. Meanwhile, I'm happy I'm married and out of the dating pool!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Do People Have Nothing Better To Do?
Today's news--- Prince is underfire for his half time show in which some people believe he deliberately made it appear that he had a huge penis. PLEASE. First, he's male. Men are proud of their genetalia, so what if he did? Turn off the television or walk away. I don't like seeing hairy plumber's butt cracks, but I certainly will not start a movement to have plumber's banned from the world.
Did Prince do this intentionally? I highly doubt it. First, any guitarist holds their guitar at that level. Do you expect them to hold it at the chest level and still be able to play? Get over it. If you have this much time, maybe you need to get a life or spend some quality time with your friends/family/children, etc.
The next story to raise my ire. The Snicker's ad that mimics the Disney movie "Lady & The Tramp." Two men are eating a Snicker bar and wind up bumping lips. Realizing they practically just kissed, they decide to do something manly and pull out a handful of chest hair. Certain gay and lesbian organizations find it offensive. Whatever...
The ad was funny. That's all Snickers was going for - a unique dose of humor. No one threw a fit when Lady and the Tramp did it - is that because it was male and female? If so, then the gay and lesbian groups would have been fine with the ad if it was man and woman - isn't that just as disciminating? And aren't they supposed to be open minded?
Their claim is that the ad puts gays in a negative light. No - I think Rosie O'Donnell does a good enough job of that. Part of the problem in today's world is that people are making huge deals out of stupid things. Rosie's fit that Kelly Ripa is a homophobe because she didn't want Clay Aiken putting his hand over her mouth. I wouldn't have either. I have enough colds/viruses come into my hands because of school, I wouldn't want to be exposing myself to even more of it.
I wish I could snap my fingers and make everyone tolerate everyone else, but it isn't going to happen. Part of the thrill of being human is the right to make up your own mind - free speech!-- if I am being told that an ad is offensive to a few and therefore must be banned then my free speech is being tampered with and I'm not happy.
I'll share something I told my kids - if you don't like something, that's fine. Keep it to yourself and move on. Lingering is only going to piss others off.
Did Prince do this intentionally? I highly doubt it. First, any guitarist holds their guitar at that level. Do you expect them to hold it at the chest level and still be able to play? Get over it. If you have this much time, maybe you need to get a life or spend some quality time with your friends/family/children, etc.
The next story to raise my ire. The Snicker's ad that mimics the Disney movie "Lady & The Tramp." Two men are eating a Snicker bar and wind up bumping lips. Realizing they practically just kissed, they decide to do something manly and pull out a handful of chest hair. Certain gay and lesbian organizations find it offensive. Whatever...
The ad was funny. That's all Snickers was going for - a unique dose of humor. No one threw a fit when Lady and the Tramp did it - is that because it was male and female? If so, then the gay and lesbian groups would have been fine with the ad if it was man and woman - isn't that just as disciminating? And aren't they supposed to be open minded?
Their claim is that the ad puts gays in a negative light. No - I think Rosie O'Donnell does a good enough job of that. Part of the problem in today's world is that people are making huge deals out of stupid things. Rosie's fit that Kelly Ripa is a homophobe because she didn't want Clay Aiken putting his hand over her mouth. I wouldn't have either. I have enough colds/viruses come into my hands because of school, I wouldn't want to be exposing myself to even more of it.
I wish I could snap my fingers and make everyone tolerate everyone else, but it isn't going to happen. Part of the thrill of being human is the right to make up your own mind - free speech!-- if I am being told that an ad is offensive to a few and therefore must be banned then my free speech is being tampered with and I'm not happy.
I'll share something I told my kids - if you don't like something, that's fine. Keep it to yourself and move on. Lingering is only going to piss others off.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Parenting
I was just reading the news and apparently the government in California is currently acting to introduce legislation that bans spanking a child. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16929303/
So $1,000 or one year of jail if you spank your child in public. PLEASE.
First, I think there are more troublesome offenses that need to be taken care of. You can drive while intoxicated in many areas and get away with a lower fine and no jail time. That is a travesty.
Now, I will add my two cents to this. First, spanking in my book is a quick smack on the padded bottom or hand. Face is never allowed. It is also one slap, not a series and certainly not with dropped pants like a former neighbor did to his own children. I have my limits.
My own children, I can't remember the last time I did smack either one of them, but I can tell you why. My daughter was going to put a pencil into an outlet after figuring out how to remove the safety caps that we had in all of our outlets. She got her hand quickly smacked. She dropped the pencil immediately and never touched outlets again. She was three at the time and should have known better, but being curious, she tried it anyway. Is she scarred for life? No. Did she get zapped causing possible health issues? NO! I took action and remedied the situation immediately.
My son. He was four and decided to go across the street to see our neighbor's grandson's new Hot Wheel's Jeep type toy (the one that kid's actually drive.) We were doing dishes and never heard him leave the house. Our street is not the safest street to go across - we are the short cut to one of the quieter (and free) boat launches for Lake Champlain. Boat traffic in the summer goes far too fast and too frequent for any child that young to be out in. The fact that he made it across the road safely thrills me, but the fact that he went across alone got him a smack on the rear end. Even today, he admits that he knew he'd be in trouble but he wanted to see the Jeep. He's not scarred by it. In fact, those who will say that hitting leads to hitting (in my book hitting is not a quick slap), my son has never hit another person. He's one of the rare few in middle school who has never gotten into a fight and has walked away from fights despite the laughter from his peers.
Now, I know people who refuse to hit their children. One of these children throws more temper tantrums in one day than my children have in their entire lifetime combined. This mom constantly battles with her child to eat the meals she has prepared, go to bed at his set bedtime, pick up toys, take a bath when told, and stay in their yard. She swears that the simple word NO and restrictions works well, but I can't see that it has. Fighting with her child on a daily basis makes me thrilled my kids have learned that I am the boss! They know I love them, they love me, and they also know that when I say NO it means it.
So $1,000 or one year of jail if you spank your child in public. PLEASE.
First, I think there are more troublesome offenses that need to be taken care of. You can drive while intoxicated in many areas and get away with a lower fine and no jail time. That is a travesty.
Now, I will add my two cents to this. First, spanking in my book is a quick smack on the padded bottom or hand. Face is never allowed. It is also one slap, not a series and certainly not with dropped pants like a former neighbor did to his own children. I have my limits.
My own children, I can't remember the last time I did smack either one of them, but I can tell you why. My daughter was going to put a pencil into an outlet after figuring out how to remove the safety caps that we had in all of our outlets. She got her hand quickly smacked. She dropped the pencil immediately and never touched outlets again. She was three at the time and should have known better, but being curious, she tried it anyway. Is she scarred for life? No. Did she get zapped causing possible health issues? NO! I took action and remedied the situation immediately.
My son. He was four and decided to go across the street to see our neighbor's grandson's new Hot Wheel's Jeep type toy (the one that kid's actually drive.) We were doing dishes and never heard him leave the house. Our street is not the safest street to go across - we are the short cut to one of the quieter (and free) boat launches for Lake Champlain. Boat traffic in the summer goes far too fast and too frequent for any child that young to be out in. The fact that he made it across the road safely thrills me, but the fact that he went across alone got him a smack on the rear end. Even today, he admits that he knew he'd be in trouble but he wanted to see the Jeep. He's not scarred by it. In fact, those who will say that hitting leads to hitting (in my book hitting is not a quick slap), my son has never hit another person. He's one of the rare few in middle school who has never gotten into a fight and has walked away from fights despite the laughter from his peers.
Now, I know people who refuse to hit their children. One of these children throws more temper tantrums in one day than my children have in their entire lifetime combined. This mom constantly battles with her child to eat the meals she has prepared, go to bed at his set bedtime, pick up toys, take a bath when told, and stay in their yard. She swears that the simple word NO and restrictions works well, but I can't see that it has. Fighting with her child on a daily basis makes me thrilled my kids have learned that I am the boss! They know I love them, they love me, and they also know that when I say NO it means it.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Climate Changes
Only in Vermont could we start out the month near 60 degrees and then end up with morning temperatures of 18 below. This morning was very nippy! I have this thing with going outside to wait for the school bus while I can feel my nostrils freezing together every time I try to inhale--not that my lungs appreciated my trying to inhale at all!
While we really haven't had that much of a winter this year, I am ready for it to go away. Walking on snow at 18 below zero makes for some nasty sounds. If you've never experienced it, imagine fingernails on the chalkboard with every step. The styrofoam squeak that occurs is plain annoying and feels odd too. It does feel like you are on hard styrofoam.
With this said, if anyone in the warmer states would like to get a fan big enough to blow some of their warm air up north, I'd really appreciate it!
While we really haven't had that much of a winter this year, I am ready for it to go away. Walking on snow at 18 below zero makes for some nasty sounds. If you've never experienced it, imagine fingernails on the chalkboard with every step. The styrofoam squeak that occurs is plain annoying and feels odd too. It does feel like you are on hard styrofoam.
With this said, if anyone in the warmer states would like to get a fan big enough to blow some of their warm air up north, I'd really appreciate it!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Morning Coffee
It's Sunday. I'm up far too early. It's a balmy three degrees. All I wanted was my cup of coffee and then to attempt to get some work done. Weekend mornings at this hour suck!
Why get up so early? It probably has everything to do with my pesky cats who pawed open lower cupboards in search of their kitty high. I'd bought a new bag of catnip for them and they were determined to find it. Unfortunately, our younger cat is all too clever at opening cupboards and she found it. I came downstairs to find a torn apart bag of catnip all over my floor and two very stoned cats attempting to look innocent.
Once I'd cleaned the gritty mess off the floor, I gave up on any thought of returning to bed. Instead, I decided to try the latest coffee in a round of tests...
Years ago, I stopped drinking items with caffeine. It was felt that my anxiety, besides being genetic, might be related to caffeine intake. I stopped drinking coffee and discovered it made a big difference. Any coffee addict who has given up caffeine knows that decaf coffee can be horrendous! I've spent years going through brands that are worthy of purchasing.
Dunkin Donuts - one of my favored caffeine brands - makes a lousy decaf usually. The coffee definitely has bitter, almost sour, after tones. Unless you ask them to make a fresh pot from freshly ground beans, don't count on a good cup of decaf.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is what I drink the most - Paul Newman's blend is the best to me. I want to say it is called Special Roast decaf - but it is his organic blend of decaf. The price, however, is a bit of a pain. $6 for a 12 oz bag.
My sister-in-law started drinking decaf a few months ago and swears by a newer VT company - Vermont Coffee Roasters - out of Bristol, VT. It is expensive stuff. For the price you pay, it should be liquid gold! For Christmas, I splurged and treated myself to a pound bag of their decaf Columbian. $13 per pound. How disappointing! While the coffee tastes okay, it isn't as good as Green Mountain. Worse yet, I find that if you do not double the amount of coffee, you get a weak tasting pot. For a pot, I tend to use between 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups of beans (estimating my measurements, I really fill the beans to the top of my grinder's metal rim and then grind away) and then grind them up. With this Vermont Coffee Roasters, I grind one batch of coffee beans, pour them into the filter, and then grind a second batch. So I'm using double the amount of beans to get a normal pot of coffee. That makes it a wasteful coffee to me.
Starbucks - not a big fan of their coffee - the decaf is bitter. Speeder and Earls (another local company) is another of my favorites! It's a little pricier, but definitely worth it.
Yesterday, I decided to try Costco (Kirkland's) decaf arabica. I purchased the three pound canister for $8. Usually, I'll buy the whole beans, but I felt it was a better idea to spend less and see if it is worth it before investing the additional $6. I guess I'm more comfortable throwing out $8 worth of coffee over $14. I did realize that being pre-ground, it might be the best coffee, but I want something that tastes like coffee without the bitter aftertaste. This Kirkland coffee isn't bad. Very smoky and better than some of the other coffees I've had. I can't wait to try the whole beans!
Why get up so early? It probably has everything to do with my pesky cats who pawed open lower cupboards in search of their kitty high. I'd bought a new bag of catnip for them and they were determined to find it. Unfortunately, our younger cat is all too clever at opening cupboards and she found it. I came downstairs to find a torn apart bag of catnip all over my floor and two very stoned cats attempting to look innocent.
