August 31, 2007

One week down, 35 to go! That's right, the school year is 36 weeks long. 18 weeks per semester. But if things continue at this rate, I won't mind it at all, I could teach it for 52 weeks and it wouldn't bother me one bit. So far, I have a great bunch of kids. Not one bit of trouble, yet. We'll see next week once they start to feel more comfortable if they try to push a little more. I did notice that in one of my honors classes I have a students who failed social studies last year. I found that strange how a student can fail a class and then get recommended to the honors level of the next class. When I discovered this today I planned on emailing his guidance counselor in order to get him into the correct class so that he doesn't get in over his head and fail when he could be in a class more his level and pass. But I decided to wait until the results of today's test. Lo! and behold he got only one question wrong. So I figure, what the heck, maybe he will do just fine in the honors class.

Joe kinda dared me to blog about this today, I am feeling kinda snarky (thanks for the word Rebecca) tonight, so I will. Hi Joe, I know you are reading! Here is his email:

The stupidest quote I have ever heard a presidential candidate make:

"I'm going to be honest with you -- I don't know a lot about Cuba's healthcare system," John Edwards, D-N.C., said at an event in Oskaloosa, Iowa. "Is it a government-run system?" - Aug 17, 2007

Thank GOD he is actually from South Carolina... I still can't believe my home state elected this no show as Senator for 6 years. I am actually glad he didn't show up for work... and you think Bush is stupid? That is freaking moronic...

“Doctor Moore, Doctor Michael Moore, please assist Senator John Edwards with his talking points, STAT!”

Just thought you would find this eye opening and funny!

Hope you are having a great day!

OK, now I am no big supporter or fan of John Edwards, I have never seen a Michael Moore movie (some people will surprised to hear that), and I too am no expert on the healthcare system of Cuba. In fact, my initial reaction to Cuba having a healthcare system is "and where do they have the money for that?" I mean seriously, they can't possibly sell enough cigars in order to pay for the entire country to have healthcare. But, I guess if you factor in the rent the US pays for its base in Guantanamo, then maybe. But before I go any further, I want to clear a couple of things up:

1) Nobody can compare to George Bush when it comes to stupidity. He had trouble with the word "mud" during his speech this week on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
2) As far as no shows are concerned, Bush is #1 on that list. Has he actually reported to duty to the air national guard yet? Wasn't he on vacation more during his first year of the "Presidency" than any other (and his first year's vacations were cut short by 9/11)? You know, maybe we all would be a little better off if he stayed on vacation (with his brain, where ever that may be).

Today's Headline:

Embattled Sen. Craig to Resign: Report (Reuters)
Where do we go from here? Hard to say, did he do it? Good question. What about this alleged entrapment? If it was entrapment then he was doing something he should have been doing, even if he was coerced into it by a law enforcement agent. So where does that get us? Oh yeah, another politician prone to hypocrisy. This conservative republican has voted against measures to expand homosexuals rights. And he was entrapped into a homosexual act. I can't be sure, but does this qualify as "waffling"? "Flip-flopping"? It seems that democrats and liberals aren't the only ones who can be accused of changing their mind. (We know Bush hasn't changed his mind for two reasons: 1) he is too stubborn, 2) you need a mind in order to change it)

Good night, and good luck.

August 30, 2007

Another good day at school today. Everything went smoothly, but of course it is really too early to tell how the semester will go. I am going to assume that it will go well considering I don't seem to have any "class clowns" who seek undue attention and distract the classes. I am, however, not looking forward to next week. I am supposed to have a student I had first semester last year and if my memory serves me, he came in a week late last year too. Which means, he will arrive into an EOC course and be a week behind when he can't afford to be. On top of that, he is the kind of student that can change the complexion of a class because of his charisma and attitude. And when I mean change the complexion of the class, I mean for the worse because he generally has a negative attitude. But we'll see. Many scenarios may play out, he may never show up and have transferred to another school, he may show up but choose to take the course seriously, he may show up and be his same self from last year. Any of these are possible.

Mercer and I went to a Carolina Mudcats baseball game tonight. He got free tickets in general admission. There aren't any bad seat in Five County Stadium out in Zebulon. Which is, even by Raleigh standards, red neck! Now, I don't mean this the wrong way, but to make a joke in the style of Jeff Foxworthy, "you might be a red neck if, you can not successfully keep up with the beat to 'We Will Rock You' by Queen." I mean seriously, how white do you have to be to mess that one up? Mercer and I also decided on a new Man Law today: "No man shall be allowed to wear a 'muscle T' unless they actually have muscles." It is a real simple concept, no muscles, no muscle T. End of story.

Today's Headlines:

Iceman Death Theory Shot Down
A student of mine informed me that they Iceman that was found in the Alps in 1991 now has a new theory into his death. This wouldn't sound like news except that we were talking about the Iceman yesterday and today an article is released that helps to support my argument - that history can change. That is to say, what we know about the past may change as new information is discovered. Originally it was believed that the Iceman died of natural causes, exposure to severe weather while trying to cross the Alps. Then, about a decade later, forensics showed that the Iceman was subject to some violence before he died and that his death was caused by an arrow would that struck him from behind, narrowly missing his heart. A new theory claims that although the Iceman suffered an arrow wound that would likely have proven fatal, it was not the actual cause of death, but instead was a head trauma caused by a fall after sustaining the injury.

August 29, 2007

I want to thank the few of you who read my blog each day. If you are not already doing so, subscribe. You can do so either by email or as rss feed. Use the links on the left to set it up.

Well, it has been two years since hurricane Katrina. And what have we seen? Inefficiency and waste. For all the billions of dollars that have been spent on the victims, much of it is caught up in red tape due to the private firm in Virginia that is handling the direction of these funds to the victims. I wouldn't be surprised if this firm wasn't somehow owned or run by a buddy of good ol' GWBush.

Three days down of this school year so far. I can already tell in one of my classes who will be the success stories, and who will repeat. We had a quiz today on a small amount of information that we went over in class, did a match and meet activity as well. In fact, right before the quiz began, I asked the questions that would be on the quiz. In other words, the students had to try and fail or be half asleep when the quiz was taken in order to fail. And lo! and behold, I had a few who BOMBED! I don't understand. But all in all it seems that this will be a good semester. The students all seem really nice so that is a treat. Now if I can keep my big mouth shut so I don't get into any trouble with the principal, everything should go well.

I am changing my philosophy this year, well, at least this semester. In the past I was more dedicated to the students and then I considered the curriculum. This year, I want to turn my focus to the curriculum first and the students second. I don't mean that I will neglect the needs of the students, but instead, I want to get excited about the curriculum more than the students. In that way I won't be as disappointed since I know what to expect from the curriculum, whereas on any given day, what I get from the students varies immensely. We'll see how that will go. If I find it not working, then I will turn my priorities back around.

