Enigma (No, Not the '90s New Age Group)

Well, I've stooped back to the videos. However, this one has fit for a little while now. And because it might be a more real possibility, I've finally decided to post it. Stay posted for more cryptic posts. Heh heh. By next week, I'll let you in on my secret. For those that can't stand the suspense, talk to me in person...that is, if you can pin me down for more than 2.3 seconds.

This is the video link for today.

I should know by now, that all you want is music videos. (Sigh.)

"Slacking" and a Bit of Jack

I guess it's been over a month since I last posted anything. Most of you probably know that I haven't been slacking (except for blog posting) as I am underwater in my doctoral work. I've also been working on an application for a different job. I'm not going to release too many details yet, but they will be forthcoming as the future brings answers.

I've actually been reworking an essay I wrote for entrance into my Ed.D. program because I'm using the revamped version as a cover letter for this new job. I probably shouldn't put it out over the Internet at least until my fate has been decided. Now, if you want to talk about the economy of words, I've recycled the core of this essay at least three other occasions.

For those of you shaking your bony, self-righteous fingers at me, you're never going to make me feel guilty. At a recent UCTE conference (where I presented), grammar guru Jeff Anderson told me I should repackage my ideas and send them off to different publishers so I can make even more money! Maybe in the future.

Now, as I have been reviewing different types of materials, I came across a little something from Jack Kerouac that I had never read. (My American lit classes never really covered all those twisted, influential individuals from the 20th century.) So, I decided to share them with you. If you are familiar with them, just smile and nod, and bask in your superior geekdom. If not, enjoy; especially you writers:

Jack Kerouac's Rules of Spontaneous Prose:

1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
4. Be in love with yr life
5. Something that you feel will find its own form
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. Accept loss forever
20. Believe in the holy contour of life
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
27. In praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
29. You're a Genius all the time
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven

Check the rest of the website for more spontaneous fun!

P.S. Maybe if you're good, I'll post a video next time. Heh heh.

Your Inner Nine-Year-Old

So...apparently...you're all in it for the videos. Huh? Well, I'm not going to cave in to peer pressure or lack thereof. And I'm not writing tonight to stress myself out with resolutions of any type. I don't think I'll post them here this year. No, I am going to share a small moment of my evening--one that sure reminded me what's important.

Lately, I've been complaining, worrying, headaching, and bellyaching about all my commitments: Ed.D. internship and class, grading, and all the usual suspects lurking in my life. I'm especially mad at my weight-loss efforts (see fattysblubberblog for more on that) as of late. It also chapped my hide that I missed the proposal deadline for NCTE. I'd been waiting all year to submit, but as my sage cousin Michelle pointed out, it's a sign of how busy I really am. And then I backed out of another presentation commitment. (Sorry.)

After rushing the five hooligans through the bath (without drowning any, I might add), we actually found ourselves with a few minutes as a family without anyone gone or heading anywhere soon. We were home for the night with 45 minutes until bedtime. Imagine that. No, harder. Really imagine that...because it doesn't happen often.

And so we started reading stories and talking about books that we thought the kids would like to read with us and to read individually. For some reason, Zac was sitting on my lap in a somewhat withdrawn air. I asked him, after a while (with the girls getting silly at this point) if he liked poems. He responded with an emphatic "No!"

"Why not?" I implored. I then proceeded to tell him about the first poem I ever memorized and recited of own free will: Shel Silverstein's "Crowded Tub." I recited it to him:

There are too many kids in this tub.
There are too many elbow to scrub.
I just washed a behind that I'm sure wasn't mine.
There are too many kids in this tub.

Immediately he rolls into fits of laughter, drowning the other chaos in the room, silencing the girls' giggling. His hysterics lasted for at least three minutes without a breath. Tears. Red face. He tries to recite it to his audience. More tears. Even redder face. Silent laugh. Thump. He falls of the couch. And everyone dissolves.

