Bridging History

History and genealogy research service

[wvhistorian-blog]

Comparative Plum Paper Planner vs. Practical Paper Co. Planner

Photos can be viewed here:  https://flic.kr/s/aHskC7f4F1

Just received my first Practical Paper Co. Planner, and as a Plum Paper gal, I had to do a quick review between them. Admittedly, I use the MAE (morning-afternoon-evening) vertical Plum, and my new Practical Paper is horizontal, but I can still review the basic differences.

I am a HUGE fan of Practical Paper’s traveler’s notebooks and I would recommend them to ANYONE!  So, when I needed a new horizontal planner for work, I checked into Practical Paper’s planner options and decided—for many reasons—to give them a go.

First, the shipping for Plum is far higher (as is product cost), so if COST is vital to you, Practical Paper with their similar up front cost, but FREE shipping USPS will save you a lot of money. Secondly, Practical Paper has some coupon codes for as much as 30% off for some folks, but I’ve never seen a coupon for more than 10% from Plum Paper anywhere.

Now to the nitty gritty.  I ordered my Practical Paper on the 13th of June and it was delivered by USPS here on June 24th.  That is almost twice as fast as my two previous Plum Paper orders (due to shipping by Plum Paper who does NOT use USPS unless you pay extra).  Today’s planner was packaged nearly identically to my Plum Paper orders of the past, in both bubble wrap and a sturdy cardboard box. It also contained a pencil, a roll of washi tape and a coupon for $10 off my next $25 order, which was nice. This planner was shipped and arrived at my house within four days…..both of my Plum’s took over three weeks (due to their shipping option).

Both companies advertise 70# paper, and while the weight is similar, I think the Plum is “slicker” just slightly.  The Practical Paper seems slightly rougher and appears more “photocopied” than Plum for lines.  All Practical is greyscale, while Plum is color coded more by month. That’s not at all important to my needs, but it will be to some.

The horizontal lines and writing space is more on Practical Paper, which is the primary reason I went with this company for this specific need.  They have 9 lines to write on per horizontal day and each space is 1 3/8” tall.  Now, I NEEDED that extra space, but the way Practical gets that done is that there is nothing “extra” on that page (like a small monthly calendar), other than a “notes and goals” section at the end of every week.  

The weeks run Monday through Sunday like Plum, and I admit I normally don’t like that…..but it’s growing on me. J   The months are divided by color-coded tabs like Plum, but here is where the REAL difference is seen.  Plum has their tabs covered by plastic lamination while Practical does not.  This makes the tabs in Practical BEND very easily.  While this won’t bother me that much, my daughter’s reaction was “Oh heck no….just NO.” In addition, the dividers seem to be less “firm” cardstock than Plum, and are printed only on one side.  There is also no place for monthly goals ON that page like Plum’s reverse side.  

Finally, the cover and coil. The coil is smaller but same weight as my Plum, BUT this new planner is thinner than my plum.  I didn’t ask for as many add on pages to the Practical.  The cover is only a cardstock sheet laminated, which is fine for my needs, but it’s not as “pretty” or “finished looking” as the Plum to my eyes. However, it IS very firm and feels durable.   

The only real “complaint” and this will have to stand the test of time to see if it plays out, is that there isn’t as much “real estate” from the punched holes on the Practical to the end of the sheet. I’ll share photos of that so you can see, but my fear is that it will tear our easier than it should due to this. Time will tell on that, however. You can also have them do disc binding, but I wanted coil, so I can’t speak to the disc binding at all.  

Pens and all that wrote and erased just like Plum. The washi and stickers adhered well and repositionable ones removed properly.  No shadowing of the pens I tried (Frixion, Ink Joy, Steadler Fineliners, and my trusty Bic stick blue pen were all I tried.  Clearly, due to the difference in size of the lines, stickers will fit differently, but I care little about that…..this is a tool for me and I won’t be decorating it other than to create more functionality, so if it’s not quite “perfect” it won’t matter at all to me.

All in all, the quality overall of Plum seems better, BUT the Practical is a nice value option for my newest need.  I think it will serve this new need well enough. Where Practical shines is their shipping and customer service. This is my third order from them, and they’ve not let me down yet.  I also usually get a reply to my emails within a day (even on weekends).  Amy, one of the agents of the company, emailed me back to a query while she was on a mountain bike ride one weekend even!  

