I have been a big fan of the band Rush for many years now. I am especially fond of their early music (like 2112), but I have a soft spot for what they did in the first half of the 1990s as well. The first concert I ever went to was a Who concert in 1989 when I was 12 years old. The second was a Rush concert the next year. I've now been to four Rush tours, the most recent a couple of years ago just before we went to Spain.
Well, they are putting out a new album in May, called Snakes & Arrows. They have a very brief clip from the single they're going to release in March on their website, and I think it bodes very well. The best news is that they're going to tour again this summer, and Plainbellied has said she'll go with me. To give an idea of what this means: she never liked Rush until I played her some more stuff last year. They are still not her favorite, but she will tolerate them, and it will be the first time she's ever been to a big rock show. She saw James Taylor once, but that's not the same. I used to go to concerts all the time (the Who, Rush, Lollapalooza, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan), but I haven't done much the past few years. Well, this summer we'll go see a good show (Rush is great live), and we'll have a good time. How cool is that?
Trouble in paradise
I had an experience the other day that I hope will have the effect of preparing me for the inevitable day when Her Nibs becomes a teenager. When she took her bath, it was already past her bedtime, so she needed to finish quickly and get to bed. Well, she doesn't enjoy the part where I have to dump water over her head to get the soap and shampoo off. She took it especially hard this time, and when I asked her to get out of the tub, she freaked out. In a voice I will not soon forget, she said, "I'm not your daughter. I'm mummy's daughter. You don't love me." You can imagine how terrifying it was for me to hear that. I know she's just a little girl and doesn't really understand, but it cut like a knife. After a frank discussion, in which I explained that she IS my daughter and that I love her, she decided that it was all right, and that she loved me, too. Of course, she fell down just before going to bed, so she hated me again, and we had the same conversation again (with the same conclusion).
This is the lesson I've taken from it: I have a healthy relationship with Her Nibs. We can talk about things, and problems can be resolved peacefully (usually). I think it bodes well for the future. However, it also made me realize something: I'm terrified that someday she's going to say she doesn't love me and mean it. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that.
This is the lesson I've taken from it: I have a healthy relationship with Her Nibs. We can talk about things, and problems can be resolved peacefully (usually). I think it bodes well for the future. However, it also made me realize something: I'm terrified that someday she's going to say she doesn't love me and mean it. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that.
I watched this for two hours for that???!!!!
Last week was a bit weird for us, movie-wise. We watched a total of four movies: Cache, Deep Blue Sea, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Incident at Blood Pass. We watched Cache and Incident at Blood Pass on purpose, and the other two were simply on TV when we needed a break. Frankly, none of themwas what I would call a great movie. Deep Blue Sea and The Chronicles of Riddick stunk for some pretty obvious reasons (plot, characters, super-intelligent sharks jumping out of the water to kill people, strange alien religions). But I had high hopes for Cache and Incident at Blood Pass.
I was intrigued by Cache because it relates to the decolonization of Algeria, an issue I deal with in most of my courses. But there are a few things that bothered me about the film. First of all, it doesn't really talk about Algeria. There is a somewhat oblique reference to that conflict, but the film is really about guilt. That's all fine and dandy, but it deals with the guilt of a person who, even if he did what they say he did, did it as a six-year-old boy. That should not have caused the reaction that is apparent in the film. Another problem with the film is more basic: it's boring. There are about two scenes of the movie in which something actually happens (and those are rather disturbing). The rest is a hodgepodge of inane conversation and clips of videos of nothing. The ending, which was left deliberately vague, demonstrates that the filmmaker had completely lost touch with reality. Our collective reaction was, "What the hell just happened?" We watched an interview in which the filmmaker "explained" the movie, but it cleared up nothing. Overall, it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I should have read more user reviews on Netflix.
Today we watched Incident at Blood Pass with Toshiro Mifune. It is part of the Yojimbo series, and the basic plot is that a ronin (independent samurai) is sent to a remote area to await further instructions. He slowly becomes aware of a plot and his part in it, and eventually he acts. I really love Mifune. Some of his other films are amazing. The acting in this film is excellent as well. Unlike Cache, one comes away knowing what happened. But one is struck by a lack of motive. It is never clear why the Crow organizes all of this, and one wonders why Yojimbo makes his final decision. At the end, that makes it feel as though the film lacks a real resolution. I'm OK with ambiguity, but there should be a sense of closure or finality or something so that the viewer doesn't feel empty at the end of the film.
Watching "challenging" films is very tiring. Right now I'm kind of in need of escapist film, but it has to be good (not like Deep Blue Sea or Riddick). I'm hoping that Man on the Moon fits the bill. That one's coming soon.
I was intrigued by Cache because it relates to the decolonization of Algeria, an issue I deal with in most of my courses. But there are a few things that bothered me about the film. First of all, it doesn't really talk about Algeria. There is a somewhat oblique reference to that conflict, but the film is really about guilt. That's all fine and dandy, but it deals with the guilt of a person who, even if he did what they say he did, did it as a six-year-old boy. That should not have caused the reaction that is apparent in the film. Another problem with the film is more basic: it's boring. There are about two scenes of the movie in which something actually happens (and those are rather disturbing). The rest is a hodgepodge of inane conversation and clips of videos of nothing. The ending, which was left deliberately vague, demonstrates that the filmmaker had completely lost touch with reality. Our collective reaction was, "What the hell just happened?" We watched an interview in which the filmmaker "explained" the movie, but it cleared up nothing. Overall, it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I should have read more user reviews on Netflix.
Today we watched Incident at Blood Pass with Toshiro Mifune. It is part of the Yojimbo series, and the basic plot is that a ronin (independent samurai) is sent to a remote area to await further instructions. He slowly becomes aware of a plot and his part in it, and eventually he acts. I really love Mifune. Some of his other films are amazing. The acting in this film is excellent as well. Unlike Cache, one comes away knowing what happened. But one is struck by a lack of motive. It is never clear why the Crow organizes all of this, and one wonders why Yojimbo makes his final decision. At the end, that makes it feel as though the film lacks a real resolution. I'm OK with ambiguity, but there should be a sense of closure or finality or something so that the viewer doesn't feel empty at the end of the film.
Watching "challenging" films is very tiring. Right now I'm kind of in need of escapist film, but it has to be good (not like Deep Blue Sea or Riddick). I'm hoping that Man on the Moon fits the bill. That one's coming soon.
No Child Left Behind?
I read this article on the CNN website tonight. It describes efforts in some parts of the country, especially in Massachusetts, to extend the school day. They are trying to make school an eight-hour experience, with some time on every other Saturday as well. I am an educator and a parent. I teach university students, which is a very different thing than teaching elementary-school-age children, but I have put a great deal of thought into this issue, so I'm going to expound my opinion on the state of America's schools. Because I probably have too much to say on the subject, I'm just going to focus on three things: longer school days, testing, and curriculum. I think these are at the heart of our country's education debate.
I personally don't see the purpose of extending the school day. My feeling is that the school day is long enough as it is, and adding more school will only end up making kids burn out faster. Making kids go to school for eight hours a day will allow for longer classes, but how many kids really have the ability to last that long? In addition, what will this do to extracurricular activities? If kids are in school until 4:00 in the afternoon (or later), when will they have sports practices? What about other groups? Will they be incorporated into the school day? Or will kids who do extracurriculars now arrive home after 7:00 every night? What impact will that have on American family life? These are some of my reflections on longer school days. I'm not necessarily against the idea, but I'd like for them to have some kind of explanation other than, "The kids will do better on tests."
