Apparently I never posted the winner from last week. How did that happen?
Well, better late than never. Our winner was . . .
kim881
Decent average human beings
Demonstrate just how ordinary
They are
Uninspired
Not even shades of grey
Living dull lives
Conventional
Pedestrian
Run-of-the-mill
Let’s shake them up
Show how to be
Exciting
Bold
Cherry chocolate coconut
Fizzy fancy flavour
Not
Vanilla
The turning pages of the calendar indicates Fall is in the air and Oktober just days away.
And so, the turning Wheel of Time has brought ’round not one but two events:
That’s right: Teaser Tuesday and Banned Books Week!
Just in case you don’t know, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! All you have to do is grab the book you’re currently reading, open to a random page and share a few sentences from that page. But make sure you don’t share any spoilers!*
*I wish I could take credit for this introduction, but I shamelessly stole it from Heather over at bitsnbooks. To help me make amends, you should go check out her blog.
I put quite a dent in my TBR, enough that I’m actually 2 books ahead of schedule. I wonder how long that will last?
Anyhow, with this being Banned Books Week and with this year’s focus on YA Literature, I searched through my summer stack of acquisitions and found The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Coincidentally – or not – The Bluest Eye is also on the list of Most Challenged Books of 2014 – remember, 2015 isn’t yet over.
My library actually ordered a new book! Kunal Nayyar’s Yes, My Accent Is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven’t Told Youis a fun evening read. I read it mainly because I like the character Nayyar plays on TVs The Big Bang Theory (he plays Raj) and didn’t know much about the actor. 4 stars for sheer fun.
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
This week book lovers across the United States observe Banned Books Week. In case you haven’t been able to tell, I strongly support the freedom of speech [and, by extension, the press]. Yes, I have strong opinions, but as one of Voltaire’s biographers summarized his philosophy:
I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
It seems as if intolerance has grown the last several years, with people of every political, social, and cultural stripe seeking to silence those politics, values, and practices differ from their own. And while I believe in moral absolutes, I also know no belief is worth defending which seeks to silence its critics. Healthy, honest, and open debate is a sign of thriving civilization.
I could give examples, but they’re all to clear. No one side or party or people is blameless.
I just wish people could realize that disagreement is neither hate, nor intolerance, nor bigotry, nor ignorance. Society has placed acceptance on a pedestal and adopted the mantra of “Agree of Perish”.
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
This post is being published later in the day for two reasons:
1. My weekend schedule changed and I was not able to edit and upload my photos as per my normal schedule.
2. There is a large pressure system moving through and I’ve spend the last several hours in a reclined position trying not to pass out or throw up due to the pain surging through my back. Thanks, dude who ran a red light four years ago, totaling my car and causing 3+ months of swelling on my sciatic nerve. I remember you every time we have a storm.
Anyway, here’s a few things that happened this week.
As usual, food featured prominently.
Krystal’s developed a kick for Zaxby’s Fried House Zalad with Zax Sauce instead of whatever dressing they include. I made a mistake on this order and purchased grilled chicken instead of fried. That’s not why I took this photo, though. No, I photographed this salad for the approximately 4 small pieces of chicken it contained. Seriously, Zaxby’s? If I’m paying $8 for a chicken salad, there had better be chicken on that salad. I’ve found more chicken in a McDonald’s four-piece nugget.
I have one particular student whose family continues to be amazing. I’ve taught at least one of their children every year since I began teaching, and they’ve become one of my staunchest supporters. This year, they’ve begun sending in breakfast sandwiches at least once a week. I cannot thank them enough; as much as I like off-brand blueberry toaster pastries and coffee, it does get old. This same family just signed my up for a 5K on October 17 – I just can’t believe the generosity they bestow.
Every year the Physical Science class creates cell models.
This year, one student made her model out of pizza ingredients.
IT WAS AMAZING
Honestly, it’s one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.
If she didn’t get extra credit for the taste, she should have.
In case you didn’t know, this week marked the beginning of Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere. As such, it’s time once again for fall comfort foods like tomato soup and grilled cheese. Moxie, tortilla chips, and saltine crackers are an added bonus. Krystal suggested I make this for supper – and she was totally right. It was perfect.
Despite popular opinion, I’m not totally serious 100% of the time.
Meet Buddy the Skeleton. Yes, he’s a discount Halloween decoration, but from what I can tell he’s almost anatomically correct – the only discrepancy I’ve found is fusing in the knees. Anyway, I just couldn’t resist taking a few humorous photos – and my student found it hilarious, too. It was a good way to wind down after a test.
We also worked on the pilot episode for nerdeektv.
This was taken in “Wardrobe”.
Oh, and here’s two of our promotional videos!
NerdeekTV is a nerdy/geeky webshow put on by cousins with a shoestring budget.
Tune in beginning October 31!
Finally, here’s your internet funny for the week:
What did you do this week?
Do you have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?
Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.
Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?
Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.
I painted this Banned Books Week coaster two years ago.
Banned Books Week Proclamation
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy, and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and
WHEREAS, privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom, and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others; and
WHEREAS, the freedom to read is protected by our Constitution; and
WHEREAS some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and
WHEREAS, both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid controversy to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and
WHEREAS, every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and
WHEREAS, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and
WHEREAS, intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and
WHEREAS, conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and
WHEREAS, the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and
WHEREAS, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that I celebrate the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, 27 September – 3 October 2015, and be it further
RESOLVED, that I encourage all libraries and bookstores to acquire and make available materials representative of all the people in our society; and be it further
RESOLVED, that I encourage free people to read freely, now and forever.
Running In My Head 