Today's Headlines:

Porn Star and Pastor Go Head-to-Head (Redandblack.com)

OK, my opinion is not at all relevant here. So what I am going to comment on is not the porn industry but the pastor. If we read the news closely enough, and sometimes not all that closely, we will see the hypocritical nature of some of the men of the cloth. How often do we hear about church and evangelical leaders preaching against something and then we find out that they are doing it themselves? You know, things like alcohol, gambling, pedophilia, prostitution. I will not be surprised if this pastor is soon found out to be addicted to porn and own an extensive library in his closet. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if were told that he distributed porn to young boys in his congregation.

Revelers Paint Spanish Town Red in Giant Tomato Fight (USA Today)

When was the last time that you were actually allowed to throw food at someone? Every time I have heard of a food fight, someone always got into some sort of trouble. But not today in Bunol, Spain. The annual tradition of a food fight had the city in the grips of an all out tomato war! Sounds like fun to me. I may need to get my passport for next years battle.

August 28, 2007

The Republicans are up to it again. I have received another email asking me for financial support in order to prevent democrats from winning seats in Congress. The entire email is about what democrats have said and done. And despite the plea for money, I can't find any where in the message something that the republicans have said. Both parties are asking me to not support the other but have yet give me a good reason to support them.

Dear Matthew,

The Democrat leadership believes failure by our troops in Iraq -- the
central front in the War on Terror -- is essential for them to win elections in
2008...

...and that any positive sign of progress in Iraq is simply a "problem"
for them.
Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, driven by polls and
politics, declared "This war is lost," even before the President's new strategy
began. Reid also has bragged, "We're going to pick up Senate seats as a
result of this war."

And Democrat House Majority Whip James Clyburn said that a positive
report in September from General Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker
would be "a real big problem for us (Democrats)." Meaning the Democrats' desire
for an arbitrary troop withdrawal -- and their party's 2008 electoral fortunes
-- would be in jeopardy if our troops succeed.

Matthew, America's national security should not be kicked around like a
political football. Republicans believe winning the War on Terror is vital
to our country's national security. The RNC needs your help to get this
message past the liberal media filter and directly to voters.
They need to know about the Democrats' "surrender and defeat"
politics.

Please click here to make a secure online contribution of $1,000, $500,
$100, $50 or $25 to help spread the word about the Democrats' political rhetoric
and defeatist agenda.
It is unconscionable that Democrat leaders are hoping
for our troops to fail so their party can gain a political advantage. And
it is unacceptable that the leading Democrat presidential contenders, Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama, both claim to support our troops yet voted against
providing them with the resources to sustain their mission and keep them
safe.

Your urgent online contribution of $1,000, $500, $100, $50 or $25 to the
RNC today will help get the facts about the Democrats' true defeatist agenda and
their efforts to put politics above the War on Terror past the liberal media
filter.
Our President and our Party are counting on your help. Thank
you.

Best wishes,
Robert M. "Mike" Duncan
Chairman, Republican National Committee

(hyperlinks deleted)

They even thought that I might be more likely to sympathize if they personalized it by including my name twice. As if I would believe that this was a personal message sent only to me and no one else. As if my support, mine alone, will make the difference. The problem with the republican party over the last 8 years is that it has become more and more transparent assuming that the electorate is becoming increasingly dumb.

Today's Headline:

Bonds' Record-Breaking Homerun Ball Set for Auction

As it turns out, Matt Murphy, the owner of Barry Bonds' record breaking homerun ball would have only been responsible for paying tax on the baseball itself. Any hypothetical value of the ball will not affect the amount of tax that would have to be paid on the ball. Essentially, Murphy would have to pay an amount of tax that reflects the value of this ball as a gift from Barry Bonds. Since the ball costs about $9, he would have to pay tax on that amount. The problem with keeping the ball had to do with the security of owning the ball. In order to secure the ball in his apartment would cost far too much considering the ball would most likely be a target for burglary. Since he has chosen to auction the record breaking baseball, Murphy will have to pay tax on the profit he earns from its sale.

August 27, 2007

What a long day! I stayed up pretty late last night reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (which I finished this evening!), until almost 1am. I was up at 5am, breakfast ate dressed and waiting for my ride by 6am. The day didn't seem long at all, although my voice was pretty tired at the end of it all, but not nearly as tired as my feet - I haven't stood up that long since school let out in June. The classes seem nice so far. I tried a new Icebreaker activity with the Honors World History classes, it got them moving around and talking with their new classmates. My Civics & Economics class did not have an opportunity to do an Icebreaker activity yet because they are my homeroom so I had more to go over with them. All the classes had homework on the first day, nothing major, but enough to let them know that I am serious about what I do. It probably shouldn't take any student more than 15-20 minutes to complete tonight's homework.

As I already mentioned, I finished the 7th, and final, installment of the Harry Potter series. I enjoyed it thoroughly! I won't tell you about it, in case you are planning to read it. All I will say is that it was a real roller coaster ride, at the end of which, I feel satisfied. I am pretty amazed, I read all 7 books this summer. I finished the last one a day later than I wanted, which is still pretty good, if you ask me.

Today's Headlines:



Gonzales Announces His Resignation

The Bush administration is cronyism at its finest, if cronyism is something that can be considered "fine." I can only assume that Gonzales has left now because he has sufficiently hurt the justice system that it will be difficult to gain back some of the liberties that have been lost. In his announcement, Gonzales stated that he fought to protect civil liberties, I find that a statement that will be difficult to prove. But, despite his ineptitude for the job, Bush continued to stand by his "man" Alberto Gonzales, who has been a favorite of the "President" since he was governor of Texas. No one should be surprised at this. Bush is too stupid to recognize when he makes a mistake, and too arrogant to admit to it when it is pointed out to him. I would call Bush obstinate, but that would imply that he knows what he is doing. Instead, I call him ignorant. A man not suited for the job he was "elected" to do. For more read:

All the President's Flunkies: Why Bush Stands by His Incompetents. (Slate.com)

August 26, 2007

Well, here we go, back to the Sunday routine. Hopefully I will be smarter this year and stay far enough ahead where my Sundays won't be totally depressing. After going to breakfast with Rae, Jeff, Charlotte, and Jack Evan and I went to K-Mart and bought him a pair of goggles for the pool. Actually, it is more of a snorkel mask. Unfortunately he didn't want to even put them on to adjust the size. Looks like we wasted another five dollars on trying to get Evan to better experience the pool. While Michelle and Evan were at the pool, I managed to get a bit of school work done for this upcoming week (the Sunday routine). I feel comfortable with my preparedness for this coming week, but there are a few things I would like to have in place before the students come tomorrow, but it won't happen. I will get it done this week for next.

