9/29/2006

Okay - fine - I’ve been tagged.

My best friend Cara has Tagged me. So I’m supposed to tell you 10 things about me - using items as props. I don’t normally do these, but for Cara, I will…. These are in no particular order:

1. My iPod - I love listening to podcasts … and music, too. I’ve enjoyed podcasts so much I decided to create my own!

2. A picture of Andrew & the boys - what more needs said? These guys are my life.

3. My laptop - I’m a writer and a blogger, plus I just love my Powerbook!

4. My lesson planner - I homeschool my kids. For Phillip it’s been a true blessing - regular school was rough on him for several reasons. For John I think it will let him move at his own pace, which I believe will be quite fast. Both my boys are very smart - and thus the regular classroom would not be the best for either of them, just for different reasons.

5. My mother’s Christmas bell - This is a two-fold thing. One: it’s a symbol of my favorite, favorite holiday, Christmas. Two: it’s a reminder of my mother - whose favorite holiday was also Christmas.

6. A turtle pin from Mrs. Per - Mrs. Per was VERY instrumental in guiding my love of reading and learning. Aside from my mother and sister, she was a huge influence on me.

7. A tape of my reading on the radio - I was on the radio! It was very cool!

8. Copies of my “Winner” certificates for NaNoWriMo - I finished 50,000 words in 30 days two years in a row.

9. A copy of my thesis and the flyer from the conference where I was allowed to do a reading and participate in a panel - Okay, I know that’s two things, but they were linked together, so I put them together. I was in the Honors track at my university, and in order to graduate from the Honors College (along with your regular diploma) you had to complete a thesis. Mine was on Medieval Women Writers, and my sponsor invited me to present a reading from my thesis and be on a panel. I was nervous - because I was the only undergraduate that read or was on a panel — in the whole conference! EEP! I think it went well, though.

10. A knit purse - Okay, I don’t actually have it yet - because it’s still being constructed - but we’ll just go with it, okay? My very best friend Cara is knitting me this purse - which I’ve seen the pieces of - and it’s very cool! More than that, though, it would represent our friendship. Cara and I were very close in Jr. High and into high school - not beginning to drift until Jr. year. By end of Sr. year we weren’t nearly as close - and after graduation, I didn’t see her again until our 15 year high school reunion 3 years ago (Yes, Cara, it’s been 3 years!). We caught up a lot that night - and we’ve been catching up more ever since. And now? Well, it’s almost as though we never missed those 15 years.

And there it is. Who should I tag next? Hmmmm:

Okay, if you aren’t Cara, consider yourself tagged! Of course, I don’t know how many of you I actually expect will participate, but if you do - please let me know so I can read yours!

sparta at 10:18 am

Comments (3)

9/26/2006

AUGH!!!!!

Too.

Much.

To.

Do.

Okay - now you can all remind me about how I brought some of this on myself and yada yada yada - blah blah blah.

Still, I’m a bit buried. I don’t have the time to check and comment on other’s blogs like I used to. This irritates me.

So - if you’re one of those folks whose blog I used to comment on a lot - it’s not anything personal, I’m still trying to read, but I’m not on top of those posts like I used to be. If I have more to add - or more to say than a “me, too” - I’ll comment….eventually.

;-) Still, I’d love to hear the quick and dirty about how everyone else is doing….

sparta at 2:40 pm

Comments (10)

9/20/2006

Cruising You Tube

Unlike others -uhem- I can’t sit around and cruise File Pile, so You Tube is my next choice. Here’s some things I found in my wanderings:

White and Nerdy by Wierd Al

Wow, who knew: Samuel Jackson Beer (WARNING: Language probably not safe for work)

I had no idea this existed: Star Wars - The Saga Begins

Chapelle makes fun of GTA (WARNING: Violence?)

Early Dana Gould - I still love this guy! (WARNING: Language; mild, but there)

More Dana Gould (WARNING: NSFW)

Did you watch Battle of the Planets? I did - every weekday morning at like 5:30 a.m. Nowadays there’s no way in h–l I’d get up that early for a show. Here’s more.

Here’s an interesting re-mix using clips from the Thunderbirds (yes, that creepy puppet show). It came on a 6 a.m. So of course I watched it, too.