Once I'd cleaned the gritty mess off the floor, I gave up on any thought of returning to bed. Instead, I decided to try the latest coffee in a round of tests...
Years ago, I stopped drinking items with caffeine. It was felt that my anxiety, besides being genetic, might be related to caffeine intake. I stopped drinking coffee and discovered it made a big difference. Any coffee addict who has given up caffeine knows that decaf coffee can be horrendous! I've spent years going through brands that are worthy of purchasing.
Dunkin Donuts - one of my favored caffeine brands - makes a lousy decaf usually. The coffee definitely has bitter, almost sour, after tones. Unless you ask them to make a fresh pot from freshly ground beans, don't count on a good cup of decaf.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is what I drink the most - Paul Newman's blend is the best to me. I want to say it is called Special Roast decaf - but it is his organic blend of decaf. The price, however, is a bit of a pain. $6 for a 12 oz bag.
My sister-in-law started drinking decaf a few months ago and swears by a newer VT company - Vermont Coffee Roasters - out of Bristol, VT. It is expensive stuff. For the price you pay, it should be liquid gold! For Christmas, I splurged and treated myself to a pound bag of their decaf Columbian. $13 per pound. How disappointing! While the coffee tastes okay, it isn't as good as Green Mountain. Worse yet, I find that if you do not double the amount of coffee, you get a weak tasting pot. For a pot, I tend to use between 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups of beans (estimating my measurements, I really fill the beans to the top of my grinder's metal rim and then grind away) and then grind them up. With this Vermont Coffee Roasters, I grind one batch of coffee beans, pour them into the filter, and then grind a second batch. So I'm using double the amount of beans to get a normal pot of coffee. That makes it a wasteful coffee to me.
Starbucks - not a big fan of their coffee - the decaf is bitter. Speeder and Earls (another local company) is another of my favorites! It's a little pricier, but definitely worth it.
Yesterday, I decided to try Costco (Kirkland's) decaf arabica. I purchased the three pound canister for $8. Usually, I'll buy the whole beans, but I felt it was a better idea to spend less and see if it is worth it before investing the additional $6. I guess I'm more comfortable throwing out $8 worth of coffee over $14. I did realize that being pre-ground, it might be the best coffee, but I want something that tastes like coffee without the bitter aftertaste. This Kirkland coffee isn't bad. Very smoky and better than some of the other coffees I've had. I can't wait to try the whole beans!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
American Idol
My husband, daughter, and I always watch the opening shows of American Idol. Year after year, I am continually amazed by people who show up for auditions and then sing their hearts out sounding more like a monkey on crack than a human. I'm sorry, but some of these people just CANNOT sign. Last night's show, in Seattle, leaves me with a lot of questions.
1. People continue to rant about how mean Simon is. Okay, first the taping takes place over an entire two day period. Two DAYS are turned into two HOURS. You know for ratings that the show is going to cut everything except Simon's comments, Paula's saccharin attitudes, and Randy's "Yo Dawg" garbage. It was very nice to see Randy show a little backbone and tell someone that they sucked. It was just as nice to see Simon rub it in a bit and fire the lousy singer up. I'd really LOVE to see Paula come right out and tell someone that they suck at singing and dancing. For the most part, I agree with everything Simon has to say. Though the Indian girl and her younger brother, while I agree he is the better singer, she did a great job too. It wasn't just okay.
2. I want to know how many of these people watch the taping of their audition and then cringe. I would hope that the majority are forced to watch it and then apologize for all the f-you Simon's. That guy who sang Unchained Melody last night. I had to mute the TV - his performance was brutal. I realize some people are tone deaf, but please. Perhaps you should go to some karoake bar first and see how the crowd reacts before you embarrass yourself on national television.
3. When you've been told you suck - why do some insist on ignoring the judges and sign even more. I couldn't stand the song that girl (the blonde who was her mom's twin - the only difference was age and hair color) did -- the "Dontcha Wish Your Girlfriend was hot like me...". I don't mind that song, but her rendition was horrifying. To then try to do Sweet Home Alabama. I was cringing.
1. People continue to rant about how mean Simon is. Okay, first the taping takes place over an entire two day period. Two DAYS are turned into two HOURS. You know for ratings that the show is going to cut everything except Simon's comments, Paula's saccharin attitudes, and Randy's "Yo Dawg" garbage. It was very nice to see Randy show a little backbone and tell someone that they sucked. It was just as nice to see Simon rub it in a bit and fire the lousy singer up. I'd really LOVE to see Paula come right out and tell someone that they suck at singing and dancing. For the most part, I agree with everything Simon has to say. Though the Indian girl and her younger brother, while I agree he is the better singer, she did a great job too. It wasn't just okay.
2. I want to know how many of these people watch the taping of their audition and then cringe. I would hope that the majority are forced to watch it and then apologize for all the f-you Simon's. That guy who sang Unchained Melody last night. I had to mute the TV - his performance was brutal. I realize some people are tone deaf, but please. Perhaps you should go to some karoake bar first and see how the crowd reacts before you embarrass yourself on national television.
3. When you've been told you suck - why do some insist on ignoring the judges and sign even more. I couldn't stand the song that girl (the blonde who was her mom's twin - the only difference was age and hair color) did -- the "Dontcha Wish Your Girlfriend was hot like me...". I don't mind that song, but her rendition was horrifying. To then try to do Sweet Home Alabama. I was cringing.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Damn... School Systems Today
My ten-year-old recently informed me that she refuses to miss another day of school. She's missed one this year and I had to fight her to stay home that day -- fever of 100.8 and she was fighting me every step of the way.
Anyway, a situation came up this week where it would have been beneficial to me to have both kids take the day off from school on Friday so that we could travel to the other side of the state, only my daughter burst into tears at the thought of missing school. It took me three days to get her to explain why -- especially when she announced that she wish it would snow so that she could have a snowday. (Vermont has been virtually snowfree all season.)
Last night, she finally told us why she doesn't want to miss school. Now, the school and I have battled on things before. I don't blame the teachers fully, I know a lot of today's problems lie with "No Child Left Behind." However, until school systems put their feet down and tell the government to get real, nothing is going to change. I'd love to not pay my taxes, but one person is not enough - the entire country needs to revolt and demand changes!
As it turns out, if a child here misses a day/days of school, they are not allowed to have recess until they have caught up on all their work. They are sent to another teacher's room (like detention from my day) where they have to catch up on all they missed before they can return to recess with their class. So in my daughter's case, she would typically miss her math chapter for the day, spelling work, short story writing, and whatever history/science they did while she was out. When I made her stay home in the fall, she wound up missing recess for three recesses (days).
This leads me to question:
1. why are we punishing kids for staying home sick???
2. Why not send the work home as homework?
3. Why are we send a message to kids that NO SICK days are allowed without punishment?
I don't know about everyone, but my friends, family, and husband are all given at least three sick days per year paid. Teachers that I have questioned admit that they get 10 sick days per year and those can be accumulated.
So if teachers are allowed to be sick without punishment, why are we sending the kids a strong message that if they skip school, they will be punished. It's wrong!
The state of the school system is depressing. I wish something would change and soon!
Anyway, a situation came up this week where it would have been beneficial to me to have both kids take the day off from school on Friday so that we could travel to the other side of the state, only my daughter burst into tears at the thought of missing school. It took me three days to get her to explain why -- especially when she announced that she wish it would snow so that she could have a snowday. (Vermont has been virtually snowfree all season.)
Last night, she finally told us why she doesn't want to miss school. Now, the school and I have battled on things before. I don't blame the teachers fully, I know a lot of today's problems lie with "No Child Left Behind." However, until school systems put their feet down and tell the government to get real, nothing is going to change. I'd love to not pay my taxes, but one person is not enough - the entire country needs to revolt and demand changes!
As it turns out, if a child here misses a day/days of school, they are not allowed to have recess until they have caught up on all their work. They are sent to another teacher's room (like detention from my day) where they have to catch up on all they missed before they can return to recess with their class. So in my daughter's case, she would typically miss her math chapter for the day, spelling work, short story writing, and whatever history/science they did while she was out. When I made her stay home in the fall, she wound up missing recess for three recesses (days).
This leads me to question:
1. why are we punishing kids for staying home sick???
2. Why not send the work home as homework?
3. Why are we send a message to kids that NO SICK days are allowed without punishment?
I don't know about everyone, but my friends, family, and husband are all given at least three sick days per year paid. Teachers that I have questioned admit that they get 10 sick days per year and those can be accumulated.
So if teachers are allowed to be sick without punishment, why are we sending the kids a strong message that if they skip school, they will be punished. It's wrong!
The state of the school system is depressing. I wish something would change and soon!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Better than our local weathermen
Our weathermen have been off the mark pretty much all season. Take today - they said a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. It warmed up a lot last night, so we are dealing with another round of rain. It's absurd - VT and it's January and to date, I've seen a maybe 3 inches total land in my yard. We've had three "storms." One barely left a dusting. The next left half an inch. The other left about 2 inches tops. Saturday's mix of sun and clouds and 60 degree weather had the birds singing their springtime songs. My white lilac trees have budded. My pink sedum is up out of the ground.
For Christmas, my younger brother bought my husband this indoor/outdoor thermometer. My husband LOVES it. What I've noticed is that the barometer aspect that tells you what the weather will be like in 12 to 24 hours has yet to fail us.
Friday before I went to bed, I glanced at it and it showed the sun coming out from behind a cloud. Now the weathermen were saying rain tapering to showers by late afternoon. Sure enough, Saturday afternoon the sun started to come out. The barometer function was once again more accurate than our weathermen. I am thoroughly fascinated by it and wish we'd bought one a long time ago. Now if I really truly understood how barometric pressure works and is calculated....
For Christmas, my younger brother bought my husband this indoor/outdoor thermometer. My husband LOVES it. What I've noticed is that the barometer aspect that tells you what the weather will be like in 12 to 24 hours has yet to fail us.
Friday before I went to bed, I glanced at it and it showed the sun coming out from behind a cloud. Now the weathermen were saying rain tapering to showers by late afternoon. Sure enough, Saturday afternoon the sun started to come out. The barometer function was once again more accurate than our weathermen. I am thoroughly fascinated by it and wish we'd bought one a long time ago. Now if I really truly understood how barometric pressure works and is calculated....
Thursday, January 04, 2007
The Chicago Manual Of Style
For years, I have wanted to buy myself a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style, but the high cost has been rather off-putting. My younger brother (I like to call him my little brother, but he's now a foot taller, so "little" doesn't quite fit anymore) surprised me with a copy this Christmas.
If you do any writing, I do have to admit that this book is a fantastic resource. It delves into the current rules on punctuation, grammar, and even publishing. While it may seem rather dull, I found myself actually enjoying sitting down and reading through the book when time allows. I can actually see myself working through this book from cover to cover just to have an idea on what has changed since I had grammar drilled into me by my shorthand teacher. (I still thank her to this day for all she taught us!)
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season so far. I also wanted to squeeze in a minute's time and say Happy New Year.
Sadly, my family's New Year is starting with the unexpected death of my best friend's older brother. As he wasn't much older than me and he was the same age as my own older brother, I'm still in a bit of a state of shock. For the first portion of the year, my focus will be on helping out wherever I can. I know I'll have the baby during the private memorial service. Meanwhile, it really kind of hits home - doesn't matter how old you are - death can hit suddenly and unexpectedly!
I hope everyone else has a wonderful and prosperous New Year!
Sadly, my family's New Year is starting with the unexpected death of my best friend's older brother. As he wasn't much older than me and he was the same age as my own older brother, I'm still in a bit of a state of shock. For the first portion of the year, my focus will be on helping out wherever I can. I know I'll have the baby during the private memorial service. Meanwhile, it really kind of hits home - doesn't matter how old you are - death can hit suddenly and unexpectedly!
I hope everyone else has a wonderful and prosperous New Year!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Mock Trial
My son has spent the past two months completing a course called "Mock Trial." In this course, the 7th and 8th graders learn what it is like to be a lawyer. I learned a few things in the process as well!
