Getting My Smart On January 30, 2008
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Hooray! It’s almost February. I’m ready to kick off this month with candy hearts and red wine. So it’s so cold outside that after three seconds in the elements my nipples are so hard they could cut glass? I don’t care! It’s not January! So this chilly month includes the only holiday dedicated exclusively to coupled people and I am single? I don’t care! It’s not January! I would rather deal with 28 (or 29 days this Leap Year) days of shiny red and pink materialistic reminders of LOVE and SOUL MATES and BE MINES and SWEETHEARTS rather than spend one more nanosecond living in the confines of January. Whoop!!
The Red Bull is back in action. Did the excessive exclamation points give it away?
So, it’s time for my next resolution on my list of things I plan to accomplish this year while changing the world one Red Bull at a time. And here it is:
February
- Become an expert on one topic that I currently know absolutely nothing about. (Aka: The month I get depressed because I realize how much I don’t know about Margaret Thatcher, or the solar system or ketchup).
Allll right. So I’ve been giving this resolution some serious thought. And as much as I do love ketchup (I like relish more actually, it seems like the underdog of the condiment world- but that’s a whole other conversation), I don’t think I’m going to have it on my list. Because if I’m dedicating 29 days of learning everything I can about a topic, it (so says the smartest part of my brain) should be on a topic that I might actually find, you know, useful.
Actually, that wasn’t my only focus. I wanted to chose topics that I feel sort of ashamed at how little I know about. Topics that I feel like I should already know something about. And I wanted to pick topics that I think I would be interested in learning about (hence why there’s no ‘managerial finance’ or “Paris’s Hiltons eating habits” choices below. Because I don’t want to spend 29 days torturing myself to the edge of Bellatrix Lestrange madness).
So, my plan was something like this:
useful information + shame at not knowing about already+ excitement AT learning = choices.
Thankfully, I’m a teacher so there’s a ton of topics I know nothing about that would be useful (seriously? I just wrote that sentence? I have a university degree and I talk like that? Oy. I swear- when I’m teaching kids I do teach them more than discuss how to funnel beers as quick as possible. I teach them math, science and how to overthrow the government).
Here are my top 10 choices:
1. The Solar System
2. Shakespearean Comedies
3. Gandhi
4. Baseball
5. The Human Body
6. Canadian Prime Ministers
7. Violent Weather
8. Wine & Wine Tasting
9. The Pyramids
10. World Capitals
And because I’m all sorts of awesome and believe the key to my success it putting the choice in your hands- I’m letting you all vote. Top 2 choices, please!
Oh, and please don’t vote for #6- I just put that on there because I feel bad I know nothing about them. But? I’m not really interested either. Yet, I can recite the first 20 US presidents in order. Oh, the irony.
(Update: Since I got a few emails asking and I see it’s being asked in comments- Yep, I will be sharing this knowledge with all of you. I haven’t decided if it will be in a few posts, or a fact of the day or maybe I will send you all book reports but you will get something out of this!)
#5. The Human Body (disclaimer: I’m biased, ’cause I want to be a doctor when I grow up…
#8. Wine & Wine Tasting (what’s not to like about this one…cab blends, pinot noir, nebbiolos, tempranillos and riojas…so much to learn AND taste!)
My votes because, well they sound fabulous together & hmmmm sooooo fun!
#8 Wine and Wine Tasting (Oh the fun!)
#5 The human body
Did I ever tell you that I think you are genius?? Well you are.
Top choices:
WIne & WIne Tasting
Pyramids (I wrote an honors thesis on egyptian funerary arts, if you get bored)
#2. Shakespearean Comedies-This just seems like something that would constantly be interesting.
#5. The Human Body-You can learn a lot about yourself by learning more about your/the human body.
I was going to vote for #6 cause then you could educate me! It’s weird how little I know about any of them!
I’m with Kenzie on the Shakespeare. I love me some Bard comedies! I could talk about them for hours…
1 and 5! 1 and 5!!
