Spit(spit)
SPIT

EXT: RUTH’S(ro͝oTH) BACKYARD(ˌbakˈyärd)

Ruth is standing on her porch(pôrCH), watching the sunset.

RUTH

I used to spit when I was a little girl. You know that moment, when your mouth fills up with too much phlegm(flem)? You’re running as fast you can, flying through the wheat((h)wēt
) fields(fēld), all knees(nē) and elbows(ˈelˌbō), and you just want to see that wad(wäd) of mucus(ˈmyo͞okəs) go soaring(sôr) over the brown(broun) stalks(stôk), streak(strēk) toward the sunset?

Not that we said “mucus” when I was a little girl, or “phlegm” for that matter. We didn’t have any word for it at all. Except “Don’t.” That’s all Mama used to say, anyway. It was almost always followed by, “That’s not ladylike(ˈlādēˌlīk). Who’s going to want you, dressing(ˈdresiNG) like that?” It turns out running wasn’t ladylike either, legs and arms akimbo(əˈkimbō) and dresses smudged(sməj) with dirt(dərt). I learned to walk with careful steps, and to tsk softly when grass(gras) stains(stān) smudged the hem(hem) of my skirt(skərt).

I thought it would be different when I married Daniel(ˈdanyəl). The first night, bursting with the freedom of it-me, alone with my husband(ˈhəzbənd), in our very own home!-I leaped(lēp) onto the bed and bounced the mattress(ˈmatrəs), good and hard. I remember his lips pressing(ˈpresiNG) together, flat(flat) and unyielding(ˌənˈyēldiNG) as the ground he worked year after year. The way his mouth worked around the words like they were marbles(ˈmärbəl), dropping to the ground: “Doris, stop acting like a child. You’re a grown(ɡrōn) woman.”

I slapped my daughters silly(ˈsilē) when they went out of the house without girdle(ˈgərdl), hose(hōz), gloves(gləv). When they did cartwheels(ˈkärtˌ(h)wēl) in skirts, chewed(CHo͞o) gum(gəm), or laughed(laf) in church(CHərCH). They were serious(ˈsi(ə)rēəs), sober(ˈsōbər) girls. They made good marriages(ˈmarij). Their children were quiet(ˈkwīət).

Mama’s been in the ground for decades(ˈdekād). Daniel passed fourteen(ˈfôrˌtēn,ˌfôrˈtēn) years ago next April(ˈāprəl). Nobody’s wanted me in all that time, no matter how I dress. Last week I was having a cup of tea by the window while my granddaughter visited for Easter(ˈēstər) weekend. I looked out and saw my eldest(ˈeldəst) great-granddaughter flying through the wheat fields behind the barn(bärn), her hands batting(bat) away the stalks. She was wearing her nice, white dress and the ribbons on her sleeves(slēv) were streaming behind her, catching in the last golden rays(rā) of the sunset.

For a moment there was warmth on my face and wind in my hair. Heavy(ˈhevē) heads of grain(grān) snagged(snag) on my sleeves(slēv) and grass swished(swiSH) against my legs. But only for a moment. That’s all it was.

(Spits forcefully on the ground. Exits(ˈegzit,ˈeksit).)

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Spit

Be careful with NULL in mysql

1. NULL

   In SQL, the NULL value is never true in comparison to any other value, even NULL.
   -Problems with NULL Values

2. IN, Not IN and All

   When used with a subquery, the word IN is an alias for = ANY.
   NOT IN is not an alias for <> ANY, but for <> ALL.
   -Subqueries with ANY, IN, or SOME

   The word ALL, which must follow a comparison operator, means “return TRUE if the comparison is TRUE for ALL of the values in the column that the subquery returns.”
   -Subqueries with ALL

Here’s a bug(maybe) about NOT IN: danger about mysql’s IN and NOT IN

Why shark movies(ˈmo͞ovē) slay(slā) at the box office

By Ashley Rodriguez

Hollywood(ˈhälēˌwo͝od) is one of the least predictable(priˈdiktəbəl) industries in the world. Yet even during a decade of dwindling(ˈdwindl) theater(ˈTHēətər) attendance(əˈtendəns), there are a few things movie studios count on: franchises(ˈfranˌCHīz) like Star Wars, action heroes like Dwayne Johnson, and shark movies. That’s right, shark movies.

