A family joke.
It must contain one member of the group that does not know the joke, several members of the group that know the joke.
Two penguins leave their homes. One travels north from the south pole and the other travels South from the north pole. When the reach the equate one penguin says to the other " Hello Radio."
Everyone who knows the joke laughs. The person that does not know the joke sits there with a befuddled look on their face. Hello radio?
So in the ultimate form. The joke teller tells the joke again. The usual response is "Whats funny about that?"
Well, nothing is fun about that. So now you are in on the joke. So you get to laugh the next time the joke is told!
WEll this is no joke the computer is being unplugged from its Comcastic connections and loaded into the car to join the world of the Silver Stars..
Love and Goodnight
Pat
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Christian Church of Rockaway Beach
Talking to Mikie Sue on the tele tonight, she wanted me to remember for the blog the Christian Church of Rockaway Beach, Pacifica.
I am not really sure when we started going, We were going when I was a seventh and eigth grader. I was baptized in the water while we were going there. I remember going there with my blazer that had a patch on the front pocket of the Seattle World Fair of 1962. It was the 21st century exhibition. Prominent on the patch was the Seattle space needle. I was very proud of this patch.
This was an ideal church during this era. The minister was a volunteer from the ranks of the Presido. We had an intergenerational experience. Many of the local were very old but showed up faithfully to the this American Legion Hall out of the way up the canyon from Rockaway Beach.
Every Sunday everyone in the congregation hopped to and rolled out the portable organ and set up the chairs. We had communion every Sunday and we always sang the old favorite songs from the hymnal. There came with so much regularity that I new them by heart. This totally amazed the bishop who came to see what was going on with the church.
It was a small enough gathering that we all had to take an active role in the nativity. I played my trumpet in church and answered the call one Sunday. I was baptized in San Francisco a couple of weeks later at a Christian Church on Laguna Street.
We as a family were friends with another young family that went there. They were the Rosses. The father was in education design and after taking his family to live in chowchilla, he got a job in the education department of the state. I thought their daughter, Donna was pretty nice. They invited us over for dinner and likewise we invited them to our house as well. They lived in a subdivision in Montara, another small town that combined to make up the city of Pacifica.
We had a youth group and met at an older lady's home up the canyon with lots of window s facing the street with plants in them. She took us all to the seminary in San Francisco to listen to an addict talk about the evils of heroin. Dad hooked me up to donate some time with a cabinet maker who was also part of the congregation. He had made some pews out of Japanese mahogany for a church in San Mateo. I help sand some of the router burn and helped carry in the finished pieces for installation.
One Saturday when it was very cold and windy, Dad and Wade Hendricks and myself went up to the top of the hill and measured a piece of property for the church. Using surveying equipment, we triangulated with Mount Diablo across the Bay. It was pretty interesting work, and might have been fun if it were not for the cold weather and the thistles that were on the property. It was near the San Francisco jail. Mikie said that while we were doing this, the women of the family were leafleting the neighborhoods to let them know of the new church that was being planned and to get them interested in becoming members.
I think the real estate did not go through and the church was never built.
The early 60's were in interesting time.
: ) Pat
I am not really sure when we started going, We were going when I was a seventh and eigth grader. I was baptized in the water while we were going there. I remember going there with my blazer that had a patch on the front pocket of the Seattle World Fair of 1962. It was the 21st century exhibition. Prominent on the patch was the Seattle space needle. I was very proud of this patch.
This was an ideal church during this era. The minister was a volunteer from the ranks of the Presido. We had an intergenerational experience. Many of the local were very old but showed up faithfully to the this American Legion Hall out of the way up the canyon from Rockaway Beach.
Every Sunday everyone in the congregation hopped to and rolled out the portable organ and set up the chairs. We had communion every Sunday and we always sang the old favorite songs from the hymnal. There came with so much regularity that I new them by heart. This totally amazed the bishop who came to see what was going on with the church.
It was a small enough gathering that we all had to take an active role in the nativity. I played my trumpet in church and answered the call one Sunday. I was baptized in San Francisco a couple of weeks later at a Christian Church on Laguna Street.
We as a family were friends with another young family that went there. They were the Rosses. The father was in education design and after taking his family to live in chowchilla, he got a job in the education department of the state. I thought their daughter, Donna was pretty nice. They invited us over for dinner and likewise we invited them to our house as well. They lived in a subdivision in Montara, another small town that combined to make up the city of Pacifica.
We had a youth group and met at an older lady's home up the canyon with lots of window s facing the street with plants in them. She took us all to the seminary in San Francisco to listen to an addict talk about the evils of heroin. Dad hooked me up to donate some time with a cabinet maker who was also part of the congregation. He had made some pews out of Japanese mahogany for a church in San Mateo. I help sand some of the router burn and helped carry in the finished pieces for installation.
One Saturday when it was very cold and windy, Dad and Wade Hendricks and myself went up to the top of the hill and measured a piece of property for the church. Using surveying equipment, we triangulated with Mount Diablo across the Bay. It was pretty interesting work, and might have been fun if it were not for the cold weather and the thistles that were on the property. It was near the San Francisco jail. Mikie said that while we were doing this, the women of the family were leafleting the neighborhoods to let them know of the new church that was being planned and to get them interested in becoming members.
I think the real estate did not go through and the church was never built.
The early 60's were in interesting time.
: ) Pat
6 bins down
Most of the kitchen is over at the new. Still have some clothes in the closets.
It rained again all night. This morning's walk was somewhat problematic with as much rain of the top on my shoes as the puddles I was walking through.
Today I am off to the District to help consider safety for teachers. Thursday a student somewhat threatened my life all with others. It was over a girl. In subsequent classes he revealed a notebook with other students names on it and his at the bottom with killing them as well as himself as the solution. He was taken to the county psychiatric for evaluation.
I turned in all the loose change in the house. 61 dollars. That bought us some fast food last night along with some groceries. The end of the month hit hard because we took the additional rental cost out of our ongoing money instead of the construction account.
Tony was ready to put on the cabinet hardware Saturday.. but my Ebay order has not arrived.
Hope you are ready for a great week.
Love
Pat
It rained again all night. This morning's walk was somewhat problematic with as much rain of the top on my shoes as the puddles I was walking through.
Today I am off to the District to help consider safety for teachers. Thursday a student somewhat threatened my life all with others. It was over a girl. In subsequent classes he revealed a notebook with other students names on it and his at the bottom with killing them as well as himself as the solution. He was taken to the county psychiatric for evaluation.
I turned in all the loose change in the house. 61 dollars. That bought us some fast food last night along with some groceries. The end of the month hit hard because we took the additional rental cost out of our ongoing money instead of the construction account.
Tony was ready to put on the cabinet hardware Saturday.. but my Ebay order has not arrived.
Hope you are ready for a great week.
Love
Pat
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Last night at the newly occupied house
With our certificate of occupancy, we stayed the night at our new old house. The boy cats learned that they were staying in for the night. Lucy was concerned but on her way to adjustment.
This morning at walk time the boys thought they wanted out but really didn't. Lucy is hanging pretty close to mom.
The computer is still hooked up at the rental.. with its one chair.
Everything really needs to get out of here today.. that way we will have some time to clean it up before we turn it over. We will lose some money to the professional carpet cleaning that will have to be done..60 dollars. I am sure there will be other assessments too.
Its been a great 5 months. To rent a place so close to the other is an absolute treat. The abilty of the boy cats to survive and thrive in a construction zone is to be applauded.
We have some arranging to do.. and some of the stuff is out at storage. We have lots of putting away and cleaning the white soot that came from the construction.
Take care and have a great day!
Pat
This morning at walk time the boys thought they wanted out but really didn't. Lucy is hanging pretty close to mom.
The computer is still hooked up at the rental.. with its one chair.
Everything really needs to get out of here today.. that way we will have some time to clean it up before we turn it over. We will lose some money to the professional carpet cleaning that will have to be done..60 dollars. I am sure there will be other assessments too.
Its been a great 5 months. To rent a place so close to the other is an absolute treat. The abilty of the boy cats to survive and thrive in a construction zone is to be applauded.
We have some arranging to do.. and some of the stuff is out at storage. We have lots of putting away and cleaning the white soot that came from the construction.
Take care and have a great day!
Pat
As the Clouds Emass in the Mountains
It rained last night in the valley. I did not hear it. The wet pavement gave it away. At sunrise, the clouds were massing along the foothills and into the mountains. The air smeeled like early spring.. no flowers yet but wet.
As I started my walk today, I noticed this huge bank of cumulus clouds to the East. They were almost uniformly black and grey. What a contrast to the blue sky above them. Then as the sun started to light the sky and change the contrast, the tips of these monstrous clouds became pink. And later in another set the outlined top of the clouds were brilliantly white.
The show is over now, and the sky is uniformly morning.
As I started my walk today, I noticed this huge bank of cumulus clouds to the East. They were almost uniformly black and grey. What a contrast to the blue sky above them. Then as the sun started to light the sky and change the contrast, the tips of these monstrous clouds became pink. And later in another set the outlined top of the clouds were brilliantly white.
The show is over now, and the sky is uniformly morning.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Heavy stuff is Moved!
We got the couch and big man chair out of the apartment today. We had to put both pieces on end to get them through the door.. Man I hate that.
Also the drying rack for cold water clothes.. Linzi was ready to jettison this..but no it made it. That keeps my 2xl Izod polo shirts for shrinking too much. Also a silver table for the outside that was used as a dining room table came over and the two beds.. er.. one trundle bed and a pad made it over.
We returned the truck while Sue was having her hair cut at the mall. Linzi drove one truck and I drove the other so that we would have transportation away from the uhaul.
On the approach to the house, Lucy the cat bounded out of the pillow case that secured her and squeezed under the fence to the neighbors backyard. No amount of cajoling could bring her over. The boys were all curious about her and she took them all on with serious hisses. And then proceeded to scoot back under the fence. Finally the sunny day (a break in the weather) became cold, and she responded to my calls. I scooped her up and carried her into the house. Sue was highly relieved and immediately sequestered her into the bedroom for an adjustment period.
This evening she came out and met Georgie with a hiss. Georgie backed down and she followed him into the living room without incident.
The potty box was relocated and recharged. Canned tuna and salmon were dolled out, and I went running to OSH to get a quarter inch panel of MDF to make a cat door insert. This will keep them all from mixing days and nights with the great outdoors. Mr. Blackjack the somewhat wild one, will have to adapt.
I put Linzi on the train for Davis at about 4:45. She was meeting some friends up there. I am picking up night essentials and heading back. Its been a long day. Started with Linzi and I walking over to Starbucks at a quarter to 6.
I hope you are having a great weekend.
