a little peak at today's project.....

The colors are a little off in this picture.... but I'll post a better picture tomorrow of the finished product after I give it to my B.  I didn't want to show you how cute it turned out until she saw it first in person :)  All super fuzzy soft stuff.... and now my entire house is super fuzzy soft. lol

Thought You Should Know Thursday

Thought you should know...about this burger. 

The best burger I ever ate..... for a VERY limited time at Liberty Market (ie: the rest of October). 

The Oktoberfest Burger. 

It features sauerkraut, emmanthaler cheese, black forest ham and a mustard aioli. 

This is what Aaron ate for his free birthday dinner on Monday.  (we went rock climbing and then hit Lib Market and Joe's Real BBQ for dinner.  lots of fun :)   He gave me a bite and I melted almost as much as the emmanthaler.  It was the juiciest, most savory combination of flavors I think I have ever tasted.  It took a lot of self control to not quick snatch that thing out of Aaron's hungry vice grip and make a hot mess of my face and diet. Cookie Monster would've had nothing on me. 

Anyway, just thought you should know.

Haiku wednesday

Cannot smell or taste

Surrounded by snot tissues

Ew. Ick. I am sick.

RAIN!

Just as the kids were walking out the door this morning to get in the van for carpool, the sky threw up.  yep.  it couldn't hold it in any longer.  All of a sudden there were huge drops that pelted and drenched the kids.  It lasted a good 5 minutes, and then stopped.  And it's drippy from the trees and eaves and it's bright and sunny with a dark sky.  I love the smell of the rain.  I love the feel of wet in the air.  I especially love that the computer is right by the door and I can just leave it wide open to enjoy the atmosphere while I finish typing up my bio lab.  Speaking of which, I couldn't log in to my email this morning- it was only after I realized that I'd been absent-mindedly typing "celldivision" as my password.  Cell division is NOT my password.  It's not even CLOSE to my password.  But I'll tell you what my password should be.  crazyladywhoneedsanap!  shhhhh don't tell anyone.

debatedebatedebate

We had an in-class 5 minute Q&A assignment in English a week and a half ago. The question was an Aristotle quote: Law is reason, free from passion.  Agree, or disagree?
I just jotted something off the top of my head and turned it in, since I knew I wasn't being graded on what my response was, as long at it was well written.
Well, it turns out it did matter what my response was because we were assigned to debate groups based on our answers. BLEH!  We had a lot of fun developing our arguments and today was the debate.  The four members of my debate team each contributed about the same amount.  I had 4 minutes to present an argument and 2 minutes later in the debate to rebutt one of the opposing team's arguments.  We were totally in to it and my team did an awesome job! 
We were on team Disagree.  What's funny is I was always debating the other side during all of our group meetings- I told my group that it was good for them to practice, but really I believe the other side..... but I liked our argument anyway and believed everything I said. lol. long story)
 Here is my argument: (Sorry about the formatting- I copied and pasted from a notecard word format to blogger format.  I don't know about you but I'm not staying up all night to make it pretty.  It's all about content, right? lol)


1.Laws
There is more than one type of law- take for instance, the Law of Gravity.

Let’s say I decide to walk off a 3rd story balcony and I begin to fall.  Does it matter how passionate I am about living or not getting hurt?  Does it matter that I have small children at home?  Or that I cry on my accelerating trip to the ground?

No. Once action X has been taken, consequence Y will take place. (At this point I held up a large text book over a desk and let it drop to make a huge booming sound)

However, NATURE’S LAWS are not what we are debating today. Today we are talking about MAN’S LAWS.

2. DEFINING THE LAW:
A law is basically a rule that is enforced by an authority or by custom, or in the case of science, reality.  If we leave aside things like the Law of Gravity, then "man’s law" implies, simply, a rule or set of rules to be followed...a frame work of what is right or wrong to do. Whether a law is just or not is an ethical concern, but you cannot separate the fact that a law reflects some standard custom that has been adopted (or forced).

I call it Man’s law because these are not rules set up by some unknown infallible entity.  It’s important  to remember that humans can create laws and humans can change or abolish them.

