Merry Christmas everybody! Umm I need to go do some holiday sweating now.

PETA gets a does of it's own medicine. Repeat after me: Never push radical activism on teenagers; never push radical activism on teenagers...

Why every woman should go and get implants! Or not... Maybe if you live in an area with lots of gunfire.


Note. I am actually very much against breast augmentation. I would never tell any woman that she should get implants.

I am excited about some of the things I have planned for PublicCopyright.org. I can't say what yet because I feel like it just isn't wise to advertise things that you plan to do but haven't done, or really haven't even started doing yet. I will say that I am putting my money where my mouth is.

Good grades in school are less important than who you get to know in school and thus where you go to school. However, the best way to improve your chances of meeting the right people and going to the right school is through good scholarship. Well, being born to rich and powerful parents is the best way but you can't control that.

I have an article I am going to write that I have been mulling for a while, about how misguided the American legal system has gotten. Before I say a few of the things I want to say I need to do a little research. Specifically, I think that the reliance on precedent can lead to problems, especially now that lawyers have become activists. Lawyers "shop" for judges and jurors till they find someone sympathetic to their position. This results in competing rulings and differing positions in State and Federal law. Activism has no place in the courtroom. I also need to write a mission statement for PublicCopyright.org and file for non-profit status with the IRS. I also need to do research for work I plan to do with database programming. I also need to work as much as possible at the jobs I already have to maximize cash flow. I also need to sleep. You see my dillemma.

I realized that West Village (In Dallas' Uptown neighborhood, just north of downtown) was a really expensive place to shop after I noted that almost all of the men working there seemed to be gay. That seems to be rule #1 for retail - effeminate men lend an air of class to the service of a retail establishment. To a man, every one of these guys seemed to be people who all have Oaklawn addresses. (Dallas' gay neighborhood) Not that there is anything wrong with it. The way I see the situation, gay men leave a larger crop of eligible women for me to chose from. Gay people have to work somewhere you know.

Over the course of about an hour I sucessfully dispatched my holiday merchandise consumption duties. I did my duty as an American consumer to support the economy of the world. No I am anxiously awaiting Christmas day, so I can get my gifts, and return them on the 26th.

Daddy's Got a Brand New Bag.

My new attitude of being more aggressive and less deferential has taken hold a little, my personality has shown a little change, but only in my family. :( I scream and yell like a madman at home but with strangers I am quiet and meek. My brother complains that it seems that I am always trying to prove a point, and I am. I feel like every moment I breathe I have something to prove. I feel like noone else believes in me, but I do. I feel like everybody laughs at me secretly; well I want to give them reason to laugh - nervously, right before they soil their pants. If I annoy someone or put them off, in the big scheme of things what does it matter? I can't afford to shy away from confrontation anymore. I have got to stand up and take responsibilty and deliver. Before I chose not to talk the talk but attempted to let my walking do my talking. Now I am going to strut. I am not your whipping boy, your dust rag, your door mat, or your toilet paper. In fact, you should take care that you don't become mine. I just thought that I'd let everybody know.

I need to do a dramatic overhaul of my resume. I complain about Intuit wasting my time, but the problem in every area of my life is self-doubt. I believe that I will be a success, someday. Not today, I need to finish my three year self improvement program. If I don't believe in myself now why should anybody else? I am selling myself short.

I saw the Terminator 3 Trailer, and I am disappointed. Once again, John Conner (Connor? How do you spell that?) is confronted by a killer cyborg from the future sent back to kill him in the present. Again, he is protected by "AHHHNULD" the original Terminator. The very least I would expect is that Vin Diesel would be the new Terminator; but no, they have some anonymous chick playing the new Terminator. Where is Diesel!! Worst of all is the tired plot that the screenwriters have forced upon the public. Please can we come up with a new storyline other than cyborgs from the future come to kill us in the present? This brings me back to one of my most persistent laments - someone paid these people millions of dollars to make a movie that is a wretched pile of stinking, bovine excrement.

I saw Tyler, Texas today, the Rose capital of Texas. I installed exit signs in a bank, Interesting work if you can get it. I also discovered that the laws for electrician's licences in Texas are just as jacked up as all the other laws.

Terrorists arrested less than 10 miles from where I live.

We're going to war.

Trent Lott's recent troubles are really just the tip of the iceberg of a big problem in the Republican party. There are a large number of racists who support Republican policies. Southern Republicans are often guilty of courting these votes. I'd like to believe that these men aren't racists, but I don't know. What I'd like is for Republicans to tell these people that they don't want their votes. The real reason blacks are not voting Republican is that they don't want to vote for the same person that the Klan did.

This is a great thing, the Baby Bells can go sod themselves for all I care, but what if your Broadband internet service comes from DSL? Which for the most part can only come from your local Baby Bell? The Baby Bells are here to stay because any new internet technologies will be forced to piggy back on the Baby Bell's last mile.

