If you have an extra half-hour to kill, read this post

"What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature's most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero."
-----Watch to see a fascinating take on the archetype of a hero.  


"What is the difference between "a hearty welcome" and "a cordial reception"? In a brief, action-packed history of the English language, Kate Gardoqui explains why these semantically equal phrases evoke such different images."
--- My English major heart goes pitter-patter.


The difference between archery as a sport, and archery as a combat technique.  This guy does things with a bow and arrow that people say are impossible.
--- Click here for new insight into the forgotten art of historical archery.
(You should know that both J and I found this video amazing in light of J's new hobby: he spends once a week at Swordfighting school!)

This article describes how the current educational method is based on Henry Ford's assembly line, moving students through in order to get results.  The one-room schoolhouse was mixed-age groupings and based on the apprenticeship mastery model, where students learned until they were done, not what was considered to be age-appropriate.  Wonderful food for thought.  And it reminded me of Montessori!

And on a lighter note.....

I need to visit Chicago.  It possesses an ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen to make amazing flavors and colors.

Hilarious parody of LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" - "I'm a Daddy and I Know It!"  This video made me very grateful to have children two and half years apart.  Two older ones and triplets, oy!

Fabulous fan parody of the changes in Star Wars, set to Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know."  (To understand context, this is Darth Vader speaking to George Lucas.)

Also, the reason why I haven't been posting many book reviews?  Because days are fulfilling but long, and the only recommendable book I've finished lately has been the ballet and sister-centric novel The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey, that I read at the conference.  It was an insider's perspective of the world of ballet, with a good dose of family angst thrown in.  Of course, I have been reading other things, but truth be told, they've all been pure escapist romance novels.  If you really want the recs for those, you can email me. :)