My favorite song of all time (since about 2001) is Saves The Day's "Sell My Old Clothes I'm Off to Heaven". I listened to this song everyday in high school and sang it aloud, and it makes almost all my playlists.
I've seen Saves The Day twice in concert before last night, and neither time did it get played. I had given up hope that I'd ever see this song performed live. It's not on any of the major releases, and only made it onto a compilation of B-sides.
But last night I finally got to see it. I think I'll be happy all week from that alone. It was everything I'd dreamed of. (and I don't know why the youtube video continues for 2 minutes past the end of the song...)
February 7, 2010
February 4, 2010
Selling my car in Argentina
This has been in my head for two years now. When it is nearing the time to sell my car one day down the road, I have a plan of how I'm going to do it.
1. Post my car on craigslist in Argentina for something ridiculously cheap. Let's say $10. The only thing I ask is that the person arrange all the import paperwork (or I'll do it...just because.)
2. Drive my car to them from the U.S.
3. Deliver car to Argentina.
4. Fly home.
Somewhere in there is an incredible road trip through Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and into Argentina! I've done a bit of research on it, such as where I can take a ferry to avoid undesirable countries (Colombia.) As well, I've learned that there is not even one road that goes straight through because of the Darien Gap, a huge expanse of rainforest that no road crosses through.
A cool add-on to the trip would be to go to Chile and then take a real expensive boat cruise to Antarctica. South American would be my 6th continent I'd visited, so I figure I should tack on the 7th while I'm down that way.
Biggest worry, besides safety, is whether my car can make it those several thousand miles. But yeah, safety is a huge concern.
Darien gap below:
1. Post my car on craigslist in Argentina for something ridiculously cheap. Let's say $10. The only thing I ask is that the person arrange all the import paperwork (or I'll do it...just because.)
2. Drive my car to them from the U.S.
3. Deliver car to Argentina.
4. Fly home.
Somewhere in there is an incredible road trip through Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and into Argentina! I've done a bit of research on it, such as where I can take a ferry to avoid undesirable countries (Colombia.) As well, I've learned that there is not even one road that goes straight through because of the Darien Gap, a huge expanse of rainforest that no road crosses through.
A cool add-on to the trip would be to go to Chile and then take a real expensive boat cruise to Antarctica. South American would be my 6th continent I'd visited, so I figure I should tack on the 7th while I'm down that way.
Biggest worry, besides safety, is whether my car can make it those several thousand miles. But yeah, safety is a huge concern.
Darien gap below:
January 25, 2010
Bloom's Taxonomy
I have always enjoyed considering my work in the context of Bloom's Taxonomy.
I was first introduced to the concept in the third grade through the school district's gifted program, called Shared Time. Our teacher, Jill Dembsky (who runs KEWL), had the six words of Bloom's Taxonomy pasted on the wall next to the chalkboard for us to always ponder them. Still today, I frequently consider what type of thinking I am doing on an assignment in reference to the taxonomy.
Back in third grade we were challenged to think beyond Knowledge and Comprehension, the skills needed for elementary school, and reach the four highest levels. Now as a graduate student, we usually operate at Application and Analysis, and need to push ourselves to work more frequently at Synthesis and Evaluation.
I always felt seeing the thinking skills presented in a hierarchy made it easier to recognize where one was working at the time. Thus making it easier to consider what is necessary to reach the next level.
I was first introduced to the concept in the third grade through the school district's gifted program, called Shared Time. Our teacher, Jill Dembsky (who runs KEWL), had the six words of Bloom's Taxonomy pasted on the wall next to the chalkboard for us to always ponder them. Still today, I frequently consider what type of thinking I am doing on an assignment in reference to the taxonomy.
Back in third grade we were challenged to think beyond Knowledge and Comprehension, the skills needed for elementary school, and reach the four highest levels. Now as a graduate student, we usually operate at Application and Analysis, and need to push ourselves to work more frequently at Synthesis and Evaluation.
I always felt seeing the thinking skills presented in a hierarchy made it easier to recognize where one was working at the time. Thus making it easier to consider what is necessary to reach the next level.
