Jump to content

Menu

shawthorne44

Members
  • Posts

    5,726
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by shawthorne44

  1. ^^This is incorrect.

     

    The Shahada is THE statement of faith. Saying it sincerely is how you make yourself Muslim. There's no baptism or any such other thing. The Shahada is it.

     

    It GOES WITHOUT SAYING that kids doing it for school did not actually convert, surreptitiously or otherwise, because the "sincerely" part of the above is paramount. But it was a pretty dumb thing to do. Hopefully the teacher did not fully grasp the significance of the Shahada.

     

    To the person who said "Islam should never be mentioned in schools," Islam is a thing that exists in the world, yanno? A geography class is exactly where I'd expect a passing familiarity with major world religions to be given to students.

     

    Really?  I find that shocking.  In a Geography class?   Like I said earlier, I could see them learning that in X place the predominant religion is Y.   But, I wouldn't expect them to study the religion or to write out prayers, regardless of whether it is the Shahada or the Lord's Prayer.  

    • Like 1
  2. I like that everyone isn't beautiful.   In American TV, the maid is likely to be the runner-up for the main character and they are both stunning.  I like that the maid probably looks very plain in British TV.  

     

    Although, I do wish the teeth were a little better.  A majority of British actors seem lower-lower class to me because of the teeth.   That is fine if they are playing a lower class character but it is jarring when they aren't.   

  3. No idea, but that would even out surely: Brits get wisdom teeth taken out too, if they cause problems.

     

    I suspect that the definition of "causing problems" is different for Brits and Americans.  

     

    I used to have a friend that was an American, but lived in England during her teenage years.   She is still a little mad at her parents for listening to the dentist when he said that the crowding from wisdom teeth wouldn't be a problem.  Yes, she is able to eat and chew.  But, cleaning her teeth well is difficult because they are on top of each other.  She also has had to struggle with gum disease because of the cleaning difficulty.  She had her wisdom teeth out as an adult, and was saving up for braces when her priorities changed, i.e. she got M.S.   Of course, this is one datapoint.  

    • Like 1
  4. I prefer individual books because they're easier to hold. Also, my clever 3yo picks up the anthologies when she's told she may have 2 books before bedtime. :)

     

    I used to make use of that.  When I really liked one I'd comment.  "Boy, that was a long one.  It was also really good."  Then later when she was trying to extend bedtime by picking long stories, she would reach for the ones I liked.   If it was long and I didn't like it, I'd tell her that counted as two stories.  

    • Like 1
  5. I really liked them for read-aloud time.  When DD was really small, i.e. around 2, I particularly liked the anthologies because it helped to build up her listening endurance.  I'd finish a story and then she'd see the attractive cover of the next story and she'd ask for it.  And then the next one and then the next one.  Whereas, when she was really young, putting one book down and picking up the next would cause a break and her mind would wander off.  

    For that reason, I didn't particularly care of the white book in Sonlight P3/4.   I would have loved it if only they's sorted the stories by reading age instead of just adding those colors.  

     

    Now that DD is 5, I've been picking up themed anthologies at the used book stores.  Like "50 Princess Stories".   At this point it is because they are handy for me.  She gets several stories and this way I can use one book.  

    • Like 2
  6. Is there a health reason to avoid yellow teeth?  I understand that many people prefer white teeth, but I was just wondering because you paired teeth colour with gum disease.  British tea drinking makes yellow teeth close to an inevitability.

     

     

    No, but yellow teeth is one of the things joked about.  A good example is the picture of Mike Myers in the article.  His teeth are fine except they are really yellow-brown.   

  7. It also didn't talk about the color of teeth, or gum disease either.   Seems like a worthless study in general.  

     

    I wonder if they wouldn't say my perfectly fine teeth are a problem?   I've had all my wisdom teeth removed.  So, they probably would have counted me as having 4 missing teeth.   Whereas if I hadn't have had them removed, my mouth would be a mess, yet this study would classify that version as just fine.  

