My MOOC experiment

I've decided to undertake an experiment of sorts with a MOOC. I decided taking one of the massively open online courses would be fun, satisfy my curiosity, and teach me something new about my industry. After all, I've written about MOOCs in the past it's about time I gain some first hand experience with the technology.

I have signed on for a Coursera class called "e-Learning Ecologies." Learning about technology and the changing face of learning. It is a six week course, and all I have to do for the intermediate level is to watch an hour long lecture each week and complete some light work. Granted, there are three levels of involvement a student can chose to partake in, and I have decided to go for the lowest level.

This is an experiment because going back to school is not something I want to do at this point in my life. I already have my Master's degree and there really isn't a great program out there that fits my needs and interests. So, I am experimenting with this free, non credit bearing class. The statistics cite a very low completion rate for MOOCs, less than seven percent. Most people sign up, sample, and then don't finish. So, we'll see how long I stick with it and then after that, since I consider myself a lifelong learner, if I decide to take anymore classes.

Book Review: A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

I am quite late to the bandwagon on this one, purposely. I tend to avoid highly popular book trends until enough time has blown over for the quality reviews to float to the top. I don't like to read books that are not intellectually entertaining. There was a lot of buzz about A Million Little Pieces when it was released and then for many months to follow. The early reviews praised it and the author for such a vivid description of a dark life, drug addiction, prostitution, fighting, and more. I think people liked it so much because it did tell a story of the other side, a place you can't understand until you've been. Oprah was one of many celebrities extolling acclaim. Then, the news that Frey was a fraud. This shattered the pedestal Frey had been put on. Everywhere people were throwing their copies of the book across the room. But really, did you like the book because it was quality storytelling? Or because you felt bad for the person who went through the ordeal and wanted to exault his bravery at telling such a tale?

The book is a solid piece of fiction. It provides strong images and a great understanding of the workings of the main character's mind. The writing style was a little hard to get through at first. It is written in a very choppy style, almost mimicking the workings of a messy mind. I enjoyed the book cover to cover. I found myself wondering how James was going to make it through treatment and if he would be able to manage on the outside. I was rooting for his relationships and hoping that all would work out. These feelings I had as I read the book were not dependent on whether it was a work of fiction or not. People across the world were duped into thinking that James Frey went through the ordeals detailed in his book. Whoops, fooled once. The only people who should have lasting resentments or prejudice against the book are those that make up the best seller lists or those who perhaps didn't earn a spot on the non fiction list because A Million Little Pieces was parading around as a memoir.

Loving restaurant week

I love restaurant weeks. Another has just come to close here in Indianapolis. Chow Down Midtown and the like are great opportunities to get out and try a restaurant you've never been to. Perhaps you just never had it on a priority list, maybe it is a bit too expensive normally, or maybe you tend to not venture past the Applebees and Chili's chain signs. Whatever the case, it is a great time to sample and maybe find a new favorite restaurant.

This season, I tried two Chow Down restaurants. Binkley's was surprising, in a good way. I had honestly not gone in the past because the restaurant week offerings for vegetarians left much to be desired. They put some sort of meat on all options. My meal was very enjoyable. The humus was zesty, the pesto tortalini was rich, and the chocolate chip cookie sunday was just right. The ambiance was pleasing, tending to the more sophisticated but very approachable. The waitstaff was very attentive. My second trial was Taverna. This is a new restaurant and one that I was eager to try out. The menu appeared to be upscale and that appearance carried on through out the dinner. The caesar salad wasn't the typical caesar, but it was still savory, the roughy had a lovely pepper crust and was flaky, and the cheese cake was authentic and not soupy like you find in many places. If I had one unfavorable thing to say it would be that the cheesecake could have used a raspberry drizzle for a little complexity.

I'm looking forward to continuing to check out the cities newest restaurants and others that I have missed over the years. Sampling is one of the great things about living in a city. There are so many food options it is a shame that people just limit themselves to the chain spots that share the same menu and the same chicken strips.

The shiftiness of the average woman

The image of the average woman is shifting. Recently, Miss Indiana made the news because of her looks. She was praised for hitting the pageant circuit with an average looking bod. Sure, she's not as stickily as most contestants, but average. Many jumped on those claims with fact.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average woman is 5'3" tall and wears a size 12 to 14. Miss Indiana is 5'8" and wears a size four. So, sure Miss Indiana has a healthier body than many others in her line of errr... work, but it is not the norm. She still looks fit and elegant, which is a far cry from a short plump woman as is actually the average.

Aside from that, since when did the average woman become 5'3"? I had always thought the average woman's height was 5'6" or so, making me short with my 5'3" frame. When I step out of the house most people are taller than me. Even kids. So, how is it that even though I am often looking up at people I am average? Why is it that the average height for women is now so close to dwarfism? Five inches is all that separates this new average from this specially distinguished group of people. I have remained pretty incredulous to this statistic, so I did some looking of my own. When did American women get so short? My conclusion, there is an inverse bell curve when it comes to height nowadays. There are a lot of tall people and a lot of short people, but not a whole lot in between. Same for male height. The averages, across the board are shorter than I would have imagined. I guess it is always easier to notice those who are not like you than those who are.

