Back At It

Last semester, I decided to take a break from teaching to rest, spend time with family, read, take a class, and “recharge my battery.”  The break has been great especially since it afforded me lots of time to rest during the first five months of my pregnancy.  Tomorrow, the fall semester begins at Queens, and my break officially ends.  I’m looking forward to being in the classroom again.  I’ll be teaching three classes: Introductory Statistics, Calculus II, and Abstract Algebra.  Since the Calculus II and Abstract Algebra courses are 4 credits each, I’m teaching pretty much a full load even though I’m considered part time. 

Two of my classes have a Monday-Wednesday schedule, and the other one has a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule.  The courses meet back-to-back, so I’ll be in the same classroom teaching practically non-stop from 12:00 to 4:40 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.  I’ve never taught three college-level courses back-to-back before, so this semester definitely will be interesting (especially since I’ll be in the third trimester of my pregnancy for most of it).  I don’t think I’m even going to carry my Statistics and Calculus books to class with me because their combined weight is 10 lb., and I don’t have office space in the building where my classes meet.  I’ll be giving my last final exam the afternoon of December 14.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to finalize grades before going into labor (the due date is December 23).

I do feel like my battery is recharged, so I think this semester will go well.  Let’s hope my pregnancy brain is able to jump from Calculus II to Intro Stats to Modern Algebra without difficulty and that my pregnant body is able to survive being on my feet for several hours a day.  Let’s also hope that I make it through the semester without my water breaking during class. :)

Discontinued or Hard-to-Find Groceries

I apparently have a knack for falling in love with food items that soon after will be discontinued or no longer carried in most grocery stores.  My taste buds must be different from those of the average person.  Although the following lists are not exhaustive, they'll give you an idea of what I mean:

Discontinued Items

• Pillsbury's frozen crusty french rolls
• Pepperidge Farm's Baked Naturals Snack Sticks -- Artisan Cheese

Hard-to-Find Items

• Classico's Sun-dried Tomato Red Sauce (only available at Harris Teeter)
• Pepperidge Farm's Baked Naturals Wheat Crisps -- Multi-grain (still listed on the Pepperidge Farm site; haven't seen it in stores in a long time)
• Nestle's Simply Dipped Cones -- Cookies & Cream (still listed on the Nestle site; periodically stocked by Super Target)

The most frustrating thing about the vanishing of these items from grocery store shelves is that other products, which I deem inferior, made by the same companies remain.  For example, I do not at all like the toasted-sesame variety of Pepperidge Farm's Baked Naturals Snack Sticks, but it continues to be stocked by every grocery store I visit.

Classico's Sun-dried Tomato Red Sauce is one of the very few pasta sauces available that has no onions, and I'm not a fan of onions.  Most grocery stores carry several Classico products, so I don't understand why they don't carry this one.  Luckily, Harris Teeter does.  When Jay and I lived in Christiansburg, VA, we always made a trip to Harris Teeter during our visits to Winston-Salem, NC, to stock up on the sun-dried tomato sauce.

I was so disappointed when Pillsbury discontinued the frozen crusty french rolls that I emailed Pillsbury to let them know.  I actually received a reply from the company indicating that the item had not been popular enough to continue making it.

I guess companies should hire me to taste-test their new products.  If I like the product, there's a good chance that it's not going to make it; however, the more I dislike the product, the higher the likelihood is that it's going to sell really well.

So frustrating!

Last Comic Standing

I was so happy to see Last Comic Standing return to NBC this summer.  Jay and I have watched each season except the first, and I think this year was the best of all.  In addition to having a great host (Craig Robinson, "Darryl" from The Office) and wonderful judges, the format was just as it should have been for a show attempting to showcase talented comedians.  Instead of having the top ten comedians live in a house together and perform various "funny" activities, this season focused on stand-up comedy from the start.  Thus, viewers were able to see hours of stand-up comedy throughout the season.

My three favorites from the top ten actually made it to the top three this year: Tommy Johnagin, Roy Wood, Jr., and Felipe Esparza.  Although I think Johnagin was the most talented of the three, I was not at all surprised that Esparza won because his personality is naturally funny.

The top five comedians are going on tour this fall/winter, and I was excited to see that they will be in Charlotte on October 28.  Jay and I are planning to get tickets.  It's been a few years since we've been able to see live comedy, so I'm very much looking forward to going.

