A.D. vs C.E.

Posted on 31. May, 2006 by kchristieh in articles, education, religion

I was reading an article the other day that had “C.E.” after the year notation. I had no idea what it meant.

Well, today there’s an article in Christianity Today entitled “Kentucky Wrestles With Religious Dates in Classrooms” that explains it:

“And while the immediate controversy over the use of B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord”) may have subsided, related fights over the proper role of religion in public schools appear to be far from settled.

Earlier this year, staff at the Kentucky Department of Education proposed substituting C.E. (Common Era) for A.D. and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) for B.C. in draft curriculum guidelines for high school and middle school social studies classes.

The common B.C./A.D. system is based on the supposed year of Christ’s birth — a date posited by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in the year 525. Years after Christ’s birth go up; those before it are counted backwards.”

As my Dad always says, “You learn something new every day.” Personally, I couldn’t care less if a date is A.D. or C.E. But I’m sure there are some who will spend lots of time debating this.

Gesto de amor

Posted on 30. May, 2006 by kchristieh in cool websites, health, tv

Another tearjerker…I won’t tell you what happens in this fantastic commercial…you’ll have to see for yourself.

Memorial Day in La Canada

Posted on 30. May, 2006 by kchristieh in my life, politics

La Canada Flintridge becomes a regular Small Town, USA on Memorial Day weekend. Music in the Park, croquet tournament, Korean dancing, fireworks, and of course, the annual Memorial Day Parade.

This year’s parade was as fine as ever. The preschoolers decorated their wagons and dragged their stuffed animals, and the jr. high band proved its worthiness. A few more Democrats came out of the closet this year, and 106 of them marched down Foothill Blvd., along with a few local candidates for assembly and congress.

A few of the parade entrants were somewhat confusing. I still haven’t figured out who the gentlemen in the picture to the right were with, as they didn’t have a sign announcing their group. I’m guessing they were Mongolian, or perhaps Falun Gong. I don’t know, but they had great outfits. I’m impressed that Domino’s Pizza managed to get 4 or 5 cars in the parade, but it’s probably because they promised free pizza at the end of the parade route. The UPS store sponsored some cheerleaders, so there was even a UPS truck in the parade.

But of course, my favorites were the Shriners. I know a few men who should join so they can ride the spiffy little cars.

I wonder if they accept women? But, my kids would die if I ever did that…and it’s not really my personality anyway.

Spellbound

Posted on 29. May, 2006 by kchristieh in education, movies, parenting

After watching the National Spelling Bee champs in the movie “Spellbound,” I thought I was pretty sharp to come up with the word

blog·or·rhe·a  (blôg-r, lg-)  

NOUN:

Excessive number of posts in a blog.

But then I Googled it, and found out that there were already 73,500 English and French pages for it. Guess I won’t be able to claim my 15 minutes of fame yet.

Great movie – watch it with the kids. And then decide if that’s what you want for your family. It makes club soccer look like it’s for

dil·et·tantes  (dl-tänts, dl-tänts, -tänts, -tnts, -tnts)

NOUN:

1. Dabblers in an art or a field of knowledge. See Synonyms at amateur.

Roadfood

Posted on 28. May, 2006 by kchristieh in articles, books, cool websites, food

Before my next roadtrip, I’m going to check out roadfood.com. It’s the website of Jane and Michael Stern, who have dedicated themselves to writing about America’s often humble restaurant gems. Nora Ephron wrote a glowing review of the most recent edition of their annual guide, , in today’s NY Times. Here’s an excerpt:

“Two for the Road” is part memoir, part guide, part cookbook, and full of the lessons the Sterns learned in the course of their travels: Stop at any place that has a statue of a cow on the roof. Eat at restaurants that are open only for breakfast and lunch. Look for old ladies with hairnets in the kitchen. And, of course: “There is a direct correlation between the excellence of the food and the number of pictures of Jesus on the wall.”

I’m most curious about the ice cream shop in St. Louis whose specialty is “concrete.” I also think they need to add The Omelette Factory (see post below) to their list.

I hadn’t realized this was the same Jane Stern who wrote one of my favorite books, . It’s about her quest to become an EMT. It’s quite inspirational, and if she can do it, I can do just about anything too!

Food Hall of Shame

Posted on 27. May, 2006 by kchristieh in food

I’ve got a little post-it in my kitchen which lists five ingredients I should avoid. In case I lose the post-it, or I have a moment of weakness, I’m posting them here:

• Sugar: That’s obvious!
• High fructose corn syrup: It’s amazing how much food is sweetened by this.
• Enriched flour (wheat or white): “Enriched” means they’re trying to add in the good stuff that was taken out. But it winds up being poor in nutrition.
• Saturated fat: Solid at room temperature, so you can imagine what it does to your arteries!
• Hydrogentated oil: aka “trans-fats” Again, solid at room temperature. Click on the link to see a picture – gross!!

