The perfect gift for your biology teacher

Posted on 31. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, my life, shopping

I’m not sure when I knew I’d never be a biologist. Maybe it was when I fainted when I tried to prick my finger to get a blood type sample. Or maybe it was when Mr. Russell tossed me a sheep’s eye to dissect. Or maybe it was when I discovered that kids dissected cats in AP Bio. Either way, my freshman year of high school was the last time I took the subject.

Ironically, I didn’t mind dissecting frogs. I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s because I’m naturally curious. These days, some schools dispense with frog cadavers altogether and have the kids “dissect” them on the computer. If the program’s effective, I love the idea of saving the lives of frogs.

Here’s another way to teach the kids: purchase the “Knitting in Biology 101” pattern from CraftyHedgehog’s Etsy shop and make your own dissected frog. It includes all the major organs, plus neat little X’s for the eyes.

I’m not a knitter, so this is out of my league. Sorry, Patty C.! But if you know and love a biology teacher, this would make the perfect gift.

Now to try to make up for the time I mistakenly entered a room full of human cadavers as I researched my first story for the college newspaper…now THAT would be quite a knitting project!!

I need to get prepared for the next big earthquake

Posted on 30. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in environment, religion

Does your house ever creak? When we lived in Pasadena, our house would make strange noises in the months and weeks before a big earthquake.

Our house has been creaking lately. Hopefully that doesn’t mean there will be an earthquake, but I should be prepared at all times anyway. One of the great kids who helped me clean up the school at Servathon a few weeks ago told me that her earthquake researcher father just purchased a big bin of earthquake supplies. If that’s not a sign to be prepared, I don’t know what is.

I figure I’ll never be completely prepared, but I could have more toilet paper, dog food, and canned goods around. I’ll probably never be prepared as some Mormons are, but we’ll probably be in better shape than many. Here’s a helpful list of what you should stock.

Do you know what to do if there’s an earthquake? I thought I did, but I definitely didn’t ace this 10-question earthquake quiz. I’m glad I took it, however, since I learned a few things. Maybe they’ll save my life someday.

If you get a question wrong, the house disintegrates. Thank goodness it’s not my house!!

You know you’re an adult in La Canada Flintridge when…

Posted on 29. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in local news, social networking

• You’ve had to explain to people that you’re not from Canada.
• You’ve shopped at Ralphs even when Vons is closer.
• Even though Arco is cheaper, sometimes you go to other gas stations so you can use your credit card.
• You know that wherever you go in town, you’ll see someone you know.
• You tell your kids they won’t get away with anything in this town because someone will always find out and tell you.
• You know who Officer Smith is, and may have even appreciated him.
• You’d never dare drive over 40 on Foothill.
• You can count on one hand the number of friends who have moved out of town since you’ve lived here.
• You know what PCR, PCY, LCE, FIS, LCPC, LAFC, ALF, LCJBSA, Gala, Parent Ed, Fiesta Days and LCHS stand for.
• You can’t really figure out who all those kids are that go to school in the old FIS building are. But you’re pretty sure they’re not Scientologists.
• Your child played AYSO and LCJBSA.
• You sent your child to the Gollatz Cotillion.
• You love the concept of a bookstore here, but you admit to still buying books on Amazon.com.
• You’re often surprised when someone says they’re a Democrat.
• You love the Korean food at elementary school carnivals.
• You call the local freeway “The 210″ instead of “The Foothill Freeway.”
• You can’t wait for the sewer construction to end.
• You have either parrots or peacocks in your neighborhood, unless you have rattlesnakes and coyotes instead.
• If you’re a woman, you’re either in a book club or have been asked to join a book club.
• When you go to the library, you don’t browse: you pick up the books you ordered online.
• There are some people in town who everyone knows by their first name: Anthony, Jinny, Janice, Damon, Wendy, …
• Every adult you know in town has a child.
• You sometimes feel like a family with just two kids is small.
• Your children think that God made women with blonde hair, and men with brown hair.
• You’ve woken up at an insanely early hour to sign your kid up for preschool, camp, sports, summer school, parent ed., etc.
• You and your neighbors can’t agree on whether LCF is rural or suburban.
• You can’t believe you need to cross the street to get your mail.
• You love Trader Joe’s but hate its parking lot.
• You’ve marched in at least one Fiesta Days parade.
• You wish you had a funny little car like the Shriners in the parade do.
• You tell your kids never to drive into the mountains.
• Your teen has begged you to schedule her driving test in Newhall, even though Glendale is right next door.
• You hope your child won’t be at the high school in a big earthquake.
• You have a strong opinion about whether Home Goods going into the Sport Chalet Town Center is a good thing.
• You feel sorry for Penguins, but go to Pinkberry anyway.
• You don’t miss Hidden Treasures. Is it really gone?
• You think the town has enough banks, cleaners and hair salons.
• You either drive a big car, a luxury car, or a Prius.
• After a few years here you can recognize people from behind by their hair or the way they walk.
• You’ve given money to supplement public education funding.
• You read the Valley Sun and the Outlook cover to cover each Thursday.
• You have a favorite Mexican restaurant and a favorite pizza parlor in town.
• You forget you’re on top of a freeway when you’re at Memorial Park.
• When your kids were little, they loved running up and down the hill at the park during Music in the Park.
• You go to Pasadena to see most of your movies.
• As illogical as it may seem, you know that the exit to In-N-Out is after the exit for the 134.
• You scan the Rose Parade program to make sure not to miss the La Canada float.
• It drives you crazy when people say “Hahamonga” instead of “Hahamongna.”
• You’ve argued with people who think that JPL is in Pasadena.
• If you live in Flintridge, you only call it that if you’ve lived there more than 20 years. Otherwise, you say you live in La Canada.

