Sorry to have been absent so long, my Internet friends. We have experienced some dark days here in Loudoun County, Virginia.
First, my daughter's step-grandfather passes away on the 17th. He was a wonderful man, who served this Country in the United States Navy for many years. He was also a wonderful friend, father, and grandfather. I am thankful that his family had the chance to say goodbye, and that he went peacefully in his sleep, though he will be sorely missed.
And then last night, the husband and father of friends, passed away quite unexpectedly. He was 49, much too young to be leaving his wife, three daughters, and two grandchildren. My heart is broken for the family he leaves behind. I know there is nothing at this time that could lighten their sorrow.
So, I suppose at this time I am reflecting. It is so important to ask yourself this question: If you or a loved one passed away unexpectedly, do they know how much you love them? When life is good, it is too easy to become overwhelmed with the activities of daily life. We have to remember to let our loved ones know, as much as we possibly can, how much we care -- and that if anything ever happens to US, that we will want them to be happy in knowing how special they were to us.
Life, after all, is fleeting at best. And Life is not ABOUT work. It is not about how much money you have in the bank, the kind of car you drive, or whether your kitchen/bathroom/laundry is clean. Life is about every little bit in between these times, that you can spend with the people you cherish.
Work will go on without us. Housework as well. Eventually all our toils are for naught. Fortunes can come and go, buildings crumble to the ground eventually, and all the finery of our lives will turn to dust one day. After all is said and done, the only lasting legacy you will leave, is the love you gave.
So I would ask all of my readers, in memorial of two wonderful men who have passed away this week, to take the afternoon off. Let the dishes and laundry pile up. And get in the car, or on the phone, to go visit with or talk to someone you care about. Make one more good memory for the two of you to share. And make sure they KNOW how much they mean to you.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
OK, NOW I'm mad....
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_bahrain_protests
Attacking protesters as they SLEEP? REALLY? The World community needs to speak out on this!
Attacking protesters as they SLEEP? REALLY? The World community needs to speak out on this!
Blog Block
You know, I had heard that people go through Writer's Block, and I wondered when it would set in for me. I've been going at this writing business pretty strong now for about four months, and have well over 100 posts now. But I seem to be suffering a partial block here, just on the blog.
So, I thought I'd write about THAT.
I'm usually so interested in current events. But in the past week, I haven't found anything in the news that really sparked my interest. I could comment on Egypt again, or the other protests in the Middle East -- but I just feel like it's too soon to really know what is going to come of it all. I haven't found one article that really made me laugh, or really made me angry.
Maybe I'm getting jaded. But you would think that if that were going to happen, it darn well could have happened to me in any of the OTHER 42 years of my existence! Or maybe it's just a new symptom of this winter stir-craziness that always grips me in February. I can honestly say, I've never tried before to write daily during the month of February.
Seeing as we have such an International readership, I should explain the idea of the winter stir-craziness. I know people the World over suffer from it, but the name doesn't necessarily describe the feeling that well. It's that feeling you get when you've been cooped up in the house all winter, and you start to go a little bonkers. You get restless and easily bored, but you can't seem to alleviate the boredom. It's still to early in the year to get outside and vent some of those frustrations, and too early for Spring cleaning. And you feel like, if you watch one more movie, your head will explode. All accompanied by fatigue and a longing for sandy beaches!
Anyway, I am still writing daily. Just not online.
If you have been here recently, you will notice I've been bitten by the children's book bug. I have written two this month, and have ideas for another. And I have made some progress on the Geometry Mnemonics book as well, outlined a NEW novel, and done some minor editing on the memoirs. It's not like I've been unproductive!
Even so, I do appreciate my readers. And I would like to continue to be entertaining and/or informative! So please, if you have something you would like to see discussed here on the blog, post me a comment, send me a message on FaceBook, pop me an email, whatever you can do to let me know what you want to see!
So, I thought I'd write about THAT.
I'm usually so interested in current events. But in the past week, I haven't found anything in the news that really sparked my interest. I could comment on Egypt again, or the other protests in the Middle East -- but I just feel like it's too soon to really know what is going to come of it all. I haven't found one article that really made me laugh, or really made me angry.
Maybe I'm getting jaded. But you would think that if that were going to happen, it darn well could have happened to me in any of the OTHER 42 years of my existence! Or maybe it's just a new symptom of this winter stir-craziness that always grips me in February. I can honestly say, I've never tried before to write daily during the month of February.
Seeing as we have such an International readership, I should explain the idea of the winter stir-craziness. I know people the World over suffer from it, but the name doesn't necessarily describe the feeling that well. It's that feeling you get when you've been cooped up in the house all winter, and you start to go a little bonkers. You get restless and easily bored, but you can't seem to alleviate the boredom. It's still to early in the year to get outside and vent some of those frustrations, and too early for Spring cleaning. And you feel like, if you watch one more movie, your head will explode. All accompanied by fatigue and a longing for sandy beaches!
Anyway, I am still writing daily. Just not online.
If you have been here recently, you will notice I've been bitten by the children's book bug. I have written two this month, and have ideas for another. And I have made some progress on the Geometry Mnemonics book as well, outlined a NEW novel, and done some minor editing on the memoirs. It's not like I've been unproductive!
Even so, I do appreciate my readers. And I would like to continue to be entertaining and/or informative! So please, if you have something you would like to see discussed here on the blog, post me a comment, send me a message on FaceBook, pop me an email, whatever you can do to let me know what you want to see!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Funny PC Thoughts
I was having an online chat with the adult daughter of an old college friend today. I told her she needed to convince her Mom to get on Facebook, so that she could be more connected to me and to many other of our old friends from school. And her daughter said "Yeah, well, you know Mom. She likes to stay away from computers and all that other techie-type stuff!". And I laughed!
I personally am joined at the hip with my computer. I have been on these infernal machines almost daily for about 25 years. Even before THAT, I had some experience, seeing as my father was a budding computer geek as early as in 1979, well before the home PC.
Of course, I was one of the first classes at my alma mater, Virginia Tech, to be required to own a PC for Engineering school. And Virginia Tech was among the first schools in the country to require this. The IBM PC I bought for my freshman year had no operating system installed. You had to install DOS yourself! It had a fold-away keyboard, and an 8" (diagonally measured) monochrome screen. Even though it was considered "portable", it weighed in at 47 pounds. My math co-processor was a special-order feature. The machine had a total memory less than a modern-day TI scientific calculator.
It was my pride and joy!
And when I think back to my friend's education at Virginia Tech, it was very different from mine. Even though she was in Architecture school, and had to take Statics and various other Engineering Fundamentals classes, she never was required to use a computer. What little exposure she DID have, was probably limited to those old clunky Computer Aided Drawing programs we had back then... You know, the ones that took you twice as long to create a drawing in than it would free-hand, and then when you printed it out something was always horribly wrong?
No wonder that she should shy away from a computer!
And still, this is the 21st Century. There is something terribly quaint about not "plugging in" daily to a computer, much less the Internet. My friend, you see, prefers actual face-to-face interaction with real live people, to chatting online. And she gets her news the old-fashioned way. She READS it. Like, in a newspaper!
While it might make it harder to communicate with her, I actually admire her for her choice. This is a terribly capable lady who can fix just about anything mechanical you could throw at her. She is highly educated. And she has raised (and for the most part home-schooled) six children. There isn't much she isn't good at, this friend.
