tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73040932011-07-07T18:47:58.821-07:00SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.comBlogger6551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-89262432956157965612009-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:002009-09-11T00:01:01.256-07:00

"The spear in the Other's heart is the spear in your own; you are he.  There is no other wisdom, and no other hope for us but that we grow wise." -- Diane Duane

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-34140352803875057412009-06-14T23:42:00.000-07:002009-06-14T23:42:12.972-07:00

Up a steep and very narrow stairway To a voice like a metronome Up a steep and very narrow stairway It wasn't paradise It wasn't paradise It wasn't paradise But it was home -- "At the Ballet," A Chorus Line  So yesterday, I descended into total nerdom, and -- Okay, who am I kidding?  I've been a nerd ever since I taught myself to read.  Having 20/575 eyesight and the glasses to go with it was

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-66339043497793083412009-05-17T00:41:00.000-07:002009-05-17T00:52:44.280-07:00

Note:  I have some minor qualms, now, borrowing the title of Julia Ecklar's song about Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, having read her blog and seeing that she did not like the new movie.  However, that's the nature of creative works: they mean different things to different people, so I'm sticking with it.  I've planned to use the song ever since I -- ever so slowly -- began to hope that maybe,

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-421215819120984212009-04-21T19:49:00.000-07:002009-04-21T23:23:17.037-07:00

Today is Yom Hashoa , or Holocaust Remembrance Day (though "Shoah" does not mean "holocaust" -- which actually means "a burnt offering" -- but rather "catastrophe").Catastrophe.(ETA: I was certain that I had been told that "shoah" means "immolation" or something similar, but three online dictionaries insist it's "catastrophe.")"I've noticed that about your people, Doctor.  You find it easier to

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-88798306678085306022009-04-15T11:29:00.000-07:002009-04-15T11:30:34.547-07:00

So, the gallery of what I initially called 5-star images is up here; I think I've changed my mind about a few of them, but that could be just the 1024x768 images that are shown in the gallery.  If anyone wants 'em, I set the gallery to allow downloading of whole images -- just be aware that the new camera is 15 megapixels, so the images are...big.Meanwhile, here are the smaller preview-sized

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-3623169683250810742009-04-08T22:36:00.001-07:002009-04-08T22:36:34.068-07:00

Please send good thoughts towards my fellow teacher, Sixth Grade Teacher J, whose sister lost a year and a half (ish?) long battle against lung cancer last night.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-68709636614746298892009-03-29T17:01:00.000-07:002009-03-29T17:01:31.218-07:00

Okay, because sometimes it's fun to celebrate your neutrinos rotating in the wrong direction (which is an old in-joke with someone who probably doesn't even read the blog, but anyway...) this is my life since Friday: *  Wake up feeling very warm; suspect catching one of three versions of flu rampaging through the school (the district ran out of subs!) *  Realize it's Friday, and therefore it's

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-70489942516978066602009-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:002009-03-22T17:49:41.674-07:00

It took me a while to pick up Flood, though not for lack of trying.  After it was listed on Stephen Baxter's website as available in the fall of 2008, I kept an eye out for it at my local Borders, and even checked out both the Borders and Barnes and Noble in Santa Barbara one day on an unrelated outing. On a semi-related note, I searched for it one day in Borders in...oh, November or December,

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-75222144577919858132009-03-20T21:20:00.000-07:002009-03-20T21:20:04.496-07:00

...that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans.  Some believe there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive somewhere beyond the heavens.... -- opening narration to the original Battlestar Galactica series, spoken by Patrick Macnee.  You can find a sound file of

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-70385249946437989802009-03-17T14:56:00.000-07:002009-03-17T14:57:30.931-07:00

What would make a camera suddenly stop focusing and show vertical halos (as in, more heads on top of real heads), with multiple lenses, batteries, and a preferences reset? I suspect something physical but I've never had a camera fail before.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-34404303752742219332009-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:002009-03-14T22:17:41.609-07:00

Comparison shopping is very hard for Patrick. I suspect it's some combination of I'm-a-21-year-old-guy impulsiveness and the fact that comparison shopping requires a few higher-level thinking processes, not the least of which are (1) delaying gratification (not buying something cool the moment you see it), and (2) understanding that some nebulous something you might see later might be cooler

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-19380758313001525072009-03-09T19:57:00.000-07:002009-03-09T19:59:42.332-07:00

A while back, I posted a Shakespeare quote that had appreared -- I was certain -- on Star Trek at some point, though I was not at all sure where. Googling the quote hadn't helped.So, tonight, while I was waiting for my update (please have bug-fixes!) for Communicate:SymWriter to download, I tried something more generic: I googled "Star Trek Shakespeare" in one tab and the quote "I shall not look