On a slightly different but somewhat related topic, I also have watched The Next Food Network Star and Design Star once again this summer.  I think TNFNS has been enjoyable to watch, and I really like two of the final three contestants; however, I have not liked the changes made to Design Star this season.  The show has been much too serious, all of the challenges have been similar, and, most importantly, the show has suffered without Clive Pearse as the host.

19 wks = 133 days = 4 months, 11 days = 0.36 yrs

During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I thought that time could not move any slower.  Today, I am 19 weeks pregnant, and it seems like time now is moving at a normal pace.  I'm sure that my change in perception of time has something to do with the fact that Jay and I found out last week that we are having a girl.  Now, we are beginning to plan for her arrival.  We have our nursery room cleared out (thanks to my brother Jonathan who helped Jay move the guest bedroom furniture to another room), we have decided on a paint color, and we have begun looking for all of the necessary nursery items.  We're also giving more thought to first and middle names.

For the past six weeks, I have been taking weekly photos to capture my physical changes throughout pregnancy (no "bare belly" shots so far).  Here are three:

13 weeks, 3 days pregnant

18 weeks, 2 days pregnant

18 weeks, 5 days pregnant

Jay and I are looking forward to meeting our daughter in approximately 21 weeks.  Hopefully, we'll be ready for the challenges of parenthood.

A True Fan

From the moment I read Pride and Prejudice in high school, I have been a fan of Jane Austen.  In fact, she is my favorite author; however, until this year, I only had read two (perhaps three) of her six novels.  During the spring, Masterpiece ran adaptations of Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey.  I absolutely loved the adaptation of Emma and found it to be far superior to Hollywood's adaptation in 1996 (starring Gwyneth Paltrow).  I decided that to really call myself a true fan of Jane Austen, I should read all of her novels, so that's what I did during the past two months.

Having read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility before, I began with Mansfield Park.  Although I have no recollection of reading this book in the past, everything about it was so familiar to me as I read it that I have concluded that I must have read it at some point.  I must say that of all of Jane Austen's novels, I am most disappointed in the movie adaptations of Mansfield Park.  Fanny Price is a much more interesting character than she is portrayed in the two fairly recent adaptations.  In addition, the directors made too many unnecessary changes to the storyline.  I believe that you cannot improve upon Jane Austen's works, so directors should not try to do so.

After finishing Mansfield Park, I read Persuasion and really liked it.  In fact, I think it has replaced Sense and Sensibility as my second favorite Austen novel.  It's a really sweet story. Next, I read Emma and was delighted to see that the Masterpiece adaptation was very much like the book. 

Although many people save the best of anything for last, I'm usually quite the opposite.  After seeing the adaptation of Northanger Abbey on Masterpiece, I had a feeling that I would not like the book very much.  Thus, I saved it for last.  While I found reading it enjoyable, it certainly is much different from all of Austen's other novels and is my least favorite.

Now that I have finished reading all of Austen's novels and seeing at least one movie adaptation of each, I consider myself a true fan.  I do not, however, feel inclined to join JASNA (The Jane Austen Society of North America).

Piano

During the past year, I really have started missing playing the piano.  I began taking piano lessons in the first grade, and I continued through ninth grade (I think).  As a child, I didn't appreciate playing the piano primarily because I was required to do so a certain amount of time each week.  Thus, I usually spent at least 30 minutes every night in a room all by myself playing until Mom finally would say that my time was up.  The minutes always crept by.  If I stopped playing for any length of time, Mom would add minutes to my total time required.

Nearly every year that I played, I participated in a piano recital.  Although I enjoyed learning to play a tune so well that it actually sounded like music when I played it, I always was nervous about playing in front of a crowd.  I can still recall dressing up for the recitals, walking up the stairs to the piano, playing in front of the audience (consisting of proud parents and siblings who didn't want to be there), and curtsying at the end.  I think my favorite recital piece was Fur Elise. 

Of course, playing the piano had its perks even when I was young.  For many years, my piano lessons took place during school hours, so I was excused from class each time I had a piano lesson.  My Mom also wanted me to learn techniques from more than one person, so every two years or so, I started taking lessons from a new teacher.  Each of my four teachers was quite different from the others.  The most gifted teacher could play very well by ear and would often compose music for our school plays.  Since I do not have the gift of playing by ear, I learned the most from the teachers who also played by sight.