So, to say these two are “similar” would be accurate.  To say they’re “the same’ would be in error….It truly depends on how hard you are on a planner and your basic overall needs.  Practical is the ONLY company I’ve found thus far that even COULD have met my space needs for this new project, and this will be perfect for that reason.  You just need to be honest with yourself on what your needs are and weigh those against your “desires.”  

The paper inside, from a functional standpoint, is the same basically, so it will be the cosmetic/esthetic value that will be your deciding factor, I think.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Prayers for Orlando, but also.....

Ok, everyone is chiming in on their opinions on Orlando, but I am going to add an additional set of “secondary victims” to the list to offer prayers for. 

The medical personnel on scene, the CSI type folks, the ER and Surgical personnel all need prayers, yes.  BUT.....

ONE GROUP that will never make the media are all those personnel who worked tirelessly in the blood bank in the hospital trying to keep up with the trauma. That will live with them FOREVER and they’ll blame themselves if some died thinking they just didn’t get the product out fast enough....or they didn’t “anticipate’ well enough.  HOWEVER.....the reality of it is THEY DID!!  Some people die.  Triage is horrific and the fact is some die, but it’s not YOUR FAULT!

How do I know that?  I used to be one of those front line blood bank techs working trauma night after night.  I was good at what I did, but the stress eventually got to me.  I had to either overcome or get out. I overcame....but I carry ghosts just like everyone you see on the news. 

So, dear readers, pray for the blood bankers, too.  Without their expertise more would have died from transfusion complications.  They’re a special bunch and deserve our respect and our prayers. 

[wvhistorian-blog]

On this Memorial Day, formerly Decoration Day, we should be honoring those who served and fell for our country. 

The man above was 17 years old when he entered the Marine Reserve unit in WWII.  He was sent to California where he was trained (probably briefly) in bomb disposal in a time when there wasn’t all the modern technological advances of today.

He was sent to Guam where he was among those who hit the beach in the early hours.  Although the letter from the war department to his mother say he was hit by a Japanese Sniper, his body was never recovered.  My personal feeling is that he was blown up by a bomb as he tried to sweep the beach for the safety of others.

Regardless, it’s due to him and those like him that I can write this today.  Therefore, I honor him and others like him this weekend.  I will not be doing the ubiquitous cookout, but will instead reflect in quiet remembrance of his service as well as those of his family in defense of our country. 

[wvhistorian-blog]

Historical Context--The missing link from your genealogy?

Hi followers,

I hope all of you are planning at least a little family history for your summer.  But as you do, PLEASE take in the historical CONTEXT as well.  It’s vital to the overall understanding of your ancestors.  

Let me give you an example.  I’m researching a specific group of individuals from the Dutch Republic in Nieuw Nederland (New Netherland aka New York).  These individuals were not necessarily ethnically or even geographically Dutch. They were from as far south as France and all over Prussia geographically.  SOME were from the environs of Holland, but not all.

Yet, they came together in New Netherland, mixed their cultures, worshipped at the Dutch Reformed Church together, and made not just a life, but a COMMUNITY together.

We give plenty of “lip service” today about “multiculturalism” but in this small area of southern Manhattan up to Albany, MANY nationalities lived under Dutch law just fine together.  They blended language, culture, customs, and even families as they saw fit and what worked was what they chose to continue doing.

In one small geographic locale of New Netherland, no fewer than 18 different languages were spoken by the residents. Yet, they got on just fine.  It’s a lesson we can use today, but I digress.

For your ancestors, this is a giant piece of the fabric of the quilt of your family if you don’t learn about the history and community in which they interacted and lived their days.

So, while you’re out exploring for more names and dates and headstone snapshots, please talk a little extra time this summer to learn about the LOCALE you are in.  What made that community special or different and how did your ancestors play their part.  It’s just as important to understanding them as mere dates and place names, and you’ll be the better for it, I promise.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Living with my planners UPDATE

Ok followers, I have to share my first quarter with my planners and notebooks. I have found that living with a written planner is much more efficient for me than those electronic ones I’ve tried.  I use it for everything from my work schedule (I’m a college professor) to my writing (I’m writing a book) to my weekly menu planning all goes into the planner.  Appointments, bill pay, and meetings go in as well.  

