Bulldogs Need This

LiveLeak.com - Troop of Gorillas visit a camp

2011-12-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

Stay with this video all the way. You WILL be amazed.

LiveLeak.com - Troop of Gorillas visit a camp:

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Celebrating the best of comic books in 2011 – USATODAY.com

2011-12-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

Hit the link below for a story about comic books. Why? There is an author who is name checked for best retro comic. That name is Eric Trautmann. He submitted some lists of books to read for the blog a while back and is one of my oldest friends. Google him and you will see all the work he has completed in the past few years. You WILL be amazed.

Celebrating the best of comic books in 2011 – USATODAY.com:

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Watertown Daily Times | State honors soccer players Haenlin, Coleman

2011-12-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Hey - I know one of these girls!
Watertown Daily Times | State honors soccer players Haenlin, Coleman:

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9 Minutes

2011-12-12T18:23:00.000-05:00

I watched this clip - then went for a walk. You will see why. Please share and tell people to watch.

Wild

2011-11-20T15:31:00.001-05:00

This is not animated in any way. Your perceptions are doing the work. Freaky.

Free Technology for Teachers: 3 Tools to Help You Save Paper & Ink in Your Classroom

2011-11-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

Free Technology for Teachers: 3 Tools to Help You Save Paper & Ink in Your Classroom:

There is a share printer outside my room at school. Nearly every day there are sheets of printed paper left behind that I assume were printed from a large web page article but not needed. I am talking A LOT of paper. There are some great ways to alleviate this problem in this article. This is also a very good blog for teachers. I have mentioned it in the past and thought it was time for another nod. I normally find some great information here.

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StarTalk Radio Show by Neil deGrasse Tyson | first and only popular commercial radio program devoted to all things space

2011-11-14T19:18:00.000-05:00

StarTalk Radio Show by Neil deGrasse Tyson | first and only popular commercial radio program devoted to all things space:

I heard about Neil Degrasse Tyson on a podcast I like. I knew of him and heard the name but I did not really know who he was and what he does. This man is my kind of smart. He gets it. Whatever it is. I highly recommend listening to his show. Check out the website - look at some old episodes.

By the way - this is the guy who helped bring down Pluto.

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Teachers, parents unite in the name of education » NEW TODAY... » Press-Republican

2011-11-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

Teachers, parents unite in the name of education » NEW TODAY... » Press-Republican:

Good story about people coming together in the name of students. Some of our own CCS teachers were present at this wonderful event. Check out the CTA page on the school website for more information.

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Making Things

2011-10-30T20:26:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks I have been toying with electronics. (More on this later.)
I did actually read a book though. It is called "Made by Hand" by Mark Frauenfelder. It is about his quest to become a DIY person. He is the man behind one of my favorite sites/magazines called "Make".
In this book he talks about the quest for a better cup of coffee, the quest for eggs, and his search for more DIY projects. He has learned over the years that being more hands on with the world helps him in ways he never suspected. Perhaps the most important thing I learned from this book was to not be afraid to try and fail. I tend to give up when I cannot do something right away. To that end I picked up a new hobby/interest. I have been tinkering with electronics. I have read quite a bit about the theory behind the work and have purchased some kits and tools. I did get a sense of accomplishment when I completed some basic circuits. It is a skill that the older generations knew but we are losing. We cannot fix much of anything anymore. Some of the reason is our fault but some of the blame falls to the companies making our "things". They do not want us to fix anything. They want us to throw it away and buy the next new thing. I have four iPods. The worst part of that sentence is that the first one still works. So do the other three. My old computer was replaced because it was slow - not because it did not work anymore. We are getting trained to devalue working items. So I decided to try and reuse and re-purpose a bit more. I have a old fashioned stereo in my room at school. It is made up from an old tube style amp (Thanks Mr. Miller), some speakers from a broken stereo system that was thrown out (the speakers still work) and my old CD player. The player sill works but I retired it to the garage because mp3s are the way to go....right?
I am off the topic here but this is where the book took me. It made me challenge my approach to being more self sufficient. To fixing things. To making things. To being a bit more in tune with the world in general. To that end I really liked this book. The long section on coffee was lost on me (I do not like coffee) but the spirit of being a DIY person was not.
I will be sharing the journey into electronics soon. I made some cool toys and I want to brag a bit about what I made....by my own hand.

Check out the book HERE.

Jake Shimabukuro plays "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Video on TED.com

2011-10-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Jake Shimabukuro plays "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Video on TED.com

Wow....wow.....wow........wow

Oh yeah....wow!

Lucky Charms Sifter Gets Straight to the Sweet, Sweet Point

2011-10-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

Lucky Charms Sifter Gets Straight to the Sweet, Sweet Point:

Where was this thing when I was a kid who loved Lucky Charms. Wait....who am I kidding. I still like Lucky Charms from time to time.

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Tom Lehrer - The Masochism Tango - now on DVD

2011-10-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

I love funny songs. I am a Weird Al fan. I used to seek out great novelty songs for a while. One summer while I was driving to Potsdam for graduate classes I picked up a box set of Tom Lehrer CDs. I listened to them for weeks on end. I even performed a few of them once. This is one my favorites. Check him out. Amazing pianist.

[ pelada ]

2011-10-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

[ pelada ]:

Looking for a decent documentary? Probably not but this one is pretty cool. It is about soccer....and more. Most documentaries have layers and this one does not disappoint. Be warned - there are lots of subtitles here. But the movie is worth is. Especially for CCS soccer fans. Some of the foot work is astounding.

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Glass Half Full

2011-10-16T22:27:00.003-04:00

Something happened to me today that made be look at the positive side of life. I was shopping in Malone. I went to a few different stores looking for something specific. I found it. I went to my truck and back out of the parking spot I was in. I had no brakes. Nothing. I was able to stay calm and I backed up slowly, slowed to a stop and then jammed it into drive and maneuvered into a parking spot. I know nothing about fixing cars but I did notice that I was low on brake fluid. I ran back into the store and bought some. I started the truck and pressed the brake pedal. Fluid leaked all over the place and I was left with a puddle of brake fluid under the truck. I did not have my cell phone with me so I had to go back into the store and call home.
My father, who does know a few things about fixing cars was quickly able to determine that the front and rear brake lines were bad. Fluid leaked out of both ends of the truck. We were able to find a very good guy with a tow truck. I had to pay for it (of course) and will have to pay for the repairs. I do not know the cost of these repairs. On top of this I was out shopping for some last minute birthday gifts for my mother-in-law. We were to have a dinner later for her (and my) birthday. So.......why is the glass half full?
I was shopping at Walmart. I live on the opposite end of Malone which means I would have had to go down the hill into Main Street and travel through all of Main Street to get home. I would not have been able to stop going down the hill. I would easily not have been as calm if I were in traffic with no brakes. I would have hit something, or someone. I could have hut someone. I could have been hurt myself. The costs would have been greater had the brakes failed while I was heading down the hill back home. If I had not taken the trip the truck would have failed on my way to school while I was driving 55 mph. Instead the brakes failed while I was slowly moving out of a parking spot.
Sure I am out the towing costs and the coming repairs. But that is all. I could have lost more. Sometimes it is hard for me to find the positive spin on things. It was not hard to find it here.
I could have let this ruin my day. Instead it made my day (in some odd way). It is all about perspective.
My present to myself this year will be to try and view life more from that perspective. It helps. I finally learned that lesson. Never too old to learn new tricks I guess.

Powerful Inspirational true story...Don't give up! - YouTube

2011-10-16T07:50:00.000-04:00

I forgot about this story. Chances are some of you did as well. I had not seen it put together like this before. I saw it on one of my favorite blogs (The Happiness Project). The first thing I thought of was Charlie Sheen and his "winning" comment. This is what winning looks like to me. (Warning - you may want some tissues close by)

Powerful Inspirational true story...Don't give up! - YouTube:

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Watertown Daily Times | Fleury sets shutout mark for Chateaugay

2011-10-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

Hit the link below to read a story about CCS goalie Erik Fleury. Nice job Erik (and nice job to all the defensive players who helped make it possible.)

Watertown Daily Times | Fleury sets shutout mark for Chateaugay:

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What happened?

2011-09-28T11:49:00.001-04:00

Google has made some impressive changes to their service. One of the neat features is the new look I added to the blog. I hope you like it. I think it will inspire me to get back into the mood for more frequent updates. Let me know what you think of the new look.

Pulling back the curtain - The Business Review

2011-09-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

Pulling back the curtain - The Business Review:

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Hey....I know her. And so do many of you.

Texas drought and wildfires - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2011-09-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

Texas drought and wildfires - The Big Picture - Boston.com:

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Some perspective always helps me stay a bit balanced. Check out these pictures from Texas. I know we have had some odd and scary weather around here but the images coming from the drought and wild fire stricken region are very disturbing. I feel a bit bad now about whining about the lack of rain we had in June/July.

Lots of posts

2011-09-08T22:07:00.002-04:00

Please scroll down. I added a bunch of stuff tonight.

One more music post

2011-09-08T22:05:00.002-04:00

Those of you who around my age know about Daryl Hall from Hall and Oates. They were hands down the most successful musical duo of the 80s and probably of all time. Hall has a great show on the web where he hangs with other famous musicians. The play music, cook food and have a great time. There are MANY great songs on that site. Check it out.

