Monthly Archives: September 2009

Blogs and octopodes

I just upgraded this blog to the latest version of WordPress, due to a WordPress worm that was infecting all sorts of sites. I wasn’t vulnerable, but it doesn’t pay to be complacent.

The reason I wasn’t vulnerable is because the worm needs to be able to create an account, and I’ve disabled new account creation. I used to require an account to comment, as an anti-spam feature. Now I require people to answer a question about octopodes, or octopuses. Turns out the plural is questionable. Regardless, it has blocked 100% of the spam, and as long as I’m the only one using that question, it’s likely to remain effective.

Sylvia starts Kindergarten

Last Thursday, Sylvia started school at Park Spanish Immersion, the local public school for English speakers whose parents want them to learn Spanish. This morning at the school bus stop she taught the whole family a convoluted counting song she’s learned. It’s the kind where you add a motion with each verse, until it’s impossible to keep up without just convulsing randomly. (Not long after cinco, in this case.)

Most districts in the Twin Cities seem to have a Spanish immersion schools, and there are plenty of other languages available in the public schools. You can thank open enrollment, whereby Minnesota students can apply to any school, regardless of where they live. (Busing is only available within one’s home district, though.)