What Does the Fox Say?

This week's treat has been reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear? to a sweet girl for her bedtime story.  Though my noises for all animals were a little lacking, she didn't complain.  [What exactly does a hippopotamus sound like?  No clue really, but I tried to sound confident.]  This book was promptly followed by a Star Wars series.  She was a young woman of discerning tastes.  I like it.  Incidentally, Jedi light saber noises are also a little easier to command.

The next morning, I had to turn down the opportunity to read as I couldn't quite manage a book AND drive a minivan [for the first time ever] at 8:00 a.m. pre-coffee.  This was a little difficult to explain to three toddlers but I did get to practice some Kaizan "Why" root cause.  [Toyota, did you ever expect that to happen in a Honda?]

Here's hoping your Friday contains no Storm (troopers) or large animals waiting to hiss in your ear.  May the force be with you.

"It's a Wheel!"

"For several thousand years people supposed that the earth was a great platform surrounded by the sea to an unknown distance; and that the sun set in the sea and rose out of it."

Opening line from Astronomy without Mathematics by Sir Edmund Beckett, Sixth Edition (revised for the results of the transit of Venus).  Published 1876.  My particular copy was "Obtained by William Brown in the Examination of Science Classes held May 1877".  It was noted as the "Queen's Prize."

Well done, Curiosity.   

A Funny Thing Happened...

"It's been proven by history: all mankind makes mistakes." - Captain Sharp, Moonrise Kingdom


I was in the mood for a Mark Twain anecdote this morning but in the end, decided this takeaway from last night's movie would do.  I received a James Thurber quote from a friend this weekend which stirred up memories from an American Humor class I had in college.  I own a slightly underlined, highlighted, and marked "USED" paperback copy of The Thurber Carnival.  The text has red dots next to the items we reviewed in class.  I did not sell this book back to the University because the cash return was not equal to the chuckles I got when revisiting the pages.

Conspiracy Theory

I had forgotten how much more challenging it is to read a textbook than a work of fiction.

I think the subconscious works in parallel with the environment to cause distractions.

This theory has not yet been proven but was developed over my morning espresso.

Validation pending.

Book-ing It

Check your shelves. Beyond your GBC reading water glasses, the lingering issues of the Sunday Times, those photo albums filled with prints from before you had your digital camera, and your board games, what do you see? I know that for most of you, like me, you have books. You have classical fiction, books about travel, cook books, odd books, and for a few of you, copies of the Tennessee code. Your shelves have included books since you were a child. The result? You are likely more intelligent for it, and you're definitely more interesting to talk to. GBC Kim passed along this link from The Chronicle from Higher Ed. (If you have a bit more time, check out the full article.) So next time you are wondering what to give to that son/daughter/niece/nephew/completely unrelated kid that has found a spot in your life, give a book.

Small Books

I have spent the last two days perusing children's books and/or stories which were written by young girls. Did you know it was possible to customize books for a child using his/her name as the main character in the story? (I had no idea.)

In addition to reading, the conversations with the girls were simple and direct; observations were acute and there were lots of questions. For someone who is not in the presence of young kids on a daily basis, it was a fun exercise in logic and levity. Imagination had no constraints, and it was a great deal of fun.

hola!

As promised earlier last month, I spent some time perusing Mango, which is available through our library website. Access is granted with your library card and access code, and the portal is easy to navigate. One has the option to create an account in order to save your lesson progress. Current languages offered are: Mandarin, French, German, Italian, and (Latin American) Spanish. In a fairly short time, I was through the first three lessons which are offered in slide format with audio. The technique is a combination of read and repeat with options to replay any statements which are not clear. I was able to set my own pace and quickly move through any slides which I had felt as if already mastered. My preference was to use the keyboard rather than the mouse for more rapid navigation. [Despite the fact that we have been on a French kick lately with book club, I decided to revive my old Spanish language skills.]

Each lesson is around 85 slides, and it appears as though there are around 100 lessons for Spanish on the "in depth" (Complete) option. There is also a Basic alternate if one is traveling soon or has less time to devote to learning. The site also has a dashboard if you are interested in statistics like time spent, lessons learned, etc. [Ahem, math.]

Overall, I think Mango appears to be a very easy and gentle introduction to a language. I plan to keep moving through the lessons so perhaps another update will be due in a few weeks. Hasta luego!

The Choice is Yours (but influenced by me)

I have moved to Nudge and last night completed the second chapter entitled "Resisting Temptation" - apropos for this time of year, wouldn't you agree?

The introduction began with an example of a director of food services who found she could influence lunch item decisions due to product placement on the line (sequence, height, e.g.). I was intrigued. For anyone in the business arena or merely an avid shopper, this news is no surprise, however couple this story with a writing style which includes clever footnotes and a reference to Homer's, "Five Days? But I'm mad now!" when referencing a weapon's purchase, and I want to continue on. It did not hurt my interest level that there was also a short quiz to illustrate automatic verses reflective system thinking. (I do love quizzes.)

Since I'm only one-fifth into the book, I can make no broader statements other than I am interested. We shall see how it goes.

School's In for Autumn

This weekend I visited a campus bookstore. I had forgotten the contrast between this University-operated bookstore and well, virtually any other type of bookstore in which I have shopped. Key differences include the obvious: clothing and other gear from car decals to lip balm emblazoned with the school’s logo, slogan, association, etc; textbooks at standard full price; and a grand piano. (As I type, I am actually trying to envision a grand piano in many of those tucked away used bookstores I enjoy frequenting, but it does not work.)

I remember the expense of textbooks each semester and the fight to get one of a few “used” textbooks which may have saved up to $20 each or perhaps more on the full bill. (A student could do a lot with $20.) Thanks to a young woman who talked with an extremely audible tone, I learned there are a few more options for students these days. Both Amazon and Ebay have textbook re-sale sections, and other sites such as Campus Books and Buy Used Textbooks offer discounted rates as well. These might be worth a look and may even save you enough money to buy one or two of those logoed items.