Yesterday the boys and I were out to lunch. We were talking about the Bible, about faith, about worldviews, and other things.
As she was leaving, the lady at the table next to us paused. She looked right at me and said, “Do you teach?” I said yes. “Good. I was going to say you ought to if you don’t.”
the saying says, “Make lemonade.”
But how easy is that?
We spent weeks getting people interviewed. Several people went away because they weren’t qualified or lied on their resume or had some other problem. One went away because half the group did not like him best. (Looking back I am not sure that was a good idea.)
We found someone who looked solid to us. We sent him on to the elders. They interviewed him. They liked him. They brought him in for an interview.
Most people liked him. Some didn’t.
The elders here called his elders at the church he is leaving and suddenly the whole process grinds to a halt. Two of his elders had something not positive to say when they told their side of the story. I am guessing that. He said, “I wouldn’t trust some of them to tell the truth” when he was asked for a list of his elders. One elder, who was neutral, said to call two others to get “their side.” Our elders called each of the elders. Some were very positive. I would guess that these two were not.
So instead of getting home to a “full speed ahead email” late last night or waking to one this morning, the email is silent.
And though I want the whole thing to be over and done, though I would like to be finished with it and have our youth minister, I am relieved inside. Whether they ask him to come or not, at least they are not doing it as a runaway freight train. That’s kind of how it has felt.
If they don’t ask him, or he doesn’t accept, we will be pretty much back to square one. And my personal preference person is out of the running. That’s okay. I’ve got to accept that that was God’s will and let it go.
Maybe I am looking for Mr. Perfect. Even the guy I preferred over this guy gave me some pause with some of his responses.
One of the team members is terribly upset. She’s been wanting to hire this guy since we got his resume.
I have to fight myself to not get petty. I don’t want to be petty.
I am so grateful that the elders are making the decision.
Maybe, if we have to do this again, we can change our perspective. Maybe we can be a sieve of information to the elders rather than being what my hubby calls the “HR department.” That’s the group that is just looking for a reason to throw someone’s resume out.
God, grant us peace. And send the right person to our ministry. Whoever that may be.
Half and half on the committee was enough to trounce a candidate.
We have 10 teens for and 4 teens against. Is that enough to throw out a candidate?
My son says that if the youth minister gives the parents information about their children, he’s not trustworthy.
I am wondering if he would come, even if we asked. And I’m starting to think maybe we shouldn’t ask. But I don’t know who should come if it’s not him.
because my life has been crazy busy and I’m too exhausted to say anything.
Summer school with 24 students and research papers.
Search committee for a youth minister at my church.
Getting ready for a party at my house, which took a week of cleaning and mowing to prepare for.
But I’m alive and getting more organized.
I forgot to write them down for a month. So some of the ones I read are missing. As I find them or remember, I will add them on.
To date I have read 161 that I am sure of. That’s not even one a day.
Fiction:
Ordinary Heroes: A Novel by Scott Turow
Irish Magic II- story by Susan Wiggs was good, the rest not so much
The Man from Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller, very well written Western
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
The Princess Bride by Wm Goldman, warning, the last two pages of the story should not be read. Just skip them. They weren’t in the screen play and the movie, thus, is better than the book.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Journal by K. Atkinson, depressing but quick read about life and murder in the suburbs 11
Mystery:
The Visitant by Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear- icky Anasazi stories of murder and incest mixed with interesting archaeology characters being developed–Don’t know if I’ll read the others.
The Price of Murder by Bruce Alexander
Jack, Knave, and Fool by Bruce Alexander
Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris, a great book, I enjoyed it.
Death of a Duchess by Elizabeth Eyre. I liked it well enough to get another of her books to read.
Shoes to Die For by Laura Levine. My short review is here.
Hasty Death by Marion Chesney- good, fun, fairly light reading
Sick of Shadows by Marion Chesney
Our Lady of Pain by Marion Chesney
The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davis- didn’t like it, too depressing
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier- I really liked this one, even though she didn’t know who it was till the end.
Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier- This is much later in the series and I didn’t like it as much. She looks like an idiot at the end and everyone is patronizing. I’m still going to look for other books, though.
Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier
Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier
Bimbos and Zombies by Sharyn McCrumb
Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare’s Champion by Charlaine Harris
Shakespeare’s Counselor by Charlaine Harris
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
The Julius House by Charlaine Harris
Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris
A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris
A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
A Really Cute Corpse by Joan Hess, fun light read- Claire Malloy mystery
Misery Loves Maggody by Joan Hess- Arly Hanks mystery, not as good
Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs, better than Cross Bones but very painful in places
Death at Dartmoor by Robin Paige- very good, weaves together several returning characters
A Trust Betrayed by Candace Robb- not as good as I was hoping. Think I’ll give up on the author.
Don’t Look Now by Linda Lael Miller- This is an author I like in romance. I wasn’t as impressed with the mystery, but that may be because I kept expecting the romance to get stronger and it never did.
Death at Glamis Castle by Robin Paige- a good series, still good after several books
Death in Hype Park by Robin Paige
Murder at the Monks’ Table by Sister Carol Anne O’Marie
Once Upon a Crime by M.D. Lake- didn’t like this one
The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters- good book, lookng forward to reading more of hers 36
Children’s Books:
(I like to read these and I don’t usually put them on the list, but maybe I should. I’m putting down some of the ones I read.)
Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots
Santa Clause Doesn’t Mop Floors
Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball
Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips (Except that it is obvious they do.)
Zombies Don’t Play Soccer (This one was strange. It was clearly not a zombie at the end.)
Aliens Don’t Wear Braces
Gargoyles Don’t Drive School Buses (I liked this one. In it a library is saved.)
Frankenstein Doesn’t Plant Flowers
Martians Don’t Take Temperatures
Skeletons Don’t Play Tubas
A Weave of Words, beautifully illustrated
Adjectives
The Year Without Rain, beautiful illustrations, tells a historical tale of sharing and keeping people alive
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf
The Truth of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Otifnoski
The Popcorn Shop (read this one about ten times because my nephew loved it)
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, great set of books
Come Back, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Thank You, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say 19
Science Fiction:
Accidental Goddess by Linnae Sinclair– I very much enjoyed this one.
Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnae Sinclair. My review.
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
Alien Taste by Wen Spencer– Fascinating. First Ukiah Oregon book. As of January 2007 there are four.
Tainted Trail by Wen Spencer
Bitter Waters by Wen Spencer
Dog Warrior by Wen Spencer
Games of Chance by Linnae Sinclair: I have read this one about seven times in one week. It is excellent.
Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson
The Weapon by Michael Z. Williamson
Here Be Monsters by Christopher Stasheff
Matadora by Steve Perry
Black Steel by Steve Perry
Albino Knife by Steve Perry
Brother Death by Steve Perry
The Omega Cage by Steve Perry
The Machiavelli Interface by Steve Perry
The Man Who Never Missed by Steve Perry
The Musashi Flex by Steve Perry
Dinosaur Planet by Anne McCaffrey- start of five books, pretty good
Dinosaur Planet Survivors by Anne McCaffrey
Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon- works off earlier book
The Death of Sleep by Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lyn Nye- develops character from earlier book
Generation Warrior by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon- pulls all the characters together. Don’t think they really did a good job of Lunzie throughout, but okay.
Get Off the Unicorn by Anne McCaffrey- short stories, some of which are parts of books, some of which were new to me
I’ve been re-reading the Honor Harrington series: On Basilisk Station
The Honor of the Queen
The Short Victorious War
Field of Dishonor
Flag in Exile
Honor Among Enemies
In Enemy Hands
Echoes of Honor
Ashes of Victory
War of Honor
At All Costs
The Shadow of Saganami
Crown of Slaves
More than Honor
Worlds of Honor
Changer of Worlds
The Service of the Sword
The Excalibur Alternative by David Weber. First time I read this, even though I’ve owned it for a while.
The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber. 44
Fantasy:
A Brother’s Price by Wen Spencer– good book I enjoyed it. The boys said it sounded like a romance, but really its a milieu story.
Tinker by Wen Spencer– R recommended the book and I read it. I enjoyed it so much I had to order the sequel.
Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer
Divine by Choice by P.C. Cast– I didn’t love this one as much as the first, but it is good. I didn’t like it because I don’t like the fact that she has sex with someone other than her husband. It kind of ruined the true love aspect of the book.
