3 pm

just watched...

A fun little fluff. Lots of interwoven stories that are nicely resolved at the end. And a great soundtrack.

done...

Took me longer than expected but I got all my homework done. I'll be able to enjoy tomorrow without having anything particular to do.

i say... and you think...?

1. Fresh air :: Maine
2. Bodyguard :: security
3. Wedding :: celebration
4. Remind :: note to self
5. Wicked :: Awesome
6. Crawling :: creeping
7. Gasoline :: $2.99/gallon
8. Anyone :: everyone
9. Dancing :: by myself
10. Wall :: paint



#383

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Just Because Meme

1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up. my IdeaPad, the phone, my homework that is waiting to be done, the t.v., and tissues

2. How do you style your hair? How often do you cut it? it is curly, side part... I cut it about every four months

3. What are you wearing now? skirt and t-shirt and underthings

4. What's your occupation? Do you like it? I teach high school social studies and it's a long weekend, I love it usually

5. When was the last time that you took a nap? Was there a special reason? yesterday I took a nap because I could

6. Who was the last person you hugged romantically? the dog

8. What was the last full meal that you ate? breakfast

9. What was the last email that you received? my horoscope

10. What one website do you always visit when you go online? Google, it's my home page

11. What was the last significant thing you bought? my IdeaPad and a new printer

12. What musical artist did you not get at first, but then became a fan? the Black Eyed Peas

13. What do you think about before you go to bed last night? the House episode I left mid-episode

14. What was the last CD you bought? Now That's What I Call Music # 32

15. What is your favorite weather, and why? What's the weather like today? I like the 70s with a light breeze to keep the flies away, not humid... because it's perfect... the weather today is sunny and breezy in the 60s

16. If you could have a special artistic talent, what would it be? to make my ideas come to life

17. Did you watch the Idol 9 finale? If yes, what are your thoughts? there were strange musical guests but it was fun and I'm pleased with the outcome

18. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now? nothing comes to mind

19. Any special plans for this (holiday in the States) weekend? nope, just chillin' out

20. Besides your current S/O, who was the last person that you loved romantically? the dog

Students fight for the right to protest

At some schools, free speech stops when the bell rings

When students protested a crackdown on tardiness at Oak Park and River Forest High School, school officials dispersed the crowd within minutes, called police to a second planned sit-in and threatened to take away seniors' rights to prom and graduation.

Similarly, in West Chicago, school officials quickly quashed a middle school rally over the cancellation of a school play. Seventh and eighth graders were threatened with disciplinary action and were ordered to remove their costumes — prom dresses and tuxedos — because they were disrupting "the learning environment."

"We're studying the Constitution this year, and we knew we had a constitutional right to protest," said eighth grader Korrin Gladwin, 14, of West Chicago. "We felt like (school officials) should be listening to us. They were treating us like we were just a bunch of robots to be ordered around."

Students may be learning about First Amendment rights to free speech and participation in democracy, but they often find that when they exercise those rights in school, their fledgling movements are crushed.

Recent student demonstrations, including a rally by hundreds of Chicago Public School students against budget cuts, illustrate the point. The 823 Whitney Young High School students who walked out of class and marched to CPS headquarters May 5 all faced Saturday detention.

School officials say the need for a safe, orderly environment where students can learn outweighs the right to protest.

"When it gets to the point when you have people disturbing the learning environment, being loud and banging on doors, if you're hanging over the banister, then we'll have to react in a way that our learning environment stays safe," Oak Park and River Forest High School Principal Nathaniel Rouse said.

But Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center, an Arlington, Va.-based non-profit that helps student publications in battles with school principals and college administrators, sees it another way.

He said for students, school administrators are the government.

"When you teach young people who are very close to voting age that the government gets to decide what they can criticize, you shouldn't be surprised that we get damaged citizens," he said. "Too many (school officials) see student expression as a problem to be managed rather than an opportunity to teach."

Whitney Young High School Principal Joyce Kenner said students need to understand the repercussions for breaking rules.

"With every action there is a consequence," Kenner said. "Even though I believe their voices have to be heard, they have to be disciplined for their infractions."

Almost four decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of students who wore black armbands to protest the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, opening the way for student activism. In the 1969 case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the court stated that school officials clamping down needed to demonstrate the speech would invade the rights of others or cause "substantial disorder" of school activities.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the debate now often revolves around what constitutes "substantial disorder."

