OK what should I do now.  First final is this evening, next tomorrow morning, last Thursday 6:45AM!!! They're all 3 written and, I hope, being copied today and tomorrow. Then only have to gr%$e them - I love that like w%&k.   Oh well, this too shall pass.  Then I have until May 5 to prepare my summer A term class - which I haven't taught out of the new edition of the text, so will have to spend some time revising section #'s, homework assignments, etc.  It could be worse - I could have to w$%k for a living!  It will be pretty intense, since it meets Monday through Thursday until June 19.  Then my salvation - June 21-July 7 to Utah. Yayyyy.
Now there's politics.  I get the email Huffington Post, which had 2 articles that I particularly liked today.
The first, by Nora Ephron argues, more or less that, despite change, everything that goes around comes around - specifically, that the president, as always, will be chosen by white men, despite what the media seem to be saying.  The second, by Michael Moore, deems Clinton's latest statements despicable, states that he's endorsing Obama, and refers to a recent parody of some of this by Stephen Colbert.  I'm just getting acquainted with the Colbert Report - and got to watch most of a hilarious half hour which featured, not only Hillary, Obama by TV link, but also John Edwards, whom I love - OOPS, white man!  OK I'll confess, I also like Joe Biden a lot and sort of wish he might wind up someone's VP.  Back to Colbert - one of the most interesting segments featured Rep. Patrick Murphy, the only member of congress to have served in Iraq, Obama supporter, who denied that if we pull out of Iraq, chaos would result [hmmm - isn't it already there?]

posted by: mafidl at April 21, 2008 15:10 | link | comments (1) |

Zoo

I've been volunteering and taking a few pictures at the Zoo recently, so here are 2 of them:
The first is called a Masked Lapwing, the second a Straw-necked Ibis - both unseen by me until this week!













And here's my latest of Milo, my orange marmalade nearly 2 year old "little" darling.  Those are normal human butt sized stools he's draped over.  Also, he's the one who still, on occasion, decides to poop in the downstairs bathroom sink.  I've decided to just put up with it for the time being and see what happens.  Maybe [?] he'll grow out of that?  One may always hope.

posted by: mafidl at April 21, 2008 14:37 | link | comments (3) |
critters, kitties, zoo , poop

Whew!

I'm nearly exhausted. Rode bike almost 4 miles this morning, then 4 hours volunteering at the Zoo, which included 2 in the Aviary and a total of almost 2 miles walking. Hmmmm. Wonder if my pedometer is set correctly for my stride - I had no idea I'd walked that far - I did, however, not get a ride to the Aviary, so that plus walking around in there might have added up to that much. but I'm surprised. Then when I got home, I decided to set up an ad on Ebay for my dining set. I did most things backwards and required about 30 min of help from their online specialist, but finally got it done. I also have a timeshare in Daytona Beach that I'd like to sell, but have to figure out details before that. I never should have bought it since I've never been able to plan out my vacations long enuf ahead to take advantage of the chance to swap for other locations. I did spend a week in Daytona once, then swapped for Lake Havasu/London Bridge Hotel with a daughter - that was fun. Aside from that all I've done is pay dues. Nutz to that. I didn't pay full price for it and it's pretty nice, but the fees are now more than double what they were initially, and I'm one of those people who stay at cheap motels when I travel, believing that they're just a bed. At least I completed the tests for Tuesday and graded those from last week. Now to grade 2 sets of test corrections [manana], grade Tuesday's tests and write 3 final exams for next week. As I said before, no rest for the wicked. I am going out to dinner with friends tonight, so that will be fun. Also got to talk to both daughters in the last 2 days - so that was great. I miss them.

posted by: mafidl at April 13, 2008 17:25 | link | comments |

Only in Florida?