——————————————-

I’ve created a Facebook group called “” with this list on it. Join Facebook and let me know if you have any additions to the list!

How do I find thee?

Posted on 28. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, technical

Thirty years ago, there were three main ways to communicate with someone:

• Talk to them in person
• Call them on the telephone
• Write them a letter

Life’s gotten much more complicated. Now we can reach someone via all the above PLUS

• Text message
• Cell phone call
• Facebook / MySpace
• Email

Now I need to know what everyone’s email address and phone numbers are, as well as which method each person prefers. For example, although my son doesn’t usually read his email, he’ll definitely read a Facebook message. My husband reads his email, but doesn’t always answer his cellphone. My sister’s hardly ever on her computer, so I call her. My mom doesn’t have a Facebook page yet, and her cellphone is always off, so I either email or call her on her landline. My daughter’s the easiest to get in touch with: all of the above work for her.
Hopefully someone’s developing something to consolidate all of these!

Hillary, please step aside

Posted on 27. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, social networking

After detailing how utterly improbable it is that Hillary Clinton will wind up with more popular votes than Barack Obama, Nicholas Kristof says the following in today’s NY Times:

Meanwhile, the big winner of the Democratic fist-fighting is Senator McCain. A Gallup poll released Wednesday found that 19 percent of Mr. Obama’s supporters said they would vote for Mr. McCain in the general election if Mrs. Clinton were the nominee. More startling, 28 percent of Mrs. Clinton’s supporters said they would defect to Mr. McCain if Mr. Obama were the nominee.

Exit polls show the same trend. In South Carolina in January, about 70 percent of each candidate’s supporters said they would be happy if the other person ended up winning the nomination. By the Ohio and Texas primaries in March, fewer than half of each candidate’s supporters said they would be content with the other person as nominee.

Granted, tempers may cool by November. But dragging out the contest only deepens wounds and reduces time for healing: In 9 of the last 10 presidential elections, the nominee chosen first ended up winning in November. And if the Democratic nominee has been crippled, that would hurt Democrats running for other offices as well.

What’s up with Clinton’s supporters? Obama’s platform is much closer to Clinton’s than McCain’s is. I prefer Obama, but if Clinton is the nominee, I’ll support her. But Kristof is right: the more time goes by, the less confident I am in the other candidate.

So, PLEASE step aside, Hillary! Do it for the good of the country, so that the Democrats can unite and win this race!!!

