If you’d’ve asked me at 4pm what I was going to do this evening, I would have said “I’ll go to Curves and then have left over lasagna and watch one of my DVD rentals. Then probably watch some Tomorrow People.” What I would *not* have said was “Go down south to Kettering and watch dad teach a class on homosexuality and the Bible.” I would not have said that because, until 4:30, neither of us even knew that was a possibility…

Before I headed off to Curves, I stopped by dad’s place to show him a computer print that I did of Leo (turned out as nice as a real photograph) and Judi’s birthday gift which arrived today (she’s gonna love it! Even dad was impressed). Mom was off at a baby shower for a co-worker. While I was there, dad gets a phone call from a lady who was supposed to be teaching the 4th (and final) course on Homosexuality and the Bible at a UCC church down in Kettering (part of south Dayton, basically). Dad didn’t really have any plans for the night other than heating up a frozen pizza and watching a movie (hmmm, similar night to my original plan, I see). So he said yes. Now he’d never met this lady before, but she’d first called a mutual friend who couldn’t do it (another retired pastor who’s very gay friendly) but he’d suggested dad.

Once dad gets off the phone and explains to me the situation, I asked if I can go along with him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look more relieved. He doesn’t care much for driving and he especially doesn’t like driving in south Dayton. It’s not the other drivers he fears, he assures me, it’s just that he doesn’t trust riding when he’s driving… Or somesuch. I volunteered to join him for that reason and because I simply enjoy A Grand Adventure. You have no idea when you set out what’s going to happen, but you do it anyhoo.

We agreed to do supper on the way down, so dad and I got in the truck and headed doon sooth. He even took the Interstate. (My sister, who’s probably reading this, is now VERY surprised.) Well, when we arrived at the church, the only restaurant nearby was an MCL Cafeteria, so we decided since there was less than an hour to the class, we’d eat afterwards. We entered the modern offices of the church and I was impressed – it reminded me of university offices more than church offices. I’m used to smaller churches, I guess. A fellow there showed us to the copier so dad could copy his “clobber passage” info sheet that he brings to similar workshops. Then he invited us upstairs for supper. The church was doing a series of Lenten courses on Wednesday nights – supper at 6 followed by a series of courses at 7. Dad and I are never ones to pass up a free meal, so we headed upstairs.

Once again, I was impressed with the size of the church. I never did see the sanctuary, but I’m sure it was impressive too. There were some friends of dad there from other pro-GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered) gatherings that we’ve been to and we sat with them while we ate. Supper was a casserole consisting of chicken, rice, water chestnuts, cream of chicken, cornflakes, and cheese – and it was damn good. There were also the best cooked carrots I’ve ever had – and I’m not very fond of cooked carrots, usually. Applesauce and cookies followed.

After dinner, we went back downstairs into the classroom and dad did his best to discuss Authority. My dad’s a bit anti-authoritarian, so it was funny to think of him talking about authority. A heckler was there as well, and he even asked me a question – he wanted to know who, despite dad saying he wasn’t much for authority, had the authority when I was growing up. Um, well, of all the kids in all the world, he had to ask me? I assured him that, as far as I was concerned, I was in charge of myself growing up. 😉 The folks in the course had a lot of good things to say and good questions to ask. Dad answered things as best he could, but, as I figured would happen, he managed to get parables into things again. “When your only tool is a hammer,” he admitted “every problem starts looking like a nail.” So just about anytime dad talks about Biblical scholarship, he has to talk about parables.

I found the folks in the class to be very well educated and most seemed to want to be there for more information and more perspectives. It’s a shame dad only had an hour for the class – and didn’t have as much time to prepare as he usually does. Even the heckler was kept under control (though I saw a lot of head shaking going on anytime he got the floor again). So I had a good time and talked dad’s ear off the entire way home. We talked about the issues in the discussion and then got onto talking about the problem of taking an oral tradition and cementing it with the written word. As dad said, just like on the Internet, you miss out on the wink and the nudge when you read the oral story instead of seeing and hearing it for yourself. I could probably go on with my thoughts on written tradition vs oral tradition (cuz I did yammer on for some length in the car – it takes nearly an hour to get back from there), but I’ll spare y’all (this time – bwa ha ha ha!)