I am not, I believe, quite an atheist.  I won't take the time here to go into what I do and don't believe, but suffice it to say, I tend to take the Bible as mostly fiction, created and then re-written many times, so I don't believe anyone should take it as fact.  I don't object to other peoples beliefs be they Christian, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc - as long as they don't interfere with me and as long as their advocates don't try too hard to convert me.  For instance I would no longer be of interest to the Mormons when I move to Salt Lake City, because I am far from child bearing age [LOL?].  Also,I've never had the experience of being approached or harassed, on the streets of SLC by proselytizers, as at least one M‘otime blogger had.  I have met some of them other places, but they have always been very polite and not pushy.
OK, now to the actual reason for my post - you knew I'd get there eventually, didn't you. There was an article in the Miami Herald about what might be going to transpire here in the Sunshine State. 
"Honk if you love Jesus. It might become more than just a bumper sticker in Florida."  is the first line.  Then it goes on to state that the legislature might be adding to our already more than 100 specialized license tags, one that says "'I Believe' and the image of a cross in front of a church stained glass window. The measure is moving in both the House and Senate."  So how many other states have this, and also, to be fair, tags with the Star of David for the Jews,  half moon and star [?] for Muslims, etc. What do think about this?

posted by: mafidl at April 12, 2008 08:51 | link | comments (5) |

Confusion

This is April - right?  Then why does this picture look like Fall colors - here in South Florida, yet?

posted by: mafidl at April 10, 2008 16:02 | link | comments (2) |

Poor pleasures of the simple

Thanks to friend, Mike, I have not one, but 2 graphing software programs and was able to create graphs of a parabola, an ellipse and a hyperbola [complete with asymptotes!] for a practice test which is online for my trig students to study for a test.  It took me a bit, because not one of these curves is a single function, but is composed of 2 functions which have to be graphed separately.  It was fun.  I'm including the hyperbola graph, just for the heck of it:

Whee - didn't know for sure if it would work.
The end is near - of my Spring semester, that is.  Then, thank goodness, I have about 1 week before Summer A starts.  I'll be teaching a class that I've taught quite a few times before, but from a new edition of the text - which will necessitate my re-doing my homework assignments, and some of my notes - so I'll be able to put the week off to good use.  I have my trip to Salt Lake City after the end of Summer A planned, so I have that to look forward to. Now all I have to do is grade a test I'm giving today, write 2 tests for next week, then grade those.  Oh, and write my final exams - no rest for the wicked.
TTFN

posted by: mafidl at April 09, 2008 15:33 | link | comments (4) |

Dining room set

Just in case someone is interested, here's the Craig's List URL for the dining room set I want to sell http://miami.craigslist.org/fur/621876776.html and here's the picture of the table.  The other pieces are pictured on the ad.  The china closet with the glass is not part of the set.

posted by: mafidl at April 05, 2008 08:53 | link | comments (2) |

Wahhhh!!!

I really want to move to Salt Lake City.  Problem is at least partly the real estate market, which currently sucks, to put it politely.  My condo complex currently has an assessment, due in installments of $436/mo until July.  Our monthly association fee is another $444, so no one in his or her right mind would want to buy here until the assessment is finished - I wouldn't want to either.  Then there is the squabble going on about the newest board members, who are messing things up and winding up costing us more money.  Recall effort is going very slowly - so there's another reason for sensible potential buyers to stay away.  I haven't even started to try to sell my place, but have gotten a list of the 65, count 'em 65 units for sale in my complex.  I have gone as far as advertising my dining room set on Craig's List [Miami area, antique oak dining rooms set], which would likely cost much more than it's worth to move.  It belonged to my parents, purchased from Macy's or Gimbel's basement - back in the early 1940's when a basement was not a place where you bought cheaper or discount merchandise - it was for storage.  This set had been returned or whatever and turned out to be just what my father wanted - rather than any of the regular merchandise available.  [I learned to ride a bicycle around it in the winter when I got my first bike for Christmas.] Anyhow, that's my only progress [?] toward moving, so far.  Oh, I will go to SLC for a 2 week visit June 21 after my short Summer class is over.  I can hardly wait.  Another of my colleagues was upset when she found out last weekend that I will be moving - there are some really nice people in my department and I will definitely miss them, as well as other friends here.  But, family calls.  Also there's always the cellphone.  Not the same I guess.
Later.

posted by: mafidl at April 03, 2008 20:32 | link | comments (3) |