Sometimes,
there's a clean feeling
in the air,
when the wind is blowing.
There's a clean feeling.
It makes everything new,
when the wind is blowing
and joy is easy.
It makes everything new,
looking for the first time,
and joy is easy,
even when the rain is falling.
Looking for the first time,
you can discover something new,
even when the rain is falling,
seeing the world through little drops.
You can discover something new
in the air,
seeing the world through little drops,
sometimes.
10/20/2004
10/16/2004
Team America!
Top Ten Reasons not to see this movie...
10. It's crass. I mean really below the belt locker room gross and vulgur (about 20% of the time)
9. It's making fun of really serious issues.
8. It makes fun of middle eastern people.
7. It makes fun of Americans.
6. It makes fun of everybody...
Wait...I like that part!
Now switching to top 5 reasons to SEE this movie...
5. It makes fun of most everybody in the political scene that needs making fun of (love those dangling prepositions)
4. It makes the most fun of hollywood actors and their pseudointellectual (did I spell that right?) stance on world peace.
3. It has a song about how bad of a movie Pearl Harbor was, and how Ben Afflect can't act.
2. It has other totally campy, funny, hilarious songs like the rock standard "America! F@#$ yeah!" and Kim Jeung iLL (I know that's not spelled right) singing the soft solo "I'm Rone-ry!"
1. How can you pass up a blockbuster make-fun-of-the-crappy-formulaic-action-flick-genre filmed entirely with asian-huge-eyed marrionettes!
Go team America. We need to make fun of ourselves more often.
10. It's crass. I mean really below the belt locker room gross and vulgur (about 20% of the time)
9. It's making fun of really serious issues.
8. It makes fun of middle eastern people.
7. It makes fun of Americans.
6. It makes fun of everybody...
Wait...I like that part!
Now switching to top 5 reasons to SEE this movie...
5. It makes fun of most everybody in the political scene that needs making fun of (love those dangling prepositions)
4. It makes the most fun of hollywood actors and their pseudointellectual (did I spell that right?) stance on world peace.
3. It has a song about how bad of a movie Pearl Harbor was, and how Ben Afflect can't act.
2. It has other totally campy, funny, hilarious songs like the rock standard "America! F@#$ yeah!" and Kim Jeung iLL (I know that's not spelled right) singing the soft solo "I'm Rone-ry!"
1. How can you pass up a blockbuster make-fun-of-the-crappy-formulaic-action-flick-genre filmed entirely with asian-huge-eyed marrionettes!
Go team America. We need to make fun of ourselves more often.
10/08/2004
PAX for MAX
Max trotting to eat.JPG
Originally uploaded by beniy_w.
This is Max.
He's a stray cat that I've been feeding for the last few months.
Why you ask?
Well...let me tell you.
Max is short for MAXIMUS CATTICUS.
Until a few years ago, he was the baddest Tom Cat on the block.
He ruled our little neighborhood's motley collection of indoors and outdoors, pets and strays, tormenting and catcalling and spreading his seed (very successfully, too).
I hated him!
He was the bully.
But that was 7-8 years ago.
Now, he's so over the hill the local blue jays dive bomb him and he just meekly walks away.
He's so blind, he has to smell his way to food just a foot or two away.
It's kind of sad, but for me, Max is a symbol of endurance.
He comes every day and lies out in my backyard and waits for his daily doll. Maybe I should build him a concrete bench so he can feel like a true roman.
Name Update: My students and I named our Bearded Dragon "Thistle Blink!"
10/04/2004
New Class Pet
Bearded Dragon.jpg
Originally uploaded by beniy_w.
She's quiet.
She's vigilant.
Her eyes keep track of what's going on.
She likes her rock, and a cricket or mealworm now and then.
She's got a pointy beard, but she's no lady. (...and hopefully, my classroom is not a circus act!)
She's a Bearded Dragon, and she's our new class pet at school.
This morning I gently picked her up and walked out to meet my class.
They were very pleased and they all, with only one exception, wanted to touch her as I walked down the line.
Tomorrow we name her.
Last time my students made the giant creative leap from a Green Iguana to "Iggy."
I'm hoping for something more exotic.
I want a name fit for a dragon.
Maybe something Australian.
My class votes on Tuesday.
9/27/2004
Too much time...
9/21/2004
Where I'm From
I'm from backpacks,
binders, and college ruled paper.
From #2 pencils, and little pink erasers
(stabbed, broken in half, and rubbed into shreds)
I'm from Lesson Plans, and assemblies,
from 15 minutes before the bell rings.
I'm from runny noses, and band aids,
from letters and worksheets,
I'm from "I don't understand!"
