'The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men...'

Pizza Squares
Well, we're a week into school (and a month into this blog), and as I predicted, I'm blogging during my plan. But, in my defense, I'm way more planned right now than I ever was. I think. Maybe it's just that classes are 20 minutes shorter this year. Or maybe it's that I'm not in a disgusting cave of a room and actually don't mind sticking around till 4:00 or 5:00 most nights to get work done. Or maybe it's that my new room is actually with most of the rest of the department so I feel a part of things, even if those things are sometimes a mess. And, of course, it's my second year here, so that's a big deal — while this is not exactly my second year teaching, it is my second year of a full-time public school appointment. However I describe it, things feel a whole lot less stressful this year than last year. Which is nice.

'I don't really like reading Sci-Fi'
Poor Creighton. His first hour Sci-Fi class is pretty cool, but several of his students couldn't even make it though the forward of Brave New World this morning. Many of them were girls, evidently, who informed him that Science Fiction really isn't their favorite genre to read. Keep in mind that this is a senior elective. And they've been in the class for a week. And "Sci-Fi" is the name of the course. Huh??

Taxi Driver
I just picked up the new Death Cab album, Plans, yesterday. I'll have to listen to it some more to really give a good recommendation, but I've heard enough to say that if you like Death Cab (or some of Ben Gibbard's other side projects) you'll probably enjoy it. Also, Kanye is "blowin' up" some more, as the kids say. Morning Edition. The cover of Time. And of course Late Registration came out yesterday. I haven't heard it yet, but the Headmaster says, "it's out of control hype." We shall see.

Sweet, sweet revenge

I can't seem to stop listening to My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Not a new album, but one of Dave Powers's top 20 Albums of 2004 — #3 in fact. I was listening to it today during our teacher work day, and I think my teacherly neighbor, Creighton, flashed the metal sign to me as he walked through to his room. Sweet. Though he sucks because he's seeing The White Stripes at Red Rocks right now.

I also just got Franz Ferdinand's self-titled album (#2 last year), which is fun but hasn't stuck in my craw in quite the same way. Both very different albums, and chances are Mohl will hate them both.

I'm quickly discovering that this blog can be a tremendous new procrastination tool for me. I really should be finishing my syllabi, or at least going the fuck to bed, but instead — well, you see. I will truly hit bottom when I start blogging from school during my plan instead of grading essays.

'Round and 'round we go

So it's that time of year again. Lunch pails and apples are polished and ready to go. School's back in.

(Has anyone ever really seen a lunch pail? I had this sweet metal Optimus Prime lunchbox when I was in elementary school. It was a lot of things, but a bucket was not one of them.)

As a student, the start of school was always kinda bittersweet — okay, maybe a whole lot more bitter than sweet. News flash, kids: it's not so sweet for your oppressors either. Yeah, I guess it's time to get back to "making a living" and "paying the bills" and all that crap, and I really like my career when it gets down to it, but who is ever excited to get back to the office after a nice, long vacation? That's what I'm sayin'.

As for (A)pples, some of those were rather tarnished last week. A school district near Richmond, Va., has one of those one-to-one laptop programs where every student gets a computer. First of all, I have my doubts about those programs. Most tech in the classroom is ill-used, so I think a lot of those laptops just get used for IM and porn. I'm not sure they're all bad, but without good training and support it just seems like a waste of money. Second, this district is switching from Macs to Dells — idiots. Third, and probably worse, they sold off all the used, 4-year-old iBooks for $50 each, conservatively 1/5 of their eBay price. Of course, this caused a stampede and near riot. Lots has been written about it, including this local news coverage with photos and video (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond NBC 12). Ugly.

Just in case you were wondering, I've never received an apple of any kind from a student.

The Tupac of TV shows

So it's official...sorta. According to Charlie Murphy via CNN.com, Chappelle's Show is done.

"I'm disappointed it ended the way it did, but I'm not angry with anybody," [Murphy] said. " 'Chappelle's Show' was like the Tupac of TV shows. It came out, it got everybody's attention, it was a bright shining star, but it burned out and for some strange reason, it burned out quick."

An interesting simile, to be sure.

Anyway, so this is it — my inaugural blog post. If there's anything I am, it's cutting edge. Glad I got in on the ground floor of this blog thing.

No, actually I just moved. And while I sit here amidst boxes of crap (the Internet and TiVo are completely set up), I am simultaneously procrastinating and feeling like it's time for new beginnings and junk like that. What better way to mark a milestone in my life than share a public diary with the world. Or at least the three members of it who will ever read this blog.

I'm trying to get back into writing a little bit. We'll see how much I keep up with this once school starts back up in two weeks. But my plan is to post semi-regularly on whatever the hell I feel like. It might be fun. Maybe even funny on occasion. But probably not as funny as Charlie Murphy.