Jimmy Neutron Meets Macbeth

Doesn't that just figure. One week after school gets out the Macbeth episode of Jimmy Neutron comes out on iTunes. Darn the luck. The episode cracks me up. Jimmy wants the lead role so that he can kiss Lady Macbeth. Hehehe. This works on so many levels.

Semper Fi

It's Memorial Day 2008. The day when we honor those who serve our country, especially the ones we've lost.

My husband recently returned from an 18-month tour of duty. It was rough, but we are a military family. Military families choose to make sacrifices that others don't understand.

It's always fun when I'm at the university listening to the twenty somethings talk about the uselessness of the military. I wonder how many of those loudtalkers are philosophy majors. I don't argue back much. I made a decision long ago to let reality handle those who know not what they say.

The Self Licking Ice Cream Cone

Allow me to introduce you to the concept of the self licking ice cream cone--a person, persons, committee, organization etc. that exists solely to perpetuate itself. Hmmm.

If you see one of these sinister creatures, run for your life. Have a purpose; don't be a cone!

3rd Annual Power Lunch

It's the Power Lunch today. I love this initiative. It makes me sad that it's likely going away.

A Bully is...

A bully is an insecure person.
A bully tries to rule by fear because she has nothing else.
A bully makes everything personal.
A bully can't handle a mirror.
A bully is not respected.
A bully is the master of her own undoing.

The Know Everythings

One of the conflicts that Huck Finn had trouble reconciling was the hypocrisy of those in charge. For instance, the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons had nice houses, wore nice clothing and even went to church where they listened to sermons on the importance of brotherly love. Nonetheless, the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons still owned slaves and shot each other to bits at any given moment. At one point, Huck even hid in a tree and watched his friend Buck get gunned down.

As Huck floats his way down the Mighty Misssissippi he becomes more and more disgusted by the behavior of the adults who put their own agendas before all else. The Grangerfords and Shepherdsons wanted things their own way as did the Duke, the Dauphin, Pap and others. By the end of the story, Huck knows that headin' for the territories is his only path away from the hypocrite world of the adults who pretend they know what's best.

Learning from a Fly

OK. So, I'm talking to my sophomores today about Sir William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and we got onto the topic of how Ralph smashed that pig skull. My students, who are awesome, were able to surmise that smashing the skull symbolized the hope that good can still rise up in the face of outrageous evil. So true. Evil, in any of its many forms, will never overtake the human spirit. Tut tut, pig-head, you won't win!

The Puritan Work Ethic

The New York school year is long. We won't be completely out of the building until 6/26. With a little more than four school weeks left I am in a constant state of being clenched. My beloved seniors are in the process of going on their mock interviews. I want them to do well, but I'm always worried about any unforeseen complications.

I've seen how these interviews can transform students. All of them deserve this experience.

Today one of my students came to see me before he went on his interview. I like talking to the students before they leave. They are excited, nervous. They look so nice all dressed up. The student who came to see me today told me that he borrowed clothes for the interview. I smiled and told him that he looked great.

I don't think he realizes it, but he made me very proud in that moment. He had a commitment, and he made good on it. He didn't complain. He didn't tell me that he couldn't do it. He just did it. He found a way to make things happen. He's a good boy with a good work ethic, and I know that he will have success in his life. Well done.

Jealousy the Motivator

So I'm walking down the hallway last week and I stumble upon two pockets of crying whispering girls. After a teeny amount of investigation I discovered that somebody said something to someone who didn't like having people say things about her. I did some quick calculating and realized that somebody was jealous of somebody else.

In teenager land, jealousy often leads to mean acts and hurt feelings. In adult land, jealousy is a powerful motivator that leads those afflicted to commit acts that damage more than just the intended target. Great authors remind us of this human shortcoming in some of our greatest novels and dramas. Gene Forester jounced Finny from the tree and ruined his Olympic dreams; Jack Meridew took his hunters away from the tribe and turned into a ruthless tyrant; Abigail Williams set into motion a chain of events that sent the man she loved to the gallows.

