The Daily News
1 WARRIORS!!!
2 I loved that game.
3 Still worried, but not so much.
4 These fellows seem to be the real deal.
5 Relax Warriors' fans.
6 Things are good.
7 Moving On, Part One: Living in the past is surreal. And I dig it.
8 Long story gratefully short: due to a whole bunch of the usual educational boushit, I got in yesterday and found out that I had to switch yesterday's lesson with today's.
9 AP testing.
10 Like, really?
11 Today was THE day that I would have nailed the Simon and Garfunkel stuff. It had been planned for today.
12 For a full class, which I had yesterday.
13 The old curmudgeon in me almost went over.
14 The younger, newer me thought, "Well, then let's blaze this!"
15 Lesson plan changed within seconds. Fortunately I had predicted something might screw up as far back as Monday, so I had these wonderful packets titled The Poems and Songs of Simon and Garfunkel run. At first I thought a class set would work, but Monday screamed at me to make a booklet of lyrics of at least six songs, and NOT go back-to-back, and to include large, impressive fonts, two pics of Paul Simon and Artie with guitar and mics, and present a brief history of the two, and then give them as gifts to every student.
16 It worked.
17 The only thing that I was sketchy on was their bio, but I gave the gist of it, since I didn't have time to prepare all that material fifteen minutes before class.
18 It worked wonderfully. I had one of their greatest hits albums playing quietly, window shades up all the way, letting the day in, and by the time I put The Sound of Silence (later changed to The Sounds of Silence) they were engaged.
19 I brought Scarborough Fair/Canticle and included the Canticle in the packet. A lot of people are unaware of what Garfunkel is singing about in the background.
20 The melody and lyrics are generally a ballad, but the Canticle is a different poem about a young boy about to go to war.
21 I'll try to get it to you tomorrow when I have more time.
22 Last night I had a long Wiki article pasted in here, but this morning this happened:
23
24
25
26
27
28 Wiki had an enormously convoluted bio that was going back and forth in time, WAY too many resources for any human being with a thought. Terrible resource.
29 The idea was that I was pretty exhausted after watching the basketball game, so I thought I could shorten this DN with a simple cut/paste. <basketball buzzer>
30 I do have a copy of the lyrics, but because the Canticle is placed directly under the ballad, I can't put it up here without the letters running in all directions.
31 So you ain't gettin' it today, podner!
32 Besides, I think it is the Creator of the Universe's way of telling me to talk about the Warriors.
33 That's why Steph is so angry up there at the top of the page. I'm pretty sure he saw me writing about folk/rock stars from the 60's (well, technically dating back to the 50's) and came right through the computer screen to give me the stank eye.
34
35 I don't blame ya, Steph.
36 I can't say I blame ya at all.
37 Moving On, Part Two: We had our last English meeting of the year yesterday. I knew what that meant. I walked in the room and saw two cakes and secret present bags everywhere.
38 It wasn't all for me. We had a few people who had made milestones for years of service.
39 Then my friend Charlie West stood up and addressed the group.
40 He talked of how he and I got to know each other my first year when we went to Camp Anytown. We needed to dash to the store "for something" and wound up talking about The Grateful Dead. We are both huge fans, and he continued on about how I busted out my guitar when we got back and we sang a few tunes. I don't recall which, but I knew a bunch.
41 Charlie is a drummer, so pretty fun having a musician host the retirement congrats.
42 I looked around and realized how mature our department had become in my nine-year stint at EV. Each teacher has brought extraordinary stuff to the school, and I finally spoke and said that no matter what the people upstairs try to do, it is the teachers who ultimately live in the trenches, and for them to follow their own strategies and talents.
43 Great people, and a wonderful send-off, so I would like to say that here. They had cake and ice cream and it was luscious and fun. I got some cards and things in a black Chanel bag. Books, guitar strings, and nice thoughts.
44 Thanks my fellow English nerds. I'll miss you.
18 It worked wonderfully. I had one of their greatest hits albums playing quietly, window shades up all the way, letting the day in, and by the time I put The Sound of Silence (later changed to The Sounds of Silence) they were engaged.
19 I brought Scarborough Fair/Canticle and included the Canticle in the packet. A lot of people are unaware of what Garfunkel is singing about in the background.
20 The melody and lyrics are generally a ballad, but the Canticle is a different poem about a young boy about to go to war.
21 I'll try to get it to you tomorrow when I have more time.
22 Last night I had a long Wiki article pasted in here, but this morning this happened:
23
24
25
26
28 Wiki had an enormously convoluted bio that was going back and forth in time, WAY too many resources for any human being with a thought. Terrible resource.
29 The idea was that I was pretty exhausted after watching the basketball game, so I thought I could shorten this DN with a simple cut/paste. <basketball buzzer>
30 I do have a copy of the lyrics, but because the Canticle is placed directly under the ballad, I can't put it up here without the letters running in all directions.
31 So you ain't gettin' it today, podner!
32 Besides, I think it is the Creator of the Universe's way of telling me to talk about the Warriors.
33 That's why Steph is so angry up there at the top of the page. I'm pretty sure he saw me writing about folk/rock stars from the 60's (well, technically dating back to the 50's) and came right through the computer screen to give me the stank eye.
34
35 I don't blame ya, Steph.
36 I can't say I blame ya at all.
37 Moving On, Part Two: We had our last English meeting of the year yesterday. I knew what that meant. I walked in the room and saw two cakes and secret present bags everywhere.
38 It wasn't all for me. We had a few people who had made milestones for years of service.
39 Then my friend Charlie West stood up and addressed the group.
40 He talked of how he and I got to know each other my first year when we went to Camp Anytown. We needed to dash to the store "for something" and wound up talking about The Grateful Dead. We are both huge fans, and he continued on about how I busted out my guitar when we got back and we sang a few tunes. I don't recall which, but I knew a bunch.
41 Charlie is a drummer, so pretty fun having a musician host the retirement congrats.
42 I looked around and realized how mature our department had become in my nine-year stint at EV. Each teacher has brought extraordinary stuff to the school, and I finally spoke and said that no matter what the people upstairs try to do, it is the teachers who ultimately live in the trenches, and for them to follow their own strategies and talents.
43 Great people, and a wonderful send-off, so I would like to say that here. They had cake and ice cream and it was luscious and fun. I got some cards and things in a black Chanel bag. Books, guitar strings, and nice thoughts.
44 Thanks my fellow English nerds. I'll miss you.
English Rocks
45 Gottago.
46 Have a GREAT day.
47 Peace.
~H~
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