The links go to Oprah’s website, where there are also great tips on what’s ok to eat. So far so good – not a single Girl Scout cookie passed my lips this season!

 

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Posted on 26. May, 2006 by kchristieh in books, education, parenting

Frank McCourt has got to be one of the most humble autobiographers ever. His most recent book, “Teacher Man”, follows in the tradition of “‘Tis” and “Angela’s Ashes” by baring his life to the reader, lumps and all. “Teacher Man” explores his 30 years of teaching English in the New York City Public School System, and he recalls his challenges and triumphs along the way. He’s not a traditional teacher, but his passion and creative techniques clearly captivate many of his students. He hits his stride at his last post at Stuyvesant High School, where the highly-gifted and motivated students encourage some of his best work.

McCourt is a late-bloomer, with his first book published at the age of 66, when he’d already retired from teaching. I hope he keeps blooming!

I read this book in one day, when my mom was in surgery. Even though I’m not a teacher, it was captivating and inspirational! I wish I’d had a teacher like him, or that my kids could. In any case, I’ve decided my daughter is “The Mouth” in her classes: the one who asks offbeat questions just to “shake things up.”

Omelette Factory

Posted on 25. May, 2006 by kchristieh in food, my life

On a lighter note, I had the best omelette of my life yesterday when I had a Greek omelette at The Omelette Factory in Santee. My stepfather was afraid we’d hit traffic on the way to the hospital yesterday, so we left at 5:15 am for my mom’s 8:15 am appointment. We were there by 5:45 am, so we had time for a s-l-o-w breakfast. And hiking. And exploring…

Anyway, it’s worth going to Santee just to eat at The Omelette Factory. You could take a hike in the nearby wilderness parks, and if you are successful in avoiding mountain lions, come to the restaurant to celebrate.

I added it to my Platial map.

Mom’s operation went well

Posted on 25. May, 2006 by kchristieh in health, my life

My mom’s breast cancer surgery went well yesterday. The doctor thinks he got the whole lump, and upon first examination the sentinel node appeared not to be cancerous. There’s a 5% chance that in a week the pathology report will come back and say he either didn’t get the whole lump or there was cancer in the lymph node, so we’re still not out of the woods yet.

I went down to San Diego to be with her and my stepfather. I’m glad I did, as my extra set of ears proved to be quite useful.

Many thanks to all who have been and are continuing to hold her in their thoughts and prayers. A special thanks from yesterday to Scott Swanson, the dedicated baseball coach who drove my son to his game. See Scott? You made it to my blog after all!

If you aren’t doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide?

Posted on 22. May, 2006 by kchristieh in parenting, politics, technical

Great article in Wired about the value of privacy. Though some people say that If you aren’t doing anything wrong you shouldn’t have anything to hide, the writer points out that what you define as ok, another might define as wrong. Also, the definition often changes, and someone could do something nefarious with your personal information. Besides, privacy is a basic human right, and is part of what gives us our dignity.

“Too many wrongly characterize the debate as “security versus privacy.” The real choice is liberty versus control. Tyranny, whether it arises under threat of foreign physical attack or under constant domestic authoritative scrutiny, is still tyranny. Liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy. Widespread police surveillance is the very definition of a police state. And that’s why we should champion privacy even when we have nothing to hide.”

All that said, I wish we could use the GPS on my daughter’s stolen cellphone to track it. And, someday, it might be nice to be able to look up where my kids’ cellphones (and therefore, their bodies) are on a map on my computer. Just call me “Big Mother.”

Books being returned today

Posted on 20. May, 2006 by kchristieh in books, cool websites

I’m returning three books to the library today:

: A beleaguered NY magazine employee acts as a “go-fer” for an evil boss. It’s painful to read, especially if you’ve ever had a witch for a boss. (I’ve had my share…) It was a bit too long, but satisfying in the end. I admit to skimming through part of the middle. It reminds me of one of my friends’ current employment situation. Movie coming out soon, starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. Inspired casting.

: When the protagonist’s parents die, she moves in with her uncle, a priest. He’s a great father to her, but is ultimately wrongly accused of molesting her, and is sent away. After she’s hit in a car accident as an adult, she pursues what really happened to him. I liked it, and stayed up late reading it a few times.

: OK, I’m a sucker for Lisa Scottoline. Great mystery, read it in one day. I won’t tell you what happens. The best brain candy…

Of course, I ordered the books online via the LA County Library System, and they delivered them to my local branch. It’s free!