The ugliest car on the planet.

Interview with Intuit again today. I am getting ready by lifting weights. I doubt weightlifting will do much for my mental preparedness, but pumping iron makes me feel good. I have also decided to not wear a suit this time. I am beginning to think that wearing a suit made me look stiff; Intuit is a casual work environment. Oh well, I am going back to the weights.

One of the things I like most about Equilibrium, is that the filmmaker was unafraid of making the audience feel the pain of loss. Usually storytellers use outlandish circumstances to rescue people in the story that the audience will care about but Equilibrium does not. You end up feeling the same way as Christian Bale's character.

The number one requirement for making a big time action movie is a legion of anonymous henchmen who will die spectacularly, cinematically at the hands of the protagonist and the villain. (not necessarily different people) This is one of the hidden requirements for all action movies. Drama's can get by with casts of less than 10 people but you need extras for a good action flick.

Drop whatever you are doing right now, and go see Equilibrium. It's as if somebody had consulted me on how to make a movie. Who to cast, plot elements, dialogue, visual style, everything seemed tailored to please me. WOW WOW WOW.

Blah.... Employers must feel that the current state of the job market gives them carte blanche to toy with potential job seekers. I am about to return to Intuit for my third interview. I have also gone twice for testing. Blah...

More search engine wizardy from the folks at google is in the pipe. It's called froogle and it's a new shopping search engine in addition to their catalog search. God I love the web!

More good stuff from the happy liberal people at Slate.com. The USA Track and Field organization has a new mascot and is running a naming competition. My favorite name thus far is "Craig Masback, You Are an Idiot—Look at This Friggin' Thing.". I personally suggested "We Stole it from basketball!"

Man, am I humgry. On the job today I strung Christmas lights all day. I also learned the arcane art of Christmas light repair. I can even rebuild damaged bulbs instead of throwing them away!
In other news, there has been a baby boom at my church. No less than five couples are expecting children, including a 35 year old women whose daugher is engaged to be married.
Again, I am struggling with that feeling of having something to say and not being able to remember what it was. :(

I would post something, but I am in the middle of a workout and there doesn't seem to be a lot of oxygen in my brain. I can't think straight enough to type.

I should amend my Christmas wish list to include some books. I like books. Getting Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do would be cool. I still have this crazy idea that I want to program games so this book would be nice too. I like to read novels for fun when I am not plotting to take over the world and get rich doing it, and I have heard so many good things about Dave Egger's books - You Shall Know Our Velocity and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It's not just crass materialism folks, it's intelligent, crass materialism.

The answer to the question I asked in my last post is Jun Fan. Isn't life on the web wonderful?

Bruce Lee developed a new martial art before he died, called Jeet Kune Do. The problem being that it wasn't a real martial art as much as a way of thinking about martial arts. He also developed an actual martial art that encompassed everything he had learned and was teaching up to that point. What is the name of the actual martial art?

Weekend in Lubbock

Don't expect me to use titles every time. I am quite lazy really and using titles is just me sampling the flavor of the week.
That said, I spent last weekend in Lubbock, Texas scoping out the campus of Texas Tech University. It was the worst planned trip I have ever taken. We went at least an hour out of the way, got lost in town once we arrived, didn't pick a hotel till 1 AM, and drove around aimlessly 70% of the time we were there. It was also fun in a hare-brained kind of way. Texas Tech has a very nice campus, surrounded by a town that leaves much to be desired. The water is alkaline leaving a nasty aftertaste and the landscape is bleak and uninspiring. The situation has been engineered to keep the students on campus. From what I hear, there is plenty to do on campus and you don't miss city life. ('Tech's a party school!) My friends main concern with the campus life was the quanity and quality of the women on campus. He was not displeased, although a Sunday on a miserable day in December before finals week is probably not the best time to make such decisions. Texas Tech has a good law school and a decent academic reputation overall. (it balances out the party school reputation.)
I am tired. I am also done.

Horrible Macho Guy Schemes

For all the lonely geeks out there, here's a scheme for getting a woman's attention: You advertise in the student newspaper of your local liberal arts (more girls there) as a math and science tutor. You invite the girls to your home for a "private session" and tell any men calling that they have the wrong number.

Contingencies

You Don't Know Anything About Science and Math!

Be sure to serve wine or some other alcoholic beverage. After she has started with alcohol slowly introduce other mind altering substances in the guise of special medication to aid in "learning". Hope that after some alcohol and vigorous "tutoring" she won't remember what she came for.

The Girl is Ugly!

You have several options:

• Feign sudden and violent illness. (works every time!)
  
• Tell the girl she has the wrong address. (be sure to disguise your voice when answering the door.)
  
• Hand the girl a paper bag and instruct her to wear it. Tell her that it is a special technique for preparing the mind to learn by suppressing the identity. (Ugly is better than what you have at the moment which is nothing.)
  

