Teabagger's Pledge

Came across this from my friend Sean in Oakland, Cali.  Funny as heck.

"The Teabagger Socialist-Free Purity Pledge"
http://ow.ly/1sd9U

                                         Here's an excerpt:

 I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life.  I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following: 

● Social Security 

● Medicare/Medicaid 

● State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) 

● Police, Fire, and Emergency Services 

● US Postal Service 

● Roads and Highways 

● Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA) 

● The US Railway System 

● Public Subways and Metro Systems 

● Public Bus and Lightrail Systems 

● Rest Areas on Highways 

● Sidewalks 

● All Government-Funded Local/State Projects  

● Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!) 

● Public and State Universities and Colleges 

● Public Primary and Secondary Schools 

● Sesame Street 

● Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children 

● Public Museums 
● Libraries 
● Public Parksand Beaches 
● State and National Parks 

● Public Zoos 

● Unemployment Insurance 

● Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services 

● Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or 

Federal Government (pretty much all of them) 

● Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government 

Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)

● Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions) 

● Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the 

basis for subsequent computer networking 

● Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or 

That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies 

● Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs 

From Government Subsidies 

● If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and 

insist on paying for my own medical care 


I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C. 

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to: 

● Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History 

● The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments 

● The government-operated Statue of Liberty 

● The Grand Canyon 

● The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials 

● The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery 

● All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC .....


http://ow.ly/1sd9U

Spring Time

Paling around with NutJobs

* McCain/Palin AKA Main Pain are back together once again.  Oh Hell No.
Grandpa John and Grandma Sarah both looking genuinely forced and fake at some event in Arizona today.

* "Mom!  Grandma Sarah's palin' around with nutjobs again!".
"You're fired!", says the quitter to the winners and doers of something useful for the country.  Oh, the irony of irony. By the way, that hopey changey thing is working out great.

* All these complaints and whines about the government taking over and federal-controlled healthcare blah socialist blah blah the end of America blah blah blah coming from these defiant undignified politicians in DC.  Guess who you work for?  That's right, the government.  So, you ARE the problem you're talking about. If you want to help with a solution, please just quit and go work somewhere else.  There, problem solved.

*I got one word for the troubles with the economy, health care and education budgets: IRAQ

New Goal

*  If it's not fun, then make it so.

"There are really do-able goals in yoga and in life. Practice balance, stay relaxed within each challenging moment, or Andrea's favorite, if it's not fun- change it."

Cry me a river

* My streak of consecutive days of running at least a mile a day has broken. At day 81.  Courtesy of some stomach virus, flu-like symptoms.  Felt nauseous and out of it yesterday, even had to sit down at work and I never had to do that.  After some homeopathic medicine AKA oscillococcinum (o-sill-o-cox-see-num),Imodium and a ton of Gatorade and Vitamin water, I'm back and feeling all right again after a one day break.

So even though my wife thought I was crazy I went out and ran 3 miles today in 73 degrees weather. 

New Rules

(Transcript from Bill Maher's last HBO show)

New Rule: Let's not fire the teachers when students don't learn - let's fire the parents. Last week President Obama defended the firing of every single teacher in a struggling high school in a poor Rhode Island neighborhood. And the kids were outraged. They said, "Why blame our teachers?" and "Who's President Obama?" I think it was Whitney Houston who said, "I believe that children are our future - teach them well and let them lead the way." And that's the last sound piece of educational advice this country has gotten - from a crack head in the '80s.

Yes, America has found its new boogeyman to blame for our crumbling educational system. It's just too easy to blame the teachers, what with their cushy teachers' lounges, their fat-cat salaries, and their absolute authority in deciding who gets a hall pass. We all remember high school - canning the entire faculty is a nationwide revenge fantasy. Take that, Mrs. Crabtree! And guess what? We're chewing gum and no, we didn't bring enough for everybody.

But isn't it convenient that once again it turns out that the problem isn't us, and the fix is something that doesn't require us to change our behavior or spend any money. It's so simple: Fire the bad teachers, hire good ones from some undisclosed location, and hey, while we're at it let's cut taxes more. It's the kind of comprehensive educational solution that could only come from a completely ignorant people.

Firing all the teachers may feel good - we're Americans, kicking people when they're down is what we do - but it's not really their fault. Now, undeniably, there are some bad teachers out there. They don't know the material, they don't make things interesting, they have sex with the same kid every day instead of spreading the love around... But every school has crappy teachers. Yale has crappy teachers - they must, they gave us George Bush.