Click if you’re interested in joining the “Hillary, for the good of our country it’s time to step aside” group on Facebook. I have the feeling this group will get quite big! Also, click to join Nicholas Kristof’s fan club on Facebook.

My husband might be a bone marrow match for a sick little girl

Posted on 26. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in health, inspirational people, my life

My husband got a phone call this evening from the National Marrow Donor Program saying that his bone marrow might be a match for a 6-year-old girl with leukemia. Before they do further tests to determine compatibility, they wanted to make sure he’d be willing to be a donor if he’s a perfect match. Being the wonderful guy he is, of course he said he would. After all, wouldn’t you be willing to put up with a sore back for 4-5 days or slight flu symptoms for a week to save someone’s life? I HOPE SO!!!

It’s easier than ever to become part of the registry. Visit the National Marrow Donor Program website to see where you can donate. They’ll either swab your cheek or take a small blood sample. Then, just make sure you keep your contact information updated when you move.

He should find out if he’s a match in a few weeks. I hope that either he is or someone else is.

And I hope that if you’re not already registered as a potential donor, that you do so right away. After all, wouldn’t it be awful if someone died when you could have saved them? Or if someone didn’t register that could have saved you…or your child?!?

(By the way, don’t forget to become an organ donor either! Remember, you can’t take it with you…)

Trevor Kott, the cute little guy pictured to the right, died before a bone marrow match could be found. Let’s not let it happen again!

POSTSCRIPT:

In early May, we received a letter stating that circumstances have changed, and the patient is not ready for a transplant at this time. Hopefully it’s because she’s gotten better without it…

Facebook coincidence: 1 in a Million

Posted on 26. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in social networking

The following items showed up next to each other on my Facebook News Feed today. Pretty coincidental, but knowing the parties involved, I’m not going to read any deeper meaning into it:

If you could have a new life, would you?

Posted on 24. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in life lessons

Ian Usher’s sick of his life. He misses his wife of 12 years, and everything around him reminds him of happier times. Instead of ending his life, he’s decided to sell it. That’s right: you can buy his house, his furnishings, and his motorbike. The buyer will have the opportunity to interview for his job and hang out with his friends.

When I say everything is included in the sale I mean EVERYTHING is included! Upon completion and settlement I will walk out of my home for the last time in just the clothes I am wearing, and carrying only my wallet and passport.

My current thoughts are to then head to the airport, and ask at the flight desk where the next flight with an available seat goes to, and to get on that and see where life takes me from there!

I wish him the best, and I’m glad he’s not doing something more drastic like committing suicide. But I’m concerned for Ian: if he’s willing to ditch the life he’s made for himself, will the next one he creates be much better? He sounds very rational on his website, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s taken the time to do some self-introspection and figure out if there’s anything he can do to make his next life better.

This reminds me of a story I once heard:

A couple asked their pastor if they’d be happy in their new house. “Do you like your current neighbors and do you have friends here?” he asked. “Yes, we do, and we’ll miss them a lot,” they replied. “Then I’m sure you’ll like your new home.”

Another couple asked the pastor the same question, and he asked them about their current life. “We don’t like our neighbors, and we’ve had a hard time making friends in this town,” they responded. “Then I don’t think you’ll like where you’re moving,” he said.

It’s easy to blame our circumstances on external influences, but usually we should be looking at our own actions and attitudes when examining our lives. Of course, there are bad and good things that can happen to anyone. But the key is usually how we deal with it.

My father-in-law’s about to leave the house he’s lived in for 40 years. It’s full of memories of his wife, who passed away two years ago, and his children, who all live in different states. He’s facing tough choices about what to sell and what to keep. Whatever he does with his material possessions, he’ll still have the love of his family and friends. And after all, that’s what’s important.

Why did you or didn’t you go to church on Easter?

Posted on 23. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in inspirational people, local news, music, my life, religion

I was quite relieved last summer when I found out that . If she could have doubts, then I figure it’s ok if the rest of us do.