The case involves three private high schoolers - Anne, Beck, and Cody. Beck and Cody are feeling pressured to pass a certain honors class so they steal a blank copy of the test. Anne catches them and school policy is that she must turn them in or face strict punishments. Beck tries to talk her out of it. Over the weekend, Beck and Cody go to a local beach to try to talk to Anne - Anne is murdered and Beck is arrested.
Okay, here is the kicker - this entire case is based on circumstantial evidence. My son was on the prosecution. Their biggest evidence is the bloody rock and then a statement Beck makes to police about Anne's head being bashed in - that statement is thrown out because Beck's parents were not there when Beck was questioned. So this leaves the poor kids trying to win with no hope.
They did a fantastic job! I congratulate all of them - it had to have been hard to put on this performance to a room full of adults, but in front of real lawyers and a real judge - that makes it a lot more nerve racking! They did great.
Meanwhile, I learned something important.
Jury chairs are horrendously uncomfortable. This case lasted 3 1/2 hours - all on a school night no less - we were there from 6:30 to 10pm and by the time I left my tail bone was killing me. I can't imagine HOW any juror makes it through a case when it is extremely apparent that the chairs are not designed for comfort.
The case involves three private high schoolers - Anne, Beck, and Cody. Beck and Cody are feeling pressured to pass a certain honors class so they steal a blank copy of the test. Anne catches them and school policy is that she must turn them in or face strict punishments. Beck tries to talk her out of it. Over the weekend, Beck and Cody go to a local beach to try to talk to Anne - Anne is murdered and Beck is arrested.
Okay, here is the kicker - this entire case is based on circumstantial evidence. My son was on the prosecution. Their biggest evidence is the bloody rock and then a statement Beck makes to police about Anne's head being bashed in - that statement is thrown out because Beck's parents were not there when Beck was questioned. So this leaves the poor kids trying to win with no hope.
They did a fantastic job! I congratulate all of them - it had to have been hard to put on this performance to a room full of adults, but in front of real lawyers and a real judge - that makes it a lot more nerve racking! They did great.
Meanwhile, I learned something important.
Jury chairs are horrendously uncomfortable. This case lasted 3 1/2 hours - all on a school night no less - we were there from 6:30 to 10pm and by the time I left my tail bone was killing me. I can't imagine HOW any juror makes it through a case when it is extremely apparent that the chairs are not designed for comfort.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Jane Eyre
I picked up this book a few weeks ago and then had to walk away due to more pressing demands. So yesterday, I started it over. I still find myself utterly entranced with Charlotte Bronte's classic novel.
Many claim that Jane Austen is the founding voice in romance, I won't argue. However, I'm reading Jane Eyre (into the third part now) and I would bet money that many Regency romance authors started with this book. The classic pairing of a wealthy man and his child's governess is all too apparent.
If you read historical romance and have missed Jane Eyre, definitely pick it up! I have work to do - otherwise I'd be elsewhere with my nose in the book waiting for the final page!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Love, Magic, & Mudpies
Here is a parenting guide that I will happily put my faith in. Why? The author, Dr. Bernie Siegel, is as laid back as they come. He throws away traditional parenting and suggests having fun! He's the first to admit his own parenting faults and says no parent is perfect! It's about time.
Dr. Siegel won me over after pointing out one small fact. How many of you have taken a day off of work because you were tired of it all? We've all done it. There have been times I have stayed in PJ's all day and ignored the computer. I call them "Mental Health Days", Dr. Siegel refers to them as "health days." He also states that he gave his children five health days per semester.
This is the first time I have heard of anyone else doing this. I've been known to let my son take a "mental health" day from time to time. This year he has been adverse to doing so. The school changed the policy last year and more than 3 days of missed school meant a child was sent home with a letter discussing delinquency. After seven days off, a meeting was held with the advisory board. They did it to cut delinquency, in the end they've scared kids into going to school sick.
I'm ticked off about it and have not let the brainchild behind this new policy rest since.
I'm going to agree with Dr. Siegel. Kids are being given federally mandated tests earlier than ever. They are being pushed in school beyond reasonable demands. Kindergarteners are coming home with an hour's worth of homework some days. Some areas require kindergarteners to give their first oral report (I know ours does). Studies show that kids are under more stress than ever, so if they ask for a mental health day and their grades are fine, why not give it to them? You know if you were pressured at work and tired of it all, you'd take a personal day!
Dr. Siegel won me over after pointing out one small fact. How many of you have taken a day off of work because you were tired of it all? We've all done it. There have been times I have stayed in PJ's all day and ignored the computer. I call them "Mental Health Days", Dr. Siegel refers to them as "health days." He also states that he gave his children five health days per semester.
This is the first time I have heard of anyone else doing this. I've been known to let my son take a "mental health" day from time to time. This year he has been adverse to doing so. The school changed the policy last year and more than 3 days of missed school meant a child was sent home with a letter discussing delinquency. After seven days off, a meeting was held with the advisory board. They did it to cut delinquency, in the end they've scared kids into going to school sick.
I'm ticked off about it and have not let the brainchild behind this new policy rest since.
I'm going to agree with Dr. Siegel. Kids are being given federally mandated tests earlier than ever. They are being pushed in school beyond reasonable demands. Kindergarteners are coming home with an hour's worth of homework some days. Some areas require kindergarteners to give their first oral report (I know ours does). Studies show that kids are under more stress than ever, so if they ask for a mental health day and their grades are fine, why not give it to them? You know if you were pressured at work and tired of it all, you'd take a personal day!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Avoid this one!
With Christmas coming, I know many people are out there hunting for unique gifts. I don't care who you are purchasing a gift for, avoid this product:
http://www.epinions.com/content_217832525444
I'm sure you've seen the automatic shower cleaner advertised on TV. The man is brushing his teeth and finds a dozen maids in his tub. I love gadgets, so as soon as I had a $5 off coupon, I ran out and bought one.
At first, I was pretty amazed. It seemed to keep stains down. My unit dripped after using it, though, so I would have to go in and wipe up the drips from time to time. If any of us were taking a bath, it would start dripping and annoying the hell out of whoever happened to be in the tub. Not to mention, I wasn't sure the cleaner is safe enough to be dripping onto the feet during a shower, especially with little ones.
Anyway, while my friend was up, we started noticing that where the cleaning system was dripping, the chrome finish on the tub spout was slowly dissolving. I immediately threw the system away. If it can eat off the chrome finish, I can only imagine what it does to other surfaces.
Here is what they say:
Is Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner safe to use on most shower/tub surfaces?
Yes. Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner can be used in most standard showers, including fiberglass, acrylic, and plastic shower stalls and shower/tub enclosures. Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner is also safe for use on plastic and synthetic shower curtains. Over time, it may lighten natural fabrics such as cotton. Do not use Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner in showers with brass fixtures, natural marble, or finished wood surfaces. Rinse surfaces well if the cleaner is accidentally sprayed on these surfaces.
Now, I don't have brass fixtures, so I figured I was fine. BIG mistake. I now have to put in new fixtures. My shower curtain (the heavy-duty hotel type) is also starting to dissolve.
Trust me, this product is not worth it - run far, far away!
http://www.epinions.com/content_217832525444
I'm sure you've seen the automatic shower cleaner advertised on TV. The man is brushing his teeth and finds a dozen maids in his tub. I love gadgets, so as soon as I had a $5 off coupon, I ran out and bought one.
At first, I was pretty amazed. It seemed to keep stains down. My unit dripped after using it, though, so I would have to go in and wipe up the drips from time to time. If any of us were taking a bath, it would start dripping and annoying the hell out of whoever happened to be in the tub. Not to mention, I wasn't sure the cleaner is safe enough to be dripping onto the feet during a shower, especially with little ones.
Anyway, while my friend was up, we started noticing that where the cleaning system was dripping, the chrome finish on the tub spout was slowly dissolving. I immediately threw the system away. If it can eat off the chrome finish, I can only imagine what it does to other surfaces.
Here is what they say:
Is Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner safe to use on most shower/tub surfaces?
Yes. Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner can be used in most standard showers, including fiberglass, acrylic, and plastic shower stalls and shower/tub enclosures. Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner is also safe for use on plastic and synthetic shower curtains. Over time, it may lighten natural fabrics such as cotton. Do not use Scrubbing Bubbles® Automatic Shower Cleaner in showers with brass fixtures, natural marble, or finished wood surfaces. Rinse surfaces well if the cleaner is accidentally sprayed on these surfaces.
Now, I don't have brass fixtures, so I figured I was fine. BIG mistake. I now have to put in new fixtures. My shower curtain (the heavy-duty hotel type) is also starting to dissolve.
Trust me, this product is not worth it - run far, far away!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Movie Break: The Break-Up
Okay, someone please tell me - what part of this movie is a romantic "comedy?" I have never been so disgusted with a movie ending in my life!!!!
The movie stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. They play a couple who are crazy for one another, but in typical male fashion, he wants to kick back and relax and she's a little high strung and wants to know she is appreciated. Sorry guys, we are hormonal 99% of the time and we do like to know this from time to time without us having to prompt you along!
Anyway, in order to get him to realize how much he needs her, Jennifer's character breaks up with him. Only they must live together in their condo still and this presents a major problem. He's as stubborn as they come; she's possibly more stubborn, and neither is going to cave in.
So there is the basic premise to the movie. Now for the spoiler:
Don't read the next paragraph if you do not want to know how the movie ends!!!
The ending is not what I was expecting. He realizes he's screwed up. He tries to patch things up. She spurns him. Heads off on her travels. Returns. They bump into each other and go their separate ways. They end up apart. What kind of ROMANTIC comedy is this? It was depressing and the happily-ever-after never arrived! I'm feeling rather depressed at having spent money to see this stuff. If I wanted depressing, I could have flipped on the news!
The movie stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. They play a couple who are crazy for one another, but in typical male fashion, he wants to kick back and relax and she's a little high strung and wants to know she is appreciated. Sorry guys, we are hormonal 99% of the time and we do like to know this from time to time without us having to prompt you along!
Anyway, in order to get him to realize how much he needs her, Jennifer's character breaks up with him. Only they must live together in their condo still and this presents a major problem. He's as stubborn as they come; she's possibly more stubborn, and neither is going to cave in.
So there is the basic premise to the movie. Now for the spoiler:
Don't read the next paragraph if you do not want to know how the movie ends!!!
The ending is not what I was expecting. He realizes he's screwed up. He tries to patch things up. She spurns him. Heads off on her travels. Returns. They bump into each other and go their separate ways. They end up apart. What kind of ROMANTIC comedy is this? It was depressing and the happily-ever-after never arrived! I'm feeling rather depressed at having spent money to see this stuff. If I wanted depressing, I could have flipped on the news!
Friday, December 01, 2006
Television & Books
For years, I read Kathy Reich's Temperence Brennan series religiously. I loved this series and found myself addicted from the start. Temperence Brennan is a forensic anthropologist who splits her time between North Carolina and Montreal (a city about 1 1/2 hours north of me that I can't say I enjoy because every Montrealan I've encountered has been snotty and rude to tourists.)
Last year, I started watching Bones. Bones is the television series based on Temperence "Bones". At first, I disliked it. Bones was much younger, the romantic side of Bones was gone, and she was based in D.C. That made the show seem totally wrong.
As time has passed, however, I tried reading a book and found myself truly disliking it. I've grown to prefer the show over the books. It leads me to wonder - are authors doing themselves a disservice by crossing over. Why not create an entirely new character with new names and pitch that to television instead?
Max Collins seems to have the knack - but he goes the opposite way. He takes a show and then writes a book about that show. These television show based book series have never disappointed me.
Last year, I started watching Bones. Bones is the television series based on Temperence "Bones". At first, I disliked it. Bones was much younger, the romantic side of Bones was gone, and she was based in D.C. That made the show seem totally wrong.
As time has passed, however, I tried reading a book and found myself truly disliking it. I've grown to prefer the show over the books. It leads me to wonder - are authors doing themselves a disservice by crossing over. Why not create an entirely new character with new names and pitch that to television instead?
Max Collins seems to have the knack - but he goes the opposite way. He takes a show and then writes a book about that show. These television show based book series have never disappointed me.
Writing: Getting Paid To Blog
Can you truly make money blogging? Sure, but the better question becomes is the pay worth the required time?
