Wait, Wait!

I am SO excited!!  My favorite program on NPR is coming to TPAC!  I've whined and begged Peter Sagal on Twitter and on his blog to bring "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" to Nashville.  They will be here June 30!  Yay!!  I renewed my membership early to take advantage of the thank-you gift tickets.  So I'll have two tickets down front in the good seats and get to attend the VIP reception after the show!  I've always wondered how those people get the great seats because no matter how early I get online to order tickets those are never available - even when I'm a vulture lurking until the minute they go on sale.  These tickets aren't on sale until April 11.  I guess VIPs and people with connections get those.  So anyway, I am totally thrilled and stoked!  What fun that will be!  If Roy Blount, Jr., Paula Poundstone, and Mo Rocca are on the panel, it will be perfect!

Tweets about Teaching

TeachersJourney The Joy and Sorrows

"Doctor's mistakes are in the cemetery and lawyers' mistakes are in prison, teachers' mistakes get elected."  -Robert John Meehan

"Tenure guarantees a teacher due process – NOT a lifetime job."  -Robert John Meehan

"We must shift the focus of our classrooms from obedience to understanding".  -Robert John Meehan

All teachers who have had consistent success in the classroom understand that it is not enough merely to dispense information.

Solving the problems in education are actually simple. All we need is a dedicated society, knowledgeable politicians and excellent teachers

Teachers have been conditioned to realize that every innovative teaching method is eventually discredited by further sustained research.

Student achievement cannot be measured by test scores but in the small day to day moments of their students’ individual triumphs.

The vast majority of students are awesome to work with, it’s a vocal minority that ends up taking up the teacher's time and attention.

Solving the problems in education are actually simple. All we need is a dedicated society, knowledgeable politicians and excellent teachers

Phone Etiquette

My grandson Brendan calls me periodically and gives telephone performances.  They can't really be called conversations except when he asks if I want to sing lead or backup for our duets or when he asks me to choose which story he'll quote or song we'll sing.  He's quite a character!  I've been trying to teach him how to end a conversation gracefully, but so far it hasn't taken.  Sometimes my son sets a limit and will give him a countdown to end the conversation.  I'll hear "3 minutes" in the background or whatever.  He's now worked this out to ask me if it's time to go yet.  If I tell him no, we keep talking.  If I say yes, he hangs up immediately.  No good-bye, nothing!  Just, "Is it time to go?"  Me, "Yes."  Then "click" and that's it.  He cracks me up. 

Sam's comment on the previous post referred to that in case you wondered. 

Future for Bernice

I found a new thing to worry about.  On Grey's Anatomy when Meredith and Derek administered the Alzheimers test and asked patients to count backwards from 100 by 7's, I panicked.  After 93, I have to subtract by picturing the numbers in the air written as a subtraction problem, concentrate really hard, and count on my fingers, which isn't easy with subtraction.  For one thing, sevens are HARD!  I asked Jackie if they time you and count off if it takes too long.  We were on the phone, so she asked her husband Ed, a clinical psychologist who specializes in head injuries, about it.  He had a field day messing with me and basically said I was doomed.  No help there.  Jackie told me to memorize it, so I could do it.  It's like studying for a test, I guess. 

Just in case, I'm going to make sure Brian, Melissa, Kathy, and my friends tell them if I have to take that test that I have never been able to count backwards like that.  How do people do that so fast?  If it were by fives or twos, it would be a snap, but not sevens!!  Also one of my pupils is naturally larger than the other, so I guess I need to wear one of those bracelets to let them know in case I pass out because that's a sign of something serious. OK, I'll stop now before I spin out of control.  Besides, I might need a paragraph on that bracelet for all my weird stuff. 

Header Design

Anyone know what that is up there?  Melissa suggested that my granddaughter Kelsey make a circle inversion fractal for her calculus project for pi day (3-14).  Of course I had no idea what that was and never took calculus since it wasn't offered in my school.  I do know about pi because I did have four years of math in high school.  At our school that involved Algebra I and II, Plane Geometry, Solid Geometry and Trigonometry (semester of each).  I had a slide rule and knew how to use it!  Actually, I had two of them a regular rectangular one and a round one.  Anyway, I googled "circle inversion fractal" and thought they were pretty.  So now I have one on the header of my blog whatever they are.  I'm not willing to try to learn that math.  

Here are some others.  Some of them look like jewelry, a kaleidoscope, or other pretty designs.  Who knew math is involved?  Well, Melissa.  She's incredibly intelligent and reads physics books for pleasure.  It's amazing how much stuff she knows.  

I just read Mrs. Miss A's blog and noticed that she knows about fractals.  Shout out to you, MMA!

Discuss

I deleted that picture of the cover of On Looking because I can't stand to look at it for many reasons.  If you missed it and want to see it, go HERE.  I'll bitch about that class later on.

What was your first thought when you looked at this book cover?  To me it looks like some sort of bony melty alien pupa type creature.  Then upon closer inspection, I realized that it's a neck and spine and shoulders.  Or as I like to refer to it - a man with his head up his ass.  I hate it.  This is one of the books of essays we have for the seminar on writing creative nonfiction. All the essays she included in this have something to do with looking at different things in various ways.

Random

Romance might happen when it is least expected but so does murder.

Japan < US

What is it about the newscasters interviewing experts about the multiple disasters in Japan asking how this affects the US?  They ask if radiation will make its way here, if we have nuclear reactors that could do that, if we could have the same kind of devastation, how this will affect our economy, and on and on.  Those are valid questions.  No doubt.  But shouldn't they be asked AFTER getting information about Japan?  They are the ones dealing with the worst disaster in their history and probably any other country's.  Could we focus on that and not make it all about us first? 

You Might Be A Dumbass if ...

The dome light and courtesy lights on the door of your car won't turn off and causes the battery to run down.  So you call AAA to jump off the battery.  You've already removed the dome light but couldn't get the door lights out.  The wrecker guy from AAA removes them for you.  So you drive around for a couple of months without those lights, which is inconvenient at night, but you get used to it.  Then last Friday the car is towed to the auto repair shop because it won't start.  It goes rrr-rrr-rrr-rrr, but that's it.  That same AAA wrecker guy comes over to let you know it's not the battery and asks what you did about the lights.  Then he tows the car away.  So when the auto repair guy calls to let you know it's the fuel pump and to give you the bad news about how much it will cost, you ask them to check the problem with the lights not going off.  They take care of the fuel pump and the light situation.  Fast forward to when you pick up the car, and they show you how that switch that dims the dashboard lights will make them stay on when it's turned all the way to the right and makes a clicking sound.  That's all that was wrong.  Yep.