Fleet Foxes

2011-09-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

After posting the Ben Sollee clip I decided to post something a little more mainstream. I heard this song a while back and the haunting vocals stuck with me. I picked up a few CDs from the Fleet Foxes and I think I have discovered something I can get into. I am always a fan of music I can ignore. What I mean is music that can sit in the background while I read or work or relax. It calms me. Give this video a try.

Ben Sollee

2011-09-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I made a music recommendation. A while back I posted a video from Ben Sollee. I will re-post it below. When I saw the video I was impressed by the creativity in the visual style and the music style. I did a bit of research about the artist and decided to give his new CD a try. I cannot put him in any genre easily. The music is haunting at times, beautiful at times and sometimes both at the same time. (I know....I used the work times too many times). I have listened to the CD a dozen or so times. I put it on when I am sitting near the fire. It calms me and challenges me to pay attention at the same time. Did I mention I cannot put this into a genre? Sollee's instrument of choice is the cello and he puts it to work in ways many would not expect. He also surrounds himself with other like minded musicians. Together they have created a great album. This is not music you will hear on the radio. I suspect you will never hear it anywhere really unless you purposely look for it. I would suggest that those of you who like something a bit different take a moment and track him down. I know his style will not be for everyone but for some reason his music got in my head enough to make me want to mention it here. I promise I will find something a bit more mainstream soon.

SMU's Unsung Hero Helps Aggie Captain

2011-09-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

SMU's Unsung Hero Helps Aggie Captain: Amidst college football’s self-glorifying players, money-driven conferences, and a place where you usually can’t get ahead by playing soft, we saw a heroic act of sportsmanship.

Mrs. Fowler sent this link recently. It is a great story. What is even more amazing is that something nice made the news somewhere. I bet there are many stories like this. We just do not hear about them. I also bet there are some people working at CCS who perform great acts like this every day and we do not know about it. Take a moment and read the story. Nice warm fuzzies are waiting for you.

SUNY Potsdam Golf finishes 3rd at Bears Fall Invitational

2011-09-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

SUNY Potsdam Golf finishes 3rd at Bears Fall Invitational

Another recent CCS grad in the news.

Ever wonder how I find out about these? I set up my Google news feed to look for stories with Chateaugay in them. It works pretty well.

Watertown Daily Times | White, Thompson lift Red Raiders over Devils

2011-09-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

Watertown Daily Times | White, Thompson lift Red Raiders over Devils

Read all the way through for information about some CCS talent.

Clarkson Athletics - Clarkson Opens Season With Convincing 3-0 Win Over SUNYIT

2011-09-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

Clarkson Athletics - Clarkson Opens Season With Convincing 3-0 Win Over SUNYIT

I have a news feed that searches out news about Chateaugay. Look at what I found.

Hidden Benefits

2011-08-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

For most of the summer I have listened to music on vinyl. I had a few records kicking around the house and picked up a few collections over the years from friends and family who really did not want them. I am not a collector. I do not have real money invested in my albums. What I have is music I like to hear. I have classic rock, some country, a bunch of swing and big band, and pretty much every other genre you can imagine. The quality ranges from pretty clean to scratchy and full of pops. No matter the quality I like it. Skipping records bug me a little though.
But here is the hidden benefit....records are short. One side of an album is normally less than 20 minutes. This means you have to stop what you are doing, get up and turn the record over. Of course you could put a new one on. But if you are like me you spend time on-line checking email and Facebook and not getting much done. The constant interruption of the album reminds you that time is passing and maybe you are not really being productive. It is also a bit healthy. If you are listening to tunes on your computer or iPod you don't get up and move at all. Every 18-20 minutes I get up and change the tunes. It is not like running a marathon but it should add up...right?
Other benefits include actually listening to the music. For a while now I have accumulated music from Amazon.com or iTunes and never listen to it. I get it for free and I "collect" it but because there is nothing tangible about a digital file I almost completely ignore it.
This being me back to my biggest gripe about the digital world. From the loss of books to the Kindle, to the loss of music to mp3s, to the collection of online friends we have devalued everything. Real friends will never be replaced. Real books will still hold people's attention. Items you can hold on to like books and vinyl records are a way to feel something real.
I know the CD I have of the album I am listening to is cleaner and clearer. I know I can dial it up on my iPod but I never do. Instead I brushed off the lint and plunked the needle down. I heard the little bit of pop and crackle and felt a little tingly feeling. And, as I finish these thought I realize that I have to get a new record out. I have already listened to both sides of this Kinks album.
Looking to clean out your records? Let me know. Believe it or not I really do listen to them and throughout the school year....so will my students. I may train them a bit before I hit them up with my Lawrence Welk collection.

Social Media

2011-08-01T17:59:00.001-04:00

I am going to try and lead the way a bit more with using social media and the internet this coming school year. As much as I feel most of what Facebook and Twitter does is useless (virtual friends still sounds fishy to me) I think there is some merit in old folks like me learning to adapt. To that end I will be working more with Blogger, Facebook,Twitter and Google + (soon I hope). I am not sure how I will tie all of these sources together but I challenge other staff members at CCS to get on board as well and help me figure it out.
This is a slippery slope for teachers. I just read THIS ARTICLE about one state mandating the teachers cut of all Facebook contact with students. However, they are also encouraged to set up classroom fan pages and use other types of social media to facilitate communication among students, parents and teachers.
This is the challenge - to engage students with internet tools but somehow keep professional distance. In the past year at CCS there have been some instances where the virtual reality collided with the real world and the results were not pretty. This is to be expected because all of this is new to all of us and it is ever changing. So I will try to bridge the gap as best as I can. I have tweaked my WEB SITE with google and started a Mr. Trombley - Math blog. I do have an active Twitter account but I never use it....yet. It is a journey. Please take it with me will you?

Watertown Daily Times | Pair from Norwood-Norfolk earn state baseball team honors

2011-08-01T17:48:00.000-04:00

Watertown Daily Times | Pair from Norwood-Norfolk earn state baseball team honors

Check out this great story about area baseball stars. I think there is a familiar name in the story.

Book List

2011-06-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

Check out THIS LINK for a list of books that I guess we are supposed to read (have read). I am nowhere near ambitious enough to tackle this list.

'The Kite Runner' to get graphic novel treatment - USATODAY.com

2011-06-15T21:52:00.000-04:00

'The Kite Runner' to get graphic novel treatment - USATODAY.com

One of my favorite books will be getting a new look soon. I like it.

Kid Gives Speech After Learning To Ride A Bike (Original)

2011-06-05T20:00:00.000-04:00

Very cute.

If It's Hip, It's Here: ABC Bookcase - Letters and Numbers Modular Cube Storage from Saporiti

2011-06-05T19:24:00.000-04:00

If It's Hip, It's Here: ABC Bookcase - Letters and Numbers Modular Cube Storage from Saporiti

Hit this link for some of the coolest book shelves I have ever seen. I may even tackle a version of these over the summer.

Tommy Emmanuel - Classical Gas (Best Version)

2011-06-04T19:18:00.000-04:00

When people ask me if I can play the guitar I normally say "not really". This video is why I say I cannot really play.

Cool Video

2011-05-30T20:03:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite musicians is Amos Lee. Great singer/songwriter. This video is amazing. It is made up of animation done with paper and paper folding. It always amazes me that there are people this creative in the world. I could find the embed code. Click HERE for the video.

Memorial Day Comments

2011-05-29T18:59:00.000-04:00

For the first time the Memorial Day ceremony at the Chateaugay American Legion meant something to me. Every year since I have been at CCS I have been at the parades. I always enjoy them and it always reminds me of the sacrifices that men and women in the service have made. This year was different. Standing a few feet away from me was a current member of the military and recent CCS graduate. After all the flowers were placed Ben played "Taps". This song always gets a reaction from people but this young man could not stop himself from shedding a few tears. It dawned on me right there and then. Even though I know it to be true I sometimes forget that there are wars going on right now and we have many men and women still serving our country and still dying for our freedom. It was a sobering moment for me. I will never again attend a parade with such a passive or dismissive attitude. I wanted to thank him for waking me up but I think he needed time. Someday I will tell him. Someday I will thank him for his service.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-29T16:45:00.001-04:00

memorial day 2011 1, a photo by art.trombley on Flickr.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the parade on May 28, 2011 in Chateaugay. I created a Flickr group for some of my best pictures and am inviting others to join and share their work.

"Green With Envy" - Trailer

2011-05-23T22:57:00.000-04:00

This made me smile.

Greatest Marriage Proposal EVER!!!

2011-05-17T19:54:00.000-04:00

This almost made me cry.....I said almost.

Lego-style apartment transforms into infinite spaces

2011-05-14T08:39:00.000-04:00

I love the use of space here. Very creative.

i can read

2011-05-07T07:06:00.000-04:00

i can read

This is nice thought.

SOLLEECloseToYouFinalCONFORMH264 1

2011-04-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

I just stumbled across this video. Every once in a while I hear something that instantly clicks with me and this is one of those times. Hope you like it.

Spendster

2011-04-27T14:06:00.000-04:00

Spendster

I just heard about this website. It looks interesting and there is something here for us all to think about when it comes to money. I may play around with some numbers in Algebra class this week to get students to appreciate the cost of gas right now and the money spent just going to the mall to buy stuff no one needs anyway.

Thoughts?

Paul Simon, Jimmy & Stomp Perform "Cecilia" - Music - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

2011-04-26T18:54:00.000-04:00

Paul Simon, Jimmy & Stomp Perform "Cecilia" - Music - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

I love Paul Simon. Jimmy Fallon is fast becoming a favorite as well. And my mother's name was Cecilia. This is full of win for me.