Each morning I sit with my coffee and toast and look at my day.  As tasks are finished, I check them off.  I use a modified bullet journal method of this.  However, I found it was still not quite complete enough for my crazy life.

Enter my traveler’s notebook from Practical Paper. I ordered two of these to just try their paper, and I doubt I’ll ever be without them again.  They are only 32 pages and thin enough to fit both into my laptop bag and the textbook from which I teach.  This keeps up with my “to do” list for work.  Examples from last week included:  Completing steps and paperwork for a student with a medical incomplete, completing steps and paperwork for a student to take an early final (a soldier readying to deploy), a meeting agenda for my department head, and a second one with my division chair.  Also included were things like “copy final exam blanks” and “grab scantron sheets from the office.”  These things are vital, but easily forgotten.  

I found that after my last class of the day, I could pull to the notebook and check off items that could be finished by that time.  In the meetings with my department head and division chair, I pulled out a travelers notebook and all my needs/pionts were there to be checked off, but I also had room to write notes IN the meeting and keep it all in one place.  They’re also thin enough to then go into the file for that semester at the end. 

SO, for people who like sticker books, this hasn’t been for you.  However, if you’re a busy professional juggling a lot of balls that you cannot drop because your students, department head and division chair are counting on you....This DOES work and I will be continuing to do this next semester.  

[wvhistorian-blog]

Review Practical Paper Co. Travelers Notebook

I did a previous review of Plum Paper’s version of a Travelers Notebook here.  However, they are not a “travelers notebook” in the truest sense.  Practical Paper’s version IS.  It only contains 32 pages, and it comes in the traditional size as well as the large and passport size.  

 I ordered mine with only lined paper, but you can also order blank, graph, or calendar for yours should you choose.  The Practical Paper version will also fit the Midori type planner covers better than Plum Paper.  Plum Paper is simply too thick for that in my opinion.

 Printing time was long, I thought, for what it was—lined paper stapled into cardstock covers.  I ordered on the 18th of March and didn’t get shipping confirmation until the 1st of April. I emailed the company, and they answered straightaway saying they’d been inundated with orders, which I knew to be true.  Even so, for what it was, it seemed to be a long process. However, shipping is where Practical Paper beats Plum Paper.  Practical Paper includes USPS shipping in their price and I received this shipment on the 4th of April cross-country.  It took over two weeks for me to receive shipment from Plum Paper due to the way they use UPS/USPS combo shipping unless you pay extra.

 It was shipped in a padded envelope wrapped in tissue paper. Included in the shipment were some beautiful planner stickers that I hadn’t known they made.  I can’t wait to use these, and it was a lovely surprise in my order.  So, here are my first impressions:

 I’m not sure what weight of paper Practical Paper uses, but the feel is quite smooth, and it seems thicker than Plum Paper’s non-spiral notebook although the Plum feels slicker to the touch. The lines on the paper in the books I received are also darker then those from Plum Paper, but they didn’t smudge when I erased.

 Using the same pens to check the ink flow and check for shadowing that I’d used in my test page for the Plum Paper notebooks, I found that Practical Paper’s notebook feels good to write on with all the ink I tried.  It also has absolutely NO shadowing, even from the Sharpie pen. Finally, it did fully erase the Frixion erase pens you could “tell” where it had been written--similar to that of an erased pencil.  The Plum Paper notebook did not fully erase the Frixion (but it usually does in it’s planner which led me to believe they used different paper in the notebook).

 The cover for the Practical Paper notebook is vibrant and beautiful in color.  They are heavy cardstock and stapled to the center of the paper at the fold, but they are NOT laminated or slick.  The edges are not sharp and they feel like they will bend at some point in my purse.  They also are not “perfectly cut” in the two I ordered.  There are some ragged bits, but that isn’t a deal breaker for me since it’s going to be in my work bag and purse anyhow and get battered about as I use them.

 This notebook doesn’t lay closed, however.  It remains slightly open no matter what, so I will likely keep mine bound with an elastic to keep it closed in my bag.  Again, this isn’t a deal breaker for me, but it may be for you.

