My blog has officially moved to www.christopherstowe.com. There weren’t that many posts here and I wasn’t heavily invested in it. Randi suggested that I start blogging about our family planning, and that is what the other space is supposed to be for. (Pardon me and my misplaced prepositions.) It probably won’t only be about that though. I think that I’m much more invested in this blog than any previous blog; I actually bought a book to learn how to use WordPress and it isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I’m not a web-designer so installing all these crazy gizmos and learning how to use MySQL and FTP took some time.
This blog will still be available for a week or so and then I will delete it for good. You’ll have to go to www.christopherstowe.com to read my blog or update your GoogleReader with this new site and RSS feed.
This site will be going through lots of changes as I learn new and interesting ways to customize it. And the blog name isn’t permanent; I’m toying with several possibilities. If you have any suggestions, PLEASE, PLEASE, send them to me. I am not as creative as I used to be.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Being Re-taught
In order to get into grad school, I have to get an acceptable score on the GRE. It isn't the easiest test in the world. 30 verbal questions and 28 quantitative questions determine my fate, so in order to increase my score I am taking a GRE prep class at BYU.
I have never been the best at math problems and I'll show you why. I don't think it is because I am unintelligent or can't learn. I have an amazing (long-term) memory and have always excelled when I apply myself. I think that the problem has been my math teachers.
In Freshman Algebra I was in a regular class, i.e. not Advanced/Pre-AP/AP because there wasn't an advanced Algebra I. My teacher should have been teaching kindergartners; she used counting bears and candy to explain mathematical terms. It was a breeze and I had a 99 average for the year. That's how easy it was. Sophomore year I had a better teacher, but I was annoyed with having to show my work in PreAP Geometry, and with having to back-up my answer with the applicable theorem. I was lucky to get a B in that class. Pre-AP Algebra II was taught by a Nazi who had been at my high school since my father was a student there; She liked me, but I didn't like her. Then I went to AP Statistics and finally loved math, but the teacher had come out of retirement and really didn't care alot.
I guess that's a really long way of saying that my teachers were old and incompatible with my learning style. They were concerned with teaching the old way and never taught any shortcuts to answers. I LIKE SHORTCUTS. Not only that, but they also taught somethings wrong.
Enter GRE Prep, in just 4 hours of Math I have exceeded everything that I ever learned about math thus far. In fact, my mind can hardly process it all in just a short amount of time.
Here's an example of how many people have been taught inadequately or incorrectly. Our GRE teacher asked our class to answer this question: What is 12 divided by 2 times 3? (12/2*3)
Our class was split 50/50. Half said the answer is 2, the other half said the answer is 18.
Why? It's called the Order of Operations. Everyone was taught some mnemonic device like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to remember PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. It's what you do first in an equation to get the right answer.
According to PEMDAS you would multiply first, then divide. Only that's wrong. There aren't 6 operations, there are only 4. FOUR! Multiplications and Division are in the same step, as are Addition and Subtraction; for these two steps you always move left to right.
So the answer is 18, not 2.
That's just one example of how my mind is being boggled by this class. I just hope that I can remember everything for the test. I have a bajillion flashcards that I have to memorize, and that's not even for the verbal. Zoinks!
I have never been the best at math problems and I'll show you why. I don't think it is because I am unintelligent or can't learn. I have an amazing (long-term) memory and have always excelled when I apply myself. I think that the problem has been my math teachers.
In Freshman Algebra I was in a regular class, i.e. not Advanced/Pre-AP/AP because there wasn't an advanced Algebra I. My teacher should have been teaching kindergartners; she used counting bears and candy to explain mathematical terms. It was a breeze and I had a 99 average for the year. That's how easy it was. Sophomore year I had a better teacher, but I was annoyed with having to show my work in PreAP Geometry, and with having to back-up my answer with the applicable theorem. I was lucky to get a B in that class. Pre-AP Algebra II was taught by a Nazi who had been at my high school since my father was a student there; She liked me, but I didn't like her. Then I went to AP Statistics and finally loved math, but the teacher had come out of retirement and really didn't care alot.
