All posts by NerdMom

child rearing, politics

How Far We Have Come Eh?

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Photo from Flicker user Moose Greebles

I have grown up always hearing that girls need to be encouraged to develop their math and science skills. Supposedly we need to convince them that they are as good as boys in these arenas. This was a Lego ad from 1981. I love it! I think I even had those tennis shoes. But compare that to a girl screensaver picture available.

Isn’t it great how far we have come:(? Now my best friend says that I am just being critical but tough. Sara says that they know this is the way to sell Legos to girls and if they would buy them the other way then Lego would advertise the old way. If she wants to play with figurines that is fine but then she doesn’t need Legos. Now I will admit that I am a purist. I don’t buy my boys themed sets either. I feel it goes against the creative nature of Legos. If these cutesy little Legos are the only way they want to market to girls, I say don’t do us the favor! Lego, hear me! Encourage my daughters’ creativity in creation not little silly pony games!

science

Women’s Need to Understand & Books

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No, I am not talking about women driving the self help book industry. I am talking about the “True Crime” novels. Before I go any further I must say that I was surprised to see that women were the main purchasers of true crime novels. But the question is why? In the inaugural issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science (published by SAGE) they talked about this phenomenon. Apparently it is women’s fear of attack that leads them to want to understand it and therefore prevent it from happening to them. But instead it is causing some sort of reverse effect because women who read them are more afraid.

This doesn’t really surprise me. It is easier to just accept evil than to understand where it is rooted. Once you see its roots you see that it isn’t that rare. Hitler as a twisted person wasn’t a fluke and neither was Ted Bundy.

I have always had an interest in criminology and procedure but I blame that less on being a woman than having a mother who has a criminology degree and 2 step dads who were cops;). What do you think?

(HT: Science Daily)

Daybook

For Today (1/18) From NerdMom’s Daybook

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Outside my window it is a rainy day.
I am thinking about the full armor of God (post to come).
I am thankful for my wonderful hubby!
From the learning rooms maybe a project but I am not sure.
From the kitchen is Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread for the family and MOPS tomorrow.
I am wearing sweats and a comfy shirt!
I am creating the February newsletter for MOPS.
I am going no where today!!!!
I am reading Salvation Is from the Jews

I am hoping to get everything done for tomorrow.
I am hearing Plumb’s Chaotic Resolve.
Around the house I need to do laundry!
One of my favorite things sleep!!!
A few plans for the rest of the week: I am facilitating a conversation on saving money at MOPS tomorrow!
Here is picture for thought I am sharing is the craft from my last MOPS, I can’t wait until tomorrows!

(For more Daybooks go check out The Simple Woman’s Daybook)

Food

Meal Plan Monday

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I am still working on the Freezer this week! I think we will be ready to defrost the freezer next weekend! Though NerdDad and I have decided that we don’t have to drain the pantry (I don’t need to get rid of all the chicken stock and tomato sauce this month) even if that means that not going the entire month. I have a lot of fish for this week but it is good for us and the Boboli pizzas will balance it out;). We still have ribs and a turkey for next week but here is my plan for this week!

Monday: Tilapia, Zucchini Corn Cakes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Salmon Cakes, Zucchini Corn Cakes, Broccoli (yes, I know it is the 2nd night of Zucchini Corn Cakes. Don’t care;)
Wednesday: Boboli pizza with Sausage and Bacon
Thursday: Shrimp, Corn, Spinach and Pasta in a Garlic Butter Sauce
Friday: Boboli pizza with Sausage and Bacon

Food

Super Easy Pasta Bake

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This is one of my big make ahead dishes. I always make it when I need to feed a crowd easy and for cheap! I buy the chicken breasts in bulk and cook them all up one day. Then I buy pasta in bulk and frozen spinach at Winco and the big bag of shredded mozzerella cheese from Costco. I stash pasta sauce in the pantry when it is on sale. I buy the disposable aluminum foil dishes from the dollar store (or the big pack at Costco from Christmas time). Then I make them up about 6 in just about 3 hours! I find they cost less than $10 to feed 8-10 people.

Ingredients:
1 lb (or 2 cups) cooked, cubed, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package frozen, chopped spinach: thawed and throughly drained
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 lb of pasta: cooked and drained
Mozzarella to top generously
Process:
To cook the chicken I put it on a baking sheet. Season it, put water in the bottom of the sheet and cover with foil. Then cook at 350 degrees for a half an hour. Let the chicken cool enough to handle and cube.
Then mix all the ingredients together except cheese. Then place in the baking dish. Top with cheese. This is the point you can cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer. To cook (thawed) just place it in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Make sure the cheese is throughly melted.
That is it!!! A yummy, hot, homey meal that can just live in your freezer.

politics, tech

Google Takes a Stand!

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As you may guess, I am not a big fan of China and it’s policies against freedom. I will say that I have always been in the middle on the issue of us doing business with them. The idea that bringing a censored Internet to China is better than no Internet to China has always seemed to hold water with me. But it has always made me uneasy. While abstractly I understood, I knew that I couldn’t ever pander to China even for money.

So I have to say that I am really happy that Google won’t be pandering to China any more. They are “Reconsidering their approach to China”. I was already a Google fan and this has just furthered this fondness! So who is next? Microsoft? Yahoo?

(HT: The Hill)

headlines, politics

Harry Reid: The Hypocrisy of the Democratic Party

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People (especially me) say things in the wrong way all the time! You sincerely apologize and move on. But sometimes your stupid statements reveal what you actually think. And how others deal with the situation reveals a lot about them too. So where am I going with this?

I think everyone has heard about Harry Reid’s stupid statement about Obama from the campaign of calling him light skinned and with “no Negro dialect”. Reid has apologized to President Obama just this last week because it is coming out in a book a couple of guys have written on the campaign and he was trying to get ahead of the curve. (Though it might had been avoided if he hadn’t been the source on the issue in the book.)
Now President Obama has forgiven him and that is great but… There has been some chatter that Reid should resign from his leadership position. But why you ask? When Trent Lott (the former Republican Majority Leader back in the day) made a statement at Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party back in 2002 about how it would have been better if Thurmond had been elected president back in 1948, then we wouldn’t have had the problems we were having. As a result many people on both side of the aisle called for him to step to down from his leadership position. This includes both Feinstein and Obama. They said how it wasn’t appropriate to represent the party. But now all is forgiven with Reid in their eyes. Feinstein has even gone so far as to say

“I saw no Democrats jumping out there and condemning Senator Lott.”

Please! Now I think that the Republicans should stop calling for Reid to step down. If the Democrats allow Reid to stay in power I think it will speak loads to the voting public. Reid’s popularity is already in the toilet. So if this is what the Democrats want let it be.

I do have to say that I am amazed how hypocritical the Democratic party is being. Is this really no big deal? I am sure I will be blogging more about this in the future!