La Canada Flintridge parcel tax passes with nearly 75% of the vote

Posted on 30. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, education, local news

La Canada Flintridge voters have overwhelmingly approved Measure LC, a tax of $150 per parcel to help fund local schools. Election results as of this evening indicate that nearly 75% of the votes approved of the tax. Some votes have yet to be counted, but they won’t bring the percentage below the 2/3 needed to pass the tax.

This will bring about $900,000 per year to our local school district. It won’t cover the whole shortfall the district will need to cover due to decreased state funding, but it’ll definitely help lessen the pain.

Thanks to all who supported Measure LC and our schools!!

New YMCA website launches

Posted on 29. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in work

Every few years a website needs refreshing. Design trends change, technology advances, and businesses and organizations evolve. The YMCA of the Foothills (formerly known as the Crescenta-Canada YMCA) website was long overdue for an overhaul when they hired me and some of my fellow freelancers for help. The colors were old, the design was very plain, and the site was difficult to navigate. Most of all, it didn’t make you want to get involved in the great activities and opportunities the YMCA provides. You can see a screenshot of the old site to the right.

Before we got started, graphic designer extraordinaire Debra Doty redesigned the YMCA of the Foothills logo to correspond to their name change. I then designed the site, Tom Reynolds managed the project and client interaction, and Eric Lim did the coding, which was particularly hairy since it has a complicated database behind it.

You can see the result below. I think it looks great, and am sure that this will raise the YMCA’s profile so that they can move forward and have an even greater impact in our community.

Am I a Disney Princess?

Posted on 28. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, my life

After watching Enchanted again last night, I came to the realization that perhaps I am a Disney Princess. The evidence is overwhelming:

1. I have a handsome prince.
2. I’m allergic to apples.
3. When I sing the animals come to me.

The last one was the clincher. Before I went to bed, I belted out my best falsetto and a spider crawled out from the floorboard and my dog emerged from under the bed.

Is it good to be a Princess? In “Stranded in Neverland,” Christianity Today writer Skye Jethani argues that the Disney Princess franchise appeals to our most base consumer instincts. I think that’s true, and I confess that I am susceptible to that sometimes.

However, Enchanted reminds us that it’s all about love, especially true love. And that’s and ideal that everyone should strive for.

Should I impose my parents’ rules on my children?

Posted on 27. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in my life, parenting

When my sister and I were in late elementary school, my parents typed up a list of rules and posted it on the refrigerator. Here they are:

My parents were stricter than most, but we usually didn’t mind since we were very obedient. My mom is visiting me this weekend, and she remarked this afternoon that she realizes how lucky she was to have such easy kids.

Here are a few of my favorite rules:

• Get to go to bed 7.5 minutes later each birthday.
• No singing at the table.
• Don’t touch the dog until you’re done setting the table.
• We alternated months for keeping the backyard clean.
• Bathe whenever dirty or 2x a week.

I’ve actually got a list of rules for my kids, but I won’t embarrass them by posting them here. I’ve found that it’s easier to get kids to follow rules or get housework done if it’s written down and you don’t have to bug them.

Unless, of course, the rules get lost. I need to print out our rules again so I can have a less stressful summer!

When it’s best to H.A.L.T.

Posted on 26. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in my life, parenting

When I was a manufacturing systems consultant, I overdosed on acronyms. From JIT to MRP, I often suspected they were used to impress the clients. As a result, these days I’m hesitant to use acronyms.

Here’s one that impressed me enough that I told my kids about it: H.A.L.T. It stands for

• Hungry
• Angry
• Lonely
• Tired

It’s what stops you from having healthy interactions with other people. If you’re any of those things, you should take a step back and try to solve the deficiency before you try to communicate with others. If you don’t, you may regret what you say or do. I learned it at Mark Hastings‘ talk at Growing Families at La Canada Presbyterian Church this past Sunday.