We all went to Peter and Katie's house for dinner. It has been a while since we went to my brother's house and visited for a while. It is nice. Nothing earth shattering, but a nice visit nonetheless.

Today's Headlines:

Vick's $22 Million Bonus in Jeopardy

Look, Michael Vick is an exciting player to watch. It is no surprise that the Falcons have sold out the Georgia Dome for several seasons now and that the Falcons number "7" jersey has been a top seller. But all that now comes to an end as this gives the Falcons a reason to release Vick and get back some $22 million in signing bonus paid to Vick from his ridiculous $130 million contract. The next question is will Vick ever play in the NFL again?

August 25, 2007

Today was a pretty long day. Yesterday was pretty long too. Friday I got a ride to work from a co-worker because, as I said on Thursday, the Ford is in the shop (again). That wasn't bad, but I just hate to feel like I'm imposing on someone else. What is more, the Ford isn't done and will not be until Monday, so I will need to bum a ride on Monday, the first regular day of school - as if I don't have enough anxiety over that!

Today we went to Evan's soccer game. Bless his heart, for as much as he says he wants to be an athlete and play soccer, Evan is not really motivated, especially when it is hot. So this morning, there were many times when the ball passed right by him and he didn't even care, he watched it roll by, even the time he would have a had a clear shot on goal. I may have to spend a little more time with him, or continue to entertain this idea that he wants to play soccer until he decides he has had enough.

The middle of the day was rather boring. I remain unmotivated to much of anything. In fact, I had to find an excuse (that I can no longer remember) to blog this evening. We did, however, decide to go to Frankie's for games and dinner. We were there from 5:30 until 10:45 playing all manner of video games, some were for tickets and prizes, we rode the go-carts and we played laser tag. We had a blast. Evan, who at first did not want to ride the go-carts decided that it was the most fun he had all day. At first he wanted to make sure we went slow, but we never did. He screamed and shouted the entire drive how awesome the ride was and that he wanted to ride it again and again. I was glad for that. Laser tag was another success, Evan and I have played together three times, and all three times we won. He likes that, even though he only scored 15 points.

August 23, 2007

Obviously somebody thought it was a good idea, and that someone was not me. We had a county-wide Civics & Economics and US History meeting this morning. What was bad was that we were shown statistics for 3 hours and were read to from a PowerPoint presentation. And if that wasn't bad enough, what she was reading to us was the same thing at least 3 three times! I wished someone had stabbed out my eyes, it was that bad. It is also worth noting that I am always suspicious of statistics. Instinctively, when ever I am given statistics and then lectured to about them, the first thing I want to do is find out how these figures have been manipultaed and distorted to fit the message that I am being told. For me, the end result is a pointless bunch of numbers and graphs combined with a waste of time.

The irony of all ironies today. On my way to work I noticed that the Ford has begun to rough idle. I also noticed what sounded like an air leak from under the hood. Probably just a loose or a broken hose, but combine this with the almost $800 worth of work to replace the A/C compressor earlier this month, and the prior freon recharge of over $150 and what you have is a lot of money being sunk into a Ford Contour with 90,000 miles. The irony was in the mail today - the title to the car, we paid it off this month. Just in time, huh?

Today's Headlines:

Police Say Bey IV Involved In Oakland Journalist Slaying (NBC11.com)

Have you all heard about this? There is a string of wholesome foods bakeries in California called "Your Black Muslim Bakery." This bakery chain seems to be responsible for a crime spree in the Oakland area. Sound weird? Yeah, I though so too. As it turns out, originally, the bakery was founded by Dr. Yusuf Bey, member of the "Nation of Islam" organization and religious group. When he first opened his bakery it was simply named "Your Bakery" but Elijah Muhammad convinced Bey to change the name to "Your Black Muslim Bakery." It seems that this bakery also provided services for youth in the neighborhoods through lectures, sermons, and religious meetings. However, the bakery has allegedly turned militant in its goals and is accused of vandalism, arson, murder, rape, and a list of other such serious offenses. Some convictions have been made against individual members, and regarding pending cases, the evidence seems overwhelming. The thought of a bakery controlling, extroting, and bullying neighborhoods sounds strange, but the once legitimate bakery must simply be a front for some other, almost gang-like, goals.

Video: Oakland Police Discuss Raid

There also does not seem to be shortage of information or opinions about this bakery.
Wikipedia: Your Black Muslim Bakery
Michelle Malkin: Oakland, Fremont police descend on Your Black Muslim Bakery
Chritopher Hitchens: Brutality by the Bay (Slate.com)

August 22, 2007

All in all today was a good day. It was another Teacher Workday, but from 10-12 new students (freshmen) were allowed to come to the school for an orientation and then to walk their schedule and meet their teachers. It is nice to meet the students for the first time and wish them well on their last days of summer break. Most students did not have any questions, mostly because they didn't know what to ask, but many parents did. Some of the more popular questions were about frequency and type of homework as well as frequency of tests. The biggest drawbacks of such days are the repetitive nature of the the event and the time lost to planning. With each new student that comes into the room, I have to repeat for them some basic information, such as what to expect, where the list of supplies are on the board, which supplies they may or may not have, when do they have to have these supplies by, can their binder be shared with another subject, when is their lunch. It does get tiring, especially when 12 o'clock rolls around and the principal announces to the visitors that the orientation is over and the teachers need to go to lunch to be back in time for a meeting and there are still parents strolling into classrooms to hear all the information. But with the sacrificed planning time, it is usually a good investment in PR time. This first impression on the students and parents is very valuable in the relationships that will be necessary to build success in the classroom.

A new stretch of I-540 was opened recently here in Wake County. It is God-sent. It now runs into Cary/Apex at NC-55, which is the road Evan's school is off of. This new stretch cuts 15-20 minutes travel time when I pick up Evan each day after school. It also cuts out countless traffic lights, driving through the airport, one lane highways behind construction vehicles and many moronic drivers. This will continue to help immensely because I will be able to commit a few more minutes after school each day for meetings and extra help (even though it is only 15-20 minutes, it sounds a lot better to say that you are leaving at 3:30 instead of 3:15).