Because I was so busy with academics and sports during high school, I eventually convinced my parents to let me stop taking piano lessons.  Of course, now I wish I had continued lessons at least until I started college.  While in college, I played the piano every now and then at church when the other pianists were not available to play; however, I rarely practiced, so I wasn't very good.

It's been years since I have played the piano for more than a few minutes, and I would love to start again.  I think it would be so relaxing to spend a few hours each week developing my skill.  Of course, I live in a neighborhood and would not want to force all of my neighbors to hear my hours of practice.  Thus, I am considering purchasing a piano style keyboard.  I decided to look on Craig's list tonight, and I found one that I like.  I haven't decided yet, but I just might buy it!

Thunderstorms

On Monday afternoon, Jay and I were returning home from the fitness center when we suddenly observed a very dark cloud over our neighborhood. As we turned down our street, we saw a bolt of lightning. Within a minute of entering our house, the wind began to blow with such force that our trees were swaying back and forth. Soon thereafter, rain poured from the sky and thunder rolled. We decided to watch the storm from our front porch. When we opened the door, we immediately noticed a drop in temperature of at least ten degrees, which was most welcome on such a hot day. Although the thunderstorm lasted no more than twenty minutes, I found it so relaxing to rock in my rocking chair while feeling the breeze, smelling the scent of the rain, watching the lightning strike, and listening to the thunder crash and the rain fall. Our current house is my first residence to have a front porch, and I just love it!

At approximately the same time on Tuesday afternoon, the sky grew very dark over our house. Within minutes, flashes of lightning and sounds of thunder surrounded us. We waited and waited for the rain to begin. At the conclusion of the thunderstorm, a very few drops of rain fell from the sky, and they dried up almost immediately. I couldn’t help but notice how disappointing a thunderstorm is without rain. In addition to needing the rain badly to nourish our sun-scorched grass, I was ready to enjoy the rain for other reasons: rain cools the temperature, freshens stale air, and provides a soothing contrast to thunder and lightning.

I have thus decided that rain is a necessary element for an enjoyable thunderstorm.

Summer Time

I just realized that my last post was 2.5 weeks ago.  What can I say?  "Summer time and the livin's easy."  (Of course, summer technically does not begin until June 21.)  Jay's spring schedule ended early May.  Since then, I have been spending less time at the computer and more time with him, which has been nice.  Last summer, we were busy packing for our move from Virginia to North Carolina.  It's hard to believe that we've been in Huntersville for almost a year.

Jay begins summer session next week, so I'm sure I'll be back to posting topics again soon.

The "Contemporvant" Church

During the past year, Jay and I have visited many, many churches in Huntersville and the surrounding areas.  Although we visited quite a few churches when we first moved to Apex and Christiansburg before settling on our "church home," our Sunday morning worship experiences have been much different this time around than they were before. 

In the not-so-distant past, the "contemporary worship" services were seen as necessary departures from the more traditional services that many saw and continue to see as formulaic.  Although Jay and I have attended several churches during the past year that still offer a "traditional worship" service or "blended service", most services are now contemporary.  What I find particularly interesting about the overwhelming majority of the worship services at the "contemporary churches" is that they are as formulaic (if not more so) as the "traditional worship" services.  Recently, one of my friends posted a link on FB to a satirical video about the modern worship experience.  This video sums up so well the typical contemporary worship service in many of the churches that Jay and I have attended since moving to Huntersville: http://vimeo.com/11501569.

The truth of the matter is that I like for a worship service to be structured.  I like being able to follow church programs and to know what's coming next.  I do not, however, like for worship leaders to dress, act, or talk a particular way simply to copy a "contemporary formula."  After all, I attend worship services to grow in my relationship with God not to be entertained.  As long as a service is authentic with a primary focus on true worship, I will like it -- traditional or contemporary.

Parking Lots

Quite a while back, Jay and I began noticing something noteworthy when we would return to our car after shopping at the mall, grocery store, etc.  Very often, the passengers of a car adjacent to ours are returning to their car at the same time we are returning to ours.  What makes this seem so strange is that when we look around the parking lot there are very few, if any, other people returning to their cars.  Especially when the parking lots are full, it seems like the probability of this happening very often would be small; however, I do believe that it happens to us more often than it doesn't.  I can't think of a good explanation for this, and I wonder if others experience the same thing. 