And now I see that every once in a while everyone needs to just embrace that inner nine-year-old humor. As an adult I don't giggle any more, but there are times, especially when it's late, that the laughter and tears break forth, not to be stayed for several uninterrupted minutes. What beats a belly laugh that lasts so long you get a simultaneous jaw and gut workout?

I challenge everyone out there to find something that triggers that happy, giddy, lose-all-rational-control laughter. Slapstick. Looney Tunes. Gary Paulsen's Harris and Me. These are a few of mine. If you have trouble, resort to low-brow pre-adolescent potty humor. It's all about the farts. Go find your nine-year-old no matter how many wrinkles you have now. And that, my friends, is what poetry can do for the soul-even for stinky nine-year-old know-it-alls.

Last One?

Well, I'm cutting it close again; that's nothing new. And again I've had trouble coming up with something fitting for the day. I thought of end-of-year-ish ditties such as "It's the End of the World As We Know It" or even "1999," but I don't think so. Blah.

I think I'm just going to post another cool video that I use with my students for exploring text in depth and adding meaning through context. It's also just a cool video and song. And I guess it kind of fits a New year's resolution type theme as well. It's "What I've Done" by Linkin Park. I'll post a complete list of the videos in the next day or two. Maybe I'll write something different as well.

Like always, I invite comments, complaints, cupcakes, or any type of feedback.

Have a bodaciously radical 2012. (Yes, I really did just say that.)

Three-Play

In honor of BYU's three consecutive bowl wins (not really, but it fits), I am going to post the first three music videos I remember seeing in a house. When we went roller skating in first and second grades, they would lower an enormous screen and we would watch Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Oak Ridge Boys, and my personal favorites: Van Halen's "Jump" and Weird Al's "Eat It." However, I'm not going to post links to those beauties, although feel free to pursue them on your own.

My first exposure to music videos that I remember watching in a home--not in a public place--was MJ's "Thriller." My dad brought it home from the video store, along with the VCR, pizza, and root beer. It was awesome! Plus it gave my little brothers nightmares for weeks.

I was living in Vegas and my friend had MTV--not a chance in my house. The next two videos were Run DMC's "You Talk Too Much" and A-Ha's "Take On Me"--an eclectic mix, I know, but that's what I saw before we turned on the Atari. Enjoy a small shot of my music video history.

A Bit of Reflection

Today, for some unknown reason, I've been thinking about the Christmas of (I think it was) '93. I was delivering Christmas cards to friends on Christmas Eve. I stopped at the KFC where I used to work to say hey, but also to rustle up some grub, because one of the managers still gave me free food at the end of the night. The doors were locked at 6:00 that night for the holiday, but I was let in by a friend. Ana supplied the grub, Jason and Jason were mopping in the back, hustling to get out of there. A few new faces I didn't recognize milled about.

The snow flurries picked up a bit. I sat in a booth with Ana and one of the Jasons. I believe Becky was there or maybe Steph, too. Without warning somebody screamed. Before we could react, one of the newer employees came rushing into the dining area. The store had just been robbed! While I was eating my dinner!

To corroborate the commotion, the other Jason stumbled in from the back door, blood running down his face. To make a longer story shorter, we spent the next hour and a half answering police questions. I was late getting home. Mom was not happy.

A single of The Cure's "Lovesong" was stuck in my car's tape deck. Yes, I know it's a weird video. It's a weird story, too.

Yeah, I Know...

I got a little sidetracked by a beautiful woman and a hot date last night, and by the time I remembered I needed to post, it was today...dinnertime to be precise, so I "Apologize" to those few who may or may not have cared to check in.

Keepin' the Muppets Alive a Little Longer

I don't know what it is about Jim Henson's awesomeness, but I can't get the new muppet movie out of my mind. Even after unpackaging countless Barbies, Polly pockets, Strawberry Shortcake figures, Littel people play sets, videos, and helping construct a Lego Millennium Falcon, and seeing the lights on Temple Square, it's stuck in there.