Oh, real quick: Mr. Pop History

Okay - and while we’re feeling nostalgic - or at least I am - did anyone else see THIS as a kid?

And what about THIS?

And last, but not least: The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics

Quick Quiz: What music video is this line from: “You’re about as useful as jpeg’s to Helen Keller….”?

sparta at 1:38 am

Comments (6)

9/19/2006

Arrrrr!

Ye’d better be knowin’ what ta’day is, mates, or ye’ll be walkin’ the plank!

‘ere’s summore links for ye’:

Talklikeapirateday.com
Pirate Glossary
The ever-present Wikipedia entry
An entertaining video about the 5 A’s

Um — I’m sorry — but look anyway: Slappy Rap

And last but not least: A filter to piratize yer blog!

sparta at 12:01 am

Comments (2)

9/11/2006

September 17th is Citizenship Day

I am reposting this because I feel that there are perhaps a few people in this country who need a refresher course in being an American. Oh, they will remember those we have lost on the anniversary of this act of war (and make no mistake, that’s what it was) - but they will use is as a vehicle to speak out against their own country, nearly level of traitorism. Now, before someone gets up on their high horse about it - let’s make something clear…disagreeing about how your country is doing something is a long sight different than actually acting in such a manner as to actually subvert those things. Actively consorting and assisting those who are through evidence and action known to be your country’s enemies is NOT being a good citizen. You want to say that you don’t believe that fighting in Iraq is helping, fine. You start sending donations to groups like Hezbollah - that’s something else. Sadly, a lot of people seem to have forgotten where the line between freedom of speech and traitorism lies. I can only hope that they remember before another 9/11 happens or worse - because otherwise I fear that it is going to take something worse than that to make them remember just which country is theirs and where their allegiances should lie.

From 2003:

This seemingly uncelebrated holiday was put in place in 1952 by President Truman. The original holiday was actually “I am an American” Day celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in May and established in 1940 by Congress. Truman moved the holiday to Sept. 17th and renamed it Citizenship Day. This coincides with the signing of the U.S. Constitution (the oldest working constitution in the world, thank you very much) in 1787, which he felt was more appropriate. Originally it was thought to congratulate and celebrate all of those new citizens from the past year; but after Truman re-worked it, it was meant to celebrate being a citizen period - either native-born or naturalized. So here are some links to help you celebrate properly:

U.S. Constitution
A page about the flag with the Pledge of Allegiance on it
More info on the Pledge
U.S. History Index

sparta at 10:42 am

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Some of us still remember

Is there really any more to say?

sparta at 10:29 am

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9/10/2006

Busy weekend

I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve had a busy weekend. Lots of stuff to do around here - some of it self-imposed, I’ll grant you - but amazingly enough, I finished it all! Yay me!

The podcast is going pretty well - even if it’s not been on the schedule that I’d wanted. Homeschooling is going well - if not on the schedule I’d…. Hey, you know what - I think I’m going to have to chuck the schedule! LOL! Anyway, podcast, writing, homeschooling, and day-to-day stuff … all is going well.

How are all of you? Have a good weekend?

sparta at 10:25 pm

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9/4/2006

If you really loved me….

If you all really loved me like you say you do, you’d all pool some cash together and buy me THIS (warning: a sound plays when the page first loads; it’s not offensive, but if you’re at work, you don’t want any strange noisy of any kind to be coming from your speakers - so off your sound before you click).

:-)

Of course, if you REALLY REALLY loved me, you’d all get me THIS (plus the sets for S8 and S9!) - but hey, we don’t have to measure love in DVDs, do we?

LOL!

;-)

sparta at 11:10 pm

Comments (5)

9/1/2006

DELAYED ENTRY: Happy Birthday, Cara!

I had prepared this entry for yesterday - August 31st - but for some reason, it wasn’t where I thought it was - and the day got busy and slipped by - and now it’s late. But here it is!

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Today is my best friend Cara’s birthday! I had a chance to visit Cara earlier this month and take her her birthday present and card in person. Much better than just mailing it from here! ^_^

So everyone say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Cara!