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I got this email today...
You don't by any chance have a second job that involves dressing like and elf and sitting by Mrs. Claus while she reads stories to the little children at the Mall, do you?
I rolled on the floor.... Ah the holidays!
It is a sad day today. Yesterday Glenn Mitchell of KERA died in his sleep. This morning on the ride in I stared at the radio as they announced it. It is a surreal moment. Glenn was a fixture in my world. I listen too his talk show most days. It is on when I go to lunch. I have listened to Glenn in one form or another ever since moving to Dallas.
His music show (back when KERA play music) introduced me to several of my favorite bands. Bands like the Golden Palominos, Dead Can Dance and the Glee Club. Music you never heard anywhere else. A song he was found of was Eater Parade by the Blue Nile. Years before moving to Texas my brother introduced me to the band and that song. For a long time, my definition of a vinyl (record) junky was someone who know who the Blue Nile was. This was the music that Glenn played.
Just this week, a close friend and I were talking about how talented he was as an interviewer. He always did his homework. He took the time to learn about his guest. Whether it was an author, political figure, musician or historian, Glenn learned about them before the interview. He read their books, listened to their music and spent time thinking about what was important about them. He was not afraid to call them on a bluff or give them time to disagree with him. Above all he was thoughtful, polite and kind to his guests.
His passing is a shock to me. I will miss him.
I believe everyone can have a (only one) super power, but you must use you power only for good. My friend the dark side girl can make boys kiss where ever she points. Fortunately, for us she is a super hero and not a super villain. Her using this power for evil... well you see why you have to use your power for good.
Now this game does not stop at just the people we know. My friends and I tend to assign super power to other people. One such power is ‘dramatic wind.’ You have seen this power. The hero and villain are facing off. The villain is standing looking all dark and sullen. The hero, while standing in the same place, has a breeze blowing there hair just right. Thus they have the power of ‘dramatic wind.’
If you have looked at the new Harry Potter movie poster you will find our three heroes have developed ‘dramatic wind since the last movie.
What is my super power... it is a secret. :)
I got an amusing responds to my post about last weekend.
Posted by Anonymous at November 10, 2005 06:26 PM
"You know...She could just give us less homework so she wouldn't have to grade as much. =)"
Hey Anonymous,
I feel you pain about homework. Homework sucks. I am re-rolling on a new World of Warcraft server with a cool new guild. Between homework form work and reading for the class I am taking, I had very little time to play this weekend.
All I can tell you is she really is trying to prepare you for college and work. The real key to being a success is homework. At work they call it drive, dedication and a number of other things that get you raises and offices with a view. What they mean is homework.
For example, I am an analyst. What that means is learn about stuff and think about what it means. Once I understand it, I write it down in ways other people can understand. The work I do is very similar to the kind of assignments Ms White gives you guys. Yes, she knows my boss.
Now, you may say... ‘but you get paid for that.’ Well the answer for that is yes and no. I am paid to do things I am good at. I right now am trying to get to do more programming and less writing. That means learning Java programming. I have to not only do this on my own time, but pay for it out of my pocket as well. If I succeed there is not more money in it for me.
Why am I doing it, because down the road when I need a job I will have more options. They are more opportunities for someone who can be an analyst and a programmer. That is what she is trying to give you, options. If you can learn, think, write clearly and are willing to do work on your own that is the secret to being a success.
The bad news is homework does not stop. The good news is it gets you nice houses, sports cars and video games!
With that said, I see what I can do to keep her in a good mood while she is grading. I am not above cleaning house and cooking dinner to help you guys out... :)
Last Tuesday Texas passed a constitutional amendment not only banning same sex marriage by also some sex unions. This morning this was in the Dallas Morning News...
Gay marriage foes tackle divorce next
After Prop 2 success, conservatives also push national amendment
The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Texas social conservatives want to translate their resounding victory on a gay marriage ban into broader results: reducing the state's divorce rate and passing a nationwide amendment to prevent same-sex unions.
Rep. Warren Chisum, who wrote the amendment, Proposition 2, endorsed by Texas voters by a ratio of more than 3-1, said Wednesday that it's too easy for spouses to split up. The state should consider repealing or modifying its no-fault divorce law, the Pampa Republican said.
"Gee whiz, our divorce rate's higher than New York," Mr. Chisum said. He proposed that between now and their next regular session in 2007, lawmakers study ways "to make marriage thrive more in our state."
Texans voted for prop 2 because it didn’t affect them. That is the problem of Liberty. You have to protect it when it does not affect you. Now they want to make it harder to for people to get a divorce. You will now have to prove fault to get a divorce. This means that a man or woman will have to prove their spouse is having an affaire or beats them to file for a divorce.
Conservatives want to protect marriage so as long as it is Christian and produces children. How long until they go after the liberties of someone you love.
Social Conservatives issues and where they hit you:
Gay marriage ... divorce rights
Right to choose ... freedom to use birth control
Prayer in school ... freedom to choose a religion or no religion
Intelligent design ... useful biological science education for your children
Pornography ... censorship and right to privacy
English as the official language ... your access to government services
School vouchers ... quality of education for the middle class or poor
When will you stand up Liberty?
This was a very quite weekend. K and I both spent much of our weekend working. For me it was 400 pages of Java programming and edits on a document for work. For K it was grading mountains of homework.
I had some catch-up to do for class. The class I am taking meets on Tuesday and Thursday. The first class was last Tuesday. I started last Thursday. Therefore, everyone in the class was already a bit a head of me. Add to this that they had the book and login accounts and Thursday night’s class was a bit of a treading water experience for me. By the first break I had regained my footing and could follow what the instructor was saying. Long term I am ok because I actually already know parts of this stuff. When the instructor talks about ‘for loops’ or ‘reference variables,’ I get it. The rest of the class not so much.
As for K, I want to make one thing clear. She works really hard. Anyone who starts that ‘teachers get 4 months off each year’ stuff, better come full loaded and ready to fight. I am going to have at them. She graded papers until after 11pm on Sunday night. She woke up early and took time only to have dinner with me and go to a cooking class. The class was actually canceled. She instead bought food and came home and made dinner for me. Then went back to grading. Last week she was working on presentations and it was the same story. Next time you think about how easy teachers have it, think the last time you spent your weekend doing work. Were you paid for that? Was your boss appreciative?
Tonight is caroling rehearsal... The good news is that I need to shave a half day off this week. Friday we are headed down to TRF. I may be working a half day. That would be a nice way to start the weekend.
It is scary, I know it should not be, but it is. I am 37 years old and tonight I am going back to school. For a while, I have wanted to go back and get my degree. It does not make any since why I did not do it before. It just seemed that every time I tried before something happened.
The last time it was in 2003 just after I was laid off. I enrolled in UTA and had scheduled classes. Then the world fell apart. Suddenly I needed to move back to Dallas where I could work full time. I remember the realization that my safety-net had disappeared and my plans were moot. I was sad, but also kind of relieved.
It frightens me because I have a long history of not doing well. In high school I made what would best be described as a spectrum of grades. They say that are two kinds of C students ‘Ones that get all C’s and ones that never get C’s.’ I was defiantly one of the latter.
Tonight is my fist class since I left TCU in 1994. That was more then ten years ago. To get a degree is going to take a long, long time. Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more...