Some argue that provoking discussion and disagreement doesn't rise to the level of substantial disorder, but others disagree.

"The courts have been clear: The rights of students in school are not the same as adults in society," said Brian Schwartz, associate director and an attorney at the Illinois Principals Association.

In the West Chicago case, students clad in costumes and their supporters decided to stand outside after the morning bell rang. They figured they'd wait for five warnings. But Korrin Gladwin told West Chicago Elementary School District 33 school board members last week that an assistant principal came out and told them they were facing suspension and that eighth graders were putting graduation at risk.

"It made us feel devalued," said Korrin, tearfully reading a prepared statement for the board. "I understand the safety concerns, but you don't understand how hurt we are."

District 33 Superintendent Ed Leman said if the protest had occurred outside of school time, the students would have been within their rights.

In Oak Park and River Forest High School's case, the school began piloting new technology two weeks ago that forced late students to scan ID cards in the hallway and wait for a slip of paper detailing their violations before being allowed into class.

Some seniors, annoyed with the crackdown on tardiness just a few weeks before graduation, decided to protest. Through texting and word of mouth, students decided to converge on a specific hallway, forcing people to be late and thus tie up the new equipment.

Some classmates began crowd surfing. The principal said students were hanging off the banisters in the stairwell and refusing to leave the hall.

Tom Benedict, 18, a senior, says although the event did get out of control, it started as an "organized protest," and as such should have been permitted.

"Most students are completely against this, and so we should be allowed to protest against something if we think it's not right," he said.

In West Chicago, the protest got squelched, but parents stepped in. Their vocal criticism and student tears at the board meeting swayed school officials. The superintendent has decided the play will, in fact, go on.

Freelance reporter Vicky Edwards contributed to this report.

unreal...

Teacher in trouble after students don Klan robes
Georgia history teacher apparently allowed outfits during reenactment
updated 8:22 p.m. ET, Mon., May 24, 2010

DAHLONEGA, Ga. - A North Georgia teacher is on administrative leave and could lose her job after she allowed four students to don mock Ku Klux Klan outfits for a final project in a high school class Thursday, administrators said.

The sight of people in Klan-like outfits upset some black students at the school and led at least one parent to complain.

Catherine Ariemma, who teaches the advanced placement course combining U.S. history with film education, could face punishment ranging from suspension to termination, Lumpkin County School Superintendent Dewey Moye said Monday. Ariemma has spent nearly six years teaching in the rural county about 75 miles north of Atlanta.


She told The Associated Press Monday that students were covering an important and sensitive topic — but one that she might handle differently in the future.

"It was poor judgment on my part in allowing them to film at school," Ariemma said. "... That was a hard lesson learned."

History of racism
The incident happened at Lumpkin County High School. Ariemma said her students spend the year viewing films and later create their own films to watch in class. She said the students brainstorm and pick topics to cover. This particular class decided to trace the history of racism in America.

She said the class has 15 students of multiple races, but no blacks.

A group of five students took on the subject, which included covering the history of the notorious white supremacist group which had large chapters in Stone Mountain, Ga. and Tuscaloosa, Ala. One student filmed and did not wear sheets, she said.

"The kids brought the sheets in, they had SpongeBob party hats underneath to make it shaped like a cone," Ariemma said. "They cut out the eyes so they could see."

Ariemma said she led the students through a cafeteria to another location where they shot the scene. Later, she said another teacher approached her.

"That's when I heard there were a couple of students who were upset," she said.

Ariemma said she wasn't able to find those students to explain the project to them.

Frightened by robes
Monday, student Cody Rider told Atlanta's WSB-TV that his cousin was among those who saw the group in white sheets and was frightened.

"I got mad and stood up and I tried to go handle it," he told the TV station.

Moye said a black parent went to the school to complain that evening.

Ariemma has no history of missteps at the school, Moye said, but administrators of the roughly 90 percent white school system are taking the incident seriously.

"This stuff happened in history. Do you ignore it? No," he said. "But you certainly don't walk the hallway in the garb."

Ariemma says administrators will review the film and decide if it will be shown in the classroom. She said the students who wore the sheets were shaken when they realized that other students were upset.

pop!

Party poppers at Washington school leads to 12-year-old's suspension
By The Associated Press
May 28, 2010, 12:58PM
RENTON, Wash. -- A 12-year-old girl has been suspended for the rest of the year because she brought party poppers to Nelson Middle School in Renton.