Not that I would know anything about this.

Re-Tweets

askjimmycarter Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Buffett is trying to capitalize on the Charlie Sheen phenomenon ...He just filed trademark papers to create a drink: Tiger Blood.

MoRocca Mo Rocca

Hipsters are Geek Chic. True nerds are Geek Orthodox

thedailybeast The Daily Beast

Utah Names Official State Firearm… 1st state in U.S. to do so, months after #Tucson massacre http://thebea.st/eDFiHd

thenation The Nation

Places that sent pizza to Madison capitol: Egypt, Australia, Turkey, Korea, Finland and others #wiunion @LeftForum 'That's solidarity'

SteveMartinToGo Steve Martin

Out on the town today. I tried to tweet but couldn’t find a tweet booth. Maybe they’re a thing of the past.

Computer Trivia

A chip of silicon a quarter-inch square has the capacity of the original 1949 ENIAC computer, which occupied a full city block.

FYI

I recently learned that gargling with ice water gets rid of hiccups.  Now you know, too! 

For Real?

Country star Lyle Lovett reportedly is afraid of cows.

But not horses?

Yikes!!

The Japanese beetle, found in the eastern United States and Canada, is the only bug in these countries you need be concerned about if it becomes lodged in your ear, for it can chew through your eardrum in a matter of minutes. Other bugs can be removed without the same urgency.

I thought they were too big to get in our ears!  Not!  I had one of those beetles that look like pale brown spotted lady bugs in my ear and didn't know it until I went to the doctor who found and removed it when I was there for bronchitis or something.  It caused quite the stir with the nurses.  I still feel weird about it. 

Another One Bites the Dust (so to speak)

Another religious zealot hypocrite!  Read about it HERE.  He looks like a perv, doesn't he?

The Rev. Grant Storms, the Christian fundamentalist known for his bullhorn protests of the Southern Decadence festival in the French Quarter, was arrested on a charge of masturbating at a Metairie park Friday afternoon.

While I'm Ranting!

Probably the major cause of the world's problems is overpopulation.  Think about it.  There are just too damn many people on earth.  Zero population, folks!  This is no time to get rid of Planned Parenthood! 

What I've Been Saying

Kailyn posted a link on FB I'll write more about later.  We're doomed as doomed can be as a nation if we don't make some major changes in education.  As I keep saying, we're not educating students any more.  It's not the teachers' fault.  They are trying their best but are handicapped by all these decrees from the federal government on down.  No Child Left Behind put so much emphasis on testing that teachers were told to teach to the test.  Then it got even worse when they ramped it up so that teachers here in my county have to write down the state standards they teach each day on the board, as if that makes any difference to the students and what or how they learn.  Students are tested within an inch of their lives.  I can't even keep up with all the tests teacher friends tell me they have to administer.  They can't TEACH!  They know how but barely have a chance to do it.

Our high schools were on the block schedule for several years, which means that there are four 90-minute classes each semester that make up a year's credit.  There are exceptions in some math and music courses and perhaps others.  Our director of schools changed this to a seven-period day.  Classes are so much shorter that the kids said it felt like speed dating.  With the block schedule, there was time to cover the material and to be able to determine if they caught on or not.  The kids, teachers, and parents are stressed out now.

The new director, who reminds me of W, has no high school experience.  He's been a coach, assistant principal, and principal of junior high and middle schools all of his career.  Not only that, but the principal and assistant principal of the high school were I taught last, secondary supervisor, other supervisors in the Central Office have only elementary and middle school experience.  Seems as if it would help to have someone who knows what needs to happen in high school, doesn't it?  When we changed to the block schedule, it was after years of study, visits to schools, and planning before making such a change.  Not so this time with the seven periods.  That change was made because that's how it was done at the middle schools.  Yeah.  No one realized how different the curriculum requirements and students are at those two levels.

Teachers are now being evaluated based on student scores.  That is so wrong because it depends on the students from year to year.  The ACT should be used because it's a standardized test used nationally.  What our state is doing now is too screwy to try to explain.  Let's just say it's supposed to give an indication of what is expected of those students the next year based on things I don't understand.  It's all crazy.

I've never seen teacher morale so low ever.  Most of the ones I'm around are so stressed out that it shows.  They care about their students and want them to learn.  They also want to keep their jobs.  Those two goals are in conflict the way the system is set up now, and it sucks.

Here's the article I mentioned earlier, which shows that unsurprisingly this dumbing down extends to colleges, but then how could it not?  We've already seen evidence of what being uninformed and unable to make rational decisions, think critically, and learn can do in a society.  This is an excerpt from the article "College the Easy Way" by Bob Herbert. 

The book is based on a study, led by Professor Arum, that followed more than 2,300 students at a broad range of schools from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2009. The study (available at highered.ssrc.org) showed that in their first two years of college, 45 percent of the students made no significant improvement in skills related to critical thinking, complex reasoning and communication. After the full four years, 36 percent still had not substantially improved those skills.

The development of such skills is generally thought to be the core function of a college education. The students who don’t develop them may leave college with a degree and an expanded circle of friends, but little more. Many of these young men and women are unable to communicate effectively, solve simple intellectual tasks (such as distinguishing fact from opinion), or engage in effective problem-solving.

“This is a terrible disservice, not only to those students, but also to the larger society,” said Professor Arum. “I really think it’s important to get the word out about the lack of academic rigor and intellectual engagement that’s occurring at colleges and universities today.”

While there are certainly plenty of students doing very well and learning a great deal in college, this large increase in the number of students just skating by should be of enormous concern in an era in which a college education plays such a crucial role in the lifetime potential of America’s young people. It can leave the U.S. at a disadvantage in the global marketplace. But, more important, the students are cheating themselves — and being cheated — of the richer, more satisfying lives that should be the real payoff of a four-year college experience.

“You have to ask what this means for a democratic society,” said Professor Arum. “This is the portion of the population that you would expect to demonstrate civic leadership in the future, civic engagement. They are the ones we would expect to be struggling to understand the world, to think critically about the rhetoric out there, and to make informed, reasoned decisions.

“If they’re not developing their higher order skills, it means they’re not developing the attitudes and dispositions that are needed to even understand that that’s important.”

Oh Yes!

The psychology department of Dayton University reports that loud talk can be ten times more distracting than the sound of a jackhammer. Loud, incessant chatter can make a listener nervous and irritable, and even start him on the road to insanity.