Love Pat
Also the drying rack for cold water clothes.. Linzi was ready to jettison this..but no it made it. That keeps my 2xl Izod polo shirts for shrinking too much. Also a silver table for the outside that was used as a dining room table came over and the two beds.. er.. one trundle bed and a pad made it over.
We returned the truck while Sue was having her hair cut at the mall. Linzi drove one truck and I drove the other so that we would have transportation away from the uhaul.
On the approach to the house, Lucy the cat bounded out of the pillow case that secured her and squeezed under the fence to the neighbors backyard. No amount of cajoling could bring her over. The boys were all curious about her and she took them all on with serious hisses. And then proceeded to scoot back under the fence. Finally the sunny day (a break in the weather) became cold, and she responded to my calls. I scooped her up and carried her into the house. Sue was highly relieved and immediately sequestered her into the bedroom for an adjustment period.
This evening she came out and met Georgie with a hiss. Georgie backed down and she followed him into the living room without incident.
The potty box was relocated and recharged. Canned tuna and salmon were dolled out, and I went running to OSH to get a quarter inch panel of MDF to make a cat door insert. This will keep them all from mixing days and nights with the great outdoors. Mr. Blackjack the somewhat wild one, will have to adapt.
I put Linzi on the train for Davis at about 4:45. She was meeting some friends up there. I am picking up night essentials and heading back. Its been a long day. Started with Linzi and I walking over to Starbucks at a quarter to 6.
I hope you are having a great weekend.
Love Pat
Radio Silence
This blog may be headed for radio silence.
Today we are making the move out of the Love Shack to our regular home. The remodel has passed its last hurdle with the inspector and a certificate of occupancy has been provided. We have made our last payment to the contractor. I have rented a UHaul truck to move the heavy furniture from the the LS to the house. Linzi came down on the train last night.. and we are ready.
I have yet to find my modem for the house... or the cable to hook us back to DSL from the phone company. Its there however. TV is going to have to have some repair and the remotes for it and the DVD player need to be found.
Sue is concerned about relocating Lucy, the old lady of the family that has been living with us in the LS. She wanted to get her over first before she sees all the stuff coming and going.
So.. I wish the the best this weekend.
Love Pat
Today we are making the move out of the Love Shack to our regular home. The remodel has passed its last hurdle with the inspector and a certificate of occupancy has been provided. We have made our last payment to the contractor. I have rented a UHaul truck to move the heavy furniture from the the LS to the house. Linzi came down on the train last night.. and we are ready.
I have yet to find my modem for the house... or the cable to hook us back to DSL from the phone company. Its there however. TV is going to have to have some repair and the remotes for it and the DVD player need to be found.
Sue is concerned about relocating Lucy, the old lady of the family that has been living with us in the LS. She wanted to get her over first before she sees all the stuff coming and going.
So.. I wish the the best this weekend.
Love Pat
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Congratulations Linzi!
Yesterday Linzi called me in the middle of our contract ratification meeting to tell me that she has been approved to move up in the ranks. She will soon be writing public policy! This is her dream job. It is the first along the supervisory track. And yes, there is a modest bump in her salary. But more important for her well being is that she will work with a boss that she really likes.
This working with a boss you really like is an essential part of the family work complex. That and being appreciated in ever so small a manner help to keep us pulling hard. We will light the hoops of the dog and pony show if we are shown appreciation and we like the boss for whom we are working.
As a dad it is sure nice to have daughters that are helpful to the world around them, that are supportive of each other, and are generally nice to be around. We are so lucky!
Have a great day!
Pat
This working with a boss you really like is an essential part of the family work complex. That and being appreciated in ever so small a manner help to keep us pulling hard. We will light the hoops of the dog and pony show if we are shown appreciation and we like the boss for whom we are working.
As a dad it is sure nice to have daughters that are helpful to the world around them, that are supportive of each other, and are generally nice to be around. We are so lucky!
Have a great day!
Pat
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
If it Wednesday its got to be Writing Day
Every Wednesday all of my students write for the entire period. Those students that cannot read, yes their are high school students that do not read, tell me what they want to write, I put it on the board and they copy the letters.
Writing is an important function for us all. We freeze our communication in a temporal sense through writing. It requires organized thought and language. This is how it fits in within the purview of speech and language. Our association has been trying to get Speech and Language to tackle writing for the past decade and a half. It has met with resistance primarily because we were not trained in its use in the Universities.
That reminds me about my good friend deceased, Jim Morris. We was a Speech and Language Specialist that was trained at the University of Oklahoma. In the 1960s we were called speech correctionists. Our field focused on the spoken part. In the 70's The field opened up to include language. Delayed language and its neurological ties. The experts in the field realized that dysfluency, dysphonia, dysarthria, and dyspraxia could have some linguistic ties and should include dysphasia. Jim was not convinced. He spent ours with the cadavers in the medical wing dissecting vocal folds and intercostals and pieces of esophaguses. This was not an area that we should be rushing into. It is more "language arts."
The profession did not follow his interest. It headed to the aphasias and many speech and language professionals have worked their entire career helping rehabilitate stroke patients, largely a language therapy.
These same pros are reluctant to get into writing. It opens the field to broadly. They would also be reluctant to deal with the autistic, its a psych disorder in their viewpoint. Behind every autistic client is a social language issue that we need to be working. The challenges are great here. Its not really one we can walk around.
So I work in a classsroom setting with my speech students. Many of them are autistic. Our focus is to develop communication. Wednesday it is written. It is functional in the sense that relays a common shared experience. Some weeks its about a movie that we have watched together and dissected. Sometimes the topic is about events of the day and how they are effecting them. Soemtimes its more general. Write about what you did on your three day vacation honoring MLK. That is on the docket today.
Have a great day! Pat
Writing is an important function for us all. We freeze our communication in a temporal sense through writing. It requires organized thought and language. This is how it fits in within the purview of speech and language. Our association has been trying to get Speech and Language to tackle writing for the past decade and a half. It has met with resistance primarily because we were not trained in its use in the Universities.
That reminds me about my good friend deceased, Jim Morris. We was a Speech and Language Specialist that was trained at the University of Oklahoma. In the 1960s we were called speech correctionists. Our field focused on the spoken part. In the 70's The field opened up to include language. Delayed language and its neurological ties. The experts in the field realized that dysfluency, dysphonia, dysarthria, and dyspraxia could have some linguistic ties and should include dysphasia. Jim was not convinced. He spent ours with the cadavers in the medical wing dissecting vocal folds and intercostals and pieces of esophaguses. This was not an area that we should be rushing into. It is more "language arts."
The profession did not follow his interest. It headed to the aphasias and many speech and language professionals have worked their entire career helping rehabilitate stroke patients, largely a language therapy.
These same pros are reluctant to get into writing. It opens the field to broadly. They would also be reluctant to deal with the autistic, its a psych disorder in their viewpoint. Behind every autistic client is a social language issue that we need to be working. The challenges are great here. Its not really one we can walk around.
So I work in a classsroom setting with my speech students. Many of them are autistic. Our focus is to develop communication. Wednesday it is written. It is functional in the sense that relays a common shared experience. Some weeks its about a movie that we have watched together and dissected. Sometimes the topic is about events of the day and how they are effecting them. Soemtimes its more general. Write about what you did on your three day vacation honoring MLK. That is on the docket today.
Have a great day! Pat
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
No Snow here
Even though my sister had to forge through the snow to get to her school today.. see her post.. We started off the day with a rain just slightly more than a drizzle. By the afternoon it was coming down in buckets.
More disruptive than the weather, which in itself brings about bizarre behavior was the presence of another distraction.. the junior highs decided that today was the day to visit the high school. So lead my student docents, groups of 24 or so tromped through the school. Most of them were wide eyed. Others were trying to make a name for themselves in a bigger arena.. it didn't work. A school of 2700 is not going to remember how bad you are. My students were asking to go the restroom, craning their necks to see who was there, and generally not focused on the task at hand. This is difficult to reign them all in to focus back on the lesson.
On top of this, a student died in an auto crash this weekend.. but the school could not release the name due to legal restrictions. Counseling was to be available in the student support center.
When I came to work this morning, a student had missed the overpaass and crashed the mustang into the guard rail triggering the car's air bag. The Hollister Abracombre crowd had stopped and had exited their cars to walk up the grassy embankment to look at the car. They were all female and they looked like egrets looking for bugs in the grass. No one had appropriate footgear for their inquiry. No one was in the disabled car. I have yet to find out if the announcement was connected to accident scene that I had witnessed. I sort of think that the person who was stopped by the guardrail was not a fatality.
Pat
More disruptive than the weather, which in itself brings about bizarre behavior was the presence of another distraction.. the junior highs decided that today was the day to visit the high school. So lead my student docents, groups of 24 or so tromped through the school. Most of them were wide eyed. Others were trying to make a name for themselves in a bigger arena.. it didn't work. A school of 2700 is not going to remember how bad you are. My students were asking to go the restroom, craning their necks to see who was there, and generally not focused on the task at hand. This is difficult to reign them all in to focus back on the lesson.
On top of this, a student died in an auto crash this weekend.. but the school could not release the name due to legal restrictions. Counseling was to be available in the student support center.
When I came to work this morning, a student had missed the overpaass and crashed the mustang into the guard rail triggering the car's air bag. The Hollister Abracombre crowd had stopped and had exited their cars to walk up the grassy embankment to look at the car. They were all female and they looked like egrets looking for bugs in the grass. No one had appropriate footgear for their inquiry. No one was in the disabled car. I have yet to find out if the announcement was connected to accident scene that I had witnessed. I sort of think that the person who was stopped by the guardrail was not a fatality.
Pat
What Learned in 7 months of Walking
When you engage in an activity there needs to be some reward in it for you if you are going to keep it up for a period of time. Here are some of the rewards for 7 months of walking 1 and half miles a day.
1. Some adrenalin you start you day with more energy if you have walked. This habituates and pretty soon you need this to work your day.
2. You can always fasten your buttons on your pants or belt. This was not happening before. I was busting my buttons on my pants on a regular basis. Thank goodness I married a woman that could help me out in this regard.
4. People say they admire my resolve. This works as a one liner for many people. I see you out walking in the morning.. yada yada yada.. This will not sustain you.
5. I have enjoyed the reading of about 6 books on my walks. You cannot do this in high traffic areas. Audible dot com has an audio book for your even in low light conditions.
6. Walking allows me to listen to all kinds of music. I have developed an unsatiable music habit.. well I had that before walking.
7. I have become a regular at my local Starbucks.. They start making my coffee and getting me a spoon before I order. The newbies are left wondering what is going on behind them as they take my order.. double short dry cap in a here cup. Some have never heard of a "here" cup. There first duty is to write it on a paper cup.. so I have to be insistent that a here cup is an actual ceramic cup..