YouTube - Whip My Hair with Neil Young & Bruce Springsteen

2011-04-26T18:49:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Whip My Hair with Neil Young & Bruce SpringsteenT

This is for Mrs. Allen.

Why People Have No Faith in Heroes

2011-04-20T12:31:00.000-04:00

Many of you who follow this blog know of my fondness for the book "Three Cups of Tea". You might also know that the author has come under fire recently for making up some key parts of the book and for not being completely honest with the financial arrangements about his company and the sale of his books. This all came to light this past weekend on 60 Minutes. I did not watch the show but I have read many articles about this situation and quite frankly my heart broke. One article I read starts out with the author being thankful for a heroic person like Greg Mortenson. Our country was divided (and still is) by the war in Afghanistan and the surrounding areas. There were major financial scandals. Baseball players were coming under fire for steroid use. We needed some feel good news. The book "Three Cups of Tea" came almost out of nowhere and by word of mouth (from people like me) it because a best seller and spawned many similar books. But then a respected climber and author Jon Krakauer found some problems with this story and an investigation commenced. This book was the driving force behind a special fund set up to build schools in war torn areas of the world. Now it seems like all the money raised is not going where people assumed. I suspect donations to this cause will dry up overnight and in no time this matter will be forgotten. Mortenson will become another name in a long list of people who have let people down. I would like to think he exaggerated a bit to make the story more compelling and exciting. If that was all he did I would not feel quite so bad. Memoirs tend to be less than factual because they rely on the memory of the person telling the tale. But the insinuation that the funds are not being handled appropriately are troubling.
As I write this Mortenson has been reasonably quiet about this matter. He defends his story. Be has not, to my knowledge, released any financial statements. I am concerned that he has not been as forthcoming as possible given the specter of impropriety hanging over the matter.
This brings me to the title of this post. I don't normally get sucked into causes and strong beliefs about the humanity of people. We have seen far too often that many of our national heroes turn out to be normal people after all, complete with all their faults. How often have we seen our heroes fall? How many times have we heard about elected officials caught up in a scandals of one form or another. I remember thinking Elliot Spitzer might just be a take no prisoners governor. Then he was caught in a scandal.
Time after time as see our heroes fall. I sometimes wonder why we keep letting ourselves be tricked by these people. I think we all want a hero. We all want to believe in someone. Superhero movies will flood the summer this year because we want heroes. But when something like happens time and time again it gets harder for people to believe and for people to have faith in the word of our fellow man.
But I want to turn this around a bit. Maybe....just maybe we are making heroes out of the wrong people. Heroes are the men, women and children who work hard all day taking care of their little piece of the world away from the spotlight of the world. From parents who work and sacrifice for the benefit of their children to the person who donates time and money to local charities without fanfare there are unsung heroes all around us. I see small "heroic" acts all the time. The smallest act of kindness is arguably more heroic than grand gestures. Maybe when this all started Mortenson was caught off guard. Maybe he could not handle the sudden rush of fame. I do not know him and that is part of the problem with our heroes. I bet if we stopped and looked around we would find that the people closest to us are pretty darn heroic in their own way. Maybe we should stop rewarding flavor of the moment folks like Mortenson and invest in day to day heroes we see every day. I work in a school full of them. Take a moment and look around you. I suspect there is a hero in your midst (and it may even be you). What I will take away from this dispiriting turns of events for this author and his stories is that ultimately he is just a human. He is prone to all the mistakes and foibles that come with being human. Just like me. Just like you. But if we use these moments for self reflection we may learn something about true heroism and true faith.
Sorry for the long rant here but I really feel a bit betrayed by him. Has this ever happened to you?

Watertown Daily Times | A SAFETY SQUEEZE

2011-04-19T19:22:00.000-04:00

Watertown Daily Times | A SAFETY SQUEEZE

An article about baseball bats? Why? Check out the bottom of the story where the author highlights returning players.

Tangible

2011-04-18T20:22:00.000-04:00

tan·gi·ble/ˈtanjəbəl/
Adjective: Perceptible by touch.
Noun: A thing that is perceptible by touch

File this post under the mini-rant category (and self reflection sub category as well)

I was trying to sort out my iTunes library because I could not longer fit all the music files I have on my iPod. I am not bragging about the amount of music I have because most of the content in my library was free. I downloaded every free album and song from iTunes and Amazon.com I could get my hands on. I have thousands of songs that I have never heard. I collected many megabytes worth of wasted digital space. I fact if I wanted to listen to all the music in my library it would take me 57 days listening around the clock. So I decided to clean up the files. But I was not sure where to start......

I was trying to clean out my files of pictures over the vacation. Actually I was looking for a specific picture and I assumed my files were well organized. I have nearly one terabyte worth of pictures. For the layperson that means THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of pictures. Most are from school (and the shutter happy Mr. Green). But they are digital files. I cannot touch them. I decided I needed to organize them. But I was not sure where to start.

I have many Facebook friends. You get where this is going right? I collected those names in the same manner as the pictures and the music. But the pictures I really like are the ones I had printed. Most of the rest have become digital clutter. The music I really like is on a physical medium like a CD, vinyl album or cassette. The friends I truly need in my life are not in an endless stream of status updates. They are the ones I actually speak with in person. I have books on my Kindle and ones I can share more simply by leaving them on a shelf for others.

I think I have figured out the best way to decide what really matters. It comes down to the word "tangible".

We live in a world that is rapidly turning into bits and bytes. And, maybe it is because I am getting older, but I think we are in trouble because of it. I do think there is something missing if we cannot hold something and know it is real and exists.

My mini-challenge is to be more hands on with the world. Maybe a few less emails and more phone calls or face to face conversations. Maybe I will pop in the CDs I own rather than wasting time with free music. Imagine writing someone an actual letter....If our lives can simply be transferred to a flash drive have we really lived?

Heavy thoughts for a Monday I know - but I am trying to avoid snacking and this seemed like a good distraction at the time.

The 4-Hour Workweek

2011-04-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

I listened to a podcast recently that featured the author of this book. His name is Tim Ferriss. Google him and the reviews are often very one sided. He is adored and loathed at the same time. I put him somewhere in the adored category. But I read this book through a different set of eyes than most. I read his book (as I do most books like this) from a "what can this do for me" point of view. What he suggests in this book would not work for me because my end game is not his. What you can find in this book is some common sense advice. De-clutter your life. Simplify. Eliminate waste. Find your center. This is what I took away from this book and I think they are the bigger themes here. Ferriss has made money, traveled the world and has lived a pretty full life in a manner that suits him. It would not be my life (and I think some of the criticism comes from people trying to think they have to live vicariously through him). But I do see where his beliefs can be relevant to most anybody. It is all about a vision for a well lived life and that vision is different for every person on Earth. I initially thought this was a book for harried executive workaholics. While he does address that condition more than other he makes most of his idead relatable to the "average" person with seemingly too much to do and too little time. (Which is a post I have been working on for some time and may now finish). He has a follow up book called "The 4-Hour Body" which I have also read. The latter book recommended in my favorite magazine, Wired. I took the plunge and will share that story in the near future. Here are some quick take aways from the book - streamline the mundane tasks, eliminate the time wasters, set measurable short term goals and get out and live life. Solid advice indeed.

YouTube - Don't Brush My Hair in Knots

2011-04-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Don't Brush My Hair in Knots: "

This made me smile. Fun stuff.

HamiltonBook.com - New Books at Bargain Prices! - Home

2011-04-10T19:38:00.000-04:00

HamiltonBook.com - New Books at Bargain Prices! - Home

Not sure if I mentioned this before or not but this is where I buy many of my books. Just about everything here is offered at clearance prices. Shipping is pretty fast. Once you are on the list you get frequent snail mail catalogs. I have found some great deals here. Happy shopping!

I think it is time

2011-03-31T20:30:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have followed me for a while know of my fondness for this video. I have heard that I have a few new followers. For those folks I offer up one of the best videos and messages I have ever heard.

Quitting is so easy

2011-03-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

It was about 6:45 PM when I stood up, changed into my sweat pants, sweat shirt and sneakers to head out into the exercise room to walk. I usually do a combination of walking, elliptical work and/or weights for about 30-40 minutes per day. Sometimes I take is slower than others but I go out just about every day. Most days I hate it. Well...not true actually. I have Netflix and have been watching Law & Order and other shows to keep me entertained. Some days I want to see the next episode and that is what spurs me on to get out and get walking. But the real reason I force myself is because it is so easy to quit. I have tried to get into some sort of shape before. I normally last about a month. This time I have been pretty good about it since September. I am afraid to skip a day because then I can skip two days. Then a week. Before I know it a month has gone by. Then a year. Then I am back to the fat pants.
This is not why I am writing this. This year I have met far too many students who quit trying within seconds of starting something new or challenging. They have decided that if they cannot solve the problem in seconds that they should just quit. They quit on one problem, then another. Pretty soon the homework is not done. Then the quiz is not easy. Then why bother studying for the test since I am just going to fail anyway. Might as well quit. I would love to say to them that trying to lose weight and get healthy after so many years of ignoring myself is MUCH harder than math is for them.
I get that math is not fun for some. Walking on a treadmill at 4 miles per hour at a 10 degree incline is not fun for me either. I get that struggling to think through a problem is hard when you are a 9th grader feeling lost. I too am struggling with trying to reach them. But I am not quitting. I decided that once again tonight as I tried to come up with some other approaches. I would love to quit though.
But the struggle with walking each night has taught me something. Every time I finish the walk I feel better. Half way through when I can't breath I want to quit but when I am done I feel so good. I am hoping that will happen with the math classes this year. Last week I did have a moment what I thought I could not breathe. (Teacher will recognize this symptom. It happens when you grade an "easy" test and few students are successful). But I will get through it and feel better. I just wish I could convince them that quitting, while easy, is not a good life skill to acquire.