Today's Headlines:

Queens Man To Auction Bonds' Home Run Ball

I am a little confused. Matt Murphy caught Barry Bonds 756 homerun ball, the one that broke Hank Aaron's record. Now he says he will have to auction it off or else it would be expensive to keep. He would have to pay taxes on the baseball. Here is my confusion. Since the ball has not been bought or sold, what is it's dollar value? How much tax would you have to pay on something that doesn't have a value? I was under the impression that it is not an economic object of demand until it was sold, at which point a dollar value will be paid thereby giving the government a dollar value by which they can base their tax. As far as I am concerned, it is a baseball, which couldn't have cost more than a few bucks. So if the government wants to consider it property on which to place a property tax, it should be based on the known value of the ball, not the supposed or projected value of the ball.

August 21, 2007

OK, I'm back. I am just getting acclimated to being back at work so I need some time to adjust my schedule and make time to blog. Next week will get more interesting here because the students will be back to school so I will have some additional content.


Yesterday was a quiet day, as far as meetings are concerned. We didn't have any, today, just a couple of short ones, so I was able to spend plenty of time getting my room set. Yesterday I hung shelves and a bulletin board, so I felt productive.

Well, Evan's soccer practice was cancelled tonight right after the McDonald's he was in was struck by lightning! Michelle and I were at Evan's school for Open House and Dan had the boys at McDonald's. They were waiting outside under an awning for Dan to put some things in the car in the rain when the lightning struck. It scared the bejesus out of them, it would me too! The Open House was not as I had hoped. We were in the Media Center hearing a spiel from the two first grade teachers about the content of the course. Afterwards, they had to give the same presentation again for the "second session." We did not get to ask the teacher any questions, which is just as well because I wanted to ask what the difference was between the way they teach (Core Knowledge, which was abandoned a few years ago) and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (adopted in place of Core Knowledge). I also want to know why she is handing out so many "Yellows" to students who are doing things like blowing their pencil across their desk when their head should be down.

Something that bothers me: supermarkets. I am sure you will agree, but I think ALL supermarket should be laid out the same way! When I walk into a supermarket, I want to be able to go right for what I am looking for and get out. I shouldn't have to worry that if on my way home I stop at a different supermarket than the one I normally shop that I will not be able to find what I need. There is nothing more frustrating than walking back and forth through a supermarket for a single item and not being able to find it. And I don't mean some obscure item, I mean something like yogurt.

Today I received an email from John Kerry. He was urging me to support his push to get everyone out of Iraq for a vote this September. I don't think he was in the Senate the day General Patraeus said that a draw down plan would begin in spring 2008. I think that was one of the things that was pointed out in the 2000 election that Kerry didn't spend enough time actually in the Senate. I guess that is the problem with politicians, they don't listen and they don't pay attention.

I was reading a blog on Rudy Giuliani today. Maybe you'll find it interesting. (I am trying to build traffic to my friend's blog!)

August 18, 2007

Sorry I missed yesterday, I actually had to go to work and was kind of tired by the end of the day - first day meetings are always draining. After picking Mercer up from work and hanging out at their place for a little while, Mercer and I went to Five Guys for burgers, then called it a night. I began reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." It has plenty of action right from the beginning, I like it!

Today I woke up leisurly. Read some more before I met Keith, his friends Drew and Greg, Mercer and James at Brig's for breakfast. Mercer and I went to the gym about lunch time which means I have to go back tomorrow or I am going to be hurtin' for certain! We hung out the rest of the afternoon. Pizza for dinner, then I came home. I went on to JibJab and was tinkering with a little feature they have. It is kind of funny, take a look:

August 16, 2007

It is finished. The seniors finished decorating the "Senior Wall" and it looks awesome. Every student has to drive by this mural when going up to the student parking lot, every visiting team will see the mural when they come to play. It is very impressive and is well worth praise. (I only hope the principal will make mention of it to give the students credit.)

Michelle and Evan left for Massachusettes this morning, they will return Monday. The house does tend to get quiet when they are gone, but I am used to it after this summer - the first where Evan was tracked in school while I was at home. It is just as well, I start back to school tomorrow. A full day of being reintroduced to the school. We will have time for meeting ALL day! It is so exciting (sarcasm). We will mainly go over plenty of things that the veterans (such as myself) already know. I am not looking forward to it, but it won't be too bad, we will have a couple of hours to work in our classrooms.

I finished "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" this morning at 1am. The end of the book just roars to the finish. All that is left is the finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." I have been fortunate, everyone has been kind enough to keep every bit of the story from me. I hear the conclusion is great. Some people were sad, some relieved, some in awe. We shall see.

Today's Headlines:

Former big league All-Star Offerman suspended after arrest for hitting 2 players with bat (Yahoo! Sports)

Playing for the Long Island Ducks, Jose Offerman was trying to earn a position in the big leagues and was having a decent minor league season, until he snapped. After being hit by a fastball, Offerman charged the mound weilding his bat as a club and hit the pitcher and the catcher. The injuries sustained to both players will likely end their season - catcher: concussion; pitcher: broken finger. Offerman's season is also over after being suspended by the Atlantic League indefinitely as he awaits charges of assault. I understand that people can snap, but regardless of that fact, he must be made accountable for his actions. The assault charge should stick and the suspension is well deserved. I am neither a fan of or hater of Jose Offeman, I just believe that justice should be done. Offerman may have ended his baseball career.

Bonds reportedly preparing to sue Schilling (Yahoo! Sports)

Bonds is playing with fire here. He is opening a can of worms. By suing Curt Schilling for remarks he made on the HBO program "Costas Now." On the program, Schilling does not pull any punches about his position on Bonds' use of performance enhancing drugs. Schilling said that Bonds' and McGwire's silence and lack of denials to allegations that they used banned substances is akin to admission (Schilling: Bonds and McGwire lack of denials tantamount to admissions - Yahoo! Sports). For this, Schilling may face a defamation of character suit. What I see soming down the road is a lawyer for Schilling who, in an effort to protect his client, who will be able to produce evidence, in court, that Bonds has been under the influence of steroids. A road that Bonds should be reluctant to take. But as I have said before, it will only be a matter of time until the evidence shows Bonds guilty of these allegations.

August 15, 2007

I spent the day at school supervising the seniors as they decorate the Senior Wall. It is coming along very nicely. I will be there all day tomorrow, in 100-degree heat. That part should be fun (sarcasm), but the students are doing the work, they will be a bit hotter than I. Besides the weather, the other thing that bothers me is that the none of the principals have even come by to take a look at the progress. You would think that the building principal, whose ideas this was to begin with, would be interested to see what is going on. Don't get me wrong, the idea is a good one - to paint a very visible wall with supervision instead of illegally painting an intersection, in the dark, at night. I definitely approve, but the fact that he hasn't even "popped in" is disappointing.

