Hey all! I've recently checked out a fellow blogger and friend who's doing a 30-day challenge to blog for 30 straight days. She's already laid out what her topics will be for each day, which cn be nice. I however am going to go on the fly, as my mood and activities will have a random impact on my topics. Plus, you get more surprises!
Day 1: SUMMER
So I'm now on my summer "break", serious job hunting is commencing, starting with resume and coverletter work. My last day of teaching was Thursday, and it was quite nice! This weekend's already been a crazy and packed time with tons of fun. Lots of sun involved here. I have to really work on un-casper-izing myself these next couple weeks as I have a real farmer's tan. More stories tommorow!
Okay, day one is in the books!
Out...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Final Countdown
Well I have three days left of teaching this year, then it's the great unknown. It's guarenteed to be somewhat scary as any unknown is, but I am certain far greater things will result.
I feel I've gotten a little too wrapped up in my current gig, and it may have cost me a summer job. However, I think that not being at that certain summer job will be far better for me...I can cut the chain off. I've also had to put-off important conversations with career contacts and discussing future university classes. The remainder of June come June 11 I need to lock-down and get back in the groove. Grad school won't happen until I take the entry tests. This thing needs to happen, and we all know what it is. I've done my internships, I've put in two years of teaching in giving back to the world. Now is time for the next step. It may be quite painful, but it must and will happen.
Life is one big adventure. When it's over you'd better have helped the world, and gotten some amazing memories and stories along the way. My next chapter is calling, and I need to turn the page despite how much I love this last chapter. Without saying a word, certain people around me have told me it's time...no matter how much it hurts.
I feel I've gotten a little too wrapped up in my current gig, and it may have cost me a summer job. However, I think that not being at that certain summer job will be far better for me...I can cut the chain off. I've also had to put-off important conversations with career contacts and discussing future university classes. The remainder of June come June 11 I need to lock-down and get back in the groove. Grad school won't happen until I take the entry tests. This thing needs to happen, and we all know what it is. I've done my internships, I've put in two years of teaching in giving back to the world. Now is time for the next step. It may be quite painful, but it must and will happen.
Life is one big adventure. When it's over you'd better have helped the world, and gotten some amazing memories and stories along the way. My next chapter is calling, and I need to turn the page despite how much I love this last chapter. Without saying a word, certain people around me have told me it's time...no matter how much it hurts.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The Jim Joyce Affect
Within minutes of the decision Wednesday night, Facebook was flooded with angry, spiteful messages. There were already multiple Facebook groups of denouncification...that already held a thousand members. People were calling for blood, and calling for action. Was this a war? A civil-rights issue? A crime? None of the above.
What had happened was one of the worst calls in major league baseball history was made live on regional and national television, at very possibly the worst time it could have been made. A very special event was mere seconds away from completetion. Armondo Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, was one out away from completing the first perfect game in Tigers history, and only the 20th (or 21st) in MLB history. He had as far retired 26 of 27 batters. With two outs in the ninth the 27th stood waiting at the plate. With the pitch, the 27th batter swatted a grounder between 1st and second base. The Tigers first baseman came off the bag to field the ball, while Galarraga ran to cover first base. The throw from the first baseman fielding the grounder to Galarraga beat the runner by a stride and a half. First base umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe, and a moment of shock shrouded the field and the stands. The Tiger players, some who had already began to celebrate, stopped dead in their tracks. A deep, painful chorus of boos echoed from the Comerica Park stands. Jim Leyland, the Tigers manager, as well as a few players argued the call with Joyce. There was nothing they could do, history had been unfairly altered. You by now probably know the drama that has played out with Joyce admitting error, and Galarraga's class in forgiving him, so let's move on to the larger picture.