Ever since Jaws(jô) hit the big screen in June(jo͞on) 1975, becoming the first summer blockbuster(ˈbläkˌbəstər) by opening in more than 400 theaters—a feat(fēt) at the time—and bringing in a whopping(ˈ(h)wäpiNG) $7 million its first weekend, shark movies have slayed at the box office. Jon Turteltaub’s The Meg, a spectacle(ˈspektəkəl) starring Jason(ā) Statham(ā) and an enormous(iˈnôrməs) CGI shark, hopes to carry on the tradition(trəˈdiSHən) this weekend. It hits theaters in the US, China, and other parts of the world on Friday. With an estimated(ˈestəˌmāt) $150 million budget(ˈbəjit), it’s the most expensive shark movie ever made—but it’s banking on turning a profit(ˈpräfit).

“People love shark movies,” Jeff Bock, box-office analyst(ˈanl-ist) at Exhibitor(igˈzibitər) Relations, told Quartz(kwôrts). “No shark movie has ever not made money.”

Shark movies have made for the perfect summer thrill(THril) since Jaws kickstarted the genre(ˈZHänrə). They blend(blend) horror(ˈhär-,ˈhôrər)—another genre that tends to do well at the box office—with our morbid(ˈmôrbəd) fascinations(ˌfasəˈnāSHən) with sharks, giving us scares(ske(ə)r) that will make us jump the next time seaweed(ˈsēˌwēd) brushes up against us at the beach(bēCH). “We love to be scared(ske(ə)rd),” said Bock(bäk), “and there’s nothing scarier(ˈske(ə)rē) than a real-life monster.”

…
https://qz.com/1352662/the-meg-why-shark-movies-slay-at-the-box-office/

The Stories(ˈstôrē) That Stop Us From Being Present(priˈzent,ˈprezənt) & Taking Action

Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations(ˌekspekˈtāSHən), ambitions(amˈbiSHən) for the future; in regrets(riˈgret), guilt(gilt) or shame(SHām) about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.” ~Jack Kornfield

By Leo Babauta

I get emails(māl) all the time from people who are struggling(ˈstrəgəl) with very common difficulties(ˈdifikəltē):

Wanting to overcome anger
Wanting to deal more calmly(kä(l)m) with stress
Hurt by other people’s inconsiderate(kənˈsidərət) actions
Getting stuck in resentment(riˈzentmənt) and thinking about how others have wronged you
Struggling with change because it’s hard
Struggling with letting go of clutter(ˈklətər) because of various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) emotional(iˈmōSHənəl) attachments(əˈtaCHmənt)
Finding all kinds of obstacles(ˈäbstəkəl) to taking on a project, side hustle(ˈhəsəl), new business, writing(ˈrīdiNG) a book/blog, etc.(et cetera.)

And I completely(kəmˈplētlē) understand these difficulties, because I struggle with them too. Here’s the thing — there are just two things stopping us from being present or taking the action we want to take:

The stories we have in our heads about other people, what’s happening, and ourselves(ou(ə)rˈselvz,är-)
Our habitual(həˈbiCHo͞oəl) pattern of staying in those stories instead of being present or taking action

It’s really one thing: our mental habit of staying stuck in the stories in our heads.

When I say “stories,” this isn’t a judgment about whether(ˈ(h)weT͟Hər) what we’re saying in our heads is true or not. It’s just what our minds do — they make up a narrative(ˈnarətiv) about the world, including other people and ourselves. Our minds are narrative machines. You could see the narrative as true or not, but that’s not the point — the narrative is getting in the way of being present and taking action.