This Scheme is Illegal!

Don't let doubt, fear, and a little thing like the law stand in your way. You have no women! You must go and get you some!

On the discovery channel over the weekend, I saw the story of a guy who got a branch lodged in his anus while cutting a tree limb. I immediately made a solemn vow to always pay somebody else to trim my trees.

I had a friend who I took physics with who always joked about dropping out of college and selling drugs.It was funny till I had a friend get busted in the parking lot of his college for selling drugs.

Yeah Baby! Yeah! I love a good fight and Glenn Reynolds and Nick Denton are having a minor throwdown. I have to say I agree with Mr. Reynolds on this one. Europe is in BIG trouble.

"My business is sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll..."
- Whitney Houston

Good Stuff from the happy liberal people at Slate.com.

It is also interesting to note that the "anti-abortion" clinic's best weapon against abortion is its ultrasound machine. As soon as the women see what is in their belly, it isn't a fetus; it becomes a baby. Never fails.

I worked in an anti-abortion clinic today. It was interesting. It's located next door to an actual abortion clinic and the staff stands in front of the other clinic to provide free "counseling" to the women going inside. I am relatively sure there is no violence involved since I don't hear anything in the local news about angry abortion protesters beating doctors in Dallas as they scurry to their cars after working at the clinic. Granted, I don't watch the news.
The interesting thing about the whole abortion debate is, that while I am ideologically on the pro-life side, I find that I'd rather associate with the pro-choice people. I mean, an abortion clinic is a terrific place to meet loose women! Seriously, pro-life people tend to be white, and less "cosmopolitan". (Ok, I think they're white trash...)
The Catholic Church and Evangelical Christians are the driving force behind the pro-life movement and I don't much agree with either group. I don't like the Catholic Church, because, well it's the Catholic Church. Organizations that slaughter dissenters, torture and extort its members, and incite countries to violence against other countries are called terrorist organizations now. The Catholic Church says it has reformed now, but it is still home to rampant corruption. Catholicism seems to me to be an empty religion. I have nothing but respect for devout people who practice the religion and are faithful to what they believe, I just truly believe they are mistaken - like I think Democrats are mistaken. Evangelical Christians, as represented by the groups who are a part of the national pro-life movement, are nearly as bad as far as I am concerned. Most religions are so far in practice from what they originally claimed to believe that I find their claim to righteousness laughable. (Not that I am much better :-p)
The other side of the coin, the pro-choice organizations - Planned Parenthood, NOW, Democrats, etc. - are just as mistaken. My stance against abortion is this: Most reasonable people will agree that aborting a viable 7 month old baby in the womb is wrong. (NOW doesn't, taking the stance that if they lose on that issue the next attack will be on first and second term abortions. This is unreasonable. It's murder, pure and simple.) The reason that reasonable people agree that aborting a baby in the 7th month is wrong is that he can live outside the womb. If his mother gave birth to him, chances are good that he would survive. You can use this argument against abortion in the thrid trimester, but supposedly not for any earlier term babies because these babies are still dependent on their mothers; but what if a baby could be independent of his mother after 3 months, or 2, or maybe even immediately after conception? The reason that babies can't survive earlier births now is medical technology. As soon as we have the ability to support them sooner will abortion suddenly be wrong then? I think if abortion is not wrong it should be fine at any time during the pregnancy - right up to the final delivery of the baby. The mother should be able to decide "No I don't want the baby, dump it now!" If you believe a woman has right to do that, than someone should confiscate your sexual organs. We don't need people like you to reproduce.

I am thinking about going into the foreclosure business. I'd find soon to be foreclosed houses and dispatch thugs to beat the occupants senseless for not paying their bills. Wait a second, wrong scheme...

UTD appears in the December 2002 edition of ESPN The Magazine! Ok UTD makes an appearance because we are the college champions of chess, but hey that's something.
I am beginning to think that perhaps college is less valuable for the things you learn then for the people you meet while learning. A smart individual could just as easily learn everything he needs on his own with the help of books and the internet. College is the only place where mulitudes of smart people gather within walking distance of each other. College also has the side benefit of being a great place to pick up a date.

My Christmas list

I don't expect to actually get anything from this list but this is my fantasy so indulge me.

• A Mini Cooper, a Dodge Neon SRT4, or a Subura Impreza WRX
  
• An Armani Suit or even a Dolce and Gabbanna suit, or actually just about any suit from Bluefly.com would do.
  
• I like cashmere. This hat, this sweater, this sweater, and this overcoat.
  
• I like Banana Republic. This T-Shirt, this cap, these pants, this sweater, these jeans, these loafers, these loafers too, these trousers, this shirt, and this tie.
  
• I like Jcrew. These chinos, this sweater, this sweater, this sweater, these jeans, and these jeans.
  