Strawberry Patches

As a child, I lived within a mile of a strawberry patch.  I always looked forward to strawberry season because my family and I would spend afternoons at the patch picking gallons of juicy, delicious strawberries.  The fact that we could eat all the strawberries we wanted for free while picking made the activity even more fun... and, yes, I made sure the ones I ate were clean.  It's been years since I have picked strawberries, but I usually manage to get some freshly picked strawberries from a local farm.  Since this is my first spring in Huntersville, I just did a Google search to find a local strawberry patch.  It appears that the nearest one is about 45 minutes away... how disappointing!  Although I have purchased a few containers of strawberries from Harris Teeter, it's simply not the same as getting fresh ones from a farm.  Hopefully, the farmer's market will have some.

It's about time!

I know... I know... It's been over two weeks since my last posting, so I figured that it's about time for a new one. The problem is, I can't decide about what I want to write. Should I write about celebrating my 33rd birthday? Should I write about having a lovely time at my 15-year reunion and being thrilled that the months of planning are over? Should I write about not being able to believe that the spring semester is about to end? Nope... none of these topics will do. Hmm... I think I'll write about grass.

For the first 10 years of our marriage, Jay and I did not have to worry about yard work. Having rented an apartment and townhome and owned a townhome during that 10-year period, our grass was taken care of by someone else. Last year, we purchased a house with a fairly large lot. Now, we spend our time worrying about the grass -- what we will do about the brown spots, how often we will water the lawn, when we will get rain, when we should mow, etc. I never realized that keeping the grass in acceptable condition is such an ordeal.

When I was a child, I often was amazed that adults spent so much time discussing the likelihood or necessity of rain. Now that I see my grass dying, I find myself looking at the weather reports and wondering when it will rain and hoping that the rain will be a good soaking rain -- not a passing shower. We are expecting rain tonight, and we need it. I do hope it's enough to give us a few days of break from using the sprinklers, especially since Jay gets up early to turn them on and then move them around the yard. He deserves a break! Yes, you're right, we really should take turns, but it's so cold outside in the mornings.

Butler's Coach

Tonight, Butler and Duke compete for the NCAA championship.  While I would pull for any team playing against Duke (except possibly UNC), Butler's coach provides even greater motivation to cheer for Butler.  I'm impressed that Coach Brad Stevens is 33 years old and has already experienced a distinguished career (see http://blog.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2010/03/butler_coach_brad_stevens_is_3.html).  If Butler wins tonight, Coach Stevens will be the youngest to win an NCAA championship since 1940 (see http://www.seattlepi.com/cbasketball/307202_coaches13.html).  Given that I will be 33 very soon, it seems extraordinary that someone so young already has excelled to this level especially since most coaches will never lead a team to the Final Four during their careers.

Thus, it is with great enthusiasm that I say, Go Butler!

What’s wrong with this commercial?

I saw the following commercial yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1UvQtQJC20. Take a look at it, and ask yourself, “What’s wrong with this commercial?” At first, you might not recognize anything as being “wrong” with it. Look again, and listen carefully.

In the commercial, the following statement is made: “The future of our nation and our children depends on math, science, and technology.” I completely agree with this statement, and this belief influences my teaching. So, what’s the problem?

Before I answer my question, take a look at another commercial by “Connect a Million Minds”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLejHiFzsEo. Now, isn’t that better!?! The same statement is made at the end of the commercial. So, why is this commercial so much better? When looking at this commercial, I get the feeling that math, science, and technology are for EVERYONE. When I look at the first commercial, I see the same old message: math, science, and technology are for geeks. This must change!

If the future of our nation depends on math, science, and technology, then EVERY member of our society should be encouraged and expected to increase literacy in math, science, and technology. This responsibility should not and cannot be shouldered by geeks alone.

I am hopeful for the day when it is just as alarming to hear, “I’m not good at math,” as it is to hear, “I’m not good at reading.”

Note: Because I think this issue is so important, I posted this blog on my Facebook page, too.

I'm getting old!

