My year in Facebook statuses
Posted on 31. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in my life, social networking
I feel like I have two diaries: my blog, and my Facebook statuses. Here’s a graphic created by the Facebook application “” that summarizes the past year by showing representative Facebook statuses. It initially included a random set of status updates, but I chose the option where I could select which statuses to display. Here’s the result:
While I was selecting which status updates to include, I copied the list and pasted it into Excel. It’s a great summary of the past year.
‘The Big Lebowski’ Syndrome
Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in parenting
At lunch yesterday, a friend and I discussed how to keep our sons focused and motivated. I told her that many of our fears could be summed up in three words: ‘The Big Lebowski.’ This 1998 Coen brothers movie starred Jeff Bridges as Jeff Lebowski, aka The Dude, an unemployed Los Angeleno who gives new depth to the term “slacker.”
My timing was perfect, for today’s NY Times notes in “Dissertations on His Dudeness” that,
“The Big Lebowski” has spawned its own shaggy, fervid world: drinking games, Halloween costumes, bumper stickers (“This aggression will not stand, man”) and a drunken annual festival that took root in Louisville, Ky., and has spread to other cities. The movie is also the subject of an expanding shelf of books, including “The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers” and the forthcoming “The Tao of the Dude.”
Where cult films go, academics will follow. New in bookstores, and already in its second printing, is “The Year’s Work in Lebowski Studies,” an essay collection edited by Edward P. Comentale and Aaron Jaffe (Indiana University Press, $24.95).
If academics are taking it seriously, perhaps we should, too.
My friend had never seen the movie, so I advised that she watch it with her children by her side and see what discussion it prompts. The danger, of course, is that a viewer could choose to emulate The Dude. At least I consider that to be a danger. Maybe I’m too uptight. Maybe I’m paranoid because I live in L.A. But this is not my vision for my children.
The luckiest person in La Canada
Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in life lessons
One of my loyal blog readers sent me these pictures from a recent accident involving a local young man. He’s lucky to have walked away from this unscathed. Don’t text or fiddle around with your iPod when you drive, or this might happen to you. And you might not be so lucky.
I made sure to show these to my teens. Better to learn a lesson from someone else than to experience it on your own.
Click here to see sobering statistics regarding cellphone use and car accidents.
I use my cellphone in my Prius, but I never touch it since the Bluetooth is built into the display on the dash. In fact, the phone itself is usually in my purse in on the floor behind my seat. To make a phone call, I press a button on the steering wheel and then one button on the dash. It’s easier than turning the radio to another station. When I first got a cellphone, I’d hold it to my ear in the car. I would throw it onto the seat next to me if things got complicated with driving. Thankfully nothing bad ever happened. If I ever held my cellphone to my ear while driving now, I’d feel as vulnerable as if I rode without a seatbelt. And, I’d be breaking the law.
Lessons I never thought I’d need to teach my teens
Posted on 16. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in life lessons, parenting
When I became a parent, I knew we’d have talks about s*x, drugs, working hard, etc. But here are a few things I’ve felt compelled to teach my teens that I never expected we’d discuss, or discuss so soon. Most have come up either because of stories we’ve heard, movies we’ve seen or articles I’ve read. I’ve repeated each of the following many times to my kids, and hope that they don’t have to experience these situations to realize the wisdom of my words.
Parties & Drinking:
- If someone passes out at a party, they’re asleep if you can rouse them and they can talk, but they’re unconscious if they can’t talk.
- If they’re asleep, summon an adult and keep making sure you can wake them and that they’re sleeping on their side in case they throw up.
- If they’re unconscious, call 911. (or this might happen)
- Don’t attend parties that don’t have adult supervision.
- If you’re at a party and your intuition is telling you that things are going downhill, get out fast.
- Always respectfully do what a police officer or Sheriff’s deputy asks.
Drugs:
- Marijuana can be laced with more deadly drugs.