In the hours and days following the event, fans continued to point the finger at Joyce. He of course was the one who made the fateful call. A few in the media and fanbase have however begun to realize the real culprit. The real culprit is MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. You see, thanks to Selig, major league baseball has no form of instant replay for anything other than homeruns. Many major mistakes occur in the game by the officiating crews today, which can go un-ammended or reviewed. This is the latest, and by-far one of the largest and most eggregous, to appear. Selig has continually maintained a hostile toward the idea of instant replay, citing the game's "purity" as reason to not enact the system that all other major sports have long since used. You see, the moment Joyce made that call, it was over. There was nothing anyone other than the commissioner could do to reverse the unjust call. We all by now know of the sly statement released from the commissioner's office yesterday that he will not reverse the call. You see, had this been hockey, or football, the play would have been rightly reviewed and the call reversed in moments. History would have it's rightful place and moment.
The time however has long since come and gone for baseball to act. Who is the next team and/or player to suffer from Major League Baseball's ineptitudes? Everyone and anyone is vulnerable to the same horrific gaffs we witnessed last week. The fact is that instant replay gives professional sports an all-seeing form of checks-and-balances. With the ever-furthering television technology in the past several decades, fans at home can see what fans in the stands might not get to see. The fans at home can also see the game in a far more advanced form than those who watched the game in the 1970's could. Modern television has become in it's own a form of vigilante truth to the game, putting the officiating of the game on display for all of society to be judge and juror.
It is in my opinion that baseball needs to right this. The real way they can right this is by istituting replay so this never happens to another team again. Team ownership and GM's from around the league need to come together and petition the baseball heirarchy for sweeping change, and now. Until that happens, Bud Selig and his cronies will continue to be the inept goats of Major League Baseball, and history will have it's ultimate judgement upon their names.
What had happened was one of the worst calls in major league baseball history was made live on regional and national television, at very possibly the worst time it could have been made. A very special event was mere seconds away from completetion. Armondo Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, was one out away from completing the first perfect game in Tigers history, and only the 20th (or 21st) in MLB history. He had as far retired 26 of 27 batters. With two outs in the ninth the 27th stood waiting at the plate. With the pitch, the 27th batter swatted a grounder between 1st and second base. The Tigers first baseman came off the bag to field the ball, while Galarraga ran to cover first base. The throw from the first baseman fielding the grounder to Galarraga beat the runner by a stride and a half. First base umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe, and a moment of shock shrouded the field and the stands. The Tiger players, some who had already began to celebrate, stopped dead in their tracks. A deep, painful chorus of boos echoed from the Comerica Park stands. Jim Leyland, the Tigers manager, as well as a few players argued the call with Joyce. There was nothing they could do, history had been unfairly altered. You by now probably know the drama that has played out with Joyce admitting error, and Galarraga's class in forgiving him, so let's move on to the larger picture.
In the hours and days following the event, fans continued to point the finger at Joyce. He of course was the one who made the fateful call. A few in the media and fanbase have however begun to realize the real culprit. The real culprit is MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. You see, thanks to Selig, major league baseball has no form of instant replay for anything other than homeruns. Many major mistakes occur in the game by the officiating crews today, which can go un-ammended or reviewed. This is the latest, and by-far one of the largest and most eggregous, to appear. Selig has continually maintained a hostile toward the idea of instant replay, citing the game's "purity" as reason to not enact the system that all other major sports have long since used. You see, the moment Joyce made that call, it was over. There was nothing anyone other than the commissioner could do to reverse the unjust call. We all by now know of the sly statement released from the commissioner's office yesterday that he will not reverse the call. You see, had this been hockey, or football, the play would have been rightly reviewed and the call reversed in moments. History would have it's rightful place and moment.
The time however has long since come and gone for baseball to act. Who is the next team and/or player to suffer from Major League Baseball's ineptitudes? Everyone and anyone is vulnerable to the same horrific gaffs we witnessed last week. The fact is that instant replay gives professional sports an all-seeing form of checks-and-balances. With the ever-furthering television technology in the past several decades, fans at home can see what fans in the stands might not get to see. The fans at home can also see the game in a far more advanced form than those who watched the game in the 1970's could. Modern television has become in it's own a form of vigilante truth to the game, putting the officiating of the game on display for all of society to be judge and juror.