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-27479149574576410932009-03-08T16:54:00.000-07:002009-03-08T16:54:43.330-07:00

Back at Christmas, I was the happy recipient of a "nifty 50" -- a Canon 50 mm prime lens that costs around $100.  It's mostly plastic and -- as with all of photography -- not the best 50 mm prime lens you can buy.However, it's a 50 mm f 1.8 lens, so I happily brought it along to ride the new it's a small world and to take some pictures.I got a couple of good shots, but my favorite of the night is

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-45928644295872806942009-02-28T18:35:00.000-08:002009-02-28T18:35:30.956-08:00

Okay, first, a few words about Dollhouse. The majority of reviews that I've read online have been...anemic, at best.  People who were expecting snappy Buffy-esque dialogue were disappointed with the (heavily-tinkered-with-by-Fox) premiere.  Many people see no potential in the show because Echo is "not a character" (read that on a blog; don't remember where).  One Fandom!Secrets post complained

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-82626115404279714312009-02-21T23:04:00.000-08:002009-02-21T23:04:45.380-08:00

I am absolutely convinced that the last two lines of this sonnet were, at some point in time, quoted in an episode of one of the Star Trek shows. For the life of me, I cannot remember who, what, when, or why, and it's driving me nuts. "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." I don't suppose anyone out there can help me out?  Normally, I'm

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-22251864733840002312009-02-16T16:44:00.000-08:002009-02-16T16:45:43.904-08:00

So, there is an interesting headline on Yahoo's front page right about now:Strangely enough, the headline of the article the link points to makes more sense:For any screen-reader using guests, the first headline reads "Many TV stations will still switch to analog signal on Feb. 17" and the second reads "TV stations get ready to cut analog signal (AP)."  I just included the screen captures as

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-12050417941498385442009-02-15T23:35:00.000-08:002009-02-15T23:35:04.317-08:00

Okay, I loved the mid-80s TV movie version of Alice in Wonderland, which, of course, prominently featured "The Jabberwocky." I also like filk music, at least older stuff (classics like Julia Ecklar's stuff, Leslie Fish...that kind of stuff). This sounds like a filk recording of "The Jabberwocky," but I'm not sure if it's cool or not.  Something about the phrasing or pacing, especially at the

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-75668228624905669902009-02-14T17:43:00.000-08:002009-02-14T17:43:29.071-08:00

Actually, Pumpkin was just chewing on the hole in her "house," but I love the expression on her face.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-71530095188443825572009-02-13T21:18:00.000-08:002009-02-13T21:20:55.213-08:00

I have finally been coerced into joining Facebook, as a mom at our school who did a stint with us as long-term sub for Former Aide S is going to Disney World on a Make a Wish trip for her son, and invited me to join so I could see pictures.That said, there will be no links between here and my Facebook account, nor links from there to here.  This is my place to chat and, occasionally, vent, and to

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-64200197924956980392009-02-09T18:53:00.000-08:002009-02-09T19:46:45.764-08:00

So, somehow, I missed the fact that Amazon was going to announce the Kindle 2 today. (Did we know that Amazon was going to announce the Kindle 2 today?  I looked for Kindle 2 rumors on a whim about a week or so ago, and everyone agreed it was imminent, but I don't recall a date anywhere.) Let me start by saying that I have owned both the first generation Sony Reader (the 500) and the upgraded

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-20968462037830614802009-01-31T23:02:00.001-08:002009-01-31T23:07:28.209-08:00

I found out on Thursday after our professional development class that...hmm...I don't know if he ever had a blog nickname, so I'll call him Monster Truck Boy, is having more medical problems. Monster Truck Boy has a rare genetic illness that has resulted in 3 bone marrow transplants, the last of which came after his fourth grade year.  He had something like a 10% chance of surviving that one;

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-75063943541285957392009-01-26T17:44:00.000-08:002009-01-26T17:54:35.819-08:00

Some kids don't like certain activities.  Some kids don't like any activity not of their own choosing. And then there's kids like Bulldozer, who like everything to be Just So, and who have a rough time with transition. Bulldozer and speech therapy has been a rough ride over the last year and a half.  Somehow, I got roped into doing one-on-one time with him daily to get "ready" for speech with a

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-39404422798478531352009-01-24T16:02:00.000-08:002009-01-24T16:18:49.440-08:00

Sometimes Patrick does things with language that really should be corrected, but instead creep into the family's unique vernacular. "Whoosh" for Gadget's Co Coaster, for instance, or the various alternate titles he used for his favorite episodes of Star Trek and Xena when he was little -- to the point that I had to make a chart for our dad for when Patrick visited him at work. On our last night

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-62329867858221545222009-01-21T21:11:00.000-08:002009-01-21T22:17:49.560-08:00