Oh, if you’re wondering about Curves? I’ll go tomorrow instead. 🙂

(Hmmm, to go on with my Biblical studies post I need a Biblical studies-ish icon. Wish I had a decent screen capture of Sylv as Kev the Rev…)

This year saw the return of Channel One to our school. This is a service whereby students are shown a “hip” news program (and 2 minutes of commercials) each day to keep them up on current events. I actually enjoy Channel One (though I let my kids talk through the commercials) – Lisa Ling who’s on The View (at least, I think she’s still there) was a former Channel One reporter.

Well, this year, we had a freshman who wanted to start a news program for the school to be shown over the Channel One system and, with the support of the “media specialist” (formerly called librarian) did so. Each Monday, now, the Newton News report airs. And I decided to take advantage of this and advertise physics. I asked the physics students if they’d be interested in making little 2 minute “PhysBits” to be shown on Newton News (or N²). They jumped at the chance. They researched physics demos, wrote scripts, even built equipment to use in the demos.

So a couple of weeks ago, we spent physics class filming 4 of the 8 PhysBits. One group chose to show off air pressure by crushing pop cans. Another proved that air has mass (or as their poster read “Gases has Masses”), which was entertaining when it *didn’t* work. They had two balanced balloons and then let the air out of one balloon. Unfortunately, the balance (a balanced meterstick) swung the wrong way. They weren’t too phased – they bumped the balance and finally it tilted the correct way. A third group did Action/Reaction using a water rocket. While the two girls in the group talked about Newton’s Third Law, the boy was busy pumping at the water rocket. As soon as the girls finished their talk, the rocket went off. They couldn’t have planned it any better.

The fourth group of that day went over and above the call of duty. While looking through the text book (Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt) they saw a photo of Hewitt breaking a cinder block on the chest of someone laying on a bed of nails. They looked at a number of other demo ideas and finally settled on building their own bed of nails for the trick. Sure enough, by the day of filming, they had a rather crude, but effective, bed of nails. One of the boys then stood on the bed of nails in his stockinged feet and then he laid down on the bed with just a thin layer of shirt, and his partner stood on him (and did a surfing pose).

I was really impressed with the first four PhysBits and apparently a lot of the students were impressed as well. So today, we filmed three more of the PhysBits (alas, one group had a partner who was sick today). The first group demonstrated the three primary colors of light (red, green, and blue) and their complementary colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow). The next group demonstrated the van de Graaf generator. They started with one of the boys having his hair stand on end, then they shot a bunch of confetti in the air. (And, to my eternal gratitude, cleaned up the confetti afterwards – without my mentioning it – woohoo!) The last group was the most entertaining, however.

They’d asked to do the “throwing an egg into a sheet” trick that I’d done earlier in the year. So they worked at figuring out how that worked (hey, it was half a year ago, don’t expect them to remember about Impulse and stuff…) and came up with a good script. They asked if they could throw an egg at a wall, and I said, sure. They also asked if they could throw the eggs “naked” (as I always had them in a plastic bag, just in case). And I said “sure.” Heh – foolish teacher…

So today they brought four eggs to do the trick. When the one girl threw the egg at the wall (which was just outside the superintendent’s office and my chem lab), it shattered and splattered most impressively, getting on the carpet leading into the super’s office area, etc. The girls all laughed, but recovered their composure and continues filming. So the thrower now throws a new egg at the sheet – and this one rolls up the sheet, unbroken, and then falls down behind it, breaking on the floor. The two girls holding the sheet collapsed in laughter. Thankfully, they’d brought 4 eggs.