8. It gets me up early in the morning.. Have to get up early to get the walk in before going to school. It also always me be read the local paper and write this diatribe..
9. It gets me to bed earlier at night.. The 5:15 rise is only possible with a 10:15 fall.
10. It puts a little method to my life.. an an organizational way.
Overall its been worth it.. home you can find some time to regularly do something for yourself.
Love
Pat
1. Some adrenalin you start you day with more energy if you have walked. This habituates and pretty soon you need this to work your day.
2. You can always fasten your buttons on your pants or belt. This was not happening before. I was busting my buttons on my pants on a regular basis. Thank goodness I married a woman that could help me out in this regard.
4. People say they admire my resolve. This works as a one liner for many people. I see you out walking in the morning.. yada yada yada.. This will not sustain you.
5. I have enjoyed the reading of about 6 books on my walks. You cannot do this in high traffic areas. Audible dot com has an audio book for your even in low light conditions.
6. Walking allows me to listen to all kinds of music. I have developed an unsatiable music habit.. well I had that before walking.
7. I have become a regular at my local Starbucks.. They start making my coffee and getting me a spoon before I order. The newbies are left wondering what is going on behind them as they take my order.. double short dry cap in a here cup. Some have never heard of a "here" cup. There first duty is to write it on a paper cup.. so I have to be insistent that a here cup is an actual ceramic cup..
8. It gets me up early in the morning.. Have to get up early to get the walk in before going to school. It also always me be read the local paper and write this diatribe..
9. It gets me to bed earlier at night.. The 5:15 rise is only possible with a 10:15 fall.
10. It puts a little method to my life.. an an organizational way.
Overall its been worth it.. home you can find some time to regularly do something for yourself.
Love
Pat
Monday, January 21, 2008
Buying a New Mac?
This Saturday while the parents and Mikie Sue were at the house, Dad asked me whether the little mini mac would serve his needs. Mikie assured him that I would be able to answer the question.
Of course the answer is no. But considering that he has an older Mac component set up the answer may have been a little hasty. His computer doesn't have a USB 2 port. Heather is caught in somewhat the same situation. When it comes to downloading and uploading Apple is so dependent on the USB 2 ports..
To me the mini mac is design for a different user than Dad. It is for those people that are switching from PC's to Mac and have invested in good screen. This reduces their over cost to switch to Macs. The RAM is significantly limited. If you buy the RAM you need to do photography you are close to what a Mac with a built in screen costs.
It is also old technology. The minute you buy it you are will have fewer years before it will not be accepted by the peripherals or the software that goes with it. For a few dollars more you will have the latest and the greatest.
Mikie got from Bob for Christmas the latest IMac 23 inch screen. Mikie and I agree that this should be Dad's next computer. It has enough room to do all of the photography you want to do including layers. The screen is drop dead gorgeous and it has enough ram and speed that it would smoke the mini. Ideally, he should have two. The IMAC 23 and the new air laptop. The air would be great for traveling to Colorado and collecting his photos without the weight and would incorporate the airport abilty to transmit without cords to other computers and printers the work he is doing. It would make it fun to see the photos he has with the big screen.
Buy the latest.. will not the first one out.. you might be on the bleeding edge. At least the second one out of the series. Its insurance against having to do it all again in less than two or three years.
Love to all Pat
Of course the answer is no. But considering that he has an older Mac component set up the answer may have been a little hasty. His computer doesn't have a USB 2 port. Heather is caught in somewhat the same situation. When it comes to downloading and uploading Apple is so dependent on the USB 2 ports..
To me the mini mac is design for a different user than Dad. It is for those people that are switching from PC's to Mac and have invested in good screen. This reduces their over cost to switch to Macs. The RAM is significantly limited. If you buy the RAM you need to do photography you are close to what a Mac with a built in screen costs.
It is also old technology. The minute you buy it you are will have fewer years before it will not be accepted by the peripherals or the software that goes with it. For a few dollars more you will have the latest and the greatest.
Mikie got from Bob for Christmas the latest IMac 23 inch screen. Mikie and I agree that this should be Dad's next computer. It has enough room to do all of the photography you want to do including layers. The screen is drop dead gorgeous and it has enough ram and speed that it would smoke the mini. Ideally, he should have two. The IMAC 23 and the new air laptop. The air would be great for traveling to Colorado and collecting his photos without the weight and would incorporate the airport abilty to transmit without cords to other computers and printers the work he is doing. It would make it fun to see the photos he has with the big screen.
Buy the latest.. will not the first one out.. you might be on the bleeding edge. At least the second one out of the series. Its insurance against having to do it all again in less than two or three years.
Love to all Pat
Saturday, January 19, 2008
A Visit From the Parents
Mom and Dad and Mikie Sue came over the hill for a visit On Saturday evening.
They got a chance to see how the construction is going. Mikie Sue helped solve the issue with the non functioning TV. Dad helped my move an old heavy buffet using the piano dolly.
We met at Hometown Buffet at 4. They were home by 9. Mikie Sue is served as their driver.
We had a smashingly beautiful day. Sue used her power chair to go over to the house. The kitty boys were very happy to have some people companionship. Tony came over to check with what we needed to do with the island. The section for Sue needs to be lowered to 32 inches.
Hope you had a great day.
: ) Pat
They got a chance to see how the construction is going. Mikie Sue helped solve the issue with the non functioning TV. Dad helped my move an old heavy buffet using the piano dolly.
We met at Hometown Buffet at 4. They were home by 9. Mikie Sue is served as their driver.
We had a smashingly beautiful day. Sue used her power chair to go over to the house. The kitty boys were very happy to have some people companionship. Tony came over to check with what we needed to do with the island. The section for Sue needs to be lowered to 32 inches.
Hope you had a great day.
: ) Pat
The Summer of Old San Jose
When we first moved out to California from Colorado, Dad had to go back to school to complete some units. We moved to a house off of Bascom Avenue in San Jose. It was 1955. The family enjoyed living in San Jose. It has a great public transportation system.
I was 5 and ready to go to kindergarten. Summer school in the demonstration kindergarten was my fare. The teacher colleges had a summer school on campus so that aspiring teachers could see what was going on at the various grade levels. It was fun. We did not own a TV or a video game box then.
We went on a field trip to the science lab at San Jose State. While we were there with our mouths hanging open, the students took out some tree frogs to show the little kids. When we were about to go, the students gathered up their frogs and one was missing. They searched high and low. It had to be in the lab somewhere. The little bugger had escaped and crawled up my leg to my back. It was rescued and we went on to see something else. Despite the panic that ensued, it was pretty fun.
That summer was my first experience with movies. Mom took me on the bus to see 20,000 leagues Under the Sea. This was one of Disney's first journey into the world of Sci Fi. What a wonderful movie.. the colors.. the sound.... The story was somewhat over my head.
San Jose had a wonderful fragrance in the summer then. There were blooming shrubs of all sorts. There were citrus trees always in bloom.
In the back of our rented house was a wonderful caster tree. It was made for climbing. Mom and Dad cautioned us against ever eating the fruit of this tree. They are very deadly. They also attract bees. It was here that I discovered that I had a severe reaction to bee sting. I got stung all summer. Everywhere I got strung my body rejected it and I became seriously swollen. I am very careful around bees today.
Love Pat
I was 5 and ready to go to kindergarten. Summer school in the demonstration kindergarten was my fare. The teacher colleges had a summer school on campus so that aspiring teachers could see what was going on at the various grade levels. It was fun. We did not own a TV or a video game box then.
We went on a field trip to the science lab at San Jose State. While we were there with our mouths hanging open, the students took out some tree frogs to show the little kids. When we were about to go, the students gathered up their frogs and one was missing. They searched high and low. It had to be in the lab somewhere. The little bugger had escaped and crawled up my leg to my back. It was rescued and we went on to see something else. Despite the panic that ensued, it was pretty fun.
That summer was my first experience with movies. Mom took me on the bus to see 20,000 leagues Under the Sea. This was one of Disney's first journey into the world of Sci Fi. What a wonderful movie.. the colors.. the sound.... The story was somewhat over my head.
San Jose had a wonderful fragrance in the summer then. There were blooming shrubs of all sorts. There were citrus trees always in bloom.
In the back of our rented house was a wonderful caster tree. It was made for climbing. Mom and Dad cautioned us against ever eating the fruit of this tree. They are very deadly. They also attract bees. It was here that I discovered that I had a severe reaction to bee sting. I got stung all summer. Everywhere I got strung my body rejected it and I became seriously swollen. I am very careful around bees today.
Love Pat
Friday, January 18, 2008
Mac Connections Everywhere
The grey haired man sat on the side of the table, down by the school counselor. He had flame tattos with multicolored tips running from his forearm up to his biceps. The student was at the end of the table. He sat with a chagrin look on his face.
The English teacher on the other side was verbally pounding the student as to why he wasn't doing so well.. He had long hair.. pageboy style. He is failing his freshman English class and his algebra class. His mother in absentia is an accountant. He has difficulty in small groups with presentations (ostensibly shy). He also has the typical freshman malady.. he does most of his work but it stays in the bag and is not turned in .
Being the new age Speech and Lang that I am I asked about what video games he plays at home... oh my..
I asked him about his Avatar and its personality. In some ways its the same as he is. He will play solo games until he needs help and then refuses to ask help to get past the barrier. He then starts a new character.
The family is equiped with 8 macs that run on ethernet so that they can be connected as fast as they can to play War Craft. The father says he likes the game because it really taxes the computer chip. This was confirmed by Ron who says their is a big difference between cheap PC good PC and the G5 Mac in how smoothly the characters move in the game space.
I always ask the vocational questions. What does he want to do when finished with school... answer.. design somethings. Why isn't this kid in CAD? I suggested that? Father said.. You have seen my design. I did the design for the first Macintosh case. It was done on Autocad with about 65 layers.
Later he told me the most exciting day of his life was when the first Mac was unveiled at De Anza College and it spoke to the audience. He stayed with the company until Scully came. He knew it was time to leave.
Happy gaming Pat
The English teacher on the other side was verbally pounding the student as to why he wasn't doing so well.. He had long hair.. pageboy style. He is failing his freshman English class and his algebra class. His mother in absentia is an accountant. He has difficulty in small groups with presentations (ostensibly shy). He also has the typical freshman malady.. he does most of his work but it stays in the bag and is not turned in .
Being the new age Speech and Lang that I am I asked about what video games he plays at home... oh my..
I asked him about his Avatar and its personality. In some ways its the same as he is. He will play solo games until he needs help and then refuses to ask help to get past the barrier. He then starts a new character.
The family is equiped with 8 macs that run on ethernet so that they can be connected as fast as they can to play War Craft. The father says he likes the game because it really taxes the computer chip. This was confirmed by Ron who says their is a big difference between cheap PC good PC and the G5 Mac in how smoothly the characters move in the game space.