That was the essence of the Easter sermon at my church today: it’s healthy to doubt. Some of Christ’s disciples even had doubts sometimes, and they were at his side to witness miracles. If you don’t question your beliefs, then you might be perceived as irrational or delusional. And maybe you are. Then again, maybe you’re not. Sometimes I wish I never had doubts, because I think I’d probably be more effective at communicating my Christian faith to others. It’s no coincidence that the world’s fastest growing faiths are those that encourage unquestioning religious devotion. It’s easier in life to just see the world as black and white, and not have to think through what others are telling you to believe.

I think it’s ok that I naturally question things. I believe the world is more grey than black and white. But even with my questioning and doubts, I always come back to having faith in God. It’s at my core. I think my questioning usually helps make my faith stronger. It also helps me appreciate others even when they come to different conclusions.

Garrison Keillor wrote a great essay called “Thinking weaselish thoughts at Eastertide” on Salon.com this week about whether he just attends church because he likes hanging out with nice people and listening to organ music. Even so, I think he’s also seeking truths, and I hope he finds them.

I thought of him as I sang the “” at the end of today’s service. I was in choir for most of my youth, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE singing the alto part to that song. It brings tears to my eyes. I’m such a sentimental gal sometimes. I love this that shows the four-part score as an unseen choir sings the song.

After church, we decided to take it easy and go to In-N-Out before the relatives descended upon our home. Bad choice: it was closed. Not surprising, given that they put a Bible verse on their cups. We wound up having a great meal at Islands. As we were leaving, one of my son’s friends called and asked to come over since there was a convict in his neighborhood. We said “no” at first, since we were having relatives over, but when he got off the phone we got the full story and changed our minds. It turns out that (to the best of our knowledge) an escaped convict from Colorado had stolen a car and the car was found on our friends’ street. There was a SWAT team in place, and residents were evacuated. We invited the family to dinner, and had such a lovely time that we hope to spend many more holidays with them. It’s funny how things work out.

Here’s a picture of the helicopter circling above La Canada. I took it as my husband drove up the 2 Freeway.

They wound up catching the guy the next day sitting at a bus stop in the middle of town. Click here for more details.

Patricia O’Neil made me a beautiful house tile

Posted on 23. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in art, my life, work

One of the best things about being a website designer is that I get to meet lots of great new people and learn about their businesses. One of my clients, Patricia O’Neil, is an artist in Laguna Beach. She makes exquisite porcelain Santas and gorgeous handmade house tiles. She recently needed some updates on her website, so we struck a deal that instead of paying me, she’d make me a house tile.

Here’s what she delivered to me today:

The photo doesn’t nearly do it justice. The colors are more vivid in real life, and it’s three-dimensional. The trees, the fence, and the porch are all further forward than the house itself. It’s 14″ x 9.5″, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It usually takes me awhile to hang new artwork, but I put this up immediately. I chose to put it in our kitchen, so that if there’s an earthquake and it falls down, it’ll only go as far as the counter and hopefully won’t break.

This would be a perfect housewarming gift or going-away gift for someone. Our old house had a very nice watercolor painting that someone had made of it, but it was big and had been left there by several previous owners, so we left it behind too. I plan on keeping this tile with me wherever I move, however.

If I hate shots so much, why’d I get 36 today?

Posted on 20. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in food, health, my life

I’m quite proud of myself. Despite my irrational phobia of shots, I allowed a kind, talkative nurse to give me 36 shots in my left arm to test me for various food allergies.

Nine came out positive: apples, peaches, hazelnuts, walnuts, celery, strawberries, chocolate, navy beans and beef. I need to avoid all of these for the next month and then slowly reintroduce them into my diet to see if they’re a serious problem.

I’m not surprised. I’ve had serious reactions to strawberries and apples before, although most of the time those fruits don’t bother me. In fact, I have strawberries nearly every day for breakfast. I’m disappointed. What will I eat at In-N-Out? I’m now avoiding Diet Coke, all the above foods, alcohol (it messes with my sleep and makes me fat), bread and rice. I need something left to enjoy! I’m sure that once I don’t have these foods for awhile I won’t miss them. When I was about 10, a dermatologist told me to avoid chocolate, caffeine and peanut butter to help clear up my acne, and I didn’t miss them for the next 10 years.

I won’t complain any more. I’m so fortunate to live in a country with ample food options. But allow me just one more moment to show you what my arm looks like. Ouchie! The shots I reacted to the most hurt immediately.