 All in all, the Practical Paper Travelers Notebook for its $6 price tag for 32 pages including shipping is a better fit for me for my work bag and my purse.  For my research, however, the Plum Paper will still be my best fit.  Both are nice paper and easy to use, but for everyday carry, I wanted one thinner and more like the traditional travelers notebook and that’s what I got from Practical Paper Co.

You can see photos and a comparison with the Plum Paper non-spiral notebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203753580948376.1073741837.1484177333&type=1&l=68d997745f

[wvhistorian-blog]

Plum Paper Notebook Review

PLUM PAPER COILED NOTEBOOK REVIEW

The notebooks themselves were well packaged and protected, which was a good thing considering that my box had a hole punched in the back side of it.  The mail delivery person also left it out on top of my rural mailbox instead of delivering it to my porch as she usually does....again, good thing the packaging was good because it was foggy and windy this morning in my neighborhood.  The box was decidedly damp on arrival, but the inside was protected.

Upon opening the box, the contents were bubble wrapped and encased in individual cellophane sleeves, as is the custom of Plum Paper.  The coil of the larger notebook seemed bent on the bottom, but on closer inspection it was just how the coil fits INTO the notebook itself.  That was good.

 The coiled notebook’s cover is the same heavy laminated card stock as my planner, but now a clear plastic sheet that is thick and heavy covers it.  I am unsure if I will keep that or clip it off at this point.  If it warps, it’s coming off. Time will tell.  Oddly, static electricity opens both the clear cover and the card stock cover simultaneously at present.  

 The cover is about a half inch wider than the paper inside. Measuring these, it seems the paper is just slightly smaller than my planner (about an eighth of an inch or less) and the cover is similarly larger than my planner.  Again, not sure why, nor do I really care.  (Just FYI for those who decorate and carry often)

 Inside the coil planner, I found the paper to be similar in appearance and feel to my planner, as I expected.  So, basically it’s my planner notes page bound into a notebook as nearly as I can tell. 

The only odd thing was that I’d added one add-on of extra note pages and it came behind a tab for “notes.”  While this was entirely unnecessary in my view, I’ve decided this could accidentally be a good thing for my business trip coming up in May....I can track expenses behind the tab, while USING the front for the job. I also added a “To Do” section in the back and it was just like my planner with a tab for it as well.

 PLUM PAPER SOLID SPINE “TRAVELERS NOTEBOOK” REVIEW

These notebooks are smaller--about one to one and a half inches less than the height of the coiled notebook cover and about two inches less in width for those who are “visual” rather than “numerical.”  I anticipated the smaller size due to the measurements on the website, and that was why I ordered them. 

 The covers are a hard cardstock, but are not laminated. The cover is not slick; it’s a bit textured.  I can’t really describe it other than “rough.”  Not undesirably so, but not slick like the planner.  It’s also not glossy--it’s matte.  Again, not a deal breaker for me, but it may be for you.  The covers are also “scored” near the spine at the point where the glue holds the cover onto the paper, and this is where the notebook opens.  I initially found that odd, but it does force the cover to open where it’s supposed to open. Maybe that’s necessary for the design, I’m not sure, but it does seem to “crack” a bit there as it opens.  I’m wondering how long that will last opening and closing before it begins to tear.  I’m considering taking it to an office store to be laminated…...but I’m going to use one first to see how I feel about it longer term.

 Opening the notebook, I noticed they have the “feel” of one of those composition books (those black and white types) you get at Walmart. When you open the pages it does NOT lay flat—nor will it ever (think: composition book).  However, where composition books are stitched, these are merely glued.  My fear already is the pages will come unglued particularly since one of these was to have lived in the glove box of my car for a mileage record for my business.

 On closer inspection of the notebooks, there are some “color” flaws in some of the cardstock that looks like printing errors in the coloring. While, again, this doesn’t really matter to ME, it may to you so I felt it worth mentioning.