I always ask the vocational questions. What does he want to do when finished with school... answer.. design somethings. Why isn't this kid in CAD? I suggested that? Father said.. You have seen my design. I did the design for the first Macintosh case. It was done on Autocad with about 65 layers.
Later he told me the most exciting day of his life was when the first Mac was unveiled at De Anza College and it spoke to the audience. He stayed with the company until Scully came. He knew it was time to leave.
Happy gaming Pat
MacWorld 08
This years MacWorld had a very different feel. Come to think of it, most of them do. While Apple maintained its center position in the middle of the auditorium, there were many smaller vendors at the show.
Registration was on the West side. This was unusual. The usual spot is in the North Hall. This year, MacWorld shared its space with the Motorcoach associaion. The West side used to house the Art College. There were also many very small vendors and developers in this new place.
I picked up John at 7:30 and we found our way out to Ron's place at 8. Ron left a note on his gate that he had a fever and could not attend.
It was a bright fogless day. we zoomed right along and arrived at The Dublin BART station at 20 minutes before 10. We found a parking place and paid the 1 dollar to use it.
We took the BART the Powell station and had an easy walk to the Moscone West. Lynda,com had a prominent position among the vendors. They had 6 banks of computers hooked up to their site (training). John is very interested in the Cannon cameras. He got to handle the 3500 body. I gave the cannon guy hell for not having CMOS in their consumer point and shoot. Also asked him what the mapping dpi was for his cameras. He couldn't find the answer.. said I could find it on the web.. good deflection. They had some beautiful photos on display. We also looked at the new Epson printers. They have a new one to replace the 2200 and a larger one. Both were cranking out color corrected perfection. The one that will replace the 2200 was churning out a long, long canvas full of prints.
The new "air" computers were on display. They are lighter than air.. well almost. The solid state one is much more expensive than the one with the hard drive. It would truly have to be your second computer.
We had lunch/dinner at Tad's. The steak gill is still in operations although the personnel has changed and the so has the wall covering. There is no more flocked wallpaper, but there is a framed piece of it for nostalgia. Steak meal is 13.95 and is of unknown origin.. still good.
We were out of city by 2:45 and the in Dublin before we knew it. The traffic was a little weird in Livermore and Tracy.. but nothing unusual about that.
Have a great day
Love Pat
Registration was on the West side. This was unusual. The usual spot is in the North Hall. This year, MacWorld shared its space with the Motorcoach associaion. The West side used to house the Art College. There were also many very small vendors and developers in this new place.
I picked up John at 7:30 and we found our way out to Ron's place at 8. Ron left a note on his gate that he had a fever and could not attend.
It was a bright fogless day. we zoomed right along and arrived at The Dublin BART station at 20 minutes before 10. We found a parking place and paid the 1 dollar to use it.
We took the BART the Powell station and had an easy walk to the Moscone West. Lynda,com had a prominent position among the vendors. They had 6 banks of computers hooked up to their site (training). John is very interested in the Cannon cameras. He got to handle the 3500 body. I gave the cannon guy hell for not having CMOS in their consumer point and shoot. Also asked him what the mapping dpi was for his cameras. He couldn't find the answer.. said I could find it on the web.. good deflection. They had some beautiful photos on display. We also looked at the new Epson printers. They have a new one to replace the 2200 and a larger one. Both were cranking out color corrected perfection. The one that will replace the 2200 was churning out a long, long canvas full of prints.
The new "air" computers were on display. They are lighter than air.. well almost. The solid state one is much more expensive than the one with the hard drive. It would truly have to be your second computer.
We had lunch/dinner at Tad's. The steak gill is still in operations although the personnel has changed and the so has the wall covering. There is no more flocked wallpaper, but there is a framed piece of it for nostalgia. Steak meal is 13.95 and is of unknown origin.. still good.
We were out of city by 2:45 and the in Dublin before we knew it. The traffic was a little weird in Livermore and Tracy.. but nothing unusual about that.
Have a great day
Love Pat
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Reflections of Mac World's Past
The first Mac World in SF caused a 2 hour traffic log jam around the new Moscone Building. Such a phonemon. It was the one I didn't go to.
The second one had a several sites in the city. Shuttle buses took people to the Civic Center, Brooks Hall, Moscone and the Westin. It was still pretty educational and not as commercial. It was Apple's showcase with special appearances from Adobe.. a new company that apple owned a 17 percent share.
Then Macs became commercial. Mac World was consuming both sides of the Moscone center. Vendors came out of the woodwork.
Since that time, Apple has backed out of its own show in many ways. The computer industry was in a tailspin. Apple reinvented itself as a portable audio.. and then an audio vision company and now a cell phone maker.
PC's have their place in the low cost arena and many of my die hard friends have axillary PCs to do the low end stuff.
Life has changed for the apple enthusiast. Apple continues to resell to its fan base and the fan base continues to buy..
Life goes on.. and on to the MacWorld today!
Pat
The second one had a several sites in the city. Shuttle buses took people to the Civic Center, Brooks Hall, Moscone and the Westin. It was still pretty educational and not as commercial. It was Apple's showcase with special appearances from Adobe.. a new company that apple owned a 17 percent share.
Then Macs became commercial. Mac World was consuming both sides of the Moscone center. Vendors came out of the woodwork.
Since that time, Apple has backed out of its own show in many ways. The computer industry was in a tailspin. Apple reinvented itself as a portable audio.. and then an audio vision company and now a cell phone maker.
PC's have their place in the low cost arena and many of my die hard friends have axillary PCs to do the low end stuff.
Life has changed for the apple enthusiast. Apple continues to resell to its fan base and the fan base continues to buy..
Life goes on.. and on to the MacWorld today!
Pat
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Blue Collar Comedy Tour
I got a hold of the movie "Blue Collar Comedy Tour."
This one is pretty good. Not worth buying but a real hoot to watch or hear. It could be worth a Nexflick selection if you can get another one too. The four comedians are really good. The most notable are Bill Engalls of heres your sign fame and Jeff Foxworthy of you know you are a red neck if...
The others.. one with always a drink and a cigarette in his hand is the champion of droll. Ron made the comment that they were not much different than we are. I said yes, but they have that Southern twang.
I was into the District Office yesterday and gave a few people a fright. I as in to negotiate the Ap Science Teacher's MOU on their Saturday work. Apparently I was sitting in the seat that many teachers have been sitting in to confirm their retirement. The secretary of my Special Ed boss quickly zipped back to the office and told my boss that I was sitting there.
I walked back to say hello and to confirm that I was not there for that purpose. All ready the panic has started to spread..
No one is indispensable, that is how it is and it will always be.. so you better have some fun on your job.
: ) Pat
This one is pretty good. Not worth buying but a real hoot to watch or hear. It could be worth a Nexflick selection if you can get another one too. The four comedians are really good. The most notable are Bill Engalls of heres your sign fame and Jeff Foxworthy of you know you are a red neck if...
The others.. one with always a drink and a cigarette in his hand is the champion of droll. Ron made the comment that they were not much different than we are. I said yes, but they have that Southern twang.
I was into the District Office yesterday and gave a few people a fright. I as in to negotiate the Ap Science Teacher's MOU on their Saturday work. Apparently I was sitting in the seat that many teachers have been sitting in to confirm their retirement. The secretary of my Special Ed boss quickly zipped back to the office and told my boss that I was sitting there.
I walked back to say hello and to confirm that I was not there for that purpose. All ready the panic has started to spread..
No one is indispensable, that is how it is and it will always be.. so you better have some fun on your job.
: ) Pat
Rooting Against Innnovation
A gamble at best and we won!
Rumors had spread that a new iphone was in the offing. Due to be unveiled at the MacWorld in San Francisco this week, the new iphone would bring many new features to the cell phone world.
In Steve Job's annual report of innovation held yesterday at the keynote of MacWorld, there was no new Iphone. 4 million of these devices have been purchased. At least 3 have found homes in the extended Brown family. All of us were concerned about these purchases as we hate to buy an "old" version unless there is serious discount or another viable reason. Our gamble paid off and the Iphone users who treasure their little babies can rejoice.
Some cool things that were presented .. an notebook computer as thin as air.. well almost, a tiny file back up system for a great price, ITunes will now "rent" movies that are downloaded, and Iphones users will be able to customize their desktops.
Cool stuff.
Home you win your gambles today..
Love Pat
Rumors had spread that a new iphone was in the offing. Due to be unveiled at the MacWorld in San Francisco this week, the new iphone would bring many new features to the cell phone world.
In Steve Job's annual report of innovation held yesterday at the keynote of MacWorld, there was no new Iphone. 4 million of these devices have been purchased. At least 3 have found homes in the extended Brown family. All of us were concerned about these purchases as we hate to buy an "old" version unless there is serious discount or another viable reason. Our gamble paid off and the Iphone users who treasure their little babies can rejoice.
Some cool things that were presented .. an notebook computer as thin as air.. well almost, a tiny file back up system for a great price, ITunes will now "rent" movies that are downloaded, and Iphones users will be able to customize their desktops.
Cool stuff.
Home you win your gambles today..
Love Pat
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Foggy January
Its hard to believe that the cold fog of January is really an insulator for colder temperatures that could be here without.
Today it is really foggy. I just got back from my starbucks walk and the ground level fog allows about 200 feet of visability. The temperatures are high enough that it is not icy. Checking in with my Gunnison Colorado dashboard temperature.. its minus 24 in Gunnison this morning.
In Gunnison, they used to switch from natural gas to heating oil when it gets this cold. Dad was saying that fuel oil has more energy than natural gas. So for prolonged super cold it is more economical to switch over to oil.
Tony put in the gas stove yesterday. It is a gem. We are supposed to get some cabinets today.. at least the doors to them. I hope they are close to the style that Sue picked out at Lowes more than a year ago. Our kitchen is almost complete. Yesterday he also swapped out the shower nozzle to a water pick hand held kind that I bought at Costco. Sue is still unsure of the furniture placement.. so we may be running the dollies around to accommodate her interest. It is so much more space.
Have a great day.. MacWorld opens today.. I hope they don't do too much with the hardware on the IPONe since we bought one for Heather last weekend.
Love
pat
Today it is really foggy. I just got back from my starbucks walk and the ground level fog allows about 200 feet of visability. The temperatures are high enough that it is not icy. Checking in with my Gunnison Colorado dashboard temperature.. its minus 24 in Gunnison this morning.
In Gunnison, they used to switch from natural gas to heating oil when it gets this cold. Dad was saying that fuel oil has more energy than natural gas. So for prolonged super cold it is more economical to switch over to oil.