I'm from "Oooh, ooh!" and "Can I go to the bathroom?"
From raised hands, blank stares, and the quiet dreamers thinking
of what might be.
I'm from Sharpie, and dry-erase,
from grasshoppers, a three foot Iguana, and a praying mantis named Mrs. Green.
I'm from Bilbo crossing the Misty Mountains on a warm afternoon
after a 30 minute lunch that seemed way too short.
The days go by, and much stays the same.
The school year has begun, and June seems so far away.
(Based on an original poem called "Where I'm from" by Gearge Ella Lyon.)
binders, and college ruled paper.
From #2 pencils, and little pink erasers
(stabbed, broken in half, and rubbed into shreds)
I'm from Lesson Plans, and assemblies,
from 15 minutes before the bell rings.
I'm from runny noses, and band aids,
from letters and worksheets,
I'm from "I don't understand!"
I'm from "Oooh, ooh!" and "Can I go to the bathroom?"
From raised hands, blank stares, and the quiet dreamers thinking
of what might be.
I'm from Sharpie, and dry-erase,
from grasshoppers, a three foot Iguana, and a praying mantis named Mrs. Green.
I'm from Bilbo crossing the Misty Mountains on a warm afternoon
after a 30 minute lunch that seemed way too short.
The days go by, and much stays the same.
The school year has begun, and June seems so far away.
(Based on an original poem called "Where I'm from" by Gearge Ella Lyon.)
9/18/2004
9/17/2004
Quiet Mornings at School...
Quiet Mornings start
with a double shot of creamy
cinnamon colored espresso,
dribbling out of my
old brass Pavoni.
On the road, quiet guitar arpeggios
accompany a simple melody on
solo violin. Traffic is light Harbor heading
over the hill toward Bastanchury.
The sky is cool cloudy remembering
past rains and the Fall to come.
The school playground is silent and spacious.
I walk from my class to the office while a pair of birds
fly in tandem from classrooms to the playground.
Slowly the momentum builds and children begin to appear.
The moment passes for today.
with a double shot of creamy
cinnamon colored espresso,
dribbling out of my
old brass Pavoni.
On the road, quiet guitar arpeggios
accompany a simple melody on
solo violin. Traffic is light Harbor heading
over the hill toward Bastanchury.
The sky is cool cloudy remembering
past rains and the Fall to come.
The school playground is silent and spacious.
I walk from my class to the office while a pair of birds
fly in tandem from classrooms to the playground.
Slowly the momentum builds and children begin to appear.
The moment passes for today.
Iggy has a Home
Our nighttime custodian is a reptile guru.
He's taking my iguana home next week.
Yea.
I'm gonna miss the poor little blighter...but not the
tail smacking! : )
He's taking my iguana home next week.
Yea.
I'm gonna miss the poor little blighter...but not the
tail smacking! : )
9/14/2004
Wanna Iguana?
Sometimes my penchant for strange critters gets the best of me.
So, it's monday morning and I'm scrambling around the teachers lounge getting ready for the day.
Suddenly I get a call from one of my students' parents.
Is it a problem with homework? No.
Is it a medical emergency? No.
It's a green lizard that's just been rescued and do I want it for my class?
Sure!
I like critters.
Lizards are critters.
That would be cool.
So, the lizard comes to school in a box and gets transfered to my biggest empty terarrium.
This is one big lizard.
Turns out it's a Green Iguana...from paraguay....and it's destined to grow to a truly monstrous size of six feet.
Whoa!
So, I'm thinking if no one claims it in a week or two, I'll trade it in at a pet shop for something more manageable.
Here's the sad part.
Pet shops don't want my iguana. Iguanas (at least the big Green Iguanas), at least according to one source, are the most euthenized pet around these days. People buy them but don't realize what they're getting into.
Right now, I think I've got a good home for this guy...actually we think it's a gal. But if you're looking for a new cause or a new pet.... you just might think about going the very-large-reptile route. Hey...they're vegetarian. : )
So, it's monday morning and I'm scrambling around the teachers lounge getting ready for the day.
Suddenly I get a call from one of my students' parents.
Is it a problem with homework? No.
Is it a medical emergency? No.
It's a green lizard that's just been rescued and do I want it for my class?
Sure!
I like critters.
Lizards are critters.
That would be cool.
So, the lizard comes to school in a box and gets transfered to my biggest empty terarrium.
This is one big lizard.
Turns out it's a Green Iguana...from paraguay....and it's destined to grow to a truly monstrous size of six feet.
Whoa!
So, I'm thinking if no one claims it in a week or two, I'll trade it in at a pet shop for something more manageable.