I’ve always been so amazed by the depth and vastness of the solar system. I’ve even got those glow in the dark stars tacked on my ceiling. Seriously.
i love voting!
in order mine are:
Violent Weather
Shakespearean Comedies
i want to learn vicariously through your learning. (though if will shake wins i’m screwed cuz i took a lot of classes on him in college.)
I pick #3 & #7.
I vote for Ghandi and/or violent weather. Ghandi was an amazing leader and beautiful insight to our world.
I vote for Shakesperean Comedies and the Pyramids. History is fascinating
Oh, I’d go for wine tasting for sure. Oh the whole I LOVE the Shakespearean comedies, but let’s be honest, 29 days is just not enough time for you to go into depth about them. Pick one or two.
Otherwise I’d go with the Pyramids. You didn’t specify. Did you mean Egyptian. Aztec or Mayan?
Again, you might want to be a bit more specific and narrow down your choices a bit.
I’m voting for the underdog, Baseball. GO BASEBALL! Because spending an entire afternoon watching it is so much more enjoyable when you know what the hell is going on.
I’m also voting for Pyramids because you’d get to learn fun names like Khafre and Akenaten.
I’m going with Ghandi and/or wine and wine tasting.
p.s. i’m slightly excited by february too and even though i’m as single as single can be, i got slightly excited by all the cute heart decorated things that i saw in starbucks the other day. however, the fact that i might’ve still been drunk might add to that excitement.
Dude, number 8. Learn all you can about something amazing. Why not make it fun?
I vote the solar system, then the pyramids. Are you going to report back?
Shakespearean comedies and Ghandi - they’ll both be easy to slip into conversations and make you sound So Highbrow.
#4 Baseball baseball baseball!!!
Does that count as 3 votes?
Did I mention you can drink alcohol at baseball games? ‘Cause you can!!!
Erm 7 or 10.
I vote for world capitals. Because I think I know like five.
(As for #2: His comedies are my favorite.)
I hereby declare that you should learn more about
-Shakespearian Comedies
-Wine
Because I wish I knew more about both, my time as an English major included very little Shakespeare through no fault of my own. The damn Shakespeare’s Unruly Women course closed the first day! So irritating! And wine, well who doesn’t like wine?
Ooooh I vote for #8 or #9. Wine tasting would actually be very useful (a good skill when at the bar!) and best case scenario, you can work a vacation to Napa Valley out of it. And I am a history nerd and will be forever, so I have to go with the pyramids. They are fascinating…at least, to me.
Shakespeare came in a close third.
I vote for world capitals or wine tasting, because I know so little about either.
Shakespearean comedies, for sure, because I firmly believe in mixing laughing and learning.
Also, baseball. I used to think it was incredibly boring until I learned the ins and outs (ha–pun) of the game. Go BoSox!
I vote for #5 (because I’m a nurse and a science nerd) and #8 (because um - hi - wine!)…but maybe it would be better if you picked things that I didn’t know about so that I could learn too…
Or maybe I should pick #5 for myself and then force everyone to read about the things that I think are interesting…hmmm…
my choices? ghandi and the human body. because ghandi is awesome and i want to learn more about him too and the human body does some pretty fascinating shit.
that is MY university-educated ass’ opinion.
hehe
8 and 10! 8 and 10!
So much fun, I like making people vote.
i was going to say prime ministers….but ….
will go with Ghandi and Shakesperean Comedies.
Oh..can’t wait to learn more….
Wine and wine tasting because I don’t know anything about it either and I’m interested in seeing what you learn!
Pyramids too! I think they are very interesting.
Oh pick mine! Pick mine!
the human body!! (cuz i wanna learn too and you’re going to share right?)
oh and the solar system could be fun…
I vote for the solar system, but that’s mainly because I’m fascinated by space. Aaaaanndd… the world capitals. This is mainly spurred because I randomly came across a site where you put the name of the capitals for each continent, and I only knew around 10-ish per continent. Very sad, indeed.
What’s really strange is that I’ve had an interest in most of the things you listed (Shakespeare, baseball, wine, violent weather, etc… sorry, no Canadian prime ministers, though), and I forced myself to learn about them. Seriously, I think they’re all good choices. Can’t wait to read which one you pick!