Tony put in the gas stove yesterday. It is a gem. We are supposed to get some cabinets today.. at least the doors to them. I hope they are close to the style that Sue picked out at Lowes more than a year ago. Our kitchen is almost complete. Yesterday he also swapped out the shower nozzle to a water pick hand held kind that I bought at Costco. Sue is still unsure of the furniture placement.. so we may be running the dollies around to accommodate her interest. It is so much more space.
Have a great day.. MacWorld opens today.. I hope they don't do too much with the hardware on the IPONe since we bought one for Heather last weekend.
Love
pat
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Running the 99 to Dublin
This evening I took Heather and her big boy cat back to the Dublin station to catch the BART train back home. Everything went off without a hitch. She was home before I reached Tracy. This means that she made great BART and muni connections. I had no traffic on the way home and everything went as planed.
She was a great help in getting us organized in our new old house. Monday should see the the stove installed and something done with the cabinets.. Saturday Tony was back to work on giving us a back splash with our porcelein tiles. They are looking good. We had the phone line hooked up to the wrong set so he corrected those lines too. Heather got to use the new tub 3 times. She learned that you have to make sure that the water level is up to a certain spot before you turn on the blowers. She also made 12 trips to the house with stuff that was in the Expedition. It was really getting out of hand.
I through out all of the old food in the big freezer. It spoiled after the air con people left the freezer without power for a week as they were putting in the new box and the new registers. The new heater works wonderfully. The house is much better insulated than the apartment.
I met with the CTA president to go over the written message that will be used to inform our members of the contract changes.
We bought Heather a new IPhone this weekend. She was frustrated because it had to be set up with her computer.. and she was in Merced. Her poor Treo had seen better days. She had scotch taped her antenna and did not have access to her "A" key or a space bar. I hope this will be a great addition for her.
We are having a great chance to "go through" our collections before they get replanted back into our living space. Right now the dust factor is a major issue in this house. We all have developed a healthy hack from working in this space. Its got to get better.
MacWorld is happening this week in SF. My entourage is planning on Thursday. Give me an email if you can join us..
Love Pat
She was a great help in getting us organized in our new old house. Monday should see the the stove installed and something done with the cabinets.. Saturday Tony was back to work on giving us a back splash with our porcelein tiles. They are looking good. We had the phone line hooked up to the wrong set so he corrected those lines too. Heather got to use the new tub 3 times. She learned that you have to make sure that the water level is up to a certain spot before you turn on the blowers. She also made 12 trips to the house with stuff that was in the Expedition. It was really getting out of hand.
I through out all of the old food in the big freezer. It spoiled after the air con people left the freezer without power for a week as they were putting in the new box and the new registers. The new heater works wonderfully. The house is much better insulated than the apartment.
I met with the CTA president to go over the written message that will be used to inform our members of the contract changes.
We bought Heather a new IPhone this weekend. She was frustrated because it had to be set up with her computer.. and she was in Merced. Her poor Treo had seen better days. She had scotch taped her antenna and did not have access to her "A" key or a space bar. I hope this will be a great addition for her.
We are having a great chance to "go through" our collections before they get replanted back into our living space. Right now the dust factor is a major issue in this house. We all have developed a healthy hack from working in this space. Its got to get better.
MacWorld is happening this week in SF. My entourage is planning on Thursday. Give me an email if you can join us..
Love Pat
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Heather is Here!
Last night the negotaition team and the e board of the union met to hear the latest. A few on the E board were disappointed that the pay for AP science teachers for weekend workshops for their students did not get included. I think that we will accmplish this through an MOU. An MOU is a memo of understanding. This is a short cut method where items that should have been done at the table can be accomplished without the entire team. This is as scary are as it sounds. It is often done for minor modifications on the contract that don't involve money and are permissive bargining areas to begin with. It can also be used as a temporary method to provide for a small subsection of the contract for a small subgroup of teachers. The MOU is usually only good for one year.
In the middle of my presentation of the provisions of the contract, the phone rang, and Heather said that she was on her way. Anthony brought her down to Modesto, and I picked her up with Tyrone, her 14 pound cat. She is here to help us with some of the piles we have at the house.. also she needs a new phone.
Glad to see that Acacia is medically ok. She is back at UCD.
Hope you have a great Saturday.. Pat
In the middle of my presentation of the provisions of the contract, the phone rang, and Heather said that she was on her way. Anthony brought her down to Modesto, and I picked her up with Tyrone, her 14 pound cat. She is here to help us with some of the piles we have at the house.. also she needs a new phone.
Glad to see that Acacia is medically ok. She is back at UCD.
Hope you have a great Saturday.. Pat
Friday, January 11, 2008
Word of the Day Scofflaw
Here is an interesting word from today's SF Gate:
Scofflaw:
one who habitually ignores the law and does not answer court summonses
Whats wrong with you? Were you raised by a pack of wolves? It must be you are a scofflaw.
The article in the Chron speaks of a person who owns a restaurant on the outer reaches of Noe Valley. He has accumulated many parking citations. The city allows these people to pay off their parking fines with public service. He is objecting to paying them off at the rate of 6 dollars an hour. The city's minimum water is over 9 dollars and hour and even more than that for non profits and others that do business with the city.. somewhere around 11 an hour. The paper identified him as a scofflaw.
Have a great day.. Pat
Scofflaw:
one who habitually ignores the law and does not answer court summonses
Whats wrong with you? Were you raised by a pack of wolves? It must be you are a scofflaw.
The article in the Chron speaks of a person who owns a restaurant on the outer reaches of Noe Valley. He has accumulated many parking citations. The city allows these people to pay off their parking fines with public service. He is objecting to paying them off at the rate of 6 dollars an hour. The city's minimum water is over 9 dollars and hour and even more than that for non profits and others that do business with the city.. somewhere around 11 an hour. The paper identified him as a scofflaw.
Have a great day.. Pat
Friday 11th
Last night I came home and had a nap. The battle of the day was too tiring to stay awake. I got my meds refilled at the Walgreens. They used to be open 24 hours. The store is open 24 hours but the pharmacy isn't. From all reports its seems that it is too difficult to staff the pharmacy 24 hours a day. The pharmacy is the busiest Walgreens that I have seen. Usually there are two pharmacists and four to five pharmacy assistants working at that one every minute that they are open. I like to deal with them because despite their workload they have some handy customer support. I can order refills on line. I can check to see when was the last time I ordered a prescription and also how many refills I have left. They will call the doctor for authorization when the refills are out. They work with my insurance. The have a drive thru and its close to our house (one mile). They usually have the meds wee need. We can get them within two hours after sending the refill request.
Linzi is in the Caribbean today. She flew down there on Thursday. She joins some friends she knows form Chicago. They are renting a sailboat. She is getting certified as a a scuba person there. Its seems more fun to get scuba certified with an ocean dive the Caribbean then to dive in the cold Pacific with a wet suit. She will be there for 9 days.
We are looking forward to Heather coming to see us this weekend. We have a lot of work to do. Mostly it is digging it out of the boxes in the rooms and getting it in the right place.
The stove is ready to be picked up. Last night I saw that the back splash tiles were there. Still no drawers or doors on the cabinets.
Love Pat
Linzi is in the Caribbean today. She flew down there on Thursday. She joins some friends she knows form Chicago. They are renting a sailboat. She is getting certified as a a scuba person there. Its seems more fun to get scuba certified with an ocean dive the Caribbean then to dive in the cold Pacific with a wet suit. She will be there for 9 days.
We are looking forward to Heather coming to see us this weekend. We have a lot of work to do. Mostly it is digging it out of the boxes in the rooms and getting it in the right place.
The stove is ready to be picked up. Last night I saw that the back splash tiles were there. Still no drawers or doors on the cabinets.
Love Pat
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Its Done Its Finished.. and so are We
It was a tough day at the negotiation table today.
We talked together about teacher safety and realized it was about a 4 session topic. With the governor in crisis mode and everyone's calendar we thought that possibly we needed some more study to get to the heart of teacher protection.
So on we went to the main attraction. When money comes out, everything else gets scotted off the table. They wanted to know what we had in mind. Our E board thankfully had not set a starting position. We told them we didn't want to reindeer dance. We checked prior to that regarding their understanding that we were not coming from far from where we could settle. In sidebar fashion they signaled that they knew that we knew where the clasified had settled and that we were aware of the district's commitment to "fair share." (This in the past meant 80% of Cost of Living). We offered to settle at COLA across the board including health care. (The classified had not settled for any money toward healthcare). At the table they accepted our offer under advisement, and asked how committed we were to money on the healthcare portion. We responded that we knew they weren't going to give that back to the state if they didn't use it for us.. so we wanted it whether or not they put it on the healthcare cap.
They came back at the table with 3.90 and an offer to settle. They pointed out that our offer had a .70 cost from the medical. And that our offer was really a combination of the two. Our math folks figured the middle spot between the offers which was 4.56 and they said that if we offered that with signature spots, they would sign it.. We did and they did.. so we are through for the year. Lunch at Applebees.. Everyone except one is on a diet.. so only one beer was ordered and drank.
We all left exhilarated and exhausted.. we will face the eboard tomorrow and explain the end game. The president seems happy.. so that is the first step.
: ) Pat
We talked together about teacher safety and realized it was about a 4 session topic. With the governor in crisis mode and everyone's calendar we thought that possibly we needed some more study to get to the heart of teacher protection.
So on we went to the main attraction. When money comes out, everything else gets scotted off the table. They wanted to know what we had in mind. Our E board thankfully had not set a starting position. We told them we didn't want to reindeer dance. We checked prior to that regarding their understanding that we were not coming from far from where we could settle. In sidebar fashion they signaled that they knew that we knew where the clasified had settled and that we were aware of the district's commitment to "fair share." (This in the past meant 80% of Cost of Living). We offered to settle at COLA across the board including health care. (The classified had not settled for any money toward healthcare). At the table they accepted our offer under advisement, and asked how committed we were to money on the healthcare portion. We responded that we knew they weren't going to give that back to the state if they didn't use it for us.. so we wanted it whether or not they put it on the healthcare cap.
They came back at the table with 3.90 and an offer to settle. They pointed out that our offer had a .70 cost from the medical. And that our offer was really a combination of the two. Our math folks figured the middle spot between the offers which was 4.56 and they said that if we offered that with signature spots, they would sign it.. We did and they did.. so we are through for the year. Lunch at Applebees.. Everyone except one is on a diet.. so only one beer was ordered and drank.
We all left exhilarated and exhausted.. we will face the eboard tomorrow and explain the end game. The president seems happy.. so that is the first step.
: ) Pat
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Wednesday Night
We are making plans for Sue to go over and use the new tub..Yahoo!
She has been busy planning and measuring and rethinking what we need for window covering at the house. Construction is on hold until the doors of the cabinets are completed and the stove.. should have come into our local Sears this afternoon arrive.