Many paying blogging sites earn money through Google's Adsense. They also require their writers to spend hours every day posting responses on similar blogs in order to get their name out there... Though that doesn't officially qualify as SPAM, it certainly seems it. Blogging for money can be cut throat, but at the same time becoming cut throat and being in it only for the money takes a lot of the joy away.
If you have hours to spend, certainly look into it, but be careful. While it can sound easy, you may find the time you are putting in does not become worthwhile when you receive a paycheck for less than $10 after investing 2 or 3 hours a day over a month's span. $10 for 60 hours of time is absurd!
Many paying blogging sites earn money through Google's Adsense. They also require their writers to spend hours every day posting responses on similar blogs in order to get their name out there... Though that doesn't officially qualify as SPAM, it certainly seems it. Blogging for money can be cut throat, but at the same time becoming cut throat and being in it only for the money takes a lot of the joy away.
If you have hours to spend, certainly look into it, but be careful. While it can sound easy, you may find the time you are putting in does not become worthwhile when you receive a paycheck for less than $10 after investing 2 or 3 hours a day over a month's span. $10 for 60 hours of time is absurd!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Ideals
In my opinion, everyone has the freedom to form their own ideals in life. However, when they start preaching those ideals and telling me that I am wrong, I tend to turn into my evil Irish-heritaged self. So for the sake to today's post, if you are of an opinionated sort, that's fine. BUT, do not push your opinions onto others and then tell them they are "bad," "the problem with the world today," or otherwise offer them an insult. It's uncalled for and in my opinion part of the reason why the world is so screwy- intolerance is still too big a deal.
I got into a minor disagreement this week with someone who is becoming a vegetarian. I do not have issues with those practicing vegetarianism until they start preaching why I am so evil because I still eat meat. According to this person, people like me who eat eggs that are not necessarily free range, eat veal on special occasions, and do not eat organic meats are the reason the world is so awful.
I live on a budget. I eat and feed my family what we can afford. $4 a dozen for free-range eggs, double the cost for organic produce and meats is not something I will be tackling. You can disagree but don't then tell me how evil I am because of my budgetary concerns. Last organic produce I ate (spinach) made me pretty damn sick, so I'm not sure I like the whole organic bit anyway. Either way, something is going to kill us all, so I'm not going to put myself into bankruptcy paying the absurd prices for organic items. That's my choice.
We all have different opinions, that's what makes the human race unique. Not accepting others opinions and outright name calling because of them is what it truly wrong today.
I got into a minor disagreement this week with someone who is becoming a vegetarian. I do not have issues with those practicing vegetarianism until they start preaching why I am so evil because I still eat meat. According to this person, people like me who eat eggs that are not necessarily free range, eat veal on special occasions, and do not eat organic meats are the reason the world is so awful.
I live on a budget. I eat and feed my family what we can afford. $4 a dozen for free-range eggs, double the cost for organic produce and meats is not something I will be tackling. You can disagree but don't then tell me how evil I am because of my budgetary concerns. Last organic produce I ate (spinach) made me pretty damn sick, so I'm not sure I like the whole organic bit anyway. Either way, something is going to kill us all, so I'm not going to put myself into bankruptcy paying the absurd prices for organic items. That's my choice.
We all have different opinions, that's what makes the human race unique. Not accepting others opinions and outright name calling because of them is what it truly wrong today.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Christmas Shopping...
Okay, I'm going to go over the list of shopping rules again... If you are heading out to the store, please stop and think about your actions before entering a store!!
1. There is no need to act like a child: Yesterday, I went to Christmas Tree Shops in Williston, VT. This store seems to have some means for turning people into raving lunatics. It's not even after Thanksgiving, yet the store was shoulder to shoulder. People were rude, flat out rude! Is the $4.99 boot container really worth acting like an imbecile?
2. Watch for others! I can't state this one enough. To the mother with the two teenagers was it really necessary to ram your cart into the side of my 10-year-old's ankle while she stood tucked against the counter where we were checking out. She has bruises on that ankle bone from the cart. You didn't stop, you never apologized. She was crying and you turned and looked at her and then kept right on walking. If you were embarrassed-whatever. If it was an accident, that's fine. But you could have stopped and apologized. You are what makes me shop online!
3. Move out of the way. If you are looking at an item before purchasing - that's great. Do you really need to leave your cart blocking an aisle and then an aisle away away to look at something else? Then when I moved a cart, the "owner" yelled at me for touching her stuff. Get over it. If you don't want your cart to be moved out of the way, then take it with you. To the woman who was on her hands and knees looking at pajamas. TWO PEOPLE asked you to move so that they could get through, you opted not to, you looked right at them and then continued digging. Why you acted stunned when one accidentally bumped you with her cart is beyond me.
4. Parking... If you see a car waiting for a parking space, it is rude and obnoxious to then whip your car into that parking spot. The woman waiting had her directional on. You came out of no where - too fast at that - and took the spot. You laughed after doing it. You are the reason parking lot rage exists.
5. Check outs. This one always gets to me. At the check out counter is not the time to decide you wanted something after all. I think it should be declared "illegal" to then tell the cashier that you will be right back after grabbing some item you'd decided you didn't want. If you do change your mind, get out of line and then get back in after you're retrieved the item. We had a woman decided after half of her order had been rung through that she wanted a bird feeder after all. She was gone for five minutes (other side of the store) while everyone in that line had to sit and wait for her to return.
6. Using a cart... Okay this one always fails to surprise me. When driving a car, there are two lanes correct? Why do shoppers always insist on pushing their cart side by side when they are shopping with a friend? Single file!!! If the store is empty that's one thing, any where else - traffic heading to the back of the store is on the left - traffic heading to the front is on the right. It's that easy!
7. Parking Lots - back to the parking lots. This is the store's/architect's fault and I still don't get it. I was hit a few years ago backing out of a space. The truck that backed into me couldn't see my car because his truck was too high. He admitted that he didn't see anything parked in the space behind him through the rear view so he backed up. He told his insurance company that he was to blame - he also told police that he was at fault. So knowing that a sedan and a truck are vastly different, why can't they segregate parking lots? Have trucks and vans in one half and sedans in another. It would save a lot of parking lot accidents from happening. If a sedan is sandwiched between two huge trucks, that car driver's visibility is seriously reduced. I'll get out and direct my husband out in that situation. But not everyone has a passenger with them, so parking larger vehicles with other large vehicles makes a whole lot more sense to me!
8. Sale items - there was a mad rush on these silly plastic boot trays yesterday. Sure they were a great price, but to watch people push each other out of the way to get to them was absurd. Is a boot tray really worth the injury that could happen to someone else. A raincheck guarantees you get the lower price and most stores offer them.
1. There is no need to act like a child: Yesterday, I went to Christmas Tree Shops in Williston, VT. This store seems to have some means for turning people into raving lunatics. It's not even after Thanksgiving, yet the store was shoulder to shoulder. People were rude, flat out rude! Is the $4.99 boot container really worth acting like an imbecile?
2. Watch for others! I can't state this one enough. To the mother with the two teenagers was it really necessary to ram your cart into the side of my 10-year-old's ankle while she stood tucked against the counter where we were checking out. She has bruises on that ankle bone from the cart. You didn't stop, you never apologized. She was crying and you turned and looked at her and then kept right on walking. If you were embarrassed-whatever. If it was an accident, that's fine. But you could have stopped and apologized. You are what makes me shop online!
3. Move out of the way. If you are looking at an item before purchasing - that's great. Do you really need to leave your cart blocking an aisle and then an aisle away away to look at something else? Then when I moved a cart, the "owner" yelled at me for touching her stuff. Get over it. If you don't want your cart to be moved out of the way, then take it with you. To the woman who was on her hands and knees looking at pajamas. TWO PEOPLE asked you to move so that they could get through, you opted not to, you looked right at them and then continued digging. Why you acted stunned when one accidentally bumped you with her cart is beyond me.
4. Parking... If you see a car waiting for a parking space, it is rude and obnoxious to then whip your car into that parking spot. The woman waiting had her directional on. You came out of no where - too fast at that - and took the spot. You laughed after doing it. You are the reason parking lot rage exists.
5. Check outs. This one always gets to me. At the check out counter is not the time to decide you wanted something after all. I think it should be declared "illegal" to then tell the cashier that you will be right back after grabbing some item you'd decided you didn't want. If you do change your mind, get out of line and then get back in after you're retrieved the item. We had a woman decided after half of her order had been rung through that she wanted a bird feeder after all. She was gone for five minutes (other side of the store) while everyone in that line had to sit and wait for her to return.
6. Using a cart... Okay this one always fails to surprise me. When driving a car, there are two lanes correct? Why do shoppers always insist on pushing their cart side by side when they are shopping with a friend? Single file!!! If the store is empty that's one thing, any where else - traffic heading to the back of the store is on the left - traffic heading to the front is on the right. It's that easy!
7. Parking Lots - back to the parking lots. This is the store's/architect's fault and I still don't get it. I was hit a few years ago backing out of a space. The truck that backed into me couldn't see my car because his truck was too high. He admitted that he didn't see anything parked in the space behind him through the rear view so he backed up. He told his insurance company that he was to blame - he also told police that he was at fault. So knowing that a sedan and a truck are vastly different, why can't they segregate parking lots? Have trucks and vans in one half and sedans in another. It would save a lot of parking lot accidents from happening. If a sedan is sandwiched between two huge trucks, that car driver's visibility is seriously reduced. I'll get out and direct my husband out in that situation. But not everyone has a passenger with them, so parking larger vehicles with other large vehicles makes a whole lot more sense to me!
8. Sale items - there was a mad rush on these silly plastic boot trays yesterday. Sure they were a great price, but to watch people push each other out of the way to get to them was absurd. Is a boot tray really worth the injury that could happen to someone else. A raincheck guarantees you get the lower price and most stores offer them.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Interesting Book
I started reading a book today - Melissa Clark's SWIMMING UPSTREAM SLOWLY
It revolves around the premise of Lazicum Spermatoza in which a sperm remains viable years after sex. The heroine of the story finds herself pregnant and the kicker is that she has not had sex for the past two years.
It is certainly a different storyline!
It revolves around the premise of Lazicum Spermatoza in which a sperm remains viable years after sex. The heroine of the story finds herself pregnant and the kicker is that she has not had sex for the past two years.
It is certainly a different storyline!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Reading
Last night and this morning, I actually picked up a book that was not review related and read it. It has been years since I read a book that I had picked out - not one that my children asked me to read with them, but a book truly for myself that didn't require a review! How refreshing.
The site will be undergoing a bit of a change in the next two months. Due to a lack of traffic on the Christian/Inspirational page, we have made the choice to finish up all pending reviews with that section and then dismantle it.
Finding reviewers willing to work without pay has been a challenge. Another site claims they pay $1 per review, and many of the reviewers I have or who email me state they would be happier with that site. Given the lack of interested reviwers and the number of releases we are receiving, something had to be cut, unfortunately.
The site will be undergoing a bit of a change in the next two months. Due to a lack of traffic on the Christian/Inspirational page, we have made the choice to finish up all pending reviews with that section and then dismantle it.
Finding reviewers willing to work without pay has been a challenge. Another site claims they pay $1 per review, and many of the reviewers I have or who email me state they would be happier with that site. Given the lack of interested reviwers and the number of releases we are receiving, something had to be cut, unfortunately.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Writer Scams
I've been doing some freelance writing to earn a few bucks here and there.
I did some articles three weeks ago for this editor named Tom Francis. The offer was $12 each for some keyword rich articles on mortgage banking and construction positions. I knew enough about both of these that I agreed to do them. I had the seven articles done in a little over two hours, he loved them and told me that he was sending money immediately.
He never did.
This is a topic that I see more and more. The writer doesn't get paid, the person who owes disappears, and then posting his name becomes the only way to spread word. So watch out for Tom Francis.
It's a shame there are not better ways to protect against scam artists like him.
I did some articles three weeks ago for this editor named Tom Francis. The offer was $12 each for some keyword rich articles on mortgage banking and construction positions. I knew enough about both of these that I agreed to do them. I had the seven articles done in a little over two hours, he loved them and told me that he was sending money immediately.
He never did.
