Spreading the ire...

I found a couple of things today I wanted to share.

This is beautiful. It reminds me why I love the dedication of artists. It's an animation - but with 6000 individually painted pictures.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/02/6000-separate-p.html


This blew me away. I thought it was an Onion article at first. I was shocked to learn it was real.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/business/economy/19bonus.html?_r=3&hp


Enjoy

Huzzah ye of thy skalliwag good day to thee....

We took a field trip today to the Renaissance Festival. 20 8th graders. It was remarkably enjoyable, and I had a good group that didn't ditch me...

My thoughts:
I am always struck by the grandeur of it all - some of these people are VERY committed to their avatars.

I never cease to find amusement in the amalgam of historical time periods. Vikings chatting it up with Cloak and Rapier men-of-arms, drinking Pepsi whilst chatting up a belly-dancing faery... all while shouting at medieval icons such as court jesters and plated knights... wonderful.

For kids who never leave the staggering confines of Buckeye, AZ - my students took the obviously foreign atmosphere in stride.

Turkey legs are still gross when they taste like ham.

Renaissance Festivalites - whilst anachronistic, are still basically carnies.

As today was the "schools day" they could have eased up on the pricing a bit - a 3 dollar soda is a drop in the bucket for a rich teacher such as myself - but most of our kids had allowances in the 1-2 dollar range. Also, did they really expect kids to drop 300 bones for custom boots or 150 for a hand-made hardwood flagon?

Our bus driver was named Moses - and we all concur that he was just about the best bus driver we've ever had.

The falconer, the Wyldmen and Dexter Tripp are still my absolute favorites.

Dead Bob is overrated, in my opinion.

It was hilarious - repeat HI-LARIOUS - watching my pubescent male students stumble over themselves looking at all the boobs flowing from too-tight bodices.

Actually - that wasn't the funny part. The funny part was watching them cover their embarrassment when they noticed that I noticed them.

It is also kind of awesome to sneak innocent peeks at said boobage flows.

No matter how "cool" they may be, a leather rose is a lousy souvenir for such a trip.

I had fun. Lame conclusion - but true.

Merry be the tales... Blessed be the snails

Jed

My friendses be's wicked smart.

Hello friends. I need some help.

I am teaching the following poem, one of my faves, to 8th graders in a couple of weeks. (Co-teaching, actually) I have strong opinions about what I believe it to be about - but I thought it would be fun to open it up and see what y'alls be thinkin.'

Coolio. Peace.

(My wife is awesome. The poem is below.)


what if a much of a which of a wind

what if a much of a which of a wind
gives the truth to summer's lie;
bloodies with dizzying leaves the sun
and yanks immortal stars awry?
Blow king to beggar and queen to seem
(blow friend to fiend: blow space to time)
-when skies are hanged and oceans drowned,
the single secret will still be man

what if a keen of a lean wind flays
screaming hills with sleet and snow:
strangles valleys by ropes of thing
and stifles forests in white ago?
Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind
(blow pity to envy and soul to mind)
-whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees,
it's they shall cry hello to the spring

what if a dawn of a doom of a dream
bites this universe in two,
peels forever out of his grave
and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?
Blow soon to never and never to twice
(blow life to isn't:blow death to was)
-all nothing's only our hugest home;
the most who die, the more we live

ee cummings

Intimidated but not imitated.

Some times it sucks so bad to be a teacher that I can't really believe that I do it. But it always seems to be conveniently book-ended by a good moment here and there... these crack-like moments of pure joy.

This week blows.

The general stage directions, were there to be such things, for this week would look much like this:

He stood there agape. His face clearly defined "What the freakin' hell, man?" Enter lunatic in a tiger suit. He eats agape man.

Just because that's how crazy it has felt.

For a lil' wrap up...

One of my students was arrested last night.
4 of my students (yes FOUR) were caught smoking pot at school.
2 other students, whom I would never imagine doing so and in whom I am gravely disappointed - kept watch over the bathroom while the said activity occurred.
The assistant principal at the high school was arrested for sex with a 17 year-old student.
The above event has prompted some VERY strange comments from my colleagues.
I was forced, yes forced, to cover a 3rd grade class for about an hour today. I hate 3rd graders now.
Someone stole my favorite pen. That's grounds for a hangin'.

And there was more - but it's all so inside it would take me an hour to explain it.

The good things, though - dammit if they don't keep me coming back...

My toughest 8th grade ED student teaching a 2nd grader to read.
My creative writing club - brilliant kids
My ideas making a difference

I just think it's crazy that you can love your job so much on one day, and wish you'd never even taken it on the next. To not wish your job on your worst enemy, and yet to push your friends into trying it.

That's all, I guess. I just had to vent a bit.

The title is your fault Emery. You said you liked my titles a while back, and now I feel so much pressure to come up with good ones.

Peas to all.