If literature teaches us one thing it's that jealousy fuels the weak and the insecure. It also shows us that those who strike out because of jealousy don't possess the self awareness that causes a normal person to take responsibility for his or her own actions. Instead, these sad souls simmer in their self righteous stew and plug on not realizing that the good guy, in reality or in spirit, always wins.

Holden was right; the world is full of phonies.

Punishing Success

One of my favorite students of all time told me recently that his college housing aid was cut because of a scholarship that he won. His mom is doing everything in her power to get the aid re-instated. I hope that she is successful. I've never understood the institutional practice of punishing success. People who work hard, do well, and otherwise positively impact the world deserve the benefits that their success brings.

Psycho Girls

Don't you just love power hungry females with their own takes on what the truth is? Hmmm. A few too many of those roaming the streets and buildings.

Sy

It's a Sy weekend at the Krieger house. He's having a WII tournament tonight. Boys are so easy to entertain. I should have asked Liza to make an extra batch of brownies; I guess I'll have to make some myself. Liza is a sweet brownie maker.

We're proud of Sy. He got accepted to every college where he applied: Cornell, Boston University, UVA, UCLA and USC. He's going to USC. He's worked so hard for so many years. He deserves his rewards now.

Saturday Night Fever

I wish I could dance like John Travolta.

Super Cool Guy

After Davidson made it into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, Stephen Curry, their amazing superstar player, got 18,000 friend requests on Facebook. OMG! I love this story.

By the way, my sophomores were featured on the WBNG broadcast on Friday night 3/28/08. It made me happy. I'm going to send them all sorts of stuff now.

YouNews TV

I am going to start uploading pictures and stories from the classroom onto YouNews TV. If you're shy, let me know. I think it will be fun; I wonder if they'll feature any of our stuff on their news broadcasts. I posted my first story this morning--it's my soophomores killing Caesar.

Smartboards

I was at a meeting last night and a suggestion was made that all classrooms at U-E should have a Smartboard. I wonder if this would be a good thing. I wonder if all teachers would use the boards. I wonder if the boards are necessary. Would it make our schools like the Jetsons? Hmmm.

Hillary and Barack

It's funny to watch Hillary and Barack pick at each other. They're like crabby 13-year-old girls spreading rumors about each other. They are certainly making things easy for McCain. In case you haven't been watching the news, Barack's longtime pastor has a problem with white people and Hillary has been mis-remembering (aka lying about) her trip to Bosnia.

Power Rangers

I watched an episode of Power Rangers recently. I didn't like it. I long for the old days with Jason, Kimberly, Zach, Trini, Billy and evil Tommy. Pudgy the Pig and Guitardo were the best villains. The original episodes have a campy quality that reminds me of old Godzilla movies. I love the blatant symbolism too. A giant pig consuming things; Green representing evil and anger; A mystical disembodied entity (Zordon) guiding children. Good stuff.

Freaky Japanese Movies

I saw Shutter yesterday afternoon. Possible morals: what goes around comes around, or don't date crazy people. I love this type of movie, not sure why. I also love zombie movies. I think I'll rent that one where all those people are stuck in a mall and the zombies are roaming around outside.

The Vestal Apocalypse

The power went out across Vestal yesterday afternoon and chaos ensued. Stores shut down; movies stopped; traffic snarled. People also got stupid. I was about to exit the Vestal Plaza when suddenly the two cars in front of me stopped. A woman got out of the first car and decided to chat with the person in the second car. As a result, the rest of us couldn't get out. People, honestly, deal with it. A little stress and all common sense goes out the window.

Anti-War Protestors

Have you seen the BU anti-war protestors on the news this week? They filed a complaint yesterday against the Vestal Police Department for using excessive and/or unnecessary force. Always remember, having the right to speak is not the same thing as having the right to be heard.