Response to Comments and Voltaire

Since there were several comments on my previous post, I decided to address them here.  I think what the WBC does is like shouting fire in a crowded theater.  But yes, Voltaires (Bob, Beth, DTGuy) you are right - what we do here is defend the right to say it even if we abhor it.  I'm just afraid of repercussions from it.

They came here to my hometown to "protest" the funeral of a soldier, but motorcycle groups (local and other) dissuaded them.  They went away.  Maybe it can be like the KKK rallies held in Pulaski, TN, where the revival of it originated.  Businesses closed, people stayed away, and the town closed down.  I haven't heard anything about it for a long time.  Maybe they quit.  The citizens of Pulaski hate that part of their history and tried to stop them from having that parade, but the ACLU said they had the right to peacefully assemble, so they finally decided to ignore them.  Maybe Hells Angels, etc., will continue to block these hatemongers.

I was up in arms, downtown guy, when I first heard about them and blogged about it, but I don't exactly have a wide audience or any influence.  So yes, I was disgusted and irate and sick that they picketed funerals of gay people.  There were counter-protests then, too.  This soldier's father is the first who filed suit against them that made it to the Supreme Court. 

Oh no, Froggy, about your student.  That's horrible and scary!  It's not paranoid these days to protect yourself.  Glad you did it.  Teachers don't have the "right" to say or do much of anything any more.  That teacher should have been allowed to say whatever she wanted to on a restricted blog, Mrs. Miss A.  I feel freer to say what I think on here now that I'm retired but am still careful just in case and have worried about posting those answers I might delete.  I'd like to keep that job.

 Last Words Of: Voltaire, philosopher

This one requires a little context. Voltaire was a famous essayist, deist and apparently smartass.

So who is the "enemy" he's talking about in the above quote? It was his response to a priest at the side of his deathbed, asking Voltaire to use the precious few moments left to renounce Satan.

Disappointed in the Supremes

There's freedom of speech and then there's the Westboro Baptist Church, which is entirely composed of the Phelps family, in fact one of his daughters argued the case before the Supreme Court.  I heard on the radio that out of the many children, some are estranged.  The others are deranged.

I don't understand the 8-1 decision of the Court on this and am fearful of the repercussions from it.  Will hate speech, bullying, and other forms of violence be allowed now without prosecution?  Although all of them were repulsed by the words and actions of WBC, they upheld the First Amendment.  Article HERE.  I agree with Justice Alito in his dissenting opinion.

Justice Samuel Alito, the lone dissenter, said Snyder wanted only to "bury his son in peace." Instead, Alito said, the protesters "brutally attacked" Matthew Snyder to attract public attention. "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," he said.

Where do we go from here?

Depressed State

Bob had a post about more oppressive and crappy bills TN state legislators introduced.  This one is anti-gay.  They're also trying to do the same thing to us that WI is doing.  There's going to be a rally Saturday in Nashville at the capitol building to protest them, and I hope it helps.  For those of you who think of TN as a total Red State, that's why the electoral college needs to be abolished because that's how ours go.  However, for the first time in 40 years, we now have a Republican majority in the state legislature.  This means that not only will the bastards pass some horrible laws but will have the opportunity to gerrymander the districts for an even bigger advantage.  The governor is Bill Haslam, Republican who owns all those Pilot gas stations and truck stops.  We're doomed.

Who Are These People?

OK, I remembered what I was going to say.  I've quit recapping DWTS but will watch it 'cause that's what I do.  That said, I don't know who but three of the dwarf stars are who will be on this season, and that's Kirstie Alley who probably won't be on there long, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Ralph Macchio.  Otherwise, I have no idea who they are but guess I'll get to know the ones who hang in there a while.

Kirstie Alley
"Psycho Mike" Catherwood
Chris Jericho
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ralph Macchio
Romeo Miller
Petra Nemcova
Chelsea Kane Staub
Hines Ward
Kendra Wilkinson
Wendy Williams

So Sad

I logged on here to post something I'd been thinking about all morning but now I can't remember what it was.  Bet it comes back to me as soon as I turn off the computer.  Have class this evening. 

Did Not Know

Early handheld lights used carbon-zinc batteries that did not last very long. To keep the light burning required that the user turn it on for a short time and then turn it off to allow the battery to recover. That’s how they originally became known as a flashlight.

Oscarama

I agree with Roger Ebert that this was the worst Oscarcast ever.  They need better writers, a comedian host, and some production changes.  Mostly it would have helped to have Billy Crystal back or someone who could keep things moving with banter. That didn't stop me from watching the whole show because I have this loyalty thing that keeps me hanging on to shows long after I probably should abandon them.  Ask Brian.

There were moments that worked really well and many that didn't.  I like funny speeches and touching ones.  There were a few that were memorable in that respect - Colin Firth, the screenwriter of The King's Speech David Seidler, and Sandra Bullock's presentation.  The winners were predictably who I thought might win based on what I've read and heard.  Now I need to see the movies.

Their attempt to appeal to a younger, hip audience didn't work.  Anne Hathaway looked great in the dresses, and James Franco seems like a stoner.  Oh, it was a nice touch having the public school kids chorus on there.  They were good and helped counteract the negative press we teachers get. 

I miss the Oscar days of outrageous outfits Cher wore, unexpected speeches, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Billy Crystal, laughter, and being entertained.

Awards Shows

The Oscars are on tonight, and I've never missed one yet.  I do like awards shows for some reason and like to see who wins, what they wear, who they are with, and how the show is put together.  So far I've seen the Golden Globes, SAG, BAFTA, and the Independent Spirit Awards, which are better some years than others.  They seem to revel in their independence by dressing in various degrees of casualness, holding the ceremony in a tent on the beach, and occasionally trying to be outrageous.  Last night wasn't so good.  They were all cold and complained about it and the humor was even more adolescent than usual.  Oh well.  What I like is learning about some movies I hadn't heard much about since they are Indie films.

My favorite movie awards show is BAFTA probably because I love British humor.  There's a bit of irreverence to the whole show but sincere gratitude for the awards.  A good mix.

I'll be on Twitter during the Oscars and will chat with any of you who are there, too.  I follow Roger Ebert, who always makes interesting comments on things.  It doesn't even bother me that it lasts a long time.   I have my Oscar ballot printed, so I can check the winners.  What predictions do any of you have?  This year I haven't seen many of the movies at all and just know what I've heard about them. 

Going to get some reading done for my classes before I watch the Oscars! 

My Phone is Stalking Me

I got an iPhone and love it! Even the box it comes in is classy. The phone and accessories fit inside the sturdy, attractive box neatly and ergonomically. Impressive right off the bat!  Just look at this!  If you've felt the box and touched all of it, you know what I mean.