• I like Levi's. I like them low. I like them low and loose. I like them low and not loose. I even like them engineered.
  
• I like shoes. I want running shoes. I want dress shoes I want casual shoes. I want Skechers.
  
• I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch. I like Abercrombie & Fitch.
  
• I like Armani Exchange.
  
• I like the Gap. I like the sweaters; I like the jackets; I like the jeans. I even like the bogus 1969 denim collection.
  
• I want things other than clothes too. A cell phone for instance. An XBox would be nice. A tablet PC would be better.
  

So, yeah I am a greedy materialistic media blinded consumer. I admit it. But if you want to buy me anything, here are my sizes:

• Suit: 44R
  
• Waist: 32"
  
• Inseam 32"
  
• Shoe size: 11-12" depends on style of shoe
  
• Neck 15 1/2"
  
• Chest: 39 1/2"
  

I'd give you a shipping address but I am sure I'd be getting packages from DogDoo.com. All I want for Christmas is everything.

I wonder if I had any professors who didn't know my name? I was riding the bus today to go play soccer and I met my freshman history professor. He was awful by all accounts - I don't think he was so bad but he was a terrible dresser; the man had no taste. He remembered me right away, even with the shaved head. When I go back to school it might do to be a little more anonymous, or not.
I discovered recently that my chest seems to have grown an inch. That is the wonderful thing about being a man, exercise can increase the size of your chest. I still don't look good in that Versace muscle shirt. I doubt that will ever happen though, at least not without the use of chemical enhancement.
This looks like fun! I won't watch though. I never do.
Have any girls in the audience ever met a guy who looks great but his personality grates on your nerves like nails on a chalk board? I don't look all that great but my personality can have that unfortunate effect.

I think I am in love. Between that car and an Impreza I am not sure which I would take.

I just cut off all my hair. I could use one of these

I hate boxers. How anyone makes these satanic torture devices stay in place is beyond me. I went for a jog wearing my Joe Boxers (along with my normal running gear mind you) and by the time I covered a block the waistband had ridden up to my belly button and the crotch had ... well lets put it this way - I HAD to stop before I lost feeling. Trying to do something even remotely athletic - like bending over to tie your shoe - is impossible in boxers. And to think, I used to see guys on the soccer team with their boxers peeking out from underneath their soccer shorts.

The twists in my hair are gone. Mommy didn't like them much.

Why wait for doors to open when you can just kick them down?

THe Cowboys won and the Mavericks lost. A reverse of recent trends but whatever they were both due, and the Redskins are in town. If another team were more snakebit then the Cowboys it would have to be the Redskins even though they have a better record. The only reason Spurrier won't get fired next year is that he makes too much money and Dan Snyder made too much noise about hiring him.
Face Off could now be a reality! Kind of trippy huh? I think it proves that scientists spend an inordinate amount of time watching movies and television.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Yeah I am late (ten minutes before thanksgiving is over) but I said it so there.

Are you ready for some football! I am, only I want to play with a round ball. I need some cardio.

My new hairdo.



Of course I took the pictures in my bathroom because that is the part of my house that has the best lighting.
No more school till Monday! Woohoo! My two week teaching assignment ended today and I must admit that I am very relieved. I did manage after all to buy pizza for my second period after all. Some of the kids brought a little money but the cost wasn't as bad as I expected. A good experience over all.

There has never been a time I opened my mouth around my Mom and Dad that I was not punished for it. No amount of care can prevent it from happening. Sigh...

The DISD saw fit to send my paltry earnings in the mail today. Of course it wasn't nearly enough and of course they shorted me of a quarter of the money I was due again. I won't be able to collect on this money till December but I suppose I can treat it like a Christmas bonus. I will be able to move forward with my copyright project though and do my hair so all isn't too bad. I had hoped to pay off a large debt but that would have been nearly my entire paycheck. I would have been broke all month again. I have a scheme though. I intend to land some sort of other job this month and stop taking substituting jobs for awhile. I hope to land a job that pays more than once a month so then I could receive two checks in December and use one to catch up and improve my transportation situation. It's a plan anyway.

I am grading papers and entering grades into the the grade sheet. All teachers hate grading, and this one especially. Jeez. When is DISD gonna send my money? :(

I am not in school anymore but for all the people that still are, this is a great website. You'll never do your own bibliography again.

I was just glancing at the search engine queries that bring up the blog and "Levi Skinner Jeans" is still the number one search term for my website. Searching for abercrombie and fitch models also seems to be a reliable way to bring up this website too. No end of entertainment to be had from looking at search engine queries. I'll have to be sure to talk about nudity and Christina Aguilera and other women as much as possible as that brings up this website too.