So tonight's post refers back to that and my childhood (yes, again). Don't worry, though; I can't go too far back. It also connects a bit with previous encounters with Legos.

"We Built This City"

New Toys

I've been bust playing with new toys (mine and the kids') today, so here's a blast from my childhood...you know, the past. More on the technology later.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.

Short and Simple

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas...or else!

Merry Muppet Christmas Eve!

So, following our annual tradition, we took our kids to a matinee before going to dinner (at the Brick Oven) and the nativity at Aunt Carol's house. And this year's feature happened to be the New Muppet Movie. So as you may have already guessed what's in my head, I'm sharing with you so you could get it stuck in yours. Merry Christmas! ("Mahna Mahna.")

We also had a very touching moment or two during the nativity, as put on by the kids. We finished, as always with "Silent Night." So today's two-fer should leave you pondering more than the jolly red-suited fat dudw who needs to shortly make an appearance.

Again, Merry Christmas.

Just Because

It seems that since Christmas Break started not too many people have been check out the video of the day. It's good to see that most of you have some semblance of a life. But anyway, I don;t really have a song that means anything today. There just wasn't too much music today apart from the Michael Buble Christmas I gave my wonderful wife and the slow, mushy romantic stuff at the wedding reception we went to this evening. Among all the running down of last, and I mean L.A.S.T. presents, the changing of the oil in dos coches, the registering of R2, the grading of papers (yes, still), carpeting and tiling a dollhouse, and other various running around, there wasn't a whole lot of music of note.

So, I'm just posting one of my favorite videos of the past few years. i mean, come on. When is a little Weezer not a good idea? So here's "Pork and Beans" for your holiday pleasure.

Now, for those who have stuck it out, I have a reward for you. I'm going to take some requests for the last week of the year. If you have a video that just has to be played (and it strikes my fancy at the time), I'll select it and give you credit. So there. Just be sure to read the small print. (if you can find it).

Color Shift

Well, if it's not going to be a white Christmas (no video), I'm more than willing to let Elvis take over the color scheme. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of the King, but for some reason (probably relating to my pops), it isn't a real Christmas without spinning "Blue Christmas" a time or two.

I actually ran through several songs as I finished my shopping for the season. Okay, I'm not technically done done, but I'm close enough to consider it a victory. And the best part is that Amy hasn't stumbled upon hers yet...and it's driving her crazy. This has been the best part of the holiday for me so far. Heh heh.

P.S. Come on, snow!

School's Out for Christmas

So it was another day of recycled "see you next year" jokes and corny holiday gifts, although some were quite delectable. I thought I'd celebrate by giving you a taste of some non-traditional Christmas music, my favorite being "Christmas Is" by Run DMC. Yep, we're kickin' it old school again, tinsel style. Unfortunately, there isn't video for this song, so I'm going to substitute it with Run DMC's other huuuuuuuge Christmas hit "Christmas in Hollis."

Word up.

Whoa! Hold the show. I just found a decent version of "Christmas Is," so it's another two-fer tonight. I should get an extra present from the big man for that. Plus, we're both phat, so we're like brothers or something, right?

Hit it, RUN.

A Little Sobering

Since I've had several conversations today with different people about all the crazy, horrible, unpredictable things that go on in people's lives, I thought I'd just post a little melancholy "Mad World." Notice that I specifically stayed away from the Idol performance.

See, I told you a video was coming.

Bring Me Poetry Revisited (Not a Video)

Those who are expecting a music video, please tune in later. This is a poem. However, I would probably handsomely reward anyone who turned it into a rock anthem. Or maybe a club remix with extra back beats. The possibilities are endless...for those who have spare time.