And yet she still refuses to give in to the instant gratification of Internet news and online chat. She can entertain herself quite well, thank you very much, without spending 4 hours a day on FaceBook or playing a silly online game. She knows how to find the information she needs without the World Wide Web. And when you manage to track her down to have a conversation, you get the added benefit of actually hearing her lovely, lilting voice.
I'd like to see email replace THAT!
So, YOU GO GIRL! You keep having your conversations the right way, being able to laugh without the use of acronyms and not having to explain yourself for a lack of "tone of voice"! You keep reading books! You spend your "free time" doing the things that are important -- like getting out of the house to see the sun shining, interacting with people you can actually SEE, and raising your amazing children with honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned parental attention!
I think we could all stand to take a page from her book.
I personally am joined at the hip with my computer. I have been on these infernal machines almost daily for about 25 years. Even before THAT, I had some experience, seeing as my father was a budding computer geek as early as in 1979, well before the home PC.
Of course, I was one of the first classes at my alma mater, Virginia Tech, to be required to own a PC for Engineering school. And Virginia Tech was among the first schools in the country to require this. The IBM PC I bought for my freshman year had no operating system installed. You had to install DOS yourself! It had a fold-away keyboard, and an 8" (diagonally measured) monochrome screen. Even though it was considered "portable", it weighed in at 47 pounds. My math co-processor was a special-order feature. The machine had a total memory less than a modern-day TI scientific calculator.
It was my pride and joy!
And when I think back to my friend's education at Virginia Tech, it was very different from mine. Even though she was in Architecture school, and had to take Statics and various other Engineering Fundamentals classes, she never was required to use a computer. What little exposure she DID have, was probably limited to those old clunky Computer Aided Drawing programs we had back then... You know, the ones that took you twice as long to create a drawing in than it would free-hand, and then when you printed it out something was always horribly wrong?
No wonder that she should shy away from a computer!
And still, this is the 21st Century. There is something terribly quaint about not "plugging in" daily to a computer, much less the Internet. My friend, you see, prefers actual face-to-face interaction with real live people, to chatting online. And she gets her news the old-fashioned way. She READS it. Like, in a newspaper!
While it might make it harder to communicate with her, I actually admire her for her choice. This is a terribly capable lady who can fix just about anything mechanical you could throw at her. She is highly educated. And she has raised (and for the most part home-schooled) six children. There isn't much she isn't good at, this friend.
And yet she still refuses to give in to the instant gratification of Internet news and online chat. She can entertain herself quite well, thank you very much, without spending 4 hours a day on FaceBook or playing a silly online game. She knows how to find the information she needs without the World Wide Web. And when you manage to track her down to have a conversation, you get the added benefit of actually hearing her lovely, lilting voice.
I'd like to see email replace THAT!
So, YOU GO GIRL! You keep having your conversations the right way, being able to laugh without the use of acronyms and not having to explain yourself for a lack of "tone of voice"! You keep reading books! You spend your "free time" doing the things that are important -- like getting out of the house to see the sun shining, interacting with people you can actually SEE, and raising your amazing children with honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned parental attention!
I think we could all stand to take a page from her book.
HELLO to BULGARIA!
Thanks for stopping by our blog... Hope you enjoyed it, and hope to see you back again!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Dedicated to Kid the Elder...
For my KT, because you will always be my first baby girl. Even though you are grown now! This is called "Eat Your Veggies, Hermione Hippo!" because you are never too old to need your veggies =)
Hermione Hippo loved to eat sweets. Breakfast was her favorite. In the mornings, she loved to have a big stack of pancakes or waffles, smothered in butter and syrup. Or some oatmeal with apples and raisins and brown sugar, topped off with some cream. Or a big bowl of Chocolatey Crunch cereal, with a big spoonful of sugar on the top.
For lunch, Hermione liked nothing better than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with EXTRA EXTRA JELLY! Or maybe a honey and banana sandwich. Or to dip some fruit in some berry berry yogurt. With, of course, some double-chocolate milk and cookies for dessert!
For dinner Hermione loved to have breakfast again. But when her mother said "NO!" she would have some chicken nuggets dipped in honey, and some french fries dipped in ketchup. She would wash it down with a big glass of apple juice, and have cake for dessert.
The problem was that Hermione's mother didn't let her have pancakes, and peanut butter and jelly, and chicken nuggets with honey, every day. She didn't even bake a cake for dessert every day! And even though there was always ice cream in the freezer, Mother said this was just for "special occasions". HMPH!
And almost every night, Hermione's mother would make something icky and green to go with their dinner. "Hermione, eat your broccoli," her mother would say. "Hermione, eat your peas," her mother would say. "Hermione, eat your beans, spinach, salad, cabbage, collards, peppers, cucumbers and kale," her mother would say. Hermione really didn't like anything GREEN!
One day, Hermione's mother told her she would go to stay with her Grandmother for the weekend. Hermione was so excited! Hermione thought to herself, "Grandma always makes me what I like to eat. I will have such a good time visiting Grandma!".
So on Friday, Hermione packed her bag and went to her Grandmother's house. When she arrived, it was time for supper. "What would you like to have tonight, my dear?" Hermione's Grandmother asked.
"I would like a big stack of pancakes, with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them, please!" Hermione said.
"Don't you think we should have some green vegetables with our supper?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a big stack of pancakes with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream! This was, indeed, a special occasion!
The next morning, Hermione woke up with a belly ache. "I must be very hungry," she said to herself. Hermione got dressed quickly. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. When she went downstairs, Grandma asked "What would you like for breakfast, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would love a big plate of waffles and French toast with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them!".
"Don't you think we should have some fruit with our breakfast?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her fruit!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a big stack of waffles and French toast with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream, and some cookies on the side! This was, indeed, a special occasion!
Hermione went outside to play in the garden. She was having a lovely time chasing butterflies, except that she had this pain in her belly. "I must be catching a cold," she said to herself. "A lovely lunch with my Grandma, is sure to make me feel better!".
When it was time for lunch, Hermione's Grandmother asked "What would you like for lunch, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would like a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra extra extra jelly on it!".
"Don't you think we should have a salad with our lunch?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra extra extra jelly on it. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream!, some cookies on the side and some gummy bears. This was, indeed, a special occasion!
After lunch, Hermione went to the den to watch her favorite shows on the television. Hermione laughed and laughed, until her stomach interrupted her. It made a noise something like "Guuuuurrrrraaaahummmmph!" and Hermione was a little frightened. "Maybe I should have only had extra jelly on that sandwich," she thought to herself. "Extra extra extra jelly always makes my tummy ruinable!".
But when dinner time came, Hermione's Grandmother asked her, "What would you like for dinner, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would like some chicken nuggets in honey and some french fries with LOTS of ketchup!".
"Don't you think we should have some broccoli or spinach with our dinner?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her some chicken nuggets in honey and some french fries with LOTS of ketchup. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream!, some cookies on the side and some gummy bears, PLUS some brownies with icing. This was, indeed, a special occasion!