I just made the lives of some adolescent boys miserable and I don't regret it a bit. I teach them in a class at school and they torture me everyday for 45 minutes a piece so it isn't uncharitable for me to spread the love a little is it? All was done in the name of reducing chaos in the classroom.
Deep down I believe that almost every single child in the special education classes that I am teaching is capable of doing more work. Their behavior prevents me from finding out. So, I intend to crackdown on their rowdy behavior with the help of the dean of instruction. I am hoping he can make a guest appearance and do a little intimidation for me. Evidently, the kids don't find me very intimidating.
I think the DISD isn't going to send me my thin little bundle of joy till Monday! I am liking this idea of being payed once a month less and less. Maybe if I made more money... A job at Inutuit is looking better and better. Especially with a sizeable check on its way from the DISD in December. It would be like a Christmas bonus, only I slaved for every penny! I might want to get out of the education business before I begin saying aloud what I am beginning to feel about the children. I do love them. I just want to wring their necks.

Waiting for that paycheck to get here.
The beautiful weather continues. Can you believe it? I spend the best part of the day inside, but I get paid for it. (Not enough and very infrequently, but I do get paid)
I am having trouble getting enough sleep. I have taken to sleeping all evening and waking up in the middle of the night. \
How did I miss out on the leftovers from chicken my mom cooked yesterday?

I hate sitting around waiting for things to happen.

Major processing muscle here.

I am fighting back against the hordes of chaos. I phoned several children's parents and they promised immediate action against their ill-behaved offspring. Who said that parents don't care?
I am going to be teaching these kids at least until Thanksgiving. That means I have to grade papers... UGHHH!

When I am walking in the morning to the bus or from the bus to the school, I am often struck by the beauty of these fall mornings. I often wish I had a camera with me to photograph what I see - ducks in the creek, brilliant red leaves, bright green grass, and sunny blue skies. I just wish sometimes I were seeing it from the seat of a car.

I need a car so bad that while selling my right arm is still too much, I have a left arm I’d trade for a low mileage Honda Civic.

What posesses middle school children to thrust each other's heads at their crotches while making slurping noises? What posessed me to laugh?

I am a little weary of teaching this group of kids and it is only Monday! I have a long week ahead of me.
I am going to fight back a little by working out instead of sleeping as soon as I get home. I need to run too but my excuse for that is that I don't have great cold weather workout gear.

People can't be depended on to articulate their needs to you in a way that is commerically exploitable. You can observe these people acting on their needs to get clues on how to meet their needs and line your pockets.

Linux less secure than Microsoft!

I had a long chat with the leader of Special Education at T.C. Marsh and I feel like I better understand the situation and have more sympathy for Special Education teachers. I like the system less. A Special Education teacher explained to me that 20% of all children in the United States where in Special Education. Special Education teachers are well aware of how wrong-headed and self-defeating certain aspects of the system are. There also isn't much to be done to change the system. Schools like Special Education because it funnels money into the school. Parents like Special Education because:

• Kids pass and progress from grade to grade.
  
• They stay eligible for sports.
  
• The parents often receive money for their child's disability.
  

Teachers all know how sad and disgusting some aspects of Special Education can be. They also know that a third of kids who start Special Education will not graduate and that almost none of these kids will go to college. Kids hate Special Education and learn to hate school quickly once in the program. The kids in the program often have behavioral problems because of their frustration with school. They feel powerless to help themselves and act out by being disruptive, violent, and or disobedient. As they fall further behind they get worse. Teachers are often harried and so stressed out that they send troublesome students to Special Education rather than deal with the child's behavioral problems. It is easier to make the child disappear from your class than it is to repair years of frustration and unlearned school work.
Should your child ever be put in a special education program, he is doomed. The immediate goal should be to get him out immediately. However a lot of the damage is already done by the time the kid gets out of the third grade. Teachers can tell you who will do well in life and who will not by that point in the child's school career. What I learned is that there are children on whom and education is wasted. These children will most likely grow up to be the person who mows your yard, cleans your house, bags your groceries, serves you food or builds your machines. These kids are screwed.