 The paper inside the traveler’s notebook style also felt different to me. It seemed a bit “rougher” to my hand, so I pulled out my pens and gave it a go on a test page in the back of one of them.  What I found was this:

It’s really lovely for my old favorite Bic ball point with blue ink.  That has always been my favorite pen all my life, so I was glad to see it was good with those.  I then tried my Frixion pens and it seemed “scratchier” than my planner.  My planner paper writes smooth as glass with Frixion, but not only do these write less smoothly, they don’t erase fully.  That alone tells me this is either not the same paper OR something in processing alters its surface just a teeny bit. A traditional pencil worked well as did a highlighter.  After I took photos, I dug around and found my sharpie pen (scratchy and hard to use on this paper for me), a few more ink pens of various types (all scratchy), a 0.5 mechanical pencil (scratchy), and both a 0.7 and 0.9 mechanical pencil (both smooth).  The Steadlers were just ok….not as scratchy as the Sharpie pen, but not really as smooth as my good old Bic either.  None of these gave me ghosting to the point that the page behind was unusable, but the Sharpie was visible particularly if I used “decorative” script with shadows and double lines and all that goes with it.  The Steadlers were similar in the dark colors, but not as much as the Sharpie. I didn’t have any Flairs to compare, so I can’t speak to that.

 However, since ALL these work reasonably well in my planner, I do think the paper is different.  Just slightly, but different.  Since I’ll only be using this for work and not doing a lot of decorating or penning (I must use a pencil in my research work), I’m totally ok with this….you may not be.  

 Overall, I like the coiled notebook by far the best even if it was a bit large for my needs. I find that the traveler’s size is good for me, but I’m concerned that the cover will tear far quicker than I would prefer.  

 You can view all the photos on my Facebook album at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205974775476851.1073741841.1484177333&type=1&l=0874ff726a

[wvhistorian-blog]

I have to post about this, Tumblr followers.  It seems that this was written in 2012, but it recently re-emerged  (plagiarized....copy/paste) on someone else’s blog and then it was sent to ME. 

I take issue with many things about this, but first is the PLAGIARISM.  Yes, it gives the author’s name and the URL of the original post, but then it was POSTED AGAIN by a new author.  This is STILL plagiarism, folks.   

Learn about it, make it permanent into your memory.

Now let’s move on to the content that I take issue with.  First, in my home state, cemetery records are SEALED. When I bought my plots, I asked the manager and he told me that you cannot just “go to the cemetery office” and get the records, because in our state they are sealed.  IF they’re certain that all parties whose names appear in those records are deceased, they “might” release them, but he’d have to go through legal to do so.  

Coroner’s records are also SEALED in my state.  Permanently as far as I’m aware....due to HIPPA.  THEN....um....you CANNOT access medical records. That is ILLEGAL.  HIPPA does not permit access of those records.  

The Social Security records will redact (black ink out) the names of anyone they “think” may be alive OR those for whom the status is unclear.  SO, you can order the piece of paper, but all the major bits will have black lines redacting the information and you can’t access it.

Military Records are not available except for specific cases UNLESS they’re old records like Civil War or WWI where the person is not alive.  AND....I’ve requested some before to be DEINED because I wasn’t blood relatives with the person I was requesting....and I’m a professional historian.  I had to jump through hoops for that one.

SO.....be mindful that many of the records on this list CANNOT be accessed due to privacy laws unless that person has been deceased for a VERY LONG time or you have proof in hand---and even then MEDICAL records will not be given to you.

This list is NOT accurate and will be a giant waste of your time to try to use.  AND PLEASE for the love of God.....STOP copy/pasting other people’s work as your own!   That’s against the law, too.  It’s called plagiarism and can cost you a bundle of money in fines (or worse).  Just don’t do it.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Chrome is a RAM HOG!

I’m an online instructor for colleges.  My primary school switched to a system that must use Chrome to run properly.  SO.....I dutifully switched two years ago. 

Fast forward to recently.....I had been thinking for awhile that my poor Macbook Pro (2011 model) was on its last legs.  It kept getting slower and the fan kept running more and more often.  If you don’t use a Mac, believe me, that’s ODD on a Mac.  So, I made a clone of my hard drive, and called for an appointment with the repair folks to see if I could get more RAM or if I would have to fork out another $2K for a new Macbook.  

I get to the repair appointment and the FIRST question the man asks is this, “Do you use Chrome nearly all the time?”  Um.......yes, work requirement.   