Attempt number two at the sheet saw the egg shatter when it hit the sheet and making a huge wet splatter on it. Once again, the sheet holders were on the ground in laughter. Turns out that egg was the one with the hole in it and the thrower assured me that it broke as it left her hand. So they cleaned the guck off the sheet and explained at the start of the next take that they had a defective egg and were going to try again. The third time, as is often written, was the charm and the egg flew into the sheet and remained unbroken (albeit a bit wet from the previous egg mess). I got the girls a bucket of soapy water and a roll of paper towels and they managed to (hopefully!) clean everything up.

Ah, I just love teaching physics! Physics is Phun!

As if I don’t have enough icons as it is… But while responding to one of shebit‘s journal entries just now, I was inspired to make one in honor of folks getting older. Indeed, this May 1st I shall be turning 33 1/3. And before then, on April 1st, judiang will be turning – well, I shan’t tell you, but it’s been awhile since she was 33 1/3. Heh. 🙂

So Judi and anyone else with an upcoming (or recently going) birthday, this icon’s for you! 🙂

Ah, books. I love books. I don’t read enough books. I gacked this from indefatigable42.

1. I’m currently reading: Grandmothers of the Light by Paula Gunn Allen in the reading room and Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott in my purse.
2. Next I’ll read: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez in the reading room and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman in my purse.
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett.
4. The book I’m most looking forward to reading is: Whatever the next Terry Pratchett novel is. 🙂
5. My favourite author is: Roald Dahl forever! But I’m also fond of Pratchett.
6. My favourite book from childhood is: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl.
7. My favourite book from when I was a teenager is: Ditto.
8. The first western I read was: I don’t think I’ve yet to read a western.
9. The first romance I read was: I’ve tried reading romances, but I never finish them. However, I (and judiang, my backer) paid good money for an autographed copy of Elusive Paradise by Eleanor Frost (the penname of our dear friend elsaf.)
10. The first mystery I read was: The Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie (though I did read old Encylopedia Brown books before then).
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
12. The first “ethnic” writer I read was: Maya Angelou (if that counts for “ethnic” – I mean, she’s not my ethnicity… I know that surprises you, Judi!) – her book Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas.
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Yes indeedy doo. I envy Granny who gets a truckload of books from the library every two weeks and gets them all read and then goes back for more.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. I didn’t get more than one chapter read and more than half of that was footnotes. Dreadful man, that Hitler.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My parents – they used to read to me while I took my bath. I still picture one of them (either mom or dad) sitting on the toilet seat and reading something by Dahl or someone else.
17. The book I’m embarrassed to admit I liked is: Storm Harvest by Perry & Tucker (a 7th Doc BBC book).
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: finding books with characters that resonate with them. Heck, I read the book Nobody Likes Trina by Phyllis A Whitney several times because there was actually a character in it called Trina! Do you know how special that was for me?
19. My current favourite genre is: mystery and quirky fantasy (Pratchett, Fforde and the like).
20. The one book that I’d recommend to almost anyone is: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon.

And YAY – for now, my new animated icon is working. Woohoo! (I may have to tinker with it a bit – the words may be going too quickly.)

[Edit 9:35pm – With input from elsaf I decided that it was, indeed, too fast. So I went back to Animation Shop and I think it works much better now. Animated icons are EASY – once you know how. ;-)]

I spend all this time to make my first animated LJ icon and LiveJournal can’t seem to take it. Not only that, but my old Valentine’s Day icon seems to have disappeared. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

(The animated .gif is only 23kb, so it’s under the 40kb limit. Heck, the Valentine’s Day one was only 5kb.)

Happy Spring to all (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is)! We actually had a nice Spring-like day, too. Bit of sun, bit of rain, warm enough for open windows, cool enough to require a jacket. Leo enjoyed the open windows and was severely ticked off when I finally shut them all this evening.

dark_pheonix, another Sylv fan, sent me some fan art that she made of Da Man so that I can put it up on the Sylv site. I have done that this evening. Go check out her fabulous fan art at my Sylv Image Archives.

