HS Comments on the Fly

Just a few, quick, non-grammatically correct comments on my favorite TV show.

The Amazing Race, Season 11, Episode 3

Mary, of team Kentucky, said of her coal-mining husband:

David don’t never touch fish.

Yes, the fish Roadblock was a little disconcerting for the contestants. They flew to Puerto Montt (still Chile) and were required to get in a metal tank full of knee-deep water and 80 flounder the size of large pizzas. But that’s where the resemblance ends because pizzas don’t flip and flop as if reacting to steroid-strength seizures. The contestants had to make multiple trips, carrying them in a strainer down a hill to another tank to get their next clue. Rob really got a big kick out of Eric telling Danielle to use her chest to hold the fish in the strainer.

Puerto Montt (at about latitude 42S) is down in the Lake District of Chile. Who knew that Chile even had a Lake District? Its beauty is breathtaking. One member of team Guido was really wanting some Chardonnay; the other reminded us that Chile makes good wine. That’s absolutely true, which you can verify by reading the Chile section in The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia. Ah, the things you learn watching The Amazing Race. Actually, I do appreciate things like that — just a snippet of info to keep it all educational.

I can’t remember who won the fish fiasco, but it was either Rob & Amber or Eric & Danielle. Rob & Amber are such competitors … they make me laugh and shake my head. Rob is always thinking of ways to win. And off they went to find the next clue which was a Detour near Petrohue, Chile, where they could pick between rafting or rock climbing. Everyone chose rafting.

Of course, the Beauty Queens chose rafting by accident. They missed the Detour clue, and were, therefore, quite clueless when they arrived at the mat with Phil and the local. The Beauty Queens are so happy all the time that it’s just fun to watch them. Dustin actually smiled when Phil told them they were clueless (missed a clue) and had to go find it. Kandice looked perplexed and appalled. But they went back and found it and still came in 4th. Good for them.

Let’s see … highlights. We’ve got a real slice of U.S. citizens on the show.

Charla & Mirna verbally bugged Teri & Ian at an airline counter when they were trying to get on stand-by. Ian called for security and Mirna called Ian the King of Rude or something like that.

Charla & Mirna grabbed a guy off the street in Puerto Montt, who said that he had to work, to take along with them to give them directions. They told him that they’d pay him $50. I have no idea what happened to him (as in, how did he get back home?), but he was still with them up near Petrohue which was miles away — maybe 50+ — or maybe it was kilometers. Regardless, quite a ways away.

Oswald and Danny are actually from Cuba. Cuba. Castro, Che, and Ricky Ricardo Cuba. Who knew? I bet they told us this before, but … well … sometimes I miss stuff … you know, clueless. And my atlas juggling during the show is a bit of a distraction, too. So maybe we’ll hear more about this later. I’d go look at the CBS web site, but it crashes my computer for some reason. More cardio … words to live by.

Teri fell out of the raft into the rapids, but the expert boatman pulled her out before I could even blink. Very skilled guy.

Rob and Amber won the leg — 3rd time in a row! They won a home fitness center to enjoy “after the end of the race.” Why does Phil say it that way? Like they’d immediately stop the race, go home, and start working out.

We can’t remember what Joyce’s hair looked like when it was long. I remember being horrified that she had to cut it to win the last season they were on. Anyone know of an online pic of Joyce with long hair?

This article tells us that Charla has a secret weapon — wheelies. I don’t get how those will help her to run faster, but what do I know? I’ve never worn wheelies. I’d probably topple over if I tried to run in them. I guess we’ll see them in an upcoming episode. But where? Don’t you have to have a smooth surface to use them? Maybe in an airport.

The coal miners, David & Mary, were the last to reach the mat and were eliminated. They miss the Chos from last season — me, too. Famous last words by Mary while speaking to David: “Olive you.” Would that be green olives or black?

My daughter and I are reading For the Love of Venice together separately. I got it just for the Venice info, but it has some info on the MOSE project, which is a bonus.

In case you don’t happen to be familiar with the MOSE project (which I wasn’t until we recently saw a Discovery Channel show), it has as its goal the saving of the lagoon that surrounds Venice, Italy, by the strategic placement of barrier walls and floodgates. I think this paper, in .pdf format, probably explains the problem and the proposed solution the best — and with some illustrations.