Come to find out, Chrome helpers are RAM HOGS!!!  I agreed to an experiment before we altered my system.  I would go home and use Safari for anything not work related and see if the RAM and fan issues occurred and keep a journal.  THEN, as I tried to work on Chrome as required, I’d keep a journal of that also.  As the machine slowed and RAM seemed at a premium, I would look at Utilities-->Activity Monitor to see what was using this RAM.  In EVERY SINGLE CASE, when I had a slowdown, I was on Chrome and those blasted “Chrome helpers” were eating my RAM like a kid in a candy jar.

Since I”ve switched back to Safari, my fan has not come on at all, and it only slowed down once......when I was on Pinterest with a LOT of tabs open (deliberately).  My notes show that I had 12 tabs open BEFORE it slowed down.

SO.....before you run out and grab new RAM......or worse, fork over the two grand for a new Macbook......GET OFF CHROME and go back to Safari.  It might just solve your issues like it did for me. 

Thankfully, we’re dumping that system at work this summer and going to a better system that I’ve used on this machine before with no problems in Safari.....so pretty soon it’s bye bye Chrome and your RAM eating helpers.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Why are we so divisive?

I am constantly amazed at how divisive we are.  As a nation that prides itself on including everyone, we surely go out of our way to divide people into “categories” that don’t always “fit.”

A recent experience of a girl I know happened to spark this post.  She commented on how, at a recent conference she attended, she was listed differently than other historians on the program and on her name tag simply because she is not “attached to a college’ and thus operates outside academia.

She has the same degree that I do, and she’s writing a book.  I’ve read some of it....it’s good.  Frankly, it’s better than some I’ve read recently by PhD scholars (she has a MA).  Yet, at this conference they chose to marginalize her to the “kiddie table’ simply because she was not attached to a college.

I call FOUL!  We don’t need to divide ourselves this way.  We’re so determined to allow divisiveness and oppositional politics define us that we’re not even TRYING to be inclusive anymore because INCLUSION is no longer “politically correct.”  For some reason, we’re not all “historians” or even “Americans.”  Somehow, being relegated to positions of lesser versus more is the new normal and I just can’t figure out why they’ve allowed that.

I am a HISTORIAN!  I am college trained to be so. I’m not just someone who is interested in the field, I’ve been PROFESSIONALLY trained.  Yes, this is a distinction with a difference and not “dividing” people.  Let me explain the difference.  IF you are good at math and do your own taxes, you do NOT hang out a shingle to say you’re an accountant.  You need to be TRAINED.  However, for my field, it seems that anyone anywhere who is an enthusiast can call themselves a historian.  They are NOT.  They’re not trained.  Just like they cannot be an accountant, they cannot be a historian.  

SO, if we are in need of a change in nomenclature, let’s do it THERE not among those of us that are professionally trained.

[wvhistorian-blog]

After my first few weeks with the Plum Paper Planner, I have determined that I am a “simple PPP” user.  

I have concluded that those who decorate their planner must have far more time than I do to use this thing.  Yes, they’re pretty, but I didn’t find it terribly useful compared to using a more simple method. 

I’ve chosen to use this simply as a TOOL which it was supposed to be in my arsenal anyhow, so I wanted to share some things I learned early.

I AM addicted to this already.  Having all this information i one location is truly immensely helpful.  I shared the format I chose, which is MAE (morning, afternoon, evening).  As college faculty, I can put my courses in here where they belong along with meetings and things for work.  My children are adults, so I no longer schedule for younglings, but if I need to put hubby’s important dates here, I can.....I just chose not to add his “daily” stuff to my planner at this time.

I have a fitness section add-on.  I do the TTapp exercise regimen, so it doesn’t quite fit that format, but I make it work.  Next time, I’ll get additional “notes” pages and make my own, I think.  If you do tradtional “go to the gym” exercise, this could be very helpful for you.

I’m finding I use the notes pages more than I anticipated.  I opted to put mine in the back of the planner in the same place, and that’s been a perfect choice for me.  I’ve also been using the “To Do” add ons.  I began trying to use them daily, then changed my mind.  I just use them as needed.  IF there is no checkmark, that item still needs done.  It works well for me.  It would drive others nuts, I fear.