Then I connected it to iTunes on my laptop and went through the steps to make it my own.  I've been playing with it ever since I bought it yesterday.  Sam has and will continue to answer questions and help me with it.  My learning curve hasn't been as much as I thought it would be except for answering the phone!  I finally caught on to that for the most part.  LOL  Oh, yes, it's a phone, too.  The text messages are so cute with conversation bubbles.  A friend told me to click the arrow on the map, and it will show me where I am.  Most of the time I know that but did it anyway.  Then I wanted to get back on the map of the world, but it wouldn't let me do it.  So I called Earl to ask how to do that.  He said it couldn't be done and that it would always show where I am unless I ask for directions somewhere.  So I said, "My phone is stalking me!" 

I downloaded Google Earth so I can see the world now, too.  So far the apps are impressive, and the phone is amazing!  Based on all this, I'm getting a Macbook soon as I can! 

Oh and I got the Xfinity app to see my TV listings.  I signed into my Comcast account to set it up since I'm supposed to be able to set my DVR from my phone.  It said I had two sets available and gave labels for each.  All of a sudden a window popped up on the TV in the den that said that set was DVR 1.  Then I went in the bedroom where a window said that one was TV 1.  Sort of neat and creepy at the same time.  Big Brother is in my phone!  

Dilemma

The good news in 1547 in Britain was that the law was amended to end the practice of boiling criminals to death. The bad news was that the punishment was changed to burning them at the stake.

Too Late

A woman’s arthritic pains will almost always disappear as soon as she becomes pregnant.

Sir Charles!

A $10,000 fine was promptly issued to Charles Barkley by the NBA for accidentally spitting on an 8-year-old girl.

Shocking Trivia

Using the electric chair could be overkill, since it only takes 15 watts of electricity going through a human body to stop the heart. Common lightbulbs run on about 25 to 75 watts of electricity. So come on, let’s try to conserve energy!

Must Be An Underlying Reason

During the rule of Peter the Great, any Russian man who wore a beard was required to pay a special tax, although you could get away scot-free with just a mustache and sideburns.

Well OK

In August 1998, Priscilla Presley won $75,000 in a defamation lawsuit against Lavern Grant, a former army buddy of Elvis Presley’s who claimed they had an affair before Priscilla married Presley It was ruled in a California superior court that Grant made false statements that were repeated and used in the book Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley by Suzanne Finstad. Priscilla long assured the world she was a virgin when she married the King.

I'm Afraid They'll Vote

Questions and answers from assignments I'm grading.  See why my hope for the future becomes bleaker by the year?

1. What are a few of the positive things the Equal Rights Amendment would have done for women in America?
2. Critics of the amendment pointed out some negative repercussions. What were they?
3. All things considered, would you be in favor of the amendment or against it and why?

1. Women got equal rights as men. (got to vote, work, and be educated)
2. Racial preferences violate the 14th amendment, no freedom of speech, no same sex marriage,  no bare arms.
3. It's really hard to say. I have my reasons I'd be for it, and against it. Women should have equal rights as men, but we should have the right to bare arms, freedom of speech, and no one should be racist. 

I reassigned it to her and left her this note:

Women already had the right to vote, work, and be educated in 1972.  You need to do more reading about the ERA and think about your answers.  The 2nd Amendment had nothing to do with the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.  And it's "bear" not "bare" arms unless you meant wearing sleeveless dresses. 

Next assignment that got a note and was reassigned.  Kill me now!

1. How have social norms changed in America since the decade of the '60s?
2. How does your generation's norms and mores differ from those of your parents? Grandparents?
3. In your opinion, why do these changes take place?

1. Attitudes to a variety of issues changed, sometimes radically, throughout the decade.
2. Both of my parents are different, but parts of me look the same as both of them. Some things are different as well like my eyes change to my mood, my moms eyes are hazel and my dads are blue. I'm very light skinned like my mother, but my father and sister are very dark. My grandparents have blue and brown eyes. We all have brown dark colored hair.
3. If everyone looked the same the world would be a lot different, and not for good. We all have our own personality and our own look, but what make's some of those looks, is our parents.

There are some worse than these!  Yes, it's possible! 

Trivia

Dolphins have killed sharks by ramming them with their snouts.

Wish I'd Thought of This

The man behind the Beanie Babies phenomenon of the late 1990s is still quite a mystery. Ty Warner has shunned interviews, and the company’s financial records and phone number are hard to find. Reports in 1999 identified Warner as a billionaire and the richest toy maker in the world. He purchased New York’s Four Seasons luxury hotel for $275 million.

The King's Speech (not)

In the latter part of the eighteenth century, Prussian surgeons treated stutterers by snipping off portions of their tongues.

Gum Trivia (chewing not tooth holders)

The first product to have a UPC bar code on its packaging was Wrigley’s chewing gum.

Bridal Gowns

In ancient times, the traditional color of bridal gowns was red. The wife of Napoleon III broke the tradition and wore a white gown. Then, brides began wearing white gowns (which were worn only once) as a symbol of their wealth.

BAFTA Commentary

Jonathan Ross, host of the BAFTAs, explained: "I will introduce each category and a talented and hopefully attractive member of the film community will read the nominees. And then whichever person of the cast or crew of The King's Speech has won will come up to the stage and take the award."  That's how it happened, too.

An exception is Aaron Sorkin, who won for his screenplay of The Social Network.  I hope he wins the Oscar because I like his writing.  He wrote The West Wing, The American President, and Sports Night for a few.  The West Wing is my all-time favorite TV show, and Jeb Bartlett is my President! 

David Fincher won for Best Director of The Social Network, so that film won those two.  The Fighter wasn't nominated.  Natalie Portman won Best Actress for Black Swan and seems to be a sure thing along with Colin Firth as Oscar winners.

The Harry Potter films won a well-deserved special award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film.  Stephen Fry presented the award and part of his introduction was, "Some have suggested, sacrilege though it may seem, that the films may actually be better than the quite brilliantly voiced audio books."  (He recorded those.)  I love the Brits and wish I had an English man all my own! 

Complete list of nominees and winners HERE. If you want to watch the awards, go HERE.

Laptop Saga Continues

I sent my laptop away again and got it back today.  It's an HP, so I blame Carly Fiorina whether she was CEO at the time it was produced or not.  It's an adjustment when I use it again after the little 10" netbook.  This one is 17" and seems HUGE in comparison.  I guess it is.  I think I'll probably get a 15" next time since it would be easier to take places and from room to room.  This one is better when it stays at mission control center where I can watch TV and have the remote controls and phones within reach.  There is texting, too, you know! 

