It was never about the money...

One of my extraordinary students has a forum. I am committing not to read it, cuz there are other students on the forum, and heck, people need privacy, they don't need a nosey teacher in their cyberspace. Ironically I will link them HERE: Bandawam. I had them linked on my MarsHill blogger. Bandawam and Brazen! Watch out when walking the streets...Bandawam and Brazen, two blogs that you could take into a dark alley. (Brazen! is the so-called "YO" from a previous comment.) Yo lives in the beautiful city of SF.

Lots going on this summer, Quiz Bowl Nationals in D.C., Summer Book Club, and moving into my new classroom, which I will (affectionately) dub "THE DUNGEON". Its a small dark room, with a South facing window which is located at the top of the wall. The inside of this wall is stone, perhaps, I can make the kids rock climb as a form of detention.

I watched "The Day After Tomorrow". I went with my "tocayo" and he was not too impressed, said it was "boring". I on the other hand was enthralled. If "Troy" is the movie to show in World History. This one is the one to show in Wd. G, or in Environmental Science. The only bad thing is that in the movie, the Academic Quiz Team gets stuck in NY, and realize that everything they worked for is all gone. I hope the HighQ and Decathlon team don't feel this way. Afterall the next ice age isn't due for awhile...

SPOILERS, Don't read if you don't want to spoil your movie experience.

1. great line at the end by the NASA astronaughts, "Its so clear outside". Irony, the whole movie is about the effects of Global warming, which of course is linked/caused by pollution, etc. So the whole catestrophic weather (towards humans) was earth's way of cleaning her system out!

2. Great scene, Statue of Liberty waist deep in ice! It reminded me of the end of Charleton Heston's "The Planet of the Apes" when he rides by the statue (tipped over). I thought those scenes were an homage to it.

3. The Gutenberg Bible, there are like 6 originals, and its in two volumes (at least the one at UT)...and why was that guy carrying just one!

4. The opening Environmental conference has in attendance, the Vice President of the U.S. c'mon, give me a break, like the VP is going to attend a conference on Global warning. Like a VP would even write a book on global warming...(well maybe before he became VP).

5. Just like in those volcano movies from 1999 (?), when everyone is covered in snow and ice, they all look alike. In the volcano movies or at least one, they had the people covered in ash...the message, we are all similar...humanity, mortal, why hate based on those subtle differences...

Well, time to run...Thanks for reading.

Culture of Fear

For some reason, I should know better, but the recent warnings have
made me think twice about my summer plans to travel. I should know better. And to change the subject, I was looking over our TAKS scores (the state mandated exit exam required for graduation), and noticing the names. It always amazes me, the many different names. Some unique ones, orperhaps not so unique. Names like Dakota, and we even have a Yukiko, but her last name is Spanish...I think I've taught 1000 students, and I've come across some cool names. This year I have a girl in class named Genesis. My magnet program kids scored 99% passing on the TAKS. I looked through the list and overall, I believe I had 2 kids failing the exam. One is not in the program, but in one of my classes. This student actually didn't pass any exam.

Ok, let's see if I mess up my template by emailing this post. Thanks for
reading...time to get some work done.

So much drama...

I hate drama, and the drama at work...is it over. Looks like I'm going to stay at my current position. I woke up with some bad dreams about leaving...so I wasn't sure to trust those dreams, and well, I asked some questions here and there, and it is better that I stay at this school, for the meanwhile.

Some interesting stuff over at BRAZEN, my friend E's blog, check it at: Brazen!. Ok enough posts for now...prb. b-back on Friday.

Lates...

Random Thoughts...

Occasionally on my old Mars Hill Blog I get hits from other places. What is interesting is that I am getting enquiries from Malaysia because I have in that blog references to a PD James novel, and a certain American actor of Japanese heritage. I guess in Malaysia there was a murder committed by a person with a similar last name. And they click on the link to my blog. And I've read other's blogs who type on a subject and they get some traffic because they use a certain word. I've gotten hits from search engines looking for "a*s*i*a*n*s, and "the P" word...

When I email posts it messes up the template. Hmmm. So I have to go in and edit. Not sure if I will be emailing posts. Its just as easy to log in to the blogger site as it is to login to email.

Running

After I posted via email earlier today, I decided I needed to get out, and so I sort ofjogged for 30 minutes. I really needed to clear my head. I didn't get much accomplished in terms of making a decision, but I realized that I do need to make some changes in my life. I've been known to be a pack rat, so #1, I need to get rid of stuff. I need to know God more fully.