Trivia

OK. So we lost everything on the last question again last night. No biggie. That's how we play. Go big, or go home. It's the riskiest thing in my life. I don't drink; I don't smoke; I don't drive fast. I just bet everything on the last question at trivia. Woo Hoo!

Easter Boys

We don't have any special Easter traditions at our house; however, we do have some after-Easter traditions. For instance, we usually don't eat our Easter eggs. Instead, the boys huck them into the forest with their lacrosse sticks. It's so easy to make boys happy.

When Mrs. Finkelman's Mother Was Young

When Mrs. Finkelman's mother was young, you could get a live chick dyed the same color as your shoes for your Easter outfit. Upside: You looked great. Downside: The dye was toxic, and the chick died. Bummer.

March Madness

Basketball time! Woo Hoo! Go Memphis! In case you didn't know, I finished my undergraduate work at the University of Memphis. I started my undergraduate work at the University of Alaska. This is what happens when you marry the military.

Doomsday

I saw Doomsday Saturday night. My review: "Stupid, but entertaining."

The girl looks like Kate Beckinsale, but she's not. The soundtrack is a 1980's funfest: Siouxsie and The Banshees, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Fine Young Cannibals and more. The whacked out vehicles and weirdos remind me of Mad Max. The plot is nothing new. Government betrays its people; plague survivors rise from the ashes; new "tribes" behave like savages (aka "survival of the fittest"); government gets its come-uppance in the end.

I Miss My Dog

I have been dogless for nearly 3 years now. We used to have an English bulldog; his name was Oscar. This isn't Oscar, but it looks just like him. Toward the end of his life he was like an old car that just kept breaking down. He got sores on his skin; he had trouble with his hip; he couldn't walk. It was rough. I am excited about getting our new dog this spring--a newfie.

What I Know About My New Governor

He is legally blind, and he is black. I wonder if he is anything else, like, a good leader for instance.

100 Days

Only 100 days until the official start of summer (June 21, 2008)

When the Mighty Fall

Elliot Spitzer is definitely not my hero, but I'm still sad about recent events. Of course I'm sad for his wife and children as well as for the citizens of New York, but I'm also sad for me. I'm sad because I'm tired of people in positions of trust not doing the right thing. Where have all the good guys gone?

Media and Reality

What do you think about this picture?

Funny Word

I like funny sounding words. Here's one for you to incorporate into your vocabulary:

Schadenfreude (noun) - the satisfaction felt at the misfortune of others. Poor Spitzer.

Grammar #4-Subordinate Clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and its subject and is used as part of a sentence. An independent clause can stand alone. The italicized clauses in the sentence below are both independent and can stand alone.
Miss J. went to nursing school at BU, and she graduated at the top of her class.

A subordinate or dependent clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone. The italicized clauses in the sentences below are subordinate and cannot stand alone. In addition, sentence #1 has an adverbial clause and sentence #2 has an adjectival clause. Look closely at what the clauses are modifying.

Before you know it, Colin will be handing out tickets to speeders. (ex. adverbial clause)

The students who took Communications were the smartest in the school. (ex. adjectival clause)

If you feel confident that you know what's going on, then go ahead and respond to this post by giving me examples of subordinate adjectival clauses and subordinate adverbial clauses. I will be giving a mini lesson today in class so you can wait until later to post if you wish.

College

My baby got his official acceptance letter to USC on Saturday, March 8, 2008. He will be entering as a double major in computer science and business administration. He received a full academic scholarship; he is number 9 in his class at Vestal High School. I like to brag about him, but I like to brag about my students too. It's strange, but every single year I get the best students. (Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour).

Shakespeare

Did you know that Shakespeare uses the eagle as a symbol of strength and patriotism more than 30 times in his various dramas? For instance, in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar the mighty eagles abandon Brutus and Cassius as they journey toward their evil deeds. And, when the two conspirators die on the battlefield, the eagles live on. Despite the evil that overpowers certain mortals in Shakespeare's plays, the power of the human spirit always rises again.

