The Time Machine

Let me begin by saying, "Wow!"  I don't think that any book of only 76 pages has ever made me think so much about science and sociology, or caused me to do so much research before.  I could probably write a ton about my thoughts on the book, but instead, I'll try to hold myself back.  (I've included lots of links to related topics, definitions and so on.)

The Time Machine

1.  The Science.  Wells manages to be both more broad-minded and less specific on this subject at the same time.  His broad-mindedness played out in his concepts of the 4th dimension.  I loved his explanation of how time is the 4th dimension.  "Can a cube that does not last for any time at all, have a real existence?"  He also explained to his friends that while it was easy to move in the 1st and 2nd dimensions, machinery seemed to be needed to move in the 3rd, so the logical assumption is that one can move in the 4th with the proper machinery, as well.  How neat!  Also, Wells looked so much further ahead than many writers.  One of the best-known novels that looks to a dystopian future is Orwells' 1984, which was written in 1949.  That's only 35 years in his imagined future.  Wells' Traveller, however, goes to the year 802,701.  And then even further to see the Earth dying, roughly 30 million years hence.  That's looking ahead!

Strangely enough, though, Wells is not very specific about the title object.  He tells us that it is made of nickel, ivory and quartz, and possesses levers and screws and a seat.  We know that the 2 levers that move the machine through time can be removed for safety and we can assume what the thing may have looked like, helped in large part by any of the film versions we've seen of it.  However, we don't know how it works.  Wells doesn't try to explain the physics of the thing at all.  I found that to be not at all bothersome, though, as the story is really much more about other things.

2.  Sociology and Fear.  As I stated when I first decided to read this book, I wanted to know what the fears of the author's time would impart to the work.  Wells lived in the midst of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the division of classes, and the fear that the division was unhealthy, is clearly seen in the evolution of the two human-race descendants of the future, the Eloi and the Morlocks.  While one may not agree with Wells' socialistic views, nor his ideas of how humanity might evolve, it is still interesting to see how his views fueled his imagination.  A lesser fear, played up in the 2002 film, is the loss of knowledge.  The relatively simple lives of the Eloi and Morlocks seems to have caused them to lose intelligence, which the Traveller notes early on.  Upon finding crumbling books in the museum, he remarks, "the thing that struck me...was the enormous waste of labour." 

3.  Literature and Language.  I truly enjoyed this book on the literary level.  This is the first novel by Wells, and also the first of a sub-genre.  I found words I'd never heard (cicerone, etiolate, halitus, and deliquesce) and had to go look up.  I enjoyed seeing a writer in 1895 use the word "Kodak" to so obviously mean a camera, when I didn't realize the word has such universal usage that early.  Normally, I could finish a book of this length in one sitting, but it took me days to finish because I kept commenting on it to my husband, making notes about my thoughts, and looking up the definitions of words.  A truly enjoyable read.

So what did you think of it?  You can post your comments below, or you can head over to the Facebook page, go to Discussions, and add any thoughts, comments, questions, or links to the thread there.  I look forward to seeing what you think.

Reward Yourself!

This!!

Not this!!

Did you work out this week and last?  How many times?  Did you do better than you usually do?  Then maybe you should reward yourself for a job well done.

One of the things I learned about in my child development courses was the concept of positive reinforcement.  Sure, the idea is taught for teachers to "use" on children, but we can use it on ourselves as well.  Rewarding yourself for making positive changes is a good way to keep doing those things.  

Just don't sabotage your efforts by rewarding with junk food.  Instead, get some great gear.  You can head over to your local sports store and find some excellent choices, or you can check out these links and buy some fun, energizing items online.  Whichever you choose, I hope you'll be kind to your body and give it something to make your workouts even more enjoyable.

Mymottoz.com is a fun site that sells workout gear and jewelry for men and women.  I like their list of fun clothing mottoes.  I think my fave is "pain is temporary, quitting is forever."  

CoolclothingUSA.com is a site that features clothing made in the US and made of moisture wicking material.

