Getting back into this thing...

Hello there! It's been a while, yes. However, it seems that I have an inordinate amount of time on my hands these days! So, if anyone out there is still following my blog, how are you all doing?

I know I'm late on the Twitter bandwagon, but I just got a Twitter account today. I've been of the thought that "Who really wants to read my updates in minute increments?" But, it seems that there is so much to be had and learned from this site.

You can follow me here: twitter.com/SashInNash

If you're on there, too - well, let me know.

Also, it seems that I am looking for work. Therefore, I have uploaded my resume here if you are (1) interested or (2) in a position to hire me.

Sex Ed to Kindergarteners?

I don't think so.

It's just not appropriate.

"But it’s the right thing to do, to provide age-appropriate sex education, science-based sex education in schools." -Barack Obama

When Obama was put on the spot as to what exactly the sex education to 4 to 6 year olds would consist of, he really couldn't answer except to say this...

He "moved to clarify" that he "does not support teaching explicit sex education to children in kindergarten. . . 'Nobody's suggesting that kindergartners are going to be getting information about sex in the way that we think about it,' Obama said. 'If they ask a teacher 'where do babies come from,' then providing information that the fact is that it's not a stork is probably not an unhealthy thing. Although again, that's going to be determined on a case by case basis by local communities and local school boards.'"

I honestly believe that children that young should be taught that boys and girls have different "parts" and that's it. There's really no reason to burden them with more information than that.

Let them play with their dolls, play Indians and Chiefs or whatever else kids play these days. If they ask questions, answer them openly and honestly. Don't hide anything or make sexual things sound dirty.

But for God's sake, don't sit them down in a classroom and teach them more than they need to know about sex a good 6-9 years before puberty even hits.

Look at the kids to the right. Can you honestly tell me that these children need to know the intricacies of sex? Let them learn the ABCs and ask questions like "Why is the grass green", "Why is the sky blue", before we start in with sex. They'll have the rest of their lives to worry about sex.

Let them be innocent...even if it's just for a little while.

Apology for all the sex/preggers articles...

But here's one more. I need to get my mind on other things today!

NY Times - Positive Trends for Today's Teens

Take Aways:
*The teenage birthrate hit a record low. The teenage birth rate in 2005 was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 17 — an all-time low. Comparatively, the rate in 1991 was 39 births per 1,000 teenagers.

*In 2005, 47 percent of high school students — 6.7 million — reported having had sexual intercourse, down from 54 percent during the 12 years between 1991-2003

*Of those who reported having had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent — about 9 million — said they used condoms. That is an increase from the 46 percent reported in 1991.

“I think the H.I.V./AIDS epidemic and the efforts in the ’80s and ’90s had a lot to do with that,” Mr. Wagoner said of the improved numbers on teenage sexual activity, condom use and births. “We need to encourage young teens to delay sexual initiation, and we need to make sure they get all the information they need about condoms and birth control”.

Honestly, I just can't imagine 54 percent having sex in high school. I mean, I know they did...and I know that I was sheltered...but come on! None of my girlfriends had sex back then and not many of my guy friends did as far as I know...and I am pretty sure they would have talked/bragged about it...because I got to hear everything else. Whatever, though. Perhaps I was just friends with the other 46 percent.

Also, this brings up the condom issue. Thank God the number of teenagers using condoms is going up.

I understand that it might be embarrassing to look for and perhaps even, buy condoms. But don't be stupid.

If it's the cost, suck it up. Your $5 dollars (or whatever condoms cost) is a lot cheaper than caring for a child. And after all, you think you are old enough to have sex, therefore you are old enough to have a job and pay for your condoms.

If it is the embarrassment, you should only be embarrassed if you look like a baby about to engage in a sexual act...which you probably do because you're in high school. Even still, you need protection. I would imagine that going to the doctor to find out that you had herpes and/or gonorrhea would be pretty embarrassing too...only it lasts a lot longer than your check-out with the other pimple-faced teenager at Target.

And that concludes my rant...sorry if it offends... :)

Reading, a Harry situation...

Does the Harry Potter series deserve as much credit for motivating young readers as has been given?

According to this NYT article, no.

Studies have shown that interest in reading peaks with every new installment of HP and then reverses back to the previous interest level. Meaning that children don't pick up other books while waiting for the next HP. Is reading one book every two or so years enough?