Her father, Louis Green, told KIRO News she was suspended 18 days for being in possession of an explosive material.

Party poppers are sold as toys. They have a small explosive charge that makes a popping noise and sprays confetti when you pull a string.

saturday 9

Midnight Confessions

1. Have you ever had to confess something to a lover or friend? no

2. How well do you handle rejection? usually quite well

3. What makes you feel old? when my students can't relate to my Bugs Bunny references

4. What makes you feel young? not much gets by me at school

5. What’s something you are old school about? dressing nicely when going out in public

6. What TV show's seasons would you buy on DVD? Tell us why it rocks. Seinfeld, though it's on in syndication so I don't need to buy it... because it's a funny show about nothing

7. If you could create your own TV channel, what would it be? great movies, heavy on the chick flicks on Saturday night, classic episodes of all my favorites and some new fabulous reality shows

8. Where do you like to go for a day trip? shopping

9. Name some things that you still want to do in your life. creating a bucket list

friday fill-in

# 178

1. Potato chips -- the best food to take on a picnic.

2. Summer is on the way.

3. I have 9 pairs of flip flops.

4. To love someone is the most amazing feeling.

5. I wish I wanted to take a long hike.

6. When I crave food, it's usually chocolate.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include reading and doing my assignment and Sunday, I want to watch movies!

tgif...

I'm so happy tomorrow's Friday. And that it's a holiday weekend. I'm worn down and out. The students are shut down and full of complaints. Whining and complaining, complaining and whining. My friend wants to go to see Sex And The City tomorrow but I just don't feel up to it. I'd rather hang out at home, with my feet up, and relax.

Next week is going to be about the same--book group, negotiations and school functions and stuff.

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Colleagues who don't step up to the plate... yet complain about the problems.

idol chatter...

Part of me says this is a true what the heck moment... what the heck was this show? Could there have been a more random collection of artists? Where was the relevance? Anyhoodle... I'm very, very pleased that Lee won. I love Crystal but love Lee just a bit more. Less than 2% separated them.

My favorite part was the return of the Idols. All of them (except David Cook) were there!

wednesday wickedness

Today's quotes are from Simon Cowell:

1. “If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning.” How well do you swim? I used to swim often but haven't been in years

2. “I think he knows how to articulate something that people are entertained by and still be true to the message he's trying to send, ... very aware of himself.” How self aware do you think you are?
I'm in therapy, it's the nature of the game

3. “If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention.” Who has a big mouth that you like? uhmmmmm...does John Stewart count?

4. “I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that means being critical, so be it. I hate political correctness. I absolutely loathe it.” Do you believe in political correctness? what's to believe? The quote seems to be more about tact, of which I am a firm adherent

5. “I find Paula patronizing. It's as simple as that. Paula is more damaging than I am to these contestants because a lot of people just shouldn't be singing for a living.” Do you ever patronize people? I teach high school, it's part of the job description

6. “Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people.” Do you or someone you know strive constantly to be perfect? have you read my blog? I am very hard on myself in the pursuit of perfection


7. “I never want to hear that song again. I cannot stand it. I'm allergic to it.” What song are you totally sick of and why? after last night's Idol, Black Velvet--I realized I hate that song


8. “I like the fact that they're cocky now from the age of four.” How old were you when you got cocky? What changed to make you so? I wouldn't use the word cocky to describe myself--perhaps confident but that's a good thing

9. “And there's more open hostility among them because the competition is so intense.” When you compete with someone, have you ever gotten hostile? oh, yes! I've played killer Balderdash!

10. “Why are you having a normal conversation with him? This is a dairy farmer dressed as a woman.” Do you talk differently to someone because of the way that they are dressed? not that I am aware of

idol chatter...

So, I missed the airing of Idol, thankfully I figured my meeting would run late and I taped it. I really hate Black Velvet, I agree with Simon. And what Crystal's wearing doesn't match the kind of song it is. blah. Love that Lee covered a U2 song. Lee needs just a little more energy, but his vocal sounds great. It must be quite overwhelming for both Crystal and Lee to look out over the huge crowds that are cheering and clapping along with them. Hmmmm... I will be happy with either Crystal or Lee winning. I just think Lee's a little cuter.

ten things tuesday...

Ten things to know about Memorial Day.