- You can become addicted to meth the first time you use it. So don’t.
S*x:
- Besides potential pregnancy and emotional and reputation fallout, a big reason to avoid s*x outside of marriage is STDs.
- Condoms don’t always work, and oral contraceptives won’t prevent STDs.
Technology:
- Don’t let any pictures be taken of yourself that you’d be ashamed of showing up in public.
- Don’t join a Facebook group or friend someone just because all your friends have.
- Don’t let kids you don’t completely trust handle your cellphone.
Media:
- Can you imagine discussing Viagra or Monica Lewinsky with an elementary schooler? If your kids watch tv, you’ll have discussions about topics such as these. Just wait until you’re sitting on the couch next to them when a love scene in a movie comes on. Awkward!
P**n: (note: using ** so I don’t get banned by search engines)
- Even one look at p**n can embed an image you’ll always remember, so don’t look at it.
- Figure out what you’ll say if you’re at someone’s house and they start looking at or watching p**n.
- Today’s p**n is often much skankier than the stuff that was in magazines many years ago since pictures and videos don’t usually pass through editors before they’re posted on the internet.
Driving:
- Always look up Angeles Crest Highway before you turn onto it or cross it.
- If you don’t come to such a complete stop that the body of the car doesn’t back up a little bit, the local Sheriff’s deputies may give you a ticket. Better to do it and avoid traffic school.
- It doesn’t matter if “everyone else” is driving other kids before their first year of California driving is up: it’s illegal, there’s a good reason it’s illegal, and you’ll lose many privileges if you either drive someone else when you’re too young or you drive with someone else who isn’t old enough to drive you.
- Don’t let anyone into your car whom you think might have drugs on them, since they could leave the drugs in your car and you could get into trouble.
- Motorcycles are dangerous. Even if you are the safest driver with the safest bike, you’ve only got two wheels and can skid out if someone else cuts you off. Then, you’re completely vulnerable.
Weapons:
- If a kid shows you a gun and you’re not under competent adult supervision, get away as quickly as possible and tell an adult.
- If someone even jokes about shooting someone, take it seriously and report it.
Emotions:
- Any time someone talks about suicide, take it seriously.
- If someone breaks up with you, then they don’t value you enough, so you shouldn’t pine over them. (That’s a tough one.)
Forgiveness:
- Gossip hurts.
- It’s better if you come to me and let me know you messed up than for me to find out later or for the mess to get bigger.
- “Sorry” means you’re never going to do it again.
- Don’t follow “sorry” with “But.”
- Forgive others just as you wish to be forgiven.
I’m sure I’m missing some, and I welcome your suggestions.
Everyone should have an Uncle Bob
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in my life
I used to joke with friends that it seemed that everyone has an Uncle Bob. If they don’t, then they’re missing something special.
My Uncle Bob, my father’s only sibling, died just a few hours ago. He was young – just 71 – but he lived a very full life. We’re all going to miss him terribly, and I can’t imagine seeing my aunt and cousins without him being there.
(The picture to the right features my father, my mother, Aunt Roe & Uncle Bob.)
Here are some of my favorite memories of Uncle Bob:
-
When I was little, my father and Uncle Bob would get together each fall to make Bread & Butter Pickles. I love pickles, but I never liked these. Perhaps it was because they’d make them in a…garbage can. (Does that sound White Trash or what??!?) Don’t worry – they’d buy a new can every year. But I could never reconcile the pickles’ origins with their final purpose. - No one embraced the advent of email more than Uncle Bob. There wasn’t a joke, picture, or soppy story he wouldn’t forward. I’d roll my eyes at many of them, but every once in awhile there’d be a gem. But I’d always try to click on them, just in case it was an email he wrote about what he or his family was up to.
- He and my Aunt Roe raised the best kids ever. Truly. My cousins are awesome. My sister and I spent a lot of time with the oldest two when we were younger, since they lived a few towns away and were nearly the same age we were. I wish my cousins lived near me, since I’m sure we’d be great friends, too.