According to all the studies, it doesn't matter what teachers do. Although everyone appreciates foreplay. What matters is what parents do. The number one predictor of a child's academic success is parental involvement. It doesn't even matter if your kid goes to private or public school. So save the twenty grand a year and treat yourself to a nice vacation away from the little bastards.

It's also been proven that just having books in the house makes a huge difference in a child's development. If your home is adorned with nothing but Hummel dolls, DVDs, and bleeding Jesuses, congratulations, you've just given your children the gift of Duh. Sarah Palin said recently she wrote on her hand because her father used to do it. I rest my case.

When there are no books in the house, and there are no parents in the house, you know who raises the kids? That's right, the television. Kids aren't keeping up with their studies; they're keeping up with the Kardashians. We're allowing the television, as babysitter, to turn us into a nation of slutty idiots. By the way, one sign your 9-year-old may be watching too much One Tree Hill: if she has an imaginary friend with benefits.

80 days down, 285 more to go.

*  Today marks the 80th day in a row that I've been running since January 1st of this year. Two easy miles today wearing my new Brooks T6 racing flats. Wow, they are light and fast, only 6 ounces each, feels like spikes.  I'm breaking them in for my next 5K race which will be the Jonquil City Jog next month. I will be ready for it this time.
Being a member of the Atlanta Track Club, I already registered for the Peachtree Road Race 10K over two weeks ago.  The annual PRR is held on July 4th, the world's largest 10K race with over 55,000 runners held here in Atlanta.  This will be my 3rd time running it (previously 2001 and 2009). My new goal is to have fun and run at around 50 minutes/ 8 minute mile pace and not just merely finish it like the last two times that I ran, both of which took over an hour.

*  My NCAA March Madness bracket is officially busted!  I picked 5 of the Sweet 16 teams.  Five!!! I got one team left going to the Final Four: West Virginia.  Oh, man, might as well pick Northern Iowa and St. Mary's  to be in the finals with the scores 59-55 in favor of Northern Iowa.  This has been one wild and crazy tournament.

*  Finally, the nightmare is over. This victory tonight is for you Ted Kennedy.  Show 'em how it's done. America has voted, and Republicans...you are FIRED!  Remember to vote the rest of them out this coming November.  No more of the party of NO. No more obstructionists.
So, when is Rush Limbaugh moving?  Didn't he publicly declared that he would move to some Central America country if the Health Care Reform bill passed?  Yes, it's a done deal.  Tonight.
Here is the Limbaugh quote: "I don't know. I'll just tell you this, if this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica."


I'm Gonna Run (500 miles) this year

It's not on the test.

Don't think about thinking, it's not on the test. (Tom Chapin)
http://notonthetest.com

The Ides of March

          "To thine own self be true"
From "Hamlet": The fool Polonius' advice to his son, Laertes.
Basically it means "Be Yourself".

* "If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love." Bruce Lee

*  Day # 74, 2 miles, 20 minutes, 54 degree windy.

Silver Comet 10K in Mableton

Unofficial finish time: 53:16             Official Chip Time: 52:32 (PR)
I was aiming for a sub-55 minute.  Fun 6.2 miles on my favorite running trail-The Silver Comet trail, I run on it almost every day.  Yes the streak is still intact, running every day since January 1st, so it's the 72nd consecutive days today. My new goal is to break 50 minute at the Peachtree Road Race 10K in July.

*  One of the reasons I don't live in Texas any more.  The Lone Star state.

* 10 Weeks until Summer.  The Countdown begins!

No More Mister Nice Guy

Atlanta Track Club

• I'm in training for the 300 meter low hurdles, long jump, and possibly the 100 meter dash for this summer's Atlanta Track Club All-Comers open meets at Emory University (May 4-June 15).  Why?  Because I can.  Those were my events when I first learned and ran track in Puerto Rico then Iowa City and then high school in San Diego. I also did the 4x100 relay and triple jump.  Early 80's. Some 30 years ago. Must be a mid-life crisis thing, some people buy sports cars, indulge in expensive things or get cosmetic surgery, I just run and play sports whenever I can.
• Check out lamebook.com, the funniest and lamest of facebook.  Hey, we all need a laugh every day.
• I miss winter and 20 degrees weather already.  It was 70 today.  Still running, this was day 68 in a row of at least one mile.  Life, it goes on. 