Hermione went to bed that night, but she could not sleep very well. Her tummy was saying funny things to her, and keeping her awake. When she finally fell asleep, Hermione dreamed of broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
When Hermione woke up in the morning, she was as hungry as she ever was before! Hermione got dressed quickly. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. When she went downstairs, Grandma asked "What would you like for breakfast, my dear? This is our last meal before your parent come to get you!".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would love some cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars!".
"Don't you think we should have some fruit with our breakfast?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her fruit!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her some cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars.
And for dessert, they had some more cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars.
Later that morning, Hermione's mother and father came to pick her up. "Did you have a good time visiting with your Grandmother?" they asked.
"Oh, YES!" said Hermione, "It was really a most special occasion!".
When they arrived at home, Hermione's mother asked her "What would you like for lunch, my dear?". But Hermione said she was still too full from her breakfast, to eat any lunch.
So Hermione went to the den to watch her favorite shows on the television. But instead of laughing and laughing, Hermione felt a little queasy. "I think I will just take a nap for a little while," she thought. "I had too much fun and excitement at Grandma's house this weekend, and I"m all worn out!".
Hermione fell asleep. But when she did, she dreamed of broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
When Hermione woke up, it was nearly time for supper.
"What would you like to have for supper tonight, my dear?" Hermione's mother asked.
And Hermione said, "Mother, I would really like to have some broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage!".
"Well, that is a new request from you, my lovely Hermione Hippo!" her mother exclaimed.
So for supper, the Hippo family had some broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
And when Hermione woke up the next morning, she felt simply WONDERFUL! After all, a growing girl should eat her veggies!
*** Author's Note: Both the River Hippopotamus and the Pygmy Hippopotamus are endangered species. Hippos live in Africa, and are amphibious. This means they can live on both land and in the water. A Hippo can hold their breath for a very long time! Both kinds of hippos have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing. If you want to learn more about endangered animals, visit your local library! Your librarian can help you to select a book that is just right for YOU!
Hermione Hippo loved to eat sweets. Breakfast was her favorite. In the mornings, she loved to have a big stack of pancakes or waffles, smothered in butter and syrup. Or some oatmeal with apples and raisins and brown sugar, topped off with some cream. Or a big bowl of Chocolatey Crunch cereal, with a big spoonful of sugar on the top.
For lunch, Hermione liked nothing better than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with EXTRA EXTRA JELLY! Or maybe a honey and banana sandwich. Or to dip some fruit in some berry berry yogurt. With, of course, some double-chocolate milk and cookies for dessert!
For dinner Hermione loved to have breakfast again. But when her mother said "NO!" she would have some chicken nuggets dipped in honey, and some french fries dipped in ketchup. She would wash it down with a big glass of apple juice, and have cake for dessert.
The problem was that Hermione's mother didn't let her have pancakes, and peanut butter and jelly, and chicken nuggets with honey, every day. She didn't even bake a cake for dessert every day! And even though there was always ice cream in the freezer, Mother said this was just for "special occasions". HMPH!
And almost every night, Hermione's mother would make something icky and green to go with their dinner. "Hermione, eat your broccoli," her mother would say. "Hermione, eat your peas," her mother would say. "Hermione, eat your beans, spinach, salad, cabbage, collards, peppers, cucumbers and kale," her mother would say. Hermione really didn't like anything GREEN!
One day, Hermione's mother told her she would go to stay with her Grandmother for the weekend. Hermione was so excited! Hermione thought to herself, "Grandma always makes me what I like to eat. I will have such a good time visiting Grandma!".
So on Friday, Hermione packed her bag and went to her Grandmother's house. When she arrived, it was time for supper. "What would you like to have tonight, my dear?" Hermione's Grandmother asked.
"I would like a big stack of pancakes, with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them, please!" Hermione said.
"Don't you think we should have some green vegetables with our supper?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a big stack of pancakes with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream! This was, indeed, a special occasion!
The next morning, Hermione woke up with a belly ache. "I must be very hungry," she said to herself. Hermione got dressed quickly. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. When she went downstairs, Grandma asked "What would you like for breakfast, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would love a big plate of waffles and French toast with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them!".
"Don't you think we should have some fruit with our breakfast?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her fruit!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a big stack of waffles and French toast with extra butter and super-extra-double syrup on them. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream, and some cookies on the side! This was, indeed, a special occasion!
Hermione went outside to play in the garden. She was having a lovely time chasing butterflies, except that she had this pain in her belly. "I must be catching a cold," she said to herself. "A lovely lunch with my Grandma, is sure to make me feel better!".
When it was time for lunch, Hermione's Grandmother asked "What would you like for lunch, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would like a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra extra extra jelly on it!".
"Don't you think we should have a salad with our lunch?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich with extra extra extra jelly on it. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream!, some cookies on the side and some gummy bears. This was, indeed, a special occasion!
After lunch, Hermione went to the den to watch her favorite shows on the television. Hermione laughed and laughed, until her stomach interrupted her. It made a noise something like "Guuuuurrrrraaaahummmmph!" and Hermione was a little frightened. "Maybe I should have only had extra jelly on that sandwich," she thought to herself. "Extra extra extra jelly always makes my tummy ruinable!".
But when dinner time came, Hermione's Grandmother asked her, "What would you like for dinner, my dear?".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would like some chicken nuggets in honey and some french fries with LOTS of ketchup!".
"Don't you think we should have some broccoli or spinach with our dinner?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her veggies!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her some chicken nuggets in honey and some french fries with LOTS of ketchup. Hermione ate every bite.
And for dessert, they had some cake with ice cream!, some cookies on the side and some gummy bears, PLUS some brownies with icing. This was, indeed, a special occasion!
Hermione went to bed that night, but she could not sleep very well. Her tummy was saying funny things to her, and keeping her awake. When she finally fell asleep, Hermione dreamed of broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
When Hermione woke up in the morning, she was as hungry as she ever was before! Hermione got dressed quickly. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. When she went downstairs, Grandma asked "What would you like for breakfast, my dear? This is our last meal before your parent come to get you!".
Hermione said "Oh, Grandma, I would love some cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars!".
"Don't you think we should have some fruit with our breakfast?" asked Grandma. "You know, a growing girl should eat her fruit!".
"NO THANK YOU!" Hermione said. And her Grandmother made her some cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars.
And for dessert, they had some more cake with ice cream, some cookies on the side with some gummy bears, some brownies with icing, some pie with whipped cream and some chocolate bars.
Later that morning, Hermione's mother and father came to pick her up. "Did you have a good time visiting with your Grandmother?" they asked.
"Oh, YES!" said Hermione, "It was really a most special occasion!".
When they arrived at home, Hermione's mother asked her "What would you like for lunch, my dear?". But Hermione said she was still too full from her breakfast, to eat any lunch.
So Hermione went to the den to watch her favorite shows on the television. But instead of laughing and laughing, Hermione felt a little queasy. "I think I will just take a nap for a little while," she thought. "I had too much fun and excitement at Grandma's house this weekend, and I"m all worn out!".
Hermione fell asleep. But when she did, she dreamed of broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
When Hermione woke up, it was nearly time for supper.
"What would you like to have for supper tonight, my dear?" Hermione's mother asked.
And Hermione said, "Mother, I would really like to have some broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage!".
"Well, that is a new request from you, my lovely Hermione Hippo!" her mother exclaimed.