January 15, 2010
$36.41 in change
To all the cashiers out there.
Back when I used to spend my time behind the checkout counter, I spent a lot of time handling money and thinking about coins and bills. Frequently, I got to dish out 41 cents worth of change, which in its easiest combination of coins is 1 quarter, 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny. I enjoyed pulling out one coin from each bin in the cash register. I looked forward to when an order was $XX.59, and I was handed cash, because I knew I was getting a chance to dish out one of each coin.
But I had bigger dreams. I always dreamed for the chance to hand out $36.41 in change. That would allow me to hand out one of each bill and one of each coin in my drawer (couldn't count the $50 and $100 bills that I had to slip into a locked box.) 1 $20 bill, 1 $10 bill, 1 $5 bill, 1 $1 bill, 1 quarter, 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny. Oh how I longed for the day I could give this in change. This would require someone to get an order of $13.59, and then pay with a $50 bill, or perhaps $63.59, and pay with a $100 bill (or two $50 bills).
This chance never came. Usually when these amounts came up and they paid with cash, they paid with multiples of $20 bills. During my years working at the cash register, I recall several occasions where I got to hand $16.41 in change, and it was those times where I felt so miserable. So close but so far. Just one more bill to hand out. I even had the chance once to hand back $35.41 in change, and that was the hardest transaction of my life. While I stood behind the counter on the quiet nights, I often calculated possible add-on items that could be added to certain transactions that could assist in getting to the magical change number (e.g. buy a Snickers bar [$1.05 after tax] to bump an order of $12.54 to $13.59), but I could never ask a customer to buy something like that just for my pleasure to hand back some certain change amount.
Maybe somewhere out there someone has gotten the chance to give back $36.41 in change. And if they have, I hope they relished their opportunity to hand out change in such wonderful fashion.
Back when I used to spend my time behind the checkout counter, I spent a lot of time handling money and thinking about coins and bills. Frequently, I got to dish out 41 cents worth of change, which in its easiest combination of coins is 1 quarter, 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny. I enjoyed pulling out one coin from each bin in the cash register. I looked forward to when an order was $XX.59, and I was handed cash, because I knew I was getting a chance to dish out one of each coin.
But I had bigger dreams. I always dreamed for the chance to hand out $36.41 in change. That would allow me to hand out one of each bill and one of each coin in my drawer (couldn't count the $50 and $100 bills that I had to slip into a locked box.) 1 $20 bill, 1 $10 bill, 1 $5 bill, 1 $1 bill, 1 quarter, 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny. Oh how I longed for the day I could give this in change. This would require someone to get an order of $13.59, and then pay with a $50 bill, or perhaps $63.59, and pay with a $100 bill (or two $50 bills).
This chance never came. Usually when these amounts came up and they paid with cash, they paid with multiples of $20 bills. During my years working at the cash register, I recall several occasions where I got to hand $16.41 in change, and it was those times where I felt so miserable. So close but so far. Just one more bill to hand out. I even had the chance once to hand back $35.41 in change, and that was the hardest transaction of my life. While I stood behind the counter on the quiet nights, I often calculated possible add-on items that could be added to certain transactions that could assist in getting to the magical change number (e.g. buy a Snickers bar [$1.05 after tax] to bump an order of $12.54 to $13.59), but I could never ask a customer to buy something like that just for my pleasure to hand back some certain change amount.
Maybe somewhere out there someone has gotten the chance to give back $36.41 in change. And if they have, I hope they relished their opportunity to hand out change in such wonderful fashion.
December 21, 2009
We overshot by how far?
Bangladeshi airline GMG Airlines poster in Kolkata, India. Their worldwide destinations are listed below the image, which they apparently travel to by way of New York City.
December 16, 2009
Cats on desktops
My dad took a picture of our cat Tigger. He then posted it on his Flickr account. Some guy found it, thought it was cool. Left it up one day by chance, and returned to see his cat staring at the image of my cat. Took a picture of that. Mailed it to my dad. My dad then made it his desktop.
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