Super Saturday

• On a scale of 1 to 10, today was a 20.
• Ran 7 miles today on the Silver Comet trail, one hour and 5 minutes in 52 sunny degrees.  There was some leftover snow on one of the bridge/overpass at the East West Connector.
• What is going on in the state of New York? Politicians are dropping like flies.
• When am I going to actually write a complete paragraph?
• Jam!
• "Now you young twerps want a new name for your generation?  Probably not, you just want jobs, right?  Well, the media do us all such tremendous favors when they call you Generation X, right?  Two clicks from the very end of the alphabet.  I hereby declare you Generation A, as much at the beginning of a series of astonishing triumphs and failures as Adam and Eve were so long ago."  Kurt Vonnegut, Syracuse University commencement address, May 8, 1994 and from the back cover of  Douglas Coupland's new book Generation A.

Thoughtful Thursday

* Some people do not know when to stop. Enough IS enough. Think of a workday as a full glass of water, the more stuff you pour in the cup will just spill out onto the floor and go to waste. You mean well but really, it's not helping anyone. Inefficient use of time, energy and resources. Sometimes less is more. KISS= Keep It Simple Simon (stupid).

* Knuckleheaded jack-a-ninnies nincompoop 5th graders.

* Stop means do nothing, stay still, or freeze! We all need to learn how to do that simple direction.  Sometimes I feel like it's OPPOSITE day in the classroom, kids do the exact opposite of what you tell them to do.  Get to work!  Nothing.  OK, stop and clean up. Nobody knows how to listen any more.

*  Day 63 of running. Only 1.5 miles today at Tollison Park. 50 degrees sunny weather.

Spring Wonderland

Thank you Mother Nature for this most excellent Winter 2010!

Singin' in the Snow

* That's what I was doing today during my 4 mile run/walk in the snow. Yes, it snowed in March, in Georgia. This is the fifth time that I've ran in the snow this year. It SNOWED for the third time this year, yes it snowed every month this year! Nobody was out at the Silver comet trail when I started at 3 o'clock, but about 30 minutes later people started showing up, walking their dogs, jogging, with umbrellas.
Day 61, 4 miles, 45 minutes, in 34 degrees weather, rain/snow/slush/wet socks.

* Characters I saw at school today:
Sojourner Truth, Captain Underpants, Mahalia Mouse or was it Stuart Little, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Thing 1, Thing 2, Cat in the Hat, Fancy Nancy, pirates, Pecos Bill, Pippi Longstocking AKA Wendy, Ms. Wishy Washy, Dracula (AKA our principal) or was it Stella Luna, Olivia the pig, and some other assorted unidentified costumes from the kids' Halloween collections. Today was Dr. Seuss' birthday and a Reading Across America day celebration. Hey I should have been Harold and the purple crayon.

* Dr. Seuss Rap from www.halfdaytoday.com

Clouds in my coffee...

...Clouds in my coffee.

* Day 58: 5K race in Smyrna, the Second annual Run Thru the Forest. Tough course, lots of hills, and too many turns in residential area by my house. I go to a park close by to run the trails sometimes. Almost yelled out "Laura!" when I ran by a friend's house, she probably was still sleeping in at 8 AM. Pace: mile 1 was 8:22 (it was actually faster, because I started way in the back of the pack), didn't feel like it was that fast, mile 2: struggling again, breathing hard and tensed up in the shoulders, around 9:00 pace, and the last mile was also 9:00, but I finished strong and felt great at the end. It usually takes a couple of miles for the endorphins and my second wind to kick in. On a cold day like today (29 degrees at 7:30), I should have warmed up a little more, get in at least a mile or two before getting to the starting line. I also started way in the back, so the first mile was trying to go around slow runners, walkers and strollers. Ran the last two miles by myself, did not pass anyone nor did anyone else passed me. A guy in an Elvis wig and full-length white costume was in front of me the entire race, I almost caught up to him at the finish line but I was a little too far behind and started my push a little late. 27:10 was my time, it was my adjusted goal after the first mile, I realized that this was going to be a challenging 3 miler. Overall, I was pleased with the effort considering the conditions and the hills.

* Not a sport: Poker, Spelling Bee, Golf, Chess, Curling. Why are these on ESPN?
OK, game, contest, competition, required skills, YES. But not sports.

* If you're not in awe of Mother Nature's power, you should be.
Witness the latest: 8.8 earthquake in Chile, South America. Tsunami in Hawaii and worldwide.
Armageddon's coming!!! Everyone look busy. Pat Robertson is going to say God caused the earthquake in Chile so that there will be tsunami in Hawaii to punish Obama's home state. Just wait.

Takes One to Know One

* My fantasy is one day go to an event where Joe Wilson is speaking and wait until the appropriate moment to yell out: "Hey you LIE, liar! It takes one to know one!!!" Give him a taste of his own medicine.

