MrsDrPoe: What to Expect the First Year

For the latest Reading Review, I present the follow-up book to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.*

This book is a fairly easy read, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is a multitude of information between the covers; I'll definitely be purchasing a reference copy of my own**.  The work is broken down into months, with each containing what your baby may be able to do, what things you may be having questions about, and things to expect from well-checkups.  Illustrated guides to holding, bathing, breastfeeding, and other activities are included, as well as growth and immunization charts, first recipes, common childhood infections, tips for helping older children and pets get used to the new addition, and a review of items to buy for baby.

I really don't have any negative comments about this book; although, as Ms. Murkoff herself cautions, nothing in her book should trump what your doctor tells you.

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read. 

**I recently found a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" at a thrift store for $1.50.  Be sure to check out used books before paying full price at a bookstore or even the reduced price on Amazon.

MrsDrPoe: Lift

It's once again Thesis Tuesday here on the blog!  Today we'll be discussing another external flow property, lift.

For asymmetrical objects moving through a fluid, there exists a resultant force from pressure and shear stress normal to the upstream velocity, termed lift.  It can be calculated as:

L = -int(p*sin(theta))dA + int(tauw*cos(theta))dA

however, as previously mentioned, these distributions are difficult to determine.  Thus, the lift coefficient is often used:

CL = L/(0.5*rho*U*U*A)

As with the drag coefficient, CL = f(shape, Re, Ma, Fr, epsilon/l).  The Froude number is only important if there is a free surface present.  Surface roughness is often unimportant in therms of lift as well.  The importance of Ma is low except for high-speed subsonic and supersonic flows.  Reynolds number also yields no great impact; however, for high-Re flows, shear stress has little effect on the shape of an object is the key factor in the lift force placed on it.

Bodies designed to generate lift, like airfoils, typically do so by generating a pressure distribution that is different on the top (low) and bottom (high) surface of the body.  For symmetric airfoils to generate lift, they must be moving through the fluid at some angle of attack.  For asymmetric airfoils, there is some non-zero angle of attack for which no lift is generated.  If the angle of attack is too large, however, the boundary layer along the airfoil separates and is unable to reattach to the body.  This event is known as stall, and it is especially dangerous if it occurs for low-flying aircraft.  For calculation of CL, the planform area (A = b*c) is used, where b is the length of the airfoil (into the page), and c is the chord length.  Thus, the lift is the dynamic pressure times the planform area of the wing.  The wing loading or average lift per unit area of the wing (L/A) is also useful for design, as is the aspect ratio (b*b)/A.  From these characteristics, it can be determined that longer wings are more efficient, but more difficult to maneuver in flight.

Since, for most cases, the shear stress is not important for calculating lift, the potential flow solution can be employed to determine this force.  For airfoils at angles of attack not equal to zero, the potential solution alone causes incorrect streamlines at the trailing edge of the airfoil.  This can be corrected with the addition of circulation or clockwise swirl to the solution.  While this may seem random, arbitrary, or inappropriate, this addition has well founded physical and mathematical grounds.


Next week, we'll look at calculating lift and drag.  Happy studying!

MrsDrPoe: Deals, 1/22

There aren't tons of deals to report this Money Monday, which is probably good for me since we've been so busy lately!  Here are a few of the free/really cheap items out there this week:

CVS
Estroven 28ct ($9.99) - get $9.99 back in ECBs

Wags
Ultimate Flurry Protein Bar ($1.99) - get back $1.99 in RR
$10 back WYB $20 in Gas-X ($5) or Ex-Lax ($5) - $2/1 SS 12/04, SS 10/23 (buying four and using a Q for each make them $0.50 apiece)
 

MrsDrPoe: House Progress, Week 3

It's another Foto Friday here on the blog!  Here's our remodeling progress from this week:

Living Room: fireplace grate painted black
Kitchen: hung curtains, tested painting the kitchen hardware
Dining Room: hung curtains, painted fan
Stairwell: removed all the super-high wall paper
Spackled: all upstairs closets and bedrooms
Painted: all light fixtures in office, baby room, guest room, and hallway

We still haven't totally finished a room (sadly), so I thought it might be more beneficial to you readers out there if I shared some more do-it-yourself tips.  Today's topic: the oft necessary pre-painting task of Spackling.