Okay, so I couldn't wax eloquent on Inauguration Day.  Much of this has been percolating in the back of my head for at least a week, though, so hopefully I'll pull something at least readable out of it.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Maybe it's the collection of kids.Maybe it's that they are, collectively, more academically able than just about any group I've ever had.  (Yes, I had Shy Girl for 4th grade, and she got

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-82663689305794966812009-01-08T19:04:00.000-08:002009-01-08T19:22:59.955-08:00

I spent quite some time this afternoon meeting with our speech therapist, principal, and psychologist, about our old friend Bulldozer. Bulldozer has been doing remarkably well; even amidst a meds change (that last year put him into a several weeks' multiple-meltdowns-a-day), he has had many days without any aggression towards kids, and 7 of the last month's school days without any aggression at

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-21509706525091513362008-12-30T20:06:00.001-08:002008-12-30T20:06:51.922-08:00

Yesterday:1. Woke up ealier. Proud of our night owl, non-morning-person-selves.2. Get to Hollywood Studios to find they opened an hoyt earlier than I thought. Oops. E-ticket rides out.3. Great Movie Ride; Backlot Tour; Light, Motors, Action car stunt show (with Herbie cameo -- Patrick was thrilled); Walt Disney Story.4. Hotel food court for lunch. Find one more place in property that

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-35099209458113267482008-12-29T22:07:00.001-08:002008-12-29T22:07:47.098-08:00

Too late, too tired. More later.However, to annoying lady complaining about crowds: it's Disney World on New Year's week, you idiot.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-13212759960468228552008-12-28T20:33:00.001-08:002008-12-28T20:33:43.947-08:00

1. Wake up. Fall asleep. Try again. Get going at 9:30. Mini golf opens at 10.2. Discover pro football team at one mini golf course. Go to other.3. Wait for tee time (!!).4. Play actual golf like mini course. Patrick surprisingly good when he aims.5. Get free golf ball as souvenir. Mine has Stitch.6. Downtown Disney. Shop. Too late for Planet Hollywood (must return rental car) and their

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-29935826016913935902008-12-27T21:00:00.000-08:002008-12-27T21:01:01.601-08:00

1. Checked in. Discovered that seat upgrades disappeared when itinerary changed. (Still ticked about that.)2. Re-upgraded only available leg of flight for same price as AirTran last year, where we had a divider and got free snacks and drinks. With Spirit, you get a one inch bigger chair and wider armrests.3. Did not sleep. At all. Ever. Nada.4. Snow on ground in Detroit. Neat.5. Round 2:

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-43615845292692542762008-12-26T17:05:00.000-08:002008-12-26T17:12:35.103-08:00

Somehow, I always spend most of the day before a trip updating various iPods.  Now that Patrick has his iPod touch, it adds another level of confusion: keeping the video contents of his iPod from overlapping with mine, so as to save space. That said, watching the progress bars creep across on various iPods was amusing, especially.... This is my iPhone. The free space is to make sure I have

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-6997297831950704752008-12-20T20:25:00.000-08:002008-12-20T20:29:41.048-08:00

Of the 70ish pictures I took on my last venture to Disneyland, this time for Christmas pics, I think this little guy is my favorite shot of the night: I've been trying to get his buddy the owl for a couple of years, but if I don't use a flash, my camera exposes for the castle and you can't see him.  If I do, the flash reflects off the carving, making him overexposed and yucky. This one was a

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-81529279206137188382008-12-20T11:05:00.001-08:002008-12-20T11:05:21.498-08:00

I knew buying gloves and a scarf would jinx the weather in Orlando....Maybe it'll drop between Thursday and Saturday.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-89131139566352810122008-12-18T19:52:00.000-08:002008-12-18T20:00:18.636-08:00

Majel Barrett has passed away. Even casual Trek fans would recognize her voice immediately: she's been the voice of the computer since the original series.  She, of course, also played Nurse Chapel in the original series, as well as the Enterprise's first officer in the unaired pilot "The Cage," known only as Number One. But -- maybe because Next Generation was the first Trek series I watched

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-56215285303193191642008-12-17T20:44:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:10:08.483-08:00

It's been...quite a week.  You may have read on Cat's blog that one of my students was hit in our school parking lot.  Turns out she has broken toes and something is wrong enough with her ankle to require a visit to an orthopedist.Plus, my Internet connection went out, about which I whine frequently on Twitter.However, while trolling around the Internet, trying to accomplish the last three things

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-30775926996532153842008-12-08T20:48:00.000-08:002008-12-08T20:54:01.460-08:00

For Amie, and whoever else would need it.To reply to a tweet on the web, hover over the tweet with your mouse.  On the right, you will see a star (to favorite, I think, a tweet?) and a curvy arrow thingie (just above the "reply to Amie31 -- when I took the screenshot, it ignored my mouse cursor).Click the curvy arrow thingie, and the box at the top that normally looks like this: will change to