I guess that's a really long way of saying that my teachers were old and incompatible with my learning style. They were concerned with teaching the old way and never taught any shortcuts to answers. I LIKE SHORTCUTS. Not only that, but they also taught somethings wrong.
Enter GRE Prep, in just 4 hours of Math I have exceeded everything that I ever learned about math thus far. In fact, my mind can hardly process it all in just a short amount of time.
Here's an example of how many people have been taught inadequately or incorrectly. Our GRE teacher asked our class to answer this question: What is 12 divided by 2 times 3? (12/2*3)
Our class was split 50/50. Half said the answer is 2, the other half said the answer is 18.
Why? It's called the Order of Operations. Everyone was taught some mnemonic device like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to remember PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. It's what you do first in an equation to get the right answer.
According to PEMDAS you would multiply first, then divide. Only that's wrong. There aren't 6 operations, there are only 4. FOUR! Multiplications and Division are in the same step, as are Addition and Subtraction; for these two steps you always move left to right.
So the answer is 18, not 2.
That's just one example of how my mind is being boggled by this class. I just hope that I can remember everything for the test. I have a bajillion flashcards that I have to memorize, and that's not even for the verbal. Zoinks!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Dead Face
I went to the dentist today to have three cavities filled. Except for a routine exam last month this is the first time I've been to the dentist since I was 16 or 17. I thought three cavities wasn't all that bad for not going to the dentist for 6 years. I've never been a consistent flosser and that's what led to the cavities on the ends of my teeth.
I forgot how horrifying the dentist's can be and why so many people are afraid of going, including Randi. I had to close my eyes when the doctor stuck a giant needle in my right cheek. I was able to drown out the sounds of drills and other miscellaneous oral tools thanks to headphones cranking the sound from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that played on a flat screen above my head.
The whole thing took about an hour and then I was left with dead face. I could barely talk coherently. I couldn't really drink anything because the right side of my lips couldn't feel a bottle or a glass. I didn't want to eat anything because I was afraid that I would bite my cheek and bleed unknowingly.
The dead face lasted for a few hours and once the numbness wore off my cheek and teeth hurt. I took some Tylenol and fell asleep when I should have been looking for a job.
I guess the moral of the story is that I should make sure I floss so that I don't have to do this again.
I forgot how horrifying the dentist's can be and why so many people are afraid of going, including Randi. I had to close my eyes when the doctor stuck a giant needle in my right cheek. I was able to drown out the sounds of drills and other miscellaneous oral tools thanks to headphones cranking the sound from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that played on a flat screen above my head.
The whole thing took about an hour and then I was left with dead face. I could barely talk coherently. I couldn't really drink anything because the right side of my lips couldn't feel a bottle or a glass. I didn't want to eat anything because I was afraid that I would bite my cheek and bleed unknowingly.
The dead face lasted for a few hours and once the numbness wore off my cheek and teeth hurt. I took some Tylenol and fell asleep when I should have been looking for a job.
I guess the moral of the story is that I should make sure I floss so that I don't have to do this again.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
West Wing 101
Now that I am done with this semester I can do all of the things that I have wanted to do, at least until Thursday when class starts all over again.
I joked with a friend that we should start a blog called Things I Learned From The West Wing. We are nerds who love to watch that show over and over again. Well, I did it and here it is westwing101.blogspot.com
It's pretty nerdy, but interesting, so check it out.
I joked with a friend that we should start a blog called Things I Learned From The West Wing. We are nerds who love to watch that show over and over again. Well, I did it and here it is westwing101.blogspot.com
It's pretty nerdy, but interesting, so check it out.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Panic Attack
So I had quite possibly the biggest panic attack of my life today. I went to the testing center to take a final. I waited in line until my turn and had my blue(green) book and ID ready. The girl swiped my ID and asked me what class the test was for.
"Comm 3010. History of Mass Media," I said as I put my ID back in my wallet.
"Teacher?" she asked, puzzled.