If you still don’t like Obama, I challenge you to listen to this

Posted on 19. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, videos

Do you think he’s a racist? Do you think he’s divisive? Do you think he’s a Muslim? Do you think he doesn’t talk about issues?

Then I challenge you to listen to Barack Obama’s speech at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia and keep an open mind. Don’t let someone else tell you what to believe: decide for yourself.

Here are a few quotes from the speech:

• “Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity…”
• “But I have asserted a firm conviction – a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people – that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union.For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs – to the larger aspirations of all Americans — the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.”
• “In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us be our brother’s keeper, Scripture tells us. Let us be our sister’s keeper. Let us find that common stake we all have in one another, and let our politics reflect that spirit as well.”

Click here to see the full text of the speech.

Design your own kaleidoscope picture

Posted on 18. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in art, cool websites, my life

Here’s a cool site I Stumbled upon recently: Kaleidosketch. Whatever you draw in one section is repeated in the other sections. You can choose different colors, or go with a more random rainbow option. My latest sketch is featured to the right. I think it would actually make a nice kitchen tile.

This definitely appeals to my compulsive side. I crave order, and detest chaos. Had you noticed?

This is why you should use a shredder

Posted on 18. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in my life

I found this on my back doorstep yesterday morning after the fierce winds that blew through on Sunday night.

I blocked out identifying info so that I wouldn’t make a bad matter worse. I didn’t recognize the check writer, so I’ll just shred the check myself.

I also found a purple Chinese lantern in the yard. Too bad it’s broken!
I feel like I live at the beach, and this is what’s washed ashore.

Irreverent “Hail Stanford, Hail” commercials

Posted on 17. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in advertising, animals, education, videos

These irreverent yet innovative commercials actually appear to be real. They make me so proud. Click on each image to see the commercial on YouTube.

And on a different note, here’s another Stanford-related commercial. It’s for Sony HD, and revolves around “The Play” with Cal. I was there that day, so I didn’t need to rely upon any non-existent technologies to have the highest high and the lowest low of any sporting event in history.

Using child and parent labor to clean the school

Posted on 16. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in education, my life

It’s a running challenge in our family to find an uglier high school than the one my children attend. When it opened in 1963, it was a premiere example of the Brutalism style, characterized by excessive use of angular forms made of reinforced (hopefully) concrete. But as I say to my kids, it’s like the rhyme my mother always used to tell me as she made shapes with her fingers: “Here’s the church, Here’s the steeple, Open the door, and See all the People!” It’s what’s inside that counts. Awww!!

Even so, we want our campus to look as spiffy as possible, so yesterday scores (hundreds?) of volunteers spent many hours at “Servathon” scrubbing, scraping, planting and more to clean up the campus before the upcoming Open House. I volunteered to paint, and my eager crew dusted off several stairways and painted bright yellow stripes on the edges of the steps. When that was done, we used the leftover paint to paint the bollards and the gates out front. It rained and hailed a few hours later, so I was concerned enough to return today to make sure the paint remained. It did. If not, I would have placed a call to young Michelle V., a particularly eager freshman painter. I’m sure she would have been happy to return with me to repaint.

I’ve read that kids in Japan clean their schools on a regular basis. I wish we could do that in our public school. If we did, I bet there’d be less gum and trash to pick up.

After such strenuous labor, I was a little tired by the time we attended the St. Patrick’s Day party with a bagpiper, Irish dancers, a midget and well-endowed women with teeny tiny kilts. I kid you not. Amazing but true.

A freigner is a friend you haven’t met

Posted on 16. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in my life

The shirt my husband grabbed for my son to wear to church today was too small for him. When I checked the size, I found the tag to the right, which says, “a freigner is a friend you haven’t met!”

Is that in all Volcom shirts? Or is there a factory in China with people eager to be our foreigner friends? Can I assume that a “freigner” is a “foreigner,” or is it something even more exotic?
I still can’t find the size of the shirt.