This brings me to the second point. There are a number of problems with standardized testing as I see it. First, linking teacher pay to student performance is a bad idea. Several high-profile cheating cases bear out this argument, I think. Second, the tests cause teachers to focus on teaching to the test, rather than on finding out what their students need. Teaching must be more individualized, and teachers know their own classes better than anyone else. Third, who is evaluating the tests? Here in Florida they discovered a few years ago that unqualified people were doing the grading. Talk about a black eye. Fourth, the tests are given too early in the year, making the last several months of school kind of like the lame-duck period faced by all presidents at the end of their second terms. If they take the test in February or March, then they have to know all the material for the test before then. So what the hell is the rest of the year for? Now many schools are starting the school year in early August, which is destroying summer vacation, an important break for kids to have.
These tests also influence the curriculum choices of school-age kids. Because of the focus on writing and math, and the link between test scores and funding, schools have limited the curriculum in very detrimental ways. Now that reading and math are king, science, history, art, and music get the short end of the stick. Here the argument comes full circle. Proponents of longer school days say they want to bring new subjects into the curriculum by lengthening the day. I think that's a bogus claim. If there was always time for them before, what has changed? One thing that has changed is the current focus on preparing students for employment. Florida recently passed an education law that requires high school freshmen to declare a major and a minor when they get to the ninth grade. I think that's insane.
What it comes down to is one's philosophy of education. I am a partisan of a traditional liberal arts education. I believe that high school students should be required to take four years of
English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, History (or civics), and physical education (our children desperately need activity), plus one or two years of art, music, and other electives. younger students should be doing pretty much the same thing (begin with reading and counting and work their way up). I think this is a perfectly reasonable curriculum, and it would focus not necessarily on making better employees for a service economy, but on helping students become better people.
If you've made it this far, I commend you. Keep checking back for more fun stuff!
I personally don't see the purpose of extending the school day. My feeling is that the school day is long enough as it is, and adding more school will only end up making kids burn out faster. Making kids go to school for eight hours a day will allow for longer classes, but how many kids really have the ability to last that long? In addition, what will this do to extracurricular activities? If kids are in school until 4:00 in the afternoon (or later), when will they have sports practices? What about other groups? Will they be incorporated into the school day? Or will kids who do extracurriculars now arrive home after 7:00 every night? What impact will that have on American family life? These are some of my reflections on longer school days. I'm not necessarily against the idea, but I'd like for them to have some kind of explanation other than, "The kids will do better on tests."
This brings me to the second point. There are a number of problems with standardized testing as I see it. First, linking teacher pay to student performance is a bad idea. Several high-profile cheating cases bear out this argument, I think. Second, the tests cause teachers to focus on teaching to the test, rather than on finding out what their students need. Teaching must be more individualized, and teachers know their own classes better than anyone else. Third, who is evaluating the tests? Here in Florida they discovered a few years ago that unqualified people were doing the grading. Talk about a black eye. Fourth, the tests are given too early in the year, making the last several months of school kind of like the lame-duck period faced by all presidents at the end of their second terms. If they take the test in February or March, then they have to know all the material for the test before then. So what the hell is the rest of the year for? Now many schools are starting the school year in early August, which is destroying summer vacation, an important break for kids to have.
These tests also influence the curriculum choices of school-age kids. Because of the focus on writing and math, and the link between test scores and funding, schools have limited the curriculum in very detrimental ways. Now that reading and math are king, science, history, art, and music get the short end of the stick. Here the argument comes full circle. Proponents of longer school days say they want to bring new subjects into the curriculum by lengthening the day. I think that's a bogus claim. If there was always time for them before, what has changed? One thing that has changed is the current focus on preparing students for employment. Florida recently passed an education law that requires high school freshmen to declare a major and a minor when they get to the ninth grade. I think that's insane.
What it comes down to is one's philosophy of education. I am a partisan of a traditional liberal arts education. I believe that high school students should be required to take four years of
English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, History (or civics), and physical education (our children desperately need activity), plus one or two years of art, music, and other electives. younger students should be doing pretty much the same thing (begin with reading and counting and work their way up). I think this is a perfectly reasonable curriculum, and it would focus not necessarily on making better employees for a service economy, but on helping students become better people.
If you've made it this far, I commend you. Keep checking back for more fun stuff!
I know it's been about a week, but. . .
I haven't been blogging much lately because I'm pretty consumed with trying to finish a draft of my dissertation. It needs to go to the editorial office for review in a week, and I've still got to finish one chapter, revise the introduction, and add some sort of conclusion. My coverage is going to be spotty for a little while.
Having said that, Her Nibs did some very funny things this morning. I'm back on a daytime schedule, so when she comes into our room in the morning, I'm there to play a little bit. This morning, while Plainbellied got ready, Her Nibs and I played on the bed. Not long ago the big game was "Got Your Face." Well, this morning, she decided that I was her pet. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and she said, "Are you ready to fall over, my big pet?" Then she pushed me down and told me, "Now you say, 'woof woof.'" Apparently I was her dog. I thought it was funny.
Then I taught her how to have a pillow-fight, and we all hit each other with pillows for a few minutes. It was a pretty fun morning.
Having said that, Her Nibs did some very funny things this morning. I'm back on a daytime schedule, so when she comes into our room in the morning, I'm there to play a little bit. This morning, while Plainbellied got ready, Her Nibs and I played on the bed. Not long ago the big game was "Got Your Face." Well, this morning, she decided that I was her pet. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and she said, "Are you ready to fall over, my big pet?" Then she pushed me down and told me, "Now you say, 'woof woof.'" Apparently I was her dog. I thought it was funny.
Then I taught her how to have a pillow-fight, and we all hit each other with pillows for a few minutes. It was a pretty fun morning.
The Placeholder Retraction
You know what? Just ignore the manifesto. We're not really political. :)
The Committee
The Committee
The Placeholder Manifesto
It's finally here! The post you've all been waiting for: the Placeholder Manifesto, in which our various goals are presented in stunning prose! Be warned, however, that I have spent much of the last seven years engrossed in the study of obscure political groups in the early 20th Century. Enjoy!
The Manifesto
As we bow before the gods of Technology and Science, we find ourselves compelled to launch this forum for our ideas and thus advance our goals for the improvement of Society. Through the formation of a small nucleus of educated souls, we believe that the Placeholder movement will continue to march forward in anticipation of a glorious triumph over sloth and deception. We have chosen the Blogosphere as the perfect environment for our movement, hopeful of one day declaring from the heights of power that the movement against inanity began here.
Born into a world where the twin evils of complacency and misinformation abound, we declare war on the purveyors of stupidity. The Placeholder movement solemnly objects to the creation of inferior products in all economic and social sectors. The imposition by large corporations on our culture has degraded the creative spark once dominant, limiting true ingenuity and innovation to limited sectors.
We vow that through our posts, we will carefully expose the frauds prevalent in our society. Bloggers of the world, unite against the fascist rule imposed by the outdated imperialist dogma of modern capitalism! Join our struggle against stupidity and laziness!