I’m on page 72 of For the Love of Venice and so far we’ve got

• a main character who is high school boy (a senior) w/younger brother, mom, dad
• a main character who is a U.S. citizen visiting Venice for summer
• a dad who is a civil engineer working on the MOSE project
• a mother who is spacey artist
• a short discussion of subsidence of Venice and floodgates
• a short discussion of pollution of the lagoon
• description of life in Venice
• a girl in ice cream store who is probable romantic interest
• some graffiti and intrigue

So far, I think For the Love of Venice is fairly good. If you’ve got a trip to Venice in your future or you need an interesting novel to help with geography class, your children might enjoy it. It definitely gives the reader a feel for the place, and if you have a guidebook handy, you can look the places up on a map.

According the her Wikipedia article, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman was homeschooled. She is one-half of the Beauty Queens team which appeared on Season 10 and is currently participating this season (11) of The Amazing Race.

	Miami, Quito, Santiago, Calama

Just a few, quick, non-grammatically correct comments on my favorite TV show.

Drew got altitude sickness during the pit stop. And their team (Kevin and Drew) was eventually eliminated at the end of the episode

Charla and Mirna were paying a taxi driver to lead them to the Valley of Death. The Beauty Queens were behind them, following. But Charla or Mirna (sadly, I don’t know which is which) got a little miffed and pulled over and both Charla and Mirna made it clear to the Beauty Queens, who also pulled over, that they should have to pay for half of the taxi driver’s expenses ($100). The Beauty Queens just thought Charla and Mirna were loco and then left. So, that was a bit of confrontation.

The teams are still in South America. They traveled to Santiago, Chile, and then to a mine. Here’s what my hernia-inducing atlas states about the copper mine:

Chuquicamata copper mine lies on a desert plateau near Calama in the Andes of northern Chile. It is the world’s largest open-pit copper mine.

The teams had to choose between two tasks at the copper mine. 1) replace about 40-60 lug nuts and washers on a gigantic tire or 2) use a back hoe to move a specific amount of gravel. The Kentucky team was sloppy with the nuts and ended up last or nearly last. Charla and Mirna were again rather dramatic, which is supposedly the key to good TV.

Rob & Amber and Oswald & Danny were in last and next-to-last places early in the show because their flight was delayed, but they ended up placing second and first. Rob and Amber … okay, mostly Rob, is such a character. Do you remember him from one of the Survivor seasons? I started watching (that season) in the middle when Rob was just causing strife. He was easy to dislike, but when he came back for Survivor All-Stars, he was so likable and has remained so ever since. But he admitted this episode of TAR that he purposely stirs the pot. I think he said to Amber, “There’s a method to my madness.” If he didn’t say that, it was something like that … you know, that there’s always a purpose to his acting like a jerk. Anyway, so Rob and Amber each won a dirt bike or something like that for coming in first.

Let’s see … any other “must mentions?”

I have no recollection of Teri and Ian. I’ve watched most of the episodes from each season, but Teri and Ian are making me fear the dreaded Alzheimer’s.

Oh, and Drew almost ran over Kevin. That was the craziest thing. Kevin strapped himself up and tried to drag their 4WD vehicle out of the mud. You know … by manpower. I thought for sure Drew was going to drive right over the top of Kevin as Kevin pulled on the front of the car while Drew revved the engine.

Next week, see Danielle scream bloody murder about picking up a small ray (fish). She totally freaks out.

Quick, non-grammatically correct comments.

Rob and Amber (Romber) came in first this episode and won a trip to Canada. No surprise. They’re good and they have unimaginably good luck.

The group started in Miami, Florida, USA, and headed off to Quito, Ecuador, which we found is almost directly south of Miami when I drew the line in an old atlas.

Most of the contestants chose to trim the hooves of wild horses that couldn’t walk very well. That was a little confusing. I’m not sure why these horses had such long hooves. Before people were around, how did wild horses’ hooves get trimmed? Did horses die because their hooves got so long? Or did they get worn off by running across rocks and gravel?

Visited Pim’s Restaurant in Quito, Cotopaxi Park (about 60 miles away), and Plaza de San Francisco also in Quito.