Kids at school are working on people helping careers. Gerontology aide,barber, cosmetologist,occupational rehabilitation worker,social worker,family counselor,funeral director. We will be also studying the vocabulary that goes along with these jobs.
Tomorrow we are back at the table again.. this time for sure for money. The classified employees settled for state cost of living. This amounts to 4.54 increase. We are thinking that are settlement might be a little higher because we want the district to cover this cost increase in the health care sector too. There is also a possibility for a two year contract. With the state in the shape that it is that might not be practical. Our tax base has to increase.. I think and Arnie is not willing to agree to that.
Have a great evening.. sorry for not getting this posted this morning. I am fighting a little cold and the machine doesn't compute little cold in sleep apnea terms.
: ) Pat
She has been busy planning and measuring and rethinking what we need for window covering at the house. Construction is on hold until the doors of the cabinets are completed and the stove.. should have come into our local Sears this afternoon arrive.
Kids at school are working on people helping careers. Gerontology aide,barber, cosmetologist,occupational rehabilitation worker,social worker,family counselor,funeral director. We will be also studying the vocabulary that goes along with these jobs.
Tomorrow we are back at the table again.. this time for sure for money. The classified employees settled for state cost of living. This amounts to 4.54 increase. We are thinking that are settlement might be a little higher because we want the district to cover this cost increase in the health care sector too. There is also a possibility for a two year contract. With the state in the shape that it is that might not be practical. Our tax base has to increase.. I think and Arnie is not willing to agree to that.
Have a great evening.. sorry for not getting this posted this morning. I am fighting a little cold and the machine doesn't compute little cold in sleep apnea terms.
: ) Pat
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Smokin Barista
One my baristas at Starbucks has made a new year's resolution to stop smoking. I asked him if he had started today. No he had not. He was down to 3 packs. He did not want to waste the money they represented. He said that he was planning to do it cold turkey and later if needed to use the patch. His mom has done it that way. Because she was successful he felt that he had a genetic predisposition to be successful in the same way. He thanked me for my interest.
As my dad would say, the toughest door in door to door sales is your own. Unless you get out of your own door you are not going to effect change. This is true with most any habit. You have to do it. All the motivations in the world are not going to work unless you start.
Love
Pat
As my dad would say, the toughest door in door to door sales is your own. Unless you get out of your own door you are not going to effect change. This is true with most any habit. You have to do it. All the motivations in the world are not going to work unless you start.
Love
Pat
Monday, January 7, 2008
Back to Work Monday the 7th
Its back to work after a long Winter break.
I got my walk in this morning and checked on the cats. Nigel was there to meet me and triumphantly march me back to the old home site. Georgie was there ready to dive into my lap and get some morning pets. I looked over the newspaper. They are really going after it in New Hampshire. Its gotten down to the security the old vs the chance for change in the new.
Linzi and Sean were here to help this weekend. Mom worked on her book collection at the old house. She is two bags less of paperbacks she picked up at the thrift store that are not on the re read agenda.
It will be good to get back to the routine. We meet tonight to plan our next negotiation session on Thursday. I have a new student headed to my classes that someone finally figured out belongs. I also have a new referral from the alternative high school. Another stutterer.
After a half a week of rain, the paper this morning says we have 2 inches of rain accumulated.
Take care and have a great day!
Pat
I got my walk in this morning and checked on the cats. Nigel was there to meet me and triumphantly march me back to the old home site. Georgie was there ready to dive into my lap and get some morning pets. I looked over the newspaper. They are really going after it in New Hampshire. Its gotten down to the security the old vs the chance for change in the new.
Linzi and Sean were here to help this weekend. Mom worked on her book collection at the old house. She is two bags less of paperbacks she picked up at the thrift store that are not on the re read agenda.
It will be good to get back to the routine. We meet tonight to plan our next negotiation session on Thursday. I have a new student headed to my classes that someone finally figured out belongs. I also have a new referral from the alternative high school. Another stutterer.
After a half a week of rain, the paper this morning says we have 2 inches of rain accumulated.
Take care and have a great day!
Pat
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Happy Bithday Ken Brown
Today is Ken Brown's Birthday. He was born in Grants Pass Oregon.
He is 82 years young. He always takes on life with enthusiasm and inspires other to live their life in the same way. He is a photographic artist. He embraces photoshop. He is married to my mother, Wanda. They met and married at college. They share the same college background as my wife and I, Western State College in Gunnison Colorado. He enjoys fly fishing. And tying his own flies. His favorite fly is the orange asher.
He currently lives in Morgan Hill, California. He fought in World War 2. He was on the light cruiser,the Montpelier.
He taught in South San Francisco for 43 years. His main grade taught was the 5th grade. His students learned to sew, square dance and do many things that helped them to become more complete people in their later lives.
He is a lively guy who enjoys his backyard fruit orchard. I admire his knowledge and his engagement with life.
He has an older sister, Betty that lives in Southern California.
He has three children. Micheal Sue, and Kelly are my younger sisters. Kelly has an extensive blog that is referenced at the bot†om of this blog. All of his children are married and working. Kelly and I are speech and language therapists in the public school. Micheal Sue is employed by the Live Oak school district in Santa Cruz as their technology manager.
Dad has four grandchildren. Heather, Linzi, Cambell, and Acacia.
I think that dad's greatest enjoyment comes from family get togethers.
So here's to you on your birthday Ken Brown.. Happy Birthday!
He is 82 years young. He always takes on life with enthusiasm and inspires other to live their life in the same way. He is a photographic artist. He embraces photoshop. He is married to my mother, Wanda. They met and married at college. They share the same college background as my wife and I, Western State College in Gunnison Colorado. He enjoys fly fishing. And tying his own flies. His favorite fly is the orange asher.
He currently lives in Morgan Hill, California. He fought in World War 2. He was on the light cruiser,the Montpelier.
He taught in South San Francisco for 43 years. His main grade taught was the 5th grade. His students learned to sew, square dance and do many things that helped them to become more complete people in their later lives.
He is a lively guy who enjoys his backyard fruit orchard. I admire his knowledge and his engagement with life.
He has an older sister, Betty that lives in Southern California.
He has three children. Micheal Sue, and Kelly are my younger sisters. Kelly has an extensive blog that is referenced at the bot†om of this blog. All of his children are married and working. Kelly and I are speech and language therapists in the public school. Micheal Sue is employed by the Live Oak school district in Santa Cruz as their technology manager.
Dad has four grandchildren. Heather, Linzi, Cambell, and Acacia.
I think that dad's greatest enjoyment comes from family get togethers.
So here's to you on your birthday Ken Brown.. Happy Birthday!
Friday, January 4, 2008
It was Warm Yesterday
Prior to the storm that started last night, the air was actually warm in the valley. I noted this as the warehouseman at Sears came out to gather from my car the range hood I had errantly ordered.
He gathered his heavy coat to get it out of my car. I told him he might be surpriaed to see that the weather was pretty warm. When he got outside he said that he thought that the temperatures were warmer outside than in the warehouse.
I ordered a 36 inch hood for a 30 inch space. The sears clerk said that I could get a replacement on the 9th.. no credit my account. It was beauty. I drove over to Lowe's and picked their top on the line Allure 2 off the shelf and saved $300. I had spent it earlier when I bought the top of the line insinerator for 288. It was not included in the bid. The dishwasher an e dishwasher along the lines of the e windows arrived. It is stainless steel with the controls on the top of the draws. The refrig arrived too. Its a dozy.. as Cammie would say.. in a good way. It has a pur water filter built into it with ice and side by side. It has the the racks I like in the freezer and the refidgerator. Its stainless too, Energy Star compliant.. pretty cool.
We also have a new microwave/ convection on the counter oven. We thought that Sue could get to it easier if it were on the counter instead of on the wall.
The only thing missing is the stove. It is a Maytag stove and is on its way by truck from the mid west (I hope). Its supposed to be here on the 9th. It features a small pizza like oven under the countertop. Then a big convection oven under that. Everything is gas.
The kitchen counters are all in. the tile looks great. The same is true with the laundry tile on its top. The sinks are in and hold water. Louie the working was grumbling about how hard it was to get the spring loaded connectors to hold the sinks in place. He did and they are great. They are neptune stainless sinks the best quality.
Louie said that on one of their previous jobs the owner had bought the sinks before they came. They were too thin. Every time they ran their garbage disposal the plumbing shook and made loud noises. He was glad to see that I had a decent sink going in with a 7 year garbage disposal.
Yesterday I also helped the contractor but the master bed back in place. We had to find the pieces of it from all over the house. Sue wanted it lowered so we found that the bed had tiny pedestals on the base of each post. We unscrewed those. We also had to lower the supports that are under the king bed to the floor. These had to be cut down with a sawsall. I am hoping that they will be just the right size.
They are all pushing to get it done for the final inspection. The main thing the inspector is going to do is check to see if the plugs are all working. He is going to check to see that the fire alarms are all coordinated.
Its looking pretty exciting.
Lindsay, Sean and Heather are scheduled to come help this weekend. I am not sure that they will be able to with the storm.
Hope you can stay warm and safe out of the weather today.
Love Pat
He gathered his heavy coat to get it out of my car. I told him he might be surpriaed to see that the weather was pretty warm. When he got outside he said that he thought that the temperatures were warmer outside than in the warehouse.
I ordered a 36 inch hood for a 30 inch space. The sears clerk said that I could get a replacement on the 9th.. no credit my account. It was beauty. I drove over to Lowe's and picked their top on the line Allure 2 off the shelf and saved $300. I had spent it earlier when I bought the top of the line insinerator for 288. It was not included in the bid. The dishwasher an e dishwasher along the lines of the e windows arrived. It is stainless steel with the controls on the top of the draws. The refrig arrived too. Its a dozy.. as Cammie would say.. in a good way. It has a pur water filter built into it with ice and side by side. It has the the racks I like in the freezer and the refidgerator. Its stainless too, Energy Star compliant.. pretty cool.
We also have a new microwave/ convection on the counter oven. We thought that Sue could get to it easier if it were on the counter instead of on the wall.
The only thing missing is the stove. It is a Maytag stove and is on its way by truck from the mid west (I hope). Its supposed to be here on the 9th. It features a small pizza like oven under the countertop. Then a big convection oven under that. Everything is gas.
The kitchen counters are all in. the tile looks great. The same is true with the laundry tile on its top. The sinks are in and hold water. Louie the working was grumbling about how hard it was to get the spring loaded connectors to hold the sinks in place. He did and they are great. They are neptune stainless sinks the best quality.
Louie said that on one of their previous jobs the owner had bought the sinks before they came. They were too thin. Every time they ran their garbage disposal the plumbing shook and made loud noises. He was glad to see that I had a decent sink going in with a 7 year garbage disposal.