- I’ve never seen a more productive vegetable garden than Uncle Bob’s. I picture it surrounded and covered by wire fencing, to keep the deer, rabbits, and other critters out.
- I never realized until this evening how much it meant to my husband that Uncle Bob and the rest of that side of my family were so accepting of him. He wasn’t sure they’d open their hearts to a Hispanic guy from the Midwest, although I never had a doubt.
- I traveled the world vicariously via Uncle Bob’s journal over the past few years. He would email me long stories of everything from the personalities on the cruise ship to the food he ate onshore. I’m glad he didn’t wait until he was older to do what he really wanted to.
I’m sure that over the next few days and months I’ll think of more great memories of Uncle Bob. I miss him, and my heart goes out to my aunt and my cousins and their families.
—————————————————————–
It’s no surprise that I found a recipe for Bread & Butter Pickles online in a book called “” by Ernest Matthew Mickler. Maybe I’ll make some in Uncle Bob’s honor, minus the garbage can.
LCHS ranks 80th in U.S.
Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in education, local news, startling statistics
Go Spartans! US News & World Report has ranked La Canada High School as #80 among U.S. public high schools. The rankings are based largely on test performance, especially the AP test. Unlike Newsweek’s rankings, the US News methodology gives weight to how schools performed on statewide assessments.
From what I can tell, the only California schools that aren’t a magnet school or a charter school that are ahead of LCHS are Gunn (Palo Alto, #67), Monte Vista (Cupertino, #70) and Piedmont (#73). San Marino, which was the only public non-magnet, non-charter school to beat La Canada on API scores, wasn’t on the top 100 list.
This is wonderful news. All schools on this list should be proud.
It bears mentioning, however, that Gunn High School has been in the news recently because four of its students have committed suicide in the past year. Is it a coincidence that this is happening at the top school? I don’t think so.
I was surprised to see that my alma mater, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (NJ), is even less diverse than when I attended. I assumed that nearly all U.S. high schools are more diverse these days. When I attended RFH, I think about 4% of my class was Black. These days only 1.4% of the school is, and less than 1% of the school is Asian.
Links:
Christmas caroling at any age
Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in music, my life, religion
This past weekend I sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home with junior high kids and fellow youth group leaders from our church. I vividly remember doing this with my high school youth group, and I wanted to do what I love and hopefully cheer people up at the same time.
I think they enjoyed our visit; they smiled and thanked us at the end. It was a lot like how I remember it was in high school, but with one exception: it was all I could do not to cry. At least I knew the songs by heart, so when my eyes welled-up it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see the page as easily. I live a life that’s so sheltered from the difficulty and isolation that can accompany aging, and it was overwhelming to see that all of the residents were in wheelchairs, and that some clutched dolls and stuffed animals but still looked so alone.
At first I thought it was because I’m 30 years older than I was in high school. I’m closer to most of these people in age than I am to the junior high kids who sang with us.
But this evening, one of the junior high school girls told me that she’d had a hard time not crying too. And a high school girl told me that she’s surprised at how emotional she gets at times.
So I won’t over-analyze my reaction. I’m grateful for the blessings that allow me not to have to visit or live in a nursing home, and for the people who opened up their lives to us this weekend and allowed us to sing. I don’t know what the next 30 (or 60, or whatever) years hold, but I hope I always appreciate a good Christmas carol.
Next time we’ve got to bring jingle bells…
The dolls to the right remind me of my sister. Not only does she love little dolls like these, but her singing voice is identical to mine. We’re the alto sisters who grew up in NJ but moved to CA. Too bad our voices aren’t super-amazing, because maybe we could take our act on the road. In the meantime, I can’t wait for her to visit so we can sing next to each other on Christmas Eve. :)
Ugg! It’s so cold!!
Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in environment
Brrr!!! I moved to Southern California to be warm, not to wake up to 27-degree temperatures.
