More developmental differences

The two boys (B1 = the blonde one; B2 = the dark-haired one) are one distinctively different developmental trajectories. B2, for example, crawls as well as holds on to the crib railing and walks sideways; B1 doesn't do either of those.

And, B1 will play "fetch" -- you place something within arm's reach, as he lies on his back, and he'll grab it and hand it up to you, and laugh when you take it and say "Thank you". But when you try it with B2, he gets upset that you took it.l

Conversely, B2 will play "catch" with you, in that if you sit facing him, he'll roll a ball back to you. B1 doesn't do this.

But the most interesting difference is one that The Lady discovered by accident today, as we were browsing the toy section: B1 expresses interest in stuffed animals -- whereas B2 recoils and cries. However, it must be the face of the animal, because when we tried a stuffed bus, B2 reached for it. But when we turned it upside-down, such that the headlights emulated eyes, and the tinted front window looked a bit like a mouth, he again expressed fright.

Interesting.


--GG

Nifty old buildings

For some reason, I'm into old architecture -- the insides, more than the outsides. I prefer having an apartment in a 1940s or 1950s building than a 1970s building -- and a 1970s building more than a 1990s building.


Every once in a while I have a dream where I'm living in an old-timey apartment complex. Rent The Million Dollar Hotel to see what I mean: found it by accident on late-night t.v.; fairly slow-paced -- but I love the shots of the lobby, the room, etc. See also Elwood's boarders hotel in The Blues Brothers. The big, huge lobby with guys playing cards? That kinda thing.


So: I stumbled on this website while doing a Google image search for something else. About urban exploration -- checking out abandoned buildings, bunkers, and etc., and then posting pics and descriptions.

Good stuff.


--GG

Two Aussie-isms

I'm not sure if these are Australian phrasings, or just unique to The Lady and her family. But I noticed that The Girl uses these turns of phrase -- and it's not how **I** say it...!!!

1) "riding up" -- as in, "My undies are riding up on me"

2) “hop out” -- as in, “Time to hop out of the bath”


On the other hand, The Girls says "cookie", rather than "bikkie" (short for "biscuit" -- what Aussies call cookies). So, there's some balance. :)


--GG

Sportacus

There's a kid's show on t.v. called Lazy Town, which is actually Islandic (but, in English!). The lead character is this acrobat guy called Sportacus (pictured!): he does backflips and leaps over brick walls and such -- very "Jackie Chan"!!! -- and calls fruit ''sports candy''.

I want to be Sportacus when I grow up. :)


--GG

Wacky student

I usually don't blog about work -- or students. But this one is sufficiently anonymous...

Once of the courses I (co-)taught this semester has five homework assignments -- of which the student gets the best four scores out of the five -- plus a final exam. The homework is worth half your grade, and the exam is worth the other half.

We just received back the exam scores today -- and apparently, one student took the exam -- but didn't do **any** of the homework. I double-checked that this student's homework scores hadn't been recorded against some other student with a similar last name -- but, nope.


So: huh??? What she thinking?


--GG

Good point

My daughter ("The Girl") is a little over four years old.

This morning, as I was headed out the door, she asked, "Where are you going?"

"To work," I said.

To which she replied, "Again?"


--GG

Proud of my sweaty daughter

One of my pet phrases is that ''I'm sweating like a monkey''.

Yesterday, it was a hot day, and The Girl had fallen asleep on the sofa. When she woke up, she said, ''I'm sweaty.'' Then she said, ''I'm sweaty like a monkey.''


It's fun to influence your children's development... :)


--GG

Lifters

Derived from a conversation at work:

Even though I've lived here in Aussie-land for about five years, I still call 'em ''elevators'' -- whereas the Aussies call 'em ''lifts'' (as in, ''Please take the lift to the third floor'').

I found out from a co-worker who is French that the French word is ''ascenseur'' -- essentially, ''ascender''. So, to get from level to level, you would use the Ascender: so very "Buck Rogers"!!!


--GG

Makes me misty

From a blog entry from Black Raving Lunatic:

"See, most of the world may not change, but I think black people will. This is a defining moment in our history. We will believe more, we will work harder and we will acomplish things. Sometimes all it takes is one victory to believe things will be different. This is that victory. Our communities may still be overrun by crime, our schools may be overburdened and underfinanced, but I think black people now realize that things don't have to be that way."

Well spoken.


Inspired by reading another one of his blog entries:

"President Barack Obama, (Good God that felt good) [...]"


So, I tried it on for size: said "President Barack Obama."

Made my eyes mist up a bit. Hm.


--GG

Two election resources

Two resources for tallying the electoral college votes.

This one, and that one.

Ayep!


--GG