Upon close investigation of most of the rooms in our place, we found all kinds of holes in all kinds of places where things have been previously hung.  We didn't want to keep them, so Mr. Poe sent me about with trowel and Spackle in hand.


Step 1: Carefully inspect the wall for holes:

Step 1.5: If the hole has a fuzzy-looking portion of drywall sticking out, lightly tap the drywall into the hole with the trowel handle (you may enlarge the hole slightly, but this will make for a smoother finished surface).  If the hole happens to have a plastic screw anchor in it, firmly but gently pull out the anchor with a pair of needle-nosed pliers.


Step 2: Apply the Spackle over the hole using a trowel.  Be sure to start with a small mound of the compound on the tool and 'push' it into the hole (as opposed to smearing it or spreading it):

Step 3: Run the smooth side of the trowel across the wall over the hole and surrounding areas 1-2 times in order to smooth it:

Step 4: Let the Spackle dry for the recommended period of time before sanding the area with a light grit sandpaper (320ish) and then wiping the entire wall down with a cleaning solution:

Happy Spackling!

MrsDrPoe: The "S" Cycle of Apostasy

Another Thursday means another Theology Thursday here on the blog!  As always, I invite you to open up your Bibles with me as we look at another portion of God's word.

During this segment of Bible classes, I've been in the study the Judges.  One of our class objectives is to describe the recurring "S" cycle of Israel's apostasy, and our associated goal for the segment is to personally identify factors in our lives that can cause us to fall into this same cycle.

The cycle we see in the time of the judges is:

Sin - each of the children of Israel "did what was right in his own eyes," without regard to God's law
Servitude - as promised, the rampant sinning of Israel was punished by God through oppression by one or more of the surrounding nations
Supplication - after a certain period of time, the children of Israel cry out to God with repentant hearts
Salvation - being a merciful God, the Lord raises up a judge to (typically) militarily rescue Israel from its oppressors

Without fail, shortly after the lives of the children of Israel started going well again, they forsook the Lord and turned back to sin.

In class we've discussed several of the reasons for the continuation of this cycle:

-General Disobedience to God
*Not driving out the inhabitants of the land
*Not destroying the Idols in the land
*Doing what was right in their own eyes

-Evil Associations
*Made covenants with enemies
*Intermarried with the inhabitants of the land

-Poor Leadership
*At the national level (general slacking of priests and tribal leaders)
*At the family level (not teaching children about the Lord)

Since we are given the Old Testament as a selective, redemptive history, it is essential that we examine the text with the intent to make application to our lives.  In the case of the "S" cycle, as our class goal suggests, we need to identify things in our own lives that can cause us to enter this downward spiral:

-General Disobedience to God
*Are we studying the Word of God daily?
*Are we applying the teaching of Jesus in our lives?
*Do we base ALL of our decisions of what God considers to be right?

-Evil Associations
*Are our closest friends trying to get to heaven or doing what's right in their own eyes?
*Are our significant others desiring a God-centered relationship with us?
*What are our hobbies/favorite TV shows/etc.?
*Where can we be found on a Friday/Saturday night?

-Poor Leadership
*Are our husbands leading the family in a Godly direction?
*Are we bringing up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord?


At the beginning of every new year come new resolutions.  I would encourage you to join me in being resolved to no longer be "charmed by the world's delights" but to instead seek to identify and eliminate the things in my life that cause me to seek the way of the world instead of the way of the Lord.

MrsDrPoe: The Best Diet Plan Ever

What's for Dinner Wednesday?  How about diet food you'll love?  I know, I know...every diet promises that and none of them deliver.  Tonight I'd like to share with you what I've found to be the best diet plan ever, as a pseudo-foodie who has struggled with her weight for the majority of her life...

Moderation.