I hope our oranges survive!
Time to find my winter coat and furry boots and brave driving my son to school…
From the Norton Simon to hippos
Posted on 05. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in art, food
My son needed to visit a museum today to complete a report for his high school photography class. He insisted that we visit the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and two of his friends chose to tag along.
I love the Norton Simon. It has a very high quality collection that reflects a wide array of periods and styles. My son especially enjoyed the “Divine Demons: Wrathful Deities of Buddhist Art” exhibition. What teenage boy wouldn’t? I was very impressed with how thoughtfully each of the boys examined all the art, and they had many good insights. I got a kick out of how they noted that some of the Renaissance paintings reminded them of scenes from video games.
My favorite exhibition was “Gaze: Portraiture after Ingres.” It showcased several centuries of fine portraits in a wide variety of styles. One of my favorites was this caricature that Wolo Trutzschler drew of Galka Sheyer. It captured so much in one drawing, and I think that if I were to see her walking down the street, not only would I recognize her, but I’d have an idea of what makes her tick.
I was intrigued enough to look up Wolo Truzschler when I got home. It turns out his full name was “Baron Wolff Erhardt Anton George Trutzschler von Falkenstein” and he loved living in San Francisco. His son’s website says that he drew the original design for Edgar Bergen’s , was a caricaturist for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote and illustrated five children’s books, painted murals and gave puppet shows.
I discovered that I’ve appreciated his art before, as he was the artist behind the now-defunct Hippopotamus Hamburgers in San Francisco. I think I first ate at Hippo Hamburgers when I visited California on a high school church handbell tour, and raved about it to my hippo-crazed sister and friend back in NJ. The place was themed so well that the toilets were even open hippo mouths! This place is legendary in our family.
But further Googling found this gem of a Wolo von Truzschler drawing, which accompanied a recipe for the Stanfordburger in the Hippopotamus Hamburgers cookbook. Right-click on the picture and choose “view image” to see a larger version, where you can read the complete recipe. Note that olive on top. That’s supposed to reflect the top of the “Freudian” Hoover Tower.
Maybe I should serve it at my next pre-reunion party…
10 Reasons I Love Yet Ignore the Library
Posted on 05. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in books
I’ve always loved libraries. The first library I got to know was the Tenafly Library. I would join the reading club each summer and read as many books as I could. When I moved to the shore, I learned to love the small but robust Fair Haven and Rumson libraries. When I had a big report to write, my mother would drop me off at the Monmouth County Library. I remember spending many a winter and spring break there, while I imagined that my classmates were hitting the slopes of Aspen or sunning themselves on Hilton Head.
When I got to college, I learned to be picky about choosing the right library for the occasion. Meyer Library was the more social library, and I remember someone throwing a dummy off the top floor into the atrium during finals one year in a mock suicide attempt. They put windows up to block the atrium soon after that. When I couldn’t stand the chaos of my dorm desk, I’d head over to the South Stack Mezzanine of Green Library and study like a monk. I think I needed to hide out there since I’d be distracted seeing people anywhere else.
As an adult, I’ve appreciated the classic architecture of the Pasadena Library, and the impressive collection of the downtown Los Angeles Library. My local library, the La Canada Flintridge Library, is functional, especially if I order books online and pick them up there. Our local high school also has a big library with public access hours.
So why can’t I remember the last time I visited a library other than to say “hi” to the high school librarian? Here are a few reasons:
- I already have a pile of books and magazines waiting to be read.
- When I decide I want to read a certain book, I put in a request on Bookins, and more often than not I get what I want and just pay the shipping.
- The wonderful Flintridge Bookstore is up the street, and it stocks the required reading books for our school district. I like to support them since they’re big supporters of our local schools, and since their business suffered when the truck crashed into them last year.
- Amazon.com. Sorry, but I get free shipping.
- When I read a book, I don’t always finish in time to return it to the library.