This week my students are working with figurative language, as well as looking at life through different points of view. So I decided to have them write a collection of "Bring Me" poems. I stole this idea from my good friend Andria when she presented at the CUWP Summer Institute 2009. She took them from Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge's book Poemcrazy. I've posted about this before back in October of 2009. If you are unfamiliar with my "Ode to My Dorito Crumbs," check it out. You might sense a running theme. But, anyway, here is today's "Bring Me" for your pleasure (cough cough):

“Plea to the Lonely Fruit Chew I Found This Morning”

Smooshed orange Starburst

lying in melted graying snow puddles,

protected from the yellow

bellowing monstrosities

but

trampled by the feet of exuberance,

Shake off

the rogue spruce needle

and the remnants

of dirt-caked soles,

and

Bring me the story

of your pocket escape,

of disappointment,

of the child

whose mouth you will

not tempt

during first period U.S. history

when texts and lectures and mouths

become dry.

Don't Stop Believing!

Yes, I know that this didn't get posted by midnight; that's why it has the 20th instead of the 19th of December. So what? Get over it.

I want to start by saying that I am not a Glee follower (and I never will be), so to those who are too young to remember the non-Glee version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'," this one is better, and involves less fake drama.

Now, for today's back story. Today we had our school's Christmas assembly, and yours truly had to play the fat man in the red suit. (I'm still convinced that I was asked due to my jolly personality and not my bowl full of jelly.) The final portion of the assembly involved students performing a 30-second talent in front of the student body (aptly named SFJHS Has Talent). I, dressed as St. Nick, sat at the judge's table sweating and making dumb comments (as seen on TV). Most performances were mediocre at best. One such was a girl who played the piano and sang a snippet of this song. It wasn't the best performance of the day, or even one of the "honorable" mentions. However, one smart-aleck comment I made has attached itself to my thoughts with tentacles, tow cables, bubble gum, and crazy glue.

In jest I said, "Don't you stop believing, because when you stop believing, you start getting socks and underwear for Christmas." Of course, I was playing the Santa bit and it got a good laugh. I was referring to believing in Santa Claus, but I'm not sure the audience got it. The chuckles probably came because I said "underwear." Before this bit Santa had been a little sullen as he had been pondering an earlier event, one that not everyone witnessed.

You see, in the second assembly, I had run up and down the aisles of the crowd throwing candy to the students, high-fiving them, ho-ho-hoing merrily along, and all that Kris Kringle stuff (just as I had done in the first one). But this time, two of the students started throwing the candy back at me (along with muttered Scrooge-esque insults). One doofus even decided it would be cool to pull off my itchy white beard and ruin the show for the other 600 onlookers. I just played it off, reattaching the nylon itchiness, unable to identify the perpetrator due to the bright spotlight shining in my eyes. And then on my way back to the stage, someone else yanked my hat from my head.

Sidenote: I was later told that the morons were dealt with. It's turds like these that give junior high punks their bad name (That, their nasty body odor, raging hormones, and gangly limbs.). There are at least three or four little boys whose names have shifted over to the naughty list.

But back to my point: most people love believing in something positive like Mr. Claus. The jolly old elf symbolizes and encapsulates what's good in the world--love, giving, caring, happiness (and Coca Cola and eating cookies and plumpness...). So why do some idiots feel it's their right to dash the hopes and good cheer of others? Because it's funny? We all know that it only takes one imbecile to wreck the party. So, all you haters, leave Santa alone.

It reminds me of another time when I was in Spain. I was walking down a street in Granada, caroling with a few companions, I in a Santa hat. And then a couple of punks zoomed by on a moto. The twerp in back snatched the cap from my head as he sped by, laughing and flipping obscene gestures. I was so mad that someone had chased away the holiday spirits and disturb my Christmassy mood that I punched a concrete retaining wall out of frustration--not something I normally recommend. All I wanted was to bask in the Christmas glow of the season. Not cool.