Too trusting

Posted on 20. May, 2006 by kchristieh in parenting

You’d think that after her backpack was stolen at school (see March postings) my daughter would learn that she shouldn’t leave valuable items lying around in public. However, when there wasn’t a locker available at Magic Mountain yesterday, she left her cellphone in a friend’s backpack outside one of the rides. Not surprisingly, (to the adults in her life) the backpack was stolen. Lucky for her that we still have an old cellphone that we can re-activate for free. Such a sheltered life…it’s nice that she feels so safe, but she’s got to learn to be more careful, since it’s not so safe everywhere.

There’s not much sympathy in these quarters. She wants a new cellphone for a graduation gift, but it’s not going to happen.

If Al Gore were President

Posted on 19. May, 2006 by kchristieh in politics, tv

If you like historical “what if?” scenarios, or if you’re a diehard Democrat, you should check out this hilarious, yet poignant, Saturday Night Live skit where Al Gore gives a speech as if he’s our president.

Here are my favorite excerpts:

We have way too much gasoline. Gas is down to $0.19 a gallon and the oil companies are hurting.

I know that I am partly to blame by insisting that cars run on trash.
…

As for immigration, solving that came at a heavy cost, and I personally regret the loss of California. However, the new Mexifornian economy is strong and el Presidente Schwarznegger is doing a great job.

Thanks for the link, Celina!

Autism Speaks

Posted on 18. May, 2006 by kchristieh in education, parenting

How much do you really know about autism? I know several people with autistic kids, so I thought it would be worthwhile to watch the short “Autism Every Day” movie at the Autism Speaks website. The movie profiles several mothers and their autistic kids, and shows how autism impacts the entire lives of the whole family.

These moms are living with a big, dark cloud over them, and though they try to be optimistic that a cure will be found, that’s far off in the future, if at all. In the meantime, they contend with children who wear diapers longer than they should, throw fits, can’t communicate, and are often unable to control themselves. I recommend this film even for people that already know a fair amount about autism, as it really highlights what it’s like for the families struggling with it.

Which leader are you?

Posted on 18. May, 2006 by kchristieh in cool websites

The first time I took this test, I answered only 27 questions and they said I was Mother Teresa. The second time I answered all 45 and I was Gandhi. That’s probably more accurate. Either way, I’m like someone in India. But, I’m definitely not emaciated.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Many thanks to Rudy’s blog for the link.

Minivans as high-prestige vehicles

Posted on 17. May, 2006 by kchristieh in articles, parenting

I love this snippet from TCSDaily’s “The Parent Trap” article:

“Nowadays to have kids means something closer to an expulsion from the adult world. People in the suburbs buy SUVs instead of minivans not because they need the four-wheel-drive capabilities, but because the SUVs lack the minivan’s close association with low-prestige activities like parenting, and instead provide the aura of high-prestige activities like whitewater kayaking. Why should kayaking be more prestigious than parenting? Because parenting isn’t prestigious in our society. If it were, childless people would drive minivans just to partake of the aura.”

The article mostly focuses on how parenting is burdensome in both economic and social terms. I agree, but I also think it’s extremely rewarding.

But I don’t ever think I’ll see the day when my kids think it’s cool that their mom drives a minivan, even if it does have a Snoopy sticker on the back. (Which won’t come off.)

Blogging the Bible

Posted on 16. May, 2006 by kchristieh in cool websites, religion

Today’s Slate article titled “Blogging the Bible: What happens when an ignoramus reads the Good Book?” sums up much of what I feel about Bible studies. Although I’ve probably read more of the Bible than the article’s author, I don’t always remember what I’ve read. So sometimes it’s surprising when I re-read part of it and see something I haven’t seen before. I plan on following this fellow’s blog, and seeing what he finds. He’s got a good sense of humor, though sometimes he thinks God isn’t as omnipotent as I believe he is. Meanwhile, I continue with Kerygma in our church small group.

PTA Convention – it’s actually OK!

Posted on 11. May, 2006 by kchristieh in education, my life, parenting

I’m heading back down to the PTA convention in Anaheim again tomorrow. This is my third convention (I was also a prez for two years when the kids were in elementary school) so I thought the convention would be a yawner. I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t. The returning prez class reminded us of how to dot our i’s and cross our t’s, and gave tips on dealing with tough situations which often arise. But the best class so far was on internet predators, put on by the LA County DA’s office. They gave a broad range of tips for parents and kids, covering everything from email and IM to MySpace, etc. The most memorable part were the scary stories. I tried telling some to my daughter, but she said she’s going to hear about it tomorrow at a school assembly. I told her anyway.