Shoes are a whole other issue.  Since our feet are very different from other people's, what one person likes might be awful to another.  I personally like something light and airy and I don't like an arch support that is too far back in the shoe.  So I tend to like Reebok and Puma, though Adidas has some I like.  Lots of people swear by Asics, but I find them uncomfortable.  Anyway, here's a page with reviews and links to some great shoes.  I wouldn't buy shoes online unless I was sure of the brand's fit on my foot, but if you feel comfy doing so, order away!

Be On the Lookout!

I'm new to this blogging thing.  So I'm actually still learning a lot and making changes to this whole thing.  Some changes you can expect to see in the upcoming weeks include new pages with favorites, like books and movies, and perhaps a new layout.  I am also looking into changes that will allow you to share blog posts you enjoy with your friends on Facebook, and related content.

But I might make a change and then decide I don't like it, or it's too hard to work with, so if you see something new one day and it's gone the next, don't decide you've gone crazy, just remember that I'm working on the site.  Also, if you have something you'd like me to add, change, delete, or tweak, I welcome your suggestions.  For now, you can go to the Facebook page and post your ideas to the wall.  But I will be working on setting up a Contact page with other options.

In the meantime, I'll keep posting several times a week about whatever topic I've been pondering.  I hope you will stick with me through the changes.

The "Richter Scale" of Weight...and Other Impediments to Weight Loss

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~ Plato

It's not easy to lose weight.  I don't care what any celebrity says about any diet plan, exercise regimen, or diet supplement, unless you only have 5 pounds to lose, it will not be easy.  There are so many things that make it difficult, some of them not even cropping up until after you've made significant, positive changes.  Today I'm going to talk about some of the ones I've encountered, and what can be done about each.

The first is what I like to call the Richter Scale of weight loss.  Sure, the Richter Scale is used to measure earthquakes, but did you know that each individual number is 10 times more than the previous one?  That means that a 5 on the scale is 10 times more powerful than a 4.  In the world of weight loss, it seems to me that needing to lose 10 pounds is not 5 more pounds than losing 5 pounds, but is actually 5x10, or 50 times harder.  Okay, not exactly, but it feels that way, doesn't it?  What can you do about it?

• Step it up a notch.  Maybe to lose weight in the past all you did was change a few eating habits, but if you've got more to lose now, you'll have to add in some exercise.  Maybe a lot.  Maybe as much as 7 hours or more per week.  That's an hour an day.  Every day!  (But you can always break it up.)
• Be realistic.  You will probably not lose 10 pounds as quickly as you did 5, unless you go for maximum effort.  But we can't all go to exercise boot camp, and many of us have no desire to do so.  So be kind to yourself and do the best you can.

Another thing that gets in the way of weight loss is not being cued in to what you're really consuming and expending.  We often think that the occasional splurge on a burger or ice cream is not that big a deal, and it may not be if you make good choices, but if you look here and here, you'll see that there are some common, popular fast food items that contain more calories and fat than you need in an entire day, leaving nothing on the menu for the rest of the day but celery sticks, which is not going to happen, right?  So what can you do?

• Keep track.  Write down everything you eat and all the exercise you do so you'll have a good sense of what you're taking in and burning.  You may only need to do this for awhile until you are aware enough of your habits that you can make changes without logging it.  I still write down all my exercise, though.
• Pay attention to the little things.  Take the stairs, park further from the store, walk to the corner for milk, switch to low-calorie creamer for your coffee, give up sodas altogether.  There are lots of things that you can do that when added together equal big change.

The final thing I wanted to mention is a strange and seemingly oxymoronic response to increasing your exercise that could get in the way of progress if you're not careful, and that is you get really hungry.  After I've worked out for an hour, I am ravenous!  How am I supposed to lose weight if exercising only makes me want more food?