Michelle and Evan are busy packing for they leave to go to Massachusetts tomorrow morning to return Monday afternoon. Evan is picking out his movies, toys, games and finding it to be a difficult task. That is OK, maybe he will spend more time outside playing - the weather is supposed to be much milder, highs of 70s lows in 40s.

Today's Headlines:

Petraeus Says He Will Propose Troop Cuts (USA Today)

What I really like is all the bickering in Washington about troop cuts. Republicans arguing to wait until Patraeus gives his September report. Democrats arguing that we need to be out as soon as possible. Maybe this is just what was needed for both sides of the aisle to come together for a change. Republicans get what they want because many were arguing that the troops should stay for as long as it takes (and Patraeus is showing signs that perhaps enough time has been spent there on such a large scale) and the Democrats get what they want because troops may be brought home as early as this spring. The only thing that could derail this is an excuse for the "President" to invade another country - unless this troop draw down is designed to free up soldiers for just that, an invasion elsewhere. (Remember, you heard it here, first!)

NYPD Warns of Homegrown Terror Threat (USA Today)

This is such a slippery slope there is no telling where the slide will end. If we were to look objectively, we could find terrorist possibilities among any person not happy with their government (local, state, or national). We can narrow it down to any and every demographic. This would give the government an excuse to surveil any person or group that has the slightest sound of contradicting the regime. In which case democracy will be gone, and freedoms will be a topic for ancient storybooks. Diversity, free though, individuality all fair tales and so will be the inventive spirit and scientific advancement. In their place will be fear, oppression, singular thinking, discrimination, all run by a police state. We are living in a dangerous time where everyone is dangerous and their thoughts can be incriminating. But who will be next? Which group will be singled out as terrorists?

August 14, 2007

If you grew up in New York during the 1980s then you remember Phil Rizzuto's commercials for The Money Store. And even if you were not a Yankees fan, you knew his catch phrase, "Holy Cow!" Rest in Peace Phil.



I had the great pleasure today of attending a workshop for the grade program used at our school. As one of the school's "contact persons" and "trainers" for the program, I was required to go. It was a complete waste of time. It did not cover anything new from last year. Fortunately it only lasted for half as long as it was billed (it ended at 12:00p instead of 4p).

Today Evan was a little disappointing. He was moved onto yellow for the second straight day for talking during the class' "Morning Meeting." What makes it disappointing is that he knows better and has done better. If this becomes a pattern we will have to do something, but I think it is just him getting comfortable with his classmates and finding where the boundaries are. Once he does, he will be fine. On the other hand, to find the silver lining, each day, Evan was talking to a different classmate. Making friends does not seem to be a problem.

I guess today is my last day of summer. That is, tomorrow and Thursday I officially chaperone the seniors as they continue to decorate the "Senior Wall." and Friday is the first official workday. I am looking forward to the new year (as I always do). I am going to have a new philosophy towards students and discipline. In addition, I am getting pretty bored at home all day. That is not to say that I don't have things to do, I have plenty, I am just not motivated to do them! Is that a bad sign?

Today's Headlines:

Ripple Effect from Migrant Crackdown Feared in N.C. (News and Observer)

This story is for Mercer's benefit. There appears to be a fear that if fewer illegal immigrants are allowed to be hired that it will effect North Carolina's economy. Yes, and no. Sure it will have an impact. Employers will have to pay their workers legal wages for their work! It will drive up prices and even bankrupt some businesses. On the other hand, legal residents will now have the opportunity to compete for these jobs that were once closed to them because they demanded too high a wage. As a result, we may see many unemployed Americans become employed in these jobs, earning a wage, and being able to afford things that they could not before. This will increase demand and will spur production. It is a situation of economic growth. But what happens to all the illegals who are now without work, are undocumented, and not known to the federal government? Where will that burden fall? I don't think they will voluntarily return to the country of origin. Some will turn to obtaining legal status, while other will attempt to wriggle between the cracks unnoticed by the government, hopefully not creating problems in the process.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Karl Rove (US News & World Report)

So you look at this story about Karl Rove and you think of the kid in high school who everybody avoids because he always has an axe to grind. The kid who is so involved in politics that none of the other kids understand him, ergo, no friends. And then what? In Rove's case, he did not let that deter him. He pushed on with his passion and rode it all the way to the top. Truth be said, regardless of my personal/political views of Karl Rove, it is admirable - but that is all that nice things I am willing to say about him. After reading number 5 on the list, I am not surprised by the "get out the vote" push he helped orchestrate for Bush during the 2004 campaign. In case you missed it, this "get out the vote" campaign was rather simple: get all the Christian conversavtives angry and fired up over "same-sex marriage" and they will get out to vote. Ingenious. Otherwise Bush would not have been able to muster enough votes on the real issues plaguing America (note althgouh Kerry in 2004 received more popular votes than Gore in 2000, Bush receive more votes in 2004 than in 2000 thanks to Rove's scheme). I do expect there to be far more things we don't know about Karl Rove that may (and many that may not) come out in the future - unless Bush makes some blanket pardons on the eve of leaving office. And if it does all come out, I can't wait to see him squirm.

Some 'Enhanced' Products Might Not Enhance Health (US News & World Report)

Hey all you health nuts out there. Yeah, you, the ones who are making sure to get all your antioxidants, B-vitamins, and other fad nutrients from "Superfoods", reaeach is showing that you may be wasting your money on nutrients you probably aren't lacking or could get in cheaper ways.

August 13, 2007

This morning I took Evan to school, as usual, but then went on to Leesville to supervise the seniors and their decorating of the Senior Wall. When I arrived, I was informed by the other advisors that I was not scheduled to supervise today. I never received such an email. It would have been nice to know this ahead of time, but, oh well. I stayed until just before noon and left. I saw a few people, chatted, got caught up with some news, checked out my trailer and sized it up for shelves.

Once I got home I turned on the tube, watched some TV while eating lunch. I decided on treating myself to "the best home made grilled cheese sandwiches," as Evan calls them - of course, I made them myself. Evan had soccer practice this evening, it did not rain on him, thankfully. He did well. He is really starting to get after the ball. He still shows some timidness, but is getting a little more aggressive - we are working on it.

Today's Headlines:

Rove to Leave White House Aug. 31

After six-and-a-half years, one of the little voices whispering in the "President's" ears will be "leaving" the White House. That is right, the spin doctor himself will no longer be in the employ of Bush. The ramifications? None. Rove will continue to be a whisper in Bush's ear. In fact, I am willing to bet the speed dial #1 on the Oval Office phone will be Karl Rove's mobile. Bush seems genuinely upset by this move by Rove. I guess what he will miss most are the late night visits and moonlit strolls in the rose garden where most of the secret planning to take over the world take place. Of course Bush will continue to get the same information, but it means that any discussion will be subject to warrantless phonetaps and eavesdropping since they will have to talk by phone.

