Author: Phoebe Gleeson

How Much Pi Do You Need?

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

Both 3.14 and 22⁄7 are approximations of pi, so the two days deserve the same title. In fact, 22⁄7 is closer to pi than 3.14 is. So if you’re an aspiring pedant, you can choose to celebrate July 22 as Pi Day and March 14 as Not Quite as Close to Pi Day. (Either way, you’ll enjoy more pie.) But what does it mean to be an approximation of pi—and why does it matter?

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-much-pi-do-you-need/

Homebirth is the safest choice

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

I am planning my seventh homebirth. Faith and Gloria were both hospital births but Abby, Bede, Gilbert, Trixie, Dorothy, and Clementine were all born at home, caught by Sean. Some of them were attended by midwives, and one by our doula, and one unassisted (Trixie.)

(I have decided I am too old and too wishy-washy to birth unassisted anymore. I was disorganized and terribly anxious until our midwife Anne arrived while I was in labor with Clementine. Sean is trained in emergency childbirth procedures and certified in neonatal resuscitation, so the physical side is covered if it’s just us, but having a midwife who I trust, who can tell me dispassionately “this is normal, you are a little out of your mind and not thinking clearly because you are having a baby” is what I need.)

If all goes well, Sean and I will welcome Wee Glee #9 this fall in our home, with little fuss, and life will keep on.

Home births in the UK: let’s go

Neverware Chromebook review: old dogs, new tricks

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

I have installed Neverware’s ChromeOS on two old netbooks this week. The short review: it’s great! The longer review, with some helpful tips to get Netflix and Amazon/Hulu working, below.

First of all, it’s free for personal use. It’s based on Chromium, the open-source Chrome, and functions identically to a commercial Chromebook in most respects. Secondly, it installed in a few minutes on two old Acer Aspire One netbooks, and it runs so fast! I have no regrets.

You need a ChromeOS, Windows or MacOS computer to make the installation USB drive. It won’t work on Linux. It was a seamless process. The files are about 650MB and you can look over the installation instructions here and see the tested compatible computers here.

These are the tweaks I performed to get Amazon, Hulu and Netflix to work.

I followed these easy instructions: Enable Netflix and other protected content on v45 and above.

On one netbook that was it, I was done. But the other one played Amazon fine, yet stubbornly refused to play Netflix. So, I also cleared all my Netflix cookies by going to http://netflix.com/clearcookies and that did it.

So now I have renewed two derelict computers that were sitting on the shelf in the utility room. They will keep themselves up to date and function beautifully for quite some time. I’m very happy!

Thanks, Neverware!

 

Orkestra Obsolete: Blue Monday

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

New Order’s classic Blue Monday was released on 7 March 1983, and its cutting-edge electronic groove changed pop music forever. But what would it have sounded like if it had been made 50 years earlier? In a special film, using only instruments available in the 1930s – from the theremin and musical saw to the harmonium and prepared piano – the mysterious Orkestra Obsolete present this classic track as you’ve never heard it before.

How does it feel? Creepy as hell, that’s how. 10/10 would recommend.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03lh9lt

sick of being sick

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

Someone has been sick here since late January. I told Melissa that sickness in a large family is like some awful version of painting the Golden Gate Bridge; just as the final person gets over the last round, someone else is coming down with something new, and it all starts again. Most winters aren’t like this for us. I guess we just lucked out this year.

So far, Sean and I have remained unscathed (touch wood.) Faith said that must be because these are all old viruses that need new young victims, because we fogies already had them. Seems legit.

So, today several children are getting over (please) a stuffy nose/ear/sinus thing. Clementine was so sick last night. Hot, feeble, panting, and coughing and crying pitifully at 4 AM. Her fever spiked at 104.8 F – which scared the heck out of me, as that was with medicine, but after doubling up on two meds came down to a calmer 102. It has since broken almost completely and she is sweaty and tired, but happy.
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I hope this is the last one for us for a while. Seeing all the children so run-down and droopy is so sad. Spring is coming. The world will be green and vibrant in mere weeks! I have heard a few early, hopeful frogs in the evening already. Yes, that also means mosquitoes and ticks, and tornadoes, but dash it all, I don’t care! Come on, Spring!