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-54712714610528188492008-12-04T21:36:00.000-08:002008-12-04T21:43:48.918-08:00

(How often do I resort to multiple punctuation marks to emphasize my point?) CNN is shutting down its science-tech unit. No, really. No, really. I just...there are no words. Yes there are. WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING? I am spluttering in incoherent rage over here; I'm sorry.  Maybe someday I'll have a more eloquent post on the subject. I'm gonna go listen to "Hope Eyrie" and "The

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-19461682885372445822008-11-27T12:44:00.000-08:002008-11-27T13:00:52.848-08:00

So, I was watching the 720p Star Trek trailer (yeah, I'd only seen it on my iPhone), and the brief -- very brief -- scene with Sarek and Amanda made my eyes pop out of my head.Why?Could it be that Ben Cross bears an uncanny resemblance to Mark Lenard?Nope.It was, rather, that the profile of Ben Cross as Sarek bore an uncanny resemblance to Andreas Katsulas.Bwahahahaha.  Sarek as previously

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-7451141316022372452008-11-26T17:18:00.000-08:002008-11-26T17:43:15.701-08:00

Once I made the momentous discovery (Tripods rock!  And my dad had two!  And you can attach them to a wheelchair with a bungee cord for easy carrying!) a few months ago, I've been enamored of night time photography A couple of years ago, I went to Disneyland and took lots of photos of Disneyland's Halloween decorations.  I regretfully noticed that they looked gorgeous at night time but knew I'd

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-33801278295610071402008-11-24T22:07:00.000-08:002008-11-24T22:12:44.151-08:00

When recently researching the various side effects I've had from having mono as a kid, I came across something that surprised me: that mono is in the Epstein Barr family (which I kinda knew) and that it's believed that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is as well. Well, let me tell you, after two flare ups in six months or so, I have enormous, everlasting respect for someone who has CFS.  I don't know if

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-38507199768295622392008-11-22T17:29:00.000-08:002008-11-22T17:41:47.128-08:00

For the uninitiated (ha!), the Harry Potter series consists of seven books slowly but inexorably building to a final showdown between the eponymous (I love that word) hero and the most evil wizard ever (tm). Before each book came out, there was speculation that it would be OMG DARKER AND SCARIER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE!  MAYBE OUR LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS SHOULDN'T READ IT. Um. Remember that "

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-48033708263936517412008-11-09T22:14:00.000-08:002008-11-09T22:21:41.234-08:00

We all slip.  I know that.  I often type "withing" when I mean "within" because I type really, really fast (80-90 wpm when I really get going...around 50ish in general) and my fingers are so used to the -ing pattern that they just add it without my brain's conscious permission.(And, yes, typing is an unconscious thing for me; I don't spell words as I type, but I do hear them in my head -- I know

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-27488878882470983782008-11-07T19:46:00.000-08:002008-11-07T20:00:23.767-08:00

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-63530713232861765262008-11-07T19:15:00.001-08:002008-11-07T19:15:42.179-08:00

An almost-belated happy birthday, Amie! :-)

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-35217490755939946482008-11-07T18:41:00.001-08:002008-11-07T18:41:21.741-08:00

GPS is cool.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-54771411161337950852008-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:002008-11-04T22:56:26.393-08:00

On the one hand: On the other:

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-83037842712710976202008-11-04T19:40:00.000-08:002008-11-04T19:53:22.555-08:00

I have no idea why, but in high school, I became a large fan of both Romantic poets (as in, from the Romantic period), and Langston Hughes. What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?While my

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-66713403378866650302008-11-03T17:58:00.000-08:002008-11-03T18:41:35.266-08:00

Consider this your warning: This will be long. I mostly try to avoid politics here; I really do.  From what I can tell, my regular readers share my view -- but who knows?  I might have nerdy conservative lurkers out there.  Who knows, right? But I can't let this go.  The "Yes on 8" commercials are driving me freaking insane -- especially the one about teaching second graders about same-sex

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-29303647464528372732008-11-01T21:47:00.000-07:002008-11-01T21:48:28.857-07:00

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-46805028051168102112008-10-29T20:40:00.000-07:002008-10-29T21:09:06.878-07:00

As I said on Twitter earlier today, I helped Patrick fill out his absentee ballot this afternoon. Patrick, like many other young people his age, just barely missed being able to vote in the 2004 election (he was a few months shy of turning 18).  And, yet, he's always been a bit of a news junkie. I mentioned last spring, when I had my class start following the presidential primaries, that I was

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-57900378322546965072008-10-19T19:12:00.000-07:002008-10-19T19:15:27.010-07:00