So what will Rove do next? He may not be leaving as much as we think. Instead, he will continue to play with smoke and mirrors and be an "authority" on Bush's "presidency." He is going to have to in order to cover up all of the unethical and possibly illegal actions orchestrated by Rove and Cheney during this administration.


Sources: Vick Suspension Near

Michael Vick, Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons is facing possible, and as it seems, probable suspension from the NFL. Vick is accused of involvement in illegal dog fighting that took place on one of his premises. This harsh punishment is part of the new league commissioner, Roger Goodell's, decision to crack down on players and the law. This comes after the Cincinnati Bengals had more arrests than victories during the 2006-2007 season. It is clear that illegal dogfighting took place on Vick's properties, one that he said was the residence of a family member, and not his own home. In my opinion, as the owner of the property and it not being a landlord-tenant relationship, the owner (Vick) should be responsible for actions that take place there. In the same way that the parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold should be held responsible for the creation and ownership of weapons used in the Columbine High School shooting. Whether or not Vick actually took part in the dogfighting events at this house is, to me, another question altogether. Simply put for me: his house, his responsibility.

August 12, 2007

Tonight is the Perseid Meteor shower. I hope it is worth watching. Last fall there was an alleged meteor shower in which I saw.... nothing. So I hope tonight's will produce a better display.

Today was pretty low-keyed. We went to brunch at Sweet Tomatoes. It was OK. Just a buffet brunch with breakfast foods such as eggs, waffles, french toast, breakfast cereals, muffins, and so on. But it also had some of its regular lunch/dinner menu with things like salads, soups, fruits, breads, "pizza." It was a change for breakfast. This afternoon I uploaded more sketches to one of my other blogs: http://matts-sketches.blogspot.com . There are quite a bit of old things I uploaded, the most recent from 1990 and the oldest from 1983. Check them out if you get the chance. I also uploaded a couple of sets of pictures to our photoalbum today too. These pictures go back to this past Christmas. This evening Peter, Katie and the boys came over for dinner and so the kids can play. It was nice we grilled out and ate in (since we didn't have any deck furniture yet). But, Dan came by after coming back from DC with furniture from his dad's that we can borrow until he moves in down here. So we can put off buying deck furniture until next year.

Today's Headlines:

Italian Arms Investigators See Iraqi Ties
What seems to be the problem is that weapons are being sold to Iraq and funneled through many off shore companies before they make it to their destination. Where exactly are these guns are going is anybody's guess. But, if the legitimate government of Iraq were buying these weapons, why would they need to be "laundered" through offshore companies? The next question I have is, why did the Italian anti-Mafia agency make this discovery? Is the mafia running guns for Iraq? How deep does this go?

August 11, 2007

The temperature broke today. I don't think it went higher than 85 - now that is a relief! The original plans of going to the pool were thwarted by an overcast day which we were all happy to see. Other plans that did not take place were the tentative plans to see "Rush Hour 3" with Mercer and Keith. They never called today so I assumed that they stayed at home while Mercer repaired Keith's PC. So instead, Michelle, Evan, and myself went to see the movie "Underdog." We were delighted by the movie. Evan actually laugh out loud several times in the theater - it has been a while since he did that. It was a cute kids movie but is entertaining enough for the entire family, I recommend it. Evan also had soccer practice today at 4pm. The temperature was mild so it promised to be bearable. Unfortunately a little more than half way through it started to rain, until it eventually became a down pour. I was sitting in a collapsible chair holding a large golf umbrella, so I remained dry. Evan on the other hand probably could have gotten just as wet had we ventured to the pool. But he didn't seem to mind, and that was OK by me. We then proceeded to have a nice family evening. Dinner at home together, a few board games, we made ice cream in the ice cream maker, and we watched most of "The Incredibles" before it was time for Evan to go to sleep. All in all, a nice day.

Today's Headlines:

U.S. Credit Crisis Affects Stock Markets Around the World.
The bad practice of "sub-prime mortgages" (mortgages with rates below the prime rate) and "interest only mortgages" (mortgages where no principle is paid, only interest) have done wonders damaging the US economy. US creditors are having a difficult time collecting on the money due them from these mortgages and are therefore finding it difficult to stay afloat. With this credit problem impacting US financial institutions, the US dollar is taking a hit worldwide. With the value of the $US falling it is becoming a less attractive an investment for foreigners (people can buy currencies as if they were a commodity so that when their value appreciates - increases - they can sell it at its higher value) who want to dump their holdings of $US. So much is the desired sell-off that some foreign banks are preventing their clients from selling such investments. Just think of what can happen to the price of imports if the value of the $US falls. Fortunately, we can thank China for bolstering our economy by holding $US (actually, we should be worried, if China wanted to get back at the US, all it would have to do is call in its debts to the US - right now, China holds all the cards!) And the fact that "President" Bush continues to assures Americans that the economy is strong is not helping us face the reality - protect American workers and manufacturing in order to keep $US here in the United States!

Meteors Will Put on a Show
We will be able to see a dazzling stellar display beginning early Sunday morning, throughout the day, and into the evening and night (well, not during the day, the sunlight will interfere). This time every year, debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet that passed through the solar system in 1992 makes its way into our atmosphere. This debris completely burns up before it hits the ground but makes for an excellent light show. We plan on trying to catch some of it tomorrow night. Try to take a look. You will find it in the constellation Perseus which will be to the north-northeast (from Raleigh, NC). For more information:
Wikipedia - Perseus Constellation
About.com - Perseid Meteor Showers
or do a google search.

August 10, 2007

Another day down, one day closer to going back to work, although I did some work today. Not much, really, I just made some DVD jackets for some of the videos I've converted to DVD. Next week promises to be really exciting (not really). I am sure I will enjoy being outside supervising the painting of the wall in 95 degree heat. I can't wait! And of course on Friday I begin workdays before school begins. It is always an exciting and anxious time. Exciting because no matter what happened last year, you get a fresh start. Anything you feel didn't go so well you have the chance to try again and get it right. That is one of the nice things about teaching, a clean start each year. How many other jobs can promise that? On the other hand, so much depends on the chemistry of the classes. Every class is different, even if you teach the same subject. Which means that a teacher will have to vary what is done from one class to the next even if the same content is being taught. Likewise, the behavior of the students is such a variable that could cause the same variation between class periods. So there is quite a bit of anxiety regarding class composition.