I told her the teacher's name and the section number. She went over to the shelf where the tests are and came back with a giant list. She flipped through it and then asked me for my UVID number again.
"That test closed on the 28th - yesterday."
What?!?! "What do you mean closed? Like I can't take it? Because my teacher told us we had until Wednesday."
"Most teachers don't really know our policy. Finals are only in the testing center for 2 days," she sniped.
"Well what do I do?" I managed to squeeze out of my throat trying to keep tears from welling up in my eyes.
She told me that there was nothing that she could do for me and that I had to email my teacher and try to work something out. At this point I was so overcome that I could barely stand. My knees were buckling and all I could think was I'm going to fail!
The stupid girl made me sign 'the book' like I am in kindergarten or something to show that I was denied testing. I was so embarrassed that I ran to my car as fast as I could. I started to call everyone I could. I called Randi and got no answer. Crap! She's in meetings all day. I called my mom. Voicemail. Crap! Crap! Pick up someone! I tried my mom again and she answered.
"I need your help! I need a phone number and I'm not near a computer." I was talking as I drove to my teacher's office on the snowball's chance that she would be there.
I gave my mom my Blackboard information while she fought with her computer for about 10 minutes. I went to the office and saw no one. No one answered the door. I finally got the number and called my teacher.
"I'm Panicking! The testing center won't let me take my test!"
After she laughed at me and got me calmed down I learned that the testing center didn't tell her that she could only have a final in there for 2 days until it was too late to tell us. They also completely botched her final for another class.
So I get to take my final tomorrow before my Mediation Final. Crisis Averted.
I went home and took a nap. It's just too much stress for Finals week.
"Comm 3010. History of Mass Media," I said as I put my ID back in my wallet.
"Teacher?" she asked, puzzled.
I told her the teacher's name and the section number. She went over to the shelf where the tests are and came back with a giant list. She flipped through it and then asked me for my UVID number again.
"That test closed on the 28th - yesterday."
What?!?! "What do you mean closed? Like I can't take it? Because my teacher told us we had until Wednesday."
"Most teachers don't really know our policy. Finals are only in the testing center for 2 days," she sniped.
"Well what do I do?" I managed to squeeze out of my throat trying to keep tears from welling up in my eyes.
She told me that there was nothing that she could do for me and that I had to email my teacher and try to work something out. At this point I was so overcome that I could barely stand. My knees were buckling and all I could think was I'm going to fail!
The stupid girl made me sign 'the book' like I am in kindergarten or something to show that I was denied testing. I was so embarrassed that I ran to my car as fast as I could. I started to call everyone I could. I called Randi and got no answer. Crap! She's in meetings all day. I called my mom. Voicemail. Crap! Crap! Pick up someone! I tried my mom again and she answered.
"I need your help! I need a phone number and I'm not near a computer." I was talking as I drove to my teacher's office on the snowball's chance that she would be there.
I gave my mom my Blackboard information while she fought with her computer for about 10 minutes. I went to the office and saw no one. No one answered the door. I finally got the number and called my teacher.
"I'm Panicking! The testing center won't let me take my test!"
After she laughed at me and got me calmed down I learned that the testing center didn't tell her that she could only have a final in there for 2 days until it was too late to tell us. They also completely botched her final for another class.
So I get to take my final tomorrow before my Mediation Final. Crisis Averted.
I went home and took a nap. It's just too much stress for Finals week.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'll get you a nice salad and a bit o' chicken
So I'm obsessed with Britain's Got Talent, because the Brits in fact have talent whereas the American version of this show is pretty lame. There are just so many great acts and there have only been 3 episodes.
Enter DJ Talent. He's no Susan Boyle, Shaheen Jafargholi, or Hollie Steel. However, he cracks me up. You just have to watch. The end is the best when he asks Kelly, one of the judges, on a date. Sadly, he even gets 4 yeses. Check it out here.
There's also a great Dance Troupe- Crew as we Yanks would call them- called Diversity. They really make dance fun and humorous. It reminds me of dances on So You Think You Can Dance. IMHO they are much better than the other similar group called Flawless. Check out Diversity though, you won't regret it.