So for supper, the Hippo family had some broccoli and spinach, green beans and kale, salad and lima beans, collards and peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.
And when Hermione woke up the next morning, she felt simply WONDERFUL! After all, a growing girl should eat her veggies!
*** Author's Note: Both the River Hippopotamus and the Pygmy Hippopotamus are endangered species. Hippos live in Africa, and are amphibious. This means they can live on both land and in the water. A Hippo can hold their breath for a very long time! Both kinds of hippos have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing. If you want to learn more about endangered animals, visit your local library! Your librarian can help you to select a book that is just right for YOU!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Children's Books...
This may be a little premature, BUT I have been working on writing not one, but TWO children's books recently. One is entitled "Eat your Veggies, Hannah Hippo!" and is ready for editing and illustration. The other, "Francis Frog's Big Play Date" is for my girls Zoe and Zelie in Sweden, and is about half-way complete.
I was just posting this so that you would know to watch for this name: Parham R. This is an exceptional 13-year-old friend of mine, who just happens to be not only a mathematical and scientific GENIUS, but one of the best artists I have seen in many, many a year.
I am hoping that Parham will be my illustrator for both of these books. So, people remember this name! If Parham is not one day a World-renowned artist in his own right, he will surely be one of those scientists or mathematicians who advances our knowledge in some profound way. Or an amazing Statesman who brings Peace to the World. Or a doctor who provides a fabulous cure for some disease.
Not only that, but having never met my lovely girls, I know Parham is so very kind that he would cherish the opportunity to draw pictures just so that they might enjoy his exceptional talent. Zoe, too, is something of a budding artist, at the tender age of seven. And I know that she would be inspired by Parham's work!
And this young gentleman has suggested to me, that he would like to draw pictures and send them to Children's Hospital, to brighten the days of sick children. I would propose to him that, should we be published, fully 25% of my proceeds would go to children's charities -- on the condition that he save HIS proceeds for his college education!
I just wanted to post this in the hopes that Parham and/or his family (all of whom I am truly privileged to know!) will read this, and know that I have the ultimate faith in him and his abilities. And of course, so that when History bears me out on the prediction that he is meant to be a fabulous leader in some respect, I can point to this post and say "I told you so!".
This family has touched my heart in a way that is difficult to describe. But in a few short months, I have gotten to know Parham and his wonderful parents... And I know they will all be my friends for life. Thank you for reading this, and check back soon for more news on my work in children's literature.
Hopefully I will get permission to also publish some of Parham's work on this site. You WILL be amazed!
I was just posting this so that you would know to watch for this name: Parham R. This is an exceptional 13-year-old friend of mine, who just happens to be not only a mathematical and scientific GENIUS, but one of the best artists I have seen in many, many a year.
I am hoping that Parham will be my illustrator for both of these books. So, people remember this name! If Parham is not one day a World-renowned artist in his own right, he will surely be one of those scientists or mathematicians who advances our knowledge in some profound way. Or an amazing Statesman who brings Peace to the World. Or a doctor who provides a fabulous cure for some disease.
Not only that, but having never met my lovely girls, I know Parham is so very kind that he would cherish the opportunity to draw pictures just so that they might enjoy his exceptional talent. Zoe, too, is something of a budding artist, at the tender age of seven. And I know that she would be inspired by Parham's work!
And this young gentleman has suggested to me, that he would like to draw pictures and send them to Children's Hospital, to brighten the days of sick children. I would propose to him that, should we be published, fully 25% of my proceeds would go to children's charities -- on the condition that he save HIS proceeds for his college education!
I just wanted to post this in the hopes that Parham and/or his family (all of whom I am truly privileged to know!) will read this, and know that I have the ultimate faith in him and his abilities. And of course, so that when History bears me out on the prediction that he is meant to be a fabulous leader in some respect, I can point to this post and say "I told you so!".
This family has touched my heart in a way that is difficult to describe. But in a few short months, I have gotten to know Parham and his wonderful parents... And I know they will all be my friends for life. Thank you for reading this, and check back soon for more news on my work in children's literature.
Hopefully I will get permission to also publish some of Parham's work on this site. You WILL be amazed!
NOT Iran!
I have anxiously waited to see what would develop in Egypt. I watched with wonder as the people peacefully flooded the streets with demands for things that are so close to my heart -- democracy, freedom, equality, and opportunity. I have held my breath in a figurative sense, and held my tongue on what was going on, hoping for the best for their citizens.
And I am so happy to see Mubarak gone! It is not the solution to the problems of Egypt, but it IS the first step. Many politicos, though, are wary that Egypt is going to turn into the new Iran, with secular leaders, laws that limit the freedoms of it's people, and non-Democratic government. Well, Egypt is NOT Iran.
Perhaps some look to the friendship of Anwar Sadat with the previous Shah of Iran? Or the fact that Mubarak was his Vice President? Whatever his failings, though, Sadat was a moderate who aligned Egypt with the West, and thus helped to move his country away from the most radical Islamist influences.
And the thing about Mubarak is, as bad as he was and as crooked -- he did NOT put in place a secular government. He did not severely restrict freedoms of speech with a government-controlled media. He did not appoint religious leaders to high political posts. And he kept the peace with Israel.
The Egyptian people also have a Constitution. They have had Anwar Sadat. They have experienced perhaps one or two fair elections. And they have been accustomed to a huge influx of international tourism -- all of this for 60 years or more. The Egyptian people are not just aware of what a true Democracy IS, but they have hungered for it for many years now, and have experienced it in some fashion in the recent past. The will of the People of Egypt must, and will be heard on this.
The protests of the past few weeks have brought out women and men alike, and people have expressed the will to have true and fair elections; have expressed that this "revolution" is for rich and poor, young and old alike; and peppering the news all over is the idea that women are equal to men, and that education and work are extremely important to the Egyptian people.
Not only that, but the Military in Egypt is clearly one that is not held in the thrall of it's false President. They feel a connection to their People, will not harm them, and in fact were a key instrument in ensuring that the revolution in Egypt was peaceful as it could be. I have hope that the Military will in fact help Egypt to establish their new government. They are, after all, a part of the People of Egypt.
Egypt is not Iran. They do not look to be an Islamic State. The People of Egypt want what any educated society would want… Peace, prosperity, democracy, and a better life for their children free from the threat of war, poverty and violence. They have made Peace with Israel and lived in relative peace with their own minority Christian population.
Egypt is not Iran. They do not think that the West is Evil. Although they are probably correct that the US has meddled in their national affairs to their detriment in the past -- they don't seem to have any problems at all with American tourists or journalists. They seem to have a balanced view of the West, seeing both good and bad as in any society.
Egypt is not Iran. They have not thrown out foreign journalists, denied travel to their citizens, or engaged in widespread, government-lead repression women or religious minority groups. Cell phone and internet access is not generally controlled. The Egyptian people are not force-fed anti-American propaganda.
I have to say, that after saying all this I feel like I am Iran-bashing. Meet people who have fled Iran, and you will realize that we can NOT make the mistake of equating the government of Iran with the will of it's People. They are not one and the same.
Egypt is not Iran. But we can hope one day that Egypt will be the model for Peace, freedom, and Democracy in Iran. And in Tunisia. And in Iraq, and Jordan, and any other place that hungers for their rights as individuals.