In the Music Listening stakes, I’ve tried a number of groups now. I’m afraid The Hives did not pass the audition (so far, they’re the only group I actually stopped listening to and moved on to the next group). I couldn’t work while they played. The Strokes were like the Ramones in that I didn’t mind having them on in the background, but I don’t need to listen to them a lot. Barenaked Ladies, Norah Jones, P. J. Harvey, and Siouxsie and the Banshees have all made the grade. I might end up purchasing some of their music later on. Got Mudhoney playing now and it’s not doing anything for me. Not quite as distracting as The Hives, but not as in the background as The Strokes. I listened to The Sugarcubes, but don’t remember any of their music, so I guess they’re in the “good background” group. Hmm, maybe when I’m done I can do a tabular summary. Or maybe I’ll forget who all that I listened to and have to start all over again. Heh.

Ah, it’s Friday! TGIF! And after my rough 3-day work week (ha!) I could used to this schedule: Work a Day. Day Off. Work a Day. Day Off. Work a Day. Two Days Off.

Anyhoo, after 2 Fridays without a BWs gathering, we met today. Good thing I brought my folks – it more than doubled the number of us there. And since dad was driving us home, I actually got a non-virgin daiquiri. I went with the vodka in place of rum (light on vodka) and it was yummy. So I had a second. Mom had an amaretto sour, which I tried, and was shocked when I didn’t get that awful alcohol aftertaste that I associate with most drinks. I might have to try an amaretto sour on me own some time. (Well, provided I’m not driving.)

When I got home, I started chatting with Judi who was being grumpy – turns out the new Doctor Who has been cast! Alas, it’s not Paul McGann (not that any of us seriously thought he would be), but instead Christopher Eccleston. As soon as one of my friends mentioned he was in Cracker, I remembered who he was (the “police chief” or whatever you want to call it that Cracker worked for/with). Cool, I always liked him. I seriously doubt he will oust Sylv from my favorite Doctor position, but I shall welcome him to the fold! (If you’re curious to know my complete order, it goes Doc7, Doc5, Doc6-Doc1-Doc2, Doc8 (I’d like him more if he were given better audios), Doc3, Doc4. I like ’em all, though – so even being “last” is not a bad thing.

Yes, in Ohio we get fog days from time to time. Today’s fog is not only nasty for visibility, it’s also precipitating as ice. So most of the schools in Miami County are closed. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other schools close after a bit. We started with a 2 hour delay, but I just got the call that we were closed for today. Cool. This March was going to be a long one with no days off, but now we’ve had two. I’ll just have to find some things to do to entertain myself here. Heh. 😉

PS, trying out Violent Femmes as suggested by Mags – and you know, I’ve heard “Blister in the Sun” before. And liked it. Cool. (Had no idea who did that song until now.) You know, like the Barenaked Ladies, there don’t seem to be any women in this group… 😉

I hope everyone had a fun day today. I’m just off to watch the sequel to Leapin’ Leprechauns. That would be Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns, for those of you who didn’t know. (I would suspect that was most of you.) Still, if you ever get a hankering to see Sylvester McCoy play a Leprechaun, these are the movies to watch! 🙂

YAY! We got snow! And plenty of it. Heck, enough snow so that, not only is Newton closed today, but every other school in the county, plus every other school in the surrounding counties. Even Dayton City Schools are canceled, and that only happens every decade or so. There was one school that was in the list o’ closings/delays that was only set for a 2 hour delay. After 20 minutes of all the school/business listings it repeated and this time they were closed.

Yesterday at lunch, one of my co-workers predicted that not only would school be closed today, but would also be tomorrow. I’m happy enough with today’s closure, but if I get another day tomorrow, I think I’ll enjoy it as well. 🙂 (What can I say? I’m easy to please!)