But I'm taking the symbolism further than Journey ever did in their love song, or this morning as I did with the Santa stuff. One of the most profound, motivational messages (ever) would be to never stop believin' in whatever or whoever it is you believe in. Lately, I've seen friends lose faith, lose face, lose jobs, lose their keys, lose their lunch, lose family members, and flat out lose hope. In this crazy mixed-up world, we all need to keep on believing that we can make it through another day. Believe that we are significant--to ourselves, to our friends, to our family, to our community, and to our Maker. Let's believe in each other, have a little faith in our fellow man (dare I say our politicians), and our world. Let's allow ourselves and others to be happy-truly happy; none of this fleeting nonsensical instant-gratification crap!

A passage of scripture comes to mind. I won't take the time to retype the whole thing, but I'll post the link to Mosiah 4: 6-12. The whole chapter is great, but these verses resonate in my soul tonight.

I know I've gone off and preached a little, but in the spirit of Christmas (on multiple levels), "Don't Stop Believin'!"

Bad Dad! Bad Dad!

Tonight I discovered that I had been slacking in my role as a father. My children had been deprived of one of the great iconic features in the world of childhood, puppetry, and good old family fun. They had never seen The Muppet Movie. Ever. And so, as repentance, I post the last few minutes of the movie, including the song, "The Rainbow Connection."

By the way, the title of this post should be read in Animal's voice.

I can't relive my childhood without the Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, or even Labyrinth. Jim Henson is/was the man! Even though they haven't been the same since he passed on , they still rock!

Anybody who loves the Muppets, holla!

Just Ignore This One

Don't ask me why my two youngest girls decided to latch onto this song. Amy says it's because some little dance group performed a routine at a school talent show. Whatever the reason, this blast from the past has resurfaced in my house through a variety of a cappella renditions accompanied by ever changing and evolving dance routines. So, George Michael and Wham! still have what it takes with "Last Christmas," huh? Whatever. Just move along. This isn't the video you're looking for.

Who You Tryin' to Get Crazy wit, Ese?

Don'cha know I'm loco? After tonight with my brothers' three kids and my five all simultaneously pinging off the walls, I have very few brain cells left. I love them to death, but man when they get together the decibel level skyrockets, especially after they get punchy! Wow. I thought about doing a "crazy" theme, but Seal didn't feel right, Gnarls Barkley wasn't cutting it, and there is no way in heaven, earth, or hell that Britney Spears was ever going to make it onto my countdown. Aerosmith almost made it, but I had to go with Cypress Hill, because I really have gone "Insane in the Brain!"

I remember a long ago watching MTV late one night, excited that this video was on after a series of garbage, only to have it interrupted by Beavis and Butthead rocking out to it, trying to tap on the screen and stage dive off their couch. What a commentary on my generation. I'm not even going to post a link to those icons. You'll have to find them yourself, fartknocker.

For My Girls

I heard this on the radio on my way into work this morning and haven't been able to get my girls out of my head. That's not a bad thing. "Heaven" isn't too far away.

(See also Live's "Heaven.") Aren't two-fers great?

Idioms or Idiots?

Toady I attempted to share idioms with my 7th graders, pointing out specifically how over time they become cliche, especially those that use similes or metaphors. Yes, it's a very geeky English teacher thing to do. So what? So what'cha what'cha want? Hardly any of them recognized the sayings I shared. On average, they admitted to hearing about 8 out of the 35. Idiots!

The students had to fill in the blank after the start of each idiom. For example:

31. crying like a ________________________. The answer is obviously "baby."

One section specifically dealt with food idioms. The idiom that stuck in my mind was "cool as ________________." Most kids filled in "ice." My answer was "a cucumber." And I could not shake Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA's "cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce" line from their wicked awesome hit "So What Cha Want?" So, yeah. That's the story behind today's video.

A mad shout out goes to Ms. Zergal's Advanced Communications class ('94). This is the song I really wanted to use.