I am going to try something new. I am going to add a couple or few news stories each day that I find interesting, complete with my personal commentary. So "let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it." (That is a line from the movie "12 Angry Men." Juror #12 is in the advertising industry and he says that they come up with these catchy little sayings to introduce new ideas.)

Today's Headlines:

The Case of Kenneth Foster: Texas Prepares to Execute Man for Driving a Car Near Scene of Murder
You have got to love Texas. They are always looking for new ways of finding someone to execute. What can you expect from the state that elected Bush as governor? Evidently, in the state of Texas, you don't even have to kill someone to earn the death penalty. Prosecution, defense, and jury all agree that Kenneth Foster was not involved in nor did he plan the murder of Michael LaHood. Foster was the driver of the car of the murderer and was some 80 feet away, in the car, when the murder took place. Now, I don't know exactly how innocent Foster is, but the death penalty? Looks like cruel and unusual punishment - the penalty does not fit the crime - which would be a violation of the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution (it looks like Texas has a legacy of trampling the Constitution, that is why Bush was such a good fit for governor).

8th Amendment:
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel
and unusual punishments inflicted.

Dry N.C. Begs for a Hurricane
Well, if you read the article, they don't really want a hurricane, but it is so dry in North Carolina that people would almost welcome a hurricane to end the problem. Record breaking heat in the area combined with exceptionally dry air masses are also creating the potential for wildfires. Despite the unbearable heat (heat index of 105 - actual 98), I was outside finishing the wiring of the speakers on the deck/porch. I also made sure to caulk the holes to prevent the pesky wasps from gaining free entry in to the screened in porch which would, inevitably, put a damper on any dining plans we may be having at the time. But all this heat is really getting to Evan who wants to play outside during recess at school.





Visit the US Drought Monitor Website for a nationwide view of drought conditions.

Giant Lego Man Found in Dutch Sea On a lighter note, what would a giant Lego man be doing in the sea? Publicity stunt or a giant's lost toy? You decide! Check out the Video too!

August 9, 2007

Democrats Give in to Bush's Surveillance Demands
Again, the Constitution is being trampled. Out of fear of looking soft on terror, Democrats gave in to the White House's requests regarding Surveillance. In this case, sensationalism is winning out over principles and rights. The essence of our country and democracy is being lost. In this, the terrorists of 9/11 have been successful. Remember, the right thing to do is not always the popular thing to do.

"So this is how democracy dies - with thunderous applause." - Senator
Amidala, "Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

Today was a rather slow day. I didn't do too much and before I knew it, it was time to pick Evan up from school. My grandfather is slated to come home from the hospital tomorrow, which is, of course, good news. My sister had her a physical therapy session today, the first since Tuesday's surgery. I don't know how that was, but I am sure it was not without pain.

My summer is drawing to a close as beginning Monday I will be up at school supervising the seniors as they decorate the newly inaugurated "Senior Wall." Although the supervision will essentially cut my summer break short by a week, I am kind of excited to greet the students back for their final year. It is a bit exciting. I am the only advisor to stick with them since freshman year. I am looking forward to it. But I am not looking forward to doing it in the intense heat! The high temperatures everyday this week have been above 100 degrees. Today I saw readings of over 105! The air conditioner was struggling to get the house to the 77 degrees we keep it set. Evan has been disappointed at school, with it being so hot, they have not had recess. Instead they have been exercising in their classroom to a video. In addition, I did not allow Evan to attend soccer practice today. Although the practice did not begin until 7pm, it was still 97 degrees, and in my and Michelle's opinion, that is a dangerous temperature to have children running around in. We were both surprised to see that the Town of Apex did not suspend outdoor activities today due to the intense heat and the heat advisories. Tomorrow promises to be just as hot and humid as today. I know it is going to be a hot one when it is already 80 degrees, in the shade, at 8:30 in the morning!

August 8, 2007

The day of the asterisk.

Hooray.... yippee.... whoopee.... he did it.... blah.... blah.... blah.... That's right, Barry bonds broke Hank Aaron's career homerun record*. And then afterwards, I saw a pathetic display of "gratitude." This is the first time I have ever heard Barry Bonds be "thankful" for anything besides himself.



He thanks the fans at home and on the road? OK, at home is the only place where Bonds receives cheers, but on the road? Nah. He cannot be thankful for all the jeers. He thanks his teammates for being so supportive. Yeah! He better be thankful! They have thrown away the last two seasons just so Bonds can pass this record*. So now they sit dead last in the NL West, and hold the 4rd worst record in MLB. He does owe them his thanks. What is even more, is that this record* is not said and done. He may continue to hit homeruns, but it will be a long time before it is decided if Bonds deserves the record*. Two things will prevent him from keeping it: 1) steroid controversy and testing; 2) Alex Rodriguez (I am not an "A-Rod" fan, but if he stays healthy he is on pace to easily pass Barry Bonds).

I rented and watched the movie "Hostel." It is billed on its cover as "the scariest movie in a decade." I can say with certainty, it is NOT the scariest movie in a decade. Is it messed up? Do they do some really messed up things to these people? Absolutely, but the movie was more gore than fright. I don't recommend it. I was looking for a scary movie, and I am still looking.

By the way, my sister didn't have Rotator Cuff surgery yesterday. She said that there was an "impingement" they had to be cleared up, but not a full repair on the rotator cuff. Nonetheless, she is still hurting and will begin physical therapy tomorrow.

August 7, 2007

Early this morning, my sister had Rotator Cuff Surgery. I spoke to her around 11am. She was still quite groggy and slurring her words. It was allowed to be funny because she still didn't feel any pain from the surgery. She is going to stay at least a few nights at our parents' house since Eric will have to go to work and Ag won't be able to do much on her own yet. Since my grandfather is still in the hospital there won't be any overcrowding in the house!

I found this article rather interesting yesterday. Rudi Guiliani's daughter will be supporting Barack Obama in the upcoming elections. According to her Facebook page, Caroline does not want her father to win the presidential election.


The temperatures here have been through the roof. It is 10:45pm here and it is still 90 degrees! You know you are in for a hot day when it is above 80 degrees at 8am. I thought I would beat the heat and tack up the wires for the speakers I installed on the deck. By noon I was back inside changing out of soaked clothes. I was soaked through to my underwear - not a pleasant feeling! It is difficult because after I drop Evan off at school, it is already after 9. I try to run any errands before coming home. So if I get home around 10:30 - 11:00am this week it is already too hot to get anything done outside. And next week will be out because I have to be back a week before the workdays thanks to the senior class who decided that it would be the best time to get the newly inaugurated "Senior Wall" completed. Ever since I signed on as advisor for the class of 2008, new events have been added to the responsibilities of the classes thereby adding to the responsibilities of the advisors. I am not sure I would have taken on the task had all these chores been in place when I signed on. But, this is the last year coming up. I have had several different co advisors, I guess I was the only one foolish enough to persevere through it all.