The teacher I am substituting for is coming back early! I am elated. I feel a little guilty, but I see my current teaching position as a bit oif a trap for teachers and students. The DISD Special Education program is a catch-all program designed to be a repository for students performing well below grade level. For the most part these children are bright and have no apparent mental defects that keep them from performing well (I have no access to their grades and IQ scores so even the brightest and sharpest looking students could possible severely deficient according to the recorded evidence). They do have significant behavioral defects. When scattered among relatively well-behaved students they are innocuous and easily managed. When gathered together with other students with similar problems, keeping them in line is a major feat of classroom management.
I failed miserably at classroom management today. Nearly every student in my third period class was out of my control and most of the boys received referrals for playing a schoolyard game called "Licks" at the back of the class. (Combatants in "Licks" roll up their sleeves and take turns pounding each other's upper arms. The winner is the one who can still move his arms when the game is finished.) The rest were lucky to have been seated when an exasperated teacher walked in on the classroom. I could only look on, helpless to control them. The teacher visited again to demand another referral for a young girl in my fourth period. I hate writing referrals and especially for these kids because they exist on the very fringes of educabilty (I have no idea whether "educability" is actually a word or not but I like it). New referrals for many of these kids put them in alternative schools and if alternative school is anything like Special Ed then they are doomed. The only glimmer of hope I see for college success for any of these children is that they are relatively far away from college. They have five or six years to change their ways. The problem is they are operating on fourth grade learning levels and are in the seventh and eigth grade. How they are to recover from that I don't know. Even with extremely intelligent children (and I know these kids are smart), I don't see how there would be enough time to learn all the things they are missing by not being in regular classrooms.
My mistake today was in not keeping them busy enough. Busy students don't act up and the ones who give me the least trouble are the ones who work through the period. Paradoxically, these are also the least remarkable kids. They struggle to finish the assignments in the time alloted but work steadily to get all the work done. The other kids who breezes through the work or just refuse to do the work are the more troublesome ones, even though they usually seem to have the most mental potential.
My mental block with classroom discipline is that threats don't seem to have any effects on these kids. They respond to action, drastic action. In past assignments I have responded to this by randomly choosing a sacrifical lamb from the many offenders so that the others would beware. I felt this was unjust and a deterrent born from anger - an uncharitable emotion that I don't like to give in to around the kids. However, It does yield fewer referrals overall. Tomorrow I am giving a test and I'll attempt to keep the kids busy for the rest of the class period. Maybe I'll avoid handing out referrals tomorrow. I hate Special Ed.

Why can't I make you laugh? Other people do...

I could really use one of these. Anyone who has seen my scraggly beard will tell you.

I had a really sad situation in class today. I was hearing reports of a student in my class who certainly looked male enough being called a girl. Convinced that it was a simple case of schoolhouse bullying, I called the student to my desk and demanded to know who were the perpetrators. THe student promptly broke down in tears under my questioning and refused to tell who the tormentors were. The student refused to go to the next period class so I offered to walk the student to class. A female teacher immediately recognized the student and asked what the matter was. I explained and the student wept again. THe teacher immediately moved to comfort the child and said she would handle it. When she came back, I asked what the matter was and she explained. The child was a girl and was dressed as a boy and had a shaved head. The parents had recently decided that she should live as a boy and had begun dressing her as a boy and demanding that the school change its documentation to reflect their choice. The school adamantly refused insisting that the child remain a girl. So my student is stuck in the middle left to the tender mercies of her gleeful classmates.

I used to think that Manute Bol was a cheap shameless self-promoter, but a paragraph in this article made it all clear to me. He is a freedom fighter. Really...

I was thinking about this the earlie and I have something to say. Democrats lost and will continue to lose until they unlearn their contempt for George Bush as evidenced by pieces like this. Michael Kinsley and his liberal brethren think so little of George Bush that they find it inconceivable that the public should like and respect the man, and that he would be able to engineer their defeat at the polls. Yet he did. Regardless of whether he is run by his advisers or not, I would hate to deride an opponent as stupid endlessly and then be defeated by said opponent. What would that make me? When you underestimate people you allow them to take advantage of your lowered expectations and you and not they end up looking the fool.
Democrats didn't get it during this past election and still don't get it. They are allowing their vision to be clouded by one man the same way Republicans allowed Bill Clinton to occupy their every waking moment for eight years. George Bush is shaping up to be the Republican version of Bill Clinton. He and Clinton are almost polar opposites, which is appropriate since Bush is a Republican and Clinton a Democrat. Their main similarity is that each is a polarizing figure. Neither one won their first elections by large margins and both had to deal with a fair amount of controversy. Bill Clinton defeated a weak opponent his second term and George Bush appears to be faced with several weak Democratic candidates going into 2004, although it is still to early to speculate about who will run and be nominated yet. The main thrust of my argument is that the Democrats are allowing themselves to be distracted by one man just like the Republicans did. The Democrats still have the opportunity to not become obsessed with defeating Bush. If it ever gets to that point they will lose and lose badly.

This is a great idea...

I thought this was funny. Some Democrats are running a "switch" campaign simialr to Apple's urging three liberal Republican Senators to switch or become and independent and vote with the Democratic caucus. I thought it would be even funnier if I turned it on it's head. This is the text of the email that I sent in place of the drivel they had in the form:

Dear Senator X:

I am writing to urge you to not join Senator Jeffords by becoming an
independent and voting with the Democratic caucus in the Senate. You did
not run for office by promising to drill in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, to support extremist judges to lifetime appointments, or
restrict reproductive choice but switching now would only make you a spoil
sport. I realize that Trent Lott can be an arrogant brute, but if you
consider moving, others will consider joining you - you would be
defeating the will of the people. Do you think it is an accident that the
American public has reversed their normal pattern of dividing the
government by putting the Senate and Congress in Republican hands? I think not!

