Sep

I read an interesting essay on the Freakonomics blog today about whether good grades lead to success. The article does not come to solid conclusions, but provides interesting food for thought. As a shameless academic, I usually got good grades, so I would like to hope that good grades are an indicator of success. However, personal experience suggests that many creative genius types don’t do so well in school. I guess that excludes me from the creative genius category!

Incidentally, I think the Freakonomics book is even more interesting than the blog. It’s an easy read, and a fascinating approach to economics.

Sep

When I first heard about the debate over using plastic containers for food, I thought I must have caught breaking news from the 1970s. But no, there really is a debate about whether bisphenol A (BPA) is safe. BPA is a chemical found in the plastic containers used to store food, such as baby bottles and conveniences food containers. So if it’s unsafe, that’s a big problem. (more…)

Sep

My google reader list is growing.

It started out with just a few news feeds and some other odds and ends. I deliberately kept it simple because I was in grad school and didn’t have time to peruse many articles each day. Also, I knew my weakness. If the articles were there, I would read them. Unfortunately, I was not getting graded for keeping up with my Google reader.

Now all that has changed. I’ve been deliberately expanding my subscriptions to fit my interests because I’m trying to use my feeds as motivators: if I see articles about a topic every day, I should be more likely to pursue my own activities in that area. Thus, I’ve subscribed to personal finance, cooking, and fitness feeds.

A few weeks ago I added Photoshop feeds. Those entries usually get starred for later use, since I rarely wish to take the time to actually do the tutorial right then. Today I added some Flash feeds. Yesterday it was interior design.

The problem is that as I add more feeds, I follow more links, add more feeds, repeat. And I star more entries because I “don’t have time to follow up on it now.” But will I ever?

There is so much wonderful information out there, and I want to touch it, read it, use it. It’s tantalizing.

Sep

I had yet another reminder of how deep my bookish tendencies go when I stepped into the local library. We went to look for DVDs, but once there, I couldn’t resist picking up a few books, too. I felt rather silly about this, especially since I have shelves of books at home, patiently awaiting my attention.

We were in a small branch library, and I wasn’t able to find any of the books at the top of my reading list, (more…)

Sep

We’ve recently been housing a cat while our friends are on vacation. He’s a very friendly cat, and I enjoy having additional company around the house, so I’ve been thinking about whether it would be smart for us to get our own pet. (more…)

Sep

When my husband and I were in grad school, there wasn’t much time to watch tv or movies. Now that we lack homework, we have been talking about watching a movie, but never seem to get around to doing it. Most nights we’re too busy surfing the internet and working on computer-related projects to partake of more traditional entertainment.

And somehow, I seem to have a mental block about watching tv/movies. I feel like I can feel my brain rotting and my muscles atrophying as I sit there on the couch. Ironically, I don’t have similar feelings when sitting in front of my laptop.

Anyway, last Saturday we took the plunge and went to the library to get a dvd. The thought of spending 2 hours watching something entirely fictional still seemed frivolous, so I decided to play it safe and get something educational. “John and Abigail Adams” seemed safe, especially since I had seen part of it in my American Public Address class.

As it turns out, I had already seen all of it, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had expected. Maybe I should have gotten something from the non-documentary section.

Sep

I learned today that I do not want a career in sales. I suspected as much, but after listening to a presentation about a sales job, I’m sure of it. I wonder what makes certain people like sales, while others obviously do not. Are sales people all extroverts or is there something more?

Sep

My husband and I listened to Mark Driscoll interview John Piper tonight. Piper was talking about a time when he was making an important family decision. He said,

“So I wrote a paper. I always write papers to justify what I’m doing.”

We both laughed, because we do that, too. Papers, charts, numbered lists of reasons for and against.

Sep

I finished my master’s degree in May, then spent most of the summer traveling. As the summer ended, I started looking for a job about the time that my friends went back to their studies and teaching job. I missed the classroom, missed the fun of talking about classes with fellow students, even missed reading long assignments and writing essays. It was almost impossible to find a job that even remotely interested me.

As I contemplated this situation, I realized that my status as a student has become part of my identity. I’m a shameless academic, and even if I never go back for a Ph.D., even if I never return to the classroom, I will always be an academic.

So I’m starting this blog, partly to celebrate academics and learning for the sake of learning. I’m also documenting my transition out of life as a full-time student. For now, at least, I’m finished being a student, but I hope I never stop learning.