This is a topic that I see more and more. The writer doesn't get paid, the person who owes disappears, and then posting his name becomes the only way to spread word. So watch out for Tom Francis.
It's a shame there are not better ways to protect against scam artists like him.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Breast Cancer
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of author Miriam Engelberg today. Miriam lost her lengthy battle against the dreaded disease. If you missed my review of her book - http://www.roundtablereviews.com/roundtable/Archives/engelbergmiriam62206.htm
Please, if you can, continue to donate to any breast cancer fund. Every little bit counts!
Tracy
Please, if you can, continue to donate to any breast cancer fund. Every little bit counts!
Tracy
Friday, October 06, 2006
Delivery people...
I get shipments almost daily. I also happen to have this odd driver for one of the large overnight services who yesterday truly crossed the boundaries. So while this isn't book related, per se, I hope some publishers out there who read this might begin to think carefully about whom they choose.
The company in question is Fedex. And I do have complaints in with the company and hope they will be dealing with the matter immediately, they said they'd contact me as soon as they'd discussed the situation... haven't heard a word, yet.
Anyway, there are three drivers in this area. Two are really nice, the other is also really nice, but he's a letch. Flat out, he is a sick pervert who should NOT be delivering packages to women.
When he first took the route, he would tell me how he had close ties to the local courthouse because of his former military career in which he was pretty high up. But he'd retired and wanted a part-time job with flexibility that allowed him to be out and about, Fedex fit his needs.
A few months later, he told me how he was a major league umpire. He then proceeded to tell me that he'd been on the field during the Curt Schilling bloody sock game, that I could check out - we have that game on DVD. It was no surprise, he wasn't there, so my husband and I started to realize that this guy had an issue. Later he told me that he and another driver were always fighting over who got to come see me. It was odd again, but I still figured it was all him bragging over silly things.
The end of August, my hubby had the first full week of school off. The Fed Ex guy came and didn't see Dave putting in a new kitchen light. He made a comment that sounded suggestive about quickies but I wasn't sure if I just was taking it wrong or hearing it wrong, when Dave came out and made it known he was home, the FedEx guy took off faster than I've ever seen him move. That's when I realized that maybe it wasn't all must my making something more of it. Dave made a comment back that he didn't want to see this guy on our route anymore and that he'd be watching.
A full month went by and never saw the Fed Ex guy again. So I figured it was over. Until yesterday, he came right up and started asking how I'd been. I tried to blow him off by saying I was busy and had to get back inside. His response, "Turn around and I'll show you busy honey." I am 99.9% certain that there is no other way that that statement could be taken. It was suggestive. Thankfully, Dave is home for his birthday and he immediately contacted Fedex and told them that this guy is just not mentally stable and shouldn't be driving a route where women are home alone working. He also suggested going outside with a bat, but I told him as sweet as his wanting to defend me is - that's not the solution.
I'm hoping Fedex takes immediate action and either fires or at least puts this guy on a route where he has to enter fully staffed businesses. He's certainly not fit to be delivering to any establishment where a woman is by herself. In the meantime, I'll be locking my doors all day again and making sure that I have my 9-iron next to the door just in case. Again, the 9 iron isn't a great answer, but it's that or a really mean dog... with kids I don't like the dog aspect. Though I'm truly starting to think otherwise.
The company in question is Fedex. And I do have complaints in with the company and hope they will be dealing with the matter immediately, they said they'd contact me as soon as they'd discussed the situation... haven't heard a word, yet.
Anyway, there are three drivers in this area. Two are really nice, the other is also really nice, but he's a letch. Flat out, he is a sick pervert who should NOT be delivering packages to women.
When he first took the route, he would tell me how he had close ties to the local courthouse because of his former military career in which he was pretty high up. But he'd retired and wanted a part-time job with flexibility that allowed him to be out and about, Fedex fit his needs.
A few months later, he told me how he was a major league umpire. He then proceeded to tell me that he'd been on the field during the Curt Schilling bloody sock game, that I could check out - we have that game on DVD. It was no surprise, he wasn't there, so my husband and I started to realize that this guy had an issue. Later he told me that he and another driver were always fighting over who got to come see me. It was odd again, but I still figured it was all him bragging over silly things.
The end of August, my hubby had the first full week of school off. The Fed Ex guy came and didn't see Dave putting in a new kitchen light. He made a comment that sounded suggestive about quickies but I wasn't sure if I just was taking it wrong or hearing it wrong, when Dave came out and made it known he was home, the FedEx guy took off faster than I've ever seen him move. That's when I realized that maybe it wasn't all must my making something more of it. Dave made a comment back that he didn't want to see this guy on our route anymore and that he'd be watching.
A full month went by and never saw the Fed Ex guy again. So I figured it was over. Until yesterday, he came right up and started asking how I'd been. I tried to blow him off by saying I was busy and had to get back inside. His response, "Turn around and I'll show you busy honey." I am 99.9% certain that there is no other way that that statement could be taken. It was suggestive. Thankfully, Dave is home for his birthday and he immediately contacted Fedex and told them that this guy is just not mentally stable and shouldn't be driving a route where women are home alone working. He also suggested going outside with a bat, but I told him as sweet as his wanting to defend me is - that's not the solution.
I'm hoping Fedex takes immediate action and either fires or at least puts this guy on a route where he has to enter fully staffed businesses. He's certainly not fit to be delivering to any establishment where a woman is by herself. In the meantime, I'll be locking my doors all day again and making sure that I have my 9-iron next to the door just in case. Again, the 9 iron isn't a great answer, but it's that or a really mean dog... with kids I don't like the dog aspect. Though I'm truly starting to think otherwise.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Books and food
I was discussing the link between books and food with another reviewer. Oddly enough, my daughter came home that same day and was looking over my shoulder at emails. She saw that and said, "Everyone knows you read a book with tea and biscuits."
That led me to wonder, if my ten year old knows it, is it something that she picked up because my mom is British or is it just as common here in the U.S. So I asked her why she said that. Her response was that in all the television shows she sees where a character is having tea, there is always a plate of cookies. (Cookies are biscuits in England). This led me to believe that the practice may be just as common over here.
I'm often disturbed by the lack of true coffeehouses/Used book stores in this area. We can go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and have a cup of coffee and a tart or something similar while you read, but I want a place like I've seen in smaller English towns where the coffee shop has racks of used books or is very close to a used book store and they invite you with comfy chairs to come sit down and read while you enjoy your coffee.
Some day that is my dream. I'm going to open up a small cafe type establishment with coffee served a special manner that I'm not posting with book shelves full of used books. Kind of a home away from home where you know the service will be friendly and the treats are always exquisite.
That led me to wonder, if my ten year old knows it, is it something that she picked up because my mom is British or is it just as common here in the U.S. So I asked her why she said that. Her response was that in all the television shows she sees where a character is having tea, there is always a plate of cookies. (Cookies are biscuits in England). This led me to believe that the practice may be just as common over here.
I'm often disturbed by the lack of true coffeehouses/Used book stores in this area. We can go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and have a cup of coffee and a tart or something similar while you read, but I want a place like I've seen in smaller English towns where the coffee shop has racks of used books or is very close to a used book store and they invite you with comfy chairs to come sit down and read while you enjoy your coffee.
Some day that is my dream. I'm going to open up a small cafe type establishment with coffee served a special manner that I'm not posting with book shelves full of used books. Kind of a home away from home where you know the service will be friendly and the treats are always exquisite.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Hidden Gifts Of The Introverted Child
A month or so ago, I had the opportunity to review a book about introverted children. http://www.roundtablereviews.com/roundtable/Archives/laneymartiolsen82906.htm
Now this book really made an impression as I tend to be introverted, and I've noticed both of my children are the same way. One of my sticking points in school was the teacher who always insisted on calling on the shyer children--the ones who wouldn't make eye contact or raise their hand. That was me!
In this book it suggests that forcing an introverted child to answer a question before they have had time to think an answer through is actually damaging to their self-esteem. I would again agree. Mr. Carney, my 8th grade history teacher, did this to me. I will never forget the question, "In the 1970s, the US came up with stricter regulations allowing the entry of these people into our country?" History was never my subject. He called on me and I said the first thing that came to my head, "aliens". Meaning illegal immigrants. The class and Mr. Carney spent a good 15 minutes laughing hysterically over my answer. Carney admitted he knew what I was saying, but he still had images of the spacemen in his head. Meanwhile, I was humiliated and it reinforced my thoughts that calling on students who do not want to be called on is rather destructive.
This leads me to a question for teachers. Why can't you lead a class without calling on others in a sneak attack mode? The night before, announce to all the students that tomorrow's discussion will be on whatever subject. Everyone will be expected to give their opinion on ... and that they will be taking turns offering their thoughts. This gives the introverted kids a night to prepare their arguments. It takes some of the stress off the sneak attack that many teachers currently use.
My son's science teacher last night said my son's biggest thing is that he doesn't always raise his hand to volunteer an answer. SO WHAT. He is pulling straight A's so they know the material is being learned. Try a different approach and you may find he jumps right in - IF he's had time to plan things out.
Now this book really made an impression as I tend to be introverted, and I've noticed both of my children are the same way. One of my sticking points in school was the teacher who always insisted on calling on the shyer children--the ones who wouldn't make eye contact or raise their hand. That was me!
In this book it suggests that forcing an introverted child to answer a question before they have had time to think an answer through is actually damaging to their self-esteem. I would again agree. Mr. Carney, my 8th grade history teacher, did this to me. I will never forget the question, "In the 1970s, the US came up with stricter regulations allowing the entry of these people into our country?" History was never my subject. He called on me and I said the first thing that came to my head, "aliens". Meaning illegal immigrants. The class and Mr. Carney spent a good 15 minutes laughing hysterically over my answer. Carney admitted he knew what I was saying, but he still had images of the spacemen in his head. Meanwhile, I was humiliated and it reinforced my thoughts that calling on students who do not want to be called on is rather destructive.
This leads me to a question for teachers. Why can't you lead a class without calling on others in a sneak attack mode? The night before, announce to all the students that tomorrow's discussion will be on whatever subject. Everyone will be expected to give their opinion on ... and that they will be taking turns offering their thoughts. This gives the introverted kids a night to prepare their arguments. It takes some of the stress off the sneak attack that many teachers currently use.
My son's science teacher last night said my son's biggest thing is that he doesn't always raise his hand to volunteer an answer. SO WHAT. He is pulling straight A's so they know the material is being learned. Try a different approach and you may find he jumps right in - IF he's had time to plan things out.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Favorite Authors
Every year, a huge harvest market is held very close to my childhood home. We will drive to my parents' home, park for the day and walk to the harvest market festivities. This year the Harvest Market was a bit of a bust, due to the weather (I think) many booths were absent or missing completely.
At the Harvest Market, local libraries, preschools, and other organizations hold huge flea markets, book sales, and food booths. So we all go to eat french fries, fried dough, onion rings, and various other bad for you foods. Then I always look for cookbooks and a few other goodies that I feel the urge to purchase for a ridiculous amount. This year I was looking for two books specifically - both by Diane Mott Davidson.
Now if you are unfamiliar with this author, she writes a series based on a caterer (Goldie) who always seems to stumble across a dead body. Diane Mott Davidson was my introduction to the world of the culinary mystery and all of her books sit in my kitchen where I am always game to try out her recipes from time to time. Unfortunately, I had not been keeping up and I'd not purchased her last two books until recently. Now I have some catching up to do.
Since my introduction to Diane Mott Davidson, I have found so many other delightful culinary mystery writers - Joanne Fluke is another I can't live without.
To me, getting hooked is what it is all about!
At the Harvest Market, local libraries, preschools, and other organizations hold huge flea markets, book sales, and food booths. So we all go to eat french fries, fried dough, onion rings, and various other bad for you foods. Then I always look for cookbooks and a few other goodies that I feel the urge to purchase for a ridiculous amount. This year I was looking for two books specifically - both by Diane Mott Davidson.
Now if you are unfamiliar with this author, she writes a series based on a caterer (Goldie) who always seems to stumble across a dead body. Diane Mott Davidson was my introduction to the world of the culinary mystery and all of her books sit in my kitchen where I am always game to try out her recipes from time to time. Unfortunately, I had not been keeping up and I'd not purchased her last two books until recently. Now I have some catching up to do.
