Bluebirds of irritation

We have a carefully constructed and positioned bluebird house in our backyard.  We must have the same pair we had last year now. The male overdoes his job of protecting but does get the idea that the other male he sees reflected in our windows is HIMSELF.  So, he keeps flying at the intruder, crashing into our windows.  I have talked to him, sent him texts and emails to no avail.  My wife has explained to me how bluebirds are lovely and have trouble surviving so she does not want me to go too far trying to discourage his crusade against strange opponents.

Banana duct-taped to the wall

I know we are experiencing high prices but I am confident that I can find a banana for less than 6 million dollars.  The Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan contributed an art exhibit to a French museum consisting of a real banana duct-taped to a wall.  Of course, a real banana aged into rot over time but museum staff replaced the rotting fruit with a fresh banana as needed.  I read that the purchaser of the artwork got a certificate of authentication and a booklet explaining the process of buying a new banana and tape.

The web shows photographs of the art work.  As far as I have heard, eating artwork is unusual, rare even.  This reminds me of my friend who collects rare books and my other friend who delights in writing the author’s name in handwriting on the cover page of a book.

Two books

Two books came to mind today, books that I liked, I benefitted from and I used in teaching undergrads preparing to be teachers.  One is “Teacher Effectiveness Training” by Thomas Gordon and the other is “Uptaught” by Ken Macrorie.

Thomas Gordon wrote “Teacher Effectiveness Training” (T.E.T.) and I got good useful information for myself from the book.  The world wide web says that he was a colleague of Carl Rogers, a well-known psychologist and counselor.  I practiced the three basic skills from T.E.T. and they felt so right and helpful, I adopted the book as the textbook in my Educational Psychology class.  Gordon advocates three basic skills, which he calls

1. Active listening - where a complaint or description of a problem either with learning or getting along with the teacher or class is actively mirrored back to the student for verification and improved understanding.

2. I-messages - where the teacher explains his personal reaction to the problem using carefully constructed personal revelation of his own feelings and reactions

3. No-Lose method of conflict resolution - Problem solving in a civil manner- much like an investigation in science

I don’t have a copy of “Uptaught” handy but I remember a humorous, insightful book about a professor developing understanding of himself and college students.  I remember that it was quite a revelation for him when WWII ended and mature men took advantage of GI bills and opportunities and started attending college classes.

But what will the doggies do?

The first regularly printed newspaper is widely considered to be the Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien, published in 1609 in Strasbourg, Germany, by Johann Carolus. [1, 2]

The history of newspapers, however, spans much further back depending on how you define them:

• 59 BCE: The Romans created the Acta Diurna ("Daily Events"), a daily handwritten news bulletin posted in public places, which is often considered the first Newspaper.

My neighbor takes our discarded newspapers to the local animal shelter, providing fresh bedding for puppies.  As subscriptions to our local paper dwindle and it has difficulties surviving, I wonder about fresh bedding for the doggies.

Abraham Lincoln" - tv miniseries

I have rarely been affected by a tv show the way the Abraham Lincoln miniseries affected me.  I knew the basic facts before watching the show on Netflix.  But the tension as to the outcome of the Civil War and the fear for the union, for the basic governmental structure of the United States was depicted movingly.  

Catkins, aments

I learned that some aspects of oak tree propagation involve “catkins”, you know, “aments”.  

These are stringy brown bits of what humans might call semen, male bits to fertilize female bits of oak trees.  The stringy bits are called “catkins” and “aments” by people who know about this business.

Scents and Sensibility, Lord of the Files

Scents and Sensibility is a published book.   I am waiting for someone to publish Lord of the Files.  To me, it is interesting and fun that some imaginative writer creates a book with a derivative title.  Sense and Sensibility is a published novel by Jane Austen.  In computing and other fields, fILes are important but Lord of the Flies is a novel often read in literature classes.

Google per day

I thought it was interesting to learn what Google makes per day.  

How much does Google make in a day? Based on Google annual revenue for the past five years, GOOGL makes an average of $877,107,397.26 per day. 

Lynn said she is glad to know about the 26 cents.

Books, AI and electronics

The book “Why Learn History When It Is Already On Your Phone ?” by Sam Wineburg was published by the University of Chicago in 2018, eight years ago.  The title suggests the educational implications of being able to read documents on a cellphone in your pocket.

To me, this is a subject that teachers should think about in connection with their work. Much of American life encourages each person to think independently about whatever interests that person.  Young people, especially in the US, are encouraged to “think for themselves”.  When a young person is interested in having sufficient funds, finding and keeping friends of both sexes and developing a picture of a “successful” life for themselves, they rather naturally come to question required activities such as school and its demands.  

It makes sense to have at hand the best answer to Wineburg’s question, not only about the history that is on my phone, but the art, zoology and all other branches of knowledge on my phone, tablet, and computer.

I tolerate you

Most anything can be looked up in Google these days.  I have a cartoon titled “I tolerate you” instead of “I love you”.  I looked up the phrase “I tolerate you”.  I was informed that the phrase means “I am willing to tolerate your presence”.  I admire that wording and I do hope you are willing and able to tolerate mine.