And for the biggest laugh of your life YOU MUST WATCH Stavros Flatly.
If you're really, really, really brave you can watch Fabia Cerra. WARNING: THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL WANT TO WATCH IN PUBLIC.
(Sorry that I've edited this three times. But BGT just is a never ending supply of great videos.)
Enter DJ Talent. He's no Susan Boyle, Shaheen Jafargholi, or Hollie Steel. However, he cracks me up. You just have to watch. The end is the best when he asks Kelly, one of the judges, on a date. Sadly, he even gets 4 yeses. Check it out here.
There's also a great Dance Troupe- Crew as we Yanks would call them- called Diversity. They really make dance fun and humorous. It reminds me of dances on So You Think You Can Dance. IMHO they are much better than the other similar group called Flawless. Check out Diversity though, you won't regret it.
And for the biggest laugh of your life YOU MUST WATCH Stavros Flatly.
If you're really, really, really brave you can watch Fabia Cerra. WARNING: THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL WANT TO WATCH IN PUBLIC.
(Sorry that I've edited this three times. But BGT just is a never ending supply of great videos.)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Summer TV
All the classic shows will be having their finales soon and will give way to summer shows. These summer shows never get any credit, but some of them are way better than the regular September to May shows. Here are a few of my faves and their premieres.
1. So You Think You Can Dance - Premieres Thursday, May 21 8/7c
This show has way more talent than every season of American Idol, America's Got Talent, and every other talent show combined. These dancers have to learn to dance new styles of dance every week from Argentine Tango and Broadway to Contemporary and Waltz. The judges are much more animated than AI. Mary screams about her "Hot Tamale Train" and Nigel never ceases to crack us up. The choreographers are experienced and make the dancers work. There aren't any crappy dance numbers like AI.
The dancers go through all sorts of Drama. From having to dance for their lives if they are in the bottom three to having to change partners. And they're way more interesting. Benji and Lacey and Twitch and Katy. These are people that I remember and want to watch their dances over and over again. And these are HARDCORE dances, not like walking around a dance floor with a celebrity.
This show gets priority on my TiVo during the summer.
2. Next Food Network Star - Premieres Sunday, June 7 10/9c
Okay, so I stumbled upon this show last season when the marathon was on prior to the finale. Randi and I TiVoed every episode and spent a good chunk of Saturday and Sunday watching this fantastic show.
Unlike other kitchen shows where the set is a living hell. This show actually tests cooking prowess along with star personality. There's always some drama thrown in for good measure, but I love just watching to see who can do the best job in a sticky situation.
Having to cook on a moving train and only getting 30 minutes to prepare and plate a meal? Cooking a meal for hundreds of seamen on a Navy ship while having to use chocolate and fish as your ingredients?
Every episode is a surprise and you get your favorites just like every other reality show. Plus they always throw in Food Network Celebs like Paula Deen, The Neeleys, and the Barefoot Contessa.
3. Wipeout - Premieres May 27
Okay. If you've never seen this show you probably won't understand. It's basically three obstacle courses. Three amazingly complex and awesome obstacle courses. I don't really care who wins, I just love watching people, especially those 'larger' than life wipeout on anything and everything.
My favorite obstacle- The BIG BALLS. They supply an unending supply of laughs.
The hosts are two corny guys who mostly have poorly written zingers, but every now and then they hit a home run. The winner gets like $25,000 or something, but it's all about the wipeout.
4. Project Runway - Premieres August?
When Bravo/NBC and Lifetime got in a legal battle I thought Runway was going to be in legal limbo. Thankfully they have settled and Season 6 can finally air and this time I will get to watch it because it will be on Lifetime!
Tim Gunn is hilarious and his low nasally voice is perfection. His trademark phrases are "That's alotta Look," "Carry On" and of course "Make it Work."
The judges are Heidi Klum, who plays host as well, Michael Kors, and the 'evil' Nina Garcia. The contests are brilliant and watching these designers work is a treat. It takes an amazing person to make a fashion-forward dress out of corn stalks. This show is definitely In.