Math and science make us smart; literature makes us wise.

Real Leaders

No grammar post today. Instead, I'm just going to think out loud about people who are in positions of power. It would be nice if people got to these positions because of talent, expertise, experience, and intellect. Sadly, there are many domains where this is simply not the case. The result is bumbling managers making agenda-driven decisions with unfortunate results. I don't want managers; I want leaders. Leaders inspire others to follow.

They're, There, and Their

While it's completely understandable if you never memorize the exact past participle or the present progressive form of "lie" or "lay," it's imperative to your happy life that you understand and internalize the meanings and uses of "there," "their," and "they're."

Their is a possessive pronoun that indicates ownership. Why did the Stellas bring their hippo to the picnic?

There is an adverb indicating location. What is B-Shaves doing over there?

They're is a contraction of they are. They're going to be surprised when they find out that Dr. Gonzo plans on removing their heads during today's surgeries in order to start a brain farm in the empty field. You know, the one over there.

*Please respond to me by using all 3 forms of the title words at least 3 times each in a lovely and exciting paragraph. I encourage exaggeration.

Stumble Upon

Check out StumbleUpon. You might get hooked. I found three crazy sites in just the last 15 minutes.

Book Mooch allows me to swap books online.
Dear Future Me allows me to send a note to myself at some future date.
Guerilla Mail allows me to get an email address that is only good for 15 minutes.

Grammar Post is below.

Lie vs. Lay

The easiest way to remember the difference is to think:

Lie=recline / After school today I am going to lie down.

Lay=set or place / Lay the book on the table.

You can also think, "People lie down; chickens lay eggs."

__________________________
*The Crazy Technical Stuff*
Tenses:



__________________________
Additional Information to Make You Extra Smart

Lie is an intransitive verb; in other words, it does not take an object.

She lies on the beach.
He lay down after school yesterday.
Have you lain down in the sun?

Lay is a transitive verb; it takes an object.

The chicken lays eggs.
The chicken laid an egg yesterday.
The chicken has laid fifteen eggs this week.

Respond to me using "lay" and "lie" in multiple tenses and forms.

Trever

Trever has a crazy fun thingy on his blog. It's in the top right corner. I did Mars Attacks.

Today is the last official day of our blogging project. You will not be required to blog beyond this point; however, you will be expected to respond to all grammar blogs. In addition, I plan on continuing my blog through the end of the year. If you plan on continuing your blog, let me know so that I can put an asterick next to your blog name on my blog page so that everybody else knows that you are still active. *Grammar blogs will continue tomorrow. Each of my postings will be worth 10 points to you. You do not necessarily have to respond on the exact day of my posting, but I expect you to keep a reasonable pace. __________________________


Final Official Posting:
I saw an ad last night for a new television show called Miss Guided. It's about a woman who becomes a guidance counselor in the same high school that she attended. She wasn't very popular in high school so now she is trying to re-live all of the things that went wrong while she was a teenager. The show is produced by Ashton Kutcher so of course it will be funny, but the premise is sad. I think there are many teachers, etc. who are guilty of this very thing. For your last post, write about high school. You can write about whatever you want. What's good. What's bad. The students. The teachers. The classes. The effect.

Good vs. Well

Good is an adjective which means that it modifies nouns.
She is a good student. (Good modifies students).
That is a good idea. (Good modifies idea).
*Good can also be used with verbs of being.
The story is good.

Well is an adverb which means that it modifies verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
You speak English well. (Well modifies speak).
The idea went over well at the board meeting. (Well modifies went)
*Well can also be used as an adjective to mean in good health.
Are you feeling well?