Here's the sad part.
Pet shops don't want my iguana. Iguanas (at least the big Green Iguanas), at least according to one source, are the most euthenized pet around these days. People buy them but don't realize what they're getting into.
Right now, I think I've got a good home for this guy...actually we think it's a gal. But if you're looking for a new cause or a new pet.... you just might think about going the very-large-reptile route. Hey...they're vegetarian. : )
9/07/2004
My Student Has a Chipmunk...
I have my students write in journals every day. This journal entry should speak for itself.
I have a pet chipmunk. We found him when we went to a camp in the mountains. Chip is crippled. His back legs don't work very well. We feed him baby food to gain his strength back. Chip holds on to the syringe with his little paws. He has a wheel in his cage. When he runs on it, he falls off because his back legs don't stay on. When he eats he sits in his food tray & eats. When he drinks his water he puts his hands on the water spout just like the syringe. Now one of his back legs work, but not the other one. He is very happy.
I have a pet chipmunk. We found him when we went to a camp in the mountains. Chip is crippled. His back legs don't work very well. We feed him baby food to gain his strength back. Chip holds on to the syringe with his little paws. He has a wheel in his cage. When he runs on it, he falls off because his back legs don't stay on. When he eats he sits in his food tray & eats. When he drinks his water he puts his hands on the water spout just like the syringe. Now one of his back legs work, but not the other one. He is very happy.
9/02/2004
First Day of School
I'm not taking the sailing class, but everything's all right because today was the first day of school, and I feel fine. Better than that. I feel great. My students are great. They are smart. They want to learn, and they're happy to be at school. What a blessing.
8/19/2004
SAILING
Sailing is my new obsession.
I've spent this summer reading about wind direction, points of sail, tacking, jibing, tying knots, launching a boat, docking. I've learned about all kinds of different boats from dingies to cruisers and catamarans.
I went sailing twice, once down in San Diego on the Californian, a top-gallant gaff-rigged schooner, and once in Santa Barbara, on a little J24, captained very competantly by Subdeacon Steven Butler.
Now it's time to take a class.
OCC is offering an 8 week intro to sailing class, meeting on tues. and Thurs. evenings, 5-7, starting Aug. 30. And it costs all of $26. I can't wait.
I've spent this summer reading about wind direction, points of sail, tacking, jibing, tying knots, launching a boat, docking. I've learned about all kinds of different boats from dingies to cruisers and catamarans.
I went sailing twice, once down in San Diego on the Californian, a top-gallant gaff-rigged schooner, and once in Santa Barbara, on a little J24, captained very competantly by Subdeacon Steven Butler.
Now it's time to take a class.
OCC is offering an 8 week intro to sailing class, meeting on tues. and Thurs. evenings, 5-7, starting Aug. 30. And it costs all of $26. I can't wait.
8/12/2004
A Rant of My Own...
If you're reading Aaron's blog, you'll have read his recent rant. Well, it sparked one of my own. Here goes...
So much of our modern life is lived as a spectator sport. This is starting to seem really unnatural to me. Apart from our obvious obsession with watching actual sports, instead of actually living an interesting life, we watch other people live their lives, in movies, or on TV, feeding on their emotions, and dangers, and joys.
I am completely at fault here. I watch tons o' movies and my other favorite pastime -- reading -- while more respected, may be up for examination, as well.
Now, I'm not saying that we should quit watching movies, or reading fiction, or even watching "Survivor" if that's your sort of thing. But, I at least, need to examine the balance.
And this also begs the question of what real living actualy is. I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that life is about relationships; knowing and loving God and other people. That's what it's all about. Movies and books can add to life, but they are definately not an adequate substitution.
So much of our modern life is lived as a spectator sport. This is starting to seem really unnatural to me. Apart from our obvious obsession with watching actual sports, instead of actually living an interesting life, we watch other people live their lives, in movies, or on TV, feeding on their emotions, and dangers, and joys.
I am completely at fault here. I watch tons o' movies and my other favorite pastime -- reading -- while more respected, may be up for examination, as well.
Now, I'm not saying that we should quit watching movies, or reading fiction, or even watching "Survivor" if that's your sort of thing. But, I at least, need to examine the balance.
And this also begs the question of what real living actualy is. I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that life is about relationships; knowing and loving God and other people. That's what it's all about. Movies and books can add to life, but they are definately not an adequate substitution.
Movie madness
OK. 4 movies in two days. Call it excessive,
but summer is coming to a swift conclusion.
I saw Collateral and Manchurian Candidate. Both fun, but nothing really spectacular or new.
Zatoichi, a new japanese samurai flick, combines goofy music and humor with your typical "blind master swordsman kills all the bad guys without breaking a sweat" action.