One researcher at Stamford said that we put too much interest on reading for pleasure. He says children should read for information in preparation for what they will need to survive the real world. He poses the question, when will reading literature be a necessary skill/pass time?

What do you think?

Should children be encouraged to read for pleasure? Is reading a fundamental skill that should be developed? Or, as the one researcher suggests, should reading for information be the skill that is developed in school?

Browsing around Border's

And I saw some interesting books I thought I would share.


Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson)

Some failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Coauthor Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Captivating and suspenseful, with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book will win many readers' hearts. Publisher's Weekly

Rebecca's Tale (Sally Beauman)

April 1951. It has been twenty years since the death of Rebecca, the hauntingly beautiful first wife of Maxim de Winter, and twenty years since Manderley, the de Winter family's estate, was destroyed by fire. But Rebecca's tale is just beginning.

Colonel Julyan, an old family friend, receives an anonymous package concerning Rebecca. An inquisitive young scholar named Terence Gray appears and stirs up the quiet seaside hamlet with questions about the past and the close ties he soon forges with the Colonel and his eligible daughter, Ellie. Amid bitter gossip and murky intrigue, the trio begins a search for the real Rebecca and the truth behind her mysterious death. Book Description.

For those of us who have read and loved Rebecca, this looks like the book for us!

Three Thanks

Here we go! Due to an overwhelming number of requests (including begging and pleading), I am posting my Three Thanks. Okay there was only one request (thanks!) and there was neither begging nor pleading associated with it....

I'm sure everyone else was too sad to make it over to their computers to email me...

Yeah, that's it.

So, wipe your tears away, I will delay no longer.

1. EpiPen - Last night was a long one. I was out with a friend when I got a call from my mom saying that she and my dad were in the emergency room. He'd had an allergic reaction to something he had eaten and they had rushed over to the ER, EpiPen in hand. On the way, his face started to swell and it became harder for him to breathe and he was forced to jab the EpiPen into the muscle tissue in his leg (instructions, in case you are curious, are to the right).

My parents arrived at the ER where he quickly collapsed into a wheelchair and was taken back to Exam Room 7. This is when I was called.

My mom told me he would be fine once the doctors gave him steroids and Benadryl, that I shouldn't worry. He's done this a lot and every time is scary but he pulls through like a champ every time. This time his reaction got a second wind and he started to swell again. My mom called back and I left for the ER. When I got there, he was snoring away in Exam Room 7, swollen and red like a cherry.

They decided to keep him overnight and I stayed there with him until he got comfy in his cool and dark hospital room. They released him this morning and he's doing fine but I am definitely thankful for that EpiPen.

2. Work - Sometimes I complain. Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I cry and scream. But all in all, my work's not so bad. In fact, it's pretty good.

I have people that are easy to work with and we get along great. I have accrued an inordinate amount of vacation days (28.2 to be exact) and I am given 30, count that, 30 sick days a year. I have been promoted, praised and paid to do what I love doing. And they are paying for a good portion of my graduate school.

When I decided to take this job two or so years ago over another opportunity, some of my friends scoffed. "Won't it be boring?" "Aren't you better than that entry-level position?" "Yes and yes", I responded. And many days, I was bored and I was overqualified. And many days I still am. But I like my company and I like my new position. I like my co-workers and I "like" my pay (is anyone really satisfied with what they are paid...I submit that they are not).

3. Summer Time (!) - I'm out of school for the summer and that's freakin' amazing! I can read for pleasure and not worry about the other things that I should be reading/studying/writing. It's fantastic...'Nuff said!!!

100 Things About Me

1. I have a cat named Mr. Darcy – it’s from the book, Pride and Prejudice, which is amazing. Read it, love it, and if you’re going to watch the movie…I am under the distinct impression that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are portrayed more accurately in the A&E version.

2. My favorite time is 12:34.

3. My favorite color can change daily. More often than not, it is blue.

4. I paint but I do not hold myself out to be a painter.

5. My family had a pool when I was growing up. It was pretty much the most amazing thing ever. But I always had to play by myself since I’m an only child.

6. I’m creative. Sometimes. They say that only children are more creative…because we have to be. Hopefully, this reins true for me since I work in Marketing.

7. I went in the ocean for the first time three years ago. I mean, I’ve put my feet in before…but I got neck deep. I almost peed myself. Luckily, I would have been in the ocean.

