Posted by Cottontimer on 26 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: Knick Knacks, News and Current Events
My space-obssessed boy and I are watching NASA TV right now. We are impatiently counting down the final minutes until the launch of the space shuttle Discovery on its 31st flight.
They were just cleared for launch! We are on pins and needles with all our fingers and toes crossed.
Posted by Cottontimer on 23 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: Kids, News and Current Events, Schooling
The closest I’ve ever gotten to an F is a C in physical education (which I’ve criticized before) and a college philosophy course (ack!). My parents never put any direct pressure on my sister or me to get A’s, but that’s what we knew was expected of us and my parents helped us to achieve it in whatever way they could. Actually, I wonder if my teachers gave F’s to anyone at all.
Just in case F’s were being liberally used to oppress our children, two teachers plan to propose to the Professional Association of Teachers in the UK that the F grade be abolished. (The Guardian, July 20, 2005)
Conference believes it is time to delete the word “fail” from the educational vocabulary, to be replaced with the concept of “deferred success.”
“Failure,” says Liz Beattie, a retired primary school teacher, “is a word that should be deleted from the classroom dictionary, because it can put children off learning.”
Something tells me that kids who get F’s have already been put off learning long before getting an F. But, of course, wiping F’s from report cards will motivate them without the need for any other types of support. What a nice and easy solution.*
*sarcasm
Posted by Cottontimer on 23 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: Funny, Kids, News and Current Events
Of course, Judge Roberts is now being criticized for bringing his pre-schoolers to a late-night, formal event. But what parent hasn’t done something similar?
While in Singapore last week, we were out all day with my in-laws. By the end, Stephen had clearly had enough and kept asking to go home. But the needs of the few do not outweigh the needs of many and I did my best to placate him. Nevertheless, he still had a couple of meltdowns that were contained using some strict lecturing (no spanking!) in a semi-quiet corner of the elevator lobby. We were exhausted by the time we wrapped up the day, but we still had a good time.
Carrie Devorah of Human Events, The National Conservative Weekly, wrote,
The judge reinforced–with his decision to bring pre-schoolers, 5-year-old Josephine and 4-year-old John, past their bedtime, into the media spotlight–that the laws of child rearing are as individual as common sense, telling as to where Roberts’ priorities lie.
For PR purposes, Judge Roberts probably wanted to show off his smart wife and beautiful children. But I also think he wanted include his kids in one of the biggest events of his life. Being in the White House with the President of the United States saying wonderful things about their father will be an amazing memory for his kids.
Our life includes our kids. If it were up to some people, we’d maintain a strict separation between the world of adults and the world of children. What a cold and harsh world that would be. Thanks for injecting a bit of humanity and humor into our world, John Roberts, Jr.!
Pointer from Blogging Baby.
Posted by Cottontimer on 07 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: London, News and Current Events
Stephen said, upon seeing one of the red double-decker buses mangled in London’s explosions, “Mama, what’s that?”
“That’s a broken bus,” I replied.
“Fix it. Can you fix it?” Stephen wanted to know.
“Maybe. Sometimes things get broken and you can’t fix them,” I told him regretfully.
“Try. You can try fix it,” Stephen insisted.
“Yes, baby. Yes we can.”
Posted by Cottontimer on 07 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: London, News and Current Events
About an hour ago, I saw frumiousb’s post asking if the Londoners she knows are ok. It was the first I’d heard of the six or more explosions in London’s subway and bus systems and reminded me of September 11, 2001.
It was already nighttime in Japan when that morning in New York City began. I was posting on my cross stitch discussion board and waiting for Marv to get home from work. When I refreshed the page, I saw a post asking if anyone had seen what was happening in NYC. Not knowing what she was talking about, I immediately turned on the TV and saw the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. Eastern Time. My parents in California didn’t even know what had happened until I called them.
I was filled with dread for days and weeks. The following day, I went to a Japanese friend’s house and wore red, white, and blue (I’m sure nobody caught on to that). I had wanted to stay home and watch the news obsessively and I should have. My friend didn’t have the TV on at all and was basically not interested in knowing all the gory details.
Reviewing the 9/11 timeline brings back feelings of horror, fear, and disgust. What kind of depraved sicko conducts these acts of terrorism every day around the world? I feel so helpless.
NB: Earlier in the day, I was disgusted by the federal judge’s decision to jail NY Times journalist, Judith Miller, for refusing to betray an anonymous source. As soon as I get the chance, I’ll be buying her books – Germs and God Has Ninety-Nine Names. That’s the least I can do to support someone who is protecting our First Amendment rights.
Posted by Cottontimer on 01 Jul 2005 | Tagged as: Health, News and Current Events
It’s hard for me to imagine Stephen as a grade schooler let alone a jowly 40-year-old. A British family gets to take a peek at what their two children might look like if they continue their slovenly habits, such as drinking two liters of soda a day EACH. (BBC News, June 30, 2005)
I, myself, am getting close to achieving this look. When I hit 40 in seven years, maybe I’ll indulge in some plastic surgery*.