- My local library is loud, bright and sometimes seems like an afterschool daycare facility. (The picture to the right is not of our local library: it’s a picture of the Camarillo Library, whose interior was designed by The Design Studio.)
- The library usually doesn’t have what I’m looking for in stock at our local branch. They’re good about ordering online, but that doesn’t help if I’m in a hurry.
- If I want to listen to an audiobook, I purchase it on iTunes and put it on my iPod.
- I don’t need to use the computers at the library, since I have one at home. And through it I can access more updated research information than the printed encyclopedia at the library has. (Are there printed copies of encyclopedias anymore?)
- My dog chewed up my library card, and then I lost it. Seriously. I was hoping to scan it for this post, but I can’t find it.
Someday I’ll probably get an electronic book reading device, which will further decrease the likelihood that I’ll set foot in a library.
This post makes me sad. I feel like I’ve abandoned a loyal old friend. I still support libraries, especially in communities whose residents don’t have the alternate reading resources I do. I fear for the future of libraries…
Links:
- Los Angeles County online book ordering. Have your library number ready!
- More beautiful library interiors designed by my website client, The Design Studio. Why doesn’t our library look this good?
- “Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries,” a NY Times article about how the economic situation has made some libraries havens for the downtrodden and thieves, and made librarians more stressed-out.
New site: Ramon Resa, Inspirational Speaker
Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, work
Ramon Resa managed to rise above a childhood full of poverty, violence, physical and sexual abuse, alcoholism, and total disregard for education to become a pediatrician. He returned to his roots, and besides running a successful medical practice, he speaks to teens and parent groups about the importance of staying in school and working hard to achieve your dreams.
I recently designed a new website for Ramon. I’ve spoken to him on the phone, but I’ve never met him. Hopefully some day I will, and hopefully my husband will be with me when I do. I think they’d have lots to talk about.
Stuff White People (apparently) Like
Posted on 02. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in my life
For the second day in a row, I tried opening the wrong car in a parking lot. I’m not going senile; it’s just that my town is full of blue Priuses just like mine. I knew I was at the wrong car the first time when I saw that it had an Apple computer sticker. Although I have an iMac, I didn’t put the sticker on my car. The second car had a round, patterned sticker on the car. It matched the necklace I was wearing. So you can see how I’d be confused.
I like to think of myself as unique, and in some ways I think I am. I don’t know any other women in my town who have engineering degrees and run their own website design businesses. But that’s where my uniqueness apparently starts and ends. My mixed-race kids love reading the list of “Stuff White People Like” and laughing when almost all of it applies to me. They’re right: I like 106 of the 129 items on the list. There are 16 I don’t like, and 7 I’m not familiar enough with to form an opinion.
I’m not going to detail which things I like and don’t like. You’ll have to figure that out by reading my blog. But let’s just say that in the first paragraph of this post, without even knowing it at the time, I mentioned my Prius (#60), bumper stickers (#100) and Apple products (#40).
Maybe the writers of the list have hidden cameras in my house.
Save a Tree: “Subscribe” to Lonny Magazine
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by kchristieh in cool websites
I love curling up with a good magazine or newspaper, but I hate that they use so much paper. On the other hand, I’m happy to support good writers and photographers, and am devoted to the free flow of information.
Perhaps the answer to this dilemma is more magazines like Lonny Magazine. This home decor / lifestyle magazine can only be found on the web, at lonnymag.com. Here’s their mission statement:
“In a time when shelter publications are turning their last pages…
Our mission is to reopen the doors to accessible design. By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live.”
Because it didn’t have to be printed, Lonny Magazine was produced at a than a traditional magazine, but I don’t think anything was lost in the process. In fact, I had lots of fun flipping the pages and mousing over various pictures to see if they linked to another website. If you see something you like in the magazine, chances are you can click to a place to either purchase it or learn more about it.
I wish more magazines had an online edition this robust and interactive.
Links:
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