To the people in Egypt I would say -- it's been a long time that you have waited. The PEOPLE of the United States are proud of you, of your peaceful revolution. We very much look forward to your demands for Democracy to be met, and wish for you Peace and Prosperity!
WAY TO GO PEOPLE OF EGYPT! You have shown the World what the power of conviction is.
And I am so happy to see Mubarak gone! It is not the solution to the problems of Egypt, but it IS the first step. Many politicos, though, are wary that Egypt is going to turn into the new Iran, with secular leaders, laws that limit the freedoms of it's people, and non-Democratic government. Well, Egypt is NOT Iran.
Perhaps some look to the friendship of Anwar Sadat with the previous Shah of Iran? Or the fact that Mubarak was his Vice President? Whatever his failings, though, Sadat was a moderate who aligned Egypt with the West, and thus helped to move his country away from the most radical Islamist influences.
And the thing about Mubarak is, as bad as he was and as crooked -- he did NOT put in place a secular government. He did not severely restrict freedoms of speech with a government-controlled media. He did not appoint religious leaders to high political posts. And he kept the peace with Israel.
The Egyptian people also have a Constitution. They have had Anwar Sadat. They have experienced perhaps one or two fair elections. And they have been accustomed to a huge influx of international tourism -- all of this for 60 years or more. The Egyptian people are not just aware of what a true Democracy IS, but they have hungered for it for many years now, and have experienced it in some fashion in the recent past. The will of the People of Egypt must, and will be heard on this.
The protests of the past few weeks have brought out women and men alike, and people have expressed the will to have true and fair elections; have expressed that this "revolution" is for rich and poor, young and old alike; and peppering the news all over is the idea that women are equal to men, and that education and work are extremely important to the Egyptian people.
Not only that, but the Military in Egypt is clearly one that is not held in the thrall of it's false President. They feel a connection to their People, will not harm them, and in fact were a key instrument in ensuring that the revolution in Egypt was peaceful as it could be. I have hope that the Military will in fact help Egypt to establish their new government. They are, after all, a part of the People of Egypt.
Egypt is not Iran. They do not look to be an Islamic State. The People of Egypt want what any educated society would want… Peace, prosperity, democracy, and a better life for their children free from the threat of war, poverty and violence. They have made Peace with Israel and lived in relative peace with their own minority Christian population.
Egypt is not Iran. They do not think that the West is Evil. Although they are probably correct that the US has meddled in their national affairs to their detriment in the past -- they don't seem to have any problems at all with American tourists or journalists. They seem to have a balanced view of the West, seeing both good and bad as in any society.
Egypt is not Iran. They have not thrown out foreign journalists, denied travel to their citizens, or engaged in widespread, government-lead repression women or religious minority groups. Cell phone and internet access is not generally controlled. The Egyptian people are not force-fed anti-American propaganda.
I have to say, that after saying all this I feel like I am Iran-bashing. Meet people who have fled Iran, and you will realize that we can NOT make the mistake of equating the government of Iran with the will of it's People. They are not one and the same.
Egypt is not Iran. But we can hope one day that Egypt will be the model for Peace, freedom, and Democracy in Iran. And in Tunisia. And in Iraq, and Jordan, and any other place that hungers for their rights as individuals.
To the people in Egypt I would say -- it's been a long time that you have waited. The PEOPLE of the United States are proud of you, of your peaceful revolution. We very much look forward to your demands for Democracy to be met, and wish for you Peace and Prosperity!
WAY TO GO PEOPLE OF EGYPT! You have shown the World what the power of conviction is.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
WOHOO! SOUTH KOREA!
A big WELCOME to readers in South Korea! Thank you for checking in... Hope you like our blog, and come back again =)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
More NCLB Ranting
One of the biggest assumptions of No Child Left Behind, is that a "highly qualified" teacher is the most significant factor in determining student success in the classroom. Many studies have been published to this effect. Most notable and cited is probably the Rivkin, Hanushek and Kain study published in March 2005.
Before them was Futernick in 2002-2003, also describing the vast difference between teacher quality in low-income school communities and those of the middle- and upper-classes.
While the Rivkin et al study seems at first glance to be very comprehensive, taking into account what they call "family background", another vague characteristic named "school characteristics", and some measure of students' inherent abilities, which seems to be a measure similar to what a standard IQ test would measure.
The problem here, though, is that this study admittedly can't take into account the complete educational background of every student -- something that varies widely in a student population within a single classroom. And let's not forget that, of the four variables in the study, only one is of known definition. Almost nothing is done to describe what all these other "characteristics" were.
Also notably absent from their consideration is any sort of input as to parent involvement, parent educational level, student attitudes toward school and/or learning, and any measure of student out-of-class effort.
So basically, this study measured the variance of the rate of knowledge acquisition for students with the critical variable being teacher "quality" or qualifications, and found that this rate of learning varied widely from one teacher to the next. Well, no duh! We have all had that experience already!
The major problem here is that, in a study that was pre-determined to look at variation in learning between the classes of different teachers, they drew the conclusion that differences in teachers IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR in student achievement. This is all sorts of wrong!
To make matters worse, study after study has jumped on the bandwagon to show that teacher qualifications are the leading factor in student achievement. Several programs are in place all over the US today, based on the findings of these multiple studies, to address the issue.
Ever more disturbing, the Rivkin et al study itself cites that the "conclusion" they draw may not be valid after elementary school. In lay terms, having a teacher with a Master's degree in Education or their particular area of teaching, may not have much effect on student learning after age 12!
So, basically, we have as a Country, determined from a study that only considers a teacher's qualifications, that the teacher's qualifications are the single biggest factor in student achievement. This is terrible news for all our home-schoolers out there!
As the study points out, though, previous studies (Coleman et al) had tried to determine the extent of "family influences" on student achievement -- but this is not something within the control of the schools. So, as a point of policy, this study deems parental and home factors to have no bearing on educational policy.
This defies the most basic common sense in an egregious manner! To say that in a low-income community, where students are "at risk" of poor achievement as measured by standardized testing (think "at risk" of not graduating from high school one day), that the only thing schools can do is fill their classrooms with teachers who have more extensive education.
Tell me, is a child growing up in poverty, who is concerned about whether or not they will get a meal at home tonight, going to relate to someone and learn better from them because they have an advanced degree? This is a ludicrous assumption!
In my honest opinion, schools that are in an "at risk" community, have a responsibility to engage in more community outreach. These schools need to have more contact with parents. They need to help parents understand how to best help their child. They need to give specific advice on how to ensure that homework is completed. They need to let parents know how to find out when assessments are. They need parents to understand how often grades will be sent home, and what resources are available for extra help.
In a low-income community, you have a higher percentage of parents who themselves have had less than exemplary experiences with the public school system. This in no way means they do not care about their child's success -- but it DOES mean they will need extra help in order to help their children.
This is even more true after elementary school. Most parents today, even if they never finished high school, are still equipped to help their elementary-aged children with reading or basic arithmetic. But what will those parents do, if their child is in fact successful in the early years -- when said child moves on up to Algebra or Geometry in math class, is taking a foreign language not known to the parent, studies English or Social Studies at an honors level, or takes a class in, say, Chemistry or Physics?
A more comprehensive study would be needed to assess the contribution of teacher qualifications VERSUS things like family socio-economic status and educational level; per-capita school spending; and individual student attitudes, study habits, and expectations. Certainly this makes sense from a secondary education perspective.