Johnny Hartman -- "It Was Almost Like a Song"

2011-03-30T21:13:00.000-04:00

I love this man's voice. If you are a fan of the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" you will recognize this singer. I am not a fan of jazz music but for some reason this man's voice just kills me. Check his other stuff out on YouTube. Better yet, pick up a greatest hits CD.

Scott Sigler

2011-03-28T21:26:00.001-04:00

This is the sequel to a book I wrote about a while ago. I finally got around to picking it up (via gift card - I have not broken my vow yet). It is about the possibility that alien life has landed and is planning infecting the human population. There is a TON of science in this book and it all seems plausible because the author has spent a great deal of time on research. The action is second to none and the characters are so well written that you can see them moving throughout the story. The story picks up where the first book left off and the heroes are still chasing down clues to the infection. They have finally come to realize that they are fighting something that could not possibly have come from this planet. The contagious creatures take over host bodies in an attempt to build a weapon but human bodies are too frail and often cannot handle the transformation. That is until they figure out that they can survive longer and more effectively in children. Once a young girl becomes the leader of the alien spores the book gets pretty dark. The two male heroes are almost a cliche but Sigler somehow manages to keep them fresh and in the end I really ended up liking them. The ending caught me off guard so I will not spoil it but I was satisfied. I head about this author through one of my favorite podcasts, The Nerdist. The guys form the podcast are...well...nerds. They like comic books, video games, movies and the like. They tend to interview comedians and I think this is the only author they have had on the show. The man seemed like a really great guy and the sort of person you would want to support. He has an very active web site that I highly recommend as well. Check him out HERE. I will add this to the collection soon. The first book, Infection, is on the shelf already. This book is not really for younger readers. It can be graphic and scary at times.

Adults With College Degrees in the United States, by County - Students - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2011-03-27T08:07:00.000-04:00

Adults With College Degrees in the United States, by County - Students - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Very interesting map of statistical information. Check out Franklin County. I am astounded that the average income for our county has gone DOWN over the past five years. Scary times indeed. I may use this in class.

Make: Online | Skill Set: Understanding Motors and Motion

2011-03-26T22:45:00.000-04:00

Make: Online | Skill Set: Understanding Motors and Motion

This is probably not for everyone but I have been into my Make magazines again. This is a magazine dedicated to people who like to tinker with pretty much anything. There are projects that can be handled in a weekend to serious technological advances discussed in the pages of this magazine series. Sometime I cannot handle plowing through a whole book and when I need something a little lighter I turn to magazine. This is partly why I have not been posting a lot of book reviews lately. My eyes are getting really tired. I think I may be getting old.

The Happiness Project: 11 Happiness Paradoxes to Contemplate As You Think About Your Happiness Project.

2011-03-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

The Happiness Project: 11 Happiness Paradoxes to Contemplate As You Think About Your Happiness Project.: "3. Push myself to use my time efficiently, yet also make time to play, to wander, to read at whim, to fail."

There is a great list of contradictions on one of my favorite blogs. I have mentioned the Happiness project before and recently I was told that I have not given off a happy vibe around school. I did not realize it and will try to correct that. What I really wanted to do in this post was try something new from Blogger and highlight this comment because I struggle with is daily. I like being efficient and productive but sometimes and Law and Order marathon is just what the doctor ordered to help me decompress from some stressful days. Check out the whole list by clicking on the link above. And consider checking in with this person's blog. She does a great job finding some pearls of wisdom.

Mr. Blue Sky

2011-03-25T20:27:00.002-04:00

Here's a little toe tapper that always makes me smile. Whenever I hear it I remember how much I like E.L.O.

Anthrax Redux: Did the Feds Nab the Wrong Guy? | Magazine

2011-03-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

Anthrax Redux: Did the Feds Nab the Wrong Guy? | Magazine

This is simply one of the best magazine articles I have ever read.

Warning - it is a bit long (for a magazine article), a bit technical, but utterly fascinating. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Memory

2011-03-23T22:30:00.000-04:00

This book arrived in the mail on March 22. I am writing this on March 23. Do you think I liked this book or what? First of all....I know I am not supposed to buy new books until I read all the ones I already have but the rule I set for myself was that I could use the gift cards I received for Christmas and this is what I wanted. I am not even sure where I heard about this book but I am glad I read it. This is an odd book to be sure. The title probably gives that away. It is about the author's yearlong journey from writing about memory competitions held each year to winning the American title a year later. At least that is the thread that holds the book together. I found this book to be an exciting read. I wanted to find out how he trained and how he won. There are colorful characters and many, many thought provoking ideas about how we use our memories. I used to think there was some merit to not wasting brain power memorizing names, numbers, facts and places, but now I am not so sure. The author talks about how we have devalued memory over the years and replaced it with smart phones and computers. We do not need to remember phone numbers, birthdays or even directions anymore. He wonders if that might actually be a bad thing. The strategies behind developing a good memory hinge on the ability to hang some information on previously stored bits of information. If we have decided to let handheld devices do all of our remembering for us we are not giving our brains anything to attach the new data to. I want to learn more about this because I wonder if this is what I am seeing in my math students who do not have a solid grasp of basic bath facts (multiplication tables for example). They struggle trying to recover that bit of information and that, in turn, makes the new tasks all the harder. Could it really be as simple as going back to the basics of making students remember facts, dates and other important information? I am not sure but this year more than ever I need to try something new. Looks like I found my latest fascination. Seriously....this book rocks. I am very excited to learn more about the techniques discussed here and to see if I can improve my own memory. There is one caveat here though. The author admits that even after all of his training and success he still forgets his car keys and cannot remember all of his friend's phone numbers. But he did develop some skills and keeps improving. I need those skills. Or maybe I don't. I can't remember.
I will not be sharing this book right away. I want to read through all the citations for more source material. Once I collect some more data I will add it to the collection.

Book Prices

2011-03-20T20:27:00.000-04:00

I just read a story about the pending death of the paperback due to the increase of digital books and ereaders. I have mentioned by thoughts about the Kindle in the past and will not repeat those thoughts here. My issue is with the thought that paperbacks are in decline because of the digital format. In my humble opinion, this is not the real problem. Have you noticed that paperbacks now cost nearly $10.00? They are being published in a format that is taller than before and for that privilege we get to pay $2.00 more for the same book. I really noticed this ripoff at Walmart not too long when the same book was in three formats. The traditional paperback size we all know. The taller format book and the even larger paperback that shelves with the hardcovers. The difference? The size of the book. That is all. It is a money grab and nothing more. This is one reason I think there has been a decline in the sale of paperbacks. Of course, it could be because people do not read much anymore.
One last word - I have not bought any books in a while, but I have been reading a ton. I will share some new titles soon and will be updating the lending library in the coming weeks with a few boxes I have in the garage.

Zombies

2011-03-10T19:18:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I read a book I borrowed from Mr. Miller. To say it is a zombie book is to not due the book justice. While it does tell the story of a zombie apocalypse it is much more than that. This is a book almost should be taught in social studies classes. How does a society respond to an epidemic....any epidemic is the real attraction here. I think we all remember that a few years ago we were all going to die from bird flu. Then pig flu. Regular flu laughed at both of them and killed off as many people as it always has. This does not suggest that the problem is/was real but I do not how much people panicked about this. I wonder what would happen in the event of a spread of something like....well....zombies. The story unfolds here via interviews with people who survived. Some were in power, some were just lucky. There are interviews from generals who tried to fight off the zombies. There is a chilling interview from a pharmaceutical representative who hints that a cure was possibly available (when there was enough demand) ((in other words - when enough people died)). Interview after interview becomes more chilling because you can turn on the news and see these people. From the Katrina debacle to the BP oil spill to pretty much any disaster we have to handle the people in this book are among us. The mistakes made in the story could easily be made today. This is one of the more terrifying books I have ever read because I could see where an epidemic could spread just like it unfolded in this "story". I think back to the spread of AIDS. The lack of education in the beginning probably killed more lives than the disease. While AIDS is not gone it has become "manageable" as a threat to the general public. But it spread quickly and many innocent people were killed during the war. There is a movie I like called "Outbreak" with Dustin Hoffman. It is about the spread of a deadly disease the mistakes that can be made. It always scared me because I can see it happening. I hope people in power have read this book (or one like it). While I am certain we will not be overrun by zombies, I can see being overrun by a simple virus. I can see our own ignorance and inability to solve a problem become our undoing. Bummer....I know. Great book. Makes one think. That is the hallmark of a great book. Check out his other books when you are done. And...since "The Walking Dead" has just come out on DVD take some time out to watch it. It is a great TV show.

