The Maths I Say

I am not the biggest geek in the world… really, I’m sure there must be bigger geeks than I am.

Still, in my current reading material is Calculus for Dummies. I don’t need calculus for work. I don’t need calculus at all really. I just… want to know that I can understand calculus. I got as far as Algebra 2 and Trig in high school, but then had to take a [very] basic math class in college. [That's a story in itself... for another time.] I like physics and chemistry, both math-intensive sciences. A lot of my work [and sometimes play] takes me into areas like engineering and programming that use higher math. Some of my students take calculus and [I'm not competitive at all -- really!] I want to relate what they learn there with the drawings they do for me when that’s practical. So on one of my forays in the bookstore I looked through a half-dozen calculus books and picked the Dummies.

I am not the biggest geek in the world… maybe.

Places to Go… and Places Not

For most of my life, vacation meant either working (lazing) around the house or going to visit family. A few years ago I started taking trips to see this big world of ours. There are lots of places I still want to see and I’m gradually working my way through the list. [Not that I have an actual written list anywhere....] And I’m getting a better sense of places that I do NOT want to go.

For example, I like being in mountainous areas but I really have no desire to summit a really high mountain. It’s just as well — at this point in my life I don’t think I could get myself into good enough physical condition even if I did want to do that. Another example: I’ve done some snorkeling [and almost got scuba certified once, but that's another story] but I doubt I’ll ever do any deep dives. So I’ve ruled out the really high and really low points on the globe.

When I travel, I prefer to visit natural sites. Culture can be fun, but spending every day in museums/castles/churches/etc. really isn’t my thing. So, while I want to travel through Europe I doubt I’ll take the “standard” type tour. And even if I could afford four-star accommodations [trust me, on a teacher's salary that's not likely to happen] I’m more comfortable in places of more modest means. Besides, saving a little money lets me get a little farther right?

I’m planning another trip for this summer and I’ll write about it eventually. There are places we considered visiting that didn’t make the final cut and I expect to get some blog fodder out of them too. Right now I’m wondering, do you have any trips planned for this year? And if you could go anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go?

3SP: A Lesson About Messin’ Around

Sometimes A bit of reconnaissance is prudent before cattin’ around. Some men live to tell the tale, some are not so lucky.

• Give me Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Come a Little Bit Closer by Jay His Site and the Americans Their Site
• Bad Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce

The song titles link to YouTube videos and the artist names link to their official web sites.

PDA

I’ve used Palm PDAs [Personal Digital Assistant] for about ten years or so. I still really like having one place to store my address book, calendar, notes and more that I can easily synchronize/back up on my computer. Recently, while synching the data, I began wondering what I would do if this one [my third] were to break or stop working. Would I remain faithful to this brand or try one of the other choices available now?

“I still love my Palm,” I thought. And as soon the words skittered through my consciousness I realized that sounds like something very different than what I meant! On top of that, “PDA” can also refer to Public Display of Affection and we really REALLY don’t want to go there. “I still love my Palm” probably won’t ever be used in any of their ad campaigns… unless they decide to cross-market with something like this.

Vignette: Live to Blog

Ginger: Some people think that life is just blog fodder.

Fred: I need to get one of those.

Ginger: A blog?

Fred: No. A life….

[Note: Learn more about Fred and Ginger here. ~Tim 6 Dec 2009]

3SP: Try Amorous

Once upon a time there was an era of free love. Except we all learned that nothing, least of all love, is free. But now that Singles Awareness Day is past it seems like a fun idea to revisit that era — through song, of course. Two of the three songs are by Crosby, Stills & Nash [do you think those boys really embraced the free love movement?] but in looking for videos I found a German CSN tribute band [I never knew there was such a thing!] performing their namesake song, Change Partners. That makes for a nice little change of pace [and it was better quality than any of the real CSN performances I could find].

Wine anyone?

• Spill the Wine by Eric Burdon and War
• Love the One You’re With by Crosby, Stills & Nash
• Change Partners by Crosby, Stills & Nash, performed byChange Partners

The song titles link to YouTube videos and the artist names link to their official web sites.

Say What?

In the hall after school recently I passed a group of students and heard one of the guys say to one of the girls:

Your ass looks fat in those jeans. I love it!

I was already thinking, “Oh, you’re going to be in such trouble…” when his final comment changed my mind. Maybe he said “phat”? Do kids still say “phat”?

Someone else pointed out to me that this year of the Rat on the Chinese calendar is SO appropriate to this being a presidential election year in the U.S. Hah!

For weeks I passed a building on the way home from work that had a sign in front that said, “THIS BLDG FOR SALE”. And every time I saw it I thought it said, “THIS BLOG FOR SALE”. Really. [If only I had taken a photo....]

Brilliant, Actually

The always brilliantly entertaining Heather Anne has posted a Valentine to “Wackopedia” over at the Collective. I’m planning NOT to post for VD [unless you count the Triamorous 3-SP] and I really think you should go watch her instead anyway. If you don’t get the pop-culture reference [or just want to see it again] it’s over there.

On another note, my web host is moving this site to a new server starting tonight. Theoretically, this can be done without any interruption in service. Theories are wonderful things…. If this whole place disappears for a day or two [and by some astronomical chance anyone notices] that’s probably the reason. I’m not planning to yank the whole thing out of existence. [Not this week anyway ]

3SP: Triamorous

Something amorous for everyone: Animal, Vegetable, or… Microwave?

• Muskrat Love by Captain and Tennille
• Jungle Love by Steve Miller Band
• Radar Love by Golden Earring

The song titles link to YouTube videos and the artist names link to their official web sites.

That’ll Do, Pig

It’s New Year’s Eve on the Chinese lunar calendar. Tomorrow begins the year of the Rat.

Me? I’m still gonna party like a pig….