Again, in my own experience, in having had students in a single classroom whose parents' educational levels and earnings have varied vastly, along with their proficiency in the English language… And having seen almost no correlation between this and students' attitudes toward school -- I would be particularly interested to see how the variable of teacher qualifications played out vis-a-vis these other variables.
Schools can no longer sit idly by and say "Well, we can't influence the parents, the community, or the student attitudes" if they are to be successful. Education is not something that, once delivered by the most highly qualified teacher, is going to turn every student into a learner!
There are so many factors that influence learning. And we can't pigeon-hole the students OR teachers with the results of a handful of poorly defined and limited studies. Many home-schooled kids will excel, even when taught by parents who have only a high school equivalency education. And students with educated parents, in a great school system with terrific and qualified teachers, can still fail.
WE owe it to our students to stop mucking about deciding which factor we can or can not influence. The entire student needs education. And to accomplish this, as many attributes as can be identified, need to be addressed.
http://www.edfordemocracy.org/tqi/TQI_Quality_Matters.htm
http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~jon/Econ230C/HanushekRivkin.pdf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100422153804.htm
http://www.makesocialchangeareality.com/2009/08/teachers-biggest-influence-on-students.html
Before them was Futernick in 2002-2003, also describing the vast difference between teacher quality in low-income school communities and those of the middle- and upper-classes.
While the Rivkin et al study seems at first glance to be very comprehensive, taking into account what they call "family background", another vague characteristic named "school characteristics", and some measure of students' inherent abilities, which seems to be a measure similar to what a standard IQ test would measure.
The problem here, though, is that this study admittedly can't take into account the complete educational background of every student -- something that varies widely in a student population within a single classroom. And let's not forget that, of the four variables in the study, only one is of known definition. Almost nothing is done to describe what all these other "characteristics" were.
Also notably absent from their consideration is any sort of input as to parent involvement, parent educational level, student attitudes toward school and/or learning, and any measure of student out-of-class effort.
So basically, this study measured the variance of the rate of knowledge acquisition for students with the critical variable being teacher "quality" or qualifications, and found that this rate of learning varied widely from one teacher to the next. Well, no duh! We have all had that experience already!
The major problem here is that, in a study that was pre-determined to look at variation in learning between the classes of different teachers, they drew the conclusion that differences in teachers IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR in student achievement. This is all sorts of wrong!
To make matters worse, study after study has jumped on the bandwagon to show that teacher qualifications are the leading factor in student achievement. Several programs are in place all over the US today, based on the findings of these multiple studies, to address the issue.
Ever more disturbing, the Rivkin et al study itself cites that the "conclusion" they draw may not be valid after elementary school. In lay terms, having a teacher with a Master's degree in Education or their particular area of teaching, may not have much effect on student learning after age 12!
So, basically, we have as a Country, determined from a study that only considers a teacher's qualifications, that the teacher's qualifications are the single biggest factor in student achievement. This is terrible news for all our home-schoolers out there!
As the study points out, though, previous studies (Coleman et al) had tried to determine the extent of "family influences" on student achievement -- but this is not something within the control of the schools. So, as a point of policy, this study deems parental and home factors to have no bearing on educational policy.
This defies the most basic common sense in an egregious manner! To say that in a low-income community, where students are "at risk" of poor achievement as measured by standardized testing (think "at risk" of not graduating from high school one day), that the only thing schools can do is fill their classrooms with teachers who have more extensive education.
Tell me, is a child growing up in poverty, who is concerned about whether or not they will get a meal at home tonight, going to relate to someone and learn better from them because they have an advanced degree? This is a ludicrous assumption!
In my honest opinion, schools that are in an "at risk" community, have a responsibility to engage in more community outreach. These schools need to have more contact with parents. They need to help parents understand how to best help their child. They need to give specific advice on how to ensure that homework is completed. They need to let parents know how to find out when assessments are. They need parents to understand how often grades will be sent home, and what resources are available for extra help.
In a low-income community, you have a higher percentage of parents who themselves have had less than exemplary experiences with the public school system. This in no way means they do not care about their child's success -- but it DOES mean they will need extra help in order to help their children.
This is even more true after elementary school. Most parents today, even if they never finished high school, are still equipped to help their elementary-aged children with reading or basic arithmetic. But what will those parents do, if their child is in fact successful in the early years -- when said child moves on up to Algebra or Geometry in math class, is taking a foreign language not known to the parent, studies English or Social Studies at an honors level, or takes a class in, say, Chemistry or Physics?
A more comprehensive study would be needed to assess the contribution of teacher qualifications VERSUS things like family socio-economic status and educational level; per-capita school spending; and individual student attitudes, study habits, and expectations. Certainly this makes sense from a secondary education perspective.
Again, in my own experience, in having had students in a single classroom whose parents' educational levels and earnings have varied vastly, along with their proficiency in the English language… And having seen almost no correlation between this and students' attitudes toward school -- I would be particularly interested to see how the variable of teacher qualifications played out vis-a-vis these other variables.
Schools can no longer sit idly by and say "Well, we can't influence the parents, the community, or the student attitudes" if they are to be successful. Education is not something that, once delivered by the most highly qualified teacher, is going to turn every student into a learner!
There are so many factors that influence learning. And we can't pigeon-hole the students OR teachers with the results of a handful of poorly defined and limited studies. Many home-schooled kids will excel, even when taught by parents who have only a high school equivalency education. And students with educated parents, in a great school system with terrific and qualified teachers, can still fail.
WE owe it to our students to stop mucking about deciding which factor we can or can not influence. The entire student needs education. And to accomplish this, as many attributes as can be identified, need to be addressed.
http://www.edfordemocracy.org/tqi/TQI_Quality_Matters.htm
http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~jon/Econ230C/HanushekRivkin.pdf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100422153804.htm
http://www.makesocialchangeareality.com/2009/08/teachers-biggest-influence-on-students.html
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Felix's Letter of Introduction
I wrote a letter to accompany our kitten when he goes to the Vet...
Hello, my name is Dr. Felix K. Pitter. My parents are the Nilssons, and Beau is my big brother. I used to be called Dr. No, but my mama realized very quickly that I was confusing my name with my training. If you are really sweet to me, you can just call me Felix.
I am a nose biter! Please do not be alarmed. I don’t want to hurt you. It’s just that, if I really like YOU, I will want to hold your nose in my mouth just for a little while. And maybe groom your eyebrows a little.
I actually like to be held. You can usually get me to start purring if you rub your chin on the top of my head. Not so much, though, if you have a beard. My papa has one and it’s SRATCHY!
You can touch my belly, my paws, my tail or my ears. I don’t mind. I’m pretty chill about all that! If I decide I don’t want you to, I will just walk away.
What is more likely is I will think you are playing with me. I am very careful about my claws, and not to bite too hard… But sometimes I do get carried away. If you need to, tell me “GENTLE!” That’s what mama always says, and then I will probably give you some kisses to make up.
I am a really sweet boy. But if I need attention or something, I will yell at you. My “I need attention” meow sort of has a lot of syllables, like “Meoowwwowoowooww…” Sometimes I am curious and will just chirp a little. I rarely cry about anything.
