Jessibird

Scribbling from my iPod

Jessi — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:26:29 +0000

My MacBook is out for repairs, I am crashing at my friend’s house while she’s cycling in Holland, and all my routines are out the window.

But: I am blogging from my iPod Touch. Ain’t that something!

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Tags: ipod

Sita Sings the Blues

Jessi — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:46:28 +0000

Nina Paley made a movie! It’s not playing anywhere around here yet, but you can watch the trailer. It’s great eye-candy. I’m really curious about the story too.

Sita Sings the Blues

If the trailer makes you impatient to see more, you can watch a few excerpts.

Paley made Sita Sings the Blues on her laptop; it took five years. She’s the artist who designed the original Cruzio logo.

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Tags: animation, art, cruzio, Fun, Nina Paley

Richard Feynman the explainer

Jessi — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:18:35 +0000

There’s a beautifully written essay by someone who worked on a project with Richard Feynman, the quantum electrodynamics physicist.

The writer describes how Richard loved to explain subjects normally considered difficult and complex in simple, easy terms, and how he didn’t consider that he’d finished learning something until he had taught it to others.

I love this attitude. Fifteen years of preschool teaching convinced me that anyone can learn anything, as long as it’s taught intelligently. It’s a fun challenge to come up with a simple explanation—or demonstration—of, say, the fact that fire needs oxygen to burn. It’s a thrill when the five-year-olds understand you.

Feynman had a genius for teaching because he was fascinated with dismantling problems and concepts into the simplest pieces. He also had confidence that his audience, whether students or casual listeners, would understand him.

If this sounds interesting, take a look at Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!—one of the most entertaining books I’ve read. (I’m sure you can find it in your local library.) Feynman was a great scientist, a great teacher, a goofy prankster, and without fail, a wonderful storyteller.

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Tags: heroes, physics, Richard Feynman, teaching

A fava bean day

Jessi — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:51:42 +0000

Those tall stalks bending over with the weight of their huge pods, warm from the sun…they called to me. So I harvested a few favas.

I had the last batch fresh, but they were gone so quickly it was frustrating. A gallon of pods reduces down to less than a quart of hulled beans reduces to one serving of peeled beans. I plan to freeze these and use them in soup—make them last a little longer. There’s nothing like a little flavor of summer when the cold weather hits.

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Tags: fava beans, garden, summer