2) Kentucky flashbacks
3) Abortion debate at Mac
4)
5) Priceless
Tuesday 27 March 2012
Posts to write yet ...
1) Finish East Coast
2) Kentucky flashbacks
3) Abortion debate at Mac
4)Women's Conference
5) Priceless
2) Kentucky flashbacks
3) Abortion debate at Mac
4)
5) Priceless
Je pete le feu
So one of my students in grade 7 approached me and said that he had been talking on the phone to his uncle who lives in Quebec and his uncle told him to tell his French teacher: "Je pete le feu."
It was a phrase that was somewhat foreign to me as I what I thought it meant couldn't possibly be what his uncle was trying to convey. Or was it? The verdict's still out.
"Je pete le feu" has two meanings.
Meaning #1: I am full of energy.
Meaning #2: My farts are on fire.
I'm still chuckling.
It was a phrase that was somewhat foreign to me as I what I thought it meant couldn't possibly be what his uncle was trying to convey. Or was it? The verdict's still out.
"Je pete le feu" has two meanings.
Meaning #1: I am full of energy.
Meaning #2: My farts are on fire.
I'm still chuckling.
Thursday 8 March 2012
English > Math
This was an article written by an acquaintance of mine. It's very well-written and rather humorous. I'm looking forward to reading the rebuttal. For now, enjoy!
There is a book coming out this year in which a variety of authors and thinkers were asked to write an epistle to their younger selves. They were asked to give advice or admonition based on what they know now and one letter worth sharing comes from contemporary author, Jodi Picoult. The only piece of advice she thought worthy of sending back into time was this: “You will never use calculus. Trust me.” As far as I’m concerned, she is right.
But which is greater, English or Math? So the question has been posed to Mr. —– and myself. Of course, the unfortunate irony for my esteemed colleague attempting to sing math’s supposed superiority is that he must (to his chagrin) rely upon the English language. Therefore, I will do what I can in the way of leveling the playing field by taking the liberty to rephrase the question as such: if x≠ y; is x > y or y > x? Find (and defend) the value of x.
I’m going to leave variables behind here for a moment (if you are a true philomath, do not worry, I will write slowly), to point out that the fruits of this inquiry will inevitably be flawed because of the nature of the question. The question, as posed, suggests a necessary, mutual exclusion between these two subjects and is therefore a question that only a Mathematic Mind (m2) would ask; but, I would venture, one that only an English mind could answer.
Let’s begin with a look at the English Mind. As far as I have come to think of it (and with it), the English Mind is Creative and Cultured (E = mc2). While the creative mind is responsible for imagining new possibilities and developing all the cultural activities (music, stories, poetry) that make life more than something “nasty, short and brutish,” Mathematics targets the lowest common denominator. The Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd placed “Numbers” as the most basic type of knowledge one could glean in this infinitely complex universe; and who wouldn’t trust a Dutch philosopher?
While the mathematician relies upon the dry, yeastless factuality of numbers, the English mind places these facts into the stories in which they make sense, thereby leavening the loaf of knowledge so it is not simply edible, but enjoyable as well. Even Jesus, with his few years upon this earth, chose not to waste his time propounding mathematical theorems; rather, he gave us story upon story, demanding that his followers be good readers. Christians, in fact, have been called “people of the book,” which is a badge we should wear with honour.
The English Mind, then, is a mind that knows how to step back and see the entire forest, not one which is content to count and cross-multiply the trees. The English mind can see the world in a grain of sand or a handful of dust. When Graham Greene talks of earth as a “marble floating through infinite space,” he captures something so immense and sublime in one simple phrase that you can’t help but marvel at your smallness. The English Mind also steps forward, into the dark wood to see the individual trees. It observes the particularities of a place and the idiosyncrasies of a character, the motivations and machinations that make men and women tick and it records them down with the precision of a mathematician and the love of a saint.
And here the false dichotomy between the m2 and the English Mind really breaks down. The true mathematician, I assume, has a similar confrontation with the sublime in the presence of a concept such as infinity. It would not be difficult to provide numerous examples of mathematical truths that boggle the mind; in fact, it would be as easy as pi.