Yesterday I also helped the contractor but the master bed back in place. We had to find the pieces of it from all over the house. Sue wanted it lowered so we found that the bed had tiny pedestals on the base of each post. We unscrewed those. We also had to lower the supports that are under the king bed to the floor. These had to be cut down with a sawsall. I am hoping that they will be just the right size.
They are all pushing to get it done for the final inspection. The main thing the inspector is going to do is check to see if the plugs are all working. He is going to check to see that the fire alarms are all coordinated.
Its looking pretty exciting.
Lindsay, Sean and Heather are scheduled to come help this weekend. I am not sure that they will be able to with the storm.
Hope you can stay warm and safe out of the weather today.
Love Pat
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Your Facts vs Beliefs
I found this interesting article on the web. It was published by the Christian Science Monitor. I always wondered how cultural beliefs and the science which are on opposite sides could co-exist in intellectual minds. This article supports the idea that with many there is a separation of the two and they do not interact..
By Thomas W. Martin Thu Jan 3, 3:00 AM ET
Tempe, Ariz. - Twenty years ago, as a college freshman, I knew precisely what it meant to be scientifically literate. In fact, I held an objective measure in the palm of my hand, courtesy of E.D. Hirsch. His book, "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know," was a bestselling paperback, and conveniently listed thousands of names, terms, and phrases with which every educated person – he informed us – should be familiar.
After plodding through the entire list during the course of an afternoon, I smugly discovered I could easily define each item of scientific vocabulary. Fuzziness about literary examples such as "Aeschylus" caused me no discomfort, but inability to rigorously describe "aerobic respiration" in the biochemical sense (not the superficial, then-popular Jane Fonda sense) would have induced severe nerdish embarrassment.
The wrong kind of scientific literacy
Today I teach science and its history at an honors college and am naturally far less confident about how to measure scientific literacy. The students who enter our program possess not only the expected high SAT scores, but also perfect or near-perfect scores on a battery of Advanced Placement exams, particularly in the basic sciences.
A noticeable portion of those students also believe in the literal truth of certain ancient accounts of Earth's history that, to put it bluntly, directly contradict mountains of well-established data from geology, climatology, and biology. Without rehashing the ongoing culture wars surrounding this topic (and certainly without berating my own students), this serves as a useful place to begin tackling the notion of "scientific literacy."
We frequently hear the refrain that if America simply raised the level of science courses, taught our children more subjects, and/or gave them more hands-on lab work, it could ensure the production of a citizenry capable of understanding an increasingly complex world. They would then be prepared to make the difficult choices of the 21st century.
However, my incoming students' technical mastery already exceeds what even the most rosy-eyed optimist could realistically dream for America (or the globe) as a whole. In other words, even if a citizenry were to achieve an impressive degree of scientific literacy – construed as raw conceptual competence – it would still be entirely possible for those same citizens to routinely subordinate scientific evidence to their own deeply ingrained cultural suppositions.
Evidence blindness
More important, the phenomenon of "evidence blindness" is hardly restricted to inexperienced students, or even to ideological segments of the general population. To varying degrees, it can be found across the spectrum, including some very striking examples in the realm of professional science itself.
As noted last year in Seed magazine, leading disciplinary practitioners who feel threatened by unorthodox new findings will sometimes band together to suppress such information, with the explicit intention of blocking its appearance in scientific journals.
While these luminaries undoubtedly convince themselves they are merely upholding the integrity of their fields, the truth is that they (in quintessentially human fashion) are often more interested in preserving cherished beliefs than in encouraging potentially disruptive discoveries.
Over the past few decades, growing evidence from cognitive science has revealed significant limits on the ability of individuals to criticize their own viewpoints. Even the most analytically gifted and experienced among us are susceptible to bias and self-deception to an extent that we (fittingly enough) generally fail to appreciate.
As psychologist Daniel Gilbert puts it in his book "Stumbling on Happiness," "Each of us is trapped in a place, a time, and a circumstance, and our attempts to use our minds to transcend those boundaries are, more often than not, ineffective."
The reason science does manage to be astonishingly effective is not because large groups are automatically wiser or less prone to self-deception than individuals. History adequately demonstrates that, if anything, the opposite is more nearly the case.
Science works because its core dynamics – not its methods or techniques per se – are rooted in pitting intellects against one another. Science eventually yields impressive answers because it compels smart people to incessantly try to disprove the ideas generated by other smart people.
The goal of science is to find those ideas that can withstand the long and hard barrage of evidence-based argument. That lesson must be experienced anew by the members of each generation, irrespective of their careers.
Mastery of scientific concepts and theories is a necessary starting point, but it serves only as a prerequisite to joining the never-ending dialogue. Students must learn firsthand how to both imaginatively create new hypotheses and dispassionately critique them.
Many commentators have rightly implored us to make certain that young people encounter the "thrill" of discovery. While this is undeniably desirable, it is arguably even more crucial that they experience the agony (if only on a modest scale) of having a pet hypothesis demolished by facts.
Several current presidential candidates have insisted that they oppose the modern scientific account of Earth's natural history as a matter of principle. In the present cultural climate, altering one's beliefs in response to anything (facts included) is considered a sign of weakness.
Students must be convinced that changing one's mind in light of the evidence is not weakness: Changing one's mind is the essence of intellectual growth.
By encouraging students into evidence-based debates with one another, this mode of interaction, like any other, can become habitual. After being consistently challenged by their peers, most students eventually see that attempts to free themselves from facts are a hollow, and fundamentally precarious, form of "freedom."
Value in criticizing ideas
In an era in which we tremble at offending the sensibilities of our neighbors, students must comprehend that it is not only possible but absolutely vital that we criticize one another's ideas about reality firmly yet civilly. They must do this despite clear cases of prominent scientists falling into petty, acerbic (and therefore counterproductive) exchanges.
The responsibility for fostering scientific literacy of this sort – that is, literacy construed as an ongoing commitment to evidence over preconception – falls upon all of us in our discussions both formal and informal, both public and private. When scientific celebrities fail to set a good example for students, it is especially incumbent upon the rest of us to set them back on the proverbial right track, rather than to reflexively hasten their derailment.
We do our children no favors by going easy on them – or, more to the point – allowing them to go easy on each other. Nature has a way of being far tougher.
If we can create environments in which they can safely have small epiphanies in the light of evidence, they will be motivated to share those lessons. They will then be scientifically literate in the sense that scientific discourse will continue to endure and flourish. And that is the sense that ultimately matters.
• Thomas W. Martin is an honors faculty fellow at Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University in Tempe. This was the winning essay of the Second Annual Seed Science Writing Contest, published in Seed, Issue 12, September/October 2007. Included here by permission
By Thomas W. Martin Thu Jan 3, 3:00 AM ET
Tempe, Ariz. - Twenty years ago, as a college freshman, I knew precisely what it meant to be scientifically literate. In fact, I held an objective measure in the palm of my hand, courtesy of E.D. Hirsch. His book, "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know," was a bestselling paperback, and conveniently listed thousands of names, terms, and phrases with which every educated person – he informed us – should be familiar.
After plodding through the entire list during the course of an afternoon, I smugly discovered I could easily define each item of scientific vocabulary. Fuzziness about literary examples such as "Aeschylus" caused me no discomfort, but inability to rigorously describe "aerobic respiration" in the biochemical sense (not the superficial, then-popular Jane Fonda sense) would have induced severe nerdish embarrassment.
The wrong kind of scientific literacy
Today I teach science and its history at an honors college and am naturally far less confident about how to measure scientific literacy. The students who enter our program possess not only the expected high SAT scores, but also perfect or near-perfect scores on a battery of Advanced Placement exams, particularly in the basic sciences.
A noticeable portion of those students also believe in the literal truth of certain ancient accounts of Earth's history that, to put it bluntly, directly contradict mountains of well-established data from geology, climatology, and biology. Without rehashing the ongoing culture wars surrounding this topic (and certainly without berating my own students), this serves as a useful place to begin tackling the notion of "scientific literacy."
We frequently hear the refrain that if America simply raised the level of science courses, taught our children more subjects, and/or gave them more hands-on lab work, it could ensure the production of a citizenry capable of understanding an increasingly complex world. They would then be prepared to make the difficult choices of the 21st century.
However, my incoming students' technical mastery already exceeds what even the most rosy-eyed optimist could realistically dream for America (or the globe) as a whole. In other words, even if a citizenry were to achieve an impressive degree of scientific literacy – construed as raw conceptual competence – it would still be entirely possible for those same citizens to routinely subordinate scientific evidence to their own deeply ingrained cultural suppositions.
Evidence blindness
More important, the phenomenon of "evidence blindness" is hardly restricted to inexperienced students, or even to ideological segments of the general population. To varying degrees, it can be found across the spectrum, including some very striking examples in the realm of professional science itself.
As noted last year in Seed magazine, leading disciplinary practitioners who feel threatened by unorthodox new findings will sometimes band together to suppress such information, with the explicit intention of blocking its appearance in scientific journals.
While these luminaries undoubtedly convince themselves they are merely upholding the integrity of their fields, the truth is that they (in quintessentially human fashion) are often more interested in preserving cherished beliefs than in encouraging potentially disruptive discoveries.
Over the past few decades, growing evidence from cognitive science has revealed significant limits on the ability of individuals to criticize their own viewpoints. Even the most analytically gifted and experienced among us are susceptible to bias and self-deception to an extent that we (fittingly enough) generally fail to appreciate.
As psychologist Daniel Gilbert puts it in his book "Stumbling on Happiness," "Each of us is trapped in a place, a time, and a circumstance, and our attempts to use our minds to transcend those boundaries are, more often than not, ineffective."
The reason science does manage to be astonishingly effective is not because large groups are automatically wiser or less prone to self-deception than individuals. History adequately demonstrates that, if anything, the opposite is more nearly the case.
Science works because its core dynamics – not its methods or techniques per se – are rooted in pitting intellects against one another. Science eventually yields impressive answers because it compels smart people to incessantly try to disprove the ideas generated by other smart people.
The goal of science is to find those ideas that can withstand the long and hard barrage of evidence-based argument. That lesson must be experienced anew by the members of each generation, irrespective of their careers.
Mastery of scientific concepts and theories is a necessary starting point, but it serves only as a prerequisite to joining the never-ending dialogue. Students must learn firsthand how to both imaginatively create new hypotheses and dispassionately critique them.
Many commentators have rightly implored us to make certain that young people encounter the "thrill" of discovery. While this is undeniably desirable, it is arguably even more crucial that they experience the agony (if only on a modest scale) of having a pet hypothesis demolished by facts.