    • Like 1
  8. When we are at home, we do waffles and bacon for Christmas Eve and appleskievers with strawberries and whipped cream for Christmas morning. For Christmas dinner we usually have ham, mashed potatoes, homemade applesauce, green salads, a couple of green vegetables (peas and Brussels sprouts for sure and either brocolli or asparagus) and canned cranberry jelly. With three cooks it is quick and easy.

     

    The last couple of years we've been travelling as a family for the holidays and will do so again this year. Last year we all had Afghan food for the first tIme as a special Christmas Eve dinner. We were flying on Christmas Day and were very happy to find some good burgers and salads at the airport, as there weren't many places open.

     

    That reminds me of my parent's Boxing Day menu.   (Day after Christmas)  Belgium Waffles with genuine high-quality maple syrup.  Dad starts the batter really early in the morning because the really good recipe contains only bad things for you, and it takes a few hours of sitting time.  Then people arrive sometimes between 11am and 12:30pm.  People sit around the dining table drinking coffee and eating quarters of waffle as they come fresh.  It is a pleasant low-stress tradition.

  9. I would hate to live in a big city.  Although I couldn't answer the poll, because I have lived in a couple of cities over 250K and I consider those to be medium sized suburbs.

     

    I would feel anxious and probably won't be as healthy mentally in a big city.  Note, I am fine now.  But, having to share walls with strange people ??#@?   That is the first level of hell.  I can handle it for short-terms like in hotels, but I hated it when I was a poor college student.  In fact, I bought a house before I owed furniture.  Literally, no bed, couch, stereo or TV.  I had one lamp, some webbed lawn chairs and an end table.    

     

    We are what I classify as distant suburb now in small town of 5K.  I love it.  We have an acre in town, and everything here is 5 minutes away.  DD's dance classes, church, co-op, library (such as it is), soccer.   When we want big city things like museum, zoo or the opera (I love the opera), we go to the nearest local train station and have a relaxing ride there (more important when coming home)

  10. It's Rudolph that gets me.

     

    We're treated to an all-star list of Reindeer, and assured that we must know them, and then asked if we recall "the most famous reindeer of all".

     

    Now, either he's the most famous reindeer and anybody familiar with all those other reindeer must certainly be very familiar with Rudolph, or there's a good chance this is the first we're hearing about him and he is therefore NOT the most famous reindeer, because nobody has a clue who he is, despite knowing Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Donner and Cupid and Comet and Blitzen.

     

    And then there's the part where everybody bullies him endlessly and nobody steps up to stop this, and then once it turns out that his nose is useful they all act really nicey-nice, but you know what? It's like Stockholm Syndrome. He helped because of the fleeting hope that now, finally, they'll all love him. But do they love him because he's a great guy? No, they love him because he's temporarily useful to them. As soon as the fog clears they'll be back to ignoring him, confident that he'll be too beaten down to say "no" next Christmas.

     

    That is how I remembered it too.  But, I just watched it the other day with DD.   There was acceptance and good feelings after he came home with his family and before the red nose was helpful.  

     

    Although, the misfit finding acceptance and happiness only AFTER the source of the misfit proves useful is a common theme that irritates the crap out of me.  One of the early books I bought DD was Flutterby.   About a tiny flying horse who isn't sure what he is, so tries to fit in with the ants, bees, etc.  and doesn't.  In the end after talking to a wise old something-or-other, he accepts himself for who he is and is happy.  

  11. I forget which test they use, but see when your local Mensa group is offering admission testing.  It will be one of the standard IQ tests that is used and cost under $50.  They really really don't mind if you don't plan on joining.   Random people testing helps to pay for the room rental fee.  They can now tell you the number again.  There had been a lawsuit from some pysch. group because they were annoyed that the price was so cheap on the grounds that it wasn't a doctor administering the test.  So, for awhile there, they were only to say "Pass" or "Fail".  The lawsuit came down on the side of Mensa and they are allowed to give you the number now.   