Charla and Mirna got lost. Kentucky lied to the Beauty Queens by telling them that an airline flight was the quickest when it wasn’t. Found out that Teri and Ian want to be called the Big Kahunas … or at least Ian does. But I’m afraid they’re the old folks team, which isn’t to say that they won’t win.

I think those were the highlights.

THE AMAZING RACE!

The Amazing Race starts on Sunday evening on CBS. It’s an “all stars” show, with teams from past seasons competing.

If I can’t find one of our older atlases to plot the racers’ route on each week, then I will have to go find a good world map online. It will have to be detailed though. (If you see one, let me know!)

I am not sure which team to cheer for. I like a number of the teams, but some I don’t even remember. I think the most unique team is the team that is made up of one of the Frat Boys and one of the Pinkies. Good idea. I wonder if Rob and Amber will have the perfect luck they had up until the last leg of the race like last time.

Anyway, Wikipedia is a good place to keep up with what’s happening each week. I love the table. Plus the game is completely explained there.

We are hoping to go to Italy someday. Rome wasn’t initially on the list — c’mon, everyone goes there, so it’s rather passé — but my life partner insisted. So, a while back, we started our homeschool list of what we must experience in Rome.

The Trevi Fountain, is, of course, on the list. It’s pretty much an imperative. You see, according to a legend, if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, then it’s guaranteed that you will return to Rome. So, of course, the Trevi Fountain is on our Roman “to do” list. Here’s a few of the others “must dos” while I’m at it:

• Mouth of Truth (you know, where Gregory Peck “lost” his hand in Roman Holiday) We’re going to go tell lies and half-truths there and giggle like mindless school girls … well, two of us will.
• Spanish Steps
• Forum
• Romulus and Remus w/wolf
• Colosseum
• Arch of Titus
• Appian Way

But back to the Trevi Fountain — here’s a link to a photo. You see that’s Neptune up there in the shell. The shell is being pulled by “seahorses” guided by Tritons. I still haven’t seen what kind of stone is used in the sculpture. (marble)

You may wonder why I’m looking up stuff about the Trevi Fountain today when our trip is such a far-distant pipe dream. It’s because the coin my daughter intends on tossing in is a 1995 Chuck E. Cheese token. It may seem of little value, but besides a bit of sentimentality, you can still play a game of Skee Ball with it. I think behind her idea of throwing a Chuck E. Cheese coin, though, is a certain disdain for silly superstitions — in a way, laughing at the legend while still honoring it.

But still, we must know if that type of coin is allowed. She can’t be like totally tempting the Fates (or whoever is in charge of the legend — maybe Neptune?) by tossing the wrong kind of coin in the fountain. Maybe Chuck E. Cheese is considered anathema or something. That type of faux pas could make a return to Rome impossible. Duh.

So, I’ve rummaged around the internet for an unimpeachable source of the legend. I don’t think I’ve found one, but every source indicates “coin.” It sounds like any ol’ coin will do. None of the sources suggest the need for the coin to be Italian or worth at least 5 cents or be usable … you know, a current coin. Conceivably, I could toss my old coin with Constantine on it from the south Balkan region into the fountain and that would be good enough to ensure my return to the Eternal City. (You, too, can have an ancient coin — see border, bottom right.)

However, I found out that the Trevi Fountain is cleaned every night to the tune of $4000 in change. The money is given to the poor of Rome or rather a charity who helps the poor. You’d think that $4000 a day could easily completely support 30 families a month. Wow. So, that Chuck E. Cheese coin wouldn’t help the poor; and as a result, we are faced with a moral dilemma of sorts.

I learned this from WikiTravel:

According to popular superstition and custom, throwing coins with one’s right hand over one’s left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain is a practice endowed with good luck. Throwing one coin ensures that the thrower will return to Rome; throwing two coins will ensure that the thrower will fall in love with a beautiful Roman girl (or handsome boy); throwing three coins, finally, ensures that the thrower will marry that girl or boy in Rome itself.

Guess which part I’m not mentioning to my daughter? If my grandchildren lived in Rome, I’d have a terrible time getting to see them more than once every couple of years. That would be tragic, though I wouldn’t be abused as a babysitter, would I?

So, we’re to hold the coin in our right hand and toss it over our left shoulder. Another supposed requirement is that we must have our back to the fountain.

