Last Words

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/31/oh-wow-what-do-steve-jobss-last-words-really-mean/

Steve Jobs' last words were OH WOW (according to his sister). I try to remember (though I don't always do a great job of it) that the existence of this world is incredible. Seriously. Think about how much of a coincidence it is that your parents met, that their parents met, that their parents parents met and on and on back to before we were human. That is some kind of ridiculousness right there, even if you're not into evolution. We are so lucky to be around! Wow!

Slate: Against Single-Sex Schooling

I agree with this post from Slate.com. The authors recently published an article in Science about how schooling girls separately from boys isn't a good idea. They bring up 3 points:

1. Research on single-sex schooling hasn't found evidence to support that it is better than the usual mode of education. Effects of economic background, selective admission, and extra resources and mentoring account for the success of many single-sex schools.
2. Folklore holds that boys and girls learn differently, but neuroscience doesn't support the notion.
3. Schooling separately reinforces gender-stereotypes.

What's your take on the issue?

Plain Dealer

Even though it is Tuesday, I just now got around to the Sunday Arts section of the Plain Dealer.  (Mental Floss and a book called Brain Works have been distracting me lately) I read an article about a guy who's making a movie about an Irish Clevelander who goes to Ireland for the first time. It sounds like it could be a decent movie, but what I'm more interested in is the burgeoning film scene here. This summer I half considered trying to be an extra in the Avengers, but got lazy. Hopefully, more and more movies will get made here and we can all enjoy the fun of it.

Mental Floss: Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

My most favorite magazine, Mental Floss, is perfect for breakfast and before-bed reading. No article is longer than 3-4 pages, and most are just a page. Since I am a teacher, and need to go to bed at a decent hour, reading short articles at night is good for my health. When I get into novels, I have a hard time putting them down. The non-fiction snippets presented in this magazine are the perfect length for a quick read before bed or before heading out the door in the morning.

Mental Floss is so great I even purchased the entire back-stock of this magazine to sustain my habit. I've read 45 editions so far, and I only have 1.5 left until I've read them all! (Besides the ones that sold out and are not available). Thankfully, I am renewing my subscription, as well as gifting subscriptions to my similarly obsessed father and brother.

Another wonderful thing about this magazine is its local connection. The one and only Mental Floss brick-and-mortar store is only about 10 minutes from where I live! You can visit the store in Chesterland, Ohio. Or, visit the store online.

*I am in no way paid to endorse Mental Floss. I just really enjoy it and I would like other people to check it out so they can enjoy it too.

A little background

This is my first blog post. Ever. I am pretty intimidated about the whole idea of writing for a possible audience of the entire population of internet users. So, to help myself to be more comfortable, I decided to make my blog about something I do every single day-read! I am kind of compulsive about reading. I have to read something while I'm eating breakfast (unless I'm with other people) and also before I go to bed. If there isn't something to read on my table while I'm getting my cereal, I will go find something. If there's nothing new lying around, I'll re-read a magazine. I've even read the back of the toothpaste in desperation. It's ridiculous.