Month: February 2009

General

Stimulus Package 101

Karen

Stimulus package … wahwahwah … good for economy … wahwahwah … share the wealth … wahwahwah …

It’s complicated, right? Well here’s a little something I found at Cookie’s place that might clear things up for you:

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UNDERSTANDING THE STIMULUS BILL

Shortly after class, an economics student approaches his economics
professor and says, “I don’t understand this stimulus bill. Can you
explain it to me?”

The professor replied, “I don’t have any time to explain it at my
office, but if you come over to my house on Saturday and help me with my weekend project, I’ll be glad to explain it to you.” The student agreed.

At the agreed-upon time, the student showed up at the professor’s
house. The professor stated that the weekend project involved his
backyard pool.

They both went out back to the pool, and the professor handed the
student a bucket. Demonstrating with his own bucket, the professor
said, “First, go over to the deep end, and fill your bucket with as
much water as you can.” The student did as he was instructed.

The professor then continued, “Follow me over to the shallow end, and then dump all the water from your bucket into it.” The student was naturally confused, but did as he was told.

The professor then explained they were going to do this many more times, and began walking back to the deep end of the pool.

The confused student asked, “Excuse me, but why are we doing this?”

The professor matter-of-factly stated that he was trying to make the shallow end much deeper.

The student didn’t think the economics professor was serious, but
figured that he would find out the real story soon enough.

However, after the 6th trip between the shallow end and the deep end, the student began to become worried that his economics professor had gone mad.

The student finally replied, “All we’re doing is wasting valuable time and effort on unproductive pursuits. Even worse, when this process is all over, everything will be at the same level it was before, so all you’ll really have accomplished is the destruction of what could have been truly productive action!”

The professor put down his bucket and replied with a smile,

“Congratulations. You now understand the stimulus bill.”

________________________

And the economy? A mess, right? No one disputes that. However, this gentleman sums it up very nicely.

WARNING: There is no profanity, but he is pretty dramatic. Please push past the theatrics, (especially the baby part, it gets really good after he drops that facade), look away from your monitor and just listen if you have to, but what he says is absolutely fascinating. He’s in your face, and a bit loud, but he explains why he does that later – which again, makes perfect sense.

If you’re a conservative? You’ll appreciate it. If you’re not a conservative, listen anyway. I think we can all agree that our country is past the point of petty arguments and partisan games. Let’s not screw this up for our children, okay?

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 🙂

In My Opinion

In My Opinion – Video Meme Introduction

Karen

So, I came up with a cute graphic to put on your blog, if you so wish:

I’m totally using this graphic the next time I redesign my blog – I just LOVE this image!!

And speaking of this graphic, if you will copy and paste this code into your blog:

<a href="http://writefromkaren.com"><img
src="http://take2max.com/images/IMO.jpg&quot; title="In My Opinion at http://writefromkaren.com&quot; alt="In My Opinion at http://writefromkaren.com&quot; /></a>

The date on your graphic will automatically change each week. I’m hosting this graphic through my personal server so when I upload a new graphic, the graphic on your blog will automatically update, too. I can only do this to a point – if I start having too many people using the above code and I use up too much bandwidth, then I’ll have to pull the graphic, but for now let’s give this a try. If the code doesn’t work for you, then please feel free to right-click and copy the image to your own photo web host.

Anyway, video meme. I’ve decided to call it “In My Opinion”, or IMO for short, because that’s what it is – your opinion about issues.

Here’s how it works:

1. I will post three two questions every Wednesday.
2. You have one week to video tape your answers to these questions (feel free to answer one, or both of them).
3. Post your video on your blog on Wednesday, come back here and leave a direct link to your entry in the Mr. Linky script.
4. New questions will be posted at the end of the IMO post for the next week.

ADDED: I just video taped my answers and I think trying to answer three questions in five minutes might be a bit too much. So in the future, I’m just going to ask two questions – that might be a bit more manageable.
______________________________

FAQ’s:

Q: Do I have to video tape myself in order to play?