The Placeholder Committee
The Manifesto
As we bow before the gods of Technology and Science, we find ourselves compelled to launch this forum for our ideas and thus advance our goals for the improvement of Society. Through the formation of a small nucleus of educated souls, we believe that the Placeholder movement will continue to march forward in anticipation of a glorious triumph over sloth and deception. We have chosen the Blogosphere as the perfect environment for our movement, hopeful of one day declaring from the heights of power that the movement against inanity began here.
Born into a world where the twin evils of complacency and misinformation abound, we declare war on the purveyors of stupidity. The Placeholder movement solemnly objects to the creation of inferior products in all economic and social sectors. The imposition by large corporations on our culture has degraded the creative spark once dominant, limiting true ingenuity and innovation to limited sectors.
We vow that through our posts, we will carefully expose the frauds prevalent in our society. Bloggers of the world, unite against the fascist rule imposed by the outdated imperialist dogma of modern capitalism! Join our struggle against stupidity and laziness!
The Placeholder Committee
Origin of "Her Nibs"
In a previous post I mentioned that my mother had coined "Her Nibs" as a nickname for my daughter. Well, I just discovered that the term was not original. It must have come from her childhood, because the Katzenjammer Kids apparently used to call "hoity-toity" people "Her Nibs" and "His Nibs." Whether they originated the term or not is debatable, but in any case it isn't as original as I had thought. I still like it, and not many people use it today, so the name will stay. It's fun.
The Closer
Plainbellied and I have recently become engrossed in watching the first season of The Closer on DVD. In the past three days, we've watched nine episodes, and we'll probably watch the last four tomorrow night (along with the new Psych). As you might remember, we are big fans of procedural dramas. We like having a sense of closure at the end of each episode. As the title suggests, The Closer does just that.
Yet there is something more to the series than just having a conclusion in each episode. The central character, played by Kyra Sedgwick, is everything I think is missing from most of today's actresses. In the old days, there were a lot of very strong female characters. Think of Nora Charles in the Thin Man films, or Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday. Carrie Fisher had a similar presence in the Star Wars movies. They had strength, something many of today's actresses lack. Some of today's actresses mistake shrillness for strength.
I'm thinking specifically of today's young actresses. I find it somewhat odd that in today's society, when women have achieved more social and political power than ever before, the characters being portrayed onscreen have degraded substantially. For instance, what kind of example do the characters in Charlie's Angels teach young women about how to be strong? Perhaps part of the problem is the dialogue being written today, which does not have the same punch as older films or television.
I've wandered a bit. In The Closer, Sedgwick plays a tough, intelligent, and witty investigator. This is the type of character I think we should see more of. Law and Order had a similar character when Jill Hennessy was on the show. They present what I believe to be a very important image for young women to see. When my daughter is old enough for this type of show, I hope they still have this kind of characters for her to see.
Yet there is something more to the series than just having a conclusion in each episode. The central character, played by Kyra Sedgwick, is everything I think is missing from most of today's actresses. In the old days, there were a lot of very strong female characters. Think of Nora Charles in the Thin Man films, or Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday. Carrie Fisher had a similar presence in the Star Wars movies. They had strength, something many of today's actresses lack. Some of today's actresses mistake shrillness for strength.
I'm thinking specifically of today's young actresses. I find it somewhat odd that in today's society, when women have achieved more social and political power than ever before, the characters being portrayed onscreen have degraded substantially. For instance, what kind of example do the characters in Charlie's Angels teach young women about how to be strong? Perhaps part of the problem is the dialogue being written today, which does not have the same punch as older films or television.
I've wandered a bit. In The Closer, Sedgwick plays a tough, intelligent, and witty investigator. This is the type of character I think we should see more of. Law and Order had a similar character when Jill Hennessy was on the show. They present what I believe to be a very important image for young women to see. When my daughter is old enough for this type of show, I hope they still have this kind of characters for her to see.
Places I want to visit someday
Though I've had a chance to travel quite a bit, there are still a number of places I would still like to go. So here are a few of them and the reasons why I want to go there.
Alaska
I think Alaska would be wicked cool. Plainbellied and I want to go on a cruise there someday. They say it has an incredible natural beauty.
Guatemala
The temples of Tikal look really cool from the photographs I've seen, and they're in the end of the first Star Wars film. I'm pretty interested in meso-american culture, and I think this is something I should go see. I would also like to see Macchu Picchu.
Greece
I grew up fascinated with Greek mythology, and I'd really like to go see where it all began.
Scandinavia
My wife is of Norwegian descent, and when I was a teenager my family hosted an exchange student from Finland. My brother spent a year in Sweden, and he loved it. I'm really interested in Scandinavian culture, and Fjords would be cool to see in person.
Japan
I've got an interest in Japanese film, and I think Japanese culture has a lot going for it. It is very different from our own, and I would really like to learn more about it. They have some amazing architecture that I'd like to see up close. Seeing examples in a museum is not the same.
The UK
I once spent a night in Bristol, and we went to Bath for a few hours. I really want to get back and explore the whole country, including London and Scotland.
India
One word: Bollywood.
Alaska
I think Alaska would be wicked cool. Plainbellied and I want to go on a cruise there someday. They say it has an incredible natural beauty.
Guatemala
The temples of Tikal look really cool from the photographs I've seen, and they're in the end of the first Star Wars film. I'm pretty interested in meso-american culture, and I think this is something I should go see. I would also like to see Macchu Picchu.
Greece
I grew up fascinated with Greek mythology, and I'd really like to go see where it all began.
Scandinavia
My wife is of Norwegian descent, and when I was a teenager my family hosted an exchange student from Finland. My brother spent a year in Sweden, and he loved it. I'm really interested in Scandinavian culture, and Fjords would be cool to see in person.
Japan
I've got an interest in Japanese film, and I think Japanese culture has a lot going for it. It is very different from our own, and I would really like to learn more about it. They have some amazing architecture that I'd like to see up close. Seeing examples in a museum is not the same.
The UK
I once spent a night in Bristol, and we went to Bath for a few hours. I really want to get back and explore the whole country, including London and Scotland.
India
One word: Bollywood.
Neat stuff
As long as I'm writing here, I might as well put up a link to some of the funniest stuff on the web. Many of you might already know about it, but Current.tv has a "pod" called Supernews, and it's hilarious. Here's the link.
My favorite is their "summary" of last year's State of the Union (the one for this year is good, too).
My favorite is their "summary" of last year's State of the Union (the one for this year is good, too).
Editing Absurdities
So in order to finish my dissertation, I have to put it in a very demanding template so that the graduate school will approve it. This is all well and good because I have editing experience and can handle working in a template. Here's the problem: I work in a discipline that is very footnote intensive (averaging about 4-5 per page). The template guidelines say that footnotes must have a double-space between them. However, there is no specific style for this in the template. I found this strange because they have specific styles for everything else. I worried I had missed something. Adding the required space is not difficult, mind you, but the format guidelines are inflexible and those who don't follow them risk torture and death (well, they risk not graduating).
I emailed the Graduate Editorial Office, which is in charge of these things. I asked if I had missed something. They replied by telling me that there is no specific footnote style because Word (yes, I'm still bound to Microsoft software for some things) does very well with footnotes thank you very much. They then gave basic directions for inserting a footnote (this I already knew). So I replied that I knew about inserting footnotes, but please tell me what you expect me to do about the spaces that are still missing. I then got another "helpful" email telling me to select them all and then change the paragraph formatting to include a 10-point space after each paragraph. Fine. But what about the font problems?