Please take good care of me, and I will be a very good and lovey kitten back to you!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
BIG SHOUT OUT!
I really have to send a big shout out to Premio Foods... Makers of really yummy Italian Sausages! I was the runner up in a recipe contest of theirs, and boy oh boy did they treat me right!
Anyway, you can see my recipe on their website here:
http://www.premiofoods.com/UI/Productdetails.aspx?pid=346
Go out and get some Premio sweet italian sausage and try this one for yourself, it really is SUPER!
Anyway, you can see my recipe on their website here:
http://www.premiofoods.com/UI/Productdetails.aspx?pid=346
Go out and get some Premio sweet italian sausage and try this one for yourself, it really is SUPER!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
THE One and Only Chocolate Cake (recipe)
I call this the One and Only because it's really SUPER yummy, and uses less sugar than many recipes. You also don't have to bother with chopping or melting any semi-sweet chocolate. And really, if you HAD semi-sweet chocolate in the house, wouldn't you probably EAT that instead of saving it for baking???
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9" inch round cake pans.
In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Sert aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set this aside too.
In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then stir in vanilla.
Add about half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir. Next add about half the cocoa mixture and stir. Repeat until all is combined.
Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool before icing*.
As for icing, I like to make up a buttercream icing, with a twist. Take one softened stick of butter, and one box of confectioner's sugar, plus a dash of milk, and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed. Take out 1/3 of the icing, and add some lavender extract (amounts will vary depending on where you buy this!). To the other 2/3 of the icing, add 1 T of pure vanilla extract. Use the lavender icing for the center of the cake and the vanilla for the outside. It sounds odd, I know, but it's a lovely combination!
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9" inch round cake pans.
In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Sert aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set this aside too.
In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then stir in vanilla.
Add about half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir. Next add about half the cocoa mixture and stir. Repeat until all is combined.
Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool before icing*.
As for icing, I like to make up a buttercream icing, with a twist. Take one softened stick of butter, and one box of confectioner's sugar, plus a dash of milk, and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed. Take out 1/3 of the icing, and add some lavender extract (amounts will vary depending on where you buy this!). To the other 2/3 of the icing, add 1 T of pure vanilla extract. Use the lavender icing for the center of the cake and the vanilla for the outside. It sounds odd, I know, but it's a lovely combination!
G-D'ed Socialists!
I hate the Federal Government! I think it's WAY too big and is exercising way too many controls on us!!! Our States should be taking care of most of the stuff the Federal Government has stepped into, and what the States don't do, we don't NEED.
For instance, someone, ANYONE tell me WHERE in the Constitution, it mentions any form of Education??? My great-granddad didn't go to school past age 11, and he did fine. My Pop-Pop finished high school, and he was fine. Now everyone wants to go to college, even though those who DID never use that stuff, anyway.
Look at George W. Bush, and tell me HE needed his Yale education to be the President he was!
And right now, the Federal Government not only collects tax dollars to pay for public education, but they MANDATE that children go to school! And all of it is unConstitutional!
Problem with this country today is all that DAMN EDUMUCATION! It's ruining everything. And if I wanna bring up 17 illiterate chilldrens into this Wurld, well, that is MY CONSTITUTIONAL WRITE! And iffin I choose to not have none kids, well then they can't make me pay for all this stoopid edumacation stuff. It's not write and it's not CONSTETUSHONAL!!!!
So, what we needs to be dooing, is this. We needs to get rit of pulbic educamadcation once and fur all! Jus get rid of it! Then if you wants your kids to go to skool and den on to colledge, well, you can jus pay fur it yerself! YEAH! An den me taxs will be much loss. Urse two!
Anyting else is jus not write. And knot Constetooshonal!!!! REPALE PULBIC EDUCAMATION KNOW!!!!
For instance, someone, ANYONE tell me WHERE in the Constitution, it mentions any form of Education??? My great-granddad didn't go to school past age 11, and he did fine. My Pop-Pop finished high school, and he was fine. Now everyone wants to go to college, even though those who DID never use that stuff, anyway.
Look at George W. Bush, and tell me HE needed his Yale education to be the President he was!
And right now, the Federal Government not only collects tax dollars to pay for public education, but they MANDATE that children go to school! And all of it is unConstitutional!
Problem with this country today is all that DAMN EDUMUCATION! It's ruining everything. And if I wanna bring up 17 illiterate chilldrens into this Wurld, well, that is MY CONSTITUTIONAL WRITE! And iffin I choose to not have none kids, well then they can't make me pay for all this stoopid edumacation stuff. It's not write and it's not CONSTETUSHONAL!!!!
So, what we needs to be dooing, is this. We needs to get rit of pulbic educamadcation once and fur all! Jus get rid of it! Then if you wants your kids to go to skool and den on to colledge, well, you can jus pay fur it yerself! YEAH! An den me taxs will be much loss. Urse two!
Anyting else is jus not write. And knot Constetooshonal!!!! REPALE PULBIC EDUCAMATION KNOW!!!!
FAPE? NOT!
The idea of a free and appropriate public education, the basis of NCLB, is total BS!!! Why do I say this? Because schools are not now, nor will they ever be, adequately funded for this.
When I was a child, my elementary school really did try. But I was a little knowledge SPONGE. I wanted to know it all, and know it all NOW.
So basically, my teachers came up with ingenious plans to keep me learning at a pace that was more appropriate for me. Armed with work-at-your-own-pace reading and math "labs", I finished the sixth grade curriculum in reading before I was 7 years old, and the sixth grade math curriculum at the age of 7.
Not to be deterred, my intrepid teacher in 2nd grade teamed up with the GT program's pre-algebra teacher, to keep me moving forward in math. So, by the third grade, i was ready for the GT program that would be offered in middle school. Clearly, you can't send an 8-year-old into the seventh grade. They would be eaten alive!
If my school had been able to continue with a free and appropriate public education for me, they would have had to put me in the 6th grade GT classroom with an assistant, who could at least take the assignments for our class and "upgrade" them for me, so I would be learning further than what I already knew. Oh, and find me some algebra to learn as well.
In our whole school of 200 some kids, that was just me. And I would have required ten times the resources of the average student, to keep my education appropriate. The thing is, EVERY student is unique and needs some sort of special attention! Are our schools EVER going to see that sort of increase in their budget?
And then there is the other end of the spectrum, where there may be children with debilitating conditions that mean that they need more than just academics at school, but also health care. And i am just as certain that THESE kids need a free and appropriate education, probably more so than i did.
We can't count these kids out. Kids with physical disabilities can be just as bright, and as focused as anyone. They can truly excel! And so they need to be in a main-streamed classroom with the support necessary to allow them to function at the level which they are capable of. Because one day, they may well enter the world of work, and they will need to be as prepared as anyone.
Kids with mental disabilities can't be counted out either. They too have a need to socialize, and should be treated as someone who will one day make their own contributions. Many will hold jobs one day, and most would tell you that this is what they really want. So it is our challenge, in just 13 or 14 years of school, to make sure they have the life skills that will allow them to gain self-sufficiency in whatever degree they are capable of.
So, how do we accomplish this? It's not by keeping the budget the same, and throwing in more standardized testing. This puts a pressure on teachers and kids who, for the most part, are already trying their damnedest to be successful in the classroom. And it's taking precious teaching hours and budget dollars away from the real goal, in the meantime.