A: No. But it sure would be more fun to actually SEE you answering the questions. It’s a unique opportunity to make your blog, and you, more personable and approachable to your readers. However, I realize that not everyone is comfortable filming themselves, so if you want to use a picture, then by all means, feel free to do so. And if you don’t want to use a picture OR video tape yourself, then that’s fine, too. But then it just becomes another plain jane meme. *yawn 😀

Q: Where is a good place to host my videos?

A: Personally, I prefer Vimeo.com or Viddler.com. Vimeo’s quality is outstanding, but they only give you 500 mb of free space each week (anything over that and you have to pay). So, that works out to be about one ten-minute video per week. Viddler.com is a bit wonky, and the maximum you can upload at one time is 500 mb, and they’re a bit slow, BUT, they are still better than YouTube, in my opinion. I don’t care for YouTube because it’s just so public! But that’s just me. It’s ultimately up to you where you feel comfortable housing your videos.

Q: What if I don’t feel comfortable answering the questions?

A: Then just skip that question, or questions for that week. The questions will be a bit more challenging than simply, “What is your favorite color” kind of questions. The purpose behind these questions is to share your opinions with not only your readers, but with your future generations, too.

Q: Can I ask my own questions?

A: That’s a VERY good question! In fact, at some point down the road, I think we should do that very thing! I’ll open the floor up to players and they can send me their questions and we’ll work them into the meme.

Q: Can I just record myself and post the audio file?

A: Absolutely!!

Q: Can you recommend a nice, quick method to videotape myself?

A: Actually, yes. I personally use the video function on my Canon Powershot A590 IS camera to video myself. It’s incredibly fast and easy and when I’m done, I simply insert the memory card into my computer, sign onto my Vimeo.com account, browse to the file on my memory card, and then upload. There is no converting, there is no complicated process – it really is that easy. If you can swing purchasing a digital camera with a video function, I highly recommend it!

If you have any more questions, please contact me.

______________________________

I plan on using a variety of different sources for the questions, but the majority of the questions will come from the Table Topics cubes. These questions come in a glass cube and hold 135 question cards. They are geared to promote conversation so are perfect to use around the dinner table or at family gatherings. I will be giving one cube of Table Topics away at 5 Minutes for Mom Ultimate Blog party beginning March 20th in case you’re interested in winning your very own.

In fact, when I received the “Teen” version of Table Topics, I videotaped the first question we asked the kids at the dinner table, you can watch the video below and see how it turned out.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about "1st Teen Topic Question on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

Suffice it to say, we have really had a blast with these questions.

Okay, let’s get this party started. Here are this week’s questions:

1. How would a woman president be different from a man?

2. If you only had one more year to live, what would you change about your life?

3. How do you think you’ll be different when you attend your 20-year high school reunion? OR, if you’re past that point, like me, compare who you are now to the person you were back in high school. How have you changed?

I’ll post my video answers next week, March 4th. Have fun!

Reflections

Reflections: My Childhood Bedroom

Karen

This was originally published on my self-hosted blog, April 14, 2006.

Describe your childhood bedroom. What was the view from the window?

My sister and I shared an attic bedroom growing up.

The attic stairs were right across the hall from the bathroom and I remember skipping two/three steps down the stairs and barreling into the bathroom on more than one occasion. In fact, there were quite a few times I would scramble down the stairs so fast that I would overshoot the threshold and nearly land headfirst into the tub.

The stairs leading up to our room were steep and I remember my brother crawling up the stairs on his hands and knees to spy on us. Being the only boy in the family, he often felt lonely and would try and force his way into our secluded world.

When you reached the top of the stairs, you immediately stepped into a large room. We called that the “play room” because this is where me and my siblings spent a large portion of our time. All of the board games were stacked on shelves and we had boxes of toys sitting around. I think there was a walk-in closet but I wouldn’t swear to that. At the top of the stairs, to your left, was a huge attic fan embedded into the wall of the house. We didn’t have central air and that often kept the house bearable. It actually worked pretty good. We kept the windows open in the summer and the attic fan would pull air in and keep the house fairly cool. There was one window air conditioner unit in my parents’ room and I remember sneaking into their room to cool off when it got really unbearable in the afternoons.