*Please respond by using "good" and "well" in a sentence. By the way, I am having so much fun with grammar blogs that I have decided to do a Grammar Blog series in which you will get points for each response. I'll give you more details on Monday. Also, I have had your speech grades done for over a week. Somebody please remind me to hand them back to you.

Soldier Reminder

Sometimes it's best to have an exact strategy so that people know exactly what we need to accomplish. To that end, I have put together a list with specific items and numbers for our adopted servicemembers. I'll have it in class on Monday, but you can go ahead and commit to an item or items via this posting if you wish.

Items include: (10) Gillette Mach 3 razors, (20) Deodorant, (10) Icy Hot patches, (5) bandages, (30) travel size wet wipes, (20) toothbrushes, (20) toothpaste, (30) chapstick, (25) travel size lotion, (5) boxes ziploc bags, (any) games, (any) toys, magazines, (any) DVD's, (any) books, (10) bags beef jerkey, (30) packs gum, (40) packs candy, (10) boxes drink mix, (any) packaged snacks, (5) boxes stationery, (8) pairs girl socks, (8) facial cleansers, (8) travel size lotion for girls, (8) pairs flip flops for girls M/L, (any) beanie babies.

N-Puts

Nick has a fun post. Check it out.

We Heart Apostrophes!

Proper use of apostrophes is a must for all smart teenagers. Apostrophes have two main functions.

First, apostrophes take the place of missing letters in contractions.
Second, apostrophes indicate possession.

Example: AG's appearance on WBNG news last night as this week's Scholar Athlete didn't surprise me. She's worked hard for many years and deserves this honor.

"AG" and "week" use an apostrophe to indicate possession whereas "she" and "did not" use an apostrophe to indicate a missing letter. She + is = she's. Did + not = didn't.

Common Mistakes:

#1 Your vs. You're
Your going to regret eating those three pork sandwiches. This sentence is incorrect because it is missing its verb. It should read, You're going to regret eating those three pork sandwiches. The apostrophe indicates that letters are missing. You + are = You're.

#2 Its and It's
"Its" as a possessive does not take an apostrophe.
The dog chased its tail.

"It's" represents a missing letter or letters.
It's been days since Tim recorded an animal in the wild. It + has =It's
It's nice to see Emily back in school today. It + is = It's

Please respond to this posting by deftly incorporating all of today's grammar items into a brilliant sentence or paragraph.

Love,
Mizzle Dawg

Grammar is fun!

Dear Students,

I would be remiss if I didn't use this fabulous web 2.0 technology to teach you about grammar. Let's talk about our friend, the comma.

First, the above sentence featues an appositive. An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. An appositive is always set off by commas.

Tim, the fabulous amateur movie director who thrills and delights all who know him, risks his life to bring his classmates raw footage of wild animals in their natural habitats.

The noun phrase in red is the appositive. Notice the commas setting it off. Sweet.
______________________________________________________________________

Second, let's talk about direct address. Whenever you write directly to someone on the blogs, AIM, Facebook etc., set off his or her name with a comma.

Hey Brian, how big is a size 12?
Will you be eating a sandwich today, Derick?
Stop talking, Rugs!

Please respond to this post by using an appositive and direct address.

Colbert

Please chime in on Sexy Kittin's Colbert discussion.

<3 My Girls!

It's only fitting that I rave about the girls today. You know I don't have any daughters so it's fun to be a part of your lives. It's also fun to get surprise visits at my house. When AG, Jenna, Jourdana and Marie found out that my husband was going to deploy last year, they showed up at my house with cookies, a great big bear and other little goodies. This year I got a sweet pre-Snowball visit from Kathleen, Marie, Richelle, Victoria, Steph and their posse.

I also love being your teacher. This year's graduation will be bittersweet as many of you have been in my classes for multiple years. For instance, Katie, Elise, AnneMarie and Jenna were all in my very last freshman class. Elise has been with me for 4 years while AG, Jourdana, Jenna, Anne Marie, Julia and Marie have been with me for 3 years. Em, Sarah, Katie A., Katie Mc., Britt B., Britt G., Britt C., Kathleen, Tara, Miranda, and Mallory have been with me for two years.