1. It started with the Civil War

Memorial Day was a response to the unprecedented carnage of the Civil War, in which
some 620,000 soldiers on both sides died. The loss of life and its effect on communities throughout the North and South led to spontaneous commemorations of the dead:

In 1864, women from Boalsburg, Pa., put flowers on the graves of their dead from the
just-fought Battle of Gettysburg. The next year, a group of women decorated the graves of soldiers buried in a Vicksburg, Miss., cemetery.

In April 1866, women from Columbus, Miss., laid flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. It was recognized at the time as an act of healing sectional wounds. In the same month, up in Carbondale, Ill., 219 Civil War veterans marched through town in memory of the fallen to Woodlawn Cemetery, where Union hero Maj. Gen. John A. Logan delivered the principal address. The ceremony gave Carbondale its claim to the first organized, community-wide Memorial Day observance.

Waterloo, N.Y., began holding an annual community service on May 5, 1866. Although many towns claimed the title, it was Waterloo that won congressional recognition as the "birthplace of Memorial Day."

2. General Logan made it official

Gen. Logan, the speaker at the Carbondale gathering, also was commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans. On May 5, 1868, he issued General Orders No. 11, which set aside May 30, 1868, "for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion…."The orders expressed hope that the observance would be "kept up from year to year while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades."

3. It was first known as Decoration Day

From the practice of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, the holiday was long known as Decoration Day. The name Memorial Day goes back to 1882, but the older name didn't disappear until after World War II. Federal law declared "Memorial Day" the official name in 1967.

4. The holiday is a franchise

Calling Memorial Day a "national holiday" is a bit of a misnomer. While there are 11 "federal holidays" created by Congress-including Memorial Day-they apply only to Federal employees and the District of Columbia. Federal Memorial Day, established in 1888, allowed Civil War veterans, many of whom were drawing a government paycheck, to honor their fallen comrades with out being docked a day's pay.

For the rest of us, our holidays were enacted state by state. New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day a legal holiday, in 1873. Most Northern states had followed suit by the 1890s. The states of the former Confederacy were unenthusiastic about a holiday memorializing those who, in Gen. Logan's words, "united to suppress the late rebellion." The South didn't adopt the May 30 Memorial Day until after World War I, by which time its purpose had been broadened to include those who died in all the country's wars.

In 1971, the Monday Holiday Law shifted Memorial Day from May 30, to the last Monday of the month.

5. It was James Garfield's finest hour-or maybe hour-and-a-half

On May 30, 1868, President Ulysses S. Grant presided over the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery-which, until 1864, was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's plantation.

Some 5,000 people attended on a spring day which, The New York Times reported, was "somewhat too warm for comfort." The principal speaker was James A. Garfield, a Civil War general, Republican congressman from Ohio and future president.

"I am oppressed with a sense of the impropriety of uttering words on this occasion," Garfield began, and then continued to utter them. "If silence is ever golden, it must be beside the graves of fifteen-thousand men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung." It went on like that for pages and pages.

As the songs, speeches and sermons ended, the participants helped to decorate the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.

6. God knows, not even the Unknown Soldier can avoid media scrutiny these days

"Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." That is the inscription on the Tomb of the Unknowns, established at Arlington National Cemetery to inter the remains of the first Unknown Soldier, a World War I fighter, on Nov. 11, 1921. Unknown soldiers from World War II and the Korean War subsequently were interred in the tomb on Memorial Day 1958.An emotional President Ronald Reagan presided over the interment of six bones, the remains of an unidentified Vietnam War soldier, on Nov. 28, 1984. Fourteen years later, those remains were disinterred, no longer unknown. Spurred by an investigation by CBS News, the defense department removed the remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns for DNA testing. The once-unknown fighter was Air Force pilot Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, whose jet crashed in
South Vietnam in 1972. "The CBS investigation suggested that the military review board that had changed the designation on Lt. Blassie's remains to 'unknown' did so under pressure from veterans' groups to honor a casualty from the Vietnam War," The New York Times reported in 1998.

Lt. Blassie was reburied near his hometown of St. Louis. His crypt at Arlington remains permanently empty.

7. Vietnam vets go whole hog

On Memorial Day weekend in 1988, 2,500 motorcyclists rode into Washington, D.C.,
for the first Rolling Thunder rally to draw attention to Vietnam War soldiers still missing in action or prisoners of war. By 2002, the numbers had swelled to 300,000 bikers, many of them veterans. There may have been a half-million participants in 2005 in what organizers bluntly call "a demonstration-not a parade."