Since my introduction to Diane Mott Davidson, I have found so many other delightful culinary mystery writers - Joanne Fluke is another I can't live without.
To me, getting hooked is what it is all about!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Rainy Days
While it may have started out relatively clear, it is now pouring rain. I have to admit, even when it is dreary and gray, the sound of rain falling on my back roof is also so relaxing.
Today is one of those days when I got my freelance writing done, so now I'm just waiting to hear if I will need to do rewrites or not. The rest of the day, I can get some reading done. I have a bunch of books pulled out. I'm not sure where to start first, but with it so grim outside, I am in the mood for a glowing, scented candle, and then a number of books. Hey, I may even pull out some more classics... the stuff I HATED reading in high school. Quite a few of them are rather intriguing now that I have a little more experience in the world. :-)
Today is one of those days when I got my freelance writing done, so now I'm just waiting to hear if I will need to do rewrites or not. The rest of the day, I can get some reading done. I have a bunch of books pulled out. I'm not sure where to start first, but with it so grim outside, I am in the mood for a glowing, scented candle, and then a number of books. Hey, I may even pull out some more classics... the stuff I HATED reading in high school. Quite a few of them are rather intriguing now that I have a little more experience in the world. :-)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Children and Reading
A reviewer and I were talking about school imposed reading. Adults will remember those high school days when you were handed a book and told READ IT. This was followed by essays, tests, and lengthy discussions about symbolism, themes, metaphors, etc. I hated being told what to read. Shakespeare--I had no use for him and his speech that always ended with -eth. What he did sayeth never meanteth much to me.
In high school, there are a few books I did keep. To Kill A Mockingbird. I loved that story, just as much as I love the movie with Gregory Peck. George Stewart's Earth Abides - can you imagine being one of a handful of survivors to a major plague? I never minded reading Judith Guest's Ordinary People either.
Romeo & Juliet, I've never understood why we had to read it in both Freshman and Junior year. Worse, my grades on the tests given after reading the book never improved! Same goes for MacBeth or Hamlet.
John Steinbeck, I have all of his books and love reading them from time to time. But George Orwell's 1984 - no thanks.
With this my son is starting his 7th grade year. They have to finish 25 books in order to pass the class in June. To my amazement, I actually heard his teacher announce that they get to pick the books they read. She'll do some anthologies with them, but all of their other reading is on their own. Textbooks, magazine subscriptions (a full year of magazines counts as one book)- they all count as reading. It's ABOUT TIME. My son has two magazines that he will not let me miss - Consumer Reports and X-Box Magazine. He does read and reread these magazines all the time. I can't imagine any teacher saying a magazine counts, but I'm glad someone finally acknowledges it!
So far, my son is almost finished the first book in Phillip Pullman's trilogy. (Can't think of the name - but Golden Compass is one of the books - possibly the first, possibly not). He tends to be drawn to sci-fi/fantasy type books. He's working on The Hobbit in another class.
A question arose though - what books would you recommend to fussy readers?
Here are the answers I've come up with:
Romance -
Try Lavyrle Spencer. Her books are gentle enough to be teen friendly, the historical detail won't overwhelm a young woman, but the romances are incredible. Lavyrle is the writer who introduced me to romance.
General Fiction:
I'm hooked on authors like Steinbeck and Salinger. Not everyone agrees though.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy-
C.S. Lewis hands down. George Stewart of course. Stephen King (though he can be horror too). My son will add Eoin Colfer, and JK Rowling to this list.
Lois Duncan, Judy Blume and Ann Rinaldi are winners for the middle school ages in my mind. Lemony Snicket books are another big hit in my house.
In high school, there are a few books I did keep. To Kill A Mockingbird. I loved that story, just as much as I love the movie with Gregory Peck. George Stewart's Earth Abides - can you imagine being one of a handful of survivors to a major plague? I never minded reading Judith Guest's Ordinary People either.
Romeo & Juliet, I've never understood why we had to read it in both Freshman and Junior year. Worse, my grades on the tests given after reading the book never improved! Same goes for MacBeth or Hamlet.
John Steinbeck, I have all of his books and love reading them from time to time. But George Orwell's 1984 - no thanks.
With this my son is starting his 7th grade year. They have to finish 25 books in order to pass the class in June. To my amazement, I actually heard his teacher announce that they get to pick the books they read. She'll do some anthologies with them, but all of their other reading is on their own. Textbooks, magazine subscriptions (a full year of magazines counts as one book)- they all count as reading. It's ABOUT TIME. My son has two magazines that he will not let me miss - Consumer Reports and X-Box Magazine. He does read and reread these magazines all the time. I can't imagine any teacher saying a magazine counts, but I'm glad someone finally acknowledges it!
So far, my son is almost finished the first book in Phillip Pullman's trilogy. (Can't think of the name - but Golden Compass is one of the books - possibly the first, possibly not). He tends to be drawn to sci-fi/fantasy type books. He's working on The Hobbit in another class.
A question arose though - what books would you recommend to fussy readers?
Here are the answers I've come up with:
Romance -
Try Lavyrle Spencer. Her books are gentle enough to be teen friendly, the historical detail won't overwhelm a young woman, but the romances are incredible. Lavyrle is the writer who introduced me to romance.
General Fiction:
I'm hooked on authors like Steinbeck and Salinger. Not everyone agrees though.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy-
C.S. Lewis hands down. George Stewart of course. Stephen King (though he can be horror too). My son will add Eoin Colfer, and JK Rowling to this list.
Lois Duncan, Judy Blume and Ann Rinaldi are winners for the middle school ages in my mind. Lemony Snicket books are another big hit in my house.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Jane Austen
As a romance reader who also loves a wide variety of other genres, I expected to love Jane Austen. She's touted as the genius to invent the romance, so what's not to love?
I dove into Sense & Sensibility and was instantly making cracks about Fanny living up to her name. :-) Unfortunately, as time passed I found myself become bored in a sense with the writing. Jane Austen and her heroines did not rush to do anything. I can understand it perfectly, but it is not in my lifestyle to slow down sadly. I always run from deadline to school function to errands to appointments in a frenzy of activity. Toss in normal every day things and I don't see how single working mom's ever find the time to breathe! I'm happily married with older kids, working from home, and I still struggle to handle everything on my plate.
Does this mean Austen isn't worth reading? No, I don't think so. I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Susan and her disconcern about polite society's rules. It's a dog eat dog world out there and Lady Susan seemed to be a woman with whom I'd enjoy gossiping!
I do think that what has happened is that in my world of having no time to myself, I want that tidbit of time to be fast paced and entertaining. Jane Austen can entertain, of that there is no doubt, but her pacing was just a little too slow for me to be able to connect with it.
I dove into Sense & Sensibility and was instantly making cracks about Fanny living up to her name. :-) Unfortunately, as time passed I found myself become bored in a sense with the writing. Jane Austen and her heroines did not rush to do anything. I can understand it perfectly, but it is not in my lifestyle to slow down sadly. I always run from deadline to school function to errands to appointments in a frenzy of activity. Toss in normal every day things and I don't see how single working mom's ever find the time to breathe! I'm happily married with older kids, working from home, and I still struggle to handle everything on my plate.
Does this mean Austen isn't worth reading? No, I don't think so. I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Susan and her disconcern about polite society's rules. It's a dog eat dog world out there and Lady Susan seemed to be a woman with whom I'd enjoy gossiping!
I do think that what has happened is that in my world of having no time to myself, I want that tidbit of time to be fast paced and entertaining. Jane Austen can entertain, of that there is no doubt, but her pacing was just a little too slow for me to be able to connect with it.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
New Year - Changes Being Made
Starting today, this blog will only be related to books. I'll update when I can. I do some freelance writing, so on some days I'm busier than others.
Today, I want to talk about reading. The school recently sent home a newsletter discussing reading. Children who read at least 20 minutes per night prove successful in school. Is there truth to that?
My children see me with a book in hand regularly. My son and daughter both read nightly. So I am an advocate of reading to or pushing your child to read. However, there are points where I disagree! It is a big thing at school that the kids should pick a different genre every month. If they start with sci-fi, they can't read a sci-fi again until they've read an award winner, non-fiction, general fiction, adventure, human interest, etc.
No child should be forced to read a book. I never agreed that our English teachers got to choose what we read. I hated Shakespeare. Few books ever appealed to me if they were forced into my hands. The only two books that I still keep on my bookshelf - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and EARTH ABIDES. I love and reread those books constantly. As a note to others, if you loved Stephen King's THE STAND read George Stewart's EARTH ABIDES it is the same premise.
Now that I am no longer forced by teachers to read their choices, I have picked up many classics. TWELVE ANGRY MEN is a great classic - short but entertaining. I'm working my way through the complete collection of Jane Austen novels. Those are taking me a while to get into, but once they hit the key element, I can't put the novel down.
At home, my children can read what they want. I don't limit them. Even though some of their teachers don't like that attitude. To me, my son picking up an Alton Brown cookbook (one of his favorite chefs) counts as reading. He is fascinated by this man and will sit and read the cookbook from cover to cover. He does the same with Giada di Laurentiis cookbooks. In fact, he makes the best Chicken Picatta I've ever had. He loves reading cookbooks and I'm not about to tell him that a cookbook "doesn't count." Some teachers need to get over themselves and change with the times. He's also hooked on Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl books, so it's not like he only reads cookbooks. He has other likes.
My daughter loves Junie B. Jones. She has just about every book out there and reads them over and over. I've had teachers tell me that she needs to broaden her selections. I disagree. She's reading and enjoying it, what more does she need?
I will never understand the education systems push to get children reading a different genre every month. Why? There is plenty of time for them to do that when they enter high school and college. For now, let them be kids!
Today, I want to talk about reading. The school recently sent home a newsletter discussing reading. Children who read at least 20 minutes per night prove successful in school. Is there truth to that?
My children see me with a book in hand regularly. My son and daughter both read nightly. So I am an advocate of reading to or pushing your child to read. However, there are points where I disagree! It is a big thing at school that the kids should pick a different genre every month. If they start with sci-fi, they can't read a sci-fi again until they've read an award winner, non-fiction, general fiction, adventure, human interest, etc.
No child should be forced to read a book. I never agreed that our English teachers got to choose what we read. I hated Shakespeare. Few books ever appealed to me if they were forced into my hands. The only two books that I still keep on my bookshelf - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and EARTH ABIDES. I love and reread those books constantly. As a note to others, if you loved Stephen King's THE STAND read George Stewart's EARTH ABIDES it is the same premise.
Now that I am no longer forced by teachers to read their choices, I have picked up many classics. TWELVE ANGRY MEN is a great classic - short but entertaining. I'm working my way through the complete collection of Jane Austen novels. Those are taking me a while to get into, but once they hit the key element, I can't put the novel down.
At home, my children can read what they want. I don't limit them. Even though some of their teachers don't like that attitude. To me, my son picking up an Alton Brown cookbook (one of his favorite chefs) counts as reading. He is fascinated by this man and will sit and read the cookbook from cover to cover. He does the same with Giada di Laurentiis cookbooks. In fact, he makes the best Chicken Picatta I've ever had. He loves reading cookbooks and I'm not about to tell him that a cookbook "doesn't count." Some teachers need to get over themselves and change with the times. He's also hooked on Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl books, so it's not like he only reads cookbooks. He has other likes.
My daughter loves Junie B. Jones. She has just about every book out there and reads them over and over. I've had teachers tell me that she needs to broaden her selections. I disagree. She's reading and enjoying it, what more does she need?
I will never understand the education systems push to get children reading a different genre every month. Why? There is plenty of time for them to do that when they enter high school and college. For now, let them be kids!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Back to School with serious hesitation
My children head back to school next week. Neither my fourth or seventh grader is happy about the return to school. This is pretty typical you'd think. Unfortunately, I understand their hesitation.
