I'm famous! Sort of. Not really.

It is so cool when a blog you read, that a lot of other people read, quotes something you wrote. Granted, I sent it in, so it's not like she came across something I wrote and thought it was awesome. Still.

It's about money. The blog is by Gail Vaz-Oxlade of 'Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess. You should check out the website if you want money information. It is packed with information and helpful spreadsheets and so forth. She has just finished running a series on the way we save, for which she had asked input. I sent in my tip, because at the time I came up with it, I thought I was a genius.

Here is the link. Last year it worked out a little differently because they didn't deduct EI until I started working again and I used the additional savings towards my Europe trip (where I bought most of my Christmas presents, so it worked out sort of the same). The CPP, though, did turn into some extremely pretty dresses from Doll Factory by Damzels in this Dress.

Autograph line forms to the left, please.

But, see, we still need pies to celebrate...

Happy Tau Day!

On Pi Day, a friend sent me a link to the Tau Manifesto. Now, the author does make many interesting and valid points, although as a professional pedant, I feel the need to point out that he is reaching with his argument for the area of the circle. There are good physical reasons for the structure of the formulas of kinetic and elastic energies (and btw his equation for the object in free fall is only valid for dropped objects, although that's beside the point). If the area of the circle were related to the energies, then he'd have a stronger argument, but what he's doing is just a mathematical exercise. So is his manipulation of Euler's equation; to bring back the fifth constant he writes 1 + 0, which is more than ugly. It's silly.

Also? His argument that a simple substitution means we wouldn't have to replace all the math textbooks confuses me a bit. If he means you can just reprint university textbooks and sell the new editions to the next batch, well, that happens all the time anyway. But it also means he has never had to buy textbooks for a public school board. Replacing entire sets of class texts? Yeah, right. Oh, let's not forget about all the calculators we'll need to replace, and the software programs (because I just checked, and tau() isn't a function in my spreadsheet software). Not economically viable. And it'd be even more pedagogically confusing to tell 13-year-olds "Hey, your textbook is wrong because of something that you might not even learn about for another five years. Trust me."

Look at me, ranting. Actually, I'm not even invested in this. Like I said, he makes many valid points; I'm just bothered by a few weak arguments. But really? I'm content to let the Great Mathematical Council battle it out. And I'm all for another day to celebrate math with food.

I'm more concerned with how we're supposed to celebrate Tau Day. There is no food that sounds like tau. In fact, there is no English word that sounds like tau, so even punning is out, except for some philosophical ones that don't really relate to math. But that isn't as worrisome as the food thing.

Some clever friends have suggested that what we need is tea. And two pies. Totally on board with that.

And so we, finally, bid farewell to the City of Lights...

My Paris pictures. Are. Done.

Yes.

Again, to my Facebook peeps, click on "View Original Post" below to come over to actually see the pictures. If you're reading this on the actual blog site, ignore the previous statement. Everyone click the title below the pics to see more than just the one. Or click on the link at right to see all the albums in their glory.

I took pictures of Luxembourg Gardens, the St-Martin Canal, the Eiffel Tower, back to the Jardin des Plantes, and Père-Lachaise cemetery. Twice.

From Paris 2010: Cityscapes and Walking Tours

I finally went inside Notre Dame for more than a few minutes.

From Paris 2010: Look Ma, Culture!

I also did a bike tour to Giverny.

Giverny 2010

I've also uploaded pictures into my daily life and oddities albums.

Paris 2010: La Vie en Rose

Paris 2010: Ça m'amuse beaucoup!

Wahoo! Only the rest of Provence, the Greek Cruise, Athens, Delphi, London, Oxford, Bath... Salisbury... QM2... NYC...

Suddenly? I feel a little tired.

But, she said, brightening, I have these to look forward to, as I promised myself two months ago:


I may have cheated a wee bit and bought them on Sunday in anticipation, since I only had a few dozen pictures left to go. I did take them to my brother and sister-in-law's, and I did hold back while they took first choice. But they might not have eaten all of them. And Aged P may have bought me a macaron recipe book. And I may have bought a few extra to come home to...