* After the Canadian women (chicks) won the Olympic hockey match last night, I thought the celebration was way wild, excessive and over the top. It seemed like they just stopped World War III or invented the cure for cancer or something. It was just a hockey game, people, and for women's hockey, what, like 500 people in America watched it?

* Cops are out in full force this afternoon in Smyrna. I saw 4 different police cruisers within a 2 mile radius. Quota time, it's Friday night on the last weekend of the month! If you must speed, I advice that you keep it around 15 miles over the speed limit. Did I tell you about the time when I got a ticket for speeding 16 miles over the speed limit while I was on my way to the DMV to renew my expired Driver's License and my tag/license plate was expired too. The cop who stopped me had a smirk on his face that I can still remember to this day. My wife had a big laugh about that still today. It didn't seem funny at the time.

* Moon Walk Now. Ask Me How.

* Our priority as a teacher: data, test scores, paperwork, statistics, mumbo jumbo, blah blah blah, assessments, meetings, or the children's well-being. I pick the latter.

* Kill 'em with Kindness. Compassion is the best revenge...

* Trying hard to keep my cool and my sense of humor with 4th and 5th.
Gotta talk less and just do it to it. First priority is to get to work on art ASAP.

"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add your own unique touch"-Bruce Lee.

Thoughtful Thursday

* Day 56: ran (jogged) 2 miles, 40 degrees weather at the Concord Silver Comet trail. Saving energy and tapering off for the race this Saturday: Run Thru the forest 5K. My groin injury mysteriously healed itself after a couple of days. Life's little mysteries! Yesterday I should have celebrated day 55 by running 5 miles in 50 minutes at 5 o'clock. Giving myself a little High Five.

* Republicans? We don't need no stinkin' republicans!
* Michelle Malkin: A Disgrace to the race, a Disgrasian.

* word of the day: Panacea: a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.

* CNN has become a joke. Is this a legitimate news network now? Whenever I tuned in to watch, it's either some comedy sketch with Rick Sanchez, or Wolf Blitzer, or this bimbo Campbell Brown arguing with the guests pretending to play devil's advocate. Even Anderson Pretty Boy Cooper has become fluff, all style no substance. May be they should fire ALL of the workers there and start over from scratch. I watch MSNBC but on the weekends they have a weird obsession with some kind of Prison Lockdown or some boring pre-recorded programs.

Keep on keepin' on

* Pride is one of the 7 deadly sins, ain't it?

* Day 55, 2 miles, 44 degrees in 15MPH wind. Taper this week.

* I have a "DEEP UNDERSTANDING" of B.S.

* Socialism should be a piece of cake after surviving 8 years under the dictatorship of Dubya.

* Leftist, Liberal, Progressive, Radical, Humanist, Pacifist, Feminist.
 Yep, that's me. Guilty as charged. Since 1984. Santa Cruz, California, Banana Slug.

Just Can't Get Enough

* Still running, Day 53: 3 miles, 58 degrees at the East West Connector Silver Comet trail.

* Thinking about using some "enhanced interrogation techniques" on some of these knuckleheaded 5th graders. Notice I didn't say torture, because that would be illegal.

* Getting excited again about the possibility of SNOW this Wednesday. 30 percent chance of precipitation, and the temp will get down to the 20s again. Yesterday it got up to almost 70 degrees here. I prefer the 20s and 30s when I'm running or when I am out since most people will stay indoors.

* Dick Cheney has a heart? Who knew. Waterboard him. Like that idea a lot.

* You can't win them all. That's what Canada was saying last night after the Miracle On Ice 2. USA won the game 5-3, it was a gut wrenching, ferocious, furious last 5,6 minutes when the Canadians were coming back trying to go for the tying goal. And I also remembered where I was during the first Miracle On Ice, 1980 in Iowa City Southeast Junior High, Iowa in the 8th grade, exactly 30 years ago today.

Sade's new album "Soldier of Love"

I started listening to Sade in my freshman year in college (1984) and have been a fan of hers since. Last week Sade the group released their latest "Soldier of Love", their first in 10 years. I heard the single on Rhapsody and it sounds funky, swingy and upbeat with a modern mix. I might have to get the whole thing on iTunes so I could listen to it during my runs. This will be the fourth decade (80's, 90's, 00's and 10's) of her work. Saw her on the Wanda Sykes show tonight, the woman still looks awesome at 51.