One site stated that we could drink the water instead of throwing a coin, but newer web sites say, “No way!” I guess the water is now chemically treated (a type of poisoning, I suppose). Along with the practical drinking advice, there’s plenty of history in this web page.

Look here for lots of comments and photos and more photos.

Watch people throw coins into the Trevi Fountain on YouTube.com. Even that actor guy — John Bongiovi — has thrown a coin into the Trevi Fountain.

Trivia Question: Why might those who are pursuing classical education through their homeschooling be interested in the Trevi Fountain?

Trevi is the corruption of trivium (Latin for “three-way junction”): once three main roads converged in the middle of the district, on a spot now corresponding to piazza dei Crociferi, whose shape is still vaguely reminiscent of the original crossing. (source and another)

Trivial, yes?

Background: Oracle of Bacon and SixDegrees.org

The Learning Umbrella did an experiment with the whole six degrees of separation thing at her journal the other day. The comments section showed that Camian Academy provided results of the experiment when its author did it. Then I did a special search and found that Mother Crone also did it.

(The Learning Umbrella has the guidelines.)

1. From here I clicked on Homeschooling in the Garden State — lots of pics, new homeschoolers, joy.

2. Then clicked on Gottfredsen Academy — they’re sick right now — dead end because there are no links to other journals.

So I backed up and clicked on Waterfront Learning — bowling and sign language — another dead end.

So I backed up and clicked on Painted Rainbows and Chamomile Tea — homeschool preschool.

3. Next I’m off to makingpeace, where they own a king snake — dead end because of no links to other journals.

So I backed up … okay, this backing up is getting old and a little disheartening. So I clicked on Cozy as Spring — and busy as a bee, if you ask me.

4. Next I tried A Gypsy Caravan — four children, sledding, hip or not hip mom.

5. Bo of the Bales was my next stop where I learned about their doomsday kitchen clock.

6. Okay, this will be my last stop. I end up at By Sun and Candlelight — bakes with Crisco and uses learning tables.

I ended up way off into the homeschooling journal wilderness. Oh, I know it’s just another neighborhood, but where I ended up was so many links away from where I started it seems like I got lost. It was quite a trip.

Someone should figure out how to turn this into a meme or youyou or something, but please make sure that The Learning Umbrella gets credit/blame for being the founder.

Maybe you’ve already heard the news from Sonlight/Inquisicorp. If not, here’s part of the email I received earlier:

I just wanted to take a moment to bring to your attention our newest endeavor.

www.ascendokids.com

We have stayed with our main focus of learning but shifted a bit by starting with, no batteries needed, toys for the youngest of learners.

We need your help getting the word out.

So now they’ve got these “treasure chests” available, all “age appropriate.”

They may be the best thing since sliced bread, but I’m thinking that they seem a little contrived. Or something. I can’t put my finger on what feels funny. It’s rather late and the noggin’ needs to be put on a pillow.

Some of the items look kinda cute, but I’m not getting on the bandwagon … at least not yet.

UPDATE (at 7:43 a.m.): Well, maybe the “funny feeling” is from the botched-up punctuation. Their sentence would be like totally correcter if it was written like this:

We have stayed with our main focus of learning but shifted a bit by starting with no-batteries-needed toys for the youngest learners.

Those quasi-parenthetical commas in the original sentence above are disturbing.

The new name is Homeschool Comments on the Fly.

Why? Because it seems that a homeschooling parent who is looking for a review of certain curriculum product is shunted to this page instead of my review of the product. The visitor can’t seem to find the review from this page and then clicks out of this site.

For some reason, this page is usurping my reviews in some search engines. That makes it difficult for homeschooling parents to find the reviews. I wrote the reviews so that homeschoolers might have an idea what exactly is in the book or curriculum product I’m reviewing … you know, so that they can save money if it’s not what they want. This page is getting in the way in the search engines.

Hence the name change and a few other changes.

I added a form over on the bottom left column.  It’s the form I’ve been using for years for read-aloud books.  I finally updated it with the shading.  Turning it into a .pdf was easy, so I decided to put it online.  I know it won’t fit most folks’ needs.  It seems like forms are so personal that every homeschooling family needs to make their own.

Oh, the “lb” means “left-bound.”  That form is adjusted to the right just a tad.