But to get back on track; English is more important and will always be because it demands a more human way of thinking. The ancients knew this, and classified it under the humanities. Math, one of the sciences, was actually considered a handmaiden to literature and philosophy! Ironically, our culture now sees the humanities as something weak, something which needs defense, something which exists to serve the sciences by teaching literacy (as if knowing how to speak efficiently can lead to an abundant life).
Because of this, English has become the helpless victim of numerous, false stereotypes. Here are the three most common:
So, as you can see, although English might be in disarray in our society, it is a truly superior discipline. Now I could go on, but I’ve had this tongue in my cheek for far too long and must take care of it. For my mathematically inclined readers, do not worry; I’ll be fine.
[The following piece was prompted by a proposal from my students who run the school's newspaper to write a short piece as one side to the debate of which is the superior subject, math or english. It was fun to write and I can't wait to see the math teacher's reactions. I have left his name out of this post.]
There is a book coming out this year in which a variety of authors and thinkers were asked to write an epistle to their younger selves. They were asked to give advice or admonition based on what they know now and one letter worth sharing comes from contemporary author, Jodi Picoult. The only piece of advice she thought worthy of sending back into time was this: “You will never use calculus. Trust me.” As far as I’m concerned, she is right.
But which is greater, English or Math? So the question has been posed to Mr. —– and myself. Of course, the unfortunate irony for my esteemed colleague attempting to sing math’s supposed superiority is that he must (to his chagrin) rely upon the English language. Therefore, I will do what I can in the way of leveling the playing field by taking the liberty to rephrase the question as such: if x≠ y; is x > y or y > x? Find (and defend) the value of x.
I’m going to leave variables behind here for a moment (if you are a true philomath, do not worry, I will write slowly), to point out that the fruits of this inquiry will inevitably be flawed because of the nature of the question. The question, as posed, suggests a necessary, mutual exclusion between these two subjects and is therefore a question that only a Mathematic Mind (m2) would ask; but, I would venture, one that only an English mind could answer.
Let’s begin with a look at the English Mind. As far as I have come to think of it (and with it), the English Mind is Creative and Cultured (E = mc2). While the creative mind is responsible for imagining new possibilities and developing all the cultural activities (music, stories, poetry) that make life more than something “nasty, short and brutish,” Mathematics targets the lowest common denominator. The Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd placed “Numbers” as the most basic type of knowledge one could glean in this infinitely complex universe; and who wouldn’t trust a Dutch philosopher?
T.S. Eliot, an early 20th century poet, once asked: “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” Again, math is but the foundation of the temple of knowledge. We have all heard that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but I think we might add that the study of English is the beginning of knowledge, while math is but the lowly beginnings of information. I have no problem with math in the same way I have no problem with the bottom rung of a ladder: both are necessary to step on as you move upwards.
While the mathematician relies upon the dry, yeastless factuality of numbers, the English mind places these facts into the stories in which they make sense, thereby leavening the loaf of knowledge so it is not simply edible, but enjoyable as well. Even Jesus, with his few years upon this earth, chose not to waste his time propounding mathematical theorems; rather, he gave us story upon story, demanding that his followers be good readers. Christians, in fact, have been called “people of the book,” which is a badge we should wear with honour.
The English Mind, then, is a mind that knows how to step back and see the entire forest, not one which is content to count and cross-multiply the trees. The English mind can see the world in a grain of sand or a handful of dust. When Graham Greene talks of earth as a “marble floating through infinite space,” he captures something so immense and sublime in one simple phrase that you can’t help but marvel at your smallness. The English Mind also steps forward, into the dark wood to see the individual trees. It observes the particularities of a place and the idiosyncrasies of a character, the motivations and machinations that make men and women tick and it records them down with the precision of a mathematician and the love of a saint.
And here the false dichotomy between the m2 and the English Mind really breaks down. The true mathematician, I assume, has a similar confrontation with the sublime in the presence of a concept such as infinity. It would not be difficult to provide numerous examples of mathematical truths that boggle the mind; in fact, it would be as easy as pi.
But to get back on track; English is more important and will always be because it demands a more human way of thinking. The ancients knew this, and classified it under the humanities. Math, one of the sciences, was actually considered a handmaiden to literature and philosophy! Ironically, our culture now sees the humanities as something weak, something which needs defense, something which exists to serve the sciences by teaching literacy (as if knowing how to speak efficiently can lead to an abundant life).