What kind of stories do I mean? I mean things that we make up and spin around in our heads (true or not):

They shouldn’t act that way
If they loved me they wouldn’t be so inconsiderate
This is too hard, I don’t want to do this
I suck, I keep failing(ˈfāliNG), I am inadequate(inˈadikwət)
They keep doing this, I don’t know why they keep doing that to me
They hurt me, they are not a good person
I can’t start my business/blog/project until I learn this, or get to this place in my life, or have perfect peace in my day and am in a good mood
This shouldn’t be happening to me! This sucks!

These stories have some truth to them, which is why we cling(kliNG) to them so much. But these stories block us from being present. They are not helpful.

What would it be like if we didn’t cling to them so much? What if we could develop a mind that clings to nothing?

…
https://zenhabits.net/storytime/

Key Reggio(re) Emilia Principles

There are 7 guiding principles of the Reggio Emilia approach(əˈprōCH) that are critical(ˈkritikəl) in distinguishing Reggio Emilia from similar or competing(kəmˈpēt) child-centered approaches to education(ˌejəˈkāSHən). These guiding principles are below:

1) Children are capable(ˈkāpəbəl) to construct their own learning.

In Reggio Emilia, children are the main(mān) initiators(iˈniSHēˌātər) of the learning process(prəˈses). They are inspired(inˈspīrd) by their own interest to know and learn, and as such they are endowed(enˈdou) with a uniquely(yo͞oˈnēk) individualistic(ˌindivijo͞oəˈlistik
) understanding of how to construct learning on their own. In other words, children should be treated as active(ˈaktiv) collaborators(kəˈlabəˌrātər) in their education, as opposed(əˈpōzd) to passive(ˈpasiv) observers(əbˈzərvər).

2) Children are collaborators and learn through interaction within their communities(kəˈmyo͞onitē).

Learning is based on interrelationships – not just within Reggio Emilia but across all spectrums(ˈspektrəm) of learning; however, in Reggio Emilia there is a close interaction between teachers, parents(ˈpar-,ˈpe(ə)rənt), and children.

…

3) Children are natural communicators(kəˈmyo͞onikādər) and should be encouraged(inˈkərij) to express(ikˈspres) themselves however they feel they can.

One of the most profound aspects(aspects) of Reggio Emilia is known as The Hundred Languages of Children, written by the founder of the philosophy(fəˈläsəfē) Loris(ˈlôris) Malaguzzi. The concept of The Hundred(ˈhəndrid) Languages is that children are natural communicators, and thus should be encouraged to communicate through whatever means they can.

…

4) The classroom environment(,enˈvīrənmənt) acts as the third teacher.

One of the most powerful and important components(kəmˈpōnənt) of incorporating a Reggio-style philosophy into a classroom environment is to ensure that the classroom acts as a “living organism(ˈôrgəˌnizəm), a place of shared relationships among the children, the teachers, the parents, and a feeling of belonging in a world that is alive(əˈlīv), welcoming, and authentic(ôˈTHentik).”

…

5) Teachers are partners(ˈpärtnər), nurturers(ˈnərCHər), and guides who help facilitate(fəˈsiliˌtāt) the exploration(ˌekspləˈrāSHən) of children’s interests as they work on short and long-term projects.

In the Reggio Emilia philosophy, teachers are partners in the learning process.

…

6) Documentation(ˌdäkyəmenˈtāSHən) is a critical component of communication.

Teachers, in addition(əˈdiSHənl) to playing the role of a guide, are also responsible(riˈspänsəbəl) for documenting(ˈdäkyəmənt) the learning process within the classroom and transcribing(tranˈskrīb) the verbal(ˈvərbəl) language used by children.

…

7) Parents are partners in education.

Reggio Emilia sees parental(pəˈren(t)l) participation(pärˌtisəˈpāSHən) in their child’s education as a critical component of the learning philosophy.