The Joys of Boys

Boys, boys, boys. 8th period today consisted of Colin, Davis, Tony, Miguel, Corey, Anthony, Nick, Mallory and me. That's seven boys and two girls. What did we do? We thoughtfully analyzed media created by and for an intensely male audience. As it turns out, Pink Taco and Chief Burning Bush have distinctly male blog postings that cut right to the heart of what it means to be male.

It also happens that T-Sags has a 4th installment of "Tim in the Wild" available. I'm constantly amazed at the danger that he puts himself in for the sake of education. So boy.

Earlier in the day, we also got to hear B-Shaves' theory of how big a size 12 woman is. Very boy. (Are you ok, Bri?)

When I got home (at 3:30 as I was one of the teachers who stayed behind to ensure that all children arrived home safely), my house was full of boys. Big ones (seniors) downstairs, and little ones (freshmen) upstairs. Pizza and soda on the counters; great big shoes on the floor. It was all good. I heart boys.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a military blog that features entries from servicemembers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes the posts are serious; sometimes they are funny. The pictures are awesome.
______________________________
On a separate note, check out Masher's rant on the American education system. And take a looksie at Sami's paper airplane plea.

Semper Fi

Hello. We have adopted 4 service members.

-Airman First Class Mike Songer is a member of the Air Force Military Police stationed in Afghanistan. Based on his rank, I am guessing that he is very young (19 or 20 maybe).
-Michael Munson is (I think) a member of a combat support battalion in Iraq (I think). I don't know his rank, age or exact job.
-First Sergeant Dylan W. Goldman represents a group of 171 Infantry Marines (males only). They are in combat in Iraq.
-Sergeant Patsy Lee is a member of a support squadron who represents 8 female Marines.

The first two are individuals who we can write to and send stuff to. The second two represent bigger groups. We are not the only group writing to the Marines so don't worry about getting enough stuff for 171 Marines. We'll just do our part. You can start bringing stuff in on Monday 2/25. I have students who are going to shepherd our servicemembers. This means that they will keep track of donations for their servicemembers. I hope that we will have lists of requested items available in the next couple of days. For now, think about comfort and hygiene items. "Manly" magazines (motorcycle, car, music, etc.) are also good.

Our shepherds:
Liza You Love It = 1st Sergeant Goldman
Funky Fresh = Sgt. Patsy Lee
Sami Brightside = Michael Munson
Sweet J = A1C Mike Songer

Memories and Chocolate Pretzels

Flying Lizard and Jazzy Tap posted about memories and the things that you have in common. I think it might be fun for you to chime in.

On the subject of blog topics, relax. The simple and the everyday can be the most meaningful. For instance, Stalephish recently posted about skiing at night. Annemuhree posted on connecting with friends and family even when you haven't spoken to them in a while. Ellis Eyeland posted about chocolate pretzels.

Congrats to Mardawg and Swift on their awesome victory this week. Emily Bemily too. As for me, I found these sweetener packets in my pocket. A bad habit.

Family

Today we went to visit Lily, the mama of the Newfoundland puppy that we are waiting for. Newfies are enormous dogs with giant heads. They have slightly webbed feet, and they love to swim.

I am with Lily on the left. She's 125 pounds. Buco is the papa and he weighs about 150 pounds. Who wants to babysit when I go to Hawaii this summer?

Adopt a Soldier

I would like to know if you are interested in adopting a soldier or Marine. We would adopt him as a class. We could send him just letters or letters and a care package. Please let me know. This is volunteer only.

The Marine in this picture is not the person we would write to. I just happened upon this photo while online tonight. However, beanie babies and hard candy are among the items requested for care packages. Soldiers and Marines pass them out to Iraqi children.