The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
To Light a Candle by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart- fun, fairly light reading
The Witching Hour by Nora Roberts
Winter Rose by Nora Roberts
A World Apart by Nora Roberts
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine- Came to me highly recommended and I liked it.
The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey– My brother said not to buy it in hard back. That was a good call. It has great character development, but the plot is a little… flimsy.
Another Day, Another Dungeon by Greg Costikyan– light read, a little slow in the middle, but good.
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris. About a woman who can feel where and how the dead died.
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
A Wizard’s Dozen edited by Michael Stearns: There were a few good stories, but overall, not that good.
Saint Vidicon To the Rescue by Christopher Stasheff.
When Darkness Falls by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory (Book 3 of the Obsidian Trilogy)
White Night by Jim Butcher, very good, reminded me why I bought them all
The Crafters by Christopher Stasheff
Goddess of Love by PC Cast
Oath of Swords by David Weber
War God’s Own by David Weber
Windrider’s Oath by David Weber
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Academen’s Fury by Jim Butcher
Cursor’s Fury by Jim Butcher, an amazing book, third in a series, I’ve read it three times in two days.
One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey- good, enjoyable book
Fortune’s Fool by Mercedes Lackey- very light weight, definitely don’t buy it in hardback
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik. I read it twice in a row.
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey– some obvious anti-war propaganda that doesn’t belong to the war it is purported to match, but a good book despite that
Serpent’s Shadow by Mercedes Lackey
Exile’s Honor by Mercedes Lackey36
Nonfiction:
The Faiths of Our Fathers by Alf J. Mapp, Jr.
Women in Anglo-Saxon England and the Impact of 1066 by Christine Fell
Art & Love: An Illustrated Anthology of Love Poetry from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Reading in Bed
The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura
How to Write Love Letters
Book Lovers Quotations
The Oxford Book of Nursery Rhymes. I’ve been wanting this book since I read it in the American Library in Geneva, Switzerland, which, by the way, was run by Brits. It had way too many biographies, but I found some great books there. I indented this even though it has been 20+ years since I read it.
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Paradise Lost by Milton
Scott’s Miscellany
Moving West Songbook with historical commentary by Keith and Rusty McNeil- neither of the songs I was particularly interested in had anything about their roots written down. Instead it was a social commentary on black-face in minstrel work. 11
Duty First by Ed Ruggero- I didn’t get to finish it because someone stole my book out of my teacher locker. Ouch.
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
Hearing God by Dallas Willard
The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard’s Almanac by Benjamin Franklin
Reading in Bed
Study Skills for College Writers by Laurie Walker
Dead Men Do Tell Tales by William R. Maples, PhD and Michael Browning, good book by a forensic anthropologist
The Feejee Mermaid and Other Essays in Natural and Unnatural History by Jan Bondeson, chock full of info but very dry… Talks about literary authors and their comments on the different things.
Amelia Peabody’s Egypt: A Compendium edited by Elizabeth Peters
Oy! The World of Jewish Humor- funny and I read some jokes I haven’t heard before
The Best Life Diet
Readings for Writers by McCuen-Metherell and Winkler
Writing with a Purpose by Trimmer 25
We got the call on Tuesday that Wednesday Pappa was coming home with hospice. They aren’t going to try to make him better anymore. They found liver cancer.
Pappa is hard of hearing, but has been in great shape… until the last few years. He got prostate cancer and has had to deal with that on an ongoing basis. He’s outlived a lung cancer life expectancy of a year by an extra two and a half. He was bleeding internally and the doctors told him it was in his head. Now he has liver cancer. Most people go in a month or two after diagnosis. It is a voracious disease.
But Pappa had already lost 30 pounds in the hospital. “The food looked good. It just wasn’t good. It didn’t taste good.” Grama, he said, brought some of her pound cake to the hospital and no one would eat it, including him. Maybe the hospital air poisons the food?
He’s eating better now that he’s home. But they have to have help for him. He can’t get up on his own. And Grama already needs a knee and ankle replacement… They got lifeline, so if they both go down, she can get help.
Suddenly “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” jokes aren’t so funny anymore.