Then there's always those new shows that try to make it big during the summer. Which ones will I be watching?
Make It or Break It - Premieres Monday, June 22 9/8c
I love gymnastics. And this show will probably be one of the absolute worst teen dramedys on television, but if it's clever and well written I may be in heaven. Hell, if it's awesomely bad I'll probably still watch.
Jingles - Premieres?
Ok I have no doubt this show will be a train wreck, but I'm sure it will have quite a few laughs. I just don't see people writing jingles as a winning reality TV show.
Merlin- Premieres?
While this is a 13 part mini-series I love anything Arthurian. From Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail to T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
Hopefully this is a good series.
1. So You Think You Can Dance - Premieres Thursday, May 21 8/7c
This show has way more talent than every season of American Idol, America's Got Talent, and every other talent show combined. These dancers have to learn to dance new styles of dance every week from Argentine Tango and Broadway to Contemporary and Waltz. The judges are much more animated than AI. Mary screams about her "Hot Tamale Train" and Nigel never ceases to crack us up. The choreographers are experienced and make the dancers work. There aren't any crappy dance numbers like AI.
The dancers go through all sorts of Drama. From having to dance for their lives if they are in the bottom three to having to change partners. And they're way more interesting. Benji and Lacey and Twitch and Katy. These are people that I remember and want to watch their dances over and over again. And these are HARDCORE dances, not like walking around a dance floor with a celebrity.
This show gets priority on my TiVo during the summer.
2. Next Food Network Star - Premieres Sunday, June 7 10/9c
Okay, so I stumbled upon this show last season when the marathon was on prior to the finale. Randi and I TiVoed every episode and spent a good chunk of Saturday and Sunday watching this fantastic show.
Unlike other kitchen shows where the set is a living hell. This show actually tests cooking prowess along with star personality. There's always some drama thrown in for good measure, but I love just watching to see who can do the best job in a sticky situation.
Having to cook on a moving train and only getting 30 minutes to prepare and plate a meal? Cooking a meal for hundreds of seamen on a Navy ship while having to use chocolate and fish as your ingredients?
Every episode is a surprise and you get your favorites just like every other reality show. Plus they always throw in Food Network Celebs like Paula Deen, The Neeleys, and the Barefoot Contessa.
3. Wipeout - Premieres May 27
Okay. If you've never seen this show you probably won't understand. It's basically three obstacle courses. Three amazingly complex and awesome obstacle courses. I don't really care who wins, I just love watching people, especially those 'larger' than life wipeout on anything and everything.
My favorite obstacle- The BIG BALLS. They supply an unending supply of laughs.
The hosts are two corny guys who mostly have poorly written zingers, but every now and then they hit a home run. The winner gets like $25,000 or something, but it's all about the wipeout.
4. Project Runway - Premieres August?
When Bravo/NBC and Lifetime got in a legal battle I thought Runway was going to be in legal limbo. Thankfully they have settled and Season 6 can finally air and this time I will get to watch it because it will be on Lifetime!
Tim Gunn is hilarious and his low nasally voice is perfection. His trademark phrases are "That's alotta Look," "Carry On" and of course "Make it Work."
The judges are Heidi Klum, who plays host as well, Michael Kors, and the 'evil' Nina Garcia. The contests are brilliant and watching these designers work is a treat. It takes an amazing person to make a fashion-forward dress out of corn stalks. This show is definitely In.
Then there's always those new shows that try to make it big during the summer. Which ones will I be watching?
Make It or Break It - Premieres Monday, June 22 9/8c
I love gymnastics. And this show will probably be one of the absolute worst teen dramedys on television, but if it's clever and well written I may be in heaven. Hell, if it's awesomely bad I'll probably still watch.
Jingles - Premieres?
Ok I have no doubt this show will be a train wreck, but I'm sure it will have quite a few laughs. I just don't see people writing jingles as a winning reality TV show.
Merlin- Premieres?
While this is a 13 part mini-series I love anything Arthurian. From Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail to T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
Hopefully this is a good series.
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