Nice Guys

2011-03-08T21:47:00.000-05:00

I recently watched a surprising DVD. It is about a rock band. A popular rock band. This band has been around for 30 years. They have a rabid fan base. They are not yet in the rock and roll hall of fame though despite being heralded as one of the most talented musicians to ever be assembled. I will give you the name in a moment. As I watched the DVD I discovered why (in my opinion) this band may not have been accorded the critical praise and popularity of other bands. They are nice, decent men. The DVD was not full of scandalous stories. There were no forgotten periods where drugs and alcohol ruined their lives. They did not split up and fight. They did not trade in their wifes and lives every few years like so many rock stars seem to do. Actually I am not really sure what their private lives were like because they did not choose to share those details. The do not want to live their lives out in the news like so many celebrities do today. No drunken parties (Charlie Sheen, Lindsey Lohan, etc.) No broken marriages and affairs (see too many celebrities). The movie even includes a story about the band members staying in their room after a show while all sort of sordid affairs were going on in the hotel. Quiet, decent guys who flat out rock. The three members of this band (here some the hints) are not pretty boys. Then again neither is Mick Jagger. One is heralded as the best rock drummers ever. (know who it is yet?). The lead singer has an instantly distinctive voice and can play the synthesizer with his feet while he plays the bass and sings. The guitar player is widely recognized as the most creative ever. By now you should know that the band is Rush. Most people know at least one Rush song (Tom Sawyer), but they have many, many hit songs. They are a forgotten band. If you listen to much rock radio you are bound to hear one of their songs and then you think, "I like Rush." After watching their DVD I decided that they are just too darn nice.

As a society we seem to praise the rude and brash. Simon Cowell from American Idol was heralded for his "honest" opinions. OK. I will give him credit for honesty, but sometimes the criticism did go over the top. I always thought it was enough to say, "That was just not good enough." Instead he threw in little jabs and the country ate it up. Every reality show with judges now feature someone who is "brutally honest." Why be brutal? Why not just be honest. Why have we turned into a society where being real means being mean? Real mean.

It has actually always been this way. John McEnroe rose to fame as a tennis player because his antics. Sure he was one of the most talented players of his era but his tantrums made him famous.

Talk radio and cable news programs regularly feature hosts who yell and scream. But hey....they are just being honest and "real". Maybe it would be boring if people just disagreed politely. Maybe TV would be boring if judges just said, "That is not what we are looking for, but thanks for trying." Maybe there is no room for nice guys. There used to be. Once in a while there still is. Whenever you see truly gracious acts on the news they are treated like rare events. But I know there are nice guys (and...of course....girls) doing good things. Maybe we could turn this around and start rewarding the civil, the kind hearted and the nice, albeit a little boring sometimes, people and let those who yell and throw tantrums fade away. I suspect the world would be a little quieter. Maybe blood pressures would drop. Maybe, just maybe people would not be so stressed. And maybe a nice bunch of guys like the guys from Rush would be lauded for all their years of great music.

Talent

2011-03-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

I am not very talented. Fortunately I have two amazingly talented kids. On a recent snow day Joshua drew me a picture. One of my all time favorite movie characters is Hellboy. So rather than spend a day in front of the TV or playing video games he drew a picture for me. (This was after he played outside in the great new snow). He picked this talent up when he broke his foot. He had to spend 7 weeks in a cast and could not move. So he learned to draw. He always knew but he challenged himself to get better. In fact, when you see the special autograph books for the coming musical you will see how far has come. What did the other son do? How about learn to play the electric guitar while writing some music using his laptop. Again, this was after shoveling the drive and playing in the snow. I mention this because I am happy that they did all this on their own. No guided activities. They just did it. The conditions for tinkering around with drawing and playing music are in the house but they were not forced. They both found their own way. This is always for the best. Besides...the rewards (like this drawing and the pride of watching someone develop their talents) are so much more rewarding than lamenting the fact that the child did not follow some sort of plan laid out for them. As for talent - Jocelyn is an amazing artist (when she uses that skill) and a great musician so I should not be surprised.

Magic Alert

2011-03-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favorite books about magic is "The Glorious Deception" by Jim Steinmeyer. He is back with a story about one of the greatest American magicians of all time. The problem is....no one knows his name. I think that outside of people who know magic a bit almost no one knows the name Howard Thurston anymore. In the early 1900s he was handed the title of greatest magician by someone else you do not know - Harry Kellar. Funny - people still know who Houdini is even though he was not as much a "pure" magician as Thurston, Kellar and the others were. This book shines a light on Thurston and many other forgotten magic giants. This book is a glimpse into the world of large stage show magic. Thurston is portrayed as someone with an amazing stage presence. In fact I got the impression that the author believes that he was more of an amazing showman as opposed to an amazing magician. This is not to suggest he was not talented. There is a section of the book where Thurston's first wife claims he practiced for hours at a time in front of mirrors working on his manipulations. His life was full of good luck followed by very bad luck. He earned and lost many fortunes along the way. He started life as a small time con man and I think those skills ended up making his rise to success all the more inevitable. He knew how to "play" people and he did so very well. I know this is not a book many of you will want to read. There is, admittedly, not a lot of interest in these books but I wanted you to know what I have been reading recently.

A Short Rant

2011-03-04T21:47:00.000-05:00

At this year's Oscar awards the movie "Inside Job" won for best documentary. It is about the global financial meltdown. I have read quite a bit about this movie and know much of the story from some AMAZING episodes of "This American Life". I will not go into my thoughts about how the global economy collapsed. I am not that smart and I doubt anyone would care anyway. But there is something behind all the stories that I think has been missed. Almost every expert claims that the reason for the meltdown was the housing collapse. And this is where my rant begins....
People stopped worrying about HOMES and began caring more about HOUSES. I remember when I first heard the term "starter home". It was (and is) an odd term to me. I know people want to live in nice houses but I think we need to be a nation where people are more worried about nice homes. Just today I read four articles where experts are convinced that the recession is going to last quite a bit longer because the housing market is not stable. People are still trying to biggest and best house they cannot afford. When we first started thinking about buying a house we were approved to borrow $275,000. We knew that was unrealistic. We used some common sense even though the lender did not. We knew we wanted enough money from month to month for things that are not so flashy - food, gas for the car, clothes, fuel for the house, (get the point?). So we bought something that has become a home. I may be treading on this ice here. Please understand that I am not judging people's housing decisions. We all do what we think is best but I am convinced people are way too worried their housing investment. Investing in families seems like a better idea. But I could be wrong. I am not sure where I wanted to go with this. I guess I am scared. Despite all the financial problems the country has been in there are still discussions about houses. I truly want some discussions about homes. I think once we get the home situation under control the housing situation will correct itself (because it will matter less).
Sorry for the rant. I feel a little better now.

Technology

2011-03-04T17:24:00.003-05:00

I am once again at a crossroads with technology. I want to become more "wired" and less so at the same time. What I mean is that I just recently got a twitter account because of an experiment that was presented to me at school. I had a twitter account months ago but I let it go because I am not sure that blasting short messages to the world has a purpose. I used to think the same way about Facebook, email and cell phones. To some degree I still feel the same way. I almost never post anything on Facebook (although I am a great lurker). I call no one outside of the family on my cell phone and I rarely text anyone other that my wife. When Twitter was mentioned I realized that I do not really know how it works. As one of the technology leaders in the school I constantly find myself behind in many respects. There are many students who are more well versed with technology than I am.
So here is my problem...should I keep working hard to keep up? Will I even be able to keep up? Should I even try? I have read many articles that state that teachers HAVE to keep up to be relevant. Sometimes I agree. Most of the time I do not. Mrs. Allen shared a video with me that made me think that I may never keep up but also made me think I better try.
Where do you stand with technology?

Try to not laugh

2011-03-01T20:08:00.003-05:00

This is what makes the internet so amazing.

Hunger Games update

2011-02-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

A long while back I mentioned a book that I was excited about. I loved it and wanted to share it. But I have to keep it under wraps because Mrs. Breault was going to use it in her class. That time has come and you probably already know what it is - The Hunger Games. You simply cannot ignore this book. It is in every store. There are special display stands everywhere for the trilogy of books. The stories are written for the teen reader and emerging market for younger readers but that does not mean old folks like me can't enjoy them. This book was meant as a one-off. There were no plans for it to become part of a trilogy but it is so well done that everyone who reads it wants more.
This is an odd book to describe. First of all it is very dark. Every year young children are summoned to play a game where the winner is the one who does not die. But this book combines great action with romance, intrigue and characters that stick with you long after the book is complete. I was actually surprised by how much I liked this book. I have not read the others. I have far too many other books to get through right now.
Like every other book in recent years that has become this popular a movie is on the way. While I am a little wary about this I will most likely see it. I could see the movie in my head as I read the book anyway. It is that full of rich detail and characterization. By the time this post gets posted the kids will have read it and so will many of you. But I wanted to tie off this loose end.

Old Stuff

2011-02-21T22:55:00.000-05:00

A quick post here about old stuff. For those of you who see Ben at school you will notice that he wears headphones, not ear-buds. As I type this I am also rocking some seriously large headphones instead of the ubiquitous white buds that have become common place thanks to Apple's iPods. Why? No real reason. They sound better. The are more comfortable and I don't have to squeeze them into my ears. I predict these will make a comeback in the coming year. I am not a serious audiophile and I am certain my head phones are not the best in the world. But Ben got them for me for Christmas and that makes them even more valuable. Besides, I am blasting some classic Cheap Trick on vinyl at 11:00 at night as I write this and I am not waking anyone up.

Yes, I did lose some weight.