I just realized that even though I will be 45 next month, I would have lived through 6 decades: the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s. Six decades and straight ahead and strive for tone. Onwards and Upwards. Pretty cool, amazing and groovy ain't it?

* 3 albums to download from iTunes onto the iPhone:
1) Pixies-Surfer Rosa
2) Pylon-Gyrate
3) Sade-Soldier of Love

Bill Maher's New Rules

Transcript of Bill Maher's latest:

New Rule: Restaurants have to finish making the salad. When I order a salad, don't bring me this (picture mixings of a salad). This isn't a salad, it's the ingredients for a salad. But it doesn't become one until it's mixed together into something we call... 'a salad'. Who do I have to pay around here to get someone to 'toss my salad'?

New Rule: Just because you 'can' get pregnant doesn't mean you 'must' get pregnant. The pregnant man is pregnant for a 3rd time. You know, if you have a beard and a mustache and you have a baby every 10 months, you're not a pregnant man, you're an Italian woman.

New Rule: Catholics can't make fun of mormons or snake handlers or any other religion until they admit Ash Wednesday is really creepy. On the other hand, it's nice when a Catholic priest smears something on your kid's face... and it's just ash.

New Rule: Just because the Scottish eat it - it doesn't make it 'food'.
(continues...) The Obama Administration has finally lifted the ban on imported haggis - a Scottish dish made from sheep heart, liver & lungs, and simmered in the sheep's intestines. hmmmm... but we already have that here - it's called a hot dog. PLUS, their version looks disgusting while OURS is neatly pressed into the shape of a dog's hard on.
What I'm trying to say is 'buy American'.

And finally -

New Rule: Stop calling the Tea Party phenomenon a 'movement'. To be a real political 'movement' you have to.., well, 'move' -- towards some specific legislative goal. The Suffrage Movement, for example, gained voting rights for women. The Civil Rights Movement outlawed discrimination against Blacks. And the Gay Rights Movement brought us the Winter Olympics.

But the Tea Baggers, they're not a 'movement'. They're a cult. And I'm going to prove it . . .

Now, uh, during the break, I took my usual cross-country roadtrip with Nadya and the octuplets - and everywhere we stopped along the way - diners, truck-stops, medical marijuana dispensaries. People wanted to talk about the Tea Baggers and know some basic things about them, like - Who's their dentist? and Why do they wear flannel in the summer?

But if you look at any cult, whether it be the Hale-bop Comet People, the Scientologists, or Oprah's Book Club - you'll find several common elements, the primary one being - cult members are taught to quickly withdraw into the group and distrust the outside world. Tea Baggers distrust everything. They think everyone's coming for their guns and they shouldn't pay taxes. They're like Wesley Snipes crossed with a fat old white guy who runs a landfill.

Folks. No one is coming for your guns, your Bibles or your fishing poles. And that's not a monster under your bed, it's the Ab Lounger you bought last year and never used.
Cults are also always driven by some ridiculous, unobtainable goal. Like a fiery apocalypse ringing-in 'Paradise' .... or deficit-reduction by way of giant tax cuts.

Now, you know someone has fallen into a cult if you see these signs:

1. Cults have their own vocabulary. Now, I don't speak Shit-Kicker... but I know in their world that 'freedom' means 'guns'... 'diplomacy' means 'weakness'.... 'elitist' means 'reader'... and 'socialist' means 'black'.

2. Cults tend to populate from within, encouraging members to have huge broods of children and to give them strange names like 'Moonbeam' and 'Trig'.

and...

3. Cult members attribute all of their problems to one simple explanation. (picture of Obama - with Hitler mustache)

Now, here's an amazing statistic. In a recent poll almost ninety percent of Tea Baggers said that they thought taxes had either gone up or stayed the same under Obama. Only two percent thought they went down. But the reality is taxes have gone down... for ninety five percent of working families, taxes went down.

Think about that. Only two percent of the people in a "movement" about taxes, named after a tax revolt, have the slightest idea what's going on... with taxes!
So, it would be easy to just mock, except that those who fall under the control of cults aren't necessarily weirdoes, they're victims. And we shouldn't forget that these people are our relatives, our neighbors and the folks at the next table in the restaurant.
Especially if that restaurant is Hooters... and it's Dollar Wing Wednesday.