*Just kidding! I’d rather spend my money elsewhere.
Pointer from Blogging Baby.
Posted by Cottontimer on 22 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: Motherhood, News and Current Events
The New York Metro is calling Isabel Kallman the Martha Stewart of parenting. I guess if she’s aiming for an ice queen image, then she certainly is modelled upon Martha. But if she’s hoping to be as knowledgeable and hands-on with parenting as Martha is with homemaking arts (or at least before she made the big time), then Kallman’s got a long way to go.
Ivy League educated, hard-driving former Wall Street senior VP Kallman is starting Alpha Mom TV for the “new breed of ‘go to’ moms who are constantly looking to be ahead of the curve and ‘in the know’ on the newest innovations, hippest trends and research breakthroughs.”
Kallman dispenses advice to mothers she meets despite spending little time taking care of her own son. Preferring instead to let a “village” of nannies, babysitters, and assistants handle him while she spends 20 hours a day interviewing childcare experts, bargaining with TV execs. and networking at parties.
Her channel will be like a support group or a church–the church of the immaculate perfection. Goal-oriented parents can go there and find comfort that they?re not alone, that others are also struggling to grow the perfect child. They?ll be told what to do and what not to do and how to do it better–discover how to boost their newborn?s coordination and strength; learn massage that “can help babies eat and sleep better”; hear “research-based explanations of how children separate and attach”; and obtain guidance on “raising overachievers.”
And when inevitably they?re frustrated in their goals, they?ll find programs for that, too: some calm high priestess of motherhood, some Oprah-meets-Martha image of perfection, coming on to absolve them for failing to be perfect today and bolstering their resolve to be more perfect tomorrow. You can do it, the message goes. You can raise “best of breed” children without ever losing your “sense of self.”
If Isabel Kallman’s life is anything to go by, being an Alpha Mom is nothing I’d aspire to or could ever succeed at. Nevertheless, I’m sure I won’t be able to resist sneaking a peek at Alpha Mom TV if I get a chance.
Pointer from Blogging Baby.
Posted by Cottontimer on 21 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: News and Current Events, Quotes
Many of you reminded me yesterday that news is depressing and scary because that’s what sells to readers.
Rebecca MacKinnon, a former CNN reporter, told the Columbia Journalism Review,
As it was put to me, you’re fighting with Fox for every fifteen seconds of airtime. You’re trying to put on whatever is the most titillating, gripping stuff to keep people from changing the channel. What that means is that if there is something that one thinks the American public needs to know, but it is not as sexy as Michael Jackson, then they’ll go with Michael Jackson.
I’ve completely given up on popular mainstream media like CNN, Time, Discovery, or Reader’s Digest. I prefer instead sources that provide more in-depth reporting and which don’t talk down to its audience, such as The Atlantic, Scientific American, and smart blogs.
Personally, I wouldn’t care if I never saw another picture or story about Michael Jackson again. And who ever said Jackson was sexy?*
*I know she was not speaking specifically of Michael Jackson.
Posted by Cottontimer on 20 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: News and Current Events
Reading the news every day is depressing. The topics on my customized Google News page include: world, U.S., bird flu, Vietnam, genes, health, sci/tech, Singapore, business, entertainment, children books, children toys, and children. All of these turn up something that puts a frown on my face.
Today, I was particularly upset after reading everyone’s views on the impending (?) bird flu pandemic. Sadly, there are quite a few other ways to die too.
I should just get on with life and celebrate our wedding anniversary and Marv’s birthday today.
Posted by Cottontimer on 10 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: Blogging, News and Current Events
China is cracking down on blogs.
China will close down all domestic websites and web logs that do not register with the government and begin monitoring this month for anyone who does not comply, according to a media freedom organization. Registered sites could post only non-political content or follow the government line, the French organization Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Monday [6 June].
{snip}
The overseas content is quite easy for the Chinese to filter out by simply denying access to blogs such as Livejournal and Blogger,” said Suresh Ramasubramanian, anti-Spam manager with the Hong Kong ISP Outblaze.
~Monsters and Critics, June 7, 2005
If we end up moving to China in the future, maybe that will be the impetus for me to move off LiveJournal and set up my own domain.
Pointer from my sister (who is still free from blog tyranny).
ETA: Horrors! I laid awake last night thinking about this and realized that if LiveJournal and Blogger are blocked, not only would I not be able to post easily on my own LJ, I might not be able to read many of my favorite blogs! And even if I could still use Bloglines (and that’s a big IF), I probably wouldn’t be able to leave comments.
Rebecca MacKinnon interviewed Isaac Mao, a Chinese blogger, about the recent changes. He has started a project for anyone with their own server space to adopt a Chinese blog.
