Robb + Jessie Married & in the Badger State
Homework… still?
We both signed up for twitter accounts today. 140 character microblogging.
Robb’s final project this semester is a research proposal and then a presentation on his paper.
A “tweet” (a post on twitter) from earlier:
Can I whip together 20 minutes of slides for a presentation tomorrow? We’ll find out…
We are particular with our Keynote presentations. Layout is essential to a good presentation so we will spend hours on our slides until we are satisfied. (That is why Robb is still working on his slides). It is a good thing we are so much alike. We understand each other’s constructive criticism and why we spend so much time perfecting a slide.
Anyway, Robb just made another “tweet”:
Does anyone want to make figures demonstrating proteasome degradation in Drosophila oocytes for me?
Of course I would make him a figure.
I hope he uses it!
The decline of politics
I was reading the Wikipedia entry about Abraham Lincoln and was surprised to find out that Lincoln’s iconic beard emerged quite late in his political career, in fact only a few months before becoming president.
Even more interesting is the fact that it was a letter from an eleven-year-old girl which persuaded him to wear facial hair:
Hon A B Lincoln…
Dear Sir
My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin’s. I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am if so give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have got 4 brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try to get every one to vote for you that I can I think that rail fence around your picture makes it look very pretty I have got a little baby sister she is nine weeks old and is just as cunning as can be. When you direct your letter direct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chautauqua County New York.
I must not write any more answer this letter right off Good bye
Grace Bedell
Lincoln’s response left me astonished:
Springfield, Ill Oct 19, 1860
Miss Grace Bedell
My dear little Miss
Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received - I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters - I have three sons - one seventeen, one nine, and one seven years of age - They, with their mother, constitute my whole family - As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation if I were to begin it now?
Your very sincere well wisher
A. Lincoln
Less than a month later, Lincoln was sporting a beard which he wore for the rest of his life. Will America ever again have a president so great in his accomplishments yet so humble to write sincerely to and consider the advice of a little girl?
Done and done!
I am so thrilled to be done with my first semester back in school… I had to share my excitement!
And now it’s time to get to work with … cheese!
A Birkenstocked Zen Gardener
So I was reading this article in the New York Times this morning about one of the pioneers of organic gardening in the United States. I almost laughed out loud when I read this quote, though.
“You should taste this place,” she said, offering a visitor dried lemon verbena tea from the garden, her wide eyes bringing to mind a surprised lemur.
Seriously. I love their writing styles at the Times.