Allergies: My first severe injection reaction

I had been waiting for the shoe to drop. I thought my allergy injection process was going far too smoothly. I knew it couldn't last. After all, my mild to no reaction to the injection did not seem consistent with the off the chart reactions my doctor described from my scratch test.

My most recent shots started out calmly. The injection sites grew itchy while I was in the doctor's office waiting my 30 minutes. The reaction started to escalate about an hour after the shot. I took photos to document the process. In the photo at left, the two rashy bumps are above and below the bruise from the previous week's injection. The slight bumps grew together and formed a lump. Three out of four injection sites swelled up. Soon it became hard to concentrate on anything other than my burning arms. I grew a little dizzy and my arms felt feverish. Soon, the rest of my body felt a bit hot.

Four hours after the injections the lumps had grown into larger welts. These were not the quarter size marks I was warned about. These were the size of the little cutie oranges. All four of my sites had swelled up at this point. I had been putting ice compresses on the wounds for hours now. I became short of breath and suddenly wondered why I was putting off taking medicine. Sure, under normal circumstances it makes sense to try to not take extra medicine for something I am trying to build up an immunity to.

I took my first dose of Benedryl at around seven. I did not feel the effects. I'm sure it did something, but it did not stop the swelling or the spreading redness. I continued the cold compresses. Hours later one of my knobs was the size of a softball, and on my small arms, one softball and one orange takes up almost the whole upper arm. I started to panic. My bed time was approaching and I had no idea how I would be able to sleep with the burning. The searing pain had subsided, or perhaps I had just become so accustom to the pain that I didn't feel it. 

I took my first dose of Benedryl at around seven. I did not feel the effects. I'm sure it did something, but it did not stop the swelling or the spreading redness. I continued the cold compresses. Hours later one of my knobs was the size of a softball, and on my small arms, one softball and one orange takes up almost the whole upper arm. I started to panic. My bed time was approaching and I had no idea how I would be able to sleep with the burning. The searing pain had subsided, or perhaps I had just become so accustom to the pain that I didn't feel it.

I started googling ways to make the swelling go down. I was desperate. I tried many things. The oatmeal mask was messy, but seemed to work to bring the swelling down. When I took it off a half hour later I could see where the puffiness had distanced itself from the perimeter of the rash. However, soon after I cleaned the oatmeal off the swelling caught back up, and continued to spread. The swelling had started to wrap around under my arm. Not good. My muscles were starting to ache. Really not good.

Finally, before bed I took more Benedryl and slathered my arms with aloe vera had some herbal tea and hoped for the best. I had no idea if the night would be agonizing or if things would calm down. Nonetheless, my head hit the pillow.

Luckily, sleep came easy. I guess that was the benefit of all of the Benedryl in my system. I awoke with a slightly stiff neck, which is generally a side effect of a poor night's sleep due to allergies. Arm check, bad. While the burning and itching had subsided, my arm was still swollen and covered in a rash. The hideous remnants stayed with me for another 18 hours. Days later I still had a tell tale outline from the rash.

I am apprehensive and anxious about this next round of shots. I talked to my doctor the morning after the severe reaction. My treatment plan was adjusted and I was given additional instructions. Still, my reaction seemed so freakish I fear it might happen again.

Movie review: Neighbors

Neighbors
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Dave Franco

It took me a while to get to the theater to see this one. That waiting time was warranted as this movie was not as humorous as I was hoping it would be. Still, the movie was not offensive. It had just the right mix of humor. Not too much frat boy body humor. Not too much new mommy and daddy humor. Unfortunately, this is another example of the movie trailers containing the funniest moments. There were others, but after a while they all seem the same. The characters and situations were believable. The back and forth feuding is engaging, and in the end, the winner the last laugh and ever-lasting redemption. The mommy and daddy decide they should stop holding on to their former selves and their former lives and embrace the new desires of their altered lives. The movie ends on a feel good high.

Binging on Orange is the New Black

I spent many hours binge watching Orange is the New Black recently. More hours than I’d like to admit since I generally try to limit my watching to one hour a day with a little more on weekends. I guess I found what I wanted to watch; I just had to wait a little bit.

There are many thoughts and viewpoints on Netflix releasing a whole season at one time. Traditionally, networks like to draw things out a bit. Build anticipation. Make more advertising dollars. Cover their season to ensure ratings. This is the first time I watched so much of a t.v. show at one time. I wasn’t even sure I would do more than watch an episode every here and there, but the culture of Netflix watching led to a buildup and excitement over the new season. #OITNB was trending on twitter with users making declarative statements and tweeting about surprises and reactions. This made me want to watch, and to not stop.

I have enjoyed the new season of Orange is the New Black. The quality of the show has not faltered between seasons. There is intrigue, suspense, and drama. Exactly what I was looking for! The episodes follow a natural, believable plot line. Nothing is gimmicky or forced. The production quality is high. I give it thumbs up and recommend it to anyone who is bored.