• Listen to your body.  Realize first of all that this is a sign that your metabolism is working.  Yay!  That's what we want.  So do what your body says and eat something.  Eating within 1/2 an hour of exercising will catch your body at its metabolic peak and you'll get the full benefit of the nutrients without fat gain.
• Make sure you are eating the right food.  I can't emphasize enough that food is fuel.  But just as if I tried to put diesel into my unleaded-only car, putting junk food into my body is going to yield a very bad result.  I need to be eating whole grains, complex carbs, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and drinking water.  Anything that does not fall into one of those categories is suspect and should either be avoided altogether or indulged in only rarely (and by rarely I mean no more than once a month.  The idea that you can splurge every weekend is a fallacy!).

Trying to get in shape is not easy, and frankly, it's not always fun.  But you know what is fun?  Buying a pair of jeans a size smaller than last time you shopped.  Being able to walk up a set of stairs without huffing and puffing at the top.  Running around the back yard with a child and not feeling like you're going to have a coronary.  The looks on the faces of your friends when they see how great you look.  Avoiding a hospital stay due to a heart attack.  Living long enough to see your children grow up and perhaps have children of their own.  It is worth it.  No matter how hard getting in shape is for you now, or is going to be when you read this and then start a new exercise regimen, it is going to be worth it in the end.

Exercise Loner or Joiner?

The path to greatness is along with others. ~ Baltasar Gracion

Whoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. ~ Aristotle

Yesterday I saw a commercial for Weight Watchers that featured a man who had lost 55 pounds.  I smiled at his accomplishment and continued on with my day.  Later it dawned on me - my brother has lost 55 pounds in the last few months and he did it on his own.

That got me thinking about the different ways in which individuals start exercise programs and/or lose weight.  I think how successful a person will be in their chosen method can be boiled down to one basic factor - personality.

Maybe you're an extrovert.  You like being in large groups of people, you are energized by others, you are your most creative when you are part of a team.  If that's you, then your exercise plan should probably play to that strength.  

Hitting the gym for some aerobics or a spinning class would be great for you.  Joining a running club or inviting a neighbor to join you in an evening walk are also good options.  If you are the competitive type as well, perhaps you can get your friends to join you in a competition to see who can lose the most weight by a certain date.  Whatever specific activities you decide to engage in, you'll want to bring someone along for the ride.

Or maybe you're the introverted type.  While you enjoy others, you always need your "alone time."  You are at your creative best when left alone to think.  You couldn't be happier than sitting quietly alone reading a book.  If that's you, then use that to your advantage in the physical world as well.

Walking, running, biking, and swimming are all good options for the loner.  Following along with exercise DVD's at home is also a great option for the introvert, as this can play into that sense of not wanting anyone to see you working out.

If you think you might be somewhere in between, maybe a Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig type program, with the support of a mentor-type individual while you make changes yourself in your daily routine, might play to both sides of your personality.

I think it's safe to say that everyone is aware that exercise is important, and we all know that a combination of exercise and eating right is what it takes to lose weight.  The knowing is not the key - it's the doing.  I think too many of us try something and then give up, calling ourselves all sorts of ugly names and thinking we will never succeed, when what we really need to do is to find what works for us.  Make that personal.  "What will work for ME?"  We are all individuals and our exercise/diet regime has to fit that individual personality.

So what's your exercise personality?

Pondering Peace

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~ Unknown

I've had peace on my mind today. Several things got me thinking about peace and what it means.

It all started at church yesterday when we read Luke 1:79, which is the end of Zechariah's song about his newborn son, John (the Baptist). Zechariah is talking about how John will prepare the way of the Messiah to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

When I heard that word peace, I thought of how little we hear about it in church or in our everyday lives. It seems the word was co-opted by the hippie generation to mean anti-war. Just a look at a couple of quotes and sayings on peace will show you the emphasis the word often has in our world today:

If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon shots. ~Napoleon Bonaparte

Lord, bid war's trumpet cease;
Fold the whole earth in peace.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

But peace is really more than that. The dictionary defines peace as: 1. freedom from war, 2. an agreement to end war, 3. law and order, 4. harmony; concord, 5. serenity, calm, or quiet.