2011-02-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

More than a few of you have been kind enough to notice that I have shed a few pounds over the past few months. The simple explanation is that I had to become an adult. I had to stop constantly eating junk food and not exercising. My favorite hobbies are watching movies, listening to music and reading books. None of these can be considered exercise and all of them making pigging out very easy.
A longer story is this....in late August through the first few weeks of September I kept having something that felt like indigestion. My chest felt tight and I felt like I had gas. The pressure some days was unbearable. It was all internal. No one could touch me and hurt me. It was all internal. Now....one year before this my mother died unexpectedly of a heart attack. My father has had problems on and off for years and his father dropped dead at 60 from a heart problem. To be honest - I was scared.
I went to the doctor for all the usual tests. He yelled at me for being in such sad shape. He was right. The next day I bought a treadmill to go with the unused elliptical machine and weight machine. But this time I used them. Over the next few weeks I had stress tests, EKGs and blood tests. The whole barrage of procedures. Nothing out of the ordinary was discovered. But the scare was a positive life changing event.
I was hovering around 250 in August. I am down 40 pounds right now. The difference between this attempt to get in shape and others is simple - I am exercising just about every day and I have cut out pretty much all junk food. I used qualifiers here because I know I could not go cold turkey. It took me 40 plus years to get in such bad shape that I cannot expect to get in great shape overnight.
I have a long way to go. Jocelyn has been very helpful and together we are getting slimmer and healthier.
But, truth be told, the real reason I have made these improvements is that I had to grow up. I have to amazing boys who still have a lot of milestones to reach and I want to be around for all of them.
As of this moment I am flirting with being under 200 pounds for the first time in MANY, MANY years. I am supposed to weigh around 164 according to BMI scales. I may get there.
There are some downsides though - I need some new clothes. This means less money for books, music and movies. But it is a good trade off.
So....thanks for noticing. It helps.

Mash-ups

2011-02-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

There must be at least a few of you out there who watch "Glee". I caught the show a few times. I admit that I liked some of the music. I really enjoyed some of the mash-ups. This is not a new trend in music. I remember listening to something called "Stars on 45" as a kid. This was my first experience with mixing up songs into one. For a brief moment in the 90s "Jive Bunny and the Master Mixers" brought it back to the masses. I have since learned that there has been a pretty significant underground collection of DJs who have been making some really fun music by mixing disparate songs and styles into something new and fresh. I suspect that technology is making is much simpler for DJs to make this happen. This is different from sampling. DJs are not just using famous clip of riff (think Ice, Ice Baby and the theft of Under Pressure from Queen). This is one song's lyrics and vocals meshed with another song's tune. I spent a long night listening to many, many creative and fun tunes. One sight I found that was very interesting is called http://www.bootiemashup.com/bestofbootie2010/. I think there is over 100 mash-ups on the site (well over 100 actually). I have to admit that I am getting too old to know some of the songs being used, but I also suspect that there are kids who do not appreciate the original songs either. That is what makes the songs fun for me. If you are a little adventurous and want to check out something different this site is for you. There are many other like it and if you have one you like, please let me know. I like hearing something that if different and familiar at the same time.

Here is a little taste of something I think is very creative and fun.

Comedy Books

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

In the mix of odd titles I ordered for Christmas was this book about stand up comedy. When I am in the car I always tune into one of the three comedy channels I get on Sirius radio. I also listen to many podcasts that feature stand up comedians. So I did what I always do - I ordered up a bunch of books about comedians. This one tells the stories of the comedians that came up during the "golden era". The names are all very familiar. George Carlin. Richard Pryor. Robin Williams. Jay Leno. David Letterman. The list goes on and on. This is their story. I was surprised to learn that that they all worked for free in a special club in New York. There they learned their craft and were discovered by talent scouts. They were all hoping to get a spot on the Carson show. They all wanted a TV show. They all wanted some measure of fame and fortune. Many of them succeeded. I also learned that when fame came to some of them they helped the others along. There really seemed to be a tight community back in the early 70s. There are no real in depth biographies here. Instead this is a satisfying look back at some of the most famous and funny people of all time. The books ends right around the time the bubble was about to bust on the comedy scene. I actually remember that time. We had one of the first satellite dishes in out area and we used to watch Comedy Central long before it became the network it is today. I watched a ton of comedians. But shows started popping up on all channels and suddenly every where you looked there were comedians. Those who struggled mightily in the the earlier days were all of a sudden able to command much higher fees for performing. But it also made it harder for others. There was a saturation point. Almost immediately the boom wiped out the whole profession except for headliners and the elite performers. Not surprisingly the ones who struggled so hard to learn their craft survived while many, many others could not. I was happy to learn that the hard work paid off. It reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". He suggests that someone has to spend 10,000 hours perfecting their craft before they reap the rewards of their hard work. This book is about how those comedians paid their dues and earned their stripes. I really liked the book. It is broken down into easily digestible chapters. In fact, I left the book for a bit to read some others and did not miss a beat. Highly recommended for lovers of comedy.

Sick Puppy

2011-02-13T20:44:00.000-05:00

Carl Hiassen makes a return to my list. I like this author. His style it easy to read and is packed full of colorful characters and locations. This story is about crooked politicians in Florida and features some of the strangest heroes I have every encountered. The main hero is a rich kid who tracks down litter bugs to teach them a lesson. He is saved by a ridiculously odd former governor. The bad guys are simply...well....odd. There are very funny passages in the book along with a little preaching about spoiling our lands with development (which is odd coming from a guy who wrote a book about playing golf). Of all the books I have read of his I found this to be the least believable but the most fun. Once I got into the characters a bit more I was hooked on the little twists and turns. You can see the end of this book a mile away but I never mind that as long as the journey to the end of the book is a good one and this one works for me. I will have to pick up some more of his stuff in the future. Since I am always out of touch with new books I pick his stuff up in the bargain bins at Borders. He has also written many books for younger readers that include his fun twists on the stock characters. I get the sense from reading his books that he would be a fun guy to have around at lunch time. Good story teller and a great author to pick up when you just want to read something fun.

Calculus

2011-02-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

I asked for and received some odd books for Christmas. The oddest title might well go to this book. The full title is, "The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose, Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive and Zombie Apocalypse". I really wanted to love his book and for a while....I did. But somehow the initial thrill wore off for me. Perhaps the reason is that it started off so well. I think the author needed more time to refine her hook. Because the hook was amazing. I was grinning from ear to ear at the beginning as only a math nerd with such a book could. The idea that someone can "win" at Vegas is obviously not accurate but she points out how you can lose mathematically in such a way that you feel like you won. She argues that people need to know they will lose and that the idea behind gambling is mostly to have some fun. There are some pages about weight loss that make sense but I did not want a diet book anyway. I wanted (and still want) to survive a zombie apocalypse. What she says about the spread of infectious disease is very scary. I read a few books over the past several months about zombies. They all were about the way diseases spread. From slow and steady to shockingly quick. The math and science behind it all is pretty sound, and very unnerving. I did enjoy this book but I know I cannot recommend it for most of the people who read this blog. It really is about math in our lives and while I found much of it interesting and inspiring I am math teacher. I have some built in tendencies toward such nerdy pursuits. Look for it in the mix of books to share soon.

Vinyl

2011-02-09T19:59:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we were all in the mall. We went to a store that sells old records. We bought a handful and a new "thing" emerged. This new thing is listening to records. Actual records. Complete with pops, hisses and scratches. Very cool. Like most anyone of my age, I had a few albums kicking around anyway. A few years ago I was given some by my wife's grandmother. I bought some in a garage sale and then before I knew it I had a few hundred kicking around the house. But they sat in a closet. Not anymore. I dragged them all out, cleaned them up a bit, acquired some more from a dear friend at work as well as some more from my amazing mother and father in law. I also placed an order from a website and won an eBay auction. So now the number is well over 500. To be clear here I am not a collector or an audiophile of any sort. I to not have a high end turntable but I have a decent one. The records sound decent enough. Beside, the scratches, hisses and pops are actually kind of interesting.
What have I been listening to? Dean Martin, Lawrence Welk, Abba, The Doobie Brothers, The Smothers Brothers, Big Country, Paul Anka, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Vaughn, the list goes on and on. I forgot though that albums last only about 18-20 minutes per side. I have to get up and turn them over. But that is actually pretty good. Sometimes when I settle in to some iTunes music I don't move for quite a while. Now I have a reason to move a bit more often. That has to have some hidden benefits right?
My life is full of little odd collections like this. But I think I found a way to combine two things here. I polished off three books one weekend all while listening music on vinyl. Funny how media I can actually consume when I turn off the internet and the TV. I like surfing the web and I like watching TV but I had the most relaxing time in a while listening to the old records and reading some great books. Not sure if this is some kind of nostalgic trip or something but for now it is peaceful and relaxing. That has to be good.
Having read this...have any old records you don't want? Let me know.

Smothers Brothers

2011-02-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era. One of my favorite singers is Dean Martin. I love classic horror movies as opposed to much of the gore-fest offerings we get these days. And I happen to think The Smothers Brothers are two of the funniest people ever. A while back I picked up this book about the TV show they has in the late 60s. I knew about them but never saw the show. I did catch come of their later TV shows but I never saw the original. This books uncovers the hard work the two put into that show. But is also showed how much trouble they caused by simply trying to tell the truth. They fought with censors, battle affiliates and ended up getting fired for their troubles. While all this was going on they were one of the most watched TV shows in their day with ratings that were higher than American Idol gets now. I ordered the shows from Netflix and watched a few of them and I have to laugh at how tame the whole thing looks in 2011. Very, very tame indeed. But also very, very funny. While there is some biographical material in the book it really is only about the three year stretch of the show. I would like to read more about their lives after the show. There are some highlights about what came next but little else. That is not the fault of the book. After all it is about the show. If you are a fan of The Smothers Brothers this is worth reading. If you are not.....you should be. Some of their records make me laugh every time I listen to them and seeing them perform "live" on the show is even funnier. You get to see all of Tom's reactions. I am not sure why they are not discussed as being among the best performers of all-time. They are amazing singers as well as being to acerbically witty men. Highly recommended for fans of comedy.