I would have thought that with such strict guidelines they could have fixed the footnote style in the template. But I guess that was just too much work for them to add one measly style rule. I decided it would be better for me just to bring my trusty iBook in and make sure everything is OK. I'm a wimp, yes, but I hope soon to be a wimp with a degree.
I emailed the Graduate Editorial Office, which is in charge of these things. I asked if I had missed something. They replied by telling me that there is no specific footnote style because Word (yes, I'm still bound to Microsoft software for some things) does very well with footnotes thank you very much. They then gave basic directions for inserting a footnote (this I already knew). So I replied that I knew about inserting footnotes, but please tell me what you expect me to do about the spaces that are still missing. I then got another "helpful" email telling me to select them all and then change the paragraph formatting to include a 10-point space after each paragraph. Fine. But what about the font problems?
I would have thought that with such strict guidelines they could have fixed the footnote style in the template. But I guess that was just too much work for them to add one measly style rule. I decided it would be better for me just to bring my trusty iBook in and make sure everything is OK. I'm a wimp, yes, but I hope soon to be a wimp with a degree.
The End of Indigenous Beliefs
I just discovered that the author of Indigenous Beliefs, a nice blog, has decided to move on. I'm sad, because I really liked it. I wish him good luck, though.
Thoughts related to film
So I watched Superman III. Well, that did it for me. I'm done. I cancelled Superman IV from my Netflix queue. I just don't think I can handle it. Instead, I have Cache coming next. I'm interested in seeing how that movie is. They say it's very good. Supposedly it links things to French Algeria, which is one of the topics I cover in my courses (we watch The Battle of Algiers).
The film I really want to see is The Wind that Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach. The film tells the story of Irish independence, but unlike Michael Collins, it focuses on rank-and-file members of the movement. It came out in the UK and much of the world last year, and it won the Palm d'Or at Cannes. Somehow, though, it never made it here. Well, the wait is almost over. It's supposed to be released in March (around St. Patrick's Day).
It got some mixed reviews in the UK, because it takes a relatively strong anti-British stance. It's a little problematic because most of us think about the mess in Northern Ireland when we think about conflict between Britain and Ireland, where the IRA refuses to give up its weapons and such. In the early part of this century, however, the British did a number of incredibly brutal things in Ireland, though, sending in the notorious Black and Tans to quell unrest. This is probably the first time a British filmmaker has taken these abuses seriously.
The film I really want to see is The Wind that Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach. The film tells the story of Irish independence, but unlike Michael Collins, it focuses on rank-and-file members of the movement. It came out in the UK and much of the world last year, and it won the Palm d'Or at Cannes. Somehow, though, it never made it here. Well, the wait is almost over. It's supposed to be released in March (around St. Patrick's Day).
It got some mixed reviews in the UK, because it takes a relatively strong anti-British stance. It's a little problematic because most of us think about the mess in Northern Ireland when we think about conflict between Britain and Ireland, where the IRA refuses to give up its weapons and such. In the early part of this century, however, the British did a number of incredibly brutal things in Ireland, though, sending in the notorious Black and Tans to quell unrest. This is probably the first time a British filmmaker has taken these abuses seriously.
Southern Anachronism
I grew up in New England, and I really miss it. I now live in the South, where I'm an anachronism. I say "wicked" as an adverb without batting an eye, and my students think it's hilarious. But if you drive an hour from where I live now, they have a Civil War reenactment every year--of a battle the Confederates won. So you can imagine I feel out of place, and I've been here almost seven years.
Well, I'm trying to get out. I don't want to be a snob or anything. I just don't fit in, and neither does my wife (she grew up in a military family). My brother married a girl from Arkansas, and he loves the South in ways that I never will. Since he got married 12 years ago, he's lived in Georgia and Mississippi (I can't believe I spelled that right). Now he is interviewing for a job in Louisiana. This for a small-town New England guy.
I'm not sure where I will end up, but I would really like it to be north of the Mason-Dixon. I miss the snow. The Midwest sounds cool, too, especially in the Great Lakes area (keep in mind that Buffalo, NY is Midwest to me). So does the Pacific Northwest. Frankly, I'll take a job wherever I can get one, but I'm really hoping for this one I applied for in Pennsylvania. That would be a nice change. At least we'd have seasons.
Well, I'm trying to get out. I don't want to be a snob or anything. I just don't fit in, and neither does my wife (she grew up in a military family). My brother married a girl from Arkansas, and he loves the South in ways that I never will. Since he got married 12 years ago, he's lived in Georgia and Mississippi (I can't believe I spelled that right). Now he is interviewing for a job in Louisiana. This for a small-town New England guy.
I'm not sure where I will end up, but I would really like it to be north of the Mason-Dixon. I miss the snow. The Midwest sounds cool, too, especially in the Great Lakes area (keep in mind that Buffalo, NY is Midwest to me). So does the Pacific Northwest. Frankly, I'll take a job wherever I can get one, but I'm really hoping for this one I applied for in Pennsylvania. That would be a nice change. At least we'd have seasons.
Superman
Last week, I watched the first two Superman movies. It was really exciting for me because I hadn't watched them for many years, and the first movie has been made into a special edition. Her Nibs, a huge fan of the Incredibles, loved them. I was incredibly surprised that she kept up with what was going on. Even when Superman loses his powers in the second movie, she knew what was going on.
Personally, I'm interested to see Superman 3, which is coming today from Netflix. You see, the man who directed the first movie and much of the second, Richard Donner, got fired before he could finish, and Richard Lester took over. Donner's stuff is much better than Lester's and Lester did the entire third movie himself. I saw this movie years ago, but I'm thinking that Richard Pryor just won't be a good villain. The fourth movie will be the real test of my will. I've never seen it, and by all accounts it is terrible. It's coming next week, and I may not get through it. I may need to watch the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II to excise all memory of 3 and 4 from my mind.
I didn't bother to see the new Superman movie because the ads made it seem lame. The whole Lois Lane has a kid angle put me off. I will give it some credit: they pretended as though Superman 3 and 4 had never happened. It's kind of like an unsuccessful Batman Begins, I think. Batman Begins completely reinvented the Batman saga, and I am really excited to see the next film. As for Superman, I think his day is past.
Personally, the only film series I think have successfully gone past two movies are Star Wars (not counting the new three), James Bond, maybe Lord of the Rings, and Rocky. Indiana Jones doesn't count because the second movie was so terrible. And don't laugh at me for including Rocky. Rocky 3 and 4 were awesome. I mean, they have some of the best movie quotes of all time in them. Then Rocky 5 happened. I don't know what they were thinking.
Maybe we should institute the term limits ban on movies.
Personally, I'm interested to see Superman 3, which is coming today from Netflix. You see, the man who directed the first movie and much of the second, Richard Donner, got fired before he could finish, and Richard Lester took over. Donner's stuff is much better than Lester's and Lester did the entire third movie himself. I saw this movie years ago, but I'm thinking that Richard Pryor just won't be a good villain. The fourth movie will be the real test of my will. I've never seen it, and by all accounts it is terrible. It's coming next week, and I may not get through it. I may need to watch the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II to excise all memory of 3 and 4 from my mind.
I didn't bother to see the new Superman movie because the ads made it seem lame. The whole Lois Lane has a kid angle put me off. I will give it some credit: they pretended as though Superman 3 and 4 had never happened. It's kind of like an unsuccessful Batman Begins, I think. Batman Begins completely reinvented the Batman saga, and I am really excited to see the next film. As for Superman, I think his day is past.