I’ve found this to be true with myself and with others I care about. I’m almost never angry or lonely, but I don’t function well if I’m hungry or tired. I’m trying to teach my kids to recognize these signs before they leave for college. The tough part is realizing that you’re having a problem when you’re in the midst of it.

I’m sure I’ll remember this acronym. Hopefully it’ll help me apply it. It’s usually pretty easy to fix being hungry (lucky American that I am) but sleep is sometimes a challenge.

The Bird + The Bee = A Perfect Concert

Posted on 25. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in music

The most-hyped concert I ever attended was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” concert at the Meadowlands in the summer of 1984. One of my father’s clients was having trouble paying him, so he appeased my father by giving him four amazing tickets to the biggest concert of the year. I think my sister/stepsisters and I were in the second or third row. Michael Jackson was an incredible performer, but my ears haven’t been the same since.

This evening I attended a much more casual concert, but in my mind it was perfect. The Bird & The Bee performed their own tunes and covered some others (e.g., ““) in the shady, peaceful oak grove at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. The Bird (Inara George) looked positively blissful as her sweet voice covered an incredible range, and when The Bee (Greg Kurstin) played a solo she’d dance lightly around the stage.

The music was excellent, the company divine, the venue was perfect: it doesn’t get any better.

I discovered The Bird and The Bee when KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic played their cover of “.” That’s one of my favorite songs of all time. My mother had the original on a 45 record when she was little, and passed it on to me. It’s such a sweet, catchy tune that I used to sing it to my kids when they were little. I wish they’d played it tonight, but what they did perform was wonderful. I think that “” was my favorite.

Here’s a video of their 2006 Morning Becomes Eclectic performance. Wow.

Ralphs loses competitive edge over Vons; Trader Joe’s in the lead

Posted on 24. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, environment, food, shopping, things that bug me

Imagine my horror when I discovered that Ralphs is cutting costs by eliminating the handles on its paper bags! Hopefully this will be the incentive I need to remember to carry my cloth bags in the car, but this evening it meant I chose plastic for the rest of my groceries.

It’s a tough life, but I’ll manage somehow. Or I’ll just go to Trader Joe’s.

I found my perfect college major, 28 years too late

Posted on 23. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, work

When I arrived at college in the Fall of 1981, I was pretty certain I’d be an engineer, but I didn’t know which kind I wanted to be. I took classes in most (all?) of the engineering disciplines, and quickly settled upon Industrial Engineering. It was the most social of the engineering majors, and appealed to my organized side and my desire to do computer programming. There wasn’t a computer science major at the time, so that wasn’t an option. It wasn’t perfect – I didn’t really see myself doing time studies for the rest of my life – but I wound up getting my BS and my MS in it anyway.

If I were starting college this Fall, I’d want to major in Web Design and Engineering. I didn’t even know this major existed until I saw it on a poster in the admissions office at Santa Clara University yesterday before our tour. Here’s how their website describes it:

An interdisciplinary program that blends computing, engineering, and graphic design while developing an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the relationships between the Web and those who use it.

Oh. My. Gosh. Is that not the coolest major? It’s not just programming and it’s not just graphic design. I wish I could teach this course! Even if my kids go there, I don’t think they’ll major in this. They seem to have other interests. But, at least it’s available. Lucky!!!

It’s still not an option at my alma mater, but if I were there now I’d try to get departmental approval to design my own major. I guess that’s what I’ve done since I’ve graduated anyway.  :)

It’s official: South Pasadena passed its parcel tax

Posted on 20. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education

In the past month,

• San Marino passed a parcel tax for $795
• South Pasadena passed a parcel tax for $288

Clearly, the residents of both of these communities are willing to pay to help their public schools.

I hope La Canada’s willing to pass a parcel tax for $150.

If you want to vote for this, get your ballot in NOW. They must be received by June 30th. Postmarks don’t count.

Have questions? Visit www.measurelc.org.