Please let me know what you intend to do on this urgent matter. Time is
short and the stakes are very high.

Sincerely,
Idahosa Edokpayi
10011 Woodlake Dr.
Dallas, TX 75243
stealth_ninja.geo@yahoo.com

I forgot to mention the story I heard yesterday in the Special Education Department meeting. One of the teachers knew a special education teacher with cerebral palsy. Special ed students tend to be older and larger and he was small and weak in his limbs so the students had a clear strength advantage. Every so often, his large and mischievous students would stuff the hapless Mr. Winkler in the dryer or the oven. The guidance counselor could often be heard ordering the students to "Get Mr. Winkler out of the dryer right now!".

To start my dayt today I had a little footrace with a DART bus. We called it a tie when I boarded the bus. Nothing like a full out sprint in a tie and dress shoes with a messenger bag bouncing on your buttocks to ensure complete alertness in the morning.
I started a two week assignment teaching a special education math class for two weeks yesterday. I had a lot of apprehension going into about teaching kids who were "slow". My fears were unfounded. The kids are bright, alert and intelligent. In fact, I think that very few of them really belong in "special ed". Somehow they've fallen behind and gotten themselves into serious acadamic trouble, but there is nothing wrong with them mentally. What is wrong is the attitude of the teachers toward the kids. The condescension is so thick you could slice it with a butter knife. The teachers seem to truly believe that almost every child in the class is damaged. I can handle two weeks of the kids, but two weeks of the teachers talking about the kids might be too much for me.
In other news, how about those Mavericks? The Mavs have dominated every team they've played right out of the gate. I am waiting for the national sports news to start showing some real respect.

I am very frustrated about not going out. Staying home keeps peace with the folks, but I am bored out of my mind.

I love this man's wit and prose. I also like the fact that he's a Brit who recognizes that British disdain for Yank culture is misguided.
I taught Home Economics again today. THe kids were a little rambunctious today - they smeared themselves and me with hand lotion, threw butter packets, and one kid smacked me in the forehead with a piece of paper he shot from a rubber band. I broke down toward the end of the day. I got tired of yelling at the kids and making them do homework so I let my seventh period class watch Osmosis Jones, a kid-friendly gross-out movie starring Bill Murray's immune system.
I am a little surprised. I got turned down for a job today. I was pretty certain I would get the job and was already making plans. I'd been to two testing sessions and one interview and everything had gone so well that I just took it for granted that I would get the job. Oh well...

Cool...

I taught Home Economics today! Apparently, kids do more than bake cakes in Home Ec; although, I am told one boy has a killer recipe for 7-UP cake. Later in the year the students tell me they will take home a life-like baby doll that eats, wets its diapers, cries at night, and reports on the quality of its care. Boys take the class in large numbers now.
I was teaching at Marsh Middle School (probably for the last time at least till January) so many of the kids remember me and teachers request me by name. It's a wonderful relationship. I even see the kids after school at the I-Can't-Believe-It's-Yogurt at the shopping center behind the school. I stopped in for a double dip pecan pralines in a waffle cone. It was so good I fail to see how an orgasm could be better. Several of the kids I have taught at Marsh were there and we played the what's-my-name-game; the kids love to test my ability to remember their names. They also told me the story of how one of their buddies urinated into a bottle during lunch at the table with other people their and got away with it. Kids these days man...
I was talking to somebody on the bus ride home today describing what I do for a living and realized I didn't really do anything for a living. I am almost like the Pretender. I can show up at almost any job doing anything at any time. A jack of all trades. It's kind of cool. (mostly becuase it's been my secret desire to be a pretender)

A cool website everybody should visit!

Visit these fine bloggers from my home state, Texas: Greg Wythe, and Jennifer . (Forgive the familiarity, I can't seem to locate her last name.)

Didn't post yesterday. I repaid my sleep debt instead. Big stuff in the works today. Job interview, proposal to submit, and website to buy hosting for and a domain name.

Bad news in Democrat land! If Republicans are so evil and George Bush is so dumb how did this happen? Democrats tried to embarass the president in Florida by defeating his brother. They failed. They tried to beat him in Texas by taking the governorship and a Senate seat. They failed. Why didn't anyone see this coming?

Any attractive women who want to do this I offer to pay the two bucks. Shoot, I'll pay 50 more on top.

Come rain, come snow, come shine I am registering the domain and purchasing hosting for my non-profit tomorrow. I think I'll have the money. Otherwise I'll just borrow it. Is there something special about tomorrow? I was just down at the mall in fye and they said the new Dave Matthews CD would be out tomorrow along with several other big releases.

A story near and dear to Computer Science grad students everywhere, an Indian professor has developed an algorithm for proving that a number is prime. Had he discovered a method of finding prime factors the entire internet security business would have come to a crashing halt. This link was ripped shamelessly from Shacknews.com.