Wishing food fads away

Tired of hearing about quinoa yet? Just as there is an exercise craze every few years, there is also a food craze. When I say craze I don’t mean simply people consuming more of this food or more food products of that type becoming available. I mean restaurants pushing that food and putting it on everything. I’m talking about you, avocado! The obsession with the avocado has not died down as fast as other food crazes. We had the heirloom tomato interest that has mostly subsided (to now remain at a normal level). Acai berries are now mentioned at a normal level. However, the avocado is still smeared all over everything.

I have allergic reactions to avocados, so it is troublesome to still find it on so many menus and on so many items. I do not like putting in special orders because I feel like the waitstaff and the cooks hate me. I don’t want to have to make their jobs any harder, but seriously that is becoming difficult for me. Not only do I have to make sure meat isn’t added to my order, but that avocados don’t come with it. Even more, on a number of occasions, my order has been wrong and I’ve had to send it back. Then I really feel like the cooks are going to spit in my food. Family members have suggested I make sure to tell the server that it is an allergy so they’ll take it more seriously. While it is not on the anaphylaxis level as most people who have food allergies, it is something I can’t have. I try to remember to do this, but I always feel the big TMI moment. I feel like people are staring at me with their ‘I don’t care’ eyes.’ I’ll just have to get over that!

I wonder how long the current list of food trends will last. Some of them are bigger than others, but quinoa, waffle tacos, kale, gluten free diets (for those who do not medically need to eat gluten free), and trash fish.

Looking for more binge t.v. watching

Binge t.v. watching is nothing new, but its popularity is. I have recently been on a documentary kick. I’m not sure what brought this on, but I have enjoyed binge watching a few titles. I consumed a flick about the Bermuda Triangle and one about JFK’s assassination among others. Those were the two most notable movies. I appreciate the scientific look at history and current events. Perhaps this is because I’ve OD’ed on current dramas. I don’t watch reality t.v. but still, there is only so much Scandal a girl can take, although I do like that show.

I think more likely, I watched the documentaries during a natural transition from binge watching one t.v show to another. I have not found that next title yet, although, I am keeping myself company with episodes of The Wonder Years. I do not watch much t.v. at all and when I do watch I generally turn the channel to reruns from a hilarious show that I have already seen. Netflix is a good place to turn to with a whole bunch of new titles and ones that have fallen off my radar. It boasts suggestions selected for me based on my viewing history. Still though, I am a skeptical viewer. In addition to these tips, many people have suggested and urged me to watch certain shows. I am hesitant. It can be a big time investment. Plus, some shows take a bit longer to get into and I don’t feel like investing time in something I’m not sure will happen.

Take The Office for instance. A friend insisted I start watching it. I gave regular updates telling that I thought it funny, but it made me uncomfortable. I was told I needed to keep watching because it gets better. My updates remained the same but with a growing demand that I don’t believe I should have to go through that much discomfort for the payoff of a little bit of funny. Keep watching. Soon, I decided to stop listening to that friend. Instead I stated my protest again and with finality. I will not keep watching The Office because although you promised it will get better, it hasn’t. Most of the humor isn’t worth even one of my chuckles. Other humor is distressing despite the fact that I realize the show is attempting to make fun of the clueless nature of some of the characters. Which in my opinion is just as bad as making the joke outright because the writers are just finding a loophole, a way to be crass and insensitive without actually having to feel like they are. Their veiled attempts to make me laugh do not change the fact that I am uncomfortable and do not chose to spend my time feeling that way.

People have very different tastes. Their viewing habits are unique and just because Person A likes something doesn’t mean Person B will like the same, even though A and B are friends. Situations like the above ‘Office-gate’ only make me realize how much (or little) a person knows me to suggest I watch something I deem as such a fail. Therefore, I will watch Breaking Bad when I feel like it. I will watch Game of Thrones when I feel like it. etc. This may make me a little late to the game, but it will ensure that I am not wasting my time on a fad that friend C, D, or F think is the best thing ever. BTY, I will not watch that buzz-garnering reality show. It's just not my style. Avoiding all of the above allows me to not get sucked into watching multiple shows at the expense of my own life.

So, do you dare suggest my next binge watch?

Movie review: Maleficent

Directed by: Robert Stromberg

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Shartlo Copley

Rating: A-

This movie presents an old story with a epic, dramatic flair. the plot is well known, but the theatrics of this movie bring it to new light. The storyline is developed with a larger than life feel as we swoop from one scene to the next. The scenes are beautiful and the director brings action, mystery, love, and betrayal to the story. The acting is believable, even heart wrenching SPOILER ALERT when Maleficent’s wings are stolen. In the end we do not know what to expect. Instead of revenge our heroine/villain takes the higher road, as she tries to do a few times throughout the film.

This is a great movie for all, but I strongly suggest parental supervision for those who are young. I was sitting in the theater next to a mother and her two children who were maybe six and eight years old. I am no mother and certainly not an expert on this, but the movie seemed like it might have been a bit intense for them at moments. That'll happen though when you put a slightly sinister spin on a childhood tale. Still, my rating is high because I found this movie to be very enjoyable and well done.

p.s. Did anyone else notice Maleficent's cheek bones becoming more pronounced through out the movie? The became more harsh as her anger strengthened.