It is in my opinion that baseball needs to right this. The real way they can right this is by istituting replay so this never happens to another team again. Team ownership and GM's from around the league need to come together and petition the baseball heirarchy for sweeping change, and now. Until that happens, Bud Selig and his cronies will continue to be the inept goats of Major League Baseball, and history will have it's ultimate judgement upon their names.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Big Wind-Down
So here we sit on Wednesday, June 2nd. The final full day of school (and my final day of employment teaching for this school year) is Thursday, June 10th. So technically I have six days in front of me in which to enjoy the last of the year and all the experiences it has brought me.
Last week was a busy one for the school and my interventions group program was put on the back burner. Last week Tuesday we held the annual field day, during which it was one of the warmest days of the year and I was running the Tee-Ball event. That was one hot and dusty day no doubt. We started at 9am and ran through until about 2:30 with a large lunch break in-between. One left work that day coated in sun-block, dust and your energy was thoroughly fried from the sun's rays. It was my most interesting day of teaching to-date.
On Friday I accompanied the 5th grade classes on their "senior" day-trip. We brought them to Camp Roger up by Rockford for a number of activities such as animal tracking, survival skills, rock-climbing, archery and other games. The day was a total success and the camp did a marvelous job. The staff we superb and totally engaged with the kids. It was 100% hands-on (as camp should always be) and quite educational.
My Memorial Day weekend was quite packed with fun. Post-work on Friday night I got to see some old friends from GVSU who have since moved away and I rarely get to see. It was a joy to see them once again. Saturday was spent with a run about noon in 90-degree heat with 70% humidity, followed by enjoying CountryPalooza at John Ball Park from 2 until 10 at night with Eric and Lisa. Saw some good local country bands (Small Town Son, Union Guns) and the national act Bombshel. It was a day which left you drained from the sun annd heat and instantly ready for bed. Great day in all!
Sunday morning was relaxing, followed by joining the gang in Allendale for our Memorial Day-eve festivities at 3pm. Drinks of all sorts were had, burgers and brats, chicken and chips. We spent the time both catching the sun's rays while shooting off bottle rockets then avoiding the heat for a moment indoors...and repeating the cycle. Later on the bonfire was started, and then the mosquitos arrived. We were all being eaten alive by midnight, and I had to depart at 2am as the insects were too irritating. Home by 2:30, asleep by 2:33. What an awesome Sunday.
Monday was a quiet day, spent doing laundry, watching TV, organizing items from the past month, and grocery shopping. The storms really killed and chance of any outdoor activity. I skipped my workout that day in favor of the slacker approach to life. Before I knew it, the time for bed had come and in the blink of an eye a three-day weekend filled with fun was over.
Tuesday (June 1) presented new experiences as it was our school's trip to a Whitecaps game. The whole operations was a rather new experience to a lot of the staff, so we rather rolled with the flow. Not everything went smoothly, but we at least had marvelous 80 degree/sunny weather! No kids got hurt and no one too stressed out. We did find that the first graders seemed a bit overwhelmed by the whole environment however.
Today I helped escorted the first grade to a morning bowling trip just down the street. We had probably eight lanes of the old-school two-story bowling alley (yes, two story!!) to ourselves...actually, we were the only ones there. I had a good time and the kids kept it together until the pizza's arrived. Then it was every teacher for themselves, hahahaha.
So there in a nutshell has been my past eight days. Everything is coming to close, although with as busy as it has been it hardly seems that way. I do need a new form of summer employment rather urgently, so if anyone has a good summer job let me know! Who knows, maybe this summer will be the time when I finally move away from this town...who knows.
Goodnight!
Last week was a busy one for the school and my interventions group program was put on the back burner. Last week Tuesday we held the annual field day, during which it was one of the warmest days of the year and I was running the Tee-Ball event. That was one hot and dusty day no doubt. We started at 9am and ran through until about 2:30 with a large lunch break in-between. One left work that day coated in sun-block, dust and your energy was thoroughly fried from the sun's rays. It was my most interesting day of teaching to-date.