One of the problems with that little netbook is that I have to scroll back and forth to play Scrabble and Family Feud, and it takes time away since FF is timed!  Two things I don't like are being uncomfortable and inconvenienced, so that's major!  Otherwise, I'm easy to get along with. 

Gag!

Floor-cleaning products in Venezuela have ten times the pine fragrance of U.S. floor cleaners. Venezuelan women won’t buy a weaker fragrance. These obsessive homemakers may wet-mop their tile floors twice a day, leaving windows and doors open so the scent can waft out to the street to send the message that their houses are clean.

I'm not going to Venezuela. I hate that smell even in small amounts.  That would put me over the edge. 

I Don 't See Dead People

I almost have panic attacks when those people who get in touch with dead relatives give their loved ones messages from them.  I hope like hell that is not true because I've done some things I really hope my father and grandmother didn't see and don't know about.  I'll have some 'splainin' to do if there is a way we meet again in the afterlife.  Some of that stuff even embarrasses me now when I think about it, so I can just imagine how Daddy would react!  Most of it was lots of fun but nothing I want observed.  Wonder how that works if it actually does happen?  I like to think that parts can be censored, but I mostly choose to believe they have no clue what I've done. 

Not for Me ...

The indentation in the middle area between the nose and the upper lip is called the philtrum. Ancient Greeks considered this to be one of the body’s most erogenous zones

Weather

We saw something today we haven't seen for a while - the sun!  The snow is melting and will be gone completely tomorrow.  We'll be having a relative heat wave next week as the temps climb from the 40s today to the mid-60s by the end of the week!  Let's hope this snow has finished with us!  I'm ready for a mild rest of the winter and then a long spring.

Joy in School

We've missed some of our classes at APSU Tina and I are taking because of snow and ice.  She's taking them for credit in order to teach dual enrollment English class where students take their high school senior English and their college freshman composition class their senior year of high school.  Cooperating universities (state ones but not private) give credit for that class.  She has to have 18 graduate English hours to teach the class.  I'm auditing because I've wanted to do it and it's free at state universities for people 60+. 

I told you that one of the classes has nine novels we are required to read.  There are three each by Evelyn Scott, Caroline Gordon, and Robert Penn Warren.  I'm enjoying the class especially since the professor reminds me of a straight Southern Tim Gunn.  He has such a wide range of knowledge and makes the class interesting. How could he not?

So far we've read the novels by Evelyn Scott.  I've described The Narrow House as a damp, gray blanket of quiet desperation.  It's about a family during the turn of the century or maybe in the 1910's.  The parents, their son and his wife and two children, and adult daughter all live in the same house.  It's all really depressing with unlikeable characters.  After reading Escapade, autobiographical fiction, it's easy to understand why.  She wrote about the early years of her escapade in Brazil when she ran away with a married Tulane professor twice her age.  She was 20 and went through pregnancy and childbirth in horrible conditions.  Then there's The Wave, a novel about the Civil War composed of vignettes, and quite interesting.  She's a modernist and a contemporary of William Faulkner, D. H. Lawrence, William Carlos Williams, Ernest Hemingway, and others.  Her life in Greenwich Village years later continued her rebellion and activism.  In this class I read the novels and join in the discussion but don't do the graded work like write papers, take the exam, and present oral reports.

The other class is titled Seminar on Creative Nonfiction Writing.  In this class we are assigned three books of essays.  Some of you would enjoy Ander Monson's Neck Deep and Other Predicaments.  The form and style of these essays are different from other essays I've read.  I really like his writing.  Some are like free verse poetry, some conversational, and some in other new ways.  His website Other Electricities is HERE. The other two books of essays are On Looking by Lia Purpura and In Short: A Collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction by many authors.  I'll let you know more about those later on. 

Our first essay was due Tuesday, and since we didn't have class because of the weather, I emailed it to her late Monday night.  The assignment was inspired by and modeled after one of Monson's essays.  We had a choice from three.  In this class I do the reading, discussion, and writing but don't get a grade.  I think she told me she would make comments on my papers but am not sure.  I'll find out.  We also workshop the first two papers in class but not the final one.  As much as I don't like using nouns and verbs, "workshop" has made its way into my vocabulary.

I'd been working on my paper about belief and doubt last week and called Tina Sunday to say that I thought I'd be counted off because my sources are not literary.  After I stressed out about it a bit, Tina firmly stated, "You are not getting a grade on it."  Old habits die hard!  Even if I'm not getting a grade, I want to do well.  What can I say?

Speaking of Train Wrecks

Did you hear about the line-up for Celebrity Apprentice? This is going to be like a day pass for some of them! Whew!!

NBC has announced the cast of "celebrities" set to compete on the new season of "The Celebrity Apprentice," premiering on Sunday, March 6, 2011. The women include "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes, actresses Lisa Rinna and Marlee Matlin, model Niki Taylor, singer Dionne Warwick, former "The View" co-host Star Jones, Playmate Hope Dworaczyk, and LaToya Jackson.

On the men's team, there's rapper Lil Jon, actor Gary Busey, former baseball player Jose Canseco, tax-evading "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch, former teen idol David Cassidy, and singers Meat Loaf, John Rich and Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath.
Source

Just when I think I won't watch it again, I keep getting sucked back in.  (sigh)  I'll be there.

KO

Good News - Keith Olbermann will be back and on Current TV in the spring!

Iffy News - I'm not sure if Comcast carries that channel here.

Revised Great News - I found out that we do have it on Comcast!  It's 107!  Yay!

Article HERE.

Good to Know

Because the eyes work harder when viewing objects up close, it is the proximity of the computer monitor to the eyes that causes eyestrain, not "radiation" emitted from the screen. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, using a video display terminal will not harm your eyes.

Fear

I copied and pasted this from a lesson on the Virtual High School assignments I'm grading. Thought it was interesting. I made fun of my co-worker who prepared extensively for Y2K by having cash, water, food, and all kinds of things.  I didn't think it would be a big deal and emailed her on January 1 to say, "Look!  I can email!  There's electricity, computers work, and life goes on!"  I'm a smart-ass jerk. 