Finally, I have decided the stickers I’ve been using are VERY helpful, even though I don’t use them to decorate.  As I found out, I am far busier than it would require for me to decorate, but using the stickers as just a way to draw my eye to specific things during the week is good.  

One thing my adult daughter and I chose to do together with the planner was to put our menu items there.  She is living here while she finishes her masters degree, so she shares cooking.  It’s handy to have all the menu items in one place. I’m planning on, just for fun, to put Dr. Who stickers by HER nights to cook.  She loves her Dr. Who. :)

So, there you have it.  The simple way I use my planner without taking time I don’t have to “cutsie it up” as my daughter said.  It’s an immensely useful tool, and as a tool I love it. 

[wvhistorian-blog]

Modern Education and the Reality of Employment Needs

This is going to be a bit of a rant.  I apologize up front for that, but it needs said.

Today’s college students are not as literate as their homeschooled counterparts or those who are older adult students in my statistical study.  Ok, it was unofficial, but after teaching for a few years now, I’ve kept a running journal and I just read it today.......average age when the better literacy shows up in class--age 35 or a homeschool student.

What does that say about public education?  We’re passing on students who did NOT meet minimum standards in reading and writing.  Is it due to the focus on STEM?  I think not. I think it’s due to not wanting to “correct” and “hold back” students who don’t learn on grade level and pretend they are.

There, I said it....out loud.  Or rather I wrote it and read it back to myself.

I worked in the public schools for a few years, and found that I had seniors who read at a pre-K level who were graduating with the same diploma as the valedictorian.  I found students in 7th and 8th grade who couldn’t properly hold a pencil or copy a duplicate of a single sentence properly with punctuation.  This is unforgivable!  

Now, we fuss about “common core” and not doing cursive, but the reality is that we MUST get serious about education and demand that students MEET STANDARDS or be held back.  Hold them back for however long it takes to meet that standard---PERIOD.

What does employment have to do with this? The school I work for now has received numerous requests from employers nearly BEGGING us to send them LITERATE graduates to hire.  Apparently, we’re not doing that.  They repeatedly ask for graduates that can write a sentence, do basic math, and understand how to follow basic directions.  In MY day a third grader could do that, and nowadays our COLLEGE grads cannot do that.

How can we expect a better workforce when we’re sending them subpar employees?  Answer is we cannot.  

So, we either set a high bar and stop allowing students to limbo beneath it OR we will remain in the status quo.  Guess which one is the smart money?  Sadly.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Bureau of Land Management

While the BLM has been in the news a lot lately, and not for the best, I had to write a quick article on some of their records I found useful.

I have been tracking migration patterns of a specific group of people and found they went out to Minnesota for land in the 1820s.  I checked some records, and I found that if you send the BLM $2 per record (a really good price, I thought), you can order their land papers.  

I currently have 6 individuals on my list to order.  I decided to order every one with the last name I was seeking and I will sort them out once I receive the full paperwork.  

This could be quite useful for genealogical or historical research, so I wanted to write a quick bit about it while it was on my mind.  

[wvhistorian-blog]

Week 1 with Plum Paper Planner

Just had to write a follow up on my Plum Paper Planner experience.  

I have decided I am NOT a color coordinating person, AND even more importantly, I am not an INK person.  

I find that I prefer erasing things to marking them out, and I find that I am erasing more than I thought I would.  Example:  I altered dinner plans tomorrow twice.  By using pencil and eraser, I can keep updating as needed without marking out or using white out (which I hate). 

This is entirely ok with me.  The planner paper also takes my favorite mechanical pencil marks VERY VERY well.  I have also realized that although I wanted the Morning-Afternoon-Evening format, I still find myself just using the next available line.....So, there is a learning curve in many ways.

I’m also learning what I need to put in there and what I don’t.  I don’t need a check list for every task involved in cleaning the bathroom, for instance.  I don’t need that checklist.  I can put “clean bath” in the planner and mark it done when I’m finished and that’s enough for me.  

So far, I’m finding it to be rather helpful, though.  It keeps a lot of things in one place, and I needed that in my life.

[wvhistorian-blog]

I have officially entered the “life planner” universe today.  