    • Like 1
  12. Audible is by premium readers.    My dad has a subscription and I've listened in on a few.  You can get a trial to check it out. 

     

    For someone that can't see well, I'd recommend a paperwhite reader.   Being able to jack up the font size is really wonderful.   Since it is e-ink, there won't be the eyestrain from looking at a computer screen.  

     

    I am not knowledgeable about Audible on the Kindle.   I am still in the Considering It stage.   

     

    If she listens at home, I really love my speaker for my audiobooks.  I think I spent like $15 on it at Walmart.   You charge it using a mini-USB cord, and connect with either through Bluetooth or the headphone cable they provide.   This way I can listen to audiobooks while doing housework without using headphones or earbuds.   I don't like to have them on for hours at a time.  

  13. I wouldn't say anything but it doesn't mean I don't think that's an overly cautious policy. I might vent at home but I wouldn't mention it to them. I would probably assume that there was some combination of one paranoid squeaky wheel, someone had a bad experience, CYA, and stuff going on, and just grin and bear it. "Mmm, I'm sure they have their reasons and we're happy to make people comfortable, please pass the bean dip."  ...

     

    At my previous (Mega) church, I was a Sunday School teacher and went through their safety training.   Their reason wasn't that they didn't trust kids to walk the halls alone and find their parents.  They didn't want to be sued if the non-custodial parent snatched their kid by picking them up at Sunday school.   I think organizations need to be a little more safe than parents need to be. 

    • Like 1
  14. Silk chiffon stretches if it is hanging up.  I made a puffy silk using a gazillion yards of silk chiffon for my wedding dress.  it fit great, right length, I hung it up.  Night before wedding my great aunt was hemming the dress, and I still had the waistband tucked into my bra.  If it hadn't been almost floor length this wouldn't have been a problem.  

  15. My background:  DD had many Failure To Thrive Tests from 9 months to 2 years, until eventually they found the root cause.  During that time period I had many consultations with nutritionists on a child not eating much.   I was so desperate that when I heard that the local WIC Nutritionist was excellent, I submitted an application just to get a consultation with her.  Some of the things we did and still do because they worked:

     

    1. Realized that DD would only eat a certain quantity of food, so the food she did eat had to count.  So, no animal cracker or goldfish as a snack.   Her snack might be a choice of blueberries or salami wrapped around cheese.  I've been on many diets in my life, and I've internalized the diet-mindset.  I had to turn that on its head.  For example, the first food on Children's Hospital's list of things to feed DD was refried beans,  
    2. Fat (usually cheese) was added wherever we could.   Other parents sneak in veggies, we sneak in fat.  
    3. Cut way back on empty carbs like bread.  It wasn't that bread was banned.  We just didn't want her to fill up on bread, and I notice that every meal in your sample included some bread.  When bread was served, there was a greater quantity of other stuff on the bread.  So, sandwiches were open-faced and the filling was thick.   So, PB&J would be with one slice of bread, with a THICK slather of Peanut butter, heated up to make the PB not so sticky, then a thick slather of Jelly.  Served with a fork.   A lunchmeat sandwich has as much meat and cheese as bread.  
    4. Whole Milk was the encouraged default drink.  Water only when she asks.  She's not much into juice.  I've noticed on evenings in which she doesn't eat much dinner, we need to refill her getting-ready-for-bed milk.  
    5. I noticed that when food got really really nutritionally dense, her quantity consumed would decrease even more.   Then I'd back off.  For example, they had us try this shake that was over 1000 calories a cup.  She drank that, then stopped eating entirely.  
    6. We made use of idle eating.  For example, DD will often eat a decent amount while in grocery cart.  So, we will often buy something there planning on her eating it then.   
  16. I'm really good at buying vitamins but not taking them. I switched to adult gummy vitamins and now I take them every day. I am a child.

     

    That is why I use Emergen-C, it is a powder packet that you dump in a drink and is yummy.   I figure a vitamin I actually take is way better than one that sits in the drawer.  I've also done the gummies for specific things like fiber.    

×
×
  • Create New...