It turns out that last link was actually a joke. I was prepared to believe it. :-P

The RIAA thinks CDRW drives are equally as dangerous as guns. These people never stop.

BMX XXX being downgraded to a PG-13. Stole the link from Shacknews. Akklaim sould havestuckto their guns. Any damage that has been done has already taken place. In fact, people will probably be disappointed when they play and don't see anything over the top.

China Telecome is having an IPO and this guy thinks you should stay away. I tend to agree.
The last post wasn't great writing and parts of it seem ill-considered now. I am leaving the rant up though. College athletics do suck.

I am awake now and I am furious. (I remember being vaguely angry at something over the weekend but now it is clear.) The politics of America's parents are kiling young people. The political parties have geared their issues to appeal to people 40 and older and are in a constant tug of war over seniors. This last election has been the worst - the democratic party even had geriatric candidates step in at the last minute to replace dead and disgraced candidates.
I can't help but look at the issues and feel like both parties are scamming me. Social Security at best is a legalized pyramid scheme. At worst it's a joke, and I'll never see a dime. My problem with Social Security is that it's a half measure and a step toward socialism.Very few people can live on what they receive from Social Security alone. I want to know why we are paying people dollar amounts that have nothing to do with their actual contribution to the system. The money we pay is not invested or even held in a bank. It is doubtful that inflation is taken into account at all. Instead the government relies on today's Social Security taxes to pay for yesterday's workers. As with any pyramid scheme, this cannot go on forever. Am I trying to scare seniors? YES. To make matters worse both parties delight in dipping into Social Security revenues to fund partisan largess. It makes me sick.
Another way that political parties scam young people, is the discrepancy between voting age and drinking age. Children become legal adults at the age of eighteen yet they cannot purchase alcohol or enter houses of ill repute till 21. I am not suggesting either are healthy practices or that either are things that young people should be doing. But there is no reason for the discrepancy in ages. Eighteen year olds can fight wars, be prosecuted as adults, have sex with other consenting adults, sign legal documents, and vote but they can't buy beer. Either eighteen yr. olds are adults or they are not. The same reasons a kid shouldn't be allowed to purchase alcohol are the same reasons they shouldn't vote, have sex with adults, sign legal documents, be prosecuted as an adult, and go to war. Young people need to be given full responsibility.
The quality of education in High Schools and the application of law to education is a mess. Teacher's unions step in with self-serving protests anytime substantive changes are suggested for improving schools. Cost of education keeps rising while at the same time the quality is continually diluted. It seems anytime politicians tinker with education disaster results. The worst of it all is college athletics. College athletic departments are sacrificing smaller men's programs to their hungry football teams, excusing the act because football teams are revenue generators. I have no beef with women's athletics and inclusion of women in sports. Women should be allowed to play. What should not be allowed is wholesale destruction of other men's athletic programs. Perhaps, money generating programs should be allowed to "buy" the right to unequal scholarships. A revenue generating football team or basketball team shouldn't count against the overall total.
What is worse though, is that athletes in money generating sports and programs are exploited in my opinion. People complain that male athletes fail to graduate, cheat, womanize, and party. They have no incentive to behave in any other way. Many athletes come from underperforming schools and teachers have inflated their grades to maintain their eligibility. They go to school with very little money of their own and no academic preparation. So what's a poor college student to do for cash when he isn't allowed to work (several programs ban student athletes from taking jobs) or he simply doesn't have time to? Simple, accept money from boosters. What is worse colleges use money and lavish parties to attract high school recruits. It is not unheard of for current students to take high school kids with them to on campus parties. Colleges earn millions of dollars from athletes yet claim no responsibility at all for the well being of the athlete when he is not performing. Is this a political issue? No. Should it be? Yes.

It's Monday morning and I feel sluggish and stupid. Everybody read this blog. It'll be good for you.

College athletics are sick. The measure proposed will not help.

Microsoft has weblogging software!

I am trying to figure out where I developed the unfortunate habit of disgusting my family and closet friends. Oh well.

Now that Google has decided that my site is worthy of being searched I have looked at the search queries that bring up my site. Thus far most of them have been about jeans - Levi Jeans. Also, one person was looking for "Howard Fineman Strip". I am going to assume that the person meant comic strip. Or maybe Howard Fineman has some really devoted fans.

Somebody tried to kidnap Victoria Beckham.
Another sex related blog. I suppose sex has a way of being infiltrating every online phenomenon. (I came thisclose to using the unfortunate phrase "penetrating every online phenomenon")
I haven't read the book and have no intention to now really but this review from Robert H. Bork (yes that Bork) is a delicious read - if you are not a left-wing idealogue. Sorry, I couldn't resist making a snide remark.
Notre Dame goes down.