8. Going with that, I am deathly afraid of things I can’t see. The thing in the dark, creatures in the sea/creek/lake, the future….

9. It frustrates me that a lot of my food goes to waste because companies package things for families of 20. I’m a little person, I don’t eat much and I live alone. These things that all work against me when I try to not waste precious food.

10. Atrocious grammar errors irritate me.

11. Overly sensitive people do, too.

12. I had a pre-cancerous mole removed off my back and it left a pretty cool scar. You can read the poem here.

13. I was born almost a month late. The scheduled date was 4/1 and I wasn’t born until 4/30. Which also means that my birthday is coming up and that you haven’t missed your opportunity to send me your well wishes.

14. For my 14^th birthday, I got a curling iron and was told that we would be moving from Montgomery, AL to Nashville, TN.

15. My favorite number is anything that has a five in it. So, I really like the number 55,555,555 – it’s pretty much the best number ever.

16. I love to read but since I started grad school I haven’t had much of a chance to read anything for pleasure.

17. I’m getting my Master’s in Public Policy with an emphasis in Education Policy.

18. I want to move from Nashville when I graduate. I’m thinking Seattle at the moment. Thoughts? I’ve never been there…it’s kinda an off-the-cuff decision.

19. I love hiking but have never been camping because wild animals scare me. Unless of course, you count the times I slept in a tent in my backyard.

20. I graduated college on Friday the 13^th.

21. I got on birth control once and it made me so depressed that I stopped eating and lost like 20 pounds. It was awesome because I bought all of these new clothes. On the other hand, I was too depressed to go anywhere…so I never wore them out anywhere.

22. I have really crappy eyesight and am pretty much blind without my corrective lenses.

23. I’m short. 5 foot 2 to be exact.

24. My grandma used to read me The Giving Tree every time I saw her. I can’t even see the book cover now without crying.

25. I like red wine. Fairly dry and not too sweet. Recommendations?

26. Jack Vettriano is an amazingly talented artist. Get to know his work. You’ll love it!

27. Dale Chihuly is a freakin’ amazing glass blower and he’s from Seattle. He’s inspired by the water and so he creates his future designs while meditating naked in the bathtub.

28. I really want to learn photography…

29. Egypt is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. I’d love to see the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx.

30. I get really claustrophobic in crowds…or when people stand really close. I just have to be able to see a clear and easily accessible exit…otherwise I get clammy, sweaty and nauseous.

31. I’m a great listener.

32. My favorite flowers are lilies. I like tulips too…but lilies are my fav.

33. Peanut butter is by far the world’s most perfect food.

34. I love playing board games. Cranium trumps all.

35. I sang at Carnegie Hall. Yeah, that’s right.

36. I also really want to go to Ireland and Sweden. That’s where my grandparents’ parents were from.

37. I was supposed to be a boy. My dad got to name me if I was a boy and my mom got to name me if I was a girl. Thank God, I was a girl because my dad had chosen Ezekiel. He thought it would be cool to call me Zeke. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

38. I don’t really like to wear patterned things…unless it’s polka dots. I love polka dots.

39. I had braces for four and a half years. I was a heinous mess. I have burned all the evidence of that dark time in my history.

40. I sleep with a security blanket that I’ve had since I was three.

41. I like the smell of freshly tilled fields, soap and the air in the morning.

42. I hate bike riding. Unless it’s on the beach in Hilton Head. That was pretty sweet.

43. I’ve driven to almost all the contiguous states.

44. I’m somewhat of a health nut.

45. I count on my fingers.

46. I laugh at inappropriate things.

47. We will not get along if you can’t laugh at the stupid things you do…or you take yourself too seriously.

48. I like my eggs cooked over medium.

49. My favorite bar beverage is a vodka tonic.

50. I like salsa on pretty much everything.

51. People who say “could care less” bother me. It’s “couldn’t care less.” It’s ridiculous to say that you could care less about something.

52. I hate giving speeches. HATE.

53. I think facial scruff is hot.

54. When I’m nervous or stressed, I bite all my nails off…except my thumb nails…they’re really strong. Dang them and their resiliency!

55. I was only allowed to watch reruns when I was growing up. Like the Patty Duke Show, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Dike van Dyke Show, Dragnet, and I Love Lucy. Awesomeness.