Why It's Worked for Me

Ever since the Atkins diet became popular, friends and family have been hearing me say, "I could never do that...I love carbs way too much!"  The one thing that Atkins has in common with almost every other diet is that it very strictly limits the amount of something that you can eat.  Atkins cuts out most carbs; Paleo cuts out dairy and grains; vegetarian/juice diets cut out meat; others simply cut out all fat (so food often tastes like cardboard).  

I like food way too much to cut anything out completely; even so, it makes no sense to me that I should cut out 'naturally occurring' food products like meat, dairy, grains, veggies/fruits with too much sugar, etc.  Other dieting negatives for me include: 1) it's very difficult to hold to these strict dieting regimens when eating out or eating at someone's house and 2) I get the cravings of a pregnant woman when I have had no ____ (fill in the blank) for an extended period of time, which typically leads to binging when I finally give in.

The moderation-style of dieting made popular in recent years by Weight Watchers has been fantastic for me because it allows me to eat some of anything, anywhere without being hungry or wishing for flavor.  If I'm pairing moderation with healthier choices (read: not "ok...2000 cal/day means I can have 2.5 pieces of cake today for my meals"), I don't have to necessarily worry about any vitamin or nutrient deficiencies in my diet either.  And I get a few cookies and things, which keeps me from eating all my baking leftovers while Mr. Poe is at work.  Love! 


Careful Implementation

I think one of the major problems with anyone (including myself) who claims to be dieting by moderation but doesn't actually see any progress (or even weight gain) over time is that we're not being careful in our implementation- we're totally haphazard in keeping track of what we've eaten all day, or (and this is the killer) we are meticulous about what we eat at meals but not with drinks or snacks.


If you're dieting by moderation, you need to choose a method of keeping track of what you have eaten and can still eat for the rest of the day.  Programs like Weight Watchers have special slide-rule type things that help you calculate a "point value" for things you eat; for the past few months, I've found literal calorie counting to be most helpful.

Being a very analytical engineer, I love Microsoft Excel; thus, I made a spreadsheet to calculate the number of calories I was consuming for each meal and snack.  I kept very close count for the first month until I became familiar enough with the amounts of certain foods I could eat and still stay in my daily caloric weight-loss limits.  I've successfully lost (and kept off...even through the holidays) 10 pounds in the past two months by simply watching what I eat.*

While moderation allows you to eat full-fat foods in moderation (duh), you can save calories/points/etc. by making lower calorie substitutions in recipes you already know and love (another bonus- no need to buy new cookbooks).  Mr. Poe and I have found that "light" is almost as good as "regular" and MUCH better than "fat free" for most products.  Splenda in tea (or coffee, etc.) also ensures that anyone raised in the south isn't drinking his/her daily calorie allotment.

So as long as you're paying attention to how much you're eating, your menus don't need to change that much (note: eating your weight-loss calorie limit in pizza, cake, etc. may help you loose weight, but it isn't exactly healthy...i.e. you may consider changing your menu some).  And when you've lost the desired amount of weight, you can up your daily calorie limit while continuing to keep count.  


Support Is Crucial


While you may be the type of person who is totally self-motivated when it comes to dieting, I am not.  It helps me to have someone to talk to about my progress and the day-to-day fluctuation that comes occasionally when we eat out or with someone else.  In the past, I've found it particularly encouraging to share my stories with Ms. K. Davis; keeping my dieting secret from Mr. Poe to see when he would start to notice.  

During my recent weight-loss adventure, I ended up having to tell Mr. Poe when he asked why I had reduced my dinner portion sizes consistently (Rev 21:8); he's been particularly supportive and extra complimentary, which has also been an encouragement.  As with any life-style changing endeavor, a support person(s) provides not only support but accountability (as frustrating as it can be sometimes).  So partner your spreadsheet with frequent calls/texts to a friend.


*Words of Caution

Ideally, diet should be paired with exercise.  With work, Bible studies, and house stuff taking all my time currently, I have not been able to exercise as I would like to; however, I am planning to start when we move.  Also, any diet program that you begin should not be started when you are pregnant or nursing or without consulting your primary physician (note: any time is a good time to start eating healthier...but not eating healthier with the intent to loose weight).