A national veterans rights group, Rolling Thunder takes its name from the B-52 carpet-bombing runs during the war in Vietnam.

8. Memorial Day has its customs

General Orders No. 11 stated that "in this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed," but over time several customs and symbols became associated with the holiday. It is customary on Memorial Day to fly the flag at half staff until noon, and then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset.Taps, the 24-note bugle call, is played at all military funerals and memorial services. It originated in 1862 when Union Gen. Dan Butterfield "grew tired of the 'lights out' call sounded at the end of each day," according to The Washington Post. Together with the brigade bugler, Butterfield made some changes to the tune.

Not long after, the melody was used at a burial for the first time, when a battery
commander ordered it played in lieu of the customary three rifle volleys over the grave.The battery was so close to enemy lines, the commander was worried the shots would spark renewed fighting.

The World War I poem "In Flanders Fields," by John McCrea, inspired the Memorial
Day custom of wearing red artificial poppies. In 1915, a Georgia teacher and volunteer war worker named Moina Michael began a campaign to make the poppy a symbol of tribute to veterans and for "keeping the faith with all who died." The sale of poppies has supported the work of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

9. There is still a gray Memorial Day

Several Southern states continue to set aside a day for honoring the Confederate
dead, which is usually called Confederate Memorial Day: Alabama: fourth Monday in
April; Georgia: April 26; Louisiana: June 3; Mississippi: last Monday in April; North
Carolina: May 10; South Carolina: May 10; Tennessee (Confederate Decoration Day):
June 3; Texas (Confederate Heroes Day): January 19; Virginia: last Monday in May.

10. Each Memorial Day is a little different

No question that Memorial Day is a solemn event. Still, don't feel too guilty about doing something frivolous, like having barbecue, over the weekend. After all, you weren't the one who instituted the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911. That credit goes to Indianapolis businessman Carl Fisher. The winning driver that day was Ray Harroun, who averaged 74.6 mph and completed the race in 6 hours and 42 minutes.

Gravitas returned on May 30, 1922, when the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated.
Supreme Court chief justice (and former president) William Howard Taft dedicated the
monument before a crowd of 50,000 people, segregated by race, and which included
a row of Union and Confederate veterans. Also attending was Lincoln's surviving son,
Robert Todd Lincoln.

And in 2000, Congress established a National Moment of Remembrance, which asks
Americans to pause for one minute at 3pm in an act of national unity. The time was
chosen because 3pm "is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms
on the national holiday."

from mental_floss

humming puppies

inspiration...

Swiped from Cajunvegan. My nap sector would be bigger.

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

chores...

Finished this week's book group assignment. Finished laundry. Feeling nappish.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Voice Post Meme

1) What's your middle name? Faye

2) How old are you? 44

3) Where are you from? Are you living there right now? here and yes

4) Is it cold where you are? (finally) no

5) What's the time? 9:52

6) What are you wearing? pajamas

7) What was the last thing you listened to? some random thing on tv

8) What was the last thing you ate? breakfast

9) What was the last thing you watched on TV? randomness

10) What's your favorite tv show? Why? currently it's American Idol

11) Quick! Find a book, or something with text on it! Flip to a random page and post the second paragraph's first sentence. "You have to be willing to go all the way." (trust me, it's not nearly as interesting as it sounds)

12) What was the last movie you saw? How was it? Feast of Love on tv, I enjoyed it but the book was better.

13) Do YOU think you have an accent? Where do people in your country do people speak with strong accents? I have a Northern Maine accent, not to be confused with a Down East Maine accent. We're hard on our Rs and easy on the -ing. Farther north there is a French accent.

saturday 9

Upside Down

1. When was the last time that you felt your world got turned upside down? Thursday, I felt like the world was spinning without me

2. Should the United States do more to help its own citizens before helping people in other countries? yes, but we are obligated to help others

3. What was something you memorized for school and still can recall? Grandpa Dropped His Glasses

4. With what types of people do you tend to associate? people like myself--teachers

5. Besides blogging what is the last creative thing that you've done? lesson planning

6. In nature, what outdoor activities do you enjoy the most? watching

7. When was the last time that you had a great belly laugh? tonight, at dinner with my bestie

8. What kind of fashion-sense attracts you? classic, clean and not terribly rumpled

9. What traits in others turn you off? impatience, intolerance and no sense of adventure

friday fill-in

# 177

1. Ridiculous things my students say never fails to make me smile.

2. I'm looking forward to summer vacation.

3. Lisa and Laura Ling on Oprah is what I'm listening to right now.

4. Potato salad must have excellent Maine potatoes in it!

5. Pizza was the best thing I ate today.

6. Today was quite a fast.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to trying out my new ideabook, tomorrow my plans include reading the book group book and doing the assignment for Monday and Sunday, I want to enjoy the day!

happy day...