Another reason peace has been on my mind is the drama that played out in the lives of others this past week. One friend had to deal with the crises of both daughters plus a car that left her stranded out of town, which cost over $500 to repair. Did she have any way to make those things not happen? No. But what she did have control over was her own reaction to them. She chose to let her daughters suffer the consequences of their own actions and she rented a car to get herself home while her car was worked on. That was the solution that worked for her and it helped her go on with her life in a state of peace.

The world is a crazy place. There is so much that goes on that is out of our control. The only thing we can do is, as my brother said this week, not to let the drama dominate our lives. To take control. The only choice we have is to have peace (definition #5) in our hearts in the midst of the storm. It's not always easy to do that. Sometimes we fail miserably and have breakdowns, crying jags, and fits that would make a 2-year-old proud, but then we have to get up, dust ourselves off, and try again.

I hope you have a peaceful week.


Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
~Seymour Miller & Jill Jackson, "Let There Be Peace on Earth," 1955


For more on peace and what the Bible says about it, go to this link: http://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section2/transcript/violence1.htm

Protect Your Dreams

If you have a college degree you can be absolutely sure of one thing... you have a college degree. ~Author Unknown

Mid-life brings many things: empty nests, achy knees, gray hair, wrinkles. Often it brings the desire to change careers, as well. Maybe you always dreamed of opening a bakery, but you didn't quite feel competent enough. Or perhaps you'd like to work part-time at the computer place since it's your hobby, but you feel you need some training to do so. What better way to make that change than to take a few courses and earn a degree in a short amount of time from a career college?

But hold on there. Not so fast. Many people are finding some problems with these types of schools.

While there is a huge debate going on in our country right now about whether these schools (which tend to be for-profit) are ethical, regulated enough, filling a needed niche, a great idea, or the worst idea ever (see these articles for examples: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html?_r=1 and http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574299992289841598.html), like any choice of school, you need to be informed before you make a decision.

The major objections to these types of schools seem to be four-fold. First, their recruiters can be quite aggressive, pushing you into signing up now because classes "just started."

Secondly, the cost can be quite high. I've read about costs of $40,000+ for a 2-year degree. Much of this money comes from student loans, and while those can often be a very good deal interest- and payment-wise, one can only pay those back if gainfully employed, which leads me to the third issue.

Since these colleges are often career focused, they lure in students with a promise of being able to get a job with the degree. Some schools boast of 90% placement rates when their rates are actually much lower. Now I'll grant that public schools don't have any kind of employment guarantee, but some of the career schools are making promises they can't keep. As a result, many students find themselves with a useless degree and huge student loan debt.

Fourth, in some cases, students will need to take a state qualifying exam after graduation to be certified in a field. However, some certifying agencies will not allow graduates of certain schools to sit for the exam since they do not recognize the program as legitimate. Imagine spending all that time and money on a degree that won't even allow you to take the state exam!

Just like any other business, there are good and bad examples of these career colleges. For every former student who says she was ripped off, you'll find another who raves about how quickly she found a dream job. I'm not about to lump them all in one camp or the other. There just is no way that they are all good or all bad.

What I would like you to do is this. If you or someone you know is considering going to one of these schools, please consider these steps. 1. Check out the school with the US Department of Education (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/). 2. If you will need to transfer to a 4-year college to complete your degree, check with that university to see if they will accept the credits of the career school. 3. Do some research on the career college itself. Don't just believe what you see in their commercials or hear from their recruiters. 4. If you will need to take a certifying exam, check with the certifying body to see if the school you are considering will give you what you need to proceed with the test.

Don't let anyone steal your dream just because they have a slick commercial!

Coffee, Java, Cup o' Joe...

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation. ~Author Unknown


One of my fondest memories of childhood was when Mom and Dad would let us children have a small cup filled with about 1/2 coffee, 1/2 milk, and lots of sugar. We didn't get it very often, but it was such a treat.

When I think of family vacations, I remember sleeping in the back seat while Dad drove all night to some destination. I'd hear Mom ask him if he was ready for a refill, and she'd open up a thermos and the aroma of coffee would fill the car. The smell alone was enough to wake me up.