It’s no wonder I don’t Twitter

Posted on 19. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting, social networking

I don’t even like getting Facebook updates on my cell phone. I just turned them off. I was only getting text messages when my husband updated his status or when someone commented on my status, but it was getting annoying checking my cell phone only to find a silly little comment. I used to get updates of my kids’ status updates, but they asked me to turn them off since it was freaky that they’d be sitting on the couch on Facebook and my phone would start speaking the text of their update.

I’ll save my phone for more important messages.

Advice for a parent buying their child’s first cell phone

Posted on 17. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting

Break out the tissues: my niece is the only kid in her 5th grade class not to have a cell phone. How ever does she survive?

As the mother of avid teen cell phone users, here’s my advice to my sister before she lets her daughter get a cell phone.

Paying for it:

• Sign up for an unlimited texting plan, either now or soon. It’ll save  money in the end.
• Her daughter should pay for her portion of the cell phone bill, especially downloaded games or ringtones. (Note: In our household, we make the kids pay the $9.99 for the extra line, but not for their percentage of the base bill. And we remind them of that constantly.)
• If the phone is lost or broken, her daughter will pay for a replacement. She will also pay if the phone is stolen because she isn’t careful.

Rules:

• The phone can’t be in the bedroom when she’s asleep.
• If you don’t mind tracking it, limit how much time may be spent on the phone each day. (good luck with that!)
• No phone at dinner.
• No texting or talking on the phone while in the car with parents unless she gets permission first.
• No phone while doing homework. (Note: That’s tough to enforce as the kids get older and talk about homework over the phone.)
• All phone numbers programmed into the phone must have a name.
• Don’t answer calls from people you don’t know.
• Set rules about whether games can be downloaded. Watch out for recurring monthly fees.
• Set rules about whether she may have access to the internet on the cell phone. I’d advise against it at a young age.
• The parents can examine the phone at any time and search through messages, pictures, call logs, etc.
• Obviously, all school rules must be followed. In our school, that means phones must be turned off during class. Check to see what her school’s policy is.

Talk to her about:

• Don’t text anything you wouldn’t say in public, since it can be forwarded.
• Don’t send any pictures you wouldn’t want on a billboard, since they can be forwarded and uploaded to the internet.
• Text messages can be misinterpreted. If it’s complicated or involves emotions, either call or talk to the person face-to-face.
• NEVER break up with a person via text message. It’s cowardly and rude.

Having a cell phone, especially at a young age, is a privilege, not a right. It’s a very useful tool for both the kid and the parents, but it must be used safely and wisely. Emphasize to the child that these rules are meant to keep them safe and to allow them the time to get homework done, do sports and play with friends.

My kids are so accustomed to cell phones that I wonder if they could survive without them. My daughter might have to this summer when she studies abroad. That may be the biggest learning experience of all!

I never ate this well at school

Posted on 16. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, food

Ah, the end of the school year. Finals, stress, searching for lost textbooks, and FOOD! The best food is that which earns extra credit.

Last night my teenage son made a Key Lime Pie all by himself for his end-of-year English class party. He used a recipe from our cookbook and even managed to cut the fancy lime slice to put on top. Maybe last summer’s get-off-the-couch-and-cook deal is paying off.

Sorry the picture’s not better. I figured I was lucky he even let me take one as he ran out the door.

The making of an Eagle Scout

Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, my life, parenting

I was honored this evening to serve on the review panel for a local boy who was trying to get his Eagle Scout award. He had clearly worked quite hard for this, and taken the Boy Scout lessons to heart. He had glowing letters of recommendation praising his leadership abilities, enthusiasm, and diligence, and he and his parents were very articulate in explaining how much he’d learned and how much this meant to him. It was one of the most pleasurable committees I’ll probably ever serve on: it took about 1 millisecond for us to come to the unanimous conclusion that this boy clearly deserved to become an Eagle Scout.