Personally, the only film series I think have successfully gone past two movies are Star Wars (not counting the new three), James Bond, maybe Lord of the Rings, and Rocky. Indiana Jones doesn't count because the second movie was so terrible. And don't laugh at me for including Rocky. Rocky 3 and 4 were awesome. I mean, they have some of the best movie quotes of all time in them. Then Rocky 5 happened. I don't know what they were thinking.
Maybe we should institute the term limits ban on movies.
Vista replacement?
So the news is now coming out: Windows Vista was merely a compromise system. The real breakthrough OS is coming out in 2009. You can read the article here.
Basically, Microsoft has now said that Vista doesn't have everything it wanted to put in, but they needed to get it out the door. This finally explains why they are spending 500 million dollars (US) on marketing the new system. They know it's mediocre. I really shouldn't care about this. I have my own system, which runs fine. I'm not planning to switch to Windows (ever). Yet I'm completely compelled by this story. Microsoft would be a total joke if they didn't rule the world.
The truth is, I don't want Apple to grow its marketshare too much. Maybe 10 percent would be good. That way, it would still be a cool niche product, and I would feel good about using it. If it were ubiquitous, the "cool factor" would wear off. Then we'd start having more people try to write viruses (so far, none in the wild), and life would generally start to suck, much as it already does for Windows users.
Basically, Microsoft has now said that Vista doesn't have everything it wanted to put in, but they needed to get it out the door. This finally explains why they are spending 500 million dollars (US) on marketing the new system. They know it's mediocre. I really shouldn't care about this. I have my own system, which runs fine. I'm not planning to switch to Windows (ever). Yet I'm completely compelled by this story. Microsoft would be a total joke if they didn't rule the world.
The truth is, I don't want Apple to grow its marketshare too much. Maybe 10 percent would be good. That way, it would still be a cool niche product, and I would feel good about using it. If it were ubiquitous, the "cool factor" would wear off. Then we'd start having more people try to write viruses (so far, none in the wild), and life would generally start to suck, much as it already does for Windows users.
The Police
I thought it was pretty cool to see The Police play at the Grammys tonight. My brothers and I listened to them (on vinyl) growing up. I still remember my father making fun of them. Anyway, I've never seen them play live. Stewart Copeland really wails on the drums, doesn't he? I don't think I've ever seen a more enthusiastic drummer. He's really good, too.
Anyway, there is good news on the musical front for this summer. They're talking about a Police reunion tour, and Rush should be releasing a new album this spring (and therefore tour). Life is pretty good.
Anyway, there is good news on the musical front for this summer. They're talking about a Police reunion tour, and Rush should be releasing a new album this spring (and therefore tour). Life is pretty good.
Her Nibs
Two stories about Her Nibs (I've decided to call my daughter Her Nibs from now on--my mother coined the term):
Her Nibs has a great imagination. This afternoon, she wanted to sing one of the songs she learned in church, and she told me, "I'll sing and you cry." I was really confused, but she insisted that I cry. I faked some sobbing sounds, and she started to sing. When she finished the song, we switched. I sang while she "cried." After that round, she said, "Let's sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star so we don't have to cry." I have no idea where any of this came from. Our church services are pretty standard, and crying isn't exactly the norm.
The other morning, she was a grump, so I did something I got from my father. I poked her in the belly and said, "There's a smile in there somewhere" in a goofy voice. My dad used to do that to us all the time, and somehow it worked. It worked on Her Nibs, too. She started to smile pretty quickly. Now, for it to really work, you need to keep doing it until the "victim" starts to laugh. But after a few pokes, she pulled up her shirt and said, "That's not a smile. That's a belly button." Guess which one of us started laughing first?
Her Nibs has a great imagination. This afternoon, she wanted to sing one of the songs she learned in church, and she told me, "I'll sing and you cry." I was really confused, but she insisted that I cry. I faked some sobbing sounds, and she started to sing. When she finished the song, we switched. I sang while she "cried." After that round, she said, "Let's sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star so we don't have to cry." I have no idea where any of this came from. Our church services are pretty standard, and crying isn't exactly the norm.
The other morning, she was a grump, so I did something I got from my father. I poked her in the belly and said, "There's a smile in there somewhere" in a goofy voice. My dad used to do that to us all the time, and somehow it worked. It worked on Her Nibs, too. She started to smile pretty quickly. Now, for it to really work, you need to keep doing it until the "victim" starts to laugh. But after a few pokes, she pulled up her shirt and said, "That's not a smile. That's a belly button." Guess which one of us started laughing first?
Sleep and Diet Pills
I've discovered something: when on a diet, sleep is very important. As you know, I'm doing South Beach Diet with my wife, and I've lost about 10 pounds. Over the past few days, I've stopped losing weight completely, and I think it has to do with a lack of sleep. It makes sense. I recently read a newspaper report on a study that showed that people who slept less ate more (seems pretty obvious). But their bodies craved more calories than they used, creating a calorie surplus that would eventually end up around the belly (or wherever you carry weight).
I've noticed this occurring in my own experience. Right now, I am trying my best to finish a draft of my dissertation this month (two chapters left). So I've taken on a rather erratic schedule, rarely getting more than four or five hours of sleep at a time. In addition, I work at night and sleep during the day--less distractions. This adds up to more calories, so even if I'm eating the "right" food, I'm eating too much, and I've stagnated a little in my weight loss. This does not mean I think the diet is a failure, nor does it mean I plan to quit. I still feel better than I have in a long time (just tired), so I know it is doing the right thing. If I stick with the right food, I'll lose more rapidly once I can get more sleep. It's just an observation.
This brings me to my thoughts on the new diet pill they are going to sell over the counter. It seems intriguing at first glance, but it raises significant questions. Basically, the pill blocks the absorption of fat, effectively eliminating those calories. However, there are side-effects that necessitate a low-fat diet (diarrhea is one). In other words, the pill blocks fat, but you also have to eat less fat. In addition, you need to increase your exercise. So overall, one needs to follow a specific diet and exercise (exercise is always good for you) to see the benefits being touted.
Previous readers might have seen my thoughts on dieting in general, so you know that the idea behind the SBD is to eat less simple carbohydrates, more protein, and the "right" fats (unsaturated, no trans fats), because our bodies need these elements. Those on this new diet pill will need to eat "low fat" foods, which tend to add more simple carbohydrates to make up for the lost taste. This brings up a whole host of problems on its own, but the pill brings more questions still, because we need fat in our diet. By blocking fat absorption one loses a critical dietary element. Those interested in the differences between good and bad fats should read this article from the Harvard School of Public Health.
The diet pill was previously available by prescription, and this could be an incredibly useful tool for critically obese people. But for normal dieters, I don't see an upside. It seems like a crutch that ultimately will create bad habits. We know that low-fat foods cause more problems than they solve because fat is not primarily responsible for the obesity epidemic we face in our country. The low-fat era has actually exacerbated the problem. Now comes a pill that requires a low-fat diet, reinforcing a system we know does not work in the long term. Those coming off of the pill will then need to learn an entirely new diet to keep the weight off, or it will create a vicious cycle of dependency and yo-yo dieting.