It's my special day! Begun in 2006. The counter in my sidebar obviously isn't keeping track correctly. Gah!

just cus...

Love this skirt. It was perfect for the weather today, although I was very glad I had a denim jacket for this evening.

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Extremely long days, jam-packed with meetings and obligations.

idol chatter...

Watching the results show, waiting for Lee's name to be called.

His trip home was so touching and endearing. He's a really good guy.

are you thumbs up or thumbs down?

You Are a Thumbs Up

You have an upbeat and positive attitude. You really see the beauty in life. You'll say yes to any opportunity that seems even slightly interesting. You are in love with the world, and you really savor an adventure. You inspire others to be more fun loving. Your happiness is unstoppable.

Are You a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

idol chatter...

Ok, so two of my favorite things: Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and Lee DeWyze. I'll try to find a video of it later because O.M.G. that was amazing.

Lee owned the night. I don't even care who else is in the finale. Ok, that's not quite true. Casey just isn't the same caliber as Crystal and Lee. Crystal should have ditched the harmonica, it was not necessary in Come To My Window.

ten things tuesday...

Ten things every woman should know: adapted from the chain letter...

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
3. When to try harder and when to walk away.
4. The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
5. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
6. How to take control of your own birthday.
7. That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
8. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
9. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
10. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

glutton...

Because I'm a glutton for busy, I joined a District Book Group. We're reading Lost At School by Dr. Ross Greene. Hopefully it's going to be applicable at the high school level, even though the photo on the front shows a younger boy.

There are three assignments--taking double-entry notes, visiting the Moodle site, and watching some videos on the website. This has potential to be very interesting.

idol chatter...

This week, the Top 3 will perform 2 songs. One will be the judges' choice and the other is the finalist's choice.

Ellen Degeneres picked "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney for Crystal.

Casey James will be singing "Daughters" by John Mayer, chosen by Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardia.

Simon Cowell picked "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen for Lee to perform.

i say... and you think...?

1. Labor :: intense work
2. Sweater :: cozy
3. Five minutes :: give me a break
4. Treatment :: prescription
5. Eyebrows :: in need of waxing
6. Awake :: barely
7. Salmon :: no, thanks
8. Red :: white and blue
9. Hospital :: phobia
10. Midwife :: doula


#381

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Speed Dating Meme, Part 2

26. Have you ever been stung by a bee? yes and I am allergic

27. What's the sickest you've ever been? when I had pulmonary emboli

28. What's your favorite form of exercise? clicking the remote

29. What's your favorite Cyndi Lauper song? "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

30. What did you do for your 13th birthday? a family party--but I got the Grease Soundtrack

31. Are you afraid of heights? not anymore... kissing the Blarney Stone cured me forever

32. Have you ever taken dance lessons? as a child, yes

33. What's your favorite newspaper? I read it online, but the New York Times or the Washington Post

34. What's your favorite Broadway / West End musical? I like Camelot or Man of La Mancha or Fiddler On The Roof

35. What's the most memorable class you've ever taken? the Holocaust summer seminar I took

36. What's your favorite knock-knock joke? I don't actually think I have one

37. What's your least favorite commercial? the local network's commercials are awful--take your choice

38. If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be? George Clooney

39. Do you prefer baths or showers? showers

40. What's your favourite newspaper comic strip? The Far Side

41. What's your favorite breakfast food? scrambled eggs

42. Who's your favorite game show host? Gene Reyburn

43. If you could have a super power, what would it be? power to heal

44. Do you like guacamole? yes

45. Have you ever been in a food fight? no

46. Name five songs to which you know all the lyrics. Happy Birthday to You, the Alphabet Song, 99 Bottles of Beer, Sesame Street Theme Song, the Fresh Prince Theme song

47. What's your favorite infomercial? pretty much any of them

48. What's the longest you've ever waited in line? I don't remember, so it couldn't have been too significant

49. What's on the cover of your address book or day planner? flowers

50. Have you ever taken a picture in one of those little booths? yes, I love to!

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

must obey...