August 6, 2007

Happy Birthday Dad! Hard to believe it, another year. Even harder to believe, I actually sent a card in the mail! I know, I know, and hell hasn't even froze over!




And when will Wake County wake up?!?! Its unbridled growth is a burden on the infrastructure and all the benefits that are drawing people to the area - except for the low taxes, they are still low. Too low, if you ask me. I am a resident of Wake County, and yes, I want higher taxes! It may not make sense, but let me explain.

1. As a teacher, I see higher taxes as providing the necessary funds for building, maintaining, and upgrading schools without having to ask the community ever two years for a bond vote. Will I see a pay raise? Maybe, maybe not.


2. As a parent of a school age child, I want to make sure that my son will continue to have quality education. I want to make sure that the money spent per student remains enough to make sure he will continue to get a high standard of services.


3. As a resident of Wake County, I want to see a slow in the growth so that the infrastructure can handle an increased population. By infrastructure, I am referring to school, water, transportation, power, communications. As the population grows faster than the county and municipalities within the county build and upgrade, it creates additional stress on what, in some cases already is, and will inevitably be insufficient services.


4. As a homeowner, slower growth will increase the value of my property. As a simple "supply and demand" relationship, as more land is developed and homes built, the supply of homes increases as does the population resulting in a slow increase in the value of already existing land and property. As a result, if growth and land development is slowed in the county then the value of my property will increase making it more lucrative to sell or giving me more equity in order to improve.

People are beginning to complain about the growth rate in Wake County. Not where you expect, like schools and roads, but in public pools. That's right pools. They are becoming too crowded as a result of the growth. I ask, where are the priorities of the people and government? Or am I the one who is behind the times? All along, I should have realized that it was not until leisure time activities are impacted that people will begin to complain. Forget important things such as education, transportation, focus on leisure. I guess a real impact won't be made until it interferes with stay-at-home moms' ability to get their latte in a timely manner.

August 5, 2007

I was flipping through the HBOs today and happened upon "The Shawshank Redemption". If you haven't seen it (and I am pretty sure you have) it is a good movie. If you haven't, I wont give away the ending. But the saddest part of the movie is Brooks. Brooks was a lifer. In the prison for 50 years when he finally made parole. He was so afraid to leave he threatened to kill another inmate. Think, just for a second, if you were out of society for 50 years. How much different would things be? I am not yet 50, so I can't imagine back 50 years age and then say "What if I woke up today from 1957? How would I be able to adjust to all the changes?" Brooks couldn't. He was not equipped for his new reality. And ultimately, he got his life sentence. Although he didn't die in prison, it was prison that killed him. After 50 years, he thought it would be better to die than to live in fear of his new reality. Now make your own parallel to society today.



I went to see "The Bourne Ultimatum." Jason Bourne is good! Just like the first two movies, his instincts and intelligence are incredible. Ok, yes, it is a movie, but still, Jason Bourne is the ultimate weapon. If you like the first two, definitely go and see the third.

August 3, 2007

Let me ask a question. Why when there is a tragedy are people obsessed with it but when something good happens, it gets mentioned once and is forgotten? I am sure you heard by now, on Wednesday, a bridge collapses in Minnesota, people die, cars in the river, bus full of campers survives, and always, "who is to blame?" See, and I am trying to think of something positive that we can dwell on, but I can't! Yeah, it IS a tragedy. I hate it that so many people died for something that probably could have been avoided with maintenance on the bridge.

But in the bigger picture, why are people so fascinated with tragedy? It's like why Jerry Springer was so successful, people define their lives by how bad someone else has it. I think they said something to that effect in "The Matrix." Now, mind you, I don't go looking for deep insight and revelations in Keanu Reeves movies, but it was a good point. We define our lives by our misery. If today we are less miserable than yesterday, then it is a good day. And that is to say, if we can point to someone else and say, "Wow, that sure sucks for them, I don't feel so bad about [fill in problem here]," then we must not be doing too badly. Right? it could always be worse.

Speaking of tragedy (see I do it too), did you see about that skateboarder yesterday in the X-Games. Check out this video.



How did he get up from that? He fell 40 feet and was able to "walk" away (though you could see he was going to be walking to the ambulance to take him to the hospital). Amazing. Notice, when he is free falling how he actually though about how he was going to land trying minimize his damage.

So I guess I had a pretty good day, considering I didn't fall out of a 4th story window.

August 2, 2007

Today may have been a little more productive than yesterday. I made to rehang the speakers on the deck today. I cut new wire, tested it with the speakers. I got a little side tracked by cleaning the floor of the screened-in porch (a lot of stuff falls between the floor boards and gets trapped by the screening underneath!). I was also interrupted by the cable guy. The cable had been freezing up on certain channels, to the point of annoyance, so I called the cable company yesterday. They replaced the cable box with a new one and all is well.

Last night Evan had a rough night, which, of course, made it rough for me and Michelle. He woke up a few times scared. At 4am he awoke and would not go back to sleep without Michelle. So it was not until after 5am that he was back asleep. This made for a very long day for Evan and Michelle, well, probably longer for Michelle - kids can sometimes bounce back if they don't get enough sleep. However, Evan was difficult to wake this morning. Once he was up, he kept complaining of how tired he was. Once he ate his breakfast he was bounding around as usual. The nice thing, however, was this afternoon when we were getting out of the car from school, Evan apologized to me for being up and crying, as he said, "all night." I was very impressed with this unsolicited apology. It was quite mature for a six-year-old.

August 1, 2007

Now that Evan is back to school, I am spending most of my time figuring out what I want to do. That is to say, I know the things I want to do, but I don't want to do them. Does that make sense? I want to build Evan's night table, I want to hang and rewire the speakers on the deck, I want to patch and paint the ceilings in the living room and kitchen, I want to buy and install deck lighting, I want to research how and paint the D&D figurines, I want to teach myself how to play the guitar, but I am not motivated to do any of it. Instead, I did laundry and watched "Conspiracy Theory" on HBO.

We met Peter and Katie and the boys at Chik-fil-a for dinner before Evan went to soccer practice. He begins his outdoor season with his Chik-fil-a team. Although it is the same team, the coaches are different. These new coaches don't seem as patient or as good with the kids ans Tony and Sandy last year, but maybe Evan will respond to the push these coaches provide.