Ellen Clare Mary Ralph Roger James

check out this feedback!

2009-11-08T12:14:00.002-06:00

This morning, in response to a post I put up on this day last year, I received this comment:

фильмы dvd фильмы сериалы диски blu-ray dvd5
[url=http://www.dvd5.com.ua]www.dvd5.com.ua[/url] или [url=http://www.dvd5.com.ua]http://www.dvd5.com.ua[/url]

последние новинки
Идеальный побег / A Perfect Getaway / 2009
Трансформеры: Месть падших / Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen / 2009
Джонни Д / Public Enemies / 2009
Монстри проти чужих / Монстры против пришельцев / Monsters vs Aliens / 2009
Стэн Хельсинг / Stan Helsing / 2009
О, счастливчик! / 2009
Нянька по вызову / The Rebound / 2009
Король Гийом / King Guillaume / 2009
Запрещенная реальность / 2009
Повелители теней / The Telling / 2009
Кража в музее / The Maiden Heist / 2009
Продавец / The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard / 2009
2012: Супернова / 2012: Supernova / 2009
Мой ангел-хранитель / My Sister s Keeper / 2009
Причина основания Китая / Jian guo da ye / 2009
Проклятые воды / Midnight Bayou / 2009
Ласковый май / 2009
Затащи меня в Ад / Drag Me to Hell / 2009
Чудаки / Lascars / 2009
Прошивка / Hardwired / 2009
Парк культуры и отдыха / Adventureland / 2009
Крик совы / The Cry of the Owl / 2009
Побег из ГУЛАГа / So weit die Fuesse tragen (As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me) / 2001
Дорогуша / Cheri / 2009
Крыша / 2009
Суррогаты / Surrogates / 2009
Гарри Поттер и Принц-полукровка / Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / 2009
Поворот не туда 3 / Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead [UNRATED] / 2009
Луна 2112 / Moon / 2009
Последний день будущего / Evilution / 2008
Опасные пассажиры поезда 123 / The Taking of Pelham 123
Предложение / The Proposal / 2009
Бросок кобры / G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra / 2009
Миссия Дарвина / G-Force / 2009
Каникулы строгого режима / 2009
Бабник / Spread / 2009
Интимные подробности холостяцкой жизни / Cruising Bar 2 / 2008
Невеста любой ценой / 2009
Дитя тьмы / Orphan / 2009
Девять / 9 / 2009
Представь себе / Imagine That / 2009
Звездный путь / Star Trek / 2009
Район №9 / District 9 / 2009

Huh.

What my walk to school looked like today:

2009-10-30T15:41:00.002-05:00

I wish nights were longer.

2009-10-20T06:53:00.002-05:00

Lately when I get up in the morning I feel really sad that the nighttime is over.

Gosh, sometimes I say the dumbest things on this blog. (Hi, Mom!)

But seriously, I want to go back to sleep. It's not that I want the weekend to come because sleep isn't as satisfying on the weekend when I can sleep until whenever I want.

here's something cool

2009-10-18T17:11:00.006-05:00

Here's one thing I love about hip hop: the use of "Aww" or, "Unhhh" as a way of pausing to let the beat catch up or think of something to say, or... I don't know... lots of things.

For example, in "D.O.A." (see below), Jay Z uses it twenty-four times. I counted. I think it really contributes something awesome to the song, and I'm not being facetious.

Here's another good example:

hott

2009-10-14T19:33:00.004-05:00

Why yes, that is a zebra-print snuggie.

eeyow

2009-10-11T21:45:00.006-05:00

I hate that feeling where I'm trying to think of something and/or anything to say, and five or ten really dumb ideas click through my brain, get evaluated and quickly rejected, and I'm thinking, "Shiiiit... we should be talking right now. This is awkward. Fuck fuck fuck." And I really hate it even more when, in a situation like this, someone else says, "Well, this is awkward," because that's one of the dumb things to say that clicks through and should be rejected because it doesn't lessen the pressure on the other person (or the rest of the group) to be socially brilliant, or even just socially adept. It just outs them as being awkward, and I don't think that's advisable in terms of creating positive vibes. You know?

good one

2009-10-04T12:45:00.000-05:00

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate.... Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, 1967

It's a stroganoff party and EVERYONE'S invited!

2009-09-28T21:09:00.001-05:00

It's a stroganoff party and EVERYONE'S invited!
STROGANOFF!
We're
all
gonna
eat
beef STROGANOFF!

riddle me this

2009-09-16T17:28:00.003-05:00

What's up with all the gnats in Urbana? I need windshield wipers on my glasses.

oh yes

2009-09-15T19:22:00.007-05:00

Lucky for me, students at my school go down to the auditorium to take their yearbook photos during their English classes once a year. Today was that day, and oh man is it awesome to watch people take their yearbook photos. Big, toothy, ridiculous grins. Weird, toothless, stretched-lip smiles that pose as real smiles but are just weird facial expressions. Kids who "don't smile for pictures." All of this stuff is great. And that's before you even consider the photographer's directions to "turn your head just a little that way," or "shoulders back."