…
https://www.thecompassschool.com/blog/key-elements-reggio-emilia-approach/

a mother bear(be(ə)r) and three cubs

over the edge(ej)

By Henry H. Walker

our cabin(ˈkabən) is comfortably(ˈkəmftərblē) walled
and creature(ˈkrēCHər) comforts surround us within it,
it could be anywhere
that has umbilicals(ˌəmˈbilikəl) for electricity(əˌlekˈtrisədē), water, waste(wāst),

yet where it is here, the wild(wīld) is just outside:
a national park, a creek(krik,krēk), the woods,
unfenced(ˌənˈfenst) nature we can enjoy
just over our own fence(fens) of screen(skrēn) wire(wīr),

usually the world outside is of Eden(ˈēdn),
with only insects(ˈinˌsekt) to be annoying(əˈnoi-iNG),

this summer, though, bears have come over the fence,
the one native animal still around
whose strength(streNG(k)TH) and attitude can challenge(ˈCHalənj) us,
the edge a perch for us,
but also an opening for the bear
to hope to come into our world
for the food we have in abundance(əˈbəndəns),
leaf(lēf) and seed and bug not enough
to fill(fil) the holes of their hunger(ˈhəNGgər),

last evening, a mother bear and three cubs
wanted to come into the Cabin
where they could smell food,
the apple so tempting(ˈtem(p)tiNG),
her impetuous(imˈpeCHo͞oəs) nose(nōz) in the lead(led,lēd),

her claws(klô) snd muscles(ˈməsəl) scratched(skraCH) to find a way
to the food she knew to be just inside,
her sense of smell so acute(əˈkyo͞ot) that one M&M can entice(enˈtīs) her,
this night bananas, candy, a chicken stir(stər)-fry(frī),
all the food inside, drew her
for she and her cubs need to eat,
Winter is coming,
and they need to be fat(fat),
the storm door in the way
of the imperative(imˈperətiv) of the mother she is,

our anxieties(aNGˈzī-itē
) are often abstract(abˈstrakt, ˈabˌstrakt), at a remove,
the bear reminds(riˈmīnd) us that we are only sort of in control,
that concrete(ˈkänˌkrēt, ˌkänˈkrēt) reality can come over the edge,
and we can be expelled(ikˈspel) from Eden.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-mother-bear-and-three-cubs.html

The Other Reason Mosquitoes(məˈskētō) Want to Suck(sək) Your Blood(bləd)

Mosquitoes are more likely to bite(bīt) hosts(hōst) when they are thirsty(ˈTHərstē), possibly(ˈpäsəblē) increasing disease(diˈzēz) spread(spred)

By Rachel Nuwer

Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest(ˈdedlē) animals(ˈanəməl), transmitting(trans-,tranzˈmit) diseases(diˈzēz) that kill hundreds of thousands of people annually(ˈanyo͞oəlē). Only the females(ˈfēˌmāl) bite, to acquire(əˈkwī(ə)r) protein(ˈprōˌtēn) to make their eggs. But blood can also serve as a refreshing beverage(ˈbev(ə)rij) on a hot, dry(drī) day.

A new study finds that dehydrated(dēˈhīdrāt) mosquitoes are more aggressive(əˈgresiv), land more often on hosts and feed more frequently than those with ready access(ˈakˌses) to water. In quenching(kwenCH) their thirst(THərst), they may also increase the spread of disease, says Joshua(ˈjäSHo͞oə) Benoit, a biologist(bīˈäləjəst) at the University of Cincinnati(ˌsinsəˈnatē) and senior(ˈsēnyər) author(ˈôTHər) of the study, published in May in Scientific(ˌsīənˈtifik) Reports.

Because some mosquitoes lay their eggs on water, researchers have long assumed that wetter conditions lead to more mosquito-borne(bôrn) illness. Yet recent studies have hinted(hint) at the opposite(ˈäpəzit), linking increased transmission(transˈmiSHən,tranz-
) of diseases such as West Nile(nīl) fever(ˈfēvər) to droughts(drout). Benoit and his colleagues(ˈkälˌēg
)’ discovery helps to resolve(-ˈzôlv,riˈzälv) these counterintuitive(ˌkountərinˈt(y)o͞oitiv) findings.

“It’s not just as simple as saying, ‘If it’s wet, there will be more mosquitoes and more disease transmission,’” Benoit says.