I received my 7th grader's temporary schedule last year. It seems that with the start of 7th grade, they try to mimic a high school schedule. The schedule is given to them on the first day of school and then any changes have to be made by Monday (they return to school on Thursday.) His big issue is that they are given 15 minutes for lunch this year. Can you imagine? Fifteen minutes to stand in the lunch line, eat your lunch, and then it is a school rule that students at each table clean their own area. So this means the students at the 6-person table have to wipe down chairs and table surfaces, bring up trays, deposit any litter, eat, and get their lunch within 15 minutes. It's absurd. The government blames video games and TV for children's growing waistlines - I have my own ideas about training childen to wolf down an entire meal within at least 10 minutes. Then the 7th graders all go to their student advisor instead of recess where they will discuss bullying, peer pressure, and any educational concerns. My son has already announced that he does not want to bother bringing a lunch to school this year because he doesn't like having to eat it in record time. I can't blame him...
Meanwhile, my 4th grader will have a 20 minute lunch this year and then 10 minutes of recess. Every year, the recess gets shorter and shorter for these kids. Better yet, if they don't get their work done in time they have to skip recess and sit in their classroom and finish any school work instead. This happened last year to my daughter. She'd gone to one of her gifted classes and didn't have time to complete her writing assignment. So she was forced to skip recess. I was ticked and the school had to deal with my wrath. I'm not a popular person at that school - not at all.
I received my 7th grader's temporary schedule last year. It seems that with the start of 7th grade, they try to mimic a high school schedule. The schedule is given to them on the first day of school and then any changes have to be made by Monday (they return to school on Thursday.) His big issue is that they are given 15 minutes for lunch this year. Can you imagine? Fifteen minutes to stand in the lunch line, eat your lunch, and then it is a school rule that students at each table clean their own area. So this means the students at the 6-person table have to wipe down chairs and table surfaces, bring up trays, deposit any litter, eat, and get their lunch within 15 minutes. It's absurd. The government blames video games and TV for children's growing waistlines - I have my own ideas about training childen to wolf down an entire meal within at least 10 minutes. Then the 7th graders all go to their student advisor instead of recess where they will discuss bullying, peer pressure, and any educational concerns. My son has already announced that he does not want to bother bringing a lunch to school this year because he doesn't like having to eat it in record time. I can't blame him...
Meanwhile, my 4th grader will have a 20 minute lunch this year and then 10 minutes of recess. Every year, the recess gets shorter and shorter for these kids. Better yet, if they don't get their work done in time they have to skip recess and sit in their classroom and finish any school work instead. This happened last year to my daughter. She'd gone to one of her gifted classes and didn't have time to complete her writing assignment. So she was forced to skip recess. I was ticked and the school had to deal with my wrath. I'm not a popular person at that school - not at all.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Thicker skins
Some people in the world today need to toughen up. I came across an email yesterday that was insulting, poorly writtten in terms of grammar and punctuation, and contained enough bad language that it made the author of said email look childish.
Those who know Jen and I know that we founded Roundtable Reviews on the premise that we would not rate books...we would tell readers what we thought about a book. The question on our mind while reading a book is "Would we be willing to spend the money needed to buy this book?" That is what we ask of our reviewers and ourselves.
Last week, I reviewed a non-fiction title that was okay, but the principle behind the book bothered me. I'm part Irish and am not about to hold my tongue--never have, never will. My review stated that the book was well-written, but the fact that the author (a former police officer sworn to uphold the law) states clearly that he broke many laws he is sworn to uphold bothered me. He waited until the statute of limitations ran out, released this book, and is now profiting. That does bother me regardless of his reasoning for breaking the laws. Sorry, but as a mom, I find anything glorifying breaking laws and stating "To beat a criminal, you must becomea criminal" is not something for which I would be willing to pay money. Hence the answer to my question - "would I be willing to buy this book if I were in a bookstore today?" That is what I based my review on. http://www.roundtablereviews.com/cearobert80106.htm
The author states he is disgusted by my "Dan Rather Gorilla Type" journalism tactics and that I make money by twisting the truth. My response to this - book reviewers are not paid despite what you proclaim. Online review sites do it for the love of books, not for money. I've never profited off my reviews - in fact, I wind up shelling out personal money to cover things like shipping, website fees, etc. So in no way am I biased by money. Secondly, one thing all authors need to realize, and most do, is that reviews are OPINION. This review is MY OPINION of your book. If you don't agree, so be it. That's your right.
I, however, still stick by my first opinion. People got hurt. Laws were broken. And now a profit is being made. I do believe that the author himself stated that his years as an officer provided him with the resources to "pad his pockets". Sure, the author knows what he did was wrong and has turned his life around. I do not debate that. However, if you look at the definition of "padding pockets"...
pad 1 (pd)
n.
1. A thin, cushionlike mass of soft material used to fill, to give shape, or to protect against jarring, scraping, or other injury.
2. A flexible saddle without a frame.
3. An ink-soaked cushion used to ink a rubber stamp.
4. A number of sheets of paper of the same size stacked one on top of the other and glued together at one end; a tablet.
5.
a. The broad floating leaf of an aquatic plant such as the water lily.
b. The flattened fleshy stem of a cactus such as certain varieties of prickly pear. Also called paddle1.
6.
a. The cushionlike flesh on the underpart of the toes and feet of many animals.
b. The foot of such an animal.
7. The fleshy underside of the end of a finger or toe.
8.
a. A launch pad.
b. A helipad.
9. A keypad.
10. Slang One's apartment or room.
tr.v. pad·ded, pad·ding, pads
1. To line or stuff with soft material.
2. To lengthen or increase, especially with extraneous or false information: pad a lecture with jokes; pad an expense account.Idiom:
on the pad Slang
Taking bribes.
This suggests that the author realizes he is now profiting from his past by a. Providing false information or b. taking bribes. Either way, I still find it wrong.
Those who know Jen and I know that we founded Roundtable Reviews on the premise that we would not rate books...we would tell readers what we thought about a book. The question on our mind while reading a book is "Would we be willing to spend the money needed to buy this book?" That is what we ask of our reviewers and ourselves.
Last week, I reviewed a non-fiction title that was okay, but the principle behind the book bothered me. I'm part Irish and am not about to hold my tongue--never have, never will. My review stated that the book was well-written, but the fact that the author (a former police officer sworn to uphold the law) states clearly that he broke many laws he is sworn to uphold bothered me. He waited until the statute of limitations ran out, released this book, and is now profiting. That does bother me regardless of his reasoning for breaking the laws. Sorry, but as a mom, I find anything glorifying breaking laws and stating "To beat a criminal, you must becomea criminal" is not something for which I would be willing to pay money. Hence the answer to my question - "would I be willing to buy this book if I were in a bookstore today?" That is what I based my review on. http://www.roundtablereviews.com/cearobert80106.htm
The author states he is disgusted by my "Dan Rather Gorilla Type" journalism tactics and that I make money by twisting the truth. My response to this - book reviewers are not paid despite what you proclaim. Online review sites do it for the love of books, not for money. I've never profited off my reviews - in fact, I wind up shelling out personal money to cover things like shipping, website fees, etc. So in no way am I biased by money. Secondly, one thing all authors need to realize, and most do, is that reviews are OPINION. This review is MY OPINION of your book. If you don't agree, so be it. That's your right.
I, however, still stick by my first opinion. People got hurt. Laws were broken. And now a profit is being made. I do believe that the author himself stated that his years as an officer provided him with the resources to "pad his pockets". Sure, the author knows what he did was wrong and has turned his life around. I do not debate that. However, if you look at the definition of "padding pockets"...
pad 1 (pd)
n.
1. A thin, cushionlike mass of soft material used to fill, to give shape, or to protect against jarring, scraping, or other injury.
2. A flexible saddle without a frame.
3. An ink-soaked cushion used to ink a rubber stamp.
4. A number of sheets of paper of the same size stacked one on top of the other and glued together at one end; a tablet.
5.
a. The broad floating leaf of an aquatic plant such as the water lily.
b. The flattened fleshy stem of a cactus such as certain varieties of prickly pear. Also called paddle1.
6.
a. The cushionlike flesh on the underpart of the toes and feet of many animals.
b. The foot of such an animal.
7. The fleshy underside of the end of a finger or toe.
8.
a. A launch pad.
b. A helipad.
9. A keypad.
10. Slang One's apartment or room.
tr.v. pad·ded, pad·ding, pads
1. To line or stuff with soft material.
2. To lengthen or increase, especially with extraneous or false information: pad a lecture with jokes; pad an expense account.Idiom:
on the pad Slang
Taking bribes.
This suggests that the author realizes he is now profiting from his past by a. Providing false information or b. taking bribes. Either way, I still find it wrong.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Driving Rules
I have a new rule. This blog entry goes out to the two drivers who beeped and gave me the finger yesterday! Perhaps you'll read this and learn something.
Exit 14 on the interstate has led to some one-lane issues which means the traffic is backed up for a long time. I was on the interstate yesterday and got caught in it. After spending 30 minutes moving from Exit 16 to the bridge over the Winooski River, I was getting hot and tired. My kids were no different. On the bridge, a sign stating "Merge Right. Left Lane closed in 1/2 mile" appeared. That means people had 1/2 mile to get over. So two drivers raced by on the left right when I was about 10 car lengths from the barrier with the lane closing. They then expected to be let in immediately. No one in front of me did and I wasn't about to either.
If you have had plenty of warning that you need to merge, then don't expect those who have merged in advance to suddenly feel sorry for you for ignoring the signs. I'm not about to let you in, not if you wait. If I had my way, you'd be sitting until the wee hours when traffic finally eases enough for you to get over without issue. If you can't follow the signs, you don't get the perk of getting on with your day. Sit and wait like the rest of us had been doing!
Exit 14 on the interstate has led to some one-lane issues which means the traffic is backed up for a long time. I was on the interstate yesterday and got caught in it. After spending 30 minutes moving from Exit 16 to the bridge over the Winooski River, I was getting hot and tired. My kids were no different. On the bridge, a sign stating "Merge Right. Left Lane closed in 1/2 mile" appeared. That means people had 1/2 mile to get over. So two drivers raced by on the left right when I was about 10 car lengths from the barrier with the lane closing. They then expected to be let in immediately. No one in front of me did and I wasn't about to either.
If you have had plenty of warning that you need to merge, then don't expect those who have merged in advance to suddenly feel sorry for you for ignoring the signs. I'm not about to let you in, not if you wait. If I had my way, you'd be sitting until the wee hours when traffic finally eases enough for you to get over without issue. If you can't follow the signs, you don't get the perk of getting on with your day. Sit and wait like the rest of us had been doing!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Back To School Shopping
My son finally got his back to school list from the school (7th grade). I guessed almost completely wrong. I'd bought him pencils, which were needed, pens (again necessary), notebooks (not needed at all)...
So I get the list - 2 inch binders - four of them. I checked Staples and Walmart. For 2 inch binders, we are looking at at least $5 a piece. Staples has them on sale this week 3 for $21. I'd bought him 1 inch binders, but apparently that won't do. I'm slightly ticked because that's a lot of money to have to spend on binders that he is certain he could have used 1 inch and made do with them by cleaning out the old from time to time and 1 inch are what he's used in the past.
We also have to buy him a scientific calculator, a metric ruler, colored pencils, computer disks (not that they mentioned the size, I'm assuming they mean 3 1/2 inch disks, though blank CDs would be much handier to me as I always have those on hand), reinforcers for the binder, and dividers for the binders. He will not get his schedule until the first day of school, so the rest of the list will be given to us when his full schedule is set. I'm ticked about that. That means parents will have to do a mad dash to get the rest of the items that weekend.
Our daughter, they still haven't sent her list yet.
So I get the list - 2 inch binders - four of them. I checked Staples and Walmart. For 2 inch binders, we are looking at at least $5 a piece. Staples has them on sale this week 3 for $21. I'd bought him 1 inch binders, but apparently that won't do. I'm slightly ticked because that's a lot of money to have to spend on binders that he is certain he could have used 1 inch and made do with them by cleaning out the old from time to time and 1 inch are what he's used in the past.
We also have to buy him a scientific calculator, a metric ruler, colored pencils, computer disks (not that they mentioned the size, I'm assuming they mean 3 1/2 inch disks, though blank CDs would be much handier to me as I always have those on hand), reinforcers for the binder, and dividers for the binders. He will not get his schedule until the first day of school, so the rest of the list will be given to us when his full schedule is set. I'm ticked about that. That means parents will have to do a mad dash to get the rest of the items that weekend.