25 favorite songs

1) "I'm Your Man" Leonard Cohen
2) "Que Sera Sera" Doris Day
3) "Don't Let me be misunderstood" Nina Simone
4) "One Love" Bob Marley
5) ""Stop It" Pylon
6) "Get the balance right" Depeche Mode
7) "This is the day" The The
8) "Where is my mind" Pixies
9) "Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove" Dead Can Dance
10) "Rescue Me" Fontella Bass
11) "Creep" Radiohead
12) "Mad World" Tears for Fears
13) "My Girl" The Temptations
14) "Only Happy when it rains" Garbage
15) "Logical Song" Supertramp
16) "Everyday I Write the Book" Elvis Costello
17) "Only You" Yaz (Yazoo)
18) "Blue Monday" New Order
19) "Bring me some water" Melissa Etheridge
20) "True Colors" Cyndi Lauper
21) "Crazy" Patsy Cline
22) "Always On My Mind" Pet Shop Boys or Willie Nelson
23) "Take the Skinheads Bowling" Camper Van Beethoven
24) "Ain't No Sunshine" Ladysmith Black Mambazo
25) "Somewhere over the rainbow/Wonderful World" Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
26) "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana
27) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Beatles

* Ed Helms is hysterical on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

* Pre teen or teenage: know-it-all,cool and hip one minute, idiot and knucklehead the next,

Oh What A Day!

* Family Guy. Sarcasm. Hysterical. Ex governor. No sense of humor. Loaf of French bread.

* Announcement over the PA system: "At this time, please don't insult our intelligence by patronizing us like we are 2 year olds."

* My name is Earl and I'm addicted to facebook. "Hiiiiii, Earllllll!"

* We Are The Weird...We Are The Children...
School on Saturday? Sometimes too much of a good thing can be redundant and bad for your health. The key to life is finding a BALANCE and not overdo things. Work harder is the opposite of work smarter. Ever noticed how effortless and relaxed the top athletes in the world do it? They know when to work hard and they know you do your best when you're calm, relaxed and under control. The stressed out or out of control ones finish behind and lose, usually. The odds are against you when you are not rested, relaxed or focused.

* The streak continues. Another day, another run.
Bally Total Fitness at 9 PM: 2 miles, 19 minutes, 42 degrees, Day #50.

Upcoming Races:
Saturday 2/27, Run Thru the Forest 5K, Smyrna.
Saturday 3/6, Chattahoochee Road Runner 5K/10K ?, Sandy Springs
Saturday 3/13, Silver Comet 10K, Mableton

Meeting Schmeeting

* Please help me to help you to help yourself!

* Competition. Capitalism. Cheating to get to the top. That's the American way. So what's with all the hoopla about the CRCT cheating scandal? Allegations are not the truth or facts, so stop treating them as such, in the first place. I choose to not believe in everything I hear. Secondly, QUIT YOUR BITCHIN'! You wanted higher test scores, now you got them. Let's start celebrating and patting ourselves on the back. All this whining and complaining about things you have no control over or none of your dang business is a big waste of time.

If only we spend this much energy and money on actually teaching our children something useful and practical. Reading, writing and listening skills. Will these test scores matter 5, 10 years from now? Doubt it. As usual, it's not the kids but the adults in charge who are clueless.

* Join this, if you dare: The Coffee Party Movement Click Here to Join



* Gonna try to do this in the near future: Run barefoot Runningbarefoot.org

* Loving this Winter in Georgia. Snow, ice, cold extreme weather. That's more like it. This has been the best winter we've had in Georgia over the last 16 years. We were in Vermont where they had record snow: 33 inches in 3 days, then when we came back to Georgia it snowed in January and snowed again big time last week. Georgians didn't know what they were missing. My new favorite temperature: 40 degrees.

My Theme Song

"You're So Vain" Carly Simon. What's yours?

(or "Secret Agent Man" but with the words as "secret ASIAN man")

* Take your work seriously, but do not take yourself so seriously.

* I think somebody's been reading my blog posting from last week. I noticed that the teachers are behaving this week..Or it could just be my imagination running wild. Again.

* Quercetin is the word. Saw it in capsule form at GNC. Those FRS Energy chews are excellent. Noticeable but subtle difference in my energy level, not like the caffeine in coffee when you'll have a crash later in the day.

* 3 miles today, 29 minutes, 43 degrees at 4:30 PM.
48 consecutive days, I've been running every day since January 1st, 2010.
Rain, snow, sleet, mud, wind, cold, ice, sun, fog...Wonder what's next?

Gay Games continues

The 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver continues tonight....
Yawn...men's figure skating...zzzzzzzzz.............