Ghandi because he was pretty cool, and violent weather, meteorology doesn’t get enough credit.
Contrary to what an earlier commenter said, baseball is still boring if you know whats going on. Better when drunk and with large groups of friends, but what isn’t?
It doesn’t seem like wine & wine tasting should require a resolution to learn about.
I love me some Shakespeare. I can help teach! As You Like It? Yes? Rosalind? Cross-dressing? *glee*
Pyramids and violent weather. I know very little about them, other than both tend to both rapture me and unnerve me.
Baseball!!! Cause what sport is more awesome than baseball? Um, none. (Though, February is a bad month for this, seeing as how it’s the off-season).
Wine and wine-tasting. Alcohol. Nuff said.
You know I’m voting for baseball! It would be perfect because the sport starts in March… which you’ll know when you’re learning all about it!
Secondly, Wine and wine tasting. And then throw a party to share all your knowledge. And invite me. I’ll bring wine.
Ghandi is my first choice b/c he’s the only one that would probably inspire me (or you as the case may be) and help me learn more about the kind of person I want to be. Since you want two choices….the human body is my next as I think it’s the most useful. Fun resolutions!
I’m going to go with 2 (because I think Shakespeare was completely wasted on me when I was a silly high school student) and 7 (just because I think weather is cool).
And if you’d like to research why Januaries suck for so many of us, feel free, as I think we’d all like the answer to that one!
3 & 8.
8 and 8 - I’m going easy on you because to accomplish this you will have to lots and lots of sampling.
I vote for Shakespeare and violent weather. Looking forward to learning with you!
I’m voting for the pyramids and weather!
But that’s because “the history of valentine’s and Lady Godiva weren’t offered”….how did sheever become symbolic for fine chocolates?
Ghandi and World Capitals!! You’re so fun!
Wow, look at all this.
I’d choose 3 or 4– I think there’s so much to know about both that you could basically pick what interests you and still know that there’s so much to come.
Wine, wine wine! How could you not? You will have loads of fun, and you will be oh-so-impressive in restaurants!
Capitals and Wine&Wine Tasting. You could even combine them as in “Today I’ll try a French wine and will learn more about Paris” Same goes with Italy, Chile, Germany, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Greece… I could go on and on!!!
I’m going to vote w/out looking at the other responses.
2 - because I don’t know a lot about Shakespearean comedies, either…so I’d like to learn by proxy. And a lot of my favorite movies/musicals are loosely based on some of his comedies, so I’d like to know more. (BTW - have you ever seen All Shook Up on stage? Our community theatre just did it and it was awesome…and it’s based on the plot of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night).
7 - because I love violent weather (born & raised in Tornado Alley, thank you very much) and think everyone should know more about it.
First Choice: Canadian Prime Ministers
Second Choice: Wine and Wine Tasting because who can’t use a little more wine in their lives? “But it’s for research!”
wine and wine tasting for sure because then you get to take field trips and invite friends! yay! and then maybe the human body too if you have time…it would be useful and applicable to yourself.
i say 2 and 8. but i’m biased, you see. i say 2 because i love shakespeare and studied him in college and would love to hear what you learn. and 8, of course, so i can go out and buy your recommendations. but, also, fair to your objective, i think 9, the pyramids, would be could. particularly since i saw “the bucket list” and they visited the pyramids. fyi. it took me a couple of tries to spell that world.
anyway, best of luck! in your honor, i’m gonna come up with my own ideas! this should be fun!!
Shakespeare and wine, hands down
about the wine, are you going to go regional? varietal? national??
I recommend Gandhi. And wine, of course. Yes, definitely wine. And then have one of those grown-up wine tasting soirée thingies (obviously, I’ve never been to one) and invite ME!
1. Human Body
2. World capitals.
I think you have to pick something sort of specific because you are learning it all in one month. Hence, topics like the human body might be too vague. I mean, you definitely want to end the month feeling like you really! know! things! So I say go for the wine and wine tasting, because it’s a skill you’ll use, and that people you go out with will appreciate. Oo, but I also think World Capitals could be interesting and fun, although you’d have to narrow that down a little bit. Or a lot.