In knee news, the scab has fallen off, and I've got a rather angry red scar bisecting my kneecap. It's still quite sore, especially when I've been sitting for a while. Perhaps it will be back to normal just in time for summer's end.

In which more pictures are posted...

My week 4 Paris photos are online! This quickness is entirely due to several facts. First, I posted my annotated pictures of Mont St-Michel the day after I got back. Second, I had renamed the rest of the photos, which is a way lengthy process, sometime last summer. Third, I spent most of that week vegging out since I had been on the go every day the previous week.

However, I did manage to grab some cards and tour a new part of the city: Palais Royale and the Opera quarter.

From Paris 2010: Cityscapes and Walking Tours

I also took a trip to Brussels and Mons to visit two old friends from my exchange days: Magritte and Laurent.

Brussels/Mons 2010

And just for good measure, even though they've been online for over a year, my pictures of the trip to Mont St-Michel.

Mont St-Michel 2010

I am nearly done renaming the pictures from my last week in Paris, which included the bike trip to Giverny. I can nearly taste those macarons...

And she sighed in relief...

It's not quite the end of the school year, but, despite being laid low last weekend by the flu, I finally got my marks in. I can now turn my attention to trying to get my pictures done. I am pleased to say that I've finally finished winnowing the nearly 1300 pictures from my Paris museum week down to just over 1000, and then further down to about 800, all with somewhat pithy commentary. It was a major mental hurdle. I still have two more weeks of Paris to go, but fortunately I took far fewer pictures since I spent much more time hanging out in cafes and less in museums.

Sunday of museum week was spent revisiting Arts & Métiers, the Louvre, and the Pompidou Centre, while also going to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Nifty design stuff there.

The pictures are uploaded. Click on the album title to see all the photos.

From Paris 2010: Look Ma, Culture!

From Paris 2010: Cityscapes and Walking Tours

Off to do week 4, which fortunately has already been renamed and resized. And the pictures from Mont St-Michel are already dealt with.

All about the knee

The stitches came out, rather unwillingly, today. I managed to remember to make an appointment almost as soon as I knew I needed one, and left the world's longest farewell assembly* half-way through to go to my doctor's office.

I'm not so encouraged by the fact that she said "I've seen better." However, I will not pick at the scab, I will not. And I will apply the scar ointment faithfully.

Plus, according to one of my dear friends, "guys dig scars, right?"



*I am not even mildly joking. I left half an hour after the thing should have ended, well before lunch and when I got back, which on an ordinary day would have been shortly before the end of lunch, the second sitting had just ended. Ye gods.

This post has no title, except for this one

A year ago this coming Saturday, I was on a train coming home from New York, thus ending my epic European adventure. My laptop and camera were full of photos to edit and post online for all to gaze and and wonder at. And I said I would have them up by the end of the month... summer... year, and finally settled on the anniversary of my return.

I'm fairly certain I won't be making that deadline.

However, I might make the end of June. I've gotten over the worst mental hurdle, which was Paris Museum week, and I've (mostly) gotten over the other major hurdle, which was the huge pile of marking that I'd been assiduously avoiding. I still have a few assignments to finish up, but my final exam is July 17, and I have no excuse after that. My evenings will be fairly free. So the pictures will be done.

I Mean It This Time. I've got that Look on my face.*

In other news, my knee seems to be healing. Not nicely, if I'm honest -- I'm pretty sure that the edges near the top aren't making a perfect join, and other bits are kind of black. It's pretty sore. I had to give up a dance class this past weekend. However, I hope that I'll be getting the stitches out on Wednesday. The road rash on my left thigh has healed; I was having fun picking off the tiny goosebump scabs for a while -- better there than on my knee, right? Since the wound on my left elbow has stopped weeping ("non-adherent" gauze pad, my eyeball), it seems to be reaching the thin, laminate scab stage. I've got flakes of dead skin coming off it now. You're welcome.

Scar ointment is at the ready.



*That Look is the look I occasionally get when I'm determined to get something done. Now. Or at least, after I have another cup of tea...