On Friday I accompanied the 5th grade classes on their "senior" day-trip. We brought them to Camp Roger up by Rockford for a number of activities such as animal tracking, survival skills, rock-climbing, archery and other games. The day was a total success and the camp did a marvelous job. The staff we superb and totally engaged with the kids. It was 100% hands-on (as camp should always be) and quite educational.
My Memorial Day weekend was quite packed with fun. Post-work on Friday night I got to see some old friends from GVSU who have since moved away and I rarely get to see. It was a joy to see them once again. Saturday was spent with a run about noon in 90-degree heat with 70% humidity, followed by enjoying CountryPalooza at John Ball Park from 2 until 10 at night with Eric and Lisa. Saw some good local country bands (Small Town Son, Union Guns) and the national act Bombshel. It was a day which left you drained from the sun annd heat and instantly ready for bed. Great day in all!
Sunday morning was relaxing, followed by joining the gang in Allendale for our Memorial Day-eve festivities at 3pm. Drinks of all sorts were had, burgers and brats, chicken and chips. We spent the time both catching the sun's rays while shooting off bottle rockets then avoiding the heat for a moment indoors...and repeating the cycle. Later on the bonfire was started, and then the mosquitos arrived. We were all being eaten alive by midnight, and I had to depart at 2am as the insects were too irritating. Home by 2:30, asleep by 2:33. What an awesome Sunday.
Monday was a quiet day, spent doing laundry, watching TV, organizing items from the past month, and grocery shopping. The storms really killed and chance of any outdoor activity. I skipped my workout that day in favor of the slacker approach to life. Before I knew it, the time for bed had come and in the blink of an eye a three-day weekend filled with fun was over.
Tuesday (June 1) presented new experiences as it was our school's trip to a Whitecaps game. The whole operations was a rather new experience to a lot of the staff, so we rather rolled with the flow. Not everything went smoothly, but we at least had marvelous 80 degree/sunny weather! No kids got hurt and no one too stressed out. We did find that the first graders seemed a bit overwhelmed by the whole environment however.
Today I helped escorted the first grade to a morning bowling trip just down the street. We had probably eight lanes of the old-school two-story bowling alley (yes, two story!!) to ourselves...actually, we were the only ones there. I had a good time and the kids kept it together until the pizza's arrived. Then it was every teacher for themselves, hahahaha.
So there in a nutshell has been my past eight days. Everything is coming to close, although with as busy as it has been it hardly seems that way. I do need a new form of summer employment rather urgently, so if anyone has a good summer job let me know! Who knows, maybe this summer will be the time when I finally move away from this town...who knows.
Goodnight!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
If You Had to Move...
Yahoo released Kiplinger's list of the ten U.S. cities most ready for the coming decade today. The list is as follows:
1. Austin, Tx.
2. Seattle, Wash.
3. Washington D.C.
4. Boulder, Co.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah
6. Rochester, Mn
7. Des Moines, Iowa
8. Burlington, Vt.
9. West Hartford, Ct.
10. Topeka, Ks.
The article brings up some very good points about the urban areas they list. I am also impressed that they refrained from simply listing all sun-belt and western cities as is the fad. There were also some surprises in there for me!
I always knew Des Moines was a nice, well-off place but they really have their act together more than I apparently give them credit for. Rochester, Mn. is home to the famed Mayo Clinic (at which a childhood friend of mine just landed a job after med-school! Go Mark!) which brings in over 2 million patients from out of town a year. Rockester by the way is slightly SE of Minneapolis. Some more surprises were Burlington Vt. and Topeka Ks. These are truly not flashy picks from the editor, but they're looking at the actual engine and numbers, not palm trees and fluff. This is again why I am relatively impressed with the article. Such lists usually include a hand-ful of Florida cities and places along the lines of Phoenix and Las Vegas due simply to growth patterns.