* Day 47:
2 miles, 18 minutes, 30 degrees, Bally Total Fitness., 5 PM

TGIM...TG It's Monday

46 days in a row of running: about 4 miles today, 2 miles indoors on the treadmill at LA Fitness and around 2 miles outside at Tollison Park later. Didn't bring my Garmin watch. Lovely day, 38 degrees with plenty of sunshine and some wind. Nobody was at the park for some reason, maybe it's too windy, and still wet on some places of the trails. I see remnants of wannabe snowmen in the middle of the soccer field or in someone's yards. Blobs and blocks of snow on the grass.

* Dead Can Dance is one of those groups with a distinctive sound, like the Beatles or Michael Jackson or even Vivaldi, you instantly recognize that it's them. Or at least I can. May be it's Lisa Gerrard's voice, or the instrumentation of heavily-layered drums and bass, ethnic Eastern vocals contrasting with electronic synth sounds and effects. Yesterday I thought I heard the intro of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" on NPR's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me. I am pretty sure that was it. I had another idea while I was listening to bluegrass music on 1690AM Voice of the Arts the other day, remixing a hip hop beat would be groovy underneath all that banjo jangling. I get these ideas when I'm in the car or in the showers.

YOU ARE HERE X

V Day

More Snow! More Snow! More Snow!!!!!
How could it snow tonight when it's 45 degrees outside right now?

Snow Child Left Behind

Mother Nature is the greatest artist of all time. I've always been a fan of her works. Acts of Mother Nature are awesome, although sometimes she has a sick sense of humor.

It's a lovely bright shiny beautiful morning here in Georgia, we've got about 4 inches of snow overnight. Most of it stuck. Woke up at 8, looked out the window, there's nothing as serene and peaceful like the morning after a snowstorm. Pristine clean white everywhere. So I went outside to run on the streets around our place at 9 AM. There was little traffic, the sun was out, there was no wind, and the temp was 26 degrees. Atlanta Rd was barren, I could have run in the middle of the street. Four miles and forty five minutes later, I made it back home with the 2 newspapers for the missus. What made it an awesome run? Slow, easy, paying attention to the surroundings, relaxed breathing and smooth arm swings. Only slipped a couple of times on the icy downhill road and turn at an angle. Didn't fall because I was under control and did not try to go too fast. I was just out enjoying the scenery and the fresh air. I just love the sight, sound, and smell of fresh pure white snow on the ground and sidewalk. Especially the crunching grinding swishing noise of my Saucony running shoes on the packed snow.

Oh, by the way, this is the 44th straight day of running at least a mile a day.
4 miles today, in 45 minutes, sunny 26 degrees weather.

# Say It Loud...I'm Gold...And I'm Proud!
They changed the "Yellow" line (MARTA public transportation system in Atlanta) to "Gold", starting now. Thanks for the sensitivity, but I thought we could have just changed the South line to the "Black" line. See how that works.

Free Form Friday

To the empty school building, thanks for a good ending to the week.
"At this time, you may leave the building."

* It's 92˚ in Australia and 110˚ in Brazil today.
Global Warming, you asked? Yep. I say it's still on.



TO SNOW OR NOT TO SNOW...

*DISCLAIMER: The following blog contains offensive and/or adult language including secular free-thinking spewing. Approach at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

* Trust me, I'm an administrator.

* My pet peeves:
1) people who don't know what they're doing
2) people who don't pay attention to whatever they're doing
3) people who don't care about what they're doing

* You're setting an example for your children, people.

*Stop Socialism!
Dismantle Social Security, Fire, Police and Public Schools. Who needs them anyway.

Let It Snow Let it snow let it snow

* Today's Word of the Day: N/A
as in Not Applicable.

* I always get giddy like a little schoolboy whenever there's a possibility of snow here in Georgia. The forecast calls for 1 to 3 inches tomorrow. We'll probably get half an inch at most... It will be too warm, around 34, 35 so nothing will stick. I might be wrong, I hope I am 'cause I LOVE SNOW. Here is the only place that starts snowing when the temp is around 37 degrees. And I have been in snowy weather conditions in New England, Midwest, Texas, Colorado, Pacific NorthWest, Europe, and New York City where you could tell when it starts to snow, right around 32 degrees, right?

* Love the sound, sight and smell of freshly fallen snow.

* Today was a rough day at school. Some older kids were getting disrespectful and rude. A few adults were even ruder. I didn't eat lunch, just a chocolate/caramel bar called "Oh Yeah!" that I got from GNC. But after my run (42 consecutive days of running), I felt great. Must be the lunches I eat in the cafeteria every day. The short run really cleared my head and relaxed me after this long hectic day. I gotta rest up for the race coming up on Saturday, so only did a mile and a half. For the first time in a few weeks, I could actually breathe.