Well, I just ordered my first pair of medical compression hose (20-30 mmHg).  I shouldn't even know what compression hose are, but I do!  For two years, a varicose vein in my right thigh has been giving me fits.  I finally met with a vein specialist two weeks ago.  To determine the optimal treatment option for my vein, I'll be having a vein mapping done in three months.  Until then, I must wear compression hose, which I will do to satisfy insurance requirements.

Earlier today, I went to the eye doctor to pick up my new prescription sunglasses.  As soon as I looked through the glasses, I noticed that something major was wrong.  I automatically had a headache.  After confirming that the prescription for the sunglasses was correct, I realized that the curvature of the lenses was the problem.  Because my eyes have astigmatism, they prefer lenses that are as flat as possible.  The sunglasses had much greater curvature than my regular glasses.  Thus, I had to send the sunglasses back to adjust the curvature.  I'll be waiting another three weeks for the modified sunglasses to arrive.

Varicose veins and overly sensitive eyes... fascinating, right?

Where did the "s" go?

During the past few weeks, I have noticed that when I am saying the contractions "isn't" and "doesn't" I often accidentally leave out the "s" and instead say "i'n't" and "doe'n't" (I left the "e" in the spelling here to emphasize that what I am saying does not sound like "don't").  Observe that apostrophes appear twice in each word because I'm leaving out "s" and "n" when speaking and, thus, forming double contractions.   Of course, I immediately attributed my dropping the "s" to my return to North Carolina.  After all, the southern accent is a bit more pronounced here than in Virginia.  At first, evidence seemed to support my claim.  While walking through the mall or visiting with people, I constantly heard others sprinkling "i'n't" and "doe'n't" into conversation. 

The double contractions, however, are not limited to southern speech.  I now hear them while listening to people speak on national television shows.  So, where did the "s" go?  Why did it leave?

I'm determined to bring the "s" back to my speech.  After all, there really is no need for double contractions here.  In addition to carefully thinking about saying "yellow" instead of "yallow" (which is a southern thing), I'll be listening for the "s" when I shorten "is not" and "does not" while speaking.  Of course, my task would be easier if others also would include the "s"! 

Spring Break

It finally has arrived... Spring Break!  Excluding the first few years of my life and the 2.5 years I worked at Aon, I always have looked forward to this week during the spring semester when I have the opportunity to "recharge my battery."  Even though I usually spend the week catching up or planning ahead, it's always nice to know that I can sleep a little later each morning and stop working at a decent hour each afternoon.  Although I'm not teaching this semester, I'm very much looking forward to Jay being on break next week.  He's been working long hours for several weeks and definitely will benefit from the extra rest.

During my time working at home, I've realized how much I am connected to academia.  I do not think of the passage of time in terms of seasons or months.  I think of it in terms of semesters.  More than once, I have caught myself telling someone about a certain event and mentioning that it occurred "last semester" even though the event was not academic in nature.  Although I am enjoying so many things about my time at home, I often find that I feel like a "fish out of water."  It is no surprise to me that I miss teaching quite a bit.  What is a surprise to me is how much I miss the busy schedule that comes with the job of teaching.  This semester, Fridays are like any other day of the week.  I no longer need the weekend to rest, grade papers, and prepare for the upcoming work week.  Like Fridays, spring break has lost some of its pizazz.  I haven't been counting down the days to spring break because I need time to be refreshed... I already am.  I find that I'm already feeling the same way about summer break.  Having time to recharge is much more appreciated when it's actually needed.  I do hope that I remember this when I return to academia!

Great Line

Last week, Jay and I had some of Cookout's french fries with their Cajun seasoning.  The seasoning tastes great; however, those who eat at Cookout know that the smell of the seasoning tends to stick around long after the meal has ended.  Even after brushing teeth, gargling, and chewing gum, the odor remains.

The long-lasting smell of the seasoning reminded us of a great line Jack delivered during one of this season's episodes of 30 Rock: "Good God, Lemon, your breath. When did you find time to eat a diaper you found on the beach?"  Isn't that a perfect line?

Debbie Downer

I like to think of myself as a realist, a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are. In actuality, I spend most of my time trying to be an optimist. Day in and day out, I try to convince myself and others that the proverbial glass is half full. So often, I place a positive spin on crappy news I receive, and I spend time editing verbal communication so that what I am saying is more cheerful than what I might be thinking. As a self-proclaimed realist, I believe that I am doing myself no favors when I constantly act as an optimist. So, why do I do it? Unfortunately, society views anything other than optimism as pessimism, and no one wants be perceived as a "Debbie Downer." In addition, a good mood certainly is more enjoyable than a bad mood, and thinking optimistically often helps improve my mood.