It seems I have the genetic predisposition to love coffee. In fact, as I've gotten older, I love it more, and in more forms. I thought I'd share some of my favorite options with you.

A recent discovery is that Werther's Original has a coffee flavored caramel hard candy. I got some from a niece for my birthday. I popped one in thinking it was a regular caramel. Imagine my surprise as the taste of coffee flooded my mouth! You really should give these a try if you are a fan of coffee, caramel, and hard candies.

For a while now, I've been making chocolate coffee by putting a little cocoa in the bottom of my mug before adding hot coffee. That method works fine, but I had a coupon for $1 off a Folger's product and I decided to pick up a Chocolate Silk. Man, is that stuff good! The minute it starts brewing, the chocolate and coffee aromas fill the kitchen. I'll have to try it in my next suggestion.

Home-made frappuccino. Put a cup of strong coffee (chocolate is my fave) in a blender. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of milk, as much sugar as you normally take in your coffee, and about 6 ice cubes. Blend that up until the ice cubes are finely chopped, and then pour into a tall glass. Something about the milk and the blender makes this so frothy, you won't believe it. Great for those hot Missouri mornings.

Speaking of having some coffee even if it's hot, how about coffee ice cream? There are several makers of good coffee ice cream, including Starbucks, of course, but Ben & Jerry's has what is probably my favorite one (Coffee Heath Bar Crunch). It's the goodness of that morning cup of coffee mixed with the sinfully good treat of an evening ice cream - makes your whole day yummy!

What other forms of coffee or coffee scent do you enjoy? Please share with us. :)

H.G. Wells

We must not let the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery. - H.G. Wells

I just started reading The Time Machine (http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/timemachine/1/) and 2 pages in, Wells already had me saying, "Hmm..." His way of explaining scientific ideas is just incredible and I can tell already that I'm going to enjoy this book a lot.

I wanted to let you in on some popular fiction Wells references that you may want to look into after reading the book before we discuss it, just for fun.

The one I'm looking forward to most is the 1985 Doctor Who episode "Timelash," in which the Doctor encounters an energetic young man named Herbert who comes along for an adventure. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelash) Part of me wants to watch the episode immediately, but considering that hubby and I are watching all the Doctor Who episodes from the beginning and we're only up to 1976, I'll probably just wait for it.

I've seen the 2001 movie The Time Machine, but I haven't seen the one from the 60's, so I may check that one out. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine_%281960_film%29)

Another movie I enjoyed was 1979's Time After Time, in which Malcolm McDowell, playing Wells, pursues David Warner as Jack the Ripper into the year 1979. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_After_Time_%281979_film%29)

And then there was this week's season premier of Warehouse 13. I won't say anything more about the show (spoilers), but you might want to watch it even if you're not a fan of the show, just to see the spin they took. (http://www.syfy.com/rewind/?__source=Syfy_Global_Nav)

I hope you enjoy reading up on Wells, as well, before we discuss his first novel. He seems to have been quite the ladies man, an extremely prolific writer, and an all-around interesting person. I may just have to read several more of his books....

Get it Together!

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. - A.A. Milne


If you're anything like me, you're always running across stories and pictures in magazines and newspapers that you want to keep, but who's got room for hundreds of magazines and whatnot?

So I started pulling out the pages I wanted so I could get rid of the rest of the magazine. But then what to do with all those pages?

My solution is pictured above. I got a binder I like, filled it with clear page protectors, added dividers with tabs, labeled them, and stuck all my loose pages in the binder. Now if I want to remind myself of a nifty decorating project I saw, all I have to do is look in the binder under "Decorating," and there's what I'm looking for.

In today's world, it's easy to have information overload, too much stuff, and not enough time. But if you get things organized in your personal spaces, you can feel calmer navigating through information and get things done more easily. And isn't that what a lot of us want, the ability to get things accomplished without pulling out our hair? Taking the time to get organized can save you time and headaches later.