Also, by keeping the pill prescription-only, it was more difficult for those with eating disorders to get it. Now that it will be readily available, anorexics and bulimics will have ready access to something that can aid them in self-destructive behavior. In fact, I can imaging many who suffer from body image problems intentionally adding fat to their diet to produce a side effect likely distasteful to most people (after vomiting, diarrhea won't seem so bad).
Ultimately, I believe there is no benefit to introducing this pill without a prescription. Having potential users see a doctor would ensure proper use (you should see a doctor before starting a diet anyway), and I imagine we will soon be hearing stories of abuse. Apparently, the FDA is more concerned with helping the pharmaceutical industry make a profit than with carefully assessing risk and effectiveness.
I've noticed this occurring in my own experience. Right now, I am trying my best to finish a draft of my dissertation this month (two chapters left). So I've taken on a rather erratic schedule, rarely getting more than four or five hours of sleep at a time. In addition, I work at night and sleep during the day--less distractions. This adds up to more calories, so even if I'm eating the "right" food, I'm eating too much, and I've stagnated a little in my weight loss. This does not mean I think the diet is a failure, nor does it mean I plan to quit. I still feel better than I have in a long time (just tired), so I know it is doing the right thing. If I stick with the right food, I'll lose more rapidly once I can get more sleep. It's just an observation.
This brings me to my thoughts on the new diet pill they are going to sell over the counter. It seems intriguing at first glance, but it raises significant questions. Basically, the pill blocks the absorption of fat, effectively eliminating those calories. However, there are side-effects that necessitate a low-fat diet (diarrhea is one). In other words, the pill blocks fat, but you also have to eat less fat. In addition, you need to increase your exercise. So overall, one needs to follow a specific diet and exercise (exercise is always good for you) to see the benefits being touted.
Previous readers might have seen my thoughts on dieting in general, so you know that the idea behind the SBD is to eat less simple carbohydrates, more protein, and the "right" fats (unsaturated, no trans fats), because our bodies need these elements. Those on this new diet pill will need to eat "low fat" foods, which tend to add more simple carbohydrates to make up for the lost taste. This brings up a whole host of problems on its own, but the pill brings more questions still, because we need fat in our diet. By blocking fat absorption one loses a critical dietary element. Those interested in the differences between good and bad fats should read this article from the Harvard School of Public Health.
The diet pill was previously available by prescription, and this could be an incredibly useful tool for critically obese people. But for normal dieters, I don't see an upside. It seems like a crutch that ultimately will create bad habits. We know that low-fat foods cause more problems than they solve because fat is not primarily responsible for the obesity epidemic we face in our country. The low-fat era has actually exacerbated the problem. Now comes a pill that requires a low-fat diet, reinforcing a system we know does not work in the long term. Those coming off of the pill will then need to learn an entirely new diet to keep the weight off, or it will create a vicious cycle of dependency and yo-yo dieting.
Also, by keeping the pill prescription-only, it was more difficult for those with eating disorders to get it. Now that it will be readily available, anorexics and bulimics will have ready access to something that can aid them in self-destructive behavior. In fact, I can imaging many who suffer from body image problems intentionally adding fat to their diet to produce a side effect likely distasteful to most people (after vomiting, diarrhea won't seem so bad).
Ultimately, I believe there is no benefit to introducing this pill without a prescription. Having potential users see a doctor would ensure proper use (you should see a doctor before starting a diet anyway), and I imagine we will soon be hearing stories of abuse. Apparently, the FDA is more concerned with helping the pharmaceutical industry make a profit than with carefully assessing risk and effectiveness.
Fake Steve Jobs
I found a new blog, and today's post is hilarious. I couldn't resist another swipe at Microsoft.
Date Night
Plainbellied and I had a free date night tonight. We got a babysitter who would watch Her Nibs for service credit at school, and then we went to a lecture at my department (preceded with a reception, where we ate). The speaker was a very distinguished scholar of American history who I have admired for a long time. I had never heard him speak, and it was great to have that chance. Unfortunately, the lecture disappointed me.
One thing in particular troubles me. He said that the electoral college had been instituted by the founding fathers because they did not trust the citizens to make the right choice for President. He used this to argue that the system is antiquated and needs to be removed in favor of a direct presidential election. Well, my own reading of the past conflicts with this view.
I know that the founding fathers did not trust average people to make good decisions. They feared democracy more than almost anything else. However, the electoral college dealt with a different problem. The property requirements for voting made sure only "qualified" people (i.e. rich white men) could influence elections. The electoral college was created to protect the interests of the smaller states (just like the Senate was). If they got rid of the electoral college, candidates could bypass rural states, thus leading to a situation where city-dwellers held political hegemony. Imagine a world in which candidates only campaigned in New York, California, Florida, and Texas. Having the electoral college forces candidates to campaign for each state.
I realize that this system can cause a disparity between the popular and electoral votes (see 1876 and 2000). However, the benefits definitely outweigh the cost. The criticism most often invoked is that many other countries do direct elections. But in most parliamentary systems, people vote for a party (not a candidate), which chooses who will sit in Parliament, and who will be the government. I know that in Spain candidates' names don't even appear on the ballot. How's that for a democracy? You don't even know who you are voting for, even though you're voting "directly." Do you really think it's that much better than an electoral college?
Actually, my favorite reason for having the electoral college is that when your choice for president does something boneheaded, you can honestly say, "I didn't vote for him," because technically you voted for his electors. We're all off the hook now.
Well, I waded into politics again. I promise not to do it again for at least a few days.
One thing in particular troubles me. He said that the electoral college had been instituted by the founding fathers because they did not trust the citizens to make the right choice for President. He used this to argue that the system is antiquated and needs to be removed in favor of a direct presidential election. Well, my own reading of the past conflicts with this view.
I know that the founding fathers did not trust average people to make good decisions. They feared democracy more than almost anything else. However, the electoral college dealt with a different problem. The property requirements for voting made sure only "qualified" people (i.e. rich white men) could influence elections. The electoral college was created to protect the interests of the smaller states (just like the Senate was). If they got rid of the electoral college, candidates could bypass rural states, thus leading to a situation where city-dwellers held political hegemony. Imagine a world in which candidates only campaigned in New York, California, Florida, and Texas. Having the electoral college forces candidates to campaign for each state.
I realize that this system can cause a disparity between the popular and electoral votes (see 1876 and 2000). However, the benefits definitely outweigh the cost. The criticism most often invoked is that many other countries do direct elections. But in most parliamentary systems, people vote for a party (not a candidate), which chooses who will sit in Parliament, and who will be the government. I know that in Spain candidates' names don't even appear on the ballot. How's that for a democracy? You don't even know who you are voting for, even though you're voting "directly." Do you really think it's that much better than an electoral college?
Actually, my favorite reason for having the electoral college is that when your choice for president does something boneheaded, you can honestly say, "I didn't vote for him," because technically you voted for his electors. We're all off the hook now.
Well, I waded into politics again. I promise not to do it again for at least a few days.
Nifty Quote
I thought I would share the opening sentences from one of my favorite books, On Bulls***, by Princeton Professor of Philosophy Harry G. Frankfurt. Dr. Frankfurt initially wrote it as an essay for a lunchtime lecture series held by his department. Since I am committed to avoid profanity on my blog, I have decided to obscure a key term, even though you all know what it is. The book opens as follows:
"One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bulls***. Everyone knows this."