They’ve worked like crazy and they have some money, but three months of home health care out of pocket will take the savings they have left.
They’ve been married 69 years.
Grama will miss him.
We’re going back over Labor Day. I hope we get to see them both.
This is the recipe from R’s “big grandma” for her coconut cookies. They are Pappa’s favorites.
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 entire package of shredded coconut.
Beat butter, the sugars, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each. Gradually beat in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the coconut.
Cook on ungreased cookie pan at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. Cool for two minutes.
These freeze well in airtight containers.
I got on ichat with my hubby and left a string of comments, after he’d said hi back, that went like this:
Okay. I thought I would get on and read my blogs. Haven’t done that in a few days. Haven’t had time.
Another of the bloggers I read had a spouse walk out on them. Just got mad, didn’t get over it, and quit.
What is up with that?
Five minutes later my hubby logged out without responding. Was that a hint?
Last night I did dream, no nightmares, but I woke up every hour at least, sometimes every fifteen minutes. I thought I was going to throw up from overheating, even though I was outside the covers and our room is seventy degrees. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s uncomfortable.
because I was trying to dial out and Sprint/Embarq gave me six “not available” responses. Often we’ll have to redial three times, but I’ve never had six before.
I had nightmares this morning. I was shopping for things in a giant Goodwill garage sale, lots of excellent pieces of furniture. I lost my shoes in a snowbank with a pillow that became a puddle but didn’t realize it for a long time. Then I started looking for my shoes. It was hard because the sale was a maze that only went one way. After a long time of searching, and finding out the sale was to pay for on the quiet abortions, I realized I had lost my purse as well. This was my last pair of shoes. I couldn’t leave without them. The sale didn’t have a lot of shoes and even if it did, I didn’t have my purse so I couldn’t pay for shoes.
It started out as a fairly innocuous dream about buying fast food for dinner with $15, the amount that is in my purse.
What can have upset me?
R grumped at me about stealing the sheet, his pillow, and most of the bed- I think. It could have been another dream. I was asleep at the time. And that is not his normal response to those things.
I’ve realized my temper is bad. I swiped at E with my hand and actually lightly hit his neck. I told him I meant to hit his hair, but I actually didn’t MEAN to hit anything. However, my insides apparently came out. Which doesn’t say much for my insides.
That’s probably part of the upset because that happened again in the dream only with someone else’s child.
And I’ve got two jobs, one regular and one very easy, with a possible third one on the way. It’s somewhere between regular and easy. It’s not as stressful as homeschooling someone else’s high school students was, I’m sure. But there is a commute. I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do about that one.
I hate being stressed.
I said I’ve been avoiding nightshades for 72 hours. The pain is still there, so I went out on the net looking for info. I found this
mayonnaise, fried foods that may have been cooked in oil where potatoes have been fried, and modified vegetable starch (which might be in bread, gravy, or sauces).
in a list of foods that are nightshades.
Friday lunch I had chicken that was fried in oil that potatoes are fried in. Mayo I had on my supper tonight. Bread… Yes, I’ve had bread all the time. Don’t know which might have modified veg starch though. Not sure how to find that out.
Nightshade “allergies” aren’t really that. I know it, but it’s hard to explain. But nightshades all have solanine.
Solanine is a potent poison that kills by causing muscles to be so spastic that the person cannot breathe (EXTREME bracing). This is the opposite of curare which discharges the neuromuscular chemicals that produce contraction and so the person dies of flaccidity–the inability to breathe because the muscles cannot contract.
Both quotes above came off this website.
I’ve looked all over the net for someone else who says solanine is in mayo. No one else does that I could find. But they do say that green potatoes have high concentrations of it. Maybe potato salad gave them a reaction and they thought it was the mayo.
The boards and sites I’m seeing say it may take up to SIX MONTHS to drop solanine out of the system.
Not actually an allergic reaction. Solanine, a slightly toxic substance found in nightshades, doesn’t harm most people. It isn’t detoxified properly by some people; this is a genetic difference. Those folks get joint pain that may be diagnosed as arthritis, and muscular pain from nightshades. They may need to stay off of these foods for a few weeks or months to clear the solanine from their system.
That’s clearly what I have. I’ve even been to a rheumatologist, years ago when I didn’t know what the problem was. He correctly diagnosed that it was not arthritis.