What diets have worked best/worst for you?

MrsDrPoe: The Broadwells

For the next edition of Poes' Pals, I'd like you to meet some of our new friends, the Broadwells:

Mr. Poe has known Mr. Broadwell for a long while; both attended the same summer camps and Bible studies when they were younger.  The oldest of four sons, Mr. Broadwell returned home to Atlanta after school.  

Mrs. Broadwell is a new addition to both our lives; she moved to the big city shortly after we did.  A speech pathologist currently employed by a local school system, she enjoys working with children.

We have greatly enjoyed the friendship of this wonderful couple.  Mr. Poe has particularly appreciated discussing history and execution of Psalms and songs with the very knowledgeable Mr. Broadwell.  I have liked talking with Mrs. Broadwell about teaching children (among other 'womanly' things).  The Broadwells are true servants of Christ, and we look forward to many more years of worshiping with them (Lord willing)! 

MrsDrPoe: Drag

Good morning, and happy Thesis Tuesday!  Today we'll be continuing our look at external flow with a brief discussion on drag.

Drag is a net force in the direction of the flow due to the pressure and shear forces on the surface of the object that is moving through a fluid.  If the pressure distribution and wall shear stress are known, drag can be determined from:

D = int(p*cos(theta))dA + int(tauw*sin(theta))dA

however, there are very few cases for which this data can be found analytically.  Typically, drag is determined from a given drag coefficient, CD:

CD = D/(0.5*rho*U*U*A)

As we will see, CD = f(shape, Re, Ma, Fr, epsilon/l), where epsilon is surface roughness.

Friction drag, Df, is the portion of drag due to the viscous shear stress on the object (the second term in the drag equation above).  Typically, the surface of an object rotated in any fashion has parts parallel and perpendicular to the flow, but if we examine the case of a very thin flat plate, it can be seen that there is no friction drag force on the plate rotated perpendicularly to the flow.  The friction drag on a flat plate can be determined by:

Df = 0.5*rho*U*U*b*l*CDf

Pressure drag, Dp, is the portion of drag due to the pressure (or normal stresses) on an object (the first term in the drag equation above).  The pressure drag can be found by:

Dp = 0.5*rho*U*U*A*CDp

where:  CDp = int(Cp*cos(theta))dA/A

Here, Cp is a pressure coefficient:

Cp = (p - po)/(0.5*rho*U*U)

where po is a reference pressure, which does not influence the drag (the difference is important).


In most cases, the net effects of friction drag and pressure drag are considered instead of examining each type of drag individually as in the second equation above.  As mentioned before, drag is influenced by many different aspects of the flow.


One of the most important contributors to the drag coefficient is the shape of the submerged body.  Obviously, objects range in size from streamlined to blunt; more blunt objects (l/D -> 0, D >> l) result in larger drag coefficients.  For extremely thin, streamlined bodies (l/D -> infinity, D << l) such as thin airfoils, the bodies are essentially tread as flat plates.


Reynolds number also affects the drag coefficient.  At very low Re (<1), inertial effects are very small and CD = 2*C/Re, where C is a constant dependent upon size.  For moderate Re, CD = Re^-0.5.  For very high Re, CD increases for streamlined bodies and decreases for blunt bodies.  For extremely blunt bodies, there CD depends little upon Reynolds number.


For sufficiently large object velocities (Ma > 0.5), compressibility effects become important and the drag coefficient becomes a function of Mach number (Ma = U/c).  Sharp-pointed bodies develop their maximum drag coefficient around Ma = 1 (sonic flow), while that for blunt bodies increases with Ma far above Ma = 1.


For streamlined bodies, drag increases with increased surface roughness; however, for blunt bodies the opposite is true.


