News: I’m in the Wall Street Journal! (second letter down)
In my post last week, I discussed an article titled
#SequesterThis. I did some editing and
tightened it up, then sent it in as a letter to the editor. And it was published! It makes me quite happy.
Homeschooling: Word Practice Eggs
I got the idea for these from FamilyFun magazine (which I
believe is a Disney publication?). Using
plastic Easter eggs, write consonants on one side, and word endings on the
other. On mine, I did “at” words: On one side it has a c, m, r, and b, and on
the other, “at”. Putting the two sides
together makes the words cat, mat, rat and bat.
The example in FamilyFun is good up until you try to figure out
additional word endings. Bring in this
website about word families, which has a huge trove of different word possibilities!
The only warning that I have on this project is that, though
I used permanent marker, it slowly rubbed off the eggs. I don’t know what else to use for writing on
the eggs, but this was otherwise a huge hit with both my oldest children (ages
5 and 3).
I made these last night, with some changes; I skipped the
flour, used milk instead of half-n-half, and added salsa to the eggs as
well. It came out okay. It wasn’t bad or anything, but it wasn’t very
exciting to eat. I think some sour cream
or guacamole on top would have hit the spot.
Or maybe some black beans in the enchiladas? I’ll have to think about it.
News: 5 Startup Naming Rules via Entreprenuer
This is a well-timed article on naming your business. I particularly think that rule number one is good; you're creating a brand, not naming a business. If the domain name you want for your business is taken, find a different one with the same name, or choose a different name all together. Don't wind up adding, deleting or changing letters because of this. No one will be able to remember it, and your website will just be lost in the vast sea of the interwebz. I have one example of this that is pretty close to home: The California Farmers' Markets Association has the website cafarmersmkts.com. I have been to this website numerous times, and still have to Google it every single time, because I just cannot remember it. Californiafarmersmarkets.com is not taken, and neither is thecfma.com. I think those would be easier to remember.
Movies: Wreck-It Ralph Review
Last week, Wreck-It Ralph was released, and being a video
game geek, I had to pick it up. I actually
liked this film better than Brave; in Brave, there was all this buildup of
characters and story, but then the ending was far from the epic conclusion I
was expecting. Wreck-It Ralph does not
have this problem; it remained exciting the entire way through, with subdued
humor and a great plot twist. My only
real dig about it is the toilet humor: I know it’s a children’s movie, but
really? Did we have to go there? The other thing that bothered me was how the
villain was dealt with; I’m not sure that my kids really needed to see
that. Of course, after the scene in
Tangled, where Mother Gothel turns into dust, I’m getting the idea that Disney
isn’t sugarcoating or hiding how villains are killed. I just remind myself that, in the original
Cinderella story, the evil stepmother had red-hot iron shoes put on, dancing to
death for Cinderella’s amusement.
Despite these issues, it was redeemed by the nostalgia
factor, interesting characters, and creative setting. Oh, and the music; I thought that the music,
especially the theme for the “Sugar Rush” game was brilliant. It sounds exactly like something you’d hear
in an arcade. I give it 4.5/5 stars. I expect to watch this film often over the
summer.
Wasting Time: More Princess Celestia as the Stig
Yes, more. See you next
week! :)
(photos via FamilyFun, Inspired Taste, IMDb)
