Right As Usual

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM? My husband have noticed that the price of gas always rises on the weekends, but, by Sunday, is already on the way down to the weekday level. My husband came up with the reason - oil is extracted from Arabic, largely Muslim countries, and they won't work on the Sabbath. So now, anytime we notice the price returning on Sunday, we say, "Guess they've all gone back to work".

THE EXCITING NEWS I've been busy. Maripat of Right We Are! asked for help with her blog after Lori left to pursue other interests. On a whim, I responded. I expected to receive a "Thanks for applying, I'll keep you in mind" answer. Instead, I received an email inviting me to chat. We did the next day, and, to make a long story short, I'm the new Chick at Right We Are! . I expect that I won't have the time to blog regularly here; I still plan to return when what I have to say doesn't quite fit into the interests of RWA.

RIGHT NOW, HELL LOOKS GOOD I'm in Cleveland, the temperature is 11 degrees. It feels like - 20. I've turned up the heat, and I keep popping up to check the thermostat - it can't be working right. I know, there are many people in even colder temps, but that doesn't matter - I"M COLD. Florida never appealed to me before. I visited my grandparents in Orlando several times (both before Disney invaded, and after - I'll have to blog about that sometime), and it was muggy and full of bugs. Right now, I would give anything on the planet to be there. I recently knit a shawl. I know, that's so retro, but it feels good right now. As long as my upper arms and upper back are covered, I feel warm. This is the second one I've made recently, and it does a great job of trapping the body heat. I knit it a little loose, using the following pattern I developed. Use large needles. You want a stretchy, loose knit. Cast on 240 stitches, knit 1, purl...

WHO AM I? I'm a native Clevelander, 52 years old, a former teacher who is taking a temporary break to finish my master's. After over 10 years of teaching science to students from grades 7 through 9, it was either take a break, or commit myself to the rubber room. The kids weren't the problem, it was mostly the administration. My views were solidly liberal until 9/11. That day, I had two children in the military (Navy and National Guard), and the attack seemed intensely personal. Since that day, I've gradually shifted to a more conservative slant. That change has been tough on my husband, who still is a firm political liberal. On social issues, our thinking is not that much different, leaning toward the right. We have been influenced by the experience of owning our own business. No working businessowner can afford to be a die-hard liberal. I've been married for 30 years to the same man. I have 3 grown children, and 2 grandchildren. Hobbies...

GRANDPARENTS I was thinking about our new grandchild yesterday. I had talked to a friend earlier that day, and she asked about her. Bad move. Fifteen minutes later, I had barely gotten warmed up. It go me thinking. The most wonderful thing about a grandparent is that they think their grandchildren are incredible. That doesn't mean that they think the tads don't need some shaping up. My grandparents (on my mother's side) let us stay overnight often on vacations. I partook of that privilege so often I was semi-traumatized to return home to find the house completely re-decorated. Talk about a Twilight Zone moment! We reveled in the opportunity to visit, despite the fact that we were subjected to a boot-camp-like training. Sit up straight! Don't talk with your mouth full! Don't say "yeah", say "yes, ma'm or yes, sir"! No TV! As Yul Brynner says in "The King and I" - etc., etc., etc. All of the above was...

MISCELLANEOUS AND RANDOM THOUGHTS MATH INNUMERACY One of the most striking features of modern education is the failure of students to learn math. While it does take a certain genius to invent a field of mathematics, it just takes hard work to master the basic processes. Or so I believe. Not so the education professionals, who have created this scenario. One major problem is that the sticking points of math (decimals, fractions) are somewhat counter-intuitive. Generally, people expect that multiplying numbers will produce a bigger result. And that dividing will result in a smaller number. Alas, that intuition fails in the case of fractions and decimals. So, when the math-challenged try to perform those calculations, the result doesn't look right. They ignore the procedure they've been taught, because, they just can't believe that the answer is correct. Teachers need to specifically address that situation, and show students why their intuitive sense ...

INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP FOR THE NEW YEAR Here's the international incidents that caught my attention recently: "But they're just throwing a few stones" It sounds so heartless to pick on a few boys tossing small stones, doesn't it? How could the Israelis brutally shoot back at the lads? The photo shows the actual situation.

ROUND-UP FOR THE NEW YEAR I haven't commented recently on local activities (in Cleveland): The Lottery Ticket That Went Bye-Bye I find it interesting that almost everybody thinks that Ms. Battles, the woman who reported a missing lottery ticket , was lying through her teeth. Would it be unfair to ask, if the winner had been white, would the reaction be the same? In related news, being rich doesn't make you smart. The Horror is Gone - For at Least One More Year One of the most annoying aspects of modern civilization is the denigration of Christianity, and the mean-spirited refusal to acknowledge that public expressions of that belief are protected under the Constitution. I countered every wish of "Happy Holidays" with my own defiant "Merry Christmas". Now that DH has gone back to work (he is a teacher), the "Winter Break" is over. What a crock! Winter Break, indeed. It is planned for the time that it is for only one rea...