…
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-other-reason-mosquitoes-want-to-suck-your-blood/

How to Stop Being Disappointed(ˌdisəˈpoin(t)əd)

By Steve Pavlina

If someone is late about 70% of the time, and you expect(ikˈspekt) them to be on time, that’s a rather foolish(ˈfo͞oliSH) prediction(priˈdikSHən), isn’t it? They may be on time, but they probably won’t be.

What many people will do is get angry(ˈaNGgrē) with the friend who’s frequently(ˈfrēkwəntlē) late. Does this usually change that person’s behavior? Perhaps sometimes, but it usually(ˈyo͞oZHo͞oəlē) has little or no effect. The person will most likely continue(kənˈtinyo͞o) being late at roughly(ˈrəflē) the same frequency(ˈfrēkwənsē).

Wanting a person to change doesn’t change their behavior. It’s more likely to cement(səˈment) the behavior in place(plās) since people tend to resist(rəˈzist) others’ demands(dəˈmand) of them.

Instead of resisting your predictions, a more sensible(ˈsensəbəl) approach(əˈprōCH) is to accept them. Accept(əkˈsept) that your friend will probably continue to be late most of the time.

Note that this doesn’t mean predicting that your friend will always be late, so you can be pleasantly(ˈplezntlē) surprised when they’re on time. That would be inaccurate(inˈakyərit) as well. It means accepting that you don’t really know when they’ll show up and that most likely they’ll be later than they say they will. Predict based on reality(rēˈalətē), not on overly positive or negative(ˈnegətiv) expectations(ˌekspekˈtāSHən). In many cases your prediction will be a spectrum(ˈspektrəm) of possible outcomes with some being more probable(ˈpräbəbəl) than others.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2012/07/how-to-stop-being-disappointed/

Unicorn(ˈyo͞onəˌkôrn)

UNICORN

INT: KATIE’S(kātē) BEDROOM.

Katie, an elementary(ˌeləˈment(ə)rē) school student, has been sick(sik) in bed with a long illness(ˈilnəs). Her friend, Jenna(nə), is visiting(ˈvizitiNG) and has just finished telling her everything that’s been happening with school and friends.

KATIE

(Wistfully(ˈwistfəl))

Karen(kəˈren) didn’t invite(inˈvīt) me to her birthday party. Probably because I’m still sick. I thought it would be fun here in bed all day. I thought my mom would just let me read and watch TV and I guess she does. But I wish I was at school with you guys. The TV hurts(hərt) my eyes and I’m always tired(tīrd). I hate(hāt) throwing up. You’re the first person to come see me in two weeks.

(Trying to rally(ˈralē).)

Well, at least(lēst) I don’t have to go to school, though. And I get to have breakfast(ˈbrekfəst) in bed. And lunch and dinner. And last week when my mom was at work I hooked(ho͝okt) up the Wii and played Mario(mərio) Kart for four hours and now I’m great at it.

(Looking out the window.)

Also, there’s a unicorn in my backyard(ˌbakˈyärd) and only I can see it. I mean, she. It’s a girl.

(Sneaks(snēk) a glance(glans) at Jenna to see if she’s impressed)

It’s true. I named her Buttercup(ˈbətərˌkəp). She’s like Santa(ˈsan(t)ə)-she doesn’t want you to know she’s there, but if you’re really special you can tell. I thought she wanted carrots(ˈkarət), like Karen’s(kəˈren) horses(hôrs) did, but she’s not like any other horse in the whole world. She eats marshmallows(märSH ˈmalō). And…and whole jars(jär) of peanut(ˈpēnət) butter(ˈbətər). Her horn(hôrn) is made out of gold(gōld) and she smells like a garden full of roses. I don’t see her all the time, but sometimes she comes to my window in the mornings, when everyone else is gone at school. Her horn is a different color every time I see it. Yesterday it was pink and last week it was purple(ˈpərpəl).

(Jenna goes to the window. With satisfaction(ˌsatisˈfakSHən))

You’re not going to see her. She doesn’t come for everyone. Besides, you’ll probably just scare(ske(ə)r) her off. She doesn’t like other people. And I’m kind of tired now, so you have to go home.