The attic was big enough to accommodate a full-grown adult and I remember that no one ever had to stoop over when they came up. The previous owners had converted the attic into spare bedrooms so there was plenty of room.

I remember having disco parties in the playroom. We used to have one of those rotating balls that give off different colored lights as it rotates throwing various shadows and colors on the walls. We would play disco music (because that’s what was hot back then) and just act silly. I remember having various friends over and thinking we were really cool dancing our hearts out.

There were two windows at the front of the play room that offered a view of the front of our house. There were two side windows, one in the playroom, one in the bedroom I shared with my sister. I would often sit by those side windows and spy on our neighbors.There were four boys that lived next door and I had a crush on the oldest even though he was younger than me. They would often be outside, acting like, well, boys and I remember thinking some of their games looked rough but fun. (I was sort of a tomboy back in my day).

At the top of the stairs, when you turned right, you would enter our bedroom. It was a really cool room. It had jutting edges and protruding partitions. We had a white vanity dresser with pink piping. I think we got it from my grandmother (dad’s mom). I remember it was old even back then. It might have been an antique but I wouldn’t swear to that. That’s the only piece of furniture I can remember, other than our twin beds. Our beds were nestled in an alcove right underneath the two back windows. These windows were similar to the ones in the playroom and overlooked our backyard. We had three (four?) walnut trees in the backyard and I remember hating those trees because every fall we would have to go out and pick up the walnuts. We always had bagfuls to take to the shelling place where they gave us money for bringing them in. It was smelly and often left our hands stained for weeks. We would put then in paper bags that would wilt and fall apart because of the rotten walnut juice that seeped through.

Our beds were identical with shelves built into the headboard and I often kept books on the shelf. After a while the shelf became a catch all for trash, notes from friends, barretts, pencils and various other knickknacks.

We had a shed in the backyard, too. This is where dad kept his lawnmower and various other outdoor tools. I remember being a little afraid of that shed – it was old and the paint was peeling. It just had a creepy feel to it. It didn’t help that the shed was situated in the very back corner of our lot in the shadows. The times that I peered inside I got a whiff of lawnmower oil and freshly cut grass. Sometimes I would catch a whiff of something rotten, as if a dead animal had crawled under the shed (there was at least half a foot of space under the shed. The structure sat on boards), had gotten trapped and then died.

We had a paved patio with a privacy fence around the patio. Our whole backyard was fenced, but the portion around the patio (which took up about only ÂŒ of the backyard) was surrounded by a privacy fence. We often had BBQ’s on the patio. There was an old clothes line erected along the left side of the patio and I remember mom hanging sheets up to dry. There were stairs from the backdoor that led down to the patio. There was an elevated chunk of land surrounded by a concrete wall. I think we kept flowers or a garden in that area, but I wouldn’t swear to that.

It seems there was paneling from the bottom of the wall to the halfway mark. After that we had this red poppy looking wallpaper that I think was fuzzy when you touched the flowers. I seem to recall our room being decorated in reds and whites and pinks. It was kind of a funky room, but that’s what made it cool – it was certainly different.

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To learn more about the carnival, read this page.

The next Blogger’s Best Carnival: February 28th.

General

Assuming a Persona Through Language

Karen

I know this video is a bit redundant, it’s supposed to be, but hang in there to the end because it’s truly amazing how many accents she uses and uses well.

I’ve ALWAYS been fascinated with accents. In fact, I would routinely walk around and talk in (what I thought was) an English accent at various points throughout my adolescence. Of course, I’m quite sure I wasn’t very good (spoken with an English accent).

I WANTED to be a English woman. I don’t know why, a large part of it had to do with the fact that they have the coolest, most concise sort of language, but I think some of it had to do with the fact that I think it’s just so classy, so refined, so posh.