3. INTERPRETATION  Humans also, can interpret them many different ways.

 (SHOW Oh. Card)

Oh.

For example, this one little word can be read a number of ways (I said it many different ways for the class while I held up the Oh card- you should see how many you come up with, it's fun, even if you're not dirty)

That's just one word.  Think of the possibilities when you add another word to it, and another and another.   

And then look, for instance, at the world’s most popular book:

The Bible.  How many different religions exist that are centered on their different interpretation of this one book?  And how many interpretations within each sect do you think there are?

“Anything that is open to human interpretation is subject to passion”

(I paused and said this again distictly for drama and memorability. tehe) (I also had it up on the projector)

4. PASSION

What a word.  Love, rage, selfishness, greed, seduction, anger, betrayal, revenge, sex…  these all have such strong feelings attached to them, but what about someone who is passionate about caring for the elderly or small children?  Someone who is passionate about art? Or music?  Passion is emotion.  Not insanity or chaos.  All humans feel it in one way or another, and it influences their actions.

Passion is why we have laws. 

5. LETTER & LOOPHOLES
Now, laws are just WORDS on PAPER.  Many people call it “the letter” of the law (letters make up words-makes sense). Another definition of the letter of the law is following the law exactly as it is written, despite the intent of the writers or the spirit in which the law was written.

 When such actions take place, it is called a loophole.  It is discouraged to use loopholes and is seen as dishonest. 

(this next pink part I cut out for time's sake, but got to use it in my rebuttal- which was awesome!)

I read an article about a man who found a loophole to homeownership.  By officially claiming that a foreclosed $350K house was his via paperwork that cost him $14 to file with the city, he gained ownership of the home; For a whopping $14 dollars. Squatters rights and all. Sounds fantastic.  But is this honest?  No, the bank, in good faith, paid the homebuilders money that they now will never see.  Personally I think that the judge was just amused and thought this dude was too clever to knock down

6. SPIRIT & CONCLUSION

When one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is

doing what the authors of the law intended, though not necessarily adhering to the literal wording

The Letter of the law is balanced by the Spirit and visa versa, but since interpretation of the law comes through imperfect humans, the spirit is subject to our passions

If I would be so bold, I’d amend Aristotle’s words to say
"Law is reason, balanced by passion," but you all, being human, might interpret that differently than I intended, so I’ll just leave it alone.

Thought You Should Know Thursday

I thought you should know that there is
a CGCC vocal majors recital on
November 2nd at 6:30 at the PAC on campus.

Instead of all the classical and opera stuff I've been practicing, I'll be singing this:

Just fun and no stress :)

Come and support the arts.......... and me :)

See you there!

www.cgc.edu/arts  CGCC Box Office 480-732-7342

Oh my my my my my.....

All aboard the crazy train.  Seriously it's been a madhouse around here- On top of all of my regular homework, this week saw the taking of the hardest test that will be given in my Bio class (this class section is for bio majors- remind me why I'm in it?????), the first day of debates, my rhetorical analysis paper due date, picture retakes for the kids, and still yet to come: extra credit this morning in Bio if I play this on my guitar and sing:

HOLY CHEESINESS... I don't know if I can do it... but for extra credit???  Decisions, decisions... Humiliation or a chance to make up for procrastination in studying for my exam this week.... ACK!

AND


Singing this Italian aria that's not yet memorized for a voice studio class (in front of all the other vocal majors) on Friday,  right before rushing to.......

.............................

Volunteer in Meg's class.  I'll be teaching them an Art Masterpiece lesson tomorrow on this guy:

Albrecht Durer

Check him out on albrecht-durer.org

AND

Making about 15 posters for the PCC (Phoenix Children's Chorus) Walk a Thon which are due Saturday morning.

AND

Aaron's birthday dinner on Sunday!

Wake me up when it's all over.  please.

Haiku Wednesday

Aaron took a pic

while I burned the midnight oil....

homework crazy face

(hee hee I'm giving him a really weird crazy pokey school teacher face)

Tute Tuesday

Wow, it's already the first tute tuesday and I've done NOTHING.  But really, are you surprised?  I've got too much HOMEWORK. and no camera. SOoOoOoOoOoooo with halloween coming up WAY too fast, I decided to give you a sharetorial (a tutorial I compiled, but stole {ahem, I mean borrowed} pretty much all material from other web-locales). 