Because of this, English has become the helpless victim of numerous, false stereotypes. Here are the three most common:
1) Any answer in English can be right (ok, I’ll admit that’s somewhat true…)
2) English is an overly emotional subject which trains us how to get in touch with our feelings (frankly, I feel hurt when I hear this, and wouldn’t mind getting together with a group of other English folk to talk it out).
3) English is an easy way to get an A+ (the joke’s on you here; I mark everything with smiley and frowny faces).
So, as you can see, although English might be in disarray in our society, it is a truly superior discipline. Now I could go on, but I’ve had this tongue in my cheek for far too long and must take care of it. For my mathematically inclined readers, do not worry; I’ll be fine.
Wednesday 7 March 2012
East Coast Memories - Day 7
I was very excited to go back and visit the friends I had made the previous summer in PEI. Today was Sunday - time for church. Poor Em. We pulled into the parking lot in the morning and two oversized vans full with 2 different families just happened to be people from her school visiting the island at the same time as us.
I got hugs from Allison and Levi (the pastor's wife and son), Mr. VanderZwaag, Rachel, the VanDyks. Deanna and Isaac were visiting that day as well. The Verburgs and VanderMeulens had just left. Quite the reunion central.
The day was very relaxed. Sleeping in. Church. Beach. Church. Reading around the fire. Bed on time. A true day of rest!
I got hugs from Allison and Levi (the pastor's wife and son), Mr. VanderZwaag, Rachel, the VanDyks. Deanna and Isaac were visiting that day as well. The Verburgs and VanderMeulens had just left. Quite the reunion central.
The day was very relaxed. Sleeping in. Church. Beach. Church. Reading around the fire. Bed on time. A true day of rest!
East Coast Memories - Day 6
After our fun at Fort Louisbourg, we drove to Cheticamp National Park which was inside the Cabot Trail. We set up our tent and for the first time in our trip, we had to prepare ourselves for rain. That means we had to set up a tarp. Before the trip I purchased a tarp at Canadian Tire. I shopped with my nephew and we saw all the different colours and sizes. He picked the colour. I picked the size. Obviously my gift is not with numbers, because this tarp was HUGE! It covered half our campsite! For those who need the numbers to visualize how big, it was 20 x 28.
That night, there was a crazy storm which ripped a portion of the tarp off. Instead of really roughing it at camp for breakfast, we packed up the camp and went out to Tim's. Today was our day to drive the Cabot Trail. As it was free Parks Canada Day (previously unbeknownst to us), we didn't have to pay the entrance to the Cabot Trail.
This trail was absolutely gorgeous and I'm sure my pictures won't do the beauty justice. It seemed like every time we went around another corner we found another breathtaking view. Even though we experienced some fog at the beginning, it cleared up at about the midway point. We stopped at Igonish Beach for some lunch and at a number of the artisan shops along the route. One pottery place that I was interested was slightly off the beaten path. From there we drove to the PEI ferry, but before we could get there we had to take the Englishman Ferry which was basically a ferry on a pulley rope. We got to the real ferry terminal and again were surprised with a no cost adventure. Apparently it only costs you money to leave PEI, so we got a free ride. The inner Dutch in me might have rejoiced a little bit. :) I was expecting to see some jellyfish on the way, but the seas were clear and the sunset was so vibrant!
That night was spent at Stanhope (part of PEI National Park) and I was very grateful for 2 things: 1) we were there for 2 nights so we didn't have to worry about taking out in the morning and 2) the sky was clear; ergo no tarp needed!
That night, there was a crazy storm which ripped a portion of the tarp off. Instead of really roughing it at camp for breakfast, we packed up the camp and went out to Tim's. Today was our day to drive the Cabot Trail. As it was free Parks Canada Day (previously unbeknownst to us), we didn't have to pay the entrance to the Cabot Trail.
