Your Favorite Invention

THE SUNDAY MAGAZINE of the NEW YORK TIMES did an issue on inventions. Many of them you don't even think of an an invention. Like a PB & J or a band aid.

My favorite non-technological invention in the zip lock bag. I would put everything in one if they had ones large enough. I remember the bad old days when things fell out of bags. No more.

What is yours?

High School English Curriculums

Dave White, a middle school teacher  and a fine writer, said on the blog DO SOME DAMAGE, that in his school system by senior year, the kids are reading 90% non-fiction in English classes. What they read is mostly business reports and such to prepare them for their future in business.

Does you school system adhere to this sort of thinking? No wonder people don't read novels as adults when the school system devalues fiction like this. Reading fiction is a kid's thing they are in effect saying. What is more difficult to read: Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens or a business report. Which one teaches a kid critical thinking?Which one illuminates another world.

Where will kids ever be introduced to good writing if not in high school? Shame, shame on the school system. I pray this one is in the minority in this bad idea.

What Mystery Would You Most Like to See Solved?

And for me it is the death of Natalie Wood in 1981. I never believed the story that she stepped out into a dingy drunk, fell in the water and drowned because it is widely known she was scared to death of drowning and never went near the ship's edge. Now some new information is coming to light.

What about you? What mystery, death, puzzle most fascinates you?

From Deb in Louisiana

Thank you everyone who has asked about my situation here in Slidell. I'm happy to report that after a four-day evacuation to Natchitoches (which was actually quite fun because our oldest daughter goes to school at Northwestern State, plus we were staying at a Bed & Breakfast owned by an old college buddy of my husband's), a neighbor who had stayed called to let us know power was back in our area, so we drove back home today.

Our area did not flood and our home was fine--although the back yard is a shambles, full of fallen tree limbs, and everything in fridge & freezer had to be tossed out due to loss of power. But who cares? Compared to Katrina, when I came back six weeks later my home and everywhere else was still devastated, it was like returning from vacation.

However, many people have not been so fortunate: there was flooding from both the bayous and Lake Pontchartrain, so neighborhoods in two sections of town have major damage. Please think good thoughts for those people--like the teacher I work with who had to be rescued from her attic--both on the Northshore and those in Plaquemines Parish, and those in the coastal areas if Mississippi, which were very hard hit.

If you can manage a donation to the Red Cross, I know that would be appreciated too.

*****

We've spent this morning clearing out fridge and freezer--realizing in the process that we sure do buy a lot of food that we "forget" about--I threw out crawfish, shrimp, talapia, brisket, deer sausage, etc. I'm going to take this opportunity to clean the freezer thoroughly and vow in the future to keep better track of the food I put in it! Tomorrow--yard clean up!

But I do feel so blessed to have made it through with such minimal damage. Based on my Katrina experience, I know that people with major damage have only just begun the clean up process--and processing what happened emotionally and mentally, which is in its own way much harder.

Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers.



Posted by D

What Do You Find Disturbing if Not Downright Scary?

Ventriloquist's dummies for me and here are some of them.
A second choice is animals dressed like people. Both of these date from childhood.

What makes you uneasy?

This is My War-Bless Those Who Lost Their Life and Those Who Tried to Stop It and Those Who Never Recovered

Instant Replays for Homeruns

Instant replays to substantiate that a home run wasn't really a ground rule double will soon be part of the game. Were that many mistakes being made in calling a HR? Or is there another consideration? Will we soon get another two or three commercial spots during the rewind? Will they stop the game for instant replays even when the ball clears the park? Even when the guy on the roof across from Wrigley field waves his hand.
I used to watch a lot of sports on TV but crimey, I can't stand to watch a game now. I didn't watch five minutes of the Olympics. Every time I turned it on it was either a bio, a commercial, table tennis on a table the size of a handkerchief, or beach blanket volleyball.
Mostly though, I just can't take the endless commercials. If more than 20 of the average 60 minute show is commercials, why not DVR everything?
Maybe sports aren't meant to be viewed live. That's for saps. The day after is looking better and better. But damn those Chinese sure play well on those hankies.