Garden State is something almost completely new and I found it totally hillarious and very compelling. This is not Napoleon Dynamite, but it is definately the product of my generation. I hope people go to see this movie.
but summer is coming to a swift conclusion.
I saw Collateral and Manchurian Candidate. Both fun, but nothing really spectacular or new.
Zatoichi, a new japanese samurai flick, combines goofy music and humor with your typical "blind master swordsman kills all the bad guys without breaking a sweat" action.
Garden State is something almost completely new and I found it totally hillarious and very compelling. This is not Napoleon Dynamite, but it is definately the product of my generation. I hope people go to see this movie.
7/25/2004
A Hero Among Dragons
In reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy I am continually finding quotable tidbits.
With my own penchant for both fairy tales and modren literature, this is one of my favorites so far...
You can make a story out of a hero among dragons; but not out of a dragon among dragons. The fairy tale discusses what a sane man will do in a mad world. The sober realistic novel of to-day discusses what an essential lunatic will do in a dull world.
Chesterton is the King of saying something profound that seems so obvious once it's been said.
One of his basic premises is that that modern rationalist is in fact very similar to a lunatic. This struck me as particularly insightful after listening to a recent lecture up at St. Barbara's Monastery given by Mother Melania. Her premise was similar but even more far reaching. She said we are all, apart from the saints, mad, in that we all to one degree or another reject God's reason and choose the madness of sin.
All this makes the madness of the world a little more comprehensible, I think.
With my own penchant for both fairy tales and modren literature, this is one of my favorites so far...
You can make a story out of a hero among dragons; but not out of a dragon among dragons. The fairy tale discusses what a sane man will do in a mad world. The sober realistic novel of to-day discusses what an essential lunatic will do in a dull world.
Chesterton is the King of saying something profound that seems so obvious once it's been said.
One of his basic premises is that that modern rationalist is in fact very similar to a lunatic. This struck me as particularly insightful after listening to a recent lecture up at St. Barbara's Monastery given by Mother Melania. Her premise was similar but even more far reaching. She said we are all, apart from the saints, mad, in that we all to one degree or another reject God's reason and choose the madness of sin.
All this makes the madness of the world a little more comprehensible, I think.
Summer Reading
I've been reading lately. A lot.
I read a lot during the school year, but even more during the summer.
If you read Aaron's blog you might have seen his post on Patrick O'Brian's novel Master and Commander.
I'm not reading that one. But I am reading a very similar series of novels by another Brit. named C.S. Forester about British Naval Warfare during the Napoleonic Wars. The hero of these adventures is Horatio Hornblower, and I've plunked down (well maybe "swiped away" is more accurate) a large sum of money at the local Barnes and Noble in order to get through the first 5 books. I'm ready to read the next 6 books but at $13 bucks a pop, I've decided to wait till the fall when my friend Joshua will return to seminary, where his copies are quietly waiting to be shipped out on their own adventure across our nation in a US postal mailbag (or truck.... or plane. whatever!)
Now, since my urges for naval adventures continue, I have picked up the first of 21 books in Aaron's preferred series, and I'm sure this is going to be going on for a while.
In the short meantime I've finally picked up my copy of Chesterton's Orthodoxy which I'll write about more later.
Now go pick up your own book and start reading. Or just skip on to your next blog. : )
7/23/2004
Napoleon Dynamite!
No movie in recent memory comes even close to presenting the reality of life-as-a-geek/nerd as does Napoleon Dynamite.
This hero is no King Arthur, but he does have cholos in shining crome to back him up. A funky mix from La Fafonda, his brother's online girlfriend, also plays a key role.
Come on! Go see this movie!
Gossh!@!!
This hero is no King Arthur, but he does have cholos in shining crome to back him up. A funky mix from La Fafonda, his brother's online girlfriend, also plays a key role.
Come on! Go see this movie!
Gossh!@!!
7/19/2004
Road Trip
I just got back from a road trip with the youth of St. Andrew's in Riverside. Giant Sequoia's, Hearst Castle, and San Simeon Beach provided excellent backdrops for the real drama -- aka Life with 24 teeanagers. It's been a while since I have been exposed to so much, ummm....what's the word for it....life.
In hindsight, I have nothing but positive memories of the trip, but the actual daily life among 14-16 year old teenage boys has given me a great deal of sympathy for the Thai justice system. Canes have other uses than supporting old people.
In hindsight, I have nothing but positive memories of the trip, but the actual daily life among 14-16 year old teenage boys has given me a great deal of sympathy for the Thai justice system. Canes have other uses than supporting old people.
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