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Unicorn

In 2008, America Stopped Believing(bəˈlēv) in the American(əˈmerikən) Dream

By Frank Rich

If you were standing in the smoldering(ˈsmōldər) ashes(aSH) of 9/11 trying to peer(pi(ə)r) into the future, you might have been overjoyed(ˌōvərˈjoid) to discover this happy snapshot(ˈsnapˌSHät) of 2018: There has been no subsequent(ˈsəbsəkwənt) major(ˈmājər) terrorist(ˈterərist) attack(əˈtak) on America from Al Qaeda or its heirs(e(ə)r). American troops(tro͞op) are not committed en(en) masse(maˈsā) to any ground war. American workers are enjoying a blissful(ˈblisfəl) 4 percent unemployment rate(rāt). The investment class and humble(ˈhəmbəl) 401(k) holders alike are beneficiaries(ˌbenəˈfiSHēˌerē) of a rising(ˈrīziNG) GDP and booming stock market that, as measured(ˈmeZHərd) by the Dow(dou), is up some 250 percent since its September 10, 2001, close. The most admired(ədˈmī(ə)r) person in America, according to Gallup, is the nation’s first African(ˈafrikən)-American president, a man no one had heard of and a phenomenon(-nən,fəˈnäməˌnän) no one could have imagined(iˈmajən) at the century’s dawn(dän,dôn). Comedy(ˈkämədē), the one art whose currency(ˈkə-rənsē,ˈkərənsē) is laughter(ˈlaftər), is the culture’s(ˈkəlCHər) greatest growth industry. What’s not to like?

Plenty(ˈplentē), as it turns out. The mood in America is arguably(ˈärgyo͞oəblē) as dark as it has ever been in the modern era(ˈerə,ˈi(ə)rə). The birthrate(rāt) is at a record low, and the suicide(ˈso͞oiˌsīd) rate is at a 30-year high; mass shootings and opioid(ˈōpēˌoid) overdoses(dōs) are ubiquitous(yo͞oˈbikwətəs). In the aftermath of 9/11, the initial shock and horror(ˈhär-,ˈhôrər) soon gave way to a semblance(ˈsembləns) of national unity(ˈyo͞onətē) in support of a president whose electoral(əˈlekt(ə)rəl) legitimacy(ləˈjidəməsē) had been bitterly(ˈbidərlē) contested only a year earlier. Today’s America is instead marked by fear(fi(ə)r) and despair(diˈspe(ə)r) more akin(əˈkin) to what followed the crash of 1929, when unprecedented(ˌənˈpresəˌdəntid) millions of Americans lost their jobs and homes after the implosion(imˈplōZHən) of businesses ranging in scale(skāl) from big banks to family farms.

It’s not hard to pinpoint(ˈpinˌpoint) the dawn of this deep gloom: It arrived(əˈrīv) in September 2008, when the collapse(kəˈlaps) of Lehman Brothers kicked off the Great Recession(riˈseSHən) that proved to be a more lasting existential(ˌegziˈstenCHəl) threat(THret) to America than the terrorist(ˈterərist) attack of seven Septembers earlier. The shadow it would cast is so dark that a decade(ˈdekād) later, even our current(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) run of ostensible(äˈstensəbəl,əˈsten-) prosperity(präˈsperitē) and peace(pēs) does not mitigate(ˈmitəˌgāt) the one conviction(kənˈvikSHən) that still unites(yo͞oˈnīt) all Americans: Everything in the country is broken. Not just Washington, which failed(fāld) to prevent(priˈvent) the financial(fī-,fəˈnanCHəl) catastrophe(kəˈtastrəfē) and has done little to protect us from the next, but also race(rās) relations, health care, education, institutional(ˌinstiˈt(y)o͞oSHənl) religion(riˈlijən), law enforcement, the physical(ˈfizikəl) infrastructure(ˈinfrəˌstrəkCHər), the news media, the bedrock virtues(ˈvərCHo͞o) of civility(səˈvilətē) and community(kəˈmyo͞onitē). Nearly everything has turned to crap, it seems, except Peak TV (for those who can afford it).

…
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/08/frank-rich-2008-financial-crisis-end-of-american-dream.html