As an adult, I often find myself considering stuff that I have been taught or have learned one way or another. Of course, most of what I know really is accurate (sounds arrogant, eh?), but there are things that, I have discovered, are not true. For instance, I distinctly remember telling myself as a kid that if I didn’t lift the seat and “keep focused on the target” when in the bathroom, that the governor of PA would come and personally arrest me. Now, my parents are certifiably crazy as all parents (except me of course) are, but I don’t think there was ever any mention of the governor visiting or my being arrested if I messed up in the bathroom.
With the current debate going on regarding the stimulus/bailout plan, and with the decisions main street and Wall street made to get us all into this mess in the first place, I often wonder if people in general are using the old magic 8 ball to make most of their decisions.
Anyhow, here are three more issues about which I have recently had to change my mind. Number 3 is especially interesting to me…
The Issues:
1. Driving with a hands-free cell phone is safer than handheld –
Apparently false though I can’t see how this could be…or how it’s any worse than talking to a real passenger.
2. Paper bags are more green than plastic
Apparently false depending on what you do with the bags.
3. My muffins are high in fiber and healthy
Still to be determined (pdf document) – in addition to the pdf, I saved an excel spreadsheet if you’d like to check the numbers (yellow bars are calculated and the green column is the total per muffin). The muffins may still be a help cholesterol/fiber wise, but they are certainly not as powerful as I once thought. I never did an analysis of what I normally eat before the muffins, fiber-wise, but with these muffins, I am getting 28.34% of my recommended daily analysis in them alone. I suppose that it is bound to be an improvement over the pop-tarts and pork rinds I was eating for breakfast. We’ll see how my numbers turn out in a few months.
For your viewing pleasure…when I lived in Nashville, the place I worked took Halloween pretty seriously. Many folks dressed up and we had a pumpkin carving contest each year. One year, a friend and I decided we’d make a Magic 8 Pumpkin. It usually felt like someone used a magic 8 ball to determine when our software projects were due so it was a bit of a dig on the establishment. It was heavy on the cool though and we had a lot of fun!
I too have to wonder how the “powers that be” got us into this mess – and I love even more listening to their “solutions” to fix the mess. Love the 8 ball pumpkin
That homemade 8 ball looks like it could be huge! I would love one for general household use. You want Teddy Grahams for breakfast? Roll the ball! It says Not Today! End of discussion! Even better if it cackled.
Kris & Lynnie – another year, the same friend and I made a Yoda pumpkin that talked. I had a motion sensor that detected someone approaching. I wrote a program thought would catch the motion and play a yoda sound clip. It was very cool. Maybe I’ll post about it sometime soon…it was awesome!
Anyhow, the 8-pumpkin was big…a full size pumpkin. On the fortune teller thing inside, we had written many typical programmer excuses “it works on my machine”, “that’s not a bug, it’s a feature”, etc. It floated in water in a tupperware container attached to the pumpkin!
Regarding cell phones vs. passengers, my theory is that passengers can see road conditions and respond by pausing the conversation when the driver needs to concentrate. To someone on the phone a pause may seem impolite. So the phone conversation elicits more focused concentration which should be applied to the driving.
As for cholesterol reduction, my mother’s plummeted after she began eating oatmeal every day for breakfast. I make my own toasted oat cereal with nuts and dried fruit, a 3-4 week supply at once, which really cuts the daily prep time. The recipe is on my daughter’s blog:
http://swampyankeesfromouterspace.blogspot.com/2008/09/moms-cereal.html
I actually think driving with children in the car is far more dangerous than talking on the cell phone. Between the fighting that goes on in the back seat and the “mom, look what I did?” or “mom, the dog pooped on my seat”. They are not looking out of the vehicle to see what is going on around you either. Tell me…which is more distracting???
I love that giant 8 ball.
Before…I used to think geeks were weird
Now…I find them (one in particular) totally amusing!
Now that is an interesting pumpkin!
Pop-tarts and pork rinds for breakfast? OH DEAR!
LOVE the pumpkin! That’s how Honey and I made all decisions in our early married life. We called it The Executive Decision Maker. Haha.
Diane – I suppose you are correct about the passener sort of keeping an eye out. I think the more interesting thing is that hands free and hand-held are the same (in this one study anyhow). That is especially hard to believe when one considers how hand-held driver crane their necks to hold the phone. Interesting…anyhow, thanks for the recipe too. I read your daughter’s blog and enjoy it. We’ll have a try on the recipe.
Kristen – Dog pooped on the seat, eh? Yup, pretty distracting! I think it is magical that people can drive with kids at all, let alone safely.
ETW – wait til you see the yoda pumpkin!
Inadvertent Farmer – geeks rule!
Capri Kel – And wash it all down with a Mt Dew! Emily and I do “rock, paper, scissors” to make our most important decisions. It was especially critical when changing diapers, for instance!
Neat post. I do believe our government is using the same sort of logic you did in the potty room as a child. Scary uh?
Ohhhhhhh, Warren…..!!! A .pdf file and an Excel spreadsheet?! sigh. You are a nerd after my own heart. I was, however, a titch disappointed that you did not include weight as a unit of measure. Weights are very important to me.
😉
The so called stimulus plan is really nothing more than a Government SPENDING PLAN. The only thing real people will see from it is the debt that our grand children’s grand children will still be trying to pay for. Of coures if that’s what it takes for the bankers in this world to fund their lifestyle then we should all dance with joy. lol
Not sure exactly how I got here (I often get lost along the Yellow Brick Road that runs through Blogland), but enjoyed my visit. I’ll be back!
Tipper – scary, eh?
F_dk – I had units of measurement but it seemed to clutter the sheet for me. I had to take them off for my appearance-ocd.
Chris – I may be ok with it all if it works, but I am afraid when any politician on any side of the aisle starts getting bright ideas…we’ll see!
Jeanne – I am glad you made it here. I often wonder how I end up different places and how folks end up here too. I think that’s what makes it so fun! Anyhow, thanks for visiting and posting…see you soon!
Oh I remember the days! I don’t think I have entered a pumpkin in the contest since. I admit I have been more focused on trying to win the basketball tourny. They kinda do them altogether now. This past year they had octoberfest outside. They had a wall you can climb and you could pay to throw a pie in your manager’s face. It was all fun.
Loretta – pie in manager’s face…interesting! I may have driven back for that!
LOVE the 8 ball pumpkin! & very interesting about those muffins. I might need that recipe when Im old and have to start watchin my fiber intake LMAO!!!!!!!!! hehe