Listen to what each candidate says about the major issues

Posted on 15. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

Here’s an easy way to hear for yourself where the presidential candidates stand on key issues: ExpertVoter.org. This site consists of a grid with candidates on the y-axis and issues on the x-axis. When you click on a square, you’ll see a short video of that candidate speaking on that issue.

I’ve never even heard of some of these candidates. Too bad for them.

The video camera that launched 100,000 views

Posted on 14. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in music, my life, politics, startling statistics, videos

I love my little Flip Ultra video camera. I carry it wherever I go, and since I received it in December, I’ve posted nearly to YouTube.

Last night I determined that people have viewed my videos over 104,000 times. The most viewed video is one I took of the , with over 35,000 views and 289 comments. The second most popular was the one I took of rally at UCLA in early February. It had over 10,000 views.

It’s been quite the experience having so many people view the videos. I monitor the comments somewhat, and only mark them as spam if they’re crude or way off-topic. I try to keep a positive view of humanity, but that’s difficult when people leave hateful remarks. I don’t speak Spanish, so I don’t understand many of the comments on the El Salvadoran band video. Hopefully they’re all ok!

Twenty-two strangers have subscribed to my videos. I’m not sure what they’re expecting, since my subjects are quite diverse. Whenever I want to post a video of my kids playing sports that I only want my family to see, I post it on Google to be safe. People can only view private YouTube videos if they’re YouTube members, and most of my kids’ grandparents and great-grandparents aren’t members. Google doesn’t require membership to view private videos.

I wonder what my next video will be? I doubt it’ll garner 30,000 views, but you never know!

Give the disabled a chance to contribute

Posted on 13. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in inspirational people, politics, startling statistics, work

David Paterson is about to become New York’s first African-American and first blind governor. Today he remarked that 71 percent of blind people and 90 percent of deaf people are unemployed, even though they have a higher level of education than the average American. He noted that this is a waste of potential, and the world may never know if one of these people might have discovered a cure for cancer.

I bet he would love the story of Allison Wright that I heard on NPR the other night. Allison has Down Syndrome, but that hasn’t stopped her from learning how to use a specialized carving machine at her framing store. Her father helped her apply for a micro-loan to set up the business, and she’s got a business partner who helps her with the finances. Allison’s enthusiastic about working, and appreciates the opportunity to operate a business. Her father is clearly a very special person and has done a marvelous job of finding ways to harness Alison’s strengths.

I was also impressed by Allison’s business partner, Clay. He’s only been with her for six months, but he’s completely in her court. He told the interviewer that if a customer doesn’t want to deal with Allison, then he doesn’t want to deal with them. He and Allison joked around a lot during the interview, and it was obvious that he appreciates and respects her immensely. I thought it was neat that he takes her to museums on a regular basis so that they can look at frames!

It’s too bad that everyone who’s disabled hasn’t had the opportunities that David Paterson and Allison Wright have. Hopefully more will as time goes by, and our society will discover that everyone benefits when people realize their full potential.

Thank goodness I don’t own a light blue suit

Posted on 11. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in parenting, politics

Blue’s my favorite color, but there’s no way I’m buying a light blue suit. If I did, I’d be afraid I’d have to wear it as I stood by my man as he directed a wrecking ball towards our lives.

Fox News noted the numerous similarities between the photos of Eliot Spitzer and James McGreevey confessing their respective sins. This reminds me of the “Can you tell the difference?” feature in the old Highlights for Children magazine.

Let’s see…Mrs. McGreevey had buttons on her suit, and the stripes on Gov. Spitzer’s tie go a different way…

Why do the peccadilloes of politicians often bring up the most awkward conversations with our kids? First was Monica Lewinsky, now this. Then again, my daughter just read a juicy book about Louis XIV for history, and we’re certain that the words she needed help with (e.g., “philanderer”) definitely won’t be on the SAT.

At least this gives us a chance to let our teens know what we think of this behavior. Then again, I’m sure they knew already.

Turning healthy people into gods

Posted on 10. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in education, health, things that bug me

Most people would agree that it’s wrong for professional athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs, but what about Nobel Prize winners? Or college professors?

Yesterday’s NY Times article, Brain Enhancement is Wrong, Right?, says that some of the world’s top researchers use ADHD and narcolepsy drugs such as Adderall and Provigil to focus and stay awake, therefore giving them an edge over the competition.