It might be obvious that poor grammar is one of my pet peeves.  (It particularly drives me insane when there are typos in our Teachers' Union newsletter, 'cause...well, c'mon...you're teachers.) Anyway, it's not precisely grammar-related, but for years, I have bitten my tongue when people pronounce Ghiradelli Square (mmm...chocolate....) as "Jeer-a-deli" but didn't say anything for fear that I

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-36791978322715619512008-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:002008-10-19T18:50:11.107-07:00

I've jokingly said from time to time that one of my worries about the new Trek movie was the casting of Karl Urban as McCoy.Why?Well, here's the thing.I first saw Karl Urban on Xena, playing Caesar-Julius-Caesar (how he always introduced himself...hey, it was a campy show, especially at the beginning) and (gulp) Cupid.  When he played Eomer in Lord of the Rings, that was marginally okay, because

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-84098012867827557162008-10-16T21:05:00.001-07:002008-10-16T21:05:57.892-07:00

Next time you are planning to copy next week's homework, it might be beneficial to print the homework and, y'know, actually bring it to school.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-67087708629246030342008-10-10T17:15:00.001-07:002008-10-10T17:15:26.804-07:00

Until this week, I had never once opened this app (hence the default stocks). Still, the 2 year curve is morbidly amusing. I mean, I call it a "curve" cause I'm a math girl, and just can't call it a vertical line...but, wow, a vertical line. Yikes.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-46623320230571655832008-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:002008-10-05T19:17:30.297-07:00

When did it become bad to be smart? People -- or, rather, those who aren't boggling in amazement -- are praising Governor Palin's down-to-earth soccer-momness.  When George W. Bush ran the first time, much was made of the fact that he was a regular guy and aspersion was regularly cast upon Gore for being too intellectual. Prior to the VP debates, a commenter on NPR said the same thing about Joe

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-41397957062676063912008-10-02T21:20:00.000-07:002008-10-02T21:21:15.635-07:00

Just look at all that beautiful rain.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-68892939654460303062008-10-01T19:33:00.000-07:002008-10-01T19:34:02.182-07:00

And, yes, Barrow is programmer into my iPhone's weather app. I think it's fun to know the weather in the mist northern US town (I've seen the website..."city" is stretching it).

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-13565238500247254352008-09-26T22:30:00.000-07:002008-09-26T22:55:39.361-07:00

Last year, during Mr. Voice's IEP-From-the-Dark-Side, his mother was berating me because I'd sent home a social studies homework assignment that said... ...wait for it... ...circle any of these people that you see on the news or in a newspaper. It was clearly marked as extra credit (as I'm not assuming that anybody has a TV or can afford a newspaper) and...y'know...circle a picture. "My

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-23804575934683919622008-09-21T19:21:00.000-07:002008-09-21T19:54:01.125-07:00

*  Next week's homework is done -- yay! (Well, it's made...not copied, collated, or modified, but still.) *  Program Specialist SR is probably going to buy the school two copies of the update to Writing With Symbols -- one for SAI Person JW to use with Whiner Girl and one for me to use so that I can make more stuff to help SAI Person JW to use with Whiner Girl. *  Oak Glen had maple candy this

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-66687583426097924842008-09-19T22:18:00.000-07:002008-09-19T22:21:40.748-07:00

That is one of my favorite quotes from The Princess Bride -- delivered by Inigo after hearing "Inconceivable!" one too many times. I found this today. I just...sugarless Peeps. Think that through. Sugar-free Peeps. The illogic...it burns. I had the same reaction when I first saw sugar-free caramel sauce. I mean, caramel is basically sugar, water, and milk.  "Caramelized," or the darkening

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-41902097404755953502008-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:002008-09-19T20:54:22.285-07:00

Disclaimer:  Bodily functions ahead. This may not strike anyone but Cat as a momentous occasion, but there you have it. Elastigirl has had the stomach flu for the past three days. She was not at school on Wednesday. Yesterday, she came and had diarrhea twice within an hour, but although we called home, she was not picked up. Today, when she got off the bus, she went to sit down and wait for

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-39697571732449505742008-09-14T22:16:00.000-07:002008-09-14T22:20:51.559-07:00

That's an axiom in writing -- and one that I still sometimes struggle with (I tend to information-dump). But if you read these lyrics, you have the perfect example of the concept. The tents grew smaller as we rode away On earth that tells of many passing days The months of peace and all the years of war The lives of love and all the lives of fearsThere...that? That is "show, don't tell." I

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-75973062920963581982008-09-14T20:33:00.000-07:002008-09-14T20:47:44.527-07:00

I know, I know.  I've been rather silent around here these days. The fact of the matter is, the group of kids I have this year is keeping me on my toes -- and not in the drama-filled, losing-children kind of way of this time last year.  They are pushing me to create new activities to teach things I've never taught to a class before -- what a noun is, for example. So until I get "caught up," you