The problem is that thinking optimistically cannot change situations that are beyond our control. When we are dealt a bad hand in poker, it behooves us to recognize that we have a bad hand and that there is nothing we can do about it. After all, we can't expect all hands to be winning hands. Such thinking would be foolish. Isn't life the same way? Some situations are not what we want them to be. Wouldn't we be better off to recognize less than ideal situations for what they really are? If we continually try to place a positive spin on circumstances beyond our control, I believe that we end up like the poker player who continues to play regardless of the hand dealt. We lose big time!

One of my favorite shows from childhood is The Facts of Life. I love the theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_GxXRbSFDg. It is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. It is realistic.

Note: As I was writing this blog, I came across an SNL “Debbie Downer” skit that I had not seen. This particular one is quite funny.  In fact, I laughed quietly several times while viewing it.  Here's a link to the skit: http://www.hulu.com/watch/68225/saturday-night-live-debbie-downer.

New Favorites

Although I still enjoy watching shows like House Hunters and The Big Bang Theory, my new favorites are: (1) Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, (2) The Best Thing I Ever Ate, (3) Modern Family, and (4) The Middle. 

Like House Hunters, I can watch episodes of Triple D over and over again.  The food always looks so tasty!  I hope The Best Thing I Ever Ate makes it as a permanent show on The Food Network.  It's interesting to see the food items that chefs and TV personalities identify as the best they've ever eaten.

For a few years, it seemed like the half-hour comedy was becoming a thing of the past.  This year, there are good comedies on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights.  In my opinion, Wednesday night is the strongest with decent comedies on CBS and outstanding comedies on ABC.  The actors on Modern Family and The Middle are perfectly cast, and the writers are great!  Modern Family keeps me laughing the entire episode, and there's something nice about The Middle.  The family just seems real.  Also, Patricia Heaton is excellent as Frankie Heck.

One Month Later

One month has passed... what has that month been like for Haitians?  I can't imagine.  According to CNN, the earthquake is responsible for more than 212,000 deaths, 300,000 people injured, and 1 million people left homeless (which, combined, is more than half of the population in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas).  One month later, I still wonder what I wondered on January 12th... how will Haiti ever recover from such devastation?

As I ponder the situation in Haiti, I realize that I should be much more thankful for my circumstances.

Lots of Topics

Since several days have elapsed since my last post, I include four topics below.

Topic 1: Steven Strogatz, professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University, is writing several opinion pieces on mathematics for The New York Times.  Why is Dr. Strogatz doing this?  In his first opinion piece "From Fish to Infinity", Dr. Strogatz states, "The goal is to give you a better feeling for what math is all about and why it’s so enthralling to those who get it."  Because I think mathematicians need to do more of this sort of thing, I'm very excited to see this blog appearing in the "Opinionator" section of The New York Times.  In case you'd like to follow along, here's a link: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/steven-strogatz/.  (Since I do not often read The New York Times, I must thank Jay for letting me know about the opinion pieces.)

Topic 2: While traveling to Winston-Salem on Sunday, Jay and I were listening to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's hour-long quiz program.  During the "Lightning Fill in the Blank" segment, a bit of news about a principal in Arizona caught my attention.  Principal Ron Sterr was suspended after a letter he claims to have written as a joke was accidentally sent home to parents of second graders.  According to The Washington Post, the letter stated, "The math we do is really easy."  It goes on to say, "If your child is either too lazy or too stupid to finish it in class, I'm sending it home so that you can work with them and judge for yourself whether it is laziness or idiocy that inhibits your child's progress."  Wow!  Can you imagine getting this letter from a principal about your child?  Although Sterr claims that the letter was written to actually show how idiotic such comments are, parents, of course, had no way of knowing this when they read their letters.  These are the types of comments that lead students to believe that they just can't do math because they aren't smart enough, which is very unfortunate.  Here's a link to the coverage of this story by The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020202620.html.