I wish that my son had continued on in scouting past elementary school, but alas, club soccer won out. It’s not as if we have a strong family history of scouting: my husband didn’t continue on in scouting, and my father chose to go the DeMolay path instead of complete the few things he needed to do to become an Eagle Scout. I was actually a Boy Scout Computer Explorer Scout, and enjoyed playing on the computers at Bell Labs in high school, but we never had uniforms or oaths. Neither my daughter nor I continued with Girl Scouts past elementary school.

What is it that makes a kid stick with scouting? From what I heard tonight, and what my own family’s experience is, I’d say it depends upon:

• The quality of the leader
• Whether the child enjoys being with the other troop members
• Family tradition
• Competing demands
• Love of scouting

My father regrets not becoming an Eagle Scout. He says that when you’re an adult, there are very few accomplishments you can proudly note that you achieved in high school. One of them is becoming an Eagle Scout.

Even though he wasn’t an Eagle Scout, my dad’s a great guy anyway, as are the other guys in my life.

Meet the overseas competition: cramming for exams in China

Posted on 13. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, food, international, things that bug me

If you thought that the 5.5 hour a day, 5 days a week, 14-week Elite SAT review course that I described in yesterday’s post was excessive, then definitely don’t move to China. Today’s NY Times article, “China’s College Entry Test Is an Obsession,” describes how the Chinese standardized test is:

• The only criteria for entry to university
• Only offered once a year
• Nine hours long
• Taken by 10 million students each year, of whom only 3 out of 5 make the cut

Not surprisingly, students cram like crazy for this test. The article described a class of kids that studied in a hospital hooked up to oxygen so that they could concentrate better, and a boy who studied 14-16 hours a day for a year, and only took one day off every three weeks.

It’s too bad there aren’t enough spaces in Chinese universities for everyone who wants an education. At least here in the U.S., there’s a space for nearly everyone to have some sort of higher education.

I appreciate that my kids don’t have to go through this sort of cramming. However, we also need to remember that our kids aren’t just competing against other American kids; they’re competing against the rest of the world. And they’re hungry, figuratively and literally.

Here’s the breakfast of champions described in the article: “a bread stick next to two eggs, symbolizing a 100 percent score.”

Maybe I’ll present that to my son the morning of his PSAT this Fall. Or maybe he’ll stick to his Cheerios.

Meet the competition: SAT Review Gone Wild

Posted on 12. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, parenting

I’m not sure which part of the following Elite of Arcadia SAT review course ad scares my children more. Is it the special “2400 Club” class for kids who have already scored above 2200 and are seeking a perfect score? Or is it the Monday – Friday, 14 week, 5.5 hour/day Boot Camp?

When you’re in a district that’s ranked highly by Newsweek, you compete against kids who take these classes. One child I know said these classes should be called “mental hospitals,” since this child swears that many of the kids who take them are on a verge of a breakdown. Perhaps they are. And perhaps they and/or their parents think it’s worth it.

The Wall St. Journal recently featured an article titled, “SAT Coaching Found to Boost Scores — Barely.” It said that,

Families can spend thousands of dollars on coaching to help college-bound students boost their SAT scores. But a new report finds that these test-preparation courses aren’t as beneficial as consumers are led to believe.

The report, to be released Wednesday by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, criticizes common test-prep-industry marketing practices, including promises of big score gains with no hard data to back up such claims. The report also finds fault with the frequent use of mock SAT tests because they can be devised to inflate score gains when students take the actual SAT.

On the other hand, the article continued that,

The report also noted that some college-admissions officers indirectly encourage applicants to sign up for SAT-prep courses by setting score cutoffs. A survey included in the report found that more than a third of schools with tight selection criteria said that an increase of just 20 points in the math section of the SAT, and of 10 points in the critical reading section, would “significantly improve students’ likelihood of admission.”