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-70695278293625668322008-09-09T22:19:00.000-07:002008-09-09T22:33:30.625-07:00

So, just for fun, I often check the birthdays on imdb.com.  One of the birthdays today was Bruce Gray, whose face I kinda recognized from the picture. A quick check of his page confirms that he was Ian's dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (a.k.a. the quiet lawyer dad, not the roasting-lamb-in-the-yard dad). However, as I page-downed my way through the page, my eye caught the usual filmed-in-Canada

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-79930140524979476082008-09-09T17:23:00.000-07:002008-09-09T17:25:04.850-07:00

Forget all the other changes for iTunes 8 -- I'm digging one simple one: "Play Genre." I know there were ways to do this before, but this is neat and simple.  I like it. And, why, yes, I do have 72 albums of Celtic music.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-80030101351415182062008-09-08T17:49:00.000-07:002008-09-08T17:51:03.376-07:00

Just a quick post. 1.  I am still here. 2.  I am coughing up a lung at the moment, thanks to either the cough/cold that Sixth Grade Teacher JT caught or to the gunk from moving causing an allergy attack, or both. 3.  The class is still (knock on wood) doing fairly well.  Smiley was a bit grumpy today and Drama Queen (Fourth Grade Girl A) had one moment Friday, but so far, so good.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-6236702492473066782008-09-03T21:24:00.000-07:002008-09-03T21:26:12.391-07:00

That whole "allergy-induced asthma" thing? You experienced it first in Thousand Oaks.  In September. It is now September. You were in Thousand Oaks. Next time you go to Thousand Oaks in September, take a freaking Zyrtec or bring some Primatene, okay, dummy?

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-86739718146214346702008-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:002008-09-02T21:02:01.768-07:00

I love my iMac.  I really do.  99% of the time, it behaves flawlessly. Tonight, however, it has refused to print and connect to the Internet at the same time (which, I presume, has something to do with a tweak to my network printer that I made last night to try to get Lore to use it to print). It has somehow permanently hidden Final Cut, where I lost...oh, about five hours' worth of work for a

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-19111922743833843262008-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:002008-08-31T20:53:24.923-07:00

"Hey, SpooWriter," said Fourth Grade Teacher K at recess on the first day of school, "How's your class this year?" "Knock on wood for me," I said. "How's it going?" asked Principal SDF before our emergency staff meeting. "Please knock on wood for me," I said. "How's your class this year?" asked Former OT E. "Knock on wood repeatedly for me," I said. Sense a pattern here? Everyone kept

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-33430314857711277292008-08-28T18:56:00.000-07:002008-08-28T19:00:56.277-07:00

Sight = seeing stuff Because of my lousy sight, I must wear glasses. I could hardly believe the sight that greeted me when I opened the door. Site = a place (physical or "web...") Sacramento will be the site of the next National Down Syndrome Congress conference. The webmaster completed his total redesign of the site in under three weeks. Cite = refer to The judges cited three precedents

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-28091045655321461912008-08-27T20:25:00.000-07:002008-08-27T23:21:46.047-07:00

Well, all four new kids did well today.  In fact, the whole class did very well (hence the title).  Aside from the usual disruptions from Bulldozer (one medium sized and one very minor one), the class was very responsive and interactive.  We even had discussions. Multiple ones. Which was good, because one of the new people hired didn't show this morning.  (Turns out her paperwork isn't

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-29343977627813626162008-08-24T21:13:00.000-07:002008-08-24T21:23:55.299-07:00

You may have noticed that there are no references here to my last name, the town or school where I teach, other teachers' names (especially last names), kids' names.... Basically, there's no identifying information.  It allows me to share some of my funnier stories, as well as some of my dramas, without fear of compromising my kids' privacy. And, today, it allows me to make a comment regarding

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-88819477885797098262008-08-24T17:56:00.000-07:002008-08-24T18:01:30.601-07:00

Okay, without getting into what filk is -- other than "music SpooWriter likes" (except that I seem to like "classic" stuff rather than current stuff) -- can I just say that this makes me happy? (At one point, I could accurately -- as in, know the words -- sing along to all 13 minutes of the song...of course, I can't do it alone -- as in, sitting in my room and singing without "accompanying"

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-39273850894633402122008-08-20T20:14:00.000-07:002008-08-20T20:16:11.301-07:00

Last year, our district purchased a subscription to News-2-You, which I had been using in the classroom for a few years.  I was a little flattered, I must say, that that happened because one of the middle school teachers was introduced to the program by observing upcoming sixth graders in my classroom. Anyway, I figured it was a one-year thing, budgets being what they are and all. Still, for

