Clippings April 24-27, 2012

Clippings from my Google+

•  Journey over Earth via NASA
• Shipping Container House - nifty
• Defending Your Dissertation
•  School without borders - creative education
• Biological gender is more complicated than biology led me to believe
• Uninformed bashing of poor example of creative education (for shame, Trifecta on Pajamasmedia, for shame)
• More creative education - middle school kids doing real research in Maine

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

It's Arbor Day!

I just found out it's Arbor Day (the last Friday in April)--who knew?--so here are a couple of tree pix from my travels.

funky tree at the bus stop

nifty floral tree on the walk from campus

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Waiting to go home...

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

The post-rain sky

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Quonset face

Corrugated metal and enough wood to make a frame: simple elegance.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

A study in snails

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Quonset Workshop

Every day on my way to work (in the dark, as you can see), I pass a business that's located in a quonset hut. Something about it intrigues me, so here begins a study in pictures. More to follow.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Sunsets in transit

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

It's a gray, tired day

I've only myself to blame, as is so often the case. Honestly, there are many very good things about being a tangentrider, but focus is not one of them.

Some claim multitasking is possible, but it is really an inability to concentrate on any one thing for a reasonable length of time. This I know from experience. And frankly, giving in to distractions when one is on deadline makes one tired.

Gotta love ceiling fans

The mountain house received a perfectly balanced ceiling fan this year thanks to Gaines General Contracting (our buddy Michael). Summer will be much more comfy. 

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 24 Clippings - label update

In an effort to reduce stress and use my tools, daily Clippings are now on my Google+ page. I may collect weekly "best of" clippings.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 23 Clippings

Today's wandering includes the importance of paying attention, leaning out to serve better, being ourselves whether we're liked or not, the importance of maintenance, the importance of risk, history versus myth, and evaluating coolness.

• Not A Shred Of Intelligence: Reading informational signs is a crucial skill all of us should hone and practice--especially when we're trying to finish something at the last minute. Seriously.
• Spring Cleaning at Google: They are clearing out some apps, etc. Is yours there?
• America Hates Los Angeles: The writer speculates that it's our freeway naming protocol. Whatever.
• Breakdowns and delays plague Metro Blue Line: One cost of deferred maintenance
• Famous People Who Have Failed (YouTube) 
• 5 historical misconceptions corrected: I liked the Vomitoria best.
• How to tell if a guy is actually cool: works to evaluate any person's coolness. I fail. Miserably.  

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Yup, it's duck benedict. Yum.

Departing Women's Retreat in Crestline for the cabin in Arrowhead, Ann and I thought we'd see if The Grill at Antler's Inn was open. It was and it was good.

Duck Benedict with Grand Marnier and Mango Habanero Sauce

Just, wow.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

A touch of wilderness (pictures)

Some non-people scenes from Women's Retreat

spring flowers

apple orchard

apple blossoms

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Mountain Breakfast...Yum

Favorite breakfast spot. The burger steak is darn good.

Good Morning

I'm having one! Birds are singing, sun is rising, and french press coffee has been made.

April 19 Clippings

• Three Invaluable Lessons From Caine’s Arcade:  responsibility, attention, sacrifice.
• 15 Ways to Write Tight: I like #11 "Think about how you would tweet your content."
• Yawning Helps Keep Your Brain Cool: I saw this research. My friends humored me. Now I have a link. See.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Employee Meeting with Biola's Leadership Team

 Here's my question: What are the three on the right doing while everyone else is paying attention?

I add for the record that Biola has a stellar group of Jesus followers leading us. Yay PAC.


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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

A tiny lack of other awareness OR look past your own face!

As I ate breakfast over a research article this morning in the Biola Cafe, I could not help noticing the two students sitting just in front of me. When they first came in, she set her backpack and purse on the table. After he gathered his food, he set it in the middle of the aisle. When she came back with her food, she left it there. Once during the meal, she reached down and I thought, "She's going to clear the aisle," but she picked up her purse, retrieved something, and promptly tossed it back into the middle of the aisle.

I don't want to be one of "those" adults, but really? In the aisle?

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 18 Clippings

• Here comes the sun: Nasa cameras catch spectacular solar flare: creation is awesome, in both the nifty and scary ways.
• Ripped from the context--"This president has brought us out of the dark and into the light": Um, no. That notion ONLY applies to the Messiah, Jesus. Further, Rasmussen's Presidential Tracking indicates that most Americans are very far from anything like agreement.
• LAUSD grade requirements may make graduation tougher: Good! As long as quality teaching is allowed to flourish. "Passing" with a D does nothing to prepare a student for college or life.
• LAX English: Short. Simple. Clear. That's how instructions should read.
• The making of Thunderbirds: I think I need to buy a DVD set of Thunderbirds.  

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Respite at third place

Visiting third place on the way to the dentist to get my teeth scraped. Third place was more fun than the dental hygienist (as nice as she is). Still, the change of schedule made for a nice break after the big paper and before the next one.

Note: While not shown in the picture, this third place sells the elixir of life.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 17 Clippings

• California always a bridesmaid: yeah. The guy I want to vote for has already dropped out. Now what? 
• Zombies Need Debt Too: um...yeah... 
• The Lutheran Insulter: a friend from work sent this to me. It has made me an even greater Luther fan. I had no idea he possessed such a wit. Nice.

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(C) Laura Springer

Laura's Writings by Laura Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.