Not trying to be morbid or anything, but take a few minutes and read the following statistics:

Odds of injury from fireworks: 19,500 to 1
Odds of injury from shaving: 6,500 to 1
Odds of injury from using a chain saw: 4,500 to 1
Odds of injury from mowing the lawn: 3,600 to 1
Odds of drowning in a bathtub: 690,000 to 1
Odds of being struck by lightning: 580,000 to 1
Odds of being killed by lightning: 2,320,000 to 1
Odds of having your identity stolen: 200 to 1
Chance of dying from a car accident: 1 in 19,000
Chance of dying from any kind of fall: 1 in 20,000
Chance of dying from accidental drowning: 1 in 79,000
Chance of dying in an explosion: 1 in 108,000
Chance that Earth will experience a catastrophic collision with an asteroid in the next 100 years: 1 in 5,000
Chance of dying from exposure to forces of nature (heat, cold, lightning, earthquake, flood): 1 in 225,000
Chance of dying in an airplane accident: 1 in 354,000
Chance of dying from choking on food: 1 in 370,000
Chance of dying in a fireworks accident: 1 in 1,000,000
Chance of dying from food poisoning: 1 in 3,000,000
Chance of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 1 in 10,000,000
Chance of dying from being bitten by a dog: 1 in 700,000
Chance of dying from contact with a venomous animal or plant: 1 in 3,400,000
Chance of dying from a shark attack: 1 in 300,000,000

In most of the situations above, you have very little chance of ever experiencing them. For example, look at the plane accident statistic again:  Chance of dying in an airplane accident: 1 in 354,000

If you flew every day for fifty straight weeks (350 days), you could fly for one thousand years before statistically being in line for dying in an airplane accident. Since you probably will only live to be around eighty to ninety years old, the chances of dying in a plane crash are pretty remote. Other statistics above might predict your demise much sooner than that, or much, much later. Here is the point.

Today, you live in a spirit of fear brought on by sensationalists who want to make money off your fears. If the media, for example, can convince you that 2012 is going to be the end of the world unless you are protected somehow, you will go out and spend tons of money on things to protect you. You are left with a bunch of stuff while someone else is left with a really fat wallet. A classic example of this sort of sensationalism is the famous Y2K scare a few years back.

It's Our Year!

What a Difference a Series Makes!

When actor Michael J. Fox first auditioned for the TV series Family Ties, he was $35,000 in debt and living on macaroni and cheese.

Food Again!

I'm eating regular food again and feel pretty good.  This was some major virus!  And did I lose any weight?  Of course not!  Eating fewer calories is offset by inactivity, I guess.  Oh well. 

I've been catching up on my blog reading but have a way to go.  Some of you might see comments on older posts.  That's why. 

We've been having heavy wind and rain but no more snow.  It actually was sunny yesterday but won't last since it is supposed to rain, sleet, and snow Friday night and Saturday.  I know some of you have had many feet of snow where you live and are going crazy from it.  

A Little Good

I do best when I have soup, crackers, and Gatorade or something similar. Otherwise, indigestion. Brian, Melissa, and Brendan have had diminished appetites but have been eating non-soup meals. That's good that they can branch out. Hope we never get this again!

I'm still behind in blog reading and writing and emails. I'll do the best I can but also have all this reading for classes. This novel I'm reading for one has 600+ pages with little print! Books of essays for the other one with an assignment looming ahead I'm working on.

Watched some LOGO while lying around this afternoon and saw Drag Race and early episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Then I got into a profile on Jack Wrangler and wasn't familiar with until I saw this. Interesting about him and Margaret Whiting, whom I do remember.

(I wrote this last night - Saturday - but apparently didn't post it.)

Weather

It's snowing again. Great big fluffy flakes! Report in the morning about how much.

Just Sayin'

I still like President Obama and am glad I voted for him.

Knew it would be upsetting to see Orange Boner sitting there beside VP Biden during the State of the Union Address. It was worse than I'd thought.

I missed it. What are those black and white ribbons they have on?

Hillary's hair looked so good during the campaign. Not so much now. Also she looks more tired. Did she get help with her face during the campaign, too? I like her and think she's doing a good job but just felt compelled to mention the obvious.

Michelle Obama is beautiful and smart and lovely and a great mother. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't go back to a career when they are out of office at some time.

Obama almost made the Weeper of the House cry, but he managed to get himself under control.

I do wish something that actually works would happen for education and no more of this extreme emphasis on testing. We're way behind and getting worse!

We need infrastructure, fast trains, energy advances, and more. Help!

Protest

On November 23, 1969, four years after receiving it, John Lennon sent back his Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. He stated that he was returning the MBE in protest against British involvement in Biafra, Nigeria, and Vietnam.

Right, Froggy?

Ten thousand insects are required to feed a single toad during the course of a typical summer.

Feeling Better

I'm feeling better and had breakfast this morning. That was my first meal since dinner Saturday. I spent most of the day in bed yesterday and still slept last night. This stuff is highly contagious and has run rampant in the schools, etc. Brian and Melissa also caught it, of course. Thank goodness it didn't last longer. Fortunately the gross part was over with after a few hours early Sunday morning (or what I call late Saturday night). The fever and malaise stuck around for a while.

Maddie texted me and is also sick with this same thing. He called in to miss work today and said he's almost never sick.

Whine Time

What Brendan had is highly contagious because now Brian and I have it. Brian said he thinks it's a norovirus (which I had to look up and think he's right). I went to bed before midnight and threw up every hour from around 2 until 4. I covered up in my "reading chair" as Brendan calls it and dozed off and on until around 7 when I decided to go to bed. Oh no, not so easy. Those of you with cats know about those spells of bulemia they get because of hairballs. Yes, as if my experiences weren't enough, Brigit threw up on my bed for the first time ever. Laxatone for her again. So I had to change my sheets. What a night and morning!

So I've been in bed most of the day and am heading back there. I have a fever so don't want anything to eat. I hope this fitness water has electrolytes in it since I've had a little of that. OK, see you later.

Saturday

Brendan is feeling better today. I called Brian to check on him, and he said Brendan was eating today and feeling pretty good. Based on Brendan's talking in the background, I'd say he was in usual form.

I went to the yarn shop to catch up with everyone. Then I went to this new market to check it out. It's owned by Mennonites and has all kinds of selections. This is a really dull part of this post! Good grief! I'll try to come up with something more entertaining next time or quit while I'm informative.

Visit Revised

Brian and Brendan made it here just fine; however, Brendan got sick on the way down. While they were here, Brendan got progressively worse even though he said, "I feel a little good" but stayed curled up in Brian's or my lap all afternoon. He dozed off some which is totally unlike him. He kept trying to feel better and said he wanted to stay with me. He kept saying, "I'll feel better. Let me stay with Grammy!" Then he started asking when they could come back to Grammy's. By the time they left, he was ready to be home. Bless his heart, he must have a virus that's going around. So Brian and Melissa decided not to go to ChattaCon, and Brendan will visit me another time. I wish he'd felt well enough to stay, but he wasn't.