Here is a reeeeeally cool idea for halloween costuming- 

Black and white photography costume.  Here's an example:

Isn't this cool? 

Just make sure that your clothes are black, white, or some scale of gray with no other hue to it.  And your hair is either colored black, gray, or is covered.  Here is a tutorial on how to do the makeup.  You will have to match this makeup color to all exposed skin, so black tights would be preferrable to fish nets or lace stockings.... if you do chose to use a sheer legging make sure to put makeup on your legs, too. whew!

 

I also bought the veiling to make one of these para mi.  Woot woot.

 

classy, but not as floppy as this:

and sexy, but more vintage looking than this:

.. and more hat-ish? we'll see.

Maybe I'll post a tutorial on how to make one once I'm done!

BAHAMA BUCK GROUPON- Wha?!?!?!?!?! Epic.

Holy Shlamoly- I just bought a few groupons for 1/2 off Shaved Ice at Bahama Buck's.

If you use this link I'll get credit- after you get yours you can do the same for your friends :)

This is exciting.  WE LURV BahamaMamaRamas
DONT forget the Tropic Crème.

Thought You Should Know Thursday

Who shops at Fresh and Easy?

I heart that place.  Not as much as I heart Sprouts, but pretty close.  Do you know why I love it so?  No, it's not because I can nom a whole bag of their granola in one sitting- it's amazing.  No, that, my friends, pales in comparison to.........Their clearance section.  DUN DUN DUUNNNNNNN. 

The Fresh and Easy policy is to keep food always fresh, so they try and keep the food for only a few days before they bring in a new delivery. SO, as a result, all of their fresh food items have a short window of time before their sell by date comes up. Every night when the stores close the employees take all the items off the shelf that needed to be sold that day, and they mark them down anywhere from 40-80% off. The items are then put back out in their specially marked clearance section.  I've gotten all types of produce, bread, cookies, rice pudding (extra yummy) Tiramisu (scratch that last comment- this one is extra yummier), scones, dinner rolls, salad mixes, reeeeally cheap steak, roast, and brats.  

The best time to shop Fresh and Easy if you're looking for those marked down clearance items is right at closing time  while they are stocking the secion at 9:45pm, or when they first open at 8am. Throughout the day they will mark down clearance items even more, however the selection will be sparse. I LOVE Fresh and Easy!! I can get produce for our family for CHEEEEEEAP. And since I try and have a full fruit bowl on the table at all times for when my kids get the munchies, cheap produce= healthy kids. 

Speaking of which, I am currently nomming a bowl of summer squash sauteed in butter, garlic salt, and pepper.  Dinner cost me 50¢ tonight.  Thought you should know.

100th post of 2011 Haiku....blitz?

Ok, ok, I know I promised tutes and recipes, but it's taking so long to get it together that I slacked on posting ANYTHING at ALL!  I missed my blog.  So I decided to reconnect with my thousands of readers (ahhh I'm so funny) and post a haiku blitz..... and follow up with my for-real-blitz-mania-tastic.  There'll be pandemonium.  It's not a party without a little levity. Sooooo...  I'm now presenting....... The 100th post haiku blitz.  Please, when you comment do it in haiku form (You don't really have to but it'd be a hoot) {yes, I just said hoot. don't judge me. I'm old.} [and I used the fun parentheses] Here are a few haiku poems I wrote today for your weekly Japanese poetry fix. oh joy :)

Locked gates bar your way

but with gentle words you may

peek inside my heart

gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp

water drenching tongue, throat, chest

Thirst greedily quenched

Mischief and a song

exuberance and sorrow

chambers of my heart.

 I feel gluttony

you see hot and sexy me

perspective is key

No, this picture doesn't have anything to do with
the haiku below but I love it, so..... you're welcome. :)

I wrote a haiku

Aaron didn't like it so...

I made him write one:

Steph needs a haiku

but I'm not that creative

at 1 in the morn

--------------------------------------------------------
Hope you liked the poor excuse for a blitz replacement!
Good day, sir!