Many people have gotten over food allergies after fasting.
I’ve actually been thinking about doing that. Then I wouldn’t have any foods that accidentally trigger. But I’m not sure I could do a long fast. Two days in I get very sluggish. But it’s worth thinking about.
from here
I was looking for a cure, but so far nothing.
I did find that “[a]voidance of allergic foods remains the preferred treatment of choice for severe and moderately severe food allergies. Rotation, or only eating an allergic food on a schedule, usually once every four days, for less severely allergic foods is usually effective.” And “Cooked foods are less apt to produce allergic symptoms than raw foods. The heating of foods is part of a chemical reaction that denatures the properties of the proteins in a food that are responsible for allergic reactions.” from QuickMed
I have developed a latex sensitivity. We now buy non-latex gloves for our first aid kits. I found this “Potato and tomato allergies are also statistically linked to latex sensitivity, though their cross-reactivity with latex is not established.”” to be interesting. It is from the site above.
I’ve been saying THIS for years.
If you want to know what foods you are allergic to, they are likely the same foods you would list in response to the question, “What foods do you love?†Though this seems initially difficult to understand, it is in part similar to why alcoholics seek out the very thing that ultimately makes them sick, alcohol-because its absence causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Allergy and addiction are closely related.
(also from QuickMed)
Ask Jen says that garlic, ginger, and onion are anti-inflammatories and will help.
Other related posts:
Discussion of solanine in nightshades and how it isn’t really an allergy. But it acts like one. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And an allergy by any other name hurts.
A collection of internet comments on nightshades that were relevant to me or my family.
Night Shade Allergies, my post with the most comments, I think.
Ariel wore the beautiful, long trailing wedding dress I bought this week into the brown, sandy, fishy lake. I hope the pictures turn out well. The dress smells like a morning fog out of Corpus Christi.
I couldn’t find Malathion at Lowe’s, so I bought something which had bifenthrin in it. I looked up malathion to find out what it looked like. Then I thought I would look up bifenthrin to find out if it really does kill fleas. It hasn’t done a great job in our yard, but maybe I didn’t spray enough.
Turns out it is a restricted use insecticide and is supposed to be only used by licensed applicators and their employees. I wonder if that is a California thing. It certainly didn’t seem restricted in Texas. No, it’s a federal site. Wonder what the people at Lowe’s are thinking? I can’t find the one I need and the one I found is restricted.
According to the federal government, bifenthrin does not kill fleas. Great. But another site, that actually has a fairly comprehensive list of insecticides available for general use says bifenthrin will kill fleas.
Also according to the sites I read, I need to treat the yard at least two and maybe three times, day 1, day 6, and day 11. That’s the only way to kill all the fleas dead. And I want them dead.
My poor Serenity has no fur on her mouth because she’s been licking her bites so much. And much of her belly is hairless as well.
is now the title of the class I’m teaching for homeschool coop.
We’re going to do:
Olympics
hot air balloons
Around the World in however many days
motor car races
airplanes
space race-including inventions
I’m not sure if that’s all we’ll do, but that will be fun, I think.
I think the answer might be yes.
I am teaching two classes at my community college.
I may be teaching another two classes at another community college.
I am teaching two classes on Fridays for homeschool kids.
I’ve agreed to teach the little kids at church one Sunday a month.
E and I are going to be tutoring kids in reading.
Oh, yeah, and I’m homeschooling M still.
And delivering E and M to their classes with other people.
It could mean I have to get organized.
This is a history of inventions and races. I don’t know why I decided to call it that. I was thinking about the first great automobile race, which I bought a book for. I hope I still have the book.
I said it would be “a history class on inventions with games and races as the focus. So we’ve got the Olympics, the book Around the World in 80 Days, the real life adventure of Nellie Bly who did that, the first automobile race which went from New York to France, via Japan and China, etc.”
Sites that might be helpful for compiling the syllabus for this course:
CBC Kids- History of inventions. It includes a timeline and such items as toothpaste. It might be fun to bring some weird things people used to make toothpaste out of to mix up in class. Ashes and myrrh. Ground china and brick.
An online interactive game for the railroad.