You might be thinking that this doesn't sound funny, and if so, you might also be forgetting how cool the average fifteen-year-old is trying to look most of the time. And you might be the kind of person who, admirably, doesn't take just a little bit of pleasure in watching awkward but harmless self-consciousness.

I assure you; it's funny.

I even had one student who intentionally tried all these "model" poses (eg. fist under the chin, arms crossed and looking over one shoulder, lips pursed into a kissy face, etc.) while the increasingly frustrated photographer humorlessly repeated, "You can't do that... can't do that either... can't do that either..."

Every time I watch this, I laugh out loud at Bill's face at the end.

Can I just say

2009-09-12T16:04:00.002-05:00

that I am so so so so so so so so so glad that I became a teacher. Really, it's so fun.

"I wish I knew."

2009-09-12T16:03:00.001-05:00

Why is public transportation so intriguing?

2009-09-11T19:20:00.001-05:00

Jealous. So jealous.

one of my favorite scenes ever

2009-09-06T13:31:00.003-05:00

In a TV show, a movie, a book, in life, wherever, like, seriously, ever.

more socialist cult-recruiting dangerous people and penguins... WOOT!

2009-09-04T21:18:00.010-05:00

Even Nascar is drinking the cyanide-laced red Kool-Aid!

---

Four posts in one day. Yeah.

just a guess

2009-09-04T20:55:00.005-05:00

Starting sometime this past summer, I started noticing "ROTC DISCRIMINATES AGAINST GAY STUDENTS" chalked around the quad intermittently. And today I saw this:

Looks like someone blotted out the G, Y, and S so that it looks like it says "ROTC DISCRIMINATES AGAINST A STUDENT."

I really am not familiar with what's going on behind all this, but if I had to guess, I'd say that The Second Chalker (or rather, The Blotter), is trying to tell the story that one gay person was denied admission to the ROTC program and is now being a whiner about it. Again, just a guess, based on what I've seen and heard with somewhat similar stuff.

How wack. To assert that members of the LGBT community are not discriminated against in military (and many other) contexts -- yeah right. When Cornel West was here he said something about how scoffing at political correctness only trivializes the sufferings of other people. I'd say same goes for denying the existence of systemic inequity.

Let's be real: Senator Russell is a hater.

2009-09-04T20:04:00.009-05:00

Now, the way I understand Obama's upcoming speech to American students is that it will be a talk "on the importance of [students] taking responsibility for their education, challenging them to set goals and do everything they can to succeed," as is indicated on whitehouse.gov.

And I don't claim to be unbiased. On the contrary, I'm crazy about President Obama. I'm pretty sure I've made that clear.

That said, I think I'm being fair and rational when I say that Oklahoma's Senator Steve Russell's incendiary comments about the speech as an attempt at the Obamian indoctrination of American school children are irresponsibly hyperbolic. I don't mean that I don't I hear what he's saying; I see how a speech to children during school hours could be interpreted in that way. I really do.

But it's spoken like someone who has no idea how education works. Students' brains are not empty vessels into which grown-ups ideas are poured. In my experience, for many students, and especially students of color, Obama's political success is inspiring. Many of my students even think he is cool, if their wearing of his face on their t-shirts and shoes is any indication of such a thing. Many, but not all. And for those who don't consider him an inspiring leader or a cool guy, I'd bet that his speech Tuesday morning will give them an opportunity to practice their critical analysis skills. Afterwards, they can practice argumentation with their Obama-worshiping peers. And if that happens, that's when the learning -- for both the "believers" and "non-believers" -- will take place, not while they're listening to Obama's lecture. They've heard that "School is Cool" thing a million times. Sure, they might find it interesting to be spoken to and not about by our nation's leader, but I assure you: students are not passive receivers of knowledge. It just doesn't work that way.

Russell complained that the planned speech, "gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality." Okay, so he gets some face-time on the TV sets in the classroom as he tries to send positive and encouraging messages to our kids. Again, I really do see what he's getting at. But, again. Come on now. Obama as a concept has been a major force in pop culture for a while now. For various reasons, he has been an impressive draw for young people. Part of it, for sure is the way he's been marketed. Absolutely, he's trendy; I've already admitted my kids think he's cool. But it's fairly insulting to my own intelligence as well as insulting my students' intelligence to suggest that all of us youngens have been hoodwinked by him and his people. Y'know, it's possible that we might genuinely agree that all people who are sick deserve to be able to go to the doctor and receive quality treatment.