Either way, my kids won’t be taking these classes. My daughter took her last SAT on Saturday, and my son would rue me forever if I made him take this class. Hopefully they’ll gain good life, spiritual, athletic and academic experiences from the summer we have plannned.

Chasing Chihuahuas

Posted on 10. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in animals, my life

This evening my husband called us into the next room to show us a pack of dogs gathered outside the window. Two were Chihuahuas, and the other was a larger dog. We live on a busy street, so we ran outside to make sure the dogs didn’t get hurt.

Sure enough, I wound up having to stop traffic to save the life of a Chihuahua who decided to sit in the middle of the road. Eventually, the dogs all ran to a nearby backyard, and slipped through an open gate. I closed the gate, and crossed my fingers that this was their home. No one answered the door, and another neighbor swore under her breath that she didn’t care what happened to the #^$%%! dogs.

None of the dogs were wearing collars. This is inexcusable. Dogs can’t speak, so they need collars with tags to let people know who they belong to.

Then again, maybe the humans don’t care what happens to the dogs. I think that’s how our dog wound up at the Humane Society before we adopted him. They said he was wandering around the streets with no identification.

Their loss is our gain.

I LOVE the picture on the right from Daisy the Dog. I think our dog is mostly Basenji, but I think he has a lot of Chihuahua in him too. Today he came running back inside with a baby bird. I’ve never had a dog do that. Then again, they do call Basenjis the Cat of Dogs…

Our return to Skid Row

Posted on 09. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in local news

My daughter and I returned to Los Angeles’ Skid Row today so that she could interview Andy Bales of Union Rescue Mission for her independent study project. We were honored that he’d take the time to speak to her and to give us a tour of URM afterwards.

Did you know that Los Angeles is the nation’s homeless capital, with over 90,000 homeless people? Skid Row is ground zero. It’s mind-boggling how such poverty can exist so close to shiny tall office buildings and just miles from multi-million dollar mansions.

My daughter’s creating a video documentary for her final project. So far she’s also spoken to Mike Stefanko of the Inner City Law Center and Denise B., a woman who descended into alcoholism and homelessness but eventually picked herself up and wrote about it. (More about that in another post.) I don’t think my daughter will post her documentary online, since she’ll want to help maintain Denise B’s identity.

Instead, I hope you take to heart this great video about the kids on Skid Row.

The women’s common room at Union Rescue Mission now has some computer terminals. I have no time to spare, but I’m going to try to make time to help advise the women and children there how to use them.

It ties back to my post the other day about your calling. It’s best when you do what you’re interested in. I bet that just about anyone could find a way to make their skills and interests a force for positive change on Skid Row.

Discover the World website re-design launched

Posted on 08. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in international, non-profits, work

I recently had the privilege of re-designing the website for Discover the World, a Christian organization that does lots of great work in Africa, particularly with children whose parents have died of AIDS. They also provide mosquito nets, leadership training, schools, water filters, emergency relief, and more. They make a huge difference in the lives they touch, but there’s nearly an infinite need for more help. I like that their mission is to

“lift up the world’s neediest people so that they can sustain themselves.”

That’s help that will have a long-lasting effect. I encourage you to check out their website and learn about their great work.

Besides enjoying working on a website that will help make the world a better place, I enjoyed working with a nice client that had a full retinue of fantastic photos. While I was working on this site, I heard Greg Mortenson speak and saw the slides he took of the work he’s done in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I was struck by how much more colorful the African clothing and scenery is in the Discover the World pictures, and how much more the people in Africa smile in their pictures despite an equally destitute situation. It’s amazing how different cultures can be.

What is your calling?

Posted on 06. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in quotes, religion, work

I had the privilege of speaking about my website design business at the 8th grade career day at the La Canada High School junior high school just over a week ago. After my sessions were over, I volunteered to take some pictures of Todd Johnson, a Fuller Theological Seminary professor, speaking to a group of kids. I know Todd already, so I knew he’d be wonderful, but I was curious to see how he’d handle a theological discussion in a public school.