Site for historical info on the Olympics.
What about the Underground Railroad?
There are some good sites on the Great Auto Race. It’s 100th anniversary is next year! I hope I have that book.
Could do Lewis and Clark and the “race” across America. I have coloring pages for that. We could do crafts from that era. I have a book on those too.
Magellan’s trip around the world.
Columbus’ trip to America.
history of bicycles: races?
History of airplanes: first person to fly, who was it?
Kites and fireworks: can we get the mythbusters where they try to launch someone with fireworks
I was planning to go to Dallas the 23 through the 25th to see my friends. But it turns out I agreed to start teaching a class on August 24th. I can’t move it up because my friend’s daughter is leaving the country. But maybe I could visit Jess on the 22nd and go to Ang’s the 23rd. Bad planning on my part.
I still want to do the visit. I just have to do a work around now.
Sci fi writers have no sense of scale in several dimensions
Distance
Probably the most spectacular example is in the first segment of the Doctor Who story “The Trial of a Timelord”, where Earth was apparently hidden by moving its entire solar system several million miles, which is the celestial equivalent of hiding from your date in an empty movie theater by leaning an inch to the left. For scale, Mercury never comes within 28 million miles of our Sun, despite being its closest planet.
Or, for comic book lovers,
Green Lantern has the galaxy (or universe – DC seems to consider the terms synonymous) divided in 3600 sectors, each patrolled by a single sentient creature. This means a single being has to upkeep law and order in a hundred million solar systems.
15 unfortunately placed ads. Some were funny. Some were sad. Some I didn’t get.
50 Useless facts (or things everyone should know has some funny ones in there.
For instance, did you know that Coca-Cola is green without the food coloring?
You will be amazed at the lengths to which sci fi fans will go for their wedding cakes. At least, I was amazed by this one.
Apparently reading in public can get you visited by the FBI. I am so in trouble if that is true. And there’s no way I’ll be able to remember what I was reading on a particular day. I guess I could probably tell them what I’ve been reading for a week or so and let them figure it out.
An AMAZING physics video on the Kaye effect, using shampoo, and accessible to non-science types. (Though in full disclosure, I do have 20+ hours of undergrad biology.)
Funny signs in broken English. They aren’t meant to be funny; they just are.
This guy helped 150,000 motorists a year. It was part of an art project? No one even realized it hadn’t been done by “officials.â€
A general linking Shakespeare site.
Build a face at National Geographic. It was fun, even though I couldn’t build the face I wanted. The one I built looked a lot more like me than I was trying for.
An interesting point on the separation of church and state. It’s how all 50 states talk about God in their constitutions. “Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” –Wm. Penn
Do you remember in the old days how signs were painted on barns? If you do, you will enjoy this new fangled technology, advertising through farming. Rice paddy.
How about a writer’s resource that may actually be helpful? And I like the quotes at the tops of the pages.
Find background on products you like or grew up with. I wish there were more images, but it is fascinating stuff. Kind of pop culture history.
Weird information you might not know is compiled Down here in Texas. Some include “The symbol on the “pound” key (#) is called an octothorpe. The dot over the letter ‘i’ is called a tittle.†Or, if you don’t care about that: “Los Angeles’s full name is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula” and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, “L.A.” A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.â€
Oh my! I love it. Photoshop your pictures into coloring pages. Think how much your kids would love to color pictures of themselves! Here. I may have to make a separate entry for this.
If you can’t get to Egypt, but want to know more about things there, go on a virtual tour of a museum.
For weird and amazing ancient archaeological finds, go here.
An excellent site on more than I ever thought I would want to know about ancient cultures. Some great stuff. Good graphics, too. Not a slow load either.
I find these random sites when I am very bored or don’t want to work with Stumble Upon.
can best be seen in these fun/funny sites.
For Shakespearean insults, go here. An example is “What, you egg! Young fry of treachery!†from Macbeth.
Or you could look at the 10 Strangest College Mascots. The info includes whose they are, when or why they were chosen, and what the author thinks of them.
I’m an Escher fan, so these pics were fun and interesting. They’re “Escher inspired.” Some of them fooled me. I had to look twice to see what the problem was.
I find these random sites when I am very bored or don’t want to work with Stumble Upon.