Growing up in hillbilly country, though I wouldn’t exactly classified myself, or my family as hillbillies, I wanted a little culture in my life – and I thought the English just might be able to give it to me.

I would LOVE to be able to mimic so many different dialects. What fun to pretend you’re from a different country and living a totally different life.

I smell a story …

And acting, talk about LIVING your imagination.

Spot on, Amy. Good luck with your career. I wonder where she’s really from?

Can you assume any accents?

Monday Stuff

Weekend Top 5: Hot Water

Karen

weekendtopfive

Weekend Top 5 is hosted by Kristi at The Wheelz are Rolling

number Hot showers have really never been my thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a hot shower, but overall, I prefer my water to be a little more on the lukewarm side. My body tends to run hot much of the time, so honestly, a lukewarm shower is more comfortable for me.

But this weekend, my showers have been so hot that my skin is actually starting to bubble in protest.

Okay, my skin is not really developing blisters, but our water is now so hot that it could!

The plumbers paid us a visit Friday. They replaced our 33 year old water heater with a slightly bigger, more energy-efficient tank and let me tell ya, that baby CRANKS out the hot water! In the past, we would have to alternate when we took showers because if we ever made the mistake of taking showers at the same time (you know, one person in the front bathroom, another person in the back bathroom), then we inevitably ended up stumbling out of the stalls shivering and blue because the hot water ran out after about five minutes.

But now. Wow. We can run both showers, the dishwasher AND the washing machine and STILL have a ton of hot water to spare!

The guys are in heaven, they love it. But me? Well, this sucker is SO hot that I have to nearly turn it all the way down to “C” just to get something a little more lukewarm. I’m not complaining; I just don’t care for sweaty showers because to me, that defeats the purpose of taking a shower! HA!

number4 The guys’ passports came in the mail Saturday.

Mine did not.

*blink*

Should I be worried about this?

number3 Kevin was forced asked to volunteer for the annual Sertoma Chili Cookoff. Sertoma stands for, “Service to Mankind” and it’s an event sponsored by area businesses to raise money for the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Springfield.

Businesses cook up batches of chili and customers can pay a fee to get in the door and sample these chilies. They then vote for their favorite and the winning company receives a trophy.

In addition to the cookoff, the event coincides with the downtown Mardi Gras pub crawl which means there are a lot of drunk, crazy people running around with tons of beads around their necks and sporting risque costumes.

Not exactly an event for children, but surprisingly, there are always a lot of children that show up.

Kevin was stationed at the back door to dissuade people from trying to get in without paying. He had to stand at the door for nearly four hours and turn away quite a few drunk people.

I didn’t go with him. I wasn’t about to pay $12.00 to fight these crowds:

crowded

Ugh. I don’t do crowds very well. I was really glad I wasn’t invited to volunteer. (Though I would have, if asked).

You can watch a video of the event, if you’re interested.

number2 And here we go …

I’ve been watching the pollen counts steadily creeping up in our area. Kevin and I have noticed a difference just in how our sinuses have been acting up, but I’ve been keeping a watch on this chart via weather.com:

Pollen Level

Right now, Cedar and Elm are high. When Oak appears on that list, I’ll have to dig out the Singular and Zyrtec and drug MK up.

Have I mentioned I hate this time of year? Yes? Then I’ll shut up about it. Suffice it to say, I’ll be GLAD when April is over. (Typically the time Oak trees bloom around here).

number1 GD and I spent nearly three hours making out his schedule for next year. Not because it was terribly complicated or confusing but because the boy simply wouldn’t pick any classes!! ARGH!

GD is the type of boy who will take the easy way out, each and every time. He doesn’t like to use his brain very much unless it involves some sort of game strategy that will increase his ranking status among his peers. And then? Watch out – the boy is sharp as a tack and BITES.

But the whole “this is important because this is your future” thing? Not so much.

