songs with names

yeah, names. as in the name of an individual person. a student of mine, Giulia, had never heard the Beatles song, Julia. So I played it for her and she was pleased that it was such a beautiful song.

what do i get? Amy - "Amy, what you gonna do. I wish I could stay with you for a while, maybe longer if i do." band was the Pure Prairie League, a country-rock band in the 70's. it was corny and i hated it. still do.

i have better luck with my middle name. it's Lola. So I get "whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," from the Damn Yankees. And from the Kinks, "L-O-L-A, Lola, lo-lo-lo-lo-lola." you know, "she walks like a woman but talks like a man, oh my Lola."

i like those. those are good. now if only someone would write a better Amy song.

new addictions

damn. i just discovered facebook. so many of my students are on it, and i thought they would like to be on without teachers looking over their shoulders. but then i saw that a number of my colleagues are on it as well. so i had to join the party. and now i am checking it obsessively (like email) to see if anyone has written anything on my "wall." i will have to pace myself.

and now to sarah palin. my addiction is to read everything i can about her, to confirm that she is a horrible person. there isn't much because she just hasn't done that much which points to her lack of experience. is that a faulty argument? if she had more experience she would have done more evil things. actually, i think it's true. the longer she stays in office as governor, or heaven forbid becomes vice president, the more damage she will do. she is clearly vindictive. she clearly does NOT know how to compromise and work in cooperation with people who have different ideas from her. that's where McCain, Biden and Obama all have experience by having worked in the senate. she just bulldozes people who don't do what she wants. that's an autocrat, not the leader of a democracy.

i read about her in the Guardian and i cringe. What do people in the UK make of us that such a person could become the next vice-president? let's see: wants to teach creationism in schools, but not birth control, against all abortions, doesn't believe global warming is man-made, against gay marriage, and is for drilling in the Alaskan wilderness.

i want a bumper sticker that reads "another mother for Obama"

sigh. i have to stop reading about her. it's making me ill.

must end on a happy note. let's see . . . i will go get a bowl of ice cream. that will help.

flotsam

school has started and i think i'm going to be okay. the new ninth grade class is perky and sweet. the monster as metaphor class is small (and rylan is in it) and the discussions look like they will be interesting. The postmodern lit class is wonderful, filled (really filled) with lots of smart kids and a couple of divergent thinkers who always give thought-provoking opinions.

then there is creative writing. a large class, but sincere. what i like most about this class is that i have to be creative with them!

i am still on radiohead time. whatever that is. i keep playing "in rainbows" when no one is in the classroom and i have my computer background screen set with photos from the concert.

here is a line from our illustrious president, captured by one of my students: "His arm is broken but not his honor."

huh???

another day i will tackle the sarah palin thing but i can't stand thinking about her right now.