The streets are fine, which is great since I was planning to make chili and have no beans. I have two of the three kinds I put in it (black and cannellini beans but not kidney or red beans). So I'll go out tomorrow and get some.

Brian and I had a good visit despite the circumstances.

Snow Again

I'm snowed in again which I don't really mind that much up to a point. I prefer being able to get out and about. Brian is planning to bring Brendan here for the weekend which worries me. My street is ICE. He and Melissa have plans to attend ChattaCon and are really determined to go. He said he'd park down the street near the by-pass and that he and Brendan will walk to my house. I think it's too risky, and it's supposed to snow again Monday and Tuesday. Even though he's going to come pick him up Sunday, the temperatures won't be low enough to melt the ice. They also have to drive over Monteagle Mountain (not really a mountain - Tug knows), and I really wish they'd go somewhere else some other weekend when the weather conditions are better.

School Night

Tonight is the first meeting of the creative writing class. More details on this later. The other classes were interesting. I've read two of the books for one of the classes and have seven to go! I'm ahead in the reading and hope to stay that way. It's so good to learn for pleasure without the stress of grades - no papers, tests, etc! I like auditing and am so glad it's free for those of us 60+ at state universities.

Some Words from Martin Luther King, Jr.

"You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Understandable

On TV game shows, a contestant who freezes before the camera is called a Bambi, in reference to a deer paralyzed by the glare of headlights.

Snow Daze

From all those years of teaching I have the idea that I don't have to do anything productive during snow days. Funny since I'm retired but it lingers. Oh to be Samantha Stevens and get everything done by wiggling my nose!

One of my former students got in touch with me today. I've heard from him over the years by being asked to write recommendations for him for all kinds of things. He lives in Portland, OR, now and will probably show up in the comments here and on David's blog. Chris came out when he was in the 7th or 8th grade, I think, and had a nonchalant attitude about it. He was open about it and just went on with his life. At least that's how it seemed to me.

He was in the gifted program and lived up the street from me, so I've known him for a long time. He's extremely intelligent, has always read voraciously (would read the lit book in about two weeks after I gave them out), writes really well, and is easily bored. That translated to pushing my buttons in class now and then until we both got over it and moved on to other things.

I told him about David's blog, so he's going to start reading it. He looks sort of like Robert Downey, Jr. and is 28. I just love him and always have. Hope he comments and takes part in our fun since he watches many of the same shows David recaps.

One of the things he said he'd like to do is be a personal organizer. He has a degree in psychology, but I could see him doing that anyway. We were talking about my house and how I never used to be like this. I'm still laughing as I can hear him tell me, "Well, you know I think laziness can be addicting." LOL For sure!

Jon Stewart

I agree with Jon Stewart. We really don't know all the reasons for senseless violence that happens all too often. We lead the world in the number of gun deaths. I keep remembering Michael Moore's point in Bowling for Columbine and how our country has so much fear in our history and in our news. What is it about the American spirit of independence or whatever that makes it seem okay to be armed all over the place? It's too easy to own guns and buy ammunition. I'm so tired of being in the bad percentages when compared to other industrialized countries in education, healthcare, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, murders, obesity, etc. What's wrong with us?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Arizona Shootings Reaction
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog</a> The Daily Show on Facebook

Violence

Showtime On Demand had a free weekend, so I've been watching Season 5 of Dexter. I watched Season 4 when they did this last year along with some episodes of Tara, Nurse Jackie, and some others. I have HBO and know I can't keep up with both premium channels since I watch so many other shows already. It's one thing to watch these crime shows that I do but altogether another when people carry guns and shoot people in real life. The arguments I've seen on FB have shown an unsurprising lack of logic and reason. It never ceases to amaze me even after all these years.

If you were reading my blog then, you might remember when I was scared and worried that something like this could happen. There was a heated discussion to put it mildly with that Teabagger Stalker Troll who thank goodness has left me alone since then. I hope she never comments again - so far so good. Here's the post from then in case you don't remember.

It's heartbreaking and scary when someone shoots anyone but especially all of those adults of various ages and a nine-year-old girl. Yes, we were afraid something like this would happen, and it did.

Good article Nutwood Beth linked on FB by PZ Myers HERE. Excerpt and quotes below:

What we have here is an attempted assassination of a politician by an insane crank at a political event, in a state where the political discourse has been an unrelenting howl of eliminationist rhetoric and characterization of anyone to the left of Genghis Khan as a traitor and enemy of the state…and now, when six (including a nine year old girl) lie dead and another fourteen are wounded, now suddenly we're concerned that it is rude and politicizing a tragedy to point out that the right wing has produced a toxic atmosphere that pollutes our politics with hatred and the rhetoric of violence?

Screw that. Now is the time to politicize the hell out of this situation. The people who are complaining are a mix of lefty marshmallows whose first reaction to the fulfillment of right-wing fantasies by a lunatic is to drop to their knees and beg forgiveness for thinking ill of people who paint bullseyes on their political opponents, and right wing cowards who are racing to their usual tactic of attacking their critics to shame them into silence. This is NOT the time to back down and suddenly find it embarrassing to point out that right-wing pundits make a living as professional goads to insanity.

If a Detroit Muslim put a map on the web with crosshairs on 20 pols, then 1 of them got shot, where would he be sitting right now? Just asking. - Michael Moore

A physician cannot treat an illness s/he willfully refuses to diagnose. Violent political rhetoric is not fault of "both sides." - Tom Tomorrow

Inspiring that our media pundits are so quick to reach for "everyone's to blame" when no conservative events have been terrorized by gunmen. - Jeffrey Feldman

Weird: rightwingers say movies, video games affect behavior -- but real world violent rhetoric from leaders & radio talkers have NO impact! - Tom Tomorrow

Jared Lougnner: drug arrests, too crazy for Army or for college or anything else, but getting a legal gun? No problem. - Tom Tomorrow

I find it abhorrent that Sarah Palin would stoke the coals of extremism with dangerous messaging, then delete it when something bad happens. - Jason Pollock

Sure, Sarah Palin didn't pull the trigger. But then, neither did Charles Manson. - auntbeast

Christina Taylor Green was Born on September 11, 2001, and killed today by terrorist fuckheads in Arizona. Irony much? - geeksofdoom

Sarah Palin rummages online frantically erasing her rabble-rousing Tweets like a Stalinist trimming non-persons out of photos. - Roger Ebert

I'll say this, if your first instinct after hearing about a tragedy is to scrub yr websites, you have a problem as a political movement. - digby56

CNN's Dana Bash says "this could be a wake-up call." THIS ... ? The whole Tea Party, carrying guns to rallies WASN'T?? - hololio2

Teaparty asses have been asking for this to happen, and how they're pissed off that we're calling them out on it. - TLW3

STOP SAYING"BOTH PARTIES"!! The Left has not been advocating Violence. @CNN assholes. - YatPundit

Do not sit there cowering, trying to make excuses for teabaggers and violent morons. This is supposed to be the part where you stand up, look at the shouters on the other side, and tell them, "This is wrong, and this is the harm you bring to our country." Instead, I see a rush to postures of submission.