Mix Tapes

2011-02-04T08:02:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I read a book that I really, really liked. Most of the books I have read I enjoy, but for some reason this particular book ranks among the best I have ever read. The problem with writing about it is that I am quite certain it will not work for many people. If you read the cover and judge the book by the cover (I know - we are not supposed to do this) you would think this is a book about music and the art of compiling a mix-tape. The author works for Rolling Stone magazine and has been seen on VH-1 specials talking about music. I actually bought this book blind. I had no idea what this book was about other than the title. I thought that this would be a great book about music. I like music. It is about music. Sort of. It is actually one of the most romantic books I have ever read about the author's first real love. Not a love of music. A love for a woman. Here is the kicker for me though. I am not an emotional guy until extremes hit me. This book nearly made me cry. I cannot and will not give any of this story away. It is sufficient to say that this is a story about music and love. I actually have the first mix tape my wife ever made for me. I bought a Sony Walkman cassette player with a Christmas gift certificate so I could listen to it again. It is full of hisses and scratches from the albums she used to make the mix. The singers are not household names anymore but the sentiment was/is genuine. I could recreate it digitally. I could get the songs on CD or some other "clean" format, but it would not be the same. There was something special about the mix tape. There is something special about this book. It really worked for me. Music lovers will rediscover some forgotten band names. Those who like a good love story will enjoy it as well. The chapters are framed by the author's own mix tapes. They are from tapes he made or from tapes he was given. They help shape the story and, if you recognize the names of the artists, you can put yourself in the right musical era. The book serves as a trip down memory lane.
So....anybody out there still have a mix tape from a long lost love? How about a mix tape from someone who is still the love of your life? I do....you can't listen to it though. She made it for me. It is about us. Listening to it almost makes me cry. Hm......maybe it is time to rethink this non-emotional position I took earlier in this post. I do have the book at home. Not sure if I am ready to part with it yet by dropping if off in the pile of books in the teacher's room but I would be willing to share.

Wow

2011-01-01T08:25:00.000-05:00

Time flies. I noticed that I had not posted in a while. I did need to catch up on books, movies and music though. Life got in the way and it became difficult to teach, have busy kids, do housework, correct papers, keep up the school website and then make time for those "time wasters" like books, music, TV and more. But over the past few months I picked up some great material to share. I will not try to post every day, instead I will spread things out a bit more. I hope that is OK.
(This is also a bit of a resolution - I have to finish things I start like this blog).
I also want to tweak the format a bit and go back to where it all began some time ago. That being posting whatever I feel like. So look for books, music, TV shows, movies, web sites, pictures, neat distractions and the occasional rant.
Welcome to 2011 everyone!

Interesting

2010-10-27T17:31:00.000-04:00

One of the few celebrities I follow on Facebook is Peter Walsh (the organizing guru seen on Oprah and Clean Sweep). I have all of his books and will buy the new one when it comes out. He shared a CBS story on a recent post about living with less. I like the idea but I know I could not do it. However there are some interesting tidbits in the piece about what we really need/use daily. It is a good read and a good video. CHECK IT ALL OUT HERE.

Taken for granted

2010-10-24T22:01:00.000-04:00

Over the past two weeks I have attended and lead two workshops. Over the past few years I have been a participant and leader in many, many more. One thing has been made abundantly clear to me time and time again - those of us employed at CCS have it pretty darn good and I think we take it for granted. There is no workplace that is a utopia, but our little school is pretty OK. I have heard about the schools where teacher's are not supported by the school board or the administration. I have heard about schools where parents run the school. I have heard stories about the barriers to education that have been placed on teachers. And I hear these stories time and time again. As I hear these stories I think about CCS. A school where the administration, the board, the parents, the staff, the faculty and the students work pretty well together. Most problems are ironed out. Most of the time issues are discussed and decisions arrived at through communication. I know this does not happen 100% of the time, but from what I am hearing our batting average here is pretty high. I had a chance to brag a bit about our building and I admit to showing off a bit of Bulldog pride. Every year there are issues in every work place that ruffle feathers. There are always times when someone (or some people) get their noses out of joint for any number of reasons (myself included) but of all the jobs I have ever had this is the one that consistently keeps me happiest. And that is not because of me. It is not because of you. It is not because of the administration. It is not because of the board. It is not because of the support of the public. It is not because of the students. It is all those things working together. Think of The Beatles. While all 4 members have enjoyed some solo success, they will never eclipse their combined efforts. They needed each other to make it work. You can hear the joy of pure friendships in many of their songs (much like the laughter to tears of this past weekend) and you can hear the pain of the fights. But in the end....pretty darn good music. I like to think that is what we have at CCS. Pretty darn good music. So I want to make sure I do not take anyone for granted - Thank you co-worker down the hall (teacher and non-teacher alike) - thank you board member for always thinking about the students - thank you parents for helping us help your student - thank you student for knowing we really working hard to make you successful (even if you do now always like it) - and thank you administration for giving us the support all need. I know life is not perfect but I met MANY, MANY people who would gladly change places with us at CCS. Please - do not take it for granted. This was the greatest lesson I learned at the recent conferences. (I did learn some cool new math tricks too, but that makes for a boring blog post).
Mini-challenge: realize the grass you are standing on is pretty green.

Wolfram Alpha

2010-10-24T21:29:00.001-04:00

There is a ridiculously cool website out there that really is a search engine for all things math and science related. That site is Wolfram Alpha. Read a thoughtful review of the site HERE. Then check it out. This is a great site for the math classes.

Mike Birbiglia

2010-10-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

If someone asks me who my favorite comedian is I have an answer. Mike Birbiglia. I heard about him years ago when his first CD was released. I was on a mission to "collect" comedian CD/DVDs and I picked his up blind. I never heard of him. I LOVE the CD and the subsequent releases. This is a book based on his successful one man stand show that played on Broadway for a while. He is not a setup-punchline comedian. He tells funny stories laced with funny moments. His delivery is quite funny. When you first listen to him you might think he was drunk or impaired in some way. He has a slur to his speech and a slow drawl. And it makes me laugh every time. This book is full of familiar bits from his Cd's and stand-up which may turn off some people. Those bits made me feel comfortable. His writing style is easy to read and if you have his voice in your head you will like the book even more. His stand-up is not raw as other comedians but there are enough off color words and phrases that I have to stop short of recommending this for family listening. Look him up on YouTube. I think most of you will like his style.

The Walking Dead

2010-10-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

For a few weeks I hovered around a series of graphic novels entitled "The Walking Dead". I had not heard about this series until a podcast I like was talking about the upcoming TV series on AMC based upon this book. I found a trailer for the show online and decided that I wanted to read the source material. I found the books on the shelves of Borders and thumbed through the pages. But I put it back. Then I noticed it at Walmart of all places. But I put it back. Then I had an odd conversation with a co-worker about zombie movies. He told me he had these books. I told him there was a TV show coming. We were both happy with our newfound information. It was a good day. Oh yeah....the books. You have to like zombies here folks. And with Halloween coming it is a good time to check out the books. Again....if you like zombies. This is a dark series with a ton of tragedy for all involved. There are some graphic scenes of zombie attacks, but nothing like anything you see in any zombie movie. The plot is similar to the movie "28 Days Later". I said similar. Not congruent. I am a math teacher after all. I have read two of the books so far and I must say....great stuff. Really great stuff. Nice artwork. Compelling stories. Characters that feel real. Some genuine scares. What else do you need?

Stay Organized

2010-10-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

I am still looking for a better way to get organized. I was looking for a better calendar/lesson plan system. I have still not found a lesson plan format I like. But I did find a really cool site for making calendars. It is called Vertex42. The site has a bunch of templates you can download and use in Word and Excel. I really like these templates. I may make my own lesson plan/calendar/appointment book using the downloads from this site.
Let me know what works for you. While I do like technology I find that an old fashioned desktop calendar works well.

Sully

2010-10-18T20:37:00.000-04:00

I know you remember this guy. Sully. He was the toast of the world for a while not too long ago. He landed a plane on some water and saved a bunch of people. I am underselling this here because you already know that story. This book is about the rest of his life leading up to this moment. This is a by the books account of a man who is a by the books kind of guy. And that is what made it possible for him to accomplish that heroic task. This is not an exciting book. Instead it is an almost old fashioned book. He presents as a hard working dedicated man who takes his job seriously. There are many poignant moments in the book that made me realize there is more to being a pilot than just flying a plane. I am not going to give anything away. I do recommend this book as a look back to a by-gone time when people actually worked hard. I am not so sure we live in that world anymore. Once you read this book you will realize he was the right guy at the controls at the right time. Highly recommended.

Joshua Radin

2010-10-17T22:12:00.000-04:00

Another music post (sorry but I am feeling the music right now). Joshua Radin is someone I did not know until I heard the music from the TV show Scrubs. His vocal style stuck in my brain immediately. I even heard his lyrics, which is odd for me. I tend to hear the tune first then the words. But I fell in love with the song "Winter" and decided that I had to have more. There are hints of Simon and Garfunkel in the music Radin produces. And I really like Simon and Garfunkel. There are many artists in my collection that are similar to Radin that I will share in the coming weeks. There is also a new CD coming this week that I will have to pick up at some point. I am posting the video for the song that made me a fan. Let me know what you think.