At what point is this unethical? The Times article has a great quote from Francis Fukuyama,

“The original purpose of medicine is to heal the sick, not turn healthy people into gods.”

When the bar is raised so high that only drugs will help most people perform at that level, it puts people who either don’t have access to the medication or refuse to use the medication at an unfair disadvantage. Unfortunately, that happens in many other areas also. For example, wealthier kids often attend well-endowed private schools and drive their scores up with SAT prep classes that poorer kids can’t afford. And not surprisingly, there are kids who don’t have prescriptions for medications who use them to perform better on tests.

And where do we draw the line on “medication”? Coffee and cigarettes help some people to focus; do they count? And of the people who use the latter, how many of them are self-medicating when they actually could legitimately qualify for a prescription medication? Yesterday I heard Dr. Skip Baker speak at my church, and he estimated that about 10% – 20% of high schoolers need medication, but that only about half that many get it.

I don’t even like to use Tylenol unless I really need it, so this trend dismays me. Besides being unfair to those without access, there are always extra risks when you take a medication. (Then again, we sometimes unknowingly consume prescription medications when we drink our tap water.)

I’m not optimistic about this issue. I wouldn’t be surprised if this trend continues, and it becomes de rigueur for people to use prescription medications for non-medical issues.

No mention of emergencies in today’s paper

Posted on 10. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in local news

There weren’t any stories that referred to all the emergency vehicles I heard around town yesterday. Maybe Angeles Crest Highway accidents are so common that they don’t feel a need to report them.

Too many sirens

Posted on 09. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in environment, local news

All day long I’ve heard sirens. I hope I don’t read about awful things that happened here today in the paper tomorrow. Today’s weather was beautiful, so there were probably lots of motorcyclists and hikers out.

The local mountains and the roads that run through them can be so dangerous. :(

Feeding the masses at the Rose Bowl lacrosse tournament

Posted on 09. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, sports

Have you ever been so grateful to someone for what they do that you’ll do just about anything for them? That’s how I wound up organizing the food booth at yesterday’s Rose Bowl lacrosse tournament. My daughter’s lacrosse coach has put so much time and enthusiasm into the team that I couldn’t imagine letting her down.

At first I assumed I was ill-equipped for the job. But then I realized that running the elementary back-to-school picnic, operating a beach hot dog stand one summer, working at a restaurant in high school and overseeing various fund raising events had actually prepared me pretty well. The key was to delegate tasks, and I was fortunate to have a team of competent and energetic parents willing to take on the various positions I assigned.

We were told to expect to feed 1,000 people, so we purchased tons (literally?) of food and drinks. I’m not sure how many we fed, but we worked non-stop from 7:30 am – 5 pm. It was good that we ordered so many smoothies from Juice-It-Up and bought so many Diet Cokes to sell, but if we do it again we’ll order less pizzas. And we’ll definitely remember to bring the scissors and the Sharpie again!

The best parts were finally getting to see a lacrosse game in person and getting to know the other team parents better. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but it was worth it. Now to gather our receipts and see how much money we made. This is our team’s first year, so we need equipment and supplies to get us going.

Lacrosse is currently a fun, less intense alternative to many of the other high school sports. It’ll be sad when it goes the way of soccer, volleyball and baseball and gets too competitive. It’s nice to have a team that accepts beginners and is willing to teach them the sport.

How am I so sure this will happen? When I opened my Target toy circular yesterday, here’s what I saw on page 5. It’s just a matter of time…

West Bank Story spoofs Israeli-Palestinian relations

Posted on 07. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in international, movies

I think I started laughing the moment that “West Bank Story” began. After years on our wishlist, this 2006 Academy Award Winner for Best Live Action Short Film finally showed up on our Tivo. The movie follows the story arc of “West Side Story,” but instead of the Jets and the Sharks, it features the Palestinians who run the Hummus Hut right across from the Jews who run the Kosher King. There’s music, snapping fingers, a love story, and a great lesson at the end. All of this in only 30 minutes! My kids and I got a big kick out of it, and I laughed constantly.