The inability to keep up with these tests isn't necessarily a reflection on an individual student or child, anyway. But it sure as heck is one way to demoralize both groups! Ideally, all students should be learning the stuff on these tests as a MINIMUM… But the pressure of it turns teachers into drones who lose all their spark and creativity, in trying to bring those last few underachieving students up from the bottom of their class.
And then all the average and above average kids REALLY start to suffer!
No, the problem here is definitely one of resources. Maybe there ARE some people out there who can teach a classroom of 20 unruly 7th graders to the point where 100% pass that minimum competency test. But these people are going to fall into two categories: ogres and the truly inspired.
And if like me, you would prefer the latter for your child -- well, do you really think someone THAT TALENTED is going to want to earn a masters degree just to labor away in a 7th grade classroom day-in and day-out, for what amounts to 40% of the average salary in your area????? REEEEALLLLY????
If you think so you are either somewhat delusional, or maybe you are a mediocre teacher who is afraid of a little competition. There, I said it!
But who PAYS? It's going to really have to be a revolutions of sorts (of the PEACEFUL SORT!!!) to get anything near enough done. Schools don't need a 10% or 20% increase in their budget to solve this issue. They don't need a 100% increase. To even start making a dent, they need something equivalent to a 200% increase, to address the idea of hiring and keeping great teachers, and the staff on hand to deal with the individual needs of ALL students.
And if, somehow, they received this funding, the effects will in no way be immediate! It would take 4 or 5 years of a serious reward-based system to start weeding out the dregs. and maybe even more before REALLY stunningly bright and creative people, will start graduating with a degree to start teaching. It would realistically take over 10 years to work out the initial bugs.
And what does this mean for taxes? Well, the estimate right now is that the federal government spends between 1 and 3 % of it's income (in the form of taxes) on education. WHAT??? Yeah, that's right, maybe 2%. Sounds like watered-down milk, not the entire future of our nation.
The states and counties, then, are left to pick up about 85 to 90% of the cost of our children's' educations. And last I checked, the US average is that states are spending around 35% of their budgets on elementary and secondary education. Does that leave a lot of room for growth? I kinda doubt it. And for counties, it's more like 50-60% of their budget spent on education!
Sooooo, if the federal government could just increase it's spending on education from, say, 2% to 5%, then this also makes the reward for a good standardized test system, a bigger prize to the states. Hmmmm, is that workable? That the federal government could maybe use $1 in $20 to fund the most important work we do on our future as a nation?
Not without cutting something… I know! It's time for the Army to have a Bake Sale!
When I was a child, my elementary school really did try. But I was a little knowledge SPONGE. I wanted to know it all, and know it all NOW.
So basically, my teachers came up with ingenious plans to keep me learning at a pace that was more appropriate for me. Armed with work-at-your-own-pace reading and math "labs", I finished the sixth grade curriculum in reading before I was 7 years old, and the sixth grade math curriculum at the age of 7.
Not to be deterred, my intrepid teacher in 2nd grade teamed up with the GT program's pre-algebra teacher, to keep me moving forward in math. So, by the third grade, i was ready for the GT program that would be offered in middle school. Clearly, you can't send an 8-year-old into the seventh grade. They would be eaten alive!
If my school had been able to continue with a free and appropriate public education for me, they would have had to put me in the 6th grade GT classroom with an assistant, who could at least take the assignments for our class and "upgrade" them for me, so I would be learning further than what I already knew. Oh, and find me some algebra to learn as well.
In our whole school of 200 some kids, that was just me. And I would have required ten times the resources of the average student, to keep my education appropriate. The thing is, EVERY student is unique and needs some sort of special attention! Are our schools EVER going to see that sort of increase in their budget?
And then there is the other end of the spectrum, where there may be children with debilitating conditions that mean that they need more than just academics at school, but also health care. And i am just as certain that THESE kids need a free and appropriate education, probably more so than i did.
We can't count these kids out. Kids with physical disabilities can be just as bright, and as focused as anyone. They can truly excel! And so they need to be in a main-streamed classroom with the support necessary to allow them to function at the level which they are capable of. Because one day, they may well enter the world of work, and they will need to be as prepared as anyone.
Kids with mental disabilities can't be counted out either. They too have a need to socialize, and should be treated as someone who will one day make their own contributions. Many will hold jobs one day, and most would tell you that this is what they really want. So it is our challenge, in just 13 or 14 years of school, to make sure they have the life skills that will allow them to gain self-sufficiency in whatever degree they are capable of.
So, how do we accomplish this? It's not by keeping the budget the same, and throwing in more standardized testing. This puts a pressure on teachers and kids who, for the most part, are already trying their damnedest to be successful in the classroom. And it's taking precious teaching hours and budget dollars away from the real goal, in the meantime.
The inability to keep up with these tests isn't necessarily a reflection on an individual student or child, anyway. But it sure as heck is one way to demoralize both groups! Ideally, all students should be learning the stuff on these tests as a MINIMUM… But the pressure of it turns teachers into drones who lose all their spark and creativity, in trying to bring those last few underachieving students up from the bottom of their class.
And then all the average and above average kids REALLY start to suffer!
No, the problem here is definitely one of resources. Maybe there ARE some people out there who can teach a classroom of 20 unruly 7th graders to the point where 100% pass that minimum competency test. But these people are going to fall into two categories: ogres and the truly inspired.
And if like me, you would prefer the latter for your child -- well, do you really think someone THAT TALENTED is going to want to earn a masters degree just to labor away in a 7th grade classroom day-in and day-out, for what amounts to 40% of the average salary in your area????? REEEEALLLLY????
If you think so you are either somewhat delusional, or maybe you are a mediocre teacher who is afraid of a little competition. There, I said it!
But who PAYS? It's going to really have to be a revolutions of sorts (of the PEACEFUL SORT!!!) to get anything near enough done. Schools don't need a 10% or 20% increase in their budget to solve this issue. They don't need a 100% increase. To even start making a dent, they need something equivalent to a 200% increase, to address the idea of hiring and keeping great teachers, and the staff on hand to deal with the individual needs of ALL students.
And if, somehow, they received this funding, the effects will in no way be immediate! It would take 4 or 5 years of a serious reward-based system to start weeding out the dregs. and maybe even more before REALLY stunningly bright and creative people, will start graduating with a degree to start teaching. It would realistically take over 10 years to work out the initial bugs.
And what does this mean for taxes? Well, the estimate right now is that the federal government spends between 1 and 3 % of it's income (in the form of taxes) on education. WHAT??? Yeah, that's right, maybe 2%. Sounds like watered-down milk, not the entire future of our nation.
The states and counties, then, are left to pick up about 85 to 90% of the cost of our children's' educations. And last I checked, the US average is that states are spending around 35% of their budgets on elementary and secondary education. Does that leave a lot of room for growth? I kinda doubt it. And for counties, it's more like 50-60% of their budget spent on education!
Sooooo, if the federal government could just increase it's spending on education from, say, 2% to 5%, then this also makes the reward for a good standardized test system, a bigger prize to the states. Hmmmm, is that workable? That the federal government could maybe use $1 in $20 to fund the most important work we do on our future as a nation?
Not without cutting something… I know! It's time for the Army to have a Bake Sale!
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