56. I don’t sit on public toilet seats.

57. I fit the description of my astrological sign fairly well.

58. It takes me a long time to love someone, but when I do, I will love them forever.

59. I save my old toothbrushes and use them for use as cleaning agents.

60. I am not a neat freak nor am I organized…but I know where everything is.

61. I subscribe to three magazines – Glamour, In Style and Marie Claire.

62. It always makes me feel better to drive with all the windows down and blast music in my car.

63. I’m a music snob. And I generally fall out of love with a band when they become famous.

64. I have a love/hate relationship with being from Alabama.

65. My mom was 35 when I was born.

66. I’ve had a slew of nicknames throughout the years – Gidget, Sash, Cakes, Boog, Pet…and most recently, Pickles.

67. I love to cook. It’s kinda like art.

68. I love semi-formal and formal attire.

69. I like classical music.

70. I’ve always wanted to dance…but never had the guts to do it anywhere but in my condo…alone.

71. I like the way that Scotch Tape smells.

72. I have a pen fetish. I get that from my dad.

73. When I was little, I collected erasers and stickers.

74. My dad and I look almost identical. He’s just a man with grey hair.

75. My dad used to enter me in fishing competitions. I used to win.

76. I don’t like the texture of pears or guacamole.

77. I got the chicken pox when I was in 8^th grade…well past the time when you are supposed to get them. They were everywhere. And by everywhere…I mean…everywhere.

78. I don’t like icing.

79. I always eat breakfast

80. I’m addicted to coffee and I drink it black.

81. The bag of purple Skittles is my favorite.

82. I love dresses and skirts.

83. Spring and Fall are my favorite months.

84. I am a Christian but there are a lot of reasons why calling myself this bothers me.

85. I love Google Reader!

86. I love BBQ ribs…but I don’t eat them in public.

87. I have worked a variety of jobs. I worked at Border’s as a barista, Bread and Company, American Eagle Outfitters, the Nature Company, a nanny, Hecht’s, Macaroni Grill, Merchant’s, and AristoMedia as a music industry publicity/advertising intern.

88. I am a few credits shy of having an Art History minor.

89. I play volleyball at Hooter’s.

90. I will trust you implicitly until you give me a reason not to.

91. I’m a horrible liar. My face always looks weird when I lie.

92. I love pickles and olives.

93. Ted’s Montana Grill has an amazing buffalo burger.

94. I took ballet, tap, jazz, baton, flute and vocal lessons, and soccer growing up.

95. I love broccoli…nature’s broom.

96. I got 2^nd degree burns down my arm from my oven while cooking popcorn shrimp and tater tots last year.

97. It’s hard for me to say “no” to my friends.

98. If I don’t eat, I get cranky.

99. I like attention...but not all the time.

100. Thank, God. Umm…think of something…um….I love black and white photos, Audrey Hepburn, old-fashioned values (some), hand sanitizer, and the color red. See…my favorite color changed while I was doing this.

3:35 AM

Took that Tums...it was totally worth it.

You know...I'm just sayin'.

Oh, grad school...how I love thee.

Oh, just takin' a break from writing that paper I was procrastinating earlier. Yeah, it's 2:06 AM at this very moment. I took a "nap" earlier, from 11:00-12:30 and am back plugging along on my laptop.

If you're up and have any profound ideas on the topic of ensuring accountability in public sector budgeting systems...you know...drop me a line or something.

I don't know, you could also make sure I'm still living.

That would be worthwhile, too.

Dang'it! I am finishing this paper tonight! Plus, I have had waaay too much coffee to stop.

Right now, what I have is in bullet form and it looks so nice and organized like this...I hate to condense it down to sentences. Plus, that actually takes thought, whereas bullets are more stream of conscious, which I have been preferring lately.

Also, I have increasingly bad acid indigestion and it is making it very hard to work comfortably.

...

Okay, that's a pretty lame excuse. However, I really do have acid indigestion...it is bad...and I think it's from the coffee.

Oh, I think I shall have to get up again to take a Tums. Oh clever rouse to delay doing work.

Why would I want to delay doing work at such a God-forsaken hour? Why wouldn't I want to just get this dang paper written?

I don't know. It's just the way I am.

Plus, like I said, I have had waay too much coffee to go to bed anytime soon. I might as well blog. And look up real estate online. And stalk my friends on Facebook.

Woo! I just did Spell Check...and it wasn't pretty. Note to self - writing at 2 AM does not make for good grammar. Triple check paper before emailing it to your professor.