Frankfurt spends the next 67 pages analyzing this phenomenon, ultimately concluding that "sincerity itself is bulls***." I highly recommend the book. It is an entertaining look at something all too familiar to teachers around the world. Just be warned that it uses that term on every page.
"One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bulls***. Everyone knows this."
Frankfurt spends the next 67 pages analyzing this phenomenon, ultimately concluding that "sincerity itself is bulls***." I highly recommend the book. It is an entertaining look at something all too familiar to teachers around the world. Just be warned that it uses that term on every page.
Funny Students
Right now, my students have to come up with a research topic, then put it in the form of a question for approval. The point is to have them then do research, then answer the question in two sentences as a starting point for their paper. I had the following email exchange (I've edited it to make it easier to read):
Him: I'd like to write about the role of the Black Hand in the outbreak of World War I.
Me: That sounds like a good idea. Phrase it in the form of a question, and I'll approve it. [followed by an explanation of why]
Him: Okay. My research question is that I want to know what the role of the Black Hand was in causing World War I.
Me: This is going to drive you nuts, but I want you to put it in the form of a question--with a question mark.
Him: [finally makes it a question]
Me: [I finally approve it]
I asked myself where I went wrong, and I can't figure it out. I guess he just didn't understand what "question" means.
Him: I'd like to write about the role of the Black Hand in the outbreak of World War I.
Me: That sounds like a good idea. Phrase it in the form of a question, and I'll approve it. [followed by an explanation of why]
Him: Okay. My research question is that I want to know what the role of the Black Hand was in causing World War I.
Me: This is going to drive you nuts, but I want you to put it in the form of a question--with a question mark.
Him: [finally makes it a question]
Me: [I finally approve it]
I asked myself where I went wrong, and I can't figure it out. I guess he just didn't understand what "question" means.
Shuffle bug
As I sit here writing this post, I'm listening to my music on shuffle, as I've been doing a lot lately. I highly recommend it. You never know what's going to happen. I have a rather eclectic musical taste, so I can go from Rush to John Denver to Allison Krauss to Shaker spirituals within four songs. And I like them all. I just skipped from Maná to the Tokens without flinching. Technology is amazing.
I was introduced to the shuffle technique by a friend in high school. My family bought a CD player (finally!), and it was a six-disc changer. Not the carousel kind, it had a type of magazine thing. So we would load it up and put it on shuffle, so we had no idea what was coming next. I now have a device that allows me to load a thousand songs on it (right now I've only got about 800 or so because I like to leave empty space for some reason) and hit shuffle.
I've got to go. Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets in C just came on, and it's awesome!
I was introduced to the shuffle technique by a friend in high school. My family bought a CD player (finally!), and it was a six-disc changer. Not the carousel kind, it had a type of magazine thing. So we would load it up and put it on shuffle, so we had no idea what was coming next. I now have a device that allows me to load a thousand songs on it (right now I've only got about 800 or so because I like to leave empty space for some reason) and hit shuffle.
I've got to go. Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets in C just came on, and it's awesome!
Early Birds or Worms?
I'm a little confused, so I'm hoping someone can explain to me why we have candidates beginning their run for president almost two years before the election. It doesn't make sense. And now they're talking about the candidates forgoing public campaign financing. This means they'll be raising huge amounts of money. Does this strike anyone else as odd? It is creating the real possibility for major accounting fraud. They've raised the possibility that the candidates will spend hundreds of millions of dollars. That's crazy.
I'd like to propose an idea: we shouldn't allow candidates to declare themselves until about a year before the elections. Then we don't have to worry about them spending time campaigning while they should be governor or in the Senate or something. And when they decide to run, they should be forced to resign any other political office they hold. That way, we'll make sure they're serious, and those whose senator or governor is galavanting around on the campaign trail will still have representation.
While we're at it, why don't we make every candidate use public campaign financing, then limit that severely, giving every candidate a level playing field? I for one would welcome this, because it would significantly reduce the number of lame election ads I have to watch in 2008. That would be real campaign finance reform.
I'd like to propose an idea: we shouldn't allow candidates to declare themselves until about a year before the elections. Then we don't have to worry about them spending time campaigning while they should be governor or in the Senate or something. And when they decide to run, they should be forced to resign any other political office they hold. That way, we'll make sure they're serious, and those whose senator or governor is galavanting around on the campaign trail will still have representation.
While we're at it, why don't we make every candidate use public campaign financing, then limit that severely, giving every candidate a level playing field? I for one would welcome this, because it would significantly reduce the number of lame election ads I have to watch in 2008. That would be real campaign finance reform.
Sanity Junction
I thought I would broach a topic that will probably crop up occasionally on Placeholder Text. I had planned to avoid it for a while, but I read something today that deserves mention. I'm going to talk about Bill Gates and Microsoft.
Let me give some background. I am a Mac user (I'm typing this on my 4-year-old iBook G3), but I hope that you will recognize that I am not a fanatic, and that I'm not trying to insult anyone who uses Windows. I just get very frustrated when people make uninformed generalizations about my computer choice.
Now I know where many of these false assumptions come from: Bill Gates. My ire has been piqued by a Bill Gates interview (here). Others have already demonstrated how foolish his claims are, so I won't address specifics (my favorite rebuttal is here). I'm not surprised that the same company that posted a fake "Mac to PC convert" story a few years ago and has recently admitted to paying a PR firm to tweak its Wikipedia entry is now out and out lying. I wish Microsoft had some class. They're just like Walmart, and it drives me crazy. The more of this stuff they spew, the more I have to deal with people at work complaining about non-existent compatibility problems.
Whew! I feel better already now that I've gotten that out. I'll have something more interesting and upbeat next time (probably not about computers).
Let me give some background. I am a Mac user (I'm typing this on my 4-year-old iBook G3), but I hope that you will recognize that I am not a fanatic, and that I'm not trying to insult anyone who uses Windows. I just get very frustrated when people make uninformed generalizations about my computer choice.
Now I know where many of these false assumptions come from: Bill Gates. My ire has been piqued by a Bill Gates interview (here). Others have already demonstrated how foolish his claims are, so I won't address specifics (my favorite rebuttal is here). I'm not surprised that the same company that posted a fake "Mac to PC convert" story a few years ago and has recently admitted to paying a PR firm to tweak its Wikipedia entry is now out and out lying. I wish Microsoft had some class. They're just like Walmart, and it drives me crazy. The more of this stuff they spew, the more I have to deal with people at work complaining about non-existent compatibility problems.
Whew! I feel better already now that I've gotten that out. I'll have something more interesting and upbeat next time (probably not about computers).
Potatoes
My last post made me think of something I wanted to share. Did you know that potatoes made the industrial revolution possible? Potatoes were introduced to Europe from America, and they are a high-caloric, easy-to-grow food source. If cooked properly, they also have a lot of vitamins (in the skin). The introduction of the potato during the agricultural revolution gave peasants a much-improved staple crop, which helped create a surplus population later harnessed into the factory system.
Of course, potatoes have their down side as well. In Ireland, the average adult male ate about six kilos of potatoes every day. Women and children over ten ate about five kilos, and children younger than ten about two. They completely depended on it for their sustenance. When the Irish potato famine hit in the middle of the nineteenth century, it killed a million people and forced a million more to emigrate. One more reason not to rely on a single crop.