* I think the deli counter woman at Publix was flirting with me, she said she thought I look like 25 years old. OK, lady, time for some new glasses. But, really, sometimes I feel like I am 15, and my wife said I often act like a five year old. Age ain't nothin' but a number baby.

Atlanta's MARTA "yellow line" rebranding

Mixed reaction on MARTA's ‘yellow line' rebranding  | ajc.com

Posted using ShareThis

Say it Loud, I'm YELLOW and I'm proud.

Wait, that ain't right! Oh, I forgot, I live in the Deep South. People heeere still think all of us Asians as Chinese. The former artistic director of the Alliance Theatre used to call me "Lee", when I worked there. Something hasn't changed, and I think many people here still prefer it that way, and that's the sad part. Once again the yellow fellows get the brunt of the joke. I guess we just gotta embrace it. Hey I'm having fun with it y'all.

Sister Sarah Oh the time has come...

*** Hopey and Changey aren't real words on earth lady..

Wrong

* Seen at work today: a certain fifth grade teacher using the center post of the double doors as a dancing pole, as in the stripper pole. As she was doing this, another colleague was saying: Smooth, girl, real smooth... And I thought I have seen everything.

* School Strategic Planning Mid-Year Report:
Monitoring Plan: Don't stress out too much about all that teaching stuff, you're not going to make them dumber.

* A kindergartener told me: Art is the only thing I like about this school. It was not the first time. Art, PE and Math were my favorite subjects in school.

* Ba Dum Ba Dee Dum, Bum Bum (2X)
Green... Acres has a lot of Germs.

* Failure is not an option, but it's a highly likely possibility for some of them.

* Pray all you want, Mother Nature still trumps any God any day.

Manic Monday

* What in the world was up with those pantless/ half-naked people in the Super Bowl commercials last night? This year's ads/ commercials were horribly uninspired, lame and super-stupid. The Who rocked the Half Time Show I'll tell you that much though.

* A first grader today said her grandma is 47 years old. Man, I feel old right there and then. I AM OLD, will be 45 in a month.

* Sarah Palin is the gift that keeps on giving.
From the teeny tiny tea party. Talk to the hand, I laughed until I can laugh no mo...

Do It to It

- New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 20. You saw it here first.

* Do Ask. And DO Tell.
* Enough with the asking and telling, just shut up and kiss me.

+ MC Cha Gio Yo on the microphone. One two one two you know what to do.

* Sarah Palin AKA "Funniest politician in America",
as in Dumb and Dumber funny, as in "You're a joke, lady", and as in "that sound of laughter means they're laughing AT you, sister" funny.

^ 37th straight day running. One mile today. My previous record was four days in a row. Man, no wonder my legs are tired.

Freaky Friday

                                    One of our favorite cities, Asheville, North Carolina


Today's mantra: "Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are."

Change your attitude, change your thinking, control your mind. You're allowed.

"Smile, Breathe, and Go Slowly." Thich Nhat Hanh

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT, SUGAR.
That quote from the play Dark Rapture by Eric Overmyer reminds me of Portland Stage Company where I worked 20 years ago. Actually the play was done in Dallas Theater Center, another theater I worked at with the old artistic director from Portland Stage and where I saw my old boss Niall who is now married to Amy, another co-worker back at Portland. Oh boy, talk about Six Degrees of Separation, wait, that was another play I did at Dallas. It was a pleasant surprise to read on Amy's blog that she is now back with him and is now raising her two boys, one is a two year old with Niall. I'm not very sentimental but that is a sweet and heartfelt love story. I saw Niall in Dallas about 15 years ago and the last time I spoke with Amy was in 1992, almost 20 years ago. She is a wonderful writer and photographer. Check out her blog A Commonplace life. I like the concise, simple, straightforward and unpretentious style of her writing. Her photographs have so much emotions, expressions and feelings in them.

GAGGG...me with a spoon.

* Green Acres Getting Gorgeous Group (GAGGG). Sounds like a ton o' fun. (Rim Shot) Ouch!
Are we allowed to have fun at school?

* "If you're here, then BE here." Gotta live in the moment, be like a cat. Some people bring their home life and activities to work and guess what happens when they go home. They bring their work home with them.
* Get people's attention or die (in the first 30 seconds). As in a performance or at the beginning of a class, presentation, speech, or any event involving a large group of people.

* Collaborate, not confront.

* 34 days in a row of running at least ONE mile a day. One and a half mile today. The beat goes on.