He was perfect. He was very diplomatic, and stuck to the questions that the kids asked him. I was struck by how interested the kids were in deeper faith issues. I wish our kids had more opportunities to discuss theology. The Mormon church and Catholic schools do a wonderful job of this, but my kids don’t attend either of those. My teens get great support for questions of faith and life issues, but they don’t have as much of a biblical education as I wish they would. It’ll be interesting to see if they pursue that in college.

Anyway, I actually wrote down my favorite quote from Todd:

“Your calling is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.”

May we all find our calling.

It is a great quote, orginially from theologian Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking “…Vocation is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet…”

Snow White’s revenge via the Apple

Posted on 05. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in shopping

If I had a MacBook, I’d want it to sport this great decal sold by Vinylville on Etsy:

I love those strong Disney Princesses.

See if you know what to do in an earthquake

Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in local news, my life

Click on the image to the right for a cool interactive earthquake safety lesson.

I admit that I learned a thing or two.

I felt my first earthquake when I was a freshman in college. Even though it was small, my father used it as a good excuse to call and check in. Much as I love to speak to him, I’ve since trained him not to be concerned unless it’s a 5.0 or above.

I’ve been at malls with my kids during the last three small earthquakes. Once we had just had meatballs at IKEA, and the other two times we were watching movies.

Maybe I should stay away from malls, or at least warn you if I go to one.

Dog moves bed to be near loved ones

Posted on 03. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in animals

This evening my dog proved his intelligence and devotion by moving the colorful bed in the foreground off the brown bed in the background to be near us as we sat on the couch that he’s not allowed on.

In case you’re wondering, we had these two cushions for our old dog and kept the colorful one in the cage she liked to sleep in. The cage reminds this guy of the shelter he came from, so he refuses to go near it.

Why I’m voting “YES” on Measure LC, the La Canada parcel tax

Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in local news

For years I’ve helped raise money for the La Canada public schools. If we didn’t raise private funds, our kids wouldn’t have 20 kids per teacher in Kindergarten – 3rd grade, art, drama and music at the elementary level, computers, or a librarian and a guidance counselor at the upper levels.

Unfortunately, the current California/national/international economic crisis means this isn’t enough. If local residents don’t step up and pass a parcel tax, our schools are going to have to drop programs and positions that are critical to maintaining our schools’ high standards.

Measure LC would raise property taxes a mere $150 per parcel. That’s less than the cost of a postage stamp a day. And yet, it would raise approximately $900K per year for the district. It still isn’t enough to avoid making any cuts, but it sure will help.

Please join me on voting “YES” on this crucial measure. It’s a mail-in vote only, so look for the ballot you probably received in today’s mail and send it in asap. It needs 2/3 majority to pass, so every single vote counts.

You can learn more about Measure LC at www.measurelc.org.

By the way, San Marino just passed a $795 parcel tax, which supplements the $295 parcel tax they already had That’s a community that values education! Let’s show that we are, too!

PTSA President 3.0: I have the gavel

Posted on 01. Jun, 2009 by kchristieh in education, local news, my life

Today I achieved the Triple Crown of PTA: I was installed as President of our high school’s PTSA. I’ve already been an elementary school PTA president and a junior high school PTA president, so I’m optimistic that those have prepared me well for this job. Unlike parenting, which gets more difficult as the kids get older, PTA President gets easier. At the elementary school I had 90 (!) positions under me, with numerous fundraisers, room representatives, docents and programs. When you added a dash of confusion over PTA bylaws, it got stressful at times. At the high school, we have only a few straightforward fundraisers, no room reps (our kids would kill us!), one program (Red Ribbon Week – any ideas?) and no docents. I’ve got a GREAT group of people on my Executive Board, and all have years of experience. I’m following in the steps of an amazing woman, and she’s done a wonderful job of paving the way.

We’re looking forward to another great year!