And finally, his claim that the speech is "is akin to something you would see in North Korea or under Saddam Hussein's Iraq" is just plain-old outrageously off. He going to speak about the importance reducing the drop-out rate. Last time I checked, we didn't invade Iraq because too many students were staying in school.

making it up to Kasey

2009-09-04T07:01:00.004-05:00

Here are five reasons why if Kasey had been here last Sunday, my morning would have been more awesome:

1. We could have had some good jokes about my White Liberal purchases from the Farmer's Market that I was eating for brunch.
2. We could have orchestrated a grand pie-ing of Jessica in the face even though the spur of the moment quick squirt with whipped cream was funny.
3. We could have read books.
4. We could have walked to the mall which we haven't done in a long time and should do soon before it gets too cold.
5. We could have found a really good Board-Shorts-Tacos recipe for Sunday night dinner instead of the boring recipe that I used.

mmhm

2009-09-01T18:08:00.002-05:00

"Maaaan, we doin too much in here."

I like the sounds of that. I think we're doing just enough.

Could I BE having a better Sunday morning?

2009-08-30T08:18:00.005-05:00

1. Ani DiFranco Pandora station (forgot how much I love her)
2. productivity on grad school application and district funding application
3. fresh pot of coffee since I cleaned the mold out of the machine yesterday afternoon
4. windows open and air cool enough to be able to wear a sweatshirt and pants
5. good lesson plans written for the week
6. grocery shopping done
7. up early enough to do all of this and still be able to get over to church for the first time in a long time
8. little brother coming to visit esta noche
9. Alex and Jessica coming back today, too

The answer is definitively no. This morning could not be any better.
Man, I used to hate Sundays in college.

Well!

2009-08-25T19:31:00.000-05:00

Now that's a good word.

my response to

2009-08-24T22:04:00.000-05:00

you, Cassie:

Here's Alex' team playing soccer

2009-08-22T14:45:00.003-05:00

whilst the apocalypse looms.

shockingly shameless

2009-08-22T13:59:00.008-05:00

Check out two of the most popular articles on the Time website right now:

Ex-Wives and Others Eagerly Await UBS Tax-Cheater List
Michelle Obama and the Shorts Heard Round the World

Sorry for being so unladylike (...NOT), but what the FUCK.

Maybe if the one about offshore bank accounts had any sort of statistic -- gosh, even some sort of unconvincing "fact" even -- to back up their presumption that the holders of such are men, then maybe that sort of shit wouldn't be so outrageously fucking sexist, but even then, probably no. I find that woman as sort of bitter, ruthless, gold-digger bullshit incredibly offensive. In fact, I actually feel kind of personally insulted by this suggestion. And y'know what, the article is pretty heteronormative, too, huh?

Maybe it's because I read this article after reading about how Michelle Obama "just didn't look particularly good in shorts. Her arms are much admired. her legs are just, you know, legs." I've posted before about how infuriating it is to me the way the media so often belittles Mrs. Obama, but this shit is... GOSH.

I mean, the way this article ends sounds like it was written in the 1950s. Srsly.

For women, Michelle's shorts were long on significance. They give accomplished, glamorous people license to do what the power brokers at Vogue do, and that is to wear whatever the hell they like sometimes. So, ladies, get out your least flattering outfits — your terry shorts, your oversize T-shirt, those extra comfortable arch-supporting shoes — and wear them with pride. All the fashionable women are doing it.

Oh, really? I can? *bats eyelids* Thanks! *punches Time Magazine in the face.*

on being a townie

2009-08-21T23:44:00.006-05:00

I don't like being a townie. It's taken a lot of the anonymity out of living in this place.

When I used to walk on the quad as a student, I would marvel at just how many classmates I had. I would think about the fact that I would probably never see some of the faces that I was passing again even though myself and the strangers around me were all so familiar with the same campus landscapes.

Now, though, it's easier for me to see how everyone is connected. I run into a student and/or a parent nearly every single time I go to the grocery store, for example, but it's not just people from work. I mean this in the least I'm-a-big-deal way possible, but it just seems like I've started to know a lot of people around here and they all know each other, too, for various reasons.

I can definitely see how this could be construed as a good thing. Sometimes, I do like it. Like the other day, I ran into the parents of one of my students while we were all volunteering at a food pantry that we were invited to by a good friend of mine. That was kinda cool, real community-like, y'know.

That said, I'm just not a smalltown person, and this place doesn't even qualify as a small town. It's not really to do with those kind of stereotypical everybody-knows-everybody's business issues -- and Lord knows it's not because any majority of people are stereotypically conservative over here. I'd just really much rather feel my insignificance in obvious ways every day, the way I feel while riding public transportation in a city, for example.

I almost can't believe I'm saying that; what, I want to teach in a big ol' impersonal school district where I don't have any valued input into the way things work? to live in a place where any kind of positive contribution I make to my community could only be so relatively tiny as to almost be pointless? where it's maybe easier for people to dehumanize one another since there's less of a chance that they'll have to interact with one another meaningfully?

It doesn't make sense when I really think about it, but really, sometime relatively soon I'm going to make a move towards someplace where I can feel a little less known. It'll be good for my level of modesty.

(ha. Ask anyone in Champaign-Urbana. My name rings out here. Right...)