Here's the link to the article: http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/10-best-cities-for-the-next-decade
Now, here's my question to you; if you had to move to just one of them which one do you choose? This is a tough choice for me. I would really love to move to Austin and/or Seattle. However a friend recently completed grad school in Colorado and has been raving about it, so Boulder would be up there for me too.
I encourage you to post your answers (or at least your top choices) below!! Don't be shy, let us know!
1. Austin, Tx.
2. Seattle, Wash.
3. Washington D.C.
4. Boulder, Co.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah
6. Rochester, Mn
7. Des Moines, Iowa
8. Burlington, Vt.
9. West Hartford, Ct.
10. Topeka, Ks.
The article brings up some very good points about the urban areas they list. I am also impressed that they refrained from simply listing all sun-belt and western cities as is the fad. There were also some surprises in there for me!
I always knew Des Moines was a nice, well-off place but they really have their act together more than I apparently give them credit for. Rochester, Mn. is home to the famed Mayo Clinic (at which a childhood friend of mine just landed a job after med-school! Go Mark!) which brings in over 2 million patients from out of town a year. Rockester by the way is slightly SE of Minneapolis. Some more surprises were Burlington Vt. and Topeka Ks. These are truly not flashy picks from the editor, but they're looking at the actual engine and numbers, not palm trees and fluff. This is again why I am relatively impressed with the article. Such lists usually include a hand-ful of Florida cities and places along the lines of Phoenix and Las Vegas due simply to growth patterns.
Here's the link to the article: http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/10-best-cities-for-the-next-decade
Now, here's my question to you; if you had to move to just one of them which one do you choose? This is a tough choice for me. I would really love to move to Austin and/or Seattle. However a friend recently completed grad school in Colorado and has been raving about it, so Boulder would be up there for me too.
I encourage you to post your answers (or at least your top choices) below!! Don't be shy, let us know!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Summer's Heat...
It's here again, and it's letting you know it. This time last year I remember wearing a sweatshirt past 5pm. Not this year, this year shorts and a t-shirt are still too much. Today's temperature is 87 degrees, sunny, with a humidity index near 70%. Anything with the word "sweat" was totally different.
I woke up at 8am with the sun shining. As is usual in summer, I was immediatly able to open my window with moderate temps outside. I woke up and got myself together. At 10am I was ready to get outside for a run. You could cut the humidity and stagnant air with a knife. The run went well, until I turned onto the final mile-long straight-away. It faced right into the un-impeded sun and was all searing, black asphalt. Wow, will that kill you quick. By the time I got home the sweat was coming off me in sheets and I had to drench myself in cool water to reduce my body temperature.
So there it is my friends, welcome to summer in Michigan. It'll be sunny and in the upper 80's all week here. I got quite a bit of sun today, which I'm sure my students will remind me of tommorow. I would however gladly take this weather over 30 degrees all the time. It really is a lot more enjoyable.
It does make you think...do those who get this year-round or 9-10 months a year really appreciate it? Do they know what 4 months of dark, cold temps is like? I mean I enjoy the snow as much as the next person, but after a while it gets old. You want to be able to go outside without cleaning off or scraping your car, without bundling up everytime. You want some natural vitamin D from the sun. This is why the "sun-belt" has thrived or the past several decades. You wonder if those who have been there a decade or more have lost their appreciation for it...maybe have them move to Marquette or Buffalo for a winter??
I'll leave you with that thought. Have a great Sunday night.
I woke up at 8am with the sun shining. As is usual in summer, I was immediatly able to open my window with moderate temps outside. I woke up and got myself together. At 10am I was ready to get outside for a run. You could cut the humidity and stagnant air with a knife. The run went well, until I turned onto the final mile-long straight-away. It faced right into the un-impeded sun and was all searing, black asphalt. Wow, will that kill you quick. By the time I got home the sweat was coming off me in sheets and I had to drench myself in cool water to reduce my body temperature.