saturday 9

Lies

1. When was the last time you lied and why? at school, to a student who asked me a ridiculous question... I made up an answer

2. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you, where would you go and who would you take? I'd go somewhere that has better weather than here and take whoever wanted to go with me

3. What was the last thought before falling asleep last night? I have no idea

4. What’s your favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex? boxer-briefs

5. If you didn't have to work, would you? If you work from home, are there days you’d rather be in the workplace? I would not formally work if I didn't have to... I would do a lot of volunteer stuff

6. What is a secret that you wouldn't mind everyone knowing? a secret... hmmm... I have a crush on George Clooney

7. What’s a favorite movie that you wouldn't want anyone to find out about? Running Scared

8. What’s you favorite all time medical and why? medical what?

9. What’s the worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back? conforming

ooh la la

So, yesterday I bumped into someone I haven't seen in a very long time. I wanted to curl up and talk to him for a long time. And maybe cuddle some. I may even have blushed while making eye contact.

friday fill-in

# 176


1. I just had Chinese food.

2. That is.

3. The third sentence on the 7th page of the book I'm reading: "Have you given up?" I ask.

4. Visits with former students tickles my fancy.

5. I was walking and I tripped on a line in the floor.

6. Some of the things my students say makes me laugh!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a glass of wine and early bedtime, tomorrow my plans include as little as possible and Sunday, I want to get my errands done!

book group

So, I didn't read the whole book. I don't like magical realism as a genre of writing. This book was a real struggle for me. There are parts that are so humorous but overall it's just too dense. I did check out the SparkNotes so I can follow the discussion.

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Seeing a former student and drawing a blank on the name.

idol chatter...

Very pleased with the results. Top three is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see what the judges pick out for them to sing.

the poppy test

You Are Considerate

You are a truly loving person, and you do your best to love as many people as you can. Some may call you a social butterfly, but it goes much deeper than that for you. You tend to be a big influence on other people, but you don't try to be. You just open your heart, and as a result, people are very receptive to what you have to say.

The Poppy Test

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

how active is your imagination?

You Have an Extremely Active Imagination

Your mind is vivid, lively, and colorful. There is a lot going on in your head. You have the ability to make pictures and movies in your mind. You are extremely visual. Your creativity knows no bounds. You don't put restrictions or limits on your thoughts. You have a gift that other people wish they had. So exercise that imagination as much as you want!

How Active is Your Imagination?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

wednesday wickedness

Today's quotes are from John Lennon:

1. “Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak.” Who was the last celebrity that you thought was bright until you saw them interviewed? I don't remember her name--she's famous from Saturday Night Live, though

2. “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” Do you get upset and do you think you're being lazy when you do nothing? no, I totally agree with this quote

3. “If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal.” Do you think that the U.S. and our wars seem to just ignore our history? sometimes, although it seems like the public opinion means something now

4. "I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people." Do you feel you conform just to fit in? not too often

5. "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." Do you feel that you at times do not enjoy the moment because you are worried about what comes next?
I've always loved this quote. I try not to worry about what comes next, sometimes I get too caught up in the what's going on now

6. "The more real you get, the more unreal everything else is." Does it seem that when you learn more about yourself, that others' opinions of you are more likely to seem stupid? I don't think I understand this question... let me read it again... nope, I don't get it

7. "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." Do you feel that when you share beliefs with someone, there is more likelihood in accomplish a goal? it's easier to accomplish goals with others who want to achieve the goals

8. "God is a concept by which we measure our pain." How religious or spiritual are you? Or how cynical are you? (Pick your question.) I'm spiritual... and I'm somewhat cynical

9. "Before Elvis there was nothing." Do you think as rock 'n roll history is concerned, that Elvis had that big an impact? yes

10. "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that." Do you feel after what has happened on Wall Street and our financial institutions, that his quote is more relevant today? I think I agree with the intent, but I don't know that they're necessarily insane or maniacal. *shrug*

idol chatter...

The duets were much, much better than the solo performances. Mike is too cheesy for words. Crystal's outfit didn't jive with her song, she looks like something out of a Mad Max movie--perhaps she should've sung some Tina Turner?? I don't think Jamie Foxx was as good this year as he was last year as a mentor. Meh.

Ellen was funny.

Lee still is my favorite.

ten things tuesday...