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-20477156504043136662008-08-20T19:32:00.000-07:002008-08-20T19:35:38.146-07:00

I got to school around 9:00 this morning, got busy working, and around...oh, 10:30 or so, a painter stuck his head in and asked if it was okay that he painted the ramp.  It would take about an hour to dry.  "Yeah, that's fine," I said (though I now realize I should have asked Patrick if he'd need a restroom...oops).  So he painted. We got ready to go to lunch around...oh, 12:30ish.  (By the way -

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-57049528754762270342008-08-19T19:09:00.000-07:002008-08-19T19:16:33.800-07:00

Someone thought it would be a good idea to start the construction and then move the dusty, grimy furniture and boxes out of our classrooms.  Yippee. There are absolutely no pictures of Patrick Skene Catling, author of The Chocolate Touch, anywhere that Google can find.  Hence, a generic "man" picture in Writing With Symbols for the kids' "About the Author" section. Search "King Midas," and read

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-15406700303106645602008-08-18T18:19:00.000-07:002008-08-18T18:29:23.182-07:00

The song, I would wager, is imprinted somewhere in the backs of the minds of every child of the 80s. You take the good, you take the bad You take them both, and there you have The facts of life, the facts of life The good: I found laminate at K-Mart for almost half the Walmart price -- $10 for 50, versus $7.77 for 20.  Yay. I have finally finished cutting out all the new things for this coming

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-67407528982755383962008-08-15T21:47:00.000-07:002008-08-15T22:01:41.576-07:00

Okay...so...there will be Romulans in the Star Trek movie.  They made up a language. Good for them. But...but...the comments. Oh, the comments. "We’re space pirates,” Collins explained. “Think of Johnny Depp as a Romulan.” Pardon me over here while I gibber in a corner. Are you frelling kidding me? (Note to self:  Stop sounding like a rabid fan girl.  Thank you very much.) Romulans aren't

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-30601682411850574832008-08-15T10:59:00.000-07:002008-08-15T12:40:13.852-07:00

Whether you watch the Olympics or not, if you get a chance to see the footage of Bela Karolyi watching Nastia Liukin's floor routine that NBC aired after the competition was over (and, I think, after the medal ceremony, but I stayed up way late to watch the whole thing)...you should.I don't always agree with him, but you can't doubt his passion.(Also, Bob Costas's reaction -- making a quip about

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-53126254959144144752008-08-14T21:28:00.001-07:002008-08-14T21:28:36.725-07:00

There have been several campaign ads during the Olympics the last two days. Bleh.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-22059450746003482042008-08-13T22:47:00.000-07:002008-08-13T22:50:21.417-07:00

I made a sound like a giraffe getting run over by a train while they're both hit by a meteor.Actor...word-smith...actor...word-smith.  He's both. And he's really, really funny -- even though it so shouldn't be.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-1063468455800800302008-08-13T21:23:00.000-07:002008-08-13T21:24:29.453-07:00

The Greek doctor for something (not sure which; I'm at Data and not watching) is seriously, swear-to-God named Herakles. I'm not sure whether to boggle at his parents -- I mean...seriously?  Hercules? -- or to feel bad for him...especially if he was the stereotypical weak nerdly type.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-59059852092384302442008-08-13T20:07:00.000-07:002008-08-13T20:09:54.074-07:00

Turns out I took two of the required classes for CLU's level two program as an undergraduate. Way to save a lot of money on four credits. Cool. Go me. Now I just have to convince them that since I did BTSA already, I shouldn't have to take their class that is done in collaboration with BTSA....

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-13944392801630198112008-08-13T16:35:00.000-07:002008-08-13T16:36:25.713-07:00

I just drew an absolute, total blank on my own cell phone number.  Yikes.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-44066884819398704582008-08-13T00:26:00.000-07:002008-08-13T00:27:33.030-07:00

The Chinese girls' second floor routine was very neat.  I liked the music a lot, and it helped that Jiang Yuyuan looked like she was having a lot of fun.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-13054894959581986552008-08-12T23:13:00.000-07:002008-08-12T23:21:07.197-07:00

People talk about hitting the wall a lot.  I only really remember a similar experience once or twice before. Once was at Glendale Galleria, when I was about...15ish....  I had nearly broken my left ankle the year before ('cause bad things happen when you stand on the joint and not your foot) and had been slowly rehabbing it on my own (no insurance, ya know).  I was walking around and all of a

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-30394820581216686652008-08-10T21:26:00.000-07:002008-08-10T21:55:00.244-07:00

I watch two events in the summer Olympics, generally: diving and gymnastics.  I typically prefer women's gymnastics because I find two of the men's events less than interesting (rings and pommel horse). However, watching men's gymnastics last night, this one Chinese guy did a parallel bars routine that was just spellbinding.  It's a cliche, yes, but he made it look effortless -- even though the