I chose to use the company “Plum Paper” for my planner for two primary reasons--I liked their cover choices, and I wanted a morning-afternoon-evening layout for my schedule.  Other than that, it was all about price.  I paid a total of less than $50 for the planner including all the additional pages I added like extra to do lists and checklist pages along with a fitness tracker.

There are plenty of “How I Plan” videos out on You Tube (and I’ve watched most of them).  I cannot see myself spending a great deal of time color coordinating and washi taping my planner, although I CAN see value in STICKERS.  If I can place a sticker instead of writing things in long hand, then that saves me time. I got the stickers above from #mamasgotittogether on etsy at etsy.com/shop/mamasgotittogether.  They’re nicely made and they’re matte which I wanted in case I had to write on them.

So, WHY NOW?  Why did I choose this year to get into the planner craze? Well, to be truthful, I didn’t KNOW there was a planner craze. I am getting ready to enter into a potentially busy phase of my life and I needed to be more organized than I had been.  So, I decided to go back to what I knew....a pocket calendar.  

Hahaha.  It was WAY too small for my needs these days.  Yet, back in the days of running kids to soccer and dance practice, and working all the time it seemed to work for me.....not sure why there’s a difference EXCEPT that my current needs require more than just an entry like “D-soccer 7p.”  

The photos above are my planner front with my name blocked out.  I love the colors and they spelled my name correctly (and most folks don’t).  The inside is precisely as I ordered it and the paper is nice quality and slick.  It accomodates a pencil, a regular Bic pen (which I use for work) and MOST of my colored InkJoy pens. The only issue I’ve found thus far is that the lime green InkJoy doesn’t write on this paper.  That’s ok, since I rarely use that color, but if you do.....well, it’s worth mentioning.

I am already loving the morning-afternoon-evening divider since I teach college courses, and need to know what part of each day I’m blocked out for class.  There are some sections I can’t see myself using much, but I may alter my opinion later.  

All in all, though, the planner is well made, sturdy, and accommodates my pencil/pen habits which I needed.  After all, I’m using it as a planner not a scrapbook.  It remains to be seen if I can keep on track with it.  After all, that’s why I bought it in the first place....electronic just wasn’t working for me any longer.

If you want to check out PlumPaper planners, they are on etsy but also at www.plumpaper.com and don’t forget the stickers at #mamasgotittogether listed above.

[wvhistorian-blog]

Scrivener to Word for Genealogy

Jenny Tonks over at The Disciplined Genealogist (TDGen.com) has posted an excellent tutorial on converting genealogy files into a document via Scrivener and then into Word.  

You can find her words of wisdom and videos to guide you here:  http://tdgen.com/2016/01/13/porting-genealogy-data-in-word-via-scrivener/

[wvhistorian-blog]

Historical trends and....well...the truth.

Ok, I have to just lay this out there on the line.  Get it off my chest as it were.

I am entirely SICK of the historical community pandering to trends.  I just got a catalog of newly published American history books today and it is about 50 pages long.  Out of those 50 pages, only a precious few were titles that were not “playing off of” modern trends in the NEWS.  

Now, I’m not saying these are not stories that need told in every case, but I’m getting tired of seeing the only things published are in the fields of LGBT history and other such “subsets.”  The reason I’m tired of it is that I’m seeing it follow the NEWS MEDIA.  

As soon as the gay marriage debacle came out, I saw a huge uptick in LGBT history titles.  Now, there’s a lot of play in the media about African Americans and in this particular catalog a full 2/3 of the titles are all about that.

Yes, these stories probably need told, BUT....WHERE is the history of the Chinese or the Filipino history?  Why do we not see more on any woman who was not a militant feminist?

OR....why are all the new works out to vilify specific subsets of the population or the works are taking specific events out of GLOBAL context and making them seem “unique” to America in a disparaging way?  Do we REALLY need more doom and gloom books?

I have to wonder about these newly acquired PhD folk who are doing most of the publishing here because this seems as if the only topics approved for study are highly specific to a political agenda and/or are guided INTO a specific mindset.

Come on, folks, history encompasses a lot of things.  Can we just be more creative in our writing and publishing, please?  Just sayin’.