The Froude number (U/sqrt(g*l)) is the ratio of free-stream speed to a typical wave speed on the interface of two fluids, such as the surface of the ocean.  Wave drag, Dw can be a complex function of the Froude number and body shape:

CDw = Dw/(0.5*rho*U*U*l*l)

Often approximate drag calculations for a complex body can be obtained by examining the body as a collection of various parts.  The drag on each simpler part can be calculated and added together to determine the overall drag on the body.




So that's drag!  Until next week, happy studying!

MrsDrPoe: Deals, 1/15

Happy Money Monday to all!  Here are the deals going on this week:

CVS
Buy 3 American Greetings cards ($0.99 and up), get $3 back in ECBs
RepHresh Tampons ($6.49), get $2 back in ECBs, use $4 store Q (from kiosk)

Wags
South Beach Bars ($5.99), get $5.99 back in RR
Thermacare Patches ($2.49), get $2.49 back in RR

MrsDrPoe: House Progress, Week 2

As promised last Foto Friday, here's our house progress after the second week:

Kitchen** - walls finished, bead board finished, outlet covers put back, fan painted*, curtains received, curtain rods painted
Sunroom - fan painted*
Living Room** - fan painted*
Entry - walls finished, outlet covers put back on
Dining Room** - walls finished, outlet covers put back on, curtains received, curtain rods painted
1/2 Bath - walls finished, hardware painted, light fixture painted

We still have the floor and a few small things to do downstairs (**in these rooms), so I won't show you any finished pictures of these areas until the remodeling is complete...but the 1/2 bath is finished for now with it's tan walls and new grey hardware (though in the years to come we hope to tile and revamp the vanity):

*As Mama Poe can attest, when our house was built, brass was the thing to have...everywhere.  It is literally on every light fixture, door knob, etc. in our house, and I strongly dislike it.  After successfully defeating the brass in the 1/2 bath with a trusty can of spray paint, I decided to wage war on our ceiling fans:

While perhaps not the ideal solution, this idea was definitely an inexpensive fix until we can afford something a little more modern.  I love that the all-white fan against the white ceiling is much less obtrusive than the shiny brass.


Do It Yourself Tips: 
-First clean and dust the fan parts, and sand shiny surfaces with a fine grit sand paper (320ish).  
-If possible, remove the fan from the ceiling and disassemble before painting; however, painting the fixture while it's intact is do-able.
-Have mineral spirits or paint thinner on hand for cleanup.
-Apply paint in several thin coats to avoid drips. 

MrsDrPoe: The Cost of Discipleship, Part II

Welcome to this Theology Thursday on the blog!  As always, I invite you to open your Bibles with me as we look at another passage on the cost of discipleship.

In Mark 6:7-34, the gospel writer employs one of his favorite literary techniques to emphasize what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  In this 'sandwich' or story-within-a-story, Mark tells us about the sending out and return of the 12 apostles and the beheading of John the Baptist.

While the two stories in this sandwich are connected by the idea of teaching everyone- the apostles are going out to the surrounding country to proclaim repentance, and John is killed because he taught King Herod that his marriage was unlawful in God's eyes- they also emphasize that the cost of discipleship is everything.  

Throughout John's ministry, it is obviously that he has given his life for the Lord (dwelling in the wilderness, teaching the Word, dressed in camels' hair, eating locusts and wild honey, etc.), and at the end of his life on this earth, his martyrdom reiterates that he had indeed put to death his old man daily.

The apostles are just beginning their ministry when they are sent out two by two with nothing but the gospel and their trust and faith in the Lord to aid them in their journey.  As they return at the end of this passage to tell Jesus of their travels, Christ again shows them by forfeiting His own rest to show compassion on those in the multitude who are like sheep without a shepherd that being like the Lord means daily self sacrifice to His work!

As we saw in Luke passage last week, Christianity only leads to daily death on the cross, and we must be willing to pay this price to truly follow the Lord.

MrsDrPoe: Holiday Coffee

It's another What's for Dinner Wednesday where 'dinner' isn't so much dinner but a drink.  As you all know, I love the Christmas season with all it's sights and scents, and this year, I experimented with creating a coffee that encapsulated all of it.