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-29165505938260507722008-08-10T00:35:00.000-07:002008-08-10T00:44:15.358-07:00

Note: I have not read Twilight, nor any of its sequels. Yes, I did read the whole Harry Potter series. However. Ouch. I kinda laughed at the review in a few places, but...ouch. Quotes of note: "Educators, readers and parents have all made much of the fact that the Twilight series promotes a wholesome version of teen love for its dreamy, predominantly female readership, citing how the books' 

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-3689228662366452572008-08-09T22:26:00.000-07:002008-08-09T22:33:14.179-07:00

I can't decide who I like more: the older gentleman with Down syndrome who is crying as he holds up his medal, or the younger man at the end who holds his arms up in victory (which is what Patrick would do.)I think it's...odd...that Paralympians don't appear to be included (that I could see), though, and it's also...odd...that the only Special Olympians are people with Down syndrome, but whatever

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-73088966584896650732008-08-09T21:44:00.000-07:002008-08-09T21:46:31.084-07:00

I often jokingly say "D'oh!"But this one deserves a real d'oh.Hee hee.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-54929425174938751172008-08-09T15:37:00.000-07:002008-08-09T15:52:53.310-07:00

Mostly the Oregon coast here. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I did say "mostly."  This is the Washington coast, and I made it black and white to disguise the haze.  I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I do think it has kind of a nifty Hitchcock-type feeling to it. I loved the pattern on the wood in this one.  I have a full-color and sepia-toned version, too, but for some reason, I like the B&W version the

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-40070869565639614202008-08-08T23:53:00.000-07:002008-08-09T00:10:00.597-07:00

The cauldron lighting.Holy cow.HOLY COW.First off...how utterly freaking terrifying.Second...man, he was even "running" to the rhythm of the music.And the way the flame spiraled up?  How awesome.  Gorgeous.Just wow.Awesome.You don't build a 4,000 mile long wall by thinking small, and whatever you think of Chinese politics, you have to acknowledge that they dream big, and they deliver.That was

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-20081057854019701052008-08-08T23:28:00.000-07:002008-08-08T23:29:52.307-07:00

That little boy walking with Yao Ming looks like he's about 3 years old; hard to believe he's nine.And, of course, who knows how much of his story is propaganda, but assuming it's true...what a story.  Good for him.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-43605835959643382902008-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:002008-08-08T21:46:24.683-07:00

The peoples' footsteps adding to the painting is just too cool.  Very symbolic.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-45840339870023517542008-08-08T21:34:00.000-07:002008-08-08T21:35:38.771-07:00

As a word nerd, can I just say that I am very ecstatic to learn that the Chinese version of alphabetical order is to count how many strokes it takes to make the characters that go in the word?Nifty.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-47543901072931536722008-08-08T21:11:00.001-07:002008-08-08T21:11:54.661-07:00

The globe...and the stars....So, so cool!

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-69116784005858651042008-08-08T20:51:00.000-07:002008-08-08T20:54:06.089-07:00

The little girl with the piano player is adorable.Also, I like that the kids are just average kids plucked from Beijing schools.  While it might not be true in practice, it's a lovely nod to the (supposedly) egalitarian nature of Chinese communist society.  (I've always said that communism is a nice theory; the problem is that it goes hand in hand with totalitarian governments.)Or, it could be a

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-82951276129012142012008-08-08T20:48:00.000-07:002008-08-08T20:49:25.917-07:00

The music and the lighting is awesome.But all those people up in the nosebleed section with their flashes going are driving me nuts.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-81285781367688334612008-08-08T20:31:00.000-07:002008-08-08T20:35:33.418-07:00

Okay, the moving moveable type thing?Oh.  My.  God.(Say what you want about the Chinese government, but these guys dream big.  I feel bad for the sweating guy amidst the Confucius dancers they keep showing, though.  I don't know a lot of Chinese, and I don't read lips very well, but I'm pretty sure he's desperately counting to the beat.)ETA:  There were people in there?  How cool is that?

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-10114954476352231602008-08-08T20:26:00.000-07:002008-08-08T20:27:04.074-07:00

That scroll is freaking awesome.

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304093.post-84236237994580351142008-08-08T12:00:00.000-07:002008-08-09T00:25:44.829-07:00

Wow...the pictures are awesome.Without getting into a political debate, I just have to say that the pageantry is gorgeous.  But, a thousands-of-years-old society has had lots of time to practice.ETA:  About one of the pictures above.  I don't even watch Avatar, though being in fandom, it's hard to avoid it.  So why, oh why, do I look at these guys and see only...uh...(quick google search) Aang?  

SpooWriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447251108954170474noreply@blogger.com0