Today, we live in a very different (and much more sedentary) society, where potatoes provide too many calories for us. If we worked the fields, they would be great. But mostly we sit in offices, and a starchy, high-calorie food is not what we need. But mashed potatoes are yummy. . . .
See? When you come to my blog you just might learn something new.
Of course, potatoes have their down side as well. In Ireland, the average adult male ate about six kilos of potatoes every day. Women and children over ten ate about five kilos, and children younger than ten about two. They completely depended on it for their sustenance. When the Irish potato famine hit in the middle of the nineteenth century, it killed a million people and forced a million more to emigrate. One more reason not to rely on a single crop.
Today, we live in a very different (and much more sedentary) society, where potatoes provide too many calories for us. If we worked the fields, they would be great. But mostly we sit in offices, and a starchy, high-calorie food is not what we need. But mashed potatoes are yummy. . . .
See? When you come to my blog you just might learn something new.
Food Is Not The Enemy
Those following Plainbellied's blog will know that she and I are on the South Beach Diet. I've been going for three weeks and have lost about 10 pounds. It seems to be working, and I'm not really jonesing for Ho-Hos yet. I think I'm getting over the hump.
There is something about dieting I don't like, though. I don't like considering food an enemy, and I don't want to demonize any particular kind of food. To hear others on the SBD tell it (Plainbellied excepted), "carbs" are the devil. Well, I don't like that attitude--and I really hate saying "carbs." I think this is a misunderstanding of Dr. Agatston's overall message, which is that we need to revise our understanding of the food pyramid. Rather than treat them as the enemy, I think we should instead think of them like a friend at work. If we spend too much time talking with them, we get in trouble. So we need to control how we interact, but it doesn't make them bad.
This is my attitude toward dieting: It needs to act as a transition, rather than an interlude. I'm at a stage right now where my metabolism has changed, and I worry about my long-term health if I don't change my lifestyle. That is where the diet comes in (that and the fact that I need to lose about sixty pounds. . . well, fifty now). More than just lose weight, I want to make sure my heart remains healthy, and one way to do that is to control my eating habits. The next step will be increasing my exercise. If I can make the change and have it stick, then I'll stay healthy.
I promise not to dwell too much on this topic in future posts, but I thought I'd share my ideas on dieting.
There is something about dieting I don't like, though. I don't like considering food an enemy, and I don't want to demonize any particular kind of food. To hear others on the SBD tell it (Plainbellied excepted), "carbs" are the devil. Well, I don't like that attitude--and I really hate saying "carbs." I think this is a misunderstanding of Dr. Agatston's overall message, which is that we need to revise our understanding of the food pyramid. Rather than treat them as the enemy, I think we should instead think of them like a friend at work. If we spend too much time talking with them, we get in trouble. So we need to control how we interact, but it doesn't make them bad.
This is my attitude toward dieting: It needs to act as a transition, rather than an interlude. I'm at a stage right now where my metabolism has changed, and I worry about my long-term health if I don't change my lifestyle. That is where the diet comes in (that and the fact that I need to lose about sixty pounds. . . well, fifty now). More than just lose weight, I want to make sure my heart remains healthy, and one way to do that is to control my eating habits. The next step will be increasing my exercise. If I can make the change and have it stick, then I'll stay healthy.
I promise not to dwell too much on this topic in future posts, but I thought I'd share my ideas on dieting.
Placeholder turtle
Plainbellied, my wife, has asked that I explain a few things. When I told her about my new blog, she was happy, because she wanted me to join her in the blogosphere (and I needed to give her something better to call me than "The Husband," which I didn't like). When I asked what she thought, she said, "You need a title. All it says is 'Placeholder Text.'" Clearly my ingenious title had not given the desired effect. When I explained that was the actual title, that I myself had chosen, she told me she thought it wasn't very good. I hope others disagree. I came upon the idea as I tried out a bunch of other names. I was going for something witty and urbane, kind of like "Paisley Teardrops." Well, as I am neither witty nor urbane, I gave up and decided to call it "Placeholder Text" until I could come up with something better. As I typed it out, though, I decided that I really like it, so it will stay. It means something to me, but I can't articulate it exactly, so I won't try to just yet. When I do you will be the first to know. Boy, will you be impressed!
As for my sobriquet, Turtar is Irish for turtle. The name reflects my Irish heritage and my capoeira nickname, Tartaruga (Portuguese for turtle). I initially wanted to call myself Tartaruga on the blog because it is the only nickname I have ever received, and I don't like the idea of giving one to myself. But Tartaruga was taken, as was plain old turtle. So I decided to find out how to say turtle in Irish, and it came back Turtar. I know it isn't as elegant as Tartaruga, but I like it. I hope you like it, too.
As for my sobriquet, Turtar is Irish for turtle. The name reflects my Irish heritage and my capoeira nickname, Tartaruga (Portuguese for turtle). I initially wanted to call myself Tartaruga on the blog because it is the only nickname I have ever received, and I don't like the idea of giving one to myself. But Tartaruga was taken, as was plain old turtle. So I decided to find out how to say turtle in Irish, and it came back Turtar. I know it isn't as elegant as Tartaruga, but I like it. I hope you like it, too.
Term Limits
I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. . . . This post will not discuss politics. I'm more interested in television.
I propose to limit the number of seasons allowed for good shows. Most shows should not go past three seasons, and some should be forced off the air after one or two. Let me be clear: I'm not talking about terrible shows whose pilots should never have been greenlighted. I'm talking about great, compelling shows that lose steam after a while and fizzle out, ruining what could be a great memory. Two examples come to mind: "House, M.D." and "Monk." These shows demonstrate the common flaw of television producers: they think viewers care about character development. The shows have just gotten depressing, and my memory of them is ruined. I miss the days when Monk was quirky, not pathetic. I like House as a jerk, not an addict.
As a corollary to this, I think serial dramas should be banned, or at least limited. I don't have time to devote to a show every week for three years to find out what is going on (I'm talking to you, "Lost"). Personally, I prefer shows that have self-contained episodes (like "Law and Order"), but if producers insist on making serial dramas, then I think they should be forced to wrap it up in a single season. Every once in a while I'll catch an episode of "Lost" and think, "What the hell just happened?" It reminds me that I really don't care, so I don't watch it again. I will say that while I don't like "24," at least they have a new adventure every season.
Don't even get me started on "reality" television.
I propose to limit the number of seasons allowed for good shows. Most shows should not go past three seasons, and some should be forced off the air after one or two. Let me be clear: I'm not talking about terrible shows whose pilots should never have been greenlighted. I'm talking about great, compelling shows that lose steam after a while and fizzle out, ruining what could be a great memory. Two examples come to mind: "House, M.D." and "Monk." These shows demonstrate the common flaw of television producers: they think viewers care about character development. The shows have just gotten depressing, and my memory of them is ruined. I miss the days when Monk was quirky, not pathetic. I like House as a jerk, not an addict.
As a corollary to this, I think serial dramas should be banned, or at least limited. I don't have time to devote to a show every week for three years to find out what is going on (I'm talking to you, "Lost"). Personally, I prefer shows that have self-contained episodes (like "Law and Order"), but if producers insist on making serial dramas, then I think they should be forced to wrap it up in a single season. Every once in a while I'll catch an episode of "Lost" and think, "What the hell just happened?" It reminds me that I really don't care, so I don't watch it again. I will say that while I don't like "24," at least they have a new adventure every season.
Don't even get me started on "reality" television.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)