Topic 3: After watching Ina Garten roast vegetables several months ago during an episode of Barefoot Contessa, I began roasting carrots.  Soon after that, I started roasting potatoes, and I now roast asparagus, too.  I have found that these vegetables are so tasty when prepared this way, and the roasting is no more difficult than any other cooking method.

Topic 4: Although I did not watch the Super Bowl, one of my friends mentioned that the Google ad Parisian Love was one of the commercials.  Here's a link to the ad: http://www.youtube.com/searchstories.  Although the story definitely is sweet, I really like the video because it accurately shows just how useful Google is.  When I want to answer just about any question, what do I do?  I Google it!  Nearly every time, I find my answer by following a link on the first page of search results.  No matter how much I learn about Google, I remain amazed!

That's all for today!

Quantity vs. Quality

Since I am a woman in my thirties who does not yet have children, any news about fertility seems to capture my attention lately. A few days ago, a new study on female egg reserves received lots of media coverage. In case you missed it, here's a link to a GMA interview on this topic:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/women-fertility-falls-lose-90-percent-eggs-30/story?id=9693015

Note the title: For Women Who Want Kids, 'the Sooner the Better': 90 Percent of Eggs Gone By Age 30. While it is interesting that a female begins life with all the eggs she will ever have (on average 300,000 potential egg cells) and the number remaining each month seems to decrease exponentially, the rapid decline in and of itself is not worrisome to me. After all, women only produce one (possibly two) mature eggs per month anyway (meaning only 400 or so eggs ever reach maturity). Thus, in my opinion, the bigger issue seems to be the quality of eggs available each month not the quantity. The following article supports my opinion:

http://www.advancedfertility.com/eggquantityquality.htm

Of course, as indicated in the article, quantity certainly is a factor when doctors perform ovarian stimulation; however, assuming that eggs reaching maturity have been randomly selected, the percentage of high-quality eggs available matters much more than the number of eggs available. If a female begins with a high percentage of high-quality eggs and is able to prevent external factors from decreasing their quality as she ages (http://www.womens-health.co.uk/egg_age.html), then it follows that she likely will become pregnant at an older age even though she has a much smaller supply of eggs from which to randomly choose.

Now, wasn't that a fun post!?!

Inmates Working and Worst Trip Ever

While driving on I-85 yesterday, I passed two different sets of "Inmates Working" signs; however, I never saw anyone working.  Of course, I thought, "Should I be concerned that I have been told twice that inmates are working, but I don't see any?"  I'm guessing the signs were placed on the road a bit before the inmates actually arrived; however, I think it would be best to place the signs on the road at the very moment the inmates arrive and then remove them at the very moment the inmates leave.  That way, there is no cause for concern that we are possibly missing inmates.

Although not extremely clumsy, I have been known to lose my balance a time or two.  My most memorable fall was at a friend's wedding 5 or 6 years ago.  I lost my balance on some carpeted stairs.  My embarrassment quickly faded when I saw blood running down my leg.  Jay and I had to leave the reception early to attend to my knee.  The carpet did quite a number on it.  In fact, it took several weeks for my injured knee to heal.  Okay... that might be a bad trip, but the worst trip ever goes to the gallery visitor who recently ripped a portion of Picasso's The Actor.  According to the New York Post, the accidental trip reduces the value of the painting by at least 65 million dollars!  Can you imagine!?!  I wonder if she'll ever visit a gallery again.  I also wonder why such valuable works of art are not fully protected so that this sort of thing cannot happen.  For more on this story, see:

• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7002316.ece
• http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/woman_tear_in_picasso_slashes_value_7VH7Cz7cyi3ytLRIexXTNI

Believe me, the next time I visit an art gallery, I'm going to be extra careful!

Cake

Cake was served at an event I recently attended.  In my opinion, the cake wasn't great.  In fact, I didn't finish my piece, which is very telling since I absolutely love good cake.  Of course, I do not plan to identify the event I attended when served this cake.  What I found interesting was that so many of the people attending commented on how much they liked the cake.  Now, they either liked the cake or were just being nice.  I'll never know.  As I listened to the comments, I was reminded of Paul Foot's comedy act about this very topic.  I just remembered to find the video clip.  Here's a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4sqS8pFwG8.  I think the whole act is really funny; however, if you don't have 8 minutes and 39 seconds to watch, skip to the 4:40 mark.