There aren't words...

And if there are, I'm not sure I care to look for them right now.

The numbers keep rising in the Virginia Tech shootings. Right now the toll is 33 dead and 20+ injured.

What provokes this kind of behavior? I read an article that said the gunman, now deceased, was looking for his girlfriend...but this early in the game, that could be hearsay.

I just don't understand it. I just don't.


More Links:

"Everyone started panicking and jumping out of the windows..."

A student's account.

Cell phone clip of shooting

Injured student describes shooting.

TN attorney general seeing green over painting

Fisk University's O'Keeffe painting could be valued at more than $20 mil

I'm diseased...

So sorry that you didn't hear from me at all yesterday...

I'm deathly ill...

Monday night my throat started hurting, but nothing too serious. I climbed into bed that same night, fighting off a horrid headache. I tried BC Powder for the first time...which made my head stop hurting...but left me feeling like I had sand stuck on the back of my throat.

I went to bed and I woke up about 4 am Tuesday morning (I'm assuming after the BC wore off), shivering and aching from head to toe.

I dozed in and out until a more appropriate hour - found a thermometer and discovered that my fever was 101.5.

Obviously, I didn't go into work but I did go to class later that afternoon...like a champ. We were having two lecturers come in to discuss budgeting in high education institutions...something I didn't want to miss!

Sadly, I did miss some of it, as I kept nodding off.

That afternoon, before I left for class, I watched The Last Kiss. I thought it was a great movie. Very real and true to life.

I got back from class around 4:45 and fairly promptly went to bed. I slept until 10:00, watched TV until I was tired again...around 10:30, and then crawled back into bed.

I woke up this morning at 6:00 not feeling awful...just not great...and I took my temperature. 102.5. Awesome! I took Motrin and went back to bed...because nothing works better than sleep to forget about your pain. I woke back up 40 minutes later drenched in sweat.

Yay! My fever must have broken! Okay, down to 102...not so bad...

I just took it again and I'm holding steady at 100.5. It hasn't been below this thus far.

Hopefully, I will be in my usual, top form in no time!

On a happy note, my new furniture is being delivered today! Yay!

Street Literature - Bologna

Will instituting contemporary, or “street,” literature into classroom curricula hurt students’ learning?

Experts on one side say that this growing trend makes reading more relevant. They are pleased with the possibility of getting students engaged and excited about reading rather than stressing about exposing them to “high literature.” These experts argue that there is room for both in the curriculum, and teachers don’t have to sacrifice quality to incorporate newer texts. Sounds reasonable.

Traditionalists fear that this will not only dumb down the curriculum but also that the themes evident in some selections are controversial in nature. Controversial topics intended for mature audiences only include: violence, death, profanity, sex, abuse, and “protagonists who purposely hurt themselves.”

~*~

“The jury is still out on whether exposing children to these ideas gives them ideas or helps them think through things they or their friends are experiencing. Is reading about a girl cutting herself likely to prompt more girls into doing this to themselves or to get help for themselves or their friends?”

~*~

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard…today. High-school students reading literature that includes this “mature” content is by no means worse than them watching MTV, VH1, the Family Guy, or good Lord – name a box-office hit.

I read “Romeo and Juliet” and, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the crux of that play is that they killed themselves after being involved in a sordid love affair. It didn’t make me want to be in a sordid love affair with a family enemy…nor did it make me want to kill myself…either with poison or a knife.

On the other side:

Not every book has to end happy. Maybe we can relate to books more if they are about the real things we are dealing with, or maybe they will stretch our minds so that we can understand other people’s problems more.

In my humble opinion, it is high past time that high-school English curriculum become more applicable and appealing – engaging young readers.

On the latest 12th grade NAEP:

One-fourth of students tested could not demonstrate even basic skills on the test of reading comprehension and text analysis.

The voice of reason states:

“Our job is not simply to dispense books that kids will read and love. We need to help them tackle books that are hard for them, … help them negotiate challenging texts.”

I can just picture what this lady looks like...stern face, wrought with wrinkles. Her hair's in a bun...held tightly in place with bobby pins and extra-firm hair spray. She wears a white collared shirt - buttoned to the top-most button - and a black skirt fit high on her waist...not too tight.

And, of course, she has a ruler...Ohh, ohhh! And a red pen...ready to spill blood on your next paper!