Ingredients: 1 cup coffee beans (OR ground coffee), 2 tablespoons mulling spices (OR approximately 2 tablespoons combined of orange rind, cinnamon sticks, fresh nutmeg, and allspice OR 2 tablespoons combined of orange zest, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice).

If you have a coffee grinder- place the beans and mulling spices (or first substitute) in your machine, and grind the mixture to your desired constancy.

If you don't have a coffee grinder- place the grounds and second substitute for mulling spices in a small bowl or coffee filter, and stir to combine.

Brew the seasoned grounds as normal, and serve up your cup of Joe with sugar and creamer if desired.  Enjoy!

MrsDrPoe: The Bronze Bow

Today I present to you another work of fiction, "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare:

This book is about a young Jewish man during the time of Christ who is actively looking for the prophesied Messiah to bring His Kingdom and end Roman rule in Israel.  As he hears of Jesus, his view slowly changes from one of a hateful rebel sworn to vengeance to one of peace, love, and acceptance.

The Bronze Bow as a quick read but well-written and with a good plot.  Though it took a few chapters to meet and get to know the main characters, I quickly found myself engrossed in the story and urging them to go listen to Jesus' teachings and apply them.  The book made me wonder more about what I would've thought and done if I were a Jew or a Gentile during the time of Jesus and if I would've had faith to follow Him or if I would've just listened to His 'interesting stories.'

The work is fiction of course, but a few things bothered me about the story.  One thing was the fact that Simon the Zealot in the story seems to know nothing of Jesus or the teachings of John the Baptist who 'paved the way' for Jesus when in Acts 1:22, it appears that one of the qualifications for apostleship is that a man was there "from the baptism of John."  What could possibly be called 'artistic license' aside, I didn't have any negative comments about the book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

MrsDrPoe: Momentum Integral Example

As promised last week, we'll look at an example problem using the momentum integral boundary layer equation.

Example: If the boundary layer velocity profile is approximated at u = U*y/delta in the boundary layer and u = U in the free stream, and the displacement thickness is measured at 6.7 cm, determine the boundary layer and momentum thicknesses.

Given: u(y) = U*y/delta, u(y) = U if y > delta, delta* = 6.7 cm

Find: boundary layer thickness, momentum thickness
Solution:

Choose some Y in the free stream:

delta* = int(1 - (u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|0,Y 

= int(1 - (u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|0,delta + int(1 - (u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|delta,Y 

= int(1 - (U*y/delta)/Uinfinity)dy|0,delta + int(0)dy|delta,Y 

= int(1 - (y/delta))dy|0,delta 

= (delta - (delta*delta)/(2*delta)) 

= delta - delta/2 = delta/2

delta = 2*delta* = 13.4 cm

Theta = int((u(y)/Uinfinity)*(1 - u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|0,Y

= int((u(y)/Uinfinity)*(1 - u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|0,delta + int((u(y)/Uinfinity)*(1 - u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|delta,Y

= int((u(y)/Uinfinity)*(1 - u(y)/Uinfinity))dy|0,delta + int(0)dy|delta,Y

=int((y/delta)*(1 - y/delta))dy|0,delta

= (delta*delta)/(2*delta) - (delta*delta*delta)/(3*delta*delta)

= delta/6

Theta = delta/6 = 2.233 cm

Not too bad, huh?  Until next week, happy studying!

MrsDrPoe: Drugstore Deals, 1/8

It's another Money Monday on the blog!  There are some nice freebies out there this week, so be sure to check out your local stores.

CVS
Kodak DVD ($4.99) - get $4.99 back in ECBs
Mars Singles ($0.75) - get $0.75 back in ECBs
CVS Vitamin D, 100 ct. ($3.49) - get $3.49 back in ECBs
Maxwell House Coffee, 34.5 oz ($8.99) - get $1 back in ECBs

Wags
Tylenol Precise Cream or Patches ($5.99) - get $3 back in RRs, $2/1 in SS 9/11
Syntha 6 Bar ($1.89) - get $1.89 back in RRs

Let me know what other deals you're looking forward to this week, and happy saving!