So there it is my friends, welcome to summer in Michigan. It'll be sunny and in the upper 80's all week here. I got quite a bit of sun today, which I'm sure my students will remind me of tommorow. I would however gladly take this weather over 30 degrees all the time. It really is a lot more enjoyable.
It does make you think...do those who get this year-round or 9-10 months a year really appreciate it? Do they know what 4 months of dark, cold temps is like? I mean I enjoy the snow as much as the next person, but after a while it gets old. You want to be able to go outside without cleaning off or scraping your car, without bundling up everytime. You want some natural vitamin D from the sun. This is why the "sun-belt" has thrived or the past several decades. You wonder if those who have been there a decade or more have lost their appreciation for it...maybe have them move to Marquette or Buffalo for a winter??
I'll leave you with that thought. Have a great Sunday night.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Texas School Board Votes to Re-Write History and Truth.
So, if you haven't heard some uber-conservative influences on the Texas School Board have gotten a recent vote to go in their favor. That vote was monumental and will affect the whole country. That vote deals with what is written in school text books, specifically history. This vote forces changes to the content.
The changes include additions such as mentions of the conservative movement starting with Regan in the 1980's, full mentions and descriptions of the NRA (which is one I am fine with as they have always played a huge role in our nation's history), and one of the worst I feel is talking of the so-called and self-termed "moral majority". The "moral majority" fodder is the as same elementary school-yard bickering. One side basically saying that "we're the good guys and superior to you" simply because of the method in which they choose to follow Christianity. Implying that those who do not follow as they do are immorale and will burn in hell for eternity. And you thought the Salem witch trials were over??? LMAO!!! Finally, another addition is the idea that the founding fathers did not intend for our country to have separation of church and state. Debating is fine, so as long as both theories are equally represented, it works. It is afterall up to the individual citizen to choose their religion and how they follow it, not the government.
Other changes include cutting the term "imperialism" and replacing it with "expansionism" when it comes to the expansions and annexing of western lands from native americans by the US government in the 1800's. Replacing these terms are only meant to ease the consciences of those who might be ashamed of some of the methods in which our fore-father's created the country we now live in. This is a little make-up on a permanent black-eye, and can only serve to mask a historical truth. You can't change history, or truth.
There is more to the story, but you can read up on it here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/21/texas.textbook.vote/index.html?hpt=T3
This is but another salvo fired in the ever-deepending ideological divide in this country. Sadly I fear that in little more than a decade we might face serious issues as a country in terms of stability (in all matters) due to this non-sense.
The changes include additions such as mentions of the conservative movement starting with Regan in the 1980's, full mentions and descriptions of the NRA (which is one I am fine with as they have always played a huge role in our nation's history), and one of the worst I feel is talking of the so-called and self-termed "moral majority". The "moral majority" fodder is the as same elementary school-yard bickering. One side basically saying that "we're the good guys and superior to you" simply because of the method in which they choose to follow Christianity. Implying that those who do not follow as they do are immorale and will burn in hell for eternity. And you thought the Salem witch trials were over??? LMAO!!! Finally, another addition is the idea that the founding fathers did not intend for our country to have separation of church and state. Debating is fine, so as long as both theories are equally represented, it works. It is afterall up to the individual citizen to choose their religion and how they follow it, not the government.
Other changes include cutting the term "imperialism" and replacing it with "expansionism" when it comes to the expansions and annexing of western lands from native americans by the US government in the 1800's. Replacing these terms are only meant to ease the consciences of those who might be ashamed of some of the methods in which our fore-father's created the country we now live in. This is a little make-up on a permanent black-eye, and can only serve to mask a historical truth. You can't change history, or truth.
There is more to the story, but you can read up on it here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/21/texas.textbook.vote/index.html?hpt=T3
This is but another salvo fired in the ever-deepending ideological divide in this country. Sadly I fear that in little more than a decade we might face serious issues as a country in terms of stability (in all matters) due to this non-sense.
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