The rain comes falls down and the water rises up. It was kind of nice at first: a calm, gentle rain – the kind that beats a calming staccato on tin roofs. One week later, the storm is a bad guest that won’t take the hint. It’s October; it’s supposed to be Autumn. Instead of preparing bonfires, raking leaves, and planning pumpkin carving, we should have built an ark. We should have been able to wander about in the cool fall evenings; instead, the parks are closed and I’ve been sent home early due to flooding. Ah well, a longer weekend to prepare for my classes. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll binge on Netflix while power eating my way through our supply of “emergency snacks” and browsing the internet. I may even tackle that reading pile. If the rain keeps up, it’s entirely possible we won’t have school Monday. Thank goodness Hurricane Joaquin has made a right turn into the Atlantic – just so long as he doesn’t gain strength and circle back ’round with a vengeance.
Last week I promised you a video for Banned Books Week.
Well, I’m happy to report that I’ve finished them!
Yes, them – as in plural. Well, not really plural. I filmed a much longer segment and then edited it down to qualify for the ALA’s Banned Book Week Virtual Read-Out playlist on YouTube. Seriously, you should check these other videos out; some of them are quite good.
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 You is 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.
The rain comes falls down and the water rises up. It was kind of nice at first: a calm, gentle rain – the kind that beats a calming staccato on tin roofs. One week later, the storm is a bad guest that won’t take the hint. It’s October; it’s supposed to be Autumn. Instead of preparing bonfires, raking leaves, and planning pumpkin carving, we should have built an ark. We should have been able to wander about in the cool fall evenings; instead, the parks are closed and I’ve been sent home early due to flooding. Ah well, a longer weekend to prepare for my classes. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll binge on Netflix while power eating my way through our supply of “emergency snacks” and browsing the internet. I may even tackle that reading pile. If the rain keeps up, it’s entirely possible we won’t have school Monday. Thank goodness Hurricane Joaquin has made a right turn into the Atlantic – just so long as he doesn’t gain strength and circle back ’round with a vengeance.