In random order, ten things I need or want:

1) I need sleep. Even though I slept all weekend, I'm in a bit of a funk and can't seem to catch up on sleep.

2) I'm trying to decide if I should buy a new desktop computer through the buy-through at school. That's how I bought my laptop and it was relatively painless.

3) A massage would be nice. My shoulders and neck are so tight.

4) I got two stipend checks today. A couple extra hundred dollars to play with.

5) The weather needs to break. Maybe we got spoiled by not having much of a winter and then having some wonderful pre-spring weather. And now it's just dreary and cold.

6) Chips and salsa. Salsa and chips. Salsa and a spoon.

7) The students at school are done. It's kind of early for them to be done, but they everything is a struggle. They're whining and lazy.

8) I need a new printer. My home printer is broken, the paper isn't feeding.

9) This is a week of meetings. Every day until Friday is booked.

10) I need a cuddle.

i got...

It's been a long day. Filled with whining teenagers. No heat in the school building. Whining teenagers. Negotiations. No Manic Monday meme. Whining teenagers. And now heartburn. Did I mention the whining teenagers?

I got nothin'.

we have a winner!

But it was close--oh, so close! Thanks to all who played. It's amazing that my ramblings have created a network of friends! The winner is ZPutty because of the bonus round!

1) What European country is Kwizgiver's all-time favorite? (bonus points if you know why) Everybody got this correct: Ireland because of a semester abroad

2) How many tattoos does Kwizgiver have? Everybody got this correct: 2. Bud even said where they are.

3) What was the last class that Kwizgiver took? (bonus points if you know where) AP Training wins! It was in Vermont.

4) What is Kwizgiver's favorite song? One by U2 is the winner!

5) How does Kwizgiver waste time online, other than blogging? Everyone got this right: Farmville, Twitter, and email

6) Kwizgiver comes across $50 in found money. That's cash, with no strings attached. What will she do with it? (borrowed from The Gal) buying books--and I would have thrown in a pedicure, too.

7) If Kwizgiver was forced to eat one food forever, what would it be? Salad wins!

8) Kwizgiver took a road trip last September. What was the purpose of the trip? Everyone got this right. Kudos to Princess Ladybug for the excellent answer.

9) What is Kwizgiver's favorite holiday? Again, everybody got this correct!

10) Why is Kwizgiver called Kwizgiver? It is the name my students gave me my first year of teaching.

And the bonus round:

1) George Clooney is Kwizgiver's celebrity crush. Who is the next contender? John Cusack

2) What is unusual about how Kwizgiver bought her car? it was purchased online and delivered to the house

3) Who is Kwizgiver's dream employer? Oprah is the dream employer!

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Sunday Stealing: The Speed Dating Meme

1. What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book? The Lorax

2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be? Monica & Rachel's apartment on Friends

3. What's the longest you've gone without sleep? 36 hours when traveling

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song? I really don't know

5. Who's your favorite Muppet? Kermit

6. What's the habit you're proudest of breaking? counting

7. What's your favorite website? Google

8. What's your favorite school supply? post-it notes

9. Who's your favorite TV attorney? Ellenor Frutt on The Practice

10. What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles? last weekend

11. What's the best bargain you've ever found at a garage sale or junk shop? a huge wicker sweater chest for $10

12. Where were you on September 11, 2001? teaching

13. What's your favorite tree? weeping birch

14. What's the most interesting biography you've read? Elizabeth Taylor

15. What do you order when you eat Chinese food? it depends on what I've got a taste for

16. What's the best costume you've ever worn? a nun's habit

17. What's your least favorite word? C U Next Tuesday

18. If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be? Maine

19. Who's your favorite bear? Fozzie

20. Describe something that's happened to you for which you have no explanation. all my sisters have thick hair and I have the thinnest hair imaginable

21. If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be? the country that worships fat women

22. What did you have for lunch yesterday? I didn't have lunch

23. Where do you go for advice? the parentals

24. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? dictionary

25. Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving? no, and I never will

chick flick palooza!

Two greats! Thank you, Lifetime!

the kwizgiver game--tie breaker round

The Kwizgiver game was toooooo easy! There is no clear winner... so, here is a tie-breaker round:

1) George Clooney is Kwizgiver's celebrity crush. Who is the next contender?

2) What is unusual about how Kwizgiver bought her car?

3) Who is Kwizgiver's dream employer?