I’m going with #2 and #8. Shakespearean Comedies are AMAZING and, well, who doesn’t love wine!
I’m completely inspired to do something similar with my February now
This is awesome! My top 2 choices:
Wine & Wine Tasting
Shakespearean Comedies
Have fun!
Easy.
Shakespeare
Capitals
http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/
I totally vote Shakespeare or Ghandi. (Because, of your list, those are my two favorite subjects… yes, I’m voting with a personal agenda)
xox
I vote for Shakespearean Comedies. His work is still very relevent today and always refreshing. You will impress all of your friends!
i am going to go with wine/wine tasting or the pyramids. world capitals is a close third because i love any and all geography.
i only discovered the goodness of relish myself recently. yum! how did i eat hotdogs without it before?!?
do you live in western canada? only cuz i was looking at my atlas (as i said, i love geography) and decided that i really need to get to alberta.
#8 and #5 please! with #8, you get all kinds of good drinking. with #5 we get to be grossed out and amazed all at the same time!
The human body (it is SO fascinating really!!!)
Wine and Wine tasting… because that means you get to BUY and DRINK wine!!
Don’t forget the cheese!!!
Hey Brandy
Well, top choices
Wines and wine tasting (later you can impress men with your knowledge :P)
The Human Body.
and yeah, it would be “Gandhi” and not “Ghandi” as everybody here is typing…please do make that correction..we here in India hold the old man in almost-religious esteem..
i only have one choice. violent weather.
I totally vote for the wine. I wish I knew more about it. But, alas, I am just as much a fan of an $12 bottle of wine than I am an $80 bottle.
How in the world do you fit it all in? You’re kind of like Wonder Woman! And you are one of my favourite people to play with, too!
One day I will come back to blogging. But I fear that it will intefere with my Scrabulous time.
Ooooh, too hard to choose! I think the important thing when learning (and as a teacher you’ll really get this) is being able to make up fun games to help those little facts stivk in your brain.
Like my 4th grade teacher who lined up a row of little figurines with numbers on their chests and we had to shoot which was the correct answer to a math problem. Genius! (oh and it wasn’t real guns, just the type with a non threatening projectile)
I vote for Capital, Shakespeare or the pyramids.
Pretty much number 8 for me, hands down.
xo
Definitely Shakespearean Comedies or The Human Body for my vote. Can I choose two? Hwtever you choose I expect it will be an entertaining month. Have fun!
holy crap, i had to come right over here and report that i saw josh lyman in the audience at the democratic debate!! some may refer to him as bradley whitford, but i know better.
hope you caught it! that was some tv cognitive dissonance craziness
Solar system & wine.
And I also want a treatise on why relish is indeed the greatest (because it so is).
I definitely vote for #3 and#8….hah. Wine is endless, and we could all be a bit more peaceful, so study Gandi while drinking wine
Brilliant! I vote for:
Wine Tasting
&
Shakespearean Comedies
If you ask me, the two go hand-in-hand
I vote for violent weather. Sure, it’s a tad sadistic, but come on, nature’s fury is awe-inspiring. Or maybe you should write about what happens to you at work. Since you are a teacher, I’m sure you are chock-full of interesting stories. Maybe you’ve already delved into this topic and I just need to catch up. Oh, and Shakespearian comedies tickle my fancy, too. I think it’s refreshing and mildly insulting at the same time that Hollywood keeps making movie adaptations of some of the Old Bard’s greats. The most recent one that I can think about was the one with Amanda Bynes that copied “Twelfth Night”. I studied literature in college, can you tell? Haha, ok, I’ll stop dorking out now.
wine & wine tasting.. and the solar system
The Human Body
Shakespearian Comedies
I’d say the solar system, but it’s pretty vast so I don’t think it’s possible to learn everything that’s known about it in a month. But the pyramids or Shakespearean comedies would be awesome!
So, I was reading along happily when I got to the “capitals” part and I just realized that my daughter has a test today on the capitals of different states and I FORGOT to quiz her on them. True, she should have asked me since it is her test, but seriously! One snow day and I ruined her life (a bit dramatic, I know).