Here's an article by my best friend about getting organized. She has some great tips. http://onlineorganizing.com/NewslettersArticle.asp?newsletter=go&article=576

Happy organizing!

Out With The Old...

We turn not older with years, but newer every day. ~Emily Dickinson


I'm not a big crafter, nor am I the best there is, but I have fun with it. Here are some things I made recently from stuff sitting around the house.

First, you can see above the phrase I said I was going to cross-stitch for myself. (http://thrivingafter40.blogspot.com/2010/06/good-advice.html) The frame was one just sitting idle, so hubby spray-painted it flat black for me, then he made the matte from poster board and painted that pink. I used spray adhesive to attach the aida (that's cross-stitch material to the uninitiated) to the cardboard backing from the frame and now the finished product hangs above my cork board in my home office.

Secondly, you can see that I cut the back pocket off a pair of my husband's holey jeans. I hot-glued strong magnets to the back (the kind used with a name tag work best), cross-stitched the word "Coupons" on a piece of blue aida, and then stitched it onto the pocket with thread the same color as jean stitching and voila! Coupon pocket for my fridge.

Finally, my first book purse. The book was Shadowfire by Dean Koontz. I'd already read it a couple times and as it isn't my favorite by him, and was too small to sell to the local book store chain (they don't take book club books because they're slightly smaller in size!), so I figured I'd use it to try out these directions: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Book-Purse. Pretty cute, but I will definitely try a few different things next time. I think I will actually glue the material directly to the inside of the book, rather than using pieces of material-wrapped cardboard. I think I can eliminate the white edges that way. I think I may try drilling holes for a chain handle, as well. Here's a link for another fun old-book craft: http://www.thehaystackneedleonline.com/2010/05/david-stark-design-how-to-make-book-clock.html

Have fun turning old things into new ones!

Half-way There?

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~Author Unknown

One of the first things you learn in teacher education courses is how to write lesson plans. A good lesson plan is centered around an objective. We also learned that objectives have to be specific and measurable, otherwise, when we give students tests, we won't know if they've achieved our objectives.

New Year's resolutions should be modeled on objectives, as well. In addition to being specific and measurable, I believe they should also be reasonable.

Here are some examples of poor resolutions and what I think of them:

• I'm going to lose weight - How much? How?
• I'm going to eat less junk food - How much is less?
• I resolve to be a nicer person - Really? How are you going to measure that?
• I'm going to exercise every day - And as soon as you are sick or injured, your resolution for the whole year has been broken
  

But that's how many of us make resolutions, isn't it? I decided this year to make my resolution an objective, instead.

When I started running, I began writing down how far and how long I'd run each day on the calendar in my bedroom. So in January, I counted up how many days I'd exercised in 2009 and resolved to exercise at least one day more in 2010. That's specific - exercise 1 day more. It's measurable - I can count days on the calendar very easily. It's reasonable - sure, I'd like to triple how many days I worked out last year since I had a lot of down time due to my knee and other issues, but I don't think that's reasonable.

So I have to work out at least 80 days this year. Half the year is gone, so I should be half way there. Am I? Yes! So far this year, counting this morning, I have worked out 52 days.

I know that may not be a lot to some people, but I have to compare me to me and not worry about others. So I'm half-way to fulfilling my New Year's resolution.

I suggest you re-write your resolution as an objective, measure where you are currently, and give it a go for the 2nd half of 2010. Happy New Second-half of the Year!!!

July's Book of the Month

"There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it."

Drum roll, please....

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is my selection for July.

There is a theory that horror movie monsters are a reflection of what society at that time fears. I believe the same is true for post-apocalyptic and dystopian works. So I thought it would be fun to read works in a rough chronological order and take a look at what was going on in that time period, as well.

Wells created the Dying Earth subgenre of post-apocalyptic literature with this novel, so this is a landmark work in several ways, which we'll discuss more later.

Since this is a well-known work, there should be multiple copies in your library if you prefer book-in-hand, or you can simply read it here: http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/timemachine/1/

Happy reading!