Hopefully I’ll have the strength tomorrow to continue to say “no” to all the fresh-baked cookies in the exhibit hall…

Mom update

Posted on 11. May, 2006 by kchristieh in health, my life

I met with my mom’s doctor on Monday, and he seems great. Smart, experienced, respectful and compassionate – just what we’d want. Kaiser (!!) treated her great, and had her also meet with a patient advocate and a volunteer who’d survived breast cancer. I think she’ll be in good hands. Surgery is scheduled for May 24th. All prayers are appreciated!

Lawmaker sent to `doghouse’

Posted on 08. May, 2006 by kchristieh in politics

Here’s a quintessential example of how messed up our state assembly is from yesterday’s Pasadena Star News:

After refusing to fall in line with Democratic leadership on the record $37 billion bond package passed Friday, Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, was kicked out of his office.

“I was told to pack my bags and move out of my office immediately,” he said.

No wonder so many voters are cynical! All Democrats don’t have exactly the same views, so why should all Democratic assembly members? Ditto for the Republicans!
I say hooray to Mr. Arambula for standing up for what he believes in!

Vacationing in Burma

Posted on 07. May, 2006 by kchristieh in articles, international, travel

The first clue that vacationing in Burma isn’t normal should be that people can’t even agree on its name: is it “Burma” or is it “Myanmar”, the name given to it by its current dictators? Today’s New York Times has an excellent article titled “Treading Lightly on the Road to Mandalay” about tourism in Burma, noting that few tourists go there because human rights groups say that most of the tourism money winds up in the hands of the nefarious regime. It cites the statistic that the Free Burma Rangers say that over 11,000 Burmese have fled their homes in recent months due to attacks by the Burma Army. Actually, since the article was written, the FBR website says that the number has increased to 13,000. Wow.

But of course, the article also points out that Burma is an amazing country, and the fact that tourists aren’t there allows the few who do to more fully appreciate it. I love the picture to the right. At first glance I just saw a handsome little boy in front of a pagoda. Then, I saw what’s on his shirt…”World War” “U.S. Army.” (click on the picture to see a larger version.) Clearly, though a beautiful place, Burma still has many struggles ahead.

Sometimes you don’t want to be an expert

Posted on 07. May, 2006 by kchristieh in health, my life

This afternoon I’m going to become as much of an expert on breast cancer as possible, so I can formulate some intelligent questions to ask tomorrow at my mom’s visit to her surgeon. Big thanks go out to Tom Pajak and Bill Loui, who have been a great help so far. And big thanks to Stephanie at Dream Dinners in Pasadena, who let me squeeze into her schedule yesterday and make some meals for my mom and stepfather. She even helped me put a few together!

Nature intrudes on softball game

Posted on 04. May, 2006 by kchristieh in environment, my life

I heard a “squeak squeak” at my daughter’s softball game this evening, and saw a dark gray rodent slowly waddling out toward left field. So, I scurried after it, and discovered that it was a broad-footed mole. (Of course, I only figured this out later at enature.com.) It was u-g-l-y and used its powerful snout and broad feet to dig itself into the ground. I grabbed a plastic cookie container from the garbage to put it in, but by the time I returned it had half its body in the ground. Megan’s mom graciously offered me her cashmere scarf to grab its tail with, but I declined, since it was too nice a scarf. And, I couldn’t bother such a hard-working mole.

Ok, so actually, it was pretty gross. And my daughter was standing in left field completely mortified that her mom was squatting down near right field looking at a mole. There’s only so far I should allow myself to embarass her…

A Week Without…High Fructose Corn Syrup??

Posted on 03. May, 2006 by kchristieh in food, my life, parenting

Inspired by the recent “Day Without Immigrants,” I’m threatening my kids with a “Week Without High Fructose Corn Syrup.” My son screamed in despair when I proposed this fine idea. I think he could make it through a day, but he’d be begging for food from school pals if we tried to go a week at it. Hmmm…maybe when school’s out for the summer! Heehee!!

Stephen Colbert at White House Correspondents Dinner

Posted on 03. May, 2006 by kchristieh in politics, tv

Whoever hired him for this event has got to be regretting it! I personally think Stephen Colbert is hilarious, informative, and a true American hero. Because it sure does take guts to stand next to the President and say what he said on Saturday night! You can see a video of Colbert’s remarks by clicking here.

Thank goodness we’re in America and have this freedom…

JackTracker

Posted on 01. May, 2006 by kchristieh in cool websites, tv

If you’re a “24″ fan, you MUST check out JackTracker, the Google overlay map that tracks Jack Bauer and the gang’s movements as the show progresses. It’s amazing how quickly they move, but that’s what happens when martial law eliminates traffic.

Many thanks to Michele for clueing me in to this!