On a Three Hour Cruise

The character of the Professor on Gilligan’s Island was named Roy Hinkley. The Skipper was named Jonas Grumby. Both names were used only once in the entire series, on the first episode.

Retirement Regression

Since I retired, I live like a teenage boy. That's why I can't let anyone in my house. I stay up late, sleep late, stay on the computer too much, watch TV, play my version of video games (Scrabble and Family Feud on Facebook and Spider Solitaire), don't make my bed, and have clutter. See? That is what is happening! So I guess I'll just have to channel my inner mother and nag myself into it.

Homage to Dust Bunnies ...
It wasn't this bad when I first retired and was managing emails, reading and writing blogs, having phone conversations, catching up on TV shows, enjoying books, and socializing with friends. I was able to devote time to housework of sorts but not the way I used to do it. I cooked and kept a clean house that always looked lived in and enjoyed. That's my style - casual eclectic. But now it borders on Hoarders in places and got that way after I was sick. Then social networking took on Facebook and Twitter and house neglect set in. I'm going to have to cut back on those because it's not likely I'll watch less TV. I used to tell students that they have to establish their priorities. That's what I've been doing and need to change my priorities until I get the house the way I want it. There are a couple of weeks before classes start that I'm auditing. One of the classes has nine required novels to read and the other has three books! Thank goodness I don't have to write papers and take quizzes, etc. for them, but I do plan to do the writing for the Creative Writing class.


Perhaps this is my problem! (Oh yeah right! Can I be Bernice and Einstein at the same time?)


Anyone remember Moonbeam McSwine? I won't be in touch as often until I clean up my act and house!

Win-Win

Winning "hands down" in horse racing means never once having to use the whip on the animal.

I'm Doomed!

Scientific researchers say promiscuous species of monkeys appear to have stronger immune systems than less sexually active ones.

Odd Blogness

This is odd. I tried to get onto my blog and got a message that it no longer existed and said that I had deleted it. So I clicked a few things and got another message that "unusual activity" had gone on. It let me create a new password and have Google send me a verification code text on my cell phone in order to restore my blog. Talk about panic! I checked my blog and there were no comments or anything that were from anyone other than those of you who comment. Quite a mystery. Has this happened to any of you?

In a possibly unrelated incident, I got all kinds of texts on my cell phone from Craigslist which I've never even been on. Ever. Verizon sent a message that they were closing the comments down because too many had been generated by ME in a short time. A gremlin virus? What's going on?

I downloaded Frostwire in order to download music. I already have iTunes. My granddaughters told me about it and said it was free and legal. While I was there doing that, I accidentally also downloaded iMesh which infiltrated my search engines. I uninstalled it and finally got rid of it.

All this is on the little netbook since my laptop is dead again and still dead. When I was reading about its problem online, others said that this same thing happened to them. This is a lemon batch of these HP Pavilions. They also got new hard drives and then after a short time, they, too, died. They said it's some problem that makes the computer run hot and mess up the hard drive, so installing a new hard drive isn't going to solve the problem. I'll explain that to the tech center which is in America and not India. Points to Staples on that. I had to send it to MA last time and guess I will have to again. I'm really getting tired of this.

The next time we have a no-tax weekend, I'm getting a Mac. Then I'm going to that one-on-one tutorial at the Apple Store in Green Hills in Nashville to make the transition. Sam and I were talking about this on the phone last night, and I told him we've been having a no-tax weekend in the fall and once or twice in the spring for several years for parents to buy things for kids for school. Computers under a certain price qualify, and the Apple Store had a good deal on Macbooks last time. Our sales tax is almost 10%, so that makes a big difference. Sam said he buys his electronics in Oregon and Montana because they have no sales tax. Must be nice. Ours is one of the highest in the country. Phil Bredesen, our governor for the last two terms has a degree in physics from Harvard and has managed the money pretty well, but I'm not sure what the legislature has done with it. Our new governor Bill Haslam owns all those Pilot gas stations and truck stops, so who knows how that will be. He and the majority of the legislature are Republicans now while the ones we've had for a while have been Democrats.

That's life here in low-tech land!

Entrepreneurs?

Anyone want to move to Nashville and buy OutLoud? Information here and an excerpt from the article in the Tennessean below. Interesting.

Gay-owned OutLoud moved into a former massage parlor in the 1800 block of Church Street in the mid-1990s — when no other landlord would rent space to a gay-themed bookstore — and it helped revitalize a dingy stretch of questionable properties near downtown.

Now, the 1500 to 1800 blocks of Church are bustling with a handful of lively nightspots and restaurants — serving as an entertainment hub for Nashville's gay community and others drawn to places as diverse as the new bar Canvas and the eclectic Suzy Wong's House of Yum restaurant.

...

Jensen and current business partner (OutLoud President Kevin Medley) moved a block away from the original location several years ago, built out a much larger space and added a fancy coffee house.

The coffee house proved to be a bust and a place that devoured cash. Several hundred thousand dollars in reserves that might have helped in lean times evaporated as Jensen added to his payroll with as many as 26 employees.

"We wanted to make it as beautiful as possible, but I expanded too fast," Jensen said with a shrug.

The plan now is to sell, if possible, or lock the doors, if need be, at the end of January.

No matter how it turns out, Jensen figures he made some sort of mark.

"I learned by doing and making mistakes," he said. "But this business was my passion. I ran it from my heart, not a spreadsheet."

No Schlock Spock

At the age of 8, Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) began performing in a local community theater in Boston. Later, when he moved to Los Angeles, he joined a Yiddish theater group.

Want to Live in Vermont?

Check out the HGTV Dream Home which I am entering the sweepstakes to win. It's in Stowe,VT, and sleeps 14! Who wants to live there with me when I win? You can sleep in the guest room and oversee the bunk room where the skiers will stay. Or maybe we could all live there and six of you can stay in the bunk room. It's pretty amazing. Look here for the tour.

I could probably afford to stay there a while since they also include $500K and can have all my family there for visits. However, I'll need people to live there - to cook, clean, and be fun! Who's in?