Our daughter, they still haven't sent her list yet.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Kudos
If you read my blog ever, you'll have seen that my children's pool fell victim to some ATV riders. Anyway, there was an article in the local paper a few days later regarding some ATV trails that are being shot down by one of the state agencies. So I fired off a letter to the editor about this...
Would an ATV trail really be that bad?I have to say that the NRPC is wrong. I have no tolerance for ATVs in most cases, but I would much rather have ATV riders on a trail than where they currently ride - my yard. We awoke Wednesday morning to ATV tracks across our yard, and one of the ATVs had run over my children's 10 foot by 6 foot pool, destroying it. Police say that there is little that they can do to prevent these wee hour of the morning ATV activities because there is only so much of a police force to go around throughout Franklin county. Perhaps if ATV users had somewhere to actually go, they'd get off of other people's yards. In the meantime, if anyone has a pool to donate, I'm sure my children would appreciate it. - Georgia, VT - July 23, 2006
Would an ATV trail really be that bad?I have to say that the NRPC is wrong. I have no tolerance for ATVs in most cases, but I would much rather have ATV riders on a trail than where they currently ride - my yard. We awoke Wednesday morning to ATV tracks across our yard, and one of the ATVs had run over my children's 10 foot by 6 foot pool, destroying it. Police say that there is little that they can do to prevent these wee hour of the morning ATV activities because there is only so much of a police force to go around throughout Franklin county. Perhaps if ATV users had somewhere to actually go, they'd get off of other people's yards. In the meantime, if anyone has a pool to donate, I'm sure my children would appreciate it.
I tried to remain civil. And I've been told I didn't sound as witchy as I could have been. So I guess I kept the civil tone throughout. I have an update to this story now!
The local ATV Assocation (the North Country ATV Association) contacted me after seeing my letter. Not only did they find a replacement pool (not an easy feat, I'd gone to four stores and couldn't find a pool that was the same size), but they also went out back and talked to the kid we feel is responsible. His ATV tracks are still visible, they saw them and said it looks like the kid steered for the pool. They warned him that there was going to be more patrolling and ticketing by not only the police, but also by fish and game wardens who now have the authority. They suggested he join their association and get out on the trails where ATVs should be. Since Friday, the kid has not been out ONCE on his ATV. Things have been quiet. I appreciate everything Steve (the president) has done for my children!!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Responsibility
I think I've had it with the kids in my neighborhood who own ATVs. I actually had it a long time ago, but the final straw came some time last night. Two ATVs apparently decided my yard was good for racing and then ran over the pool we purchased for my kids. It wasn't a huge pool, but at 10 feet by 6 feet and then 3 feet deep inflated, it was a good spot for them to cool off during these hot days. This, however, is all that is left.
http://www.roundtablereviews.com/damage.htm
There is no need for ATV riders to be on private property. I'm sick of it and wish the police would do more, however, they have repeatedly ignored neighborhood complaints. Part of me wonders, maybe it is time for taxpayers to stop chipping in to pay for the yearly salary we pay for sheriff patrols!
http://www.roundtablereviews.com/damage.htm
There is no need for ATV riders to be on private property. I'm sick of it and wish the police would do more, however, they have repeatedly ignored neighborhood complaints. Part of me wonders, maybe it is time for taxpayers to stop chipping in to pay for the yearly salary we pay for sheriff patrols!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Cost of Living
I was watching House Hunters last night. I tend to enjoy watching the show to see other houses and see what the market is like in other states. Last night, the home buyer was in Manhattan trying to find a larger flat. OMG! The housing was absurd, but it was the "assocation fees" that shocked me. No wonder rents are so high there.
This home buyer is a voice actress. Not sure what someone in that field makes, but it would have to be a small fortune! She looked at three flats - all around 600 square feet. That's a little over half of my house. It's probably close to my downstairs. She needed one bedroom near her work in Manhattan.
The first place was puny. It was not glamourous and the views were awful. Yet, it was $500k and assocation fees were an addtional $750 a month. Another $750 a month is over my mortgage payment!!! The next place was $485k and the association fees were the same. So the final flat is $495k, association fees are $720 a month. I'm thinking with a mortgage on a flat that costs $500k, you are looking at a mortgage payment of around $2700 if you can afford 20% down. Under 20% down with PMI, I'm sure the payment would be around $3300 - $3500. Add on your association fees and you'll be paying $3400 to 4200 per month. That's absurd! If I realize that the housing prices in many areas are going to force people to work themselves to death, why can't the government???
This home buyer is a voice actress. Not sure what someone in that field makes, but it would have to be a small fortune! She looked at three flats - all around 600 square feet. That's a little over half of my house. It's probably close to my downstairs. She needed one bedroom near her work in Manhattan.
The first place was puny. It was not glamourous and the views were awful. Yet, it was $500k and assocation fees were an addtional $750 a month. Another $750 a month is over my mortgage payment!!! The next place was $485k and the association fees were the same. So the final flat is $495k, association fees are $720 a month. I'm thinking with a mortgage on a flat that costs $500k, you are looking at a mortgage payment of around $2700 if you can afford 20% down. Under 20% down with PMI, I'm sure the payment would be around $3300 - $3500. Add on your association fees and you'll be paying $3400 to 4200 per month. That's absurd! If I realize that the housing prices in many areas are going to force people to work themselves to death, why can't the government???
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The only news you'll need to read!
Yesterday, I logged on to read the news and was assaulted by bad news layered upon more bad news. Tunnels collapsing in Boston. Two more planes crashing this week (Russian, Pakistan, Mexico.) Subways derailing in Chicago. Bombs in some of India's railways. The suspicious death of a Vermont woman. Everything I read was depressing. Today the news was that a woman was found stabbed to death near Safeco Field in Seattle. The Vermont woman appears to have been beaten to death... A local realtor dropped dead while jogging. Nothing is happy anymore. I need the uplift, so I'm going to find some happy news.
Port boy’s battle with rare disease has happy ending By Christopher CamireTHE DAILY NEWS (NEWBURYPORT, Mass.) http://www.athensreview.com
On July 22, Brady O’Donnell will celebrate his third birthday. For his family, the milestone marks a happy ending to a medical ordeal that once had no end in sight.Although Brady looks like a happy, healthy child today, it was not long ago that his family questioned whether he would ever experience a normal life.Brady was born with an extremely rare disease called linear nevus sebaceous syndrome. Doctors said he would probably never be able to walk or speak. Huge birthmarks covered his face, head and neck. The left side of his brain was smaller than the right side, and he was susceptible to seizures that threatened to leave him developmentally disabled.
How about this one - a man missing since WWII has returned to his country. http://www.happynews.com/news/732006/man-missing-since-wwii-returns-to-japan.htm
There is far more at www.happynews.com Enjoy!
Port boy’s battle with rare disease has happy ending By Christopher CamireTHE DAILY NEWS (NEWBURYPORT, Mass.) http://www.athensreview.com
On July 22, Brady O’Donnell will celebrate his third birthday. For his family, the milestone marks a happy ending to a medical ordeal that once had no end in sight.Although Brady looks like a happy, healthy child today, it was not long ago that his family questioned whether he would ever experience a normal life.Brady was born with an extremely rare disease called linear nevus sebaceous syndrome. Doctors said he would probably never be able to walk or speak. Huge birthmarks covered his face, head and neck. The left side of his brain was smaller than the right side, and he was susceptible to seizures that threatened to leave him developmentally disabled.
How about this one - a man missing since WWII has returned to his country. http://www.happynews.com/news/732006/man-missing-since-wwii-returns-to-japan.htm
There is far more at www.happynews.com Enjoy!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Changing Fate...
My daughter yesterday was playing in the backyard. She stopped to check the pond (just a small kit that we put in a few years back) and discovered a baby bird stuck in the water and it was near death. She was so upset, so I decided to go in, grab the bird and see if I could save it. Sometimes, animal rescue shows are a great form of education!!
My husband grabbed a junky towel and we wrapped the bird up. It wasn't acting scared, never made a move to peck me, it was shaking something fierce though, so my daughter and I took shifts and held it against us wrapped in the blanket hoping to get it warmed back up. Eventually she grew tired of it, so I took over and used the towel to dry off as much of the bird's feathers as possible. It was a small grackle and the mother sat watching me from the tree, not attacking, so I'm guessing she'd figured her baby was a lost cause.
Two hours passed and suddenly the little guy started squirming just a little. So I moved him/her to a sunny spot on the deck (hawks are common around here and two were overhead, so I made sure he was hidden from sight). Another hour passed and he suddenly stood up by himself and started watching us. He still made no move to attack, so I figure all was well and my husband and I sat back and watched him.
At this point, Jess was excited because his breathing seemed back to normal and he'd stopped shaking. He started squawking about 20 minutes later and his mom flew to the bird feeders, repeated his noises, flew off to the tree and kept repeating that pattern. To our amazement this little bird that I figured was going to die, stretched his wings and flew over the deck rail to join his mom in the tree.
I know they say if you see a wild animal in trouble - leave it be. I guess it isn't in my nature to just let something like a bird die. Jess is overjoyed that she saved this bird's life and I have to say, it is an amazing feeling to see something go from limp and gasping for air to alert and flying.
My husband grabbed a junky towel and we wrapped the bird up. It wasn't acting scared, never made a move to peck me, it was shaking something fierce though, so my daughter and I took shifts and held it against us wrapped in the blanket hoping to get it warmed back up. Eventually she grew tired of it, so I took over and used the towel to dry off as much of the bird's feathers as possible. It was a small grackle and the mother sat watching me from the tree, not attacking, so I'm guessing she'd figured her baby was a lost cause.
Two hours passed and suddenly the little guy started squirming just a little. So I moved him/her to a sunny spot on the deck (hawks are common around here and two were overhead, so I made sure he was hidden from sight). Another hour passed and he suddenly stood up by himself and started watching us. He still made no move to attack, so I figure all was well and my husband and I sat back and watched him.
At this point, Jess was excited because his breathing seemed back to normal and he'd stopped shaking. He started squawking about 20 minutes later and his mom flew to the bird feeders, repeated his noises, flew off to the tree and kept repeating that pattern. To our amazement this little bird that I figured was going to die, stretched his wings and flew over the deck rail to join his mom in the tree.
I know they say if you see a wild animal in trouble - leave it be. I guess it isn't in my nature to just let something like a bird die. Jess is overjoyed that she saved this bird's life and I have to say, it is an amazing feeling to see something go from limp and gasping for air to alert and flying.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Click
We went to see Click last night. Now I am a fan of Adam Sandler. Sure he's goofy, but there is something about him that comes off as extremely sexy - maybe his grin...
I think Click is one of his better movies. He's a family man this time... he's also a workaholic. The bratty kid next door is always rubbing it in how his family has better technology, cars, lifestyle... So in desperation one night, Sandler heads off to Bed, Bath & Beyond to at least get a universal remote so that he'll be capable of turning on his television. Christopher Walken gives him a brand new product-- a self programming remote - just point and click. The thing is the remote works on anything and anyone. Suddenly, Sandler has the power to control his life - fast-forwarding through the bad and freezing the screen when things are good!
While this is a great comedy, there is also the emotional drama aspect when he finds he is using the remote so much that life is whizzing buy. I found myself laughing, shedding a tear or two, and then knowing by the end that this is a movie I'll have to own. I could watch it again and again without tiring of it.
I think Click is one of his better movies. He's a family man this time... he's also a workaholic. The bratty kid next door is always rubbing it in how his family has better technology, cars, lifestyle... So in desperation one night, Sandler heads off to Bed, Bath & Beyond to at least get a universal remote so that he'll be capable of turning on his television. Christopher Walken gives him a brand new product-- a self programming remote - just point and click. The thing is the remote works on anything and anyone. Suddenly, Sandler has the power to control his life - fast-forwarding through the bad and freezing the screen when things are good!
While this is a great comedy, there is also the emotional drama aspect when he finds he is using the remote so much that life is whizzing buy. I found myself laughing, shedding a tear or two, and then knowing by the end that this is a movie I'll have to own. I could watch it again and again without tiring of it.
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