This trail was absolutely gorgeous and I'm sure my pictures won't do the beauty justice. It seemed like every time we went around another corner we found another breathtaking view. Even though we experienced some fog at the beginning, it cleared up at about the midway point. We stopped at Igonish Beach for some lunch and at a number of the artisan shops along the route. One pottery place that I was interested was slightly off the beaten path. From there we drove to the PEI ferry, but before we could get there we had to take the Englishman Ferry which was basically a ferry on a pulley rope. We got to the real ferry terminal and again were surprised with a no cost adventure. Apparently it only costs you money to leave PEI, so we got a free ride. The inner Dutch in me might have rejoiced a little bit. :) I was expecting to see some jellyfish on the way, but the seas were clear and the sunset was so vibrant!
That night was spent at Stanhope (part of PEI National Park) and I was very grateful for 2 things: 1) we were there for 2 nights so we didn't have to worry about taking out in the morning and 2) the sky was clear; ergo no tarp needed!
Can you see the pulleys?
Tuesday 6 March 2012
What time is it? Service Opportunity Time! :)
Today I got a great email. This is what it said:
"Hello Kim
"Hello Kim
Thanks for your interest in joining the Faithworks group and sharing your background. After our meeting last night I'm happy to let you know that we would like to extend you the invitation to join this committee. We'd look forward to meeting with you at our next meeting"
I'm really excited about this opportunity and I'm looking forward to serving with such a great group of individuals who are dedicated to serving God by creating opportunities for both local and international mission work.
East Coast Memories - Day 5
So ... the next morning we were recharged from a good night's rest. Unfortunately, our car was not. We forgot to unplug the cool-a-tron. Thankfully, Uncle Marv just hooked us up to his car, and away we went!
On the way to Louisbourg, I got pulled over for the first time in my life for speeding. Thankfully, I just got a warning. PHEW! We stopped for lunch and the beauty of seafood kept coming. I enjoyed a seafood chowder. We parked in a lot and saw the fort from afar via shuttle. This is what it looked like:
On the way to Louisbourg, I got pulled over for the first time in my life for speeding. Thankfully, I just got a warning. PHEW! We stopped for lunch and the beauty of seafood kept coming. I enjoyed a seafood chowder. We parked in a lot and saw the fort from afar via shuttle. This is what it looked like:
See the guy sitting on a bench?
He greeted us and told us that soldiers were
looking for criminals so be aware!
In the first house - this was used as a home and tavern.
There should be a rope thing somewhere which was used for fishing.
Only ale and rum would be served as beverages.
The people working here wore authentic outfits and pretended that they were actually
from this time period as opposed to serving as tour guides.
Getting further in the fort
Where the soldiers slept - 3 to a bunk.
Windows would get boarded up during winter
so you can imagine how nice this room smelled!
This man was accused of stealing a bottle of wine and was sentenced
to endure a public humiliation trial and to stay in the stocks. A woman
in the crowd begged the magistrate to let him off as it would bring too
much embarrassment to their family.
much embarrassment to their family.
"Voleur" on his sign means "Thief"
If only my garden could look like this ...
They were really excited about ... a seagull? ... a cloud? ... an airplane?
The inside of the fort
They had a real farm on the premises.
We visited a room that had children dancing. Women were selling fresh bread in the streets with signs saying: "French bread pour acheter". We saw a public demonstration of the shooting of the guns. And, we also saw (and I participated in) some 17th century adult dancing, just like what you would see in the Jane Austen movies. It was so fun!! I think I'll have to post those videos in another blog, because I think this one might be too big already? They are posted at the bottom of the blog. Other characters we met were innkeepers, cannonists and a priest. There were soldiers who had to work 24 hours straight and then had 48 hours off. The men explained that the cultural and societal expectation to bow originated to show the people they greeted that they had no weapons on them. Various rooms we saw ranged from the soldiers' barracks to barns, storehouses to the latrines, a general store, a restaurant, the guards' quarters.
Any minor offense that the guards committed and they would be placed on a wooden horse with their hands tied behind their back, their waist tied to their feet. Not only was this process completely painful, but it was extremely humiliating as it was done at the changing of the guards. These minor offences could include smoking on duty, not having 3 rounds of bullets on his person, sleeping on the job or arriving late. When the guard asked us where we were from, we had to say that we were not from Toronto, not even Upper Canada, but rather from York.
Hehehehehehehehe
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