Roy LaMontagne

2010-10-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite new singer. He is not new. He is fairly new to me but I really am enjoying listening to him lately. He has a hushed whisper of a voice that is relaxing and soulful at the same time. He is of the singer-songwriter genre. As I get older I find that I like this genre more and more. I stumbles upon him a while back when one of his songs landed on the soundtrack to "The Last Kiss", a movie starring Zach Braff from Scrubs. In fact, some of my favorite new music has come from the soundtracks of Braff's movies and show. The song I heard first was "I Will Hold You in My Arms". I hear The Beatles in there along with some James Taylor and other influences. LaMontagne blends various styles into something all his own. His hushed voice delivery never seems slow or sleepy though. It just seems earnest and heartfelt. I decided to pick up a few CDs and I listen to them when I need some calming background music for reading or writing blog entries. The song that started it all for me is embedded below. Let me know what you think

Just Plain Cool

2010-10-16T12:11:00.002-04:00

I am not sure how functional and practical some of these designs are but they sure are creative.
Check out THIS SITE for some great pictures of very cool bookcases.

Slam - Hornby alert

2010-10-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

Yes...another Hornby book. This time it is about a teenage boy and girl dealing with the pending birth of a child. This is a story that has been told and retold several times. A young couple, still in school, have unprotected sex that leads to a pregnancy. The fallout from this action changes the lives of everyone around them. Parents use the news as a reason to split up. The teen aged couple themselves are not really sure they want to spend any time together anymore. The fallout is predictable. But Hornby puts a great spin on this classic theme. I will not give it away here but I will invite you to read if for yourself. All the discussions that normally follow a unplanned pregnancy are here. You know what those discussions are. The couple does have the child. That is not a spoiler. The nine months of story that unfold here are at times funny, heroic, raw and real. And even though the story of troubled teens having a child seems overdone Hornby makes it feel like a new story. As with most of his books the characters are real and fleshed out. You can see their faces when they speak. You know these people. I highly recommend this book (as I do for all of his titles). I wish Oprah would select him sometime. I think he deserves a wider American audience. I am doing my part. Now it is your turn. Get yourself some Hornby.

Chuck Norris

2010-10-14T21:39:00.000-04:00

My mother was a huge fan of "Walker: Texas Ranger". She really enjoyed Chuck Norris in that show and in most of his movies. When this book came out it was a no-brainer Christmas gift. She read it in two days. I inherited it with the rest of her books. The rest of the books include every Danielle Steele book we could find and a many religious books. She had eclectic tastes in books. She used to take a box of my books with her about once every month or two and plow through them. She always told me which ones she liked and which ones she didn't. She never pulled her punches when it came to her book reviews. I was told I had to read this one. And I did. Problem was....I already knew most of his story. But for those who do not know the Chuck Norris story this is a good book. In recent years he has become something of a punchline in certain circles. I think it is unfair. This book reveals what I always suspected. He is a decent guy who made his own way in this life. His on screen martial arts scenes were real. He was the real deal in martial arts. He made solid action movies. He made some great movies for kids. There is a classic movie (in our house) called "Sidekicks" that shows his softer side. His popular TV show featured fight scenes but his character never used a gun. He is a man of great faith and the book explains where that comes from and how it impacts his life. You will learn quite a bit about Norris you did not know. I guess the best word to describe him is decent. A good guy with a good heart. Well....that and a good roundhouse kick to boot.

Paul is Undead

2010-10-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

This is weird. Weird. Funny. A little disturbing and a whole lot of weird. I bought this book a few months ago during a purchasing blitz. I really like The Beatles and I am a big Paul McCartney fan. He is my favorite. I am also a fan of zombie movies. Or at least I was until recently. For some reason I have not been into gross out horror movies. I used to like them for the camp and inventiveness. And, let's face it, the effects looked so cheesy you knew it was not real. Today's special effects are way too realistic. I guess now I prefer some good scares over bloody scenes of Zombies eating people. Nevertheless, I had to check this out. The book is a darkly funny retelling of the story of the greatest band that ever was. In fact, because they are zombies the author interviews all the members. Including Lennon and Harrison. You see, in this book's world The Beatles are zombies and can never die. The book does follow the history of the group quite accurately. At least as far as I know from the many, many books I have read about the group. The stories are now full of funny little asides from the un-dead themselves. Even the title is a homage to the late 60s rumor that Paul McCartney actually died and was replaced by a look alike. I do like what the author tried in this book. Let's face it, Beatlemania did put teenagers into a zombie-like trance. If you know your history I think you will appreciate the stories and the jokes more than if you go in cold. I have to admit that there were times when the descriptions of turning people into zombies became too graphic for me that I was turned off a bit. Overall I thought this book was funny and took shots at a lot of the pompousness that surrounds Beatle lore. Again, I really feel that you need to know the real history of this group to appreciate many of the jokes so this is not really a great book for people who only know the music. And if you do not know the history of The Beatles then I recommend the lengthy biography that was put out a few years ago on DVD. It is very well done and very thorough. This is a fun read for the coming Halloween season.

Meaning

2010-10-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while I read a blog entry that hits me where I live.

READ THIS.

Enough said.

Book Journal

2010-10-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I received a moleskin journal for keeping track of the books I have read. It is a pretty standard journal. Title. Author. Publishing information. Note on characters. You get the idea...a journal. It will be of good use to me in the near future when I start to purge the books and start the book sharing idea I have been talking about. Some people in the High School wing have already started it. Books have been showing up from time to time. I like it. And while I am not sure about you I do know that I have sometimes forgotten which books I have read. I actually have two copies of a few books. They were not books I have read but they were in the collection to be read which means I picked it up once because it sounded good....then I did it again. I may need to being this with me. You can something like this with an online service as well. I am discovering that sometimes a simple pen and paper answer works well. I started to fill up the book with what I have been reading and will be working on adding older books soon. I may tackle this one box at a time. Each time I document a box I will bring it in to school. Time to start the sharing. So this begs the question.....how do you keep track of your collection? Maybe I am just getting too old.

Thereby Hangs a Tail

2010-10-11T19:41:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite book finds over the past few years is one by Spencer Quinn called "Dog On It". It is about Chet the dog who works for a private detective. The book is told from the point of view of the dog and could not be funnier. This is the sequel and it is every bit as fun for me. The plot it fairly formulaic but when it is told from Chet's point of view it seems fresh and fun. As with the first book the writing style reads like a 50's gumshoe novel. I keep hearing the the Guy Noir voice in my head. (You know - the Garrison Keillor bit on NPR). There are bad guys, a down and out hero with a heart of gold and trouble lurking around every corner. There is plenty of action and suspense but the selling point here if the storytelling device of seeing it all unfold from the eyes of a dog. If you read the first one and liked it you will enjoy this one as well. It is fun for me to keep hearing from Chet. Think Lassie....but a more streetwise Lassie.

Books and More Books

2010-10-11T16:12:00.001-04:00

For those of you at CCS - head to the teachers' room in the High School for some books. I brought in a few boxes to start the BlogSpot Library. Take something you like - bring something to share. If this works out I will find a more suitable location.

Pillars of the Earth

2010-10-10T19:29:00.000-04:00

A while back I wrote about "The Pillars of the Earth". This is an epic novel written by Ken Follet. His name has been in the news again recently because a third book in this series has come out. I have not read the second book yet but it is on the shelf. Instead I am telling you about the TV mini-series based on the novel. It aired on the Starz network recently but I caught all the episodes on Netflix and I must say the series was pretty good. It was not, and could not be, as epic as the books. Such things are hard to pull off when a story line spans decades but it was quite good and very well acted. This book was an Oprah recommendation. I recently heard an interview with Follett and he is still grateful for her recommendation. It made him a household name. The series will most likely make it's way to DVD in the near future. There are stellar performances from the likes of Rufus Sewell and Ian McShane. The actor who really stood out for me is Mathew MacFayden. He plays Prior Phillip and is arguably the hero and centerpiece character for the whole story. There are some liberties taken here with the source material but as a TV series the work holds up well. There are great period set pieces, some decent action and romance for the ladies. The series is rated M for some graphic fight scene violence and a few scenes with nudity so this is for adults only. It is not as well done as something like the Sopranos but I think fans of the book will enjoy seeing the characters come to life. There are purists out there trashing this endeavor but I think it is well worth a look. It is an 8 episode mini-series. Look for it on Netflix.

New Music

2010-10-09T19:28:00.000-04:00

I am not really a Ben Folds fan. I am not even sure what his music sounds like but last week I was on a mission to get his new CD. The reason? The lyrics to his new album were written by Nick Hornby. As you know he is one of my favorite authors. His passion for music in on display in nearly every book he has ever written. He has even written a book about some songs that have made an impact on his life. I found a deluxe version of this CD at Borders. It includes four short stories from Hornby along with some great liner notes and photos. I popped the CD right into the van's player and was bopping along with the tunes. The lyrics are rough and very raw. I was not really prepared for the crude words. I am not against swearing in general. I just think that searing is the simpler thing to do. Comics use it to punch up a joke sometimes but far too often swearing is used for shock value and little else. In Hornby's hands the curse words are used for darkly comic purposes. This just means I can't play the tunes in class. Aside from that I really like this album. But the language also means I am not sure I can confidently recommend this to all those who are offended by such off color words. The tunes are great. The songs really are good. Just keep the kiddies away. Soon folks I will be done with the Hornby posts. That is, until he has a new book in print.