A friend of mine ran a marathon, and you can see how much weight he's lost, so I have been contemplating running for several weeks, today I got out there. My friend who lostweight has been asking if I've run, finally I can say, I pounded pavement...currently sweating as I type...and as I ran I realized I need to set these goals in my life, otherwise I won't do anything, sad huh. Well here is my running goal: http://www.riograndemarathon.com/. It occurs on Halloween, so I have like 5 months to get into shape. Previously I had in mind "The Marathon of the Americas" in San Antonio which is on Veterans Day around November 11 or so...And so the last couple of weeks I was sitting on my butt and I was thinking, I can start running in June, which is almost here...but I really needed to get out. Did I say that? I took it easy today. There are two people I've met who/ one is my good friend Tony who have lost lots of weight from running. The other guy was this guy in Austin. I hadn't seen him in like half a year, and the guy is like all skinny. He says that he just ran whenever he found time. Pretty inspirational.

Email thoughts and "TROY"

Emailing posts is pretty cool. Some problems is that the format comes out as it would in email. Like in my previous post, the words don't wrap around...

But I am imagnining the possibilities. You could be out in the "field" and make changes to your blog...Ok, I'm sure all this is "old skool" cuz there photoblogs, and other mobile blogs...I guess I'm just amazed.

"Troy"

This adaptation to Homer's "Illiad" is perhaps the best action movie I've seen in awhile. Ok its been a little bit since I saw "Kill Bill"...but this movie rocks. I found it interesting that this movie treats the whole interaction of the gods skeptically, or rather chooses not to have the gods. Just like in our modern day times, we wonder if there is a God/ and gods. If you read the "Illiad" the gods are major players...well not so in the movie. I thought this is a great commentary on modern society's view on God. Was that redundant?

The fights scenes were PHAT.

Pimp my Ride

Have you ever seen that show? Its pretty funny. They take these old vehicles and fix them up, pimpin is what the young people call it.

Thoughts of Summer

Yikes, summer is so close. But so far...I'm typing like a mad man cuz, there is a bit of anxiety at the moment as I think of my decision. And of course the stress of ending the school year, with grades due and all that...

Thanks for reading. Hopefully more later.

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Decisions

Well, I was asked to transfer to another school to start a HIGH Q Program and take over their Academic Decathlon team. I have been praying over the decision. And of course mostpeople's first question: Are you getting more money?

I've been watching all those get your home organized shows, and apparently there are pack rats just like me. I'm getting inspired.

Blogging Via Email

Ok, let's see how this works. I'm in my email, and
I'm sending a mail to blogger. And I wonder how long
this will take to post? Also, how much do I
type if this is a bust. We've all had those horror
stories where we lose an assignment due to some
computer glitch...ok, well, here I go, and click on
the send button...

IT WORKS! Problem, is the "signature" line that
commercial emails send with your letter.

I've read blogs where people emailed, or "im"ed their
posts. It is tooooooo cool. Way cool.







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A New Blog: Semi conscience ramblings...

As you can see by my mission statement to the right, "this blog is to be a synthesis" of two past blogs, my personal site, and my "team" blog. I almost abandoned blogger, but they had a face lift, and I thought, hey let's give it a try. Ironically about a month ago in quiz bowl practice we came across an old question that asked what a website would be called when it is no longer updated...the answer was "gravesite". I've yet to see anyone use that term. But I admit, I feel like a digital serial killer cuz I've abandoned many a site in my day, including a blog or two.

Mars Hill Today is a blog I attempted to write with some friends. Ironically due to low readership, I lost a writer here, and there...Occasionally something will get my fancy, and I would post on Mars Hill Today...alright, I didn't want to change the format, so I just up and created this site! Ok, you got it out of me. I also want to continue my attempt to review (or more precisely comment on) a book a week. Number 7 is on this site, and 1-6 are over at the Mars Hill Today.

"The Wonderful World..." Blog sort of fizzled out in terms of my interest in it...and since I have a Xanga, I decided to write more often on it, but I will divide my time between the two. My Xanga, being a part of a community, gets some "hittage".

Thanks for stopping by, thanks for reading....

"There Are No Shortcuts" Book Review #7

I've decided to try out the new blogger format!

"There Are No Shortcuts" is a book written by Rafe Esquith. He was once the Teacher of the Year for the whole United States of America. He teaches in inner city LA. I believe the cover of the book says that it is part "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and part (YIKES, something else). I purchased it because the cover contained the word motivation. So I read his book in one sitting on Sunday night. I needed some inspiration, and some ideas. I think I came away with some ideas to implement on my own. In many respects, I feel that there is no sence in reinventing the wheel, so I go to books like this one to find ideas.