Several current presidential candidates have insisted that they oppose the modern scientific account of Earth's natural history as a matter of principle. In the present cultural climate, altering one's beliefs in response to anything (facts included) is considered a sign of weakness.
Students must be convinced that changing one's mind in light of the evidence is not weakness: Changing one's mind is the essence of intellectual growth.
By encouraging students into evidence-based debates with one another, this mode of interaction, like any other, can become habitual. After being consistently challenged by their peers, most students eventually see that attempts to free themselves from facts are a hollow, and fundamentally precarious, form of "freedom."
Value in criticizing ideas
In an era in which we tremble at offending the sensibilities of our neighbors, students must comprehend that it is not only possible but absolutely vital that we criticize one another's ideas about reality firmly yet civilly. They must do this despite clear cases of prominent scientists falling into petty, acerbic (and therefore counterproductive) exchanges.
The responsibility for fostering scientific literacy of this sort – that is, literacy construed as an ongoing commitment to evidence over preconception – falls upon all of us in our discussions both formal and informal, both public and private. When scientific celebrities fail to set a good example for students, it is especially incumbent upon the rest of us to set them back on the proverbial right track, rather than to reflexively hasten their derailment.
We do our children no favors by going easy on them – or, more to the point – allowing them to go easy on each other. Nature has a way of being far tougher.
If we can create environments in which they can safely have small epiphanies in the light of evidence, they will be motivated to share those lessons. They will then be scientifically literate in the sense that scientific discourse will continue to endure and flourish. And that is the sense that ultimately matters.
• Thomas W. Martin is an honors faculty fellow at Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University in Tempe. This was the winning essay of the Second Annual Seed Science Writing Contest, published in Seed, Issue 12, September/October 2007. Included here by permission
A Life without a Car
Could you live without your car? How far are are you away from your essential services? My commute every day is less than 5 miles. Could I walk there to work? We live 2 blocks from our grocery store. I frequently walk over to get grocery items. Balancing the load is always an issue. You must be careful to make sure that your eyes are not bigger than your arms. In essence you do not choose to purchase more than you can carry home. All purchases must be double wrapped because you are walking. If we could do this, how much oil would we save? I think that some of this concept is what draws Linzi to the field of urban planning.
Both of my daughters live without the benefit of an automobile. Costco is problematic. When Linzi needs a car for travel to see us she hops on the train, or rents a car. Heather lives in San Francisco where owning a car is an expensive luxury. The cost of parking is prohibitive. She uses buses and Bart and street cars to get to work.
I love the information that PGnE is putting out about CFL (compact Florescent Lights) and their savings put in terms of how many cars they saving in te3rms of energy use. The visualization of economic terms makes it easier to understand the importance of doing one thing over another. Never under estimate the value you of a visual concept prop. A raise equals how many cheeseburgers? Have a great day.
: ) pat
Both of my daughters live without the benefit of an automobile. Costco is problematic. When Linzi needs a car for travel to see us she hops on the train, or rents a car. Heather lives in San Francisco where owning a car is an expensive luxury. The cost of parking is prohibitive. She uses buses and Bart and street cars to get to work.
I love the information that PGnE is putting out about CFL (compact Florescent Lights) and their savings put in terms of how many cars they saving in te3rms of energy use. The visualization of economic terms makes it easier to understand the importance of doing one thing over another. Never under estimate the value you of a visual concept prop. A raise equals how many cheeseburgers? Have a great day.
: ) pat
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A Funny One on Me
This morning I was at Lowes to purchase a garbage disposal for the remodel. I completed my purchase and headed out the door. Not thinking I strode up the the grey escape and hit the door unlock from my key chain remote. Nothing happened. I thought, darn, this thing is broken. No I probably hit the remote from the Expedition. They are very similar. So I pulled out the other remote and hit it frantically. Still nothing happened. Then I thought the darn battery is dead in the remote. So I got closer and hit it again at the passenger side. Still no success. Finally I looked into the car window. It was not my car. it had a little chihuahua bobble head on the front dash. I looked back at the front of Lowes with a panic look on my face. Two elderly ladies were rolling in laughter at my antics. I gestured with my keys in my hands and hit my head gently with them. I saw my Escapte in the parking line just ahead, out of the handicapped parking area.
One time up at a parking lot Linzi and I got into a areostar that looked just like ours. I jumped in and so did she. It was unlocked. Somehow the key just didn't work. Also it wasn't my tissue box on the drink cup island. We got out of that puppy in a hurry.
: ) Pat
One time up at a parking lot Linzi and I got into a areostar that looked just like ours. I jumped in and so did she. It was unlocked. Somehow the key just didn't work. Also it wasn't my tissue box on the drink cup island. We got out of that puppy in a hurry.
: ) Pat
Happy Birthday Linzi
Today is Linzi's birthday. So you lurkers that have her number.. give her a call!
This morning after my walk, I pruned the peaches of my neighbor that lives at the end of the cul de sac. He has a little flat peach with a real almond flavor. I think that it is a Saturn peach. Its origin is China. He also had a peach on the other side of the apricot trees. I gave it a good pruning too. Its the best way to improve the quality and overall quantity of peach tree. The owner before him planted the peaches and apricots in a semi public space. Sometimes the kids come by and throw the immature fruit at each other. The little flat peaches he enjoyed on his breakfast cereal each morning. It just took a few moments of my time. Both the trees are small enough so that I did not have to haul down a ladder.. cool. It is sure nice to have a corona lopper and a pruning shears. For the big stuff I get out my cordless sawsall. The cordless sawsall has a pruning blade. With a big battery (I think 24 volt) it will cut until you are tired of holding it against the tree. If you use it on the smaller branches it will shake you to death.
Bought a new garbage disposal. Our last one was an "insinkerator" brand.. it was great and lasted 4 years and was still going strong. It left with the demolition. The sears ones are good (in my experience) about 2 years. They cost almost as much. This one is the top of the line.. guaranteed for 7 years in house replacement.
I had time to do the extended loop this morning.
Love
Pat
This morning after my walk, I pruned the peaches of my neighbor that lives at the end of the cul de sac. He has a little flat peach with a real almond flavor. I think that it is a Saturn peach. Its origin is China. He also had a peach on the other side of the apricot trees. I gave it a good pruning too. Its the best way to improve the quality and overall quantity of peach tree. The owner before him planted the peaches and apricots in a semi public space. Sometimes the kids come by and throw the immature fruit at each other. The little flat peaches he enjoyed on his breakfast cereal each morning. It just took a few moments of my time. Both the trees are small enough so that I did not have to haul down a ladder.. cool. It is sure nice to have a corona lopper and a pruning shears. For the big stuff I get out my cordless sawsall. The cordless sawsall has a pruning blade. With a big battery (I think 24 volt) it will cut until you are tired of holding it against the tree. If you use it on the smaller branches it will shake you to death.
Bought a new garbage disposal. Our last one was an "insinkerator" brand.. it was great and lasted 4 years and was still going strong. It left with the demolition. The sears ones are good (in my experience) about 2 years. They cost almost as much. This one is the top of the line.. guaranteed for 7 years in house replacement.
I had time to do the extended loop this morning.
Love
Pat
Soo Foggy Last Night
Sue and I went off to the Mexican restaurant in Winton, just north of here last night. There was a little ground fog going at 6:15. We made it a night out, and saw Enchanted. On the way home it got really foggy. You know its foggy when you can see the the cone of your lights as you drive.
Enchanted was a great movie that all my princess loving daughters would love. I enjoyed it too growing up around princess loving sisters. Sue was a little squeamish around the rodents that came to help her clean up the house. It s a great little fantasy story and the colors just pop off the screen. Sara Sarandon plays the wicked mother in law to be. She is very convincing. There are so very cool technological leaps in the art of film making. It was a great outing.. but we were glad we were not trying to travel log distances in the fog.
My dashboard tell me that the weather in Gunnison is -26 this morning. brrrrrrrr.
: ) Pat
Enchanted was a great movie that all my princess loving daughters would love. I enjoyed it too growing up around princess loving sisters. Sue was a little squeamish around the rodents that came to help her clean up the house. It s a great little fantasy story and the colors just pop off the screen. Sara Sarandon plays the wicked mother in law to be. She is very convincing. There are so very cool technological leaps in the art of film making. It was a great outing.. but we were glad we were not trying to travel log distances in the fog.
My dashboard tell me that the weather in Gunnison is -26 this morning. brrrrrrrr.
: ) Pat
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
Sue and I are not much as far as party animals. We watched the home improvement shows until 12:30 last night and then went to bed. All around us people were shooting off firecrackers and sky rockets by the college.
One of the most memorable New Years was one year in the middle 60's. Grandma and Grandpa were out from Colorado. Dad decided to spring for a color T.V. It was called a Portocolor. GE produced the first portable color TV around. It weighed about 25 pounds and had a 5 inch screen.
We were all excited because it would show the Rose Bowl parade in "living color." This was Grandma Nelly's favorite thing in world. She had an quarter of an acre of roses in front of her house, she knew each one by name and their peculiarites. So the family Christmas gift was born. This wonderful TV cost 350 dollars in that era.. That was a fortune.
So a couple of days before the big event, dad got it out and plugged it in. It was DOA (Dead on Arrival). So we made a mad dash to the store (a furniture store) and explained the whole circumstance. It was covered under warranty. They gave us another in exchange. In the mean time they sent that one out to be fixed. It returned fixed and for a brief period of time we had two.. imagine that. Two TV's were at one time there was none. I grew up not watching TV because it took away the drive for me to learn to read.. Thank goodness my parents did this for me. At 14- 15 they realized that I would be a reader and TV was not going to be an issue.
Have a great day.. Have a great year..
Love Pat
One of the most memorable New Years was one year in the middle 60's. Grandma and Grandpa were out from Colorado. Dad decided to spring for a color T.V. It was called a Portocolor. GE produced the first portable color TV around. It weighed about 25 pounds and had a 5 inch screen.
We were all excited because it would show the Rose Bowl parade in "living color." This was Grandma Nelly's favorite thing in world. She had an quarter of an acre of roses in front of her house, she knew each one by name and their peculiarites. So the family Christmas gift was born. This wonderful TV cost 350 dollars in that era.. That was a fortune.
So a couple of days before the big event, dad got it out and plugged it in. It was DOA (Dead on Arrival). So we made a mad dash to the store (a furniture store) and explained the whole circumstance. It was covered under warranty. They gave us another in exchange. In the mean time they sent that one out to be fixed. It returned fixed and for a brief period of time we had two.. imagine that. Two TV's were at one time there was none. I grew up not watching TV because it took away the drive for me to learn to read.. Thank goodness my parents did this for me. At 14- 15 they realized that I would be a reader and TV was not going to be an issue.
Have a great day.. Have a great year..
Love Pat
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