Shakespeare would be pleased. After all, “West Side Story” itself was based on “Romeo & Juliet.” “West Bank Story” makes the story that much more modern and therefore accessible, and is daring enough to attack a topic as incendiary as Palestinian-Israeli relations. Hopefully this movie will make people on both sides of that debate take a second look at how unproductive hate can be.

Am I bad for loving little white dogs?

Posted on 06. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, my life

Ever since I saw the picture of the West Highland White Terrier in my kindergarten sticker book, I’ve been a huge fan of this breed. We got a Westie about 17 years ago, and for the next nine years she was a wonderful little friend.

It turns out I’m not the only one who likes little white dogs: MSNBC reports that larger, black dogs are less likely to be adopted from pounds and are therefore more likely to be euthanized. No one’s sure why, but potential causes include prejudice, superstition, the fact that a black dog with a little grey fur tends to look older, the fact that some of the breeds with bad reputations (e.g., Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers) are usually black, and that black dogs aren’t as noticeable in their cages.

My dog (see blog header) is doing fine, and has made it clear that she likes being an only dog, so we won’t be getting another dog any time soon. However, when we do, I’ll make sure to give the black dogs a second and third chance.

But I still think I’ll stick with a little dog. Maybe I’ll even get one that’s small enough to ride around in a little bike basket. I can become the crazy lady who misses her kids at college so much that she takes her little dog everywhere. Watch out!

Tivo this: “Oprah’s Big Give”

Posted on 03. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in life lessons, non-profits, tv

Leave it to Oprah to put a fresh and positive spin on reality TV. The kids and I watched the premiere of “Oprah’s Big Give” last night and we’re hooked.

Oprah chose 10 people to compete to most effectively give away money each week. The contestants are all quite impressive. They’ve each got lots of energy and a big heart for helping those in need.

On the first show, the contestants were divided up into five teams. Each team was given $2,500 and the name of someone who needed their help. They were evaluated on the basis of how much of a positive impact they were able to make on the person’s life within a week.

Each team did a great job of using their $2,500 as seed money to generate more money and other important things. I won’t give it away in case you didn’t watch it, but I will say that the sincerity and energy that everyone threw into their challenges was inspirational.

It was great to see something so positive on television, and hopefully it inspired my kids as much as it inspired me.

You can see “Oprah’s Big Give” online at ABC.com.

Should we throw money at the schools? Yes.

Posted on 02. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in education, startling statistics, things that bug me

Want to provoke me? Then say this,

“Throwing money at the schools won’t fix them.”

If that’s true, then

• Why do some people pay $25K a year for their kid to attend private school?
• How would we pay the teachers required to reduce our class sizes down from 31 per class in the high school?
• How would our school district pay for art, music, drama, counselors, librarians, computers and more if parents didn’t generously donate to PTA, Boosters, the Educational Foundation and more?

My husband and I attended the LCF Educational Foundation fundraiser last night. It was great to see old friends, make new ones, and raise loads of money for the schools. Our community’s lucky that it can supplement the meager money it gets from the state. Even with what the parents chip in, our district spends $6,875 per child. Unfortunately, today’s Pasadena Star News says that the state budget shortfall is expected to shrink our school district’s budget by about $2 million, or 6% of the total. That’ll be tough to do without impacting classrooms.

I recently sat on a panel with a member of the Westport, CT school board. He told the audience that his district was getting SmartBoards into the classroom. I laughed, as there’s no way we’d have money for that. I looked their district up on GreatSchools.net, and their high school spends $15,610 per pupil. It’s no wonder they have one teacher per 10 kids.

We only dream of such things in California…California dreaming, on such a winter’s day…

New Barack Obama video brings me to tears

Posted on 01. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in music, politics, videos

I’m such a sentimental softie sometimes. This new pro-Barack Obama video called “” by will.i.am brings me to tears.

Some of the YouTube comments are pretty nasty. I’m glad I’m not aligned with people with so much hatred in their souls. I’ve seen many similar comments on the I posted from the Obama rally at UCLA early last month. I let the comments stay (unless they’re profane) and figure that their ugly venom speaks for itself.