I was proud of myself though. I patiently sat next to him as he asked about possibilities and I read the class descriptions to him. I absolutely did not give him my input, well, not MUCH input, anyway. I gently guided him in the direction that he needed to go, but ultimately, I didn’t make any suggestions or pick any classes out for him.

And this is why it took so long for him to make any decisions. Because in the past, he would ask me what I thought, I would tell him, and that’s what he would settle for. This go-around, he would say, “What do you think, mom?” And I would come back with, “Actually son, the question is, what do YOU think? You’ll be taking the class after all. Is this something you think you might be interested in?”

In which he would reply, “I don’t know.”

And so, we sat around while we tossed nearly every class listed on the form until he finally made some decisions. He got very frustrated but I think it was good for him to actually THINK about what sort of future path he would like to explore. The only time the boy perked up was when we talked about the computer programming classes the school offered.

Only, one of the prerequisites was Algebra II. Which he hasn’t taken yet, but is scheduled for next year.

He got very frustrated with the prerequisites. But it was an opportune moment to teach him the importance of careful planning.

Here’s what we ended up scheduling him for next year:

English III (required), Liberty and Law (required), Civil War (he actually picked this one and acted interested in it), Japanese II (he picked it, but is nervous because it’ll be more challenging), Algebra II (required), Intro to Computer Programming (this is contingent on if he passes Algebra II with a C or better), Biology (required), Computer Applications (elective), Personal Finance (required – and a good idea, IMO), P.E. (required – he’s just retaking the weight class again), and an ACT Prep course (elective).

It was recommended that we go ahead and look at some possible courses for senior year – which was fun because by the time he is in 12th grade, the only thing he HAS to take is one more English class. So, for senior year, he’s what he has tentatively picked out:

English IV, Technical Writing (which is basically business writing and yes, I suggested this one *ahem*), Psychology, Economics, Advanced Computer Programming, Accounting I (I thought this might be fun for him since Kevin is an accountant and though a busy class, it’s not a terribly hard class), Earth Science, Relationships (which he rolled his eyes at, but honestly, his choices were pretty slim by this time) and Contemporary Living (which teaches kids to be smart shoppers).

I have no idea if he’ll stick with those classes come senior year, but I feel pretty good about his choices as those are pretty well-rounded and yet practical at the same time.

They gave us a copy of his transcript so we wouldn’t accidentally schedule him for a class he’s already taken and I was very proud of his grades, so far. It looks pretty decent, if I say so myself. I hope he can maintain the momentum.

Two years. My baby will graduate from high school in two, short years. *sigh*

Monday Morning Meme

Monday Morning Meme – February 23rd

Karen

All you have to do is answer the questions below either in the comment section, or on your blog. And elaborate! Make these questions show your unique and special personalities. This meme entry will post at 12:01 every Monday morning and will be the first postentry listed on WFK all day Monday. (This is an all-day Monday meme, so please, play all day!)

Monday Morning Meme at writefromkaren.com

February 23rd Questions:

1. Does blogging make you fat? Do you find yourself sitting around and eating more since you started your blog? Or do you get so caught up in the whole blogging routine that you forget to eat?

2. The one topic I will not touch on my blog is __________. Why? What sorts of topics do you receive the most comments on? What sorts of topics do you receive the least number of comments on?

3. Spring is coming. How is your wardrobe? What sorts of clothes do you usually wear in the spring? Where do you normally shop for your clothes? How successful are you in finding clothes for yourself?

4. We should treat every day as a special gift – we’re alive, right? What made this past week special for you? (And if you’ve already talked about that special something on your blog, then think of something else – something little perhaps, but had a big impact on you or your loved ones).

Monday Morning Meme Participants

1. PhoenixTheBloggingMama
2. Vicki
3. Rose
4. Jodi
5. Jennifer @ Rundpinne
6. Marianne		 7. Kimberly
8. Judy
9. GiGi Diaz
10. Jennifer
11. Mrs. Cox
12. Rachel		 13. oregonsunshine
14. pinaymama
15. Andrea
16. Janean

Learn more about Monday Morning Meme here.

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