On a More Serious Note

Today's choice came quickly, unlike several previous posts. In my 7th grade classes, we are discussing the issue of homelessness as a precursor to reading Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. A few years ago my lovely wife put together a PowerPoint presentation of still photos and statistics regarding the homeless and synchronized it to "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins. We then watched a 60 Minutes report and discussed how poverty and homelessness affects kids and members of our own communities. Tying it in to the school's Penny Wars fundraiser--our Sub for Santa project this year was perfect.

Watching the video(s) helps put things into perspective this holiday season.

If you would like to see the Ppt., email me or leave a comment, and I'll send it to you.
If you'd like to help out the school's fundraiser to assist kids that attend this school (and their families), and frankly it hasn't gone well this year, likewise let me know.

Kickin' It Old School

Well, I had a pretty hard time coming up with a song that has summarized or encapsulated today. I couldn't even salvage a memorable moment...so I decided to share some comfort music. This is taking it back to '92 when I came back to the U.S. of A. and I started really getting into music.

Way back when my junior year of high school started, I kept a record of my song of the day. I kept it for a whole year, complete with a top ten list, songs of the month, and a bunch of other geeky air play, dance request, CDs sold (I worked at Camelot music) stats. This was my song.

This is dedicated to the DORKS! Keepin' it real, or at least real enough.

Jump Around, yo!

"Just Breathe"

I'm not sure why this has stuck with me today. Sometimes we all need to pause and breathe and appreciate the fact we we have breath in us. It's the small and simple things in life that really make all the hustle and bustle (to use a Christmas cliche) worth it. Tonight I challenge everyone to take a few moments to just breathe. Spend a few moments to write down the blessings in your life. And don't be generic; be specific. For example, you can't just say that you are thankful for your family. Rather share something like I am thankful that my four-year-old still buries her face in my chest when she's tired. and her blond hairs stick to my shirt and remind me of her when I find them later. That's what I'm talking about.

(See also Pearl Jam's "Black.")

P.S. It takes more than both hands and feet to count the ones I love.

At Least It's Not Rick Astley!

So, when I took Zac to get a haircut this afternoon, this song came on the radio. It also played in the next two stores we went two. Plus, these two doofuses' faces appeared everywhere in advertisements. And now I can't stop shufflin'. It just gets in your bones or something. Darn it! Here's to the most annoying, addicting song of the year. You're right up there with the Macarena.

These morons kinda remind me of some people I knew back in high school I'm not giving any clues as to which people I'm thinking of, but some of you will get it without even thinking twice.

I'm Done!

"Hallelujah!" Christmas and symbolism. 'Nuff said.

Maybe now I'll be able to post something worth reading in the near future...or not.

Funeral for Fall '11

Well, as this semester passes away, and all the memories fade into oblivion, I call upon the powers of Boyz II Men to put it to bed. And in a somewhat facetious, somewhat sarcastic (with a hint of bittersweet) tone, I am not really sad to see it die. I repeat that I have acquired vast amounts of knowledge, but most of it has been internal. Despite the procrastination and falling behind, I've grown.

I don't want to draw out the sappiness, even though it is halfhearted; but regardless of the fact that this song meant more in 9th grade than it does now, it still fits for today. Just one more final reflection to endure. Maybe I'll kill it off tonight...with a large cleaver. Or maybe I'll just bash it with my fists. Wow, I'm violent tonight!

"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" in more ways than one. But tomorrow, I'll be a new man...with a new set of pressures and stresses. Yippee!

The Count Goes On

One more paper down! Only one more to revise. One more class. Just think, I could have used Metallia's "One" to tie the theme together today. However, you get a little more '80s backlash as I'm stuck in a time capsule. For me and for Major Tom, the count goes on!

Europe Anyone?

Time for a trip back to the '80s to get set for "The Final Countdown." I know I still have quite a way to go in my Ed.D. program, but I am counting down this semester. Two more papers, one final, one more class. It all ends Thursday night!

It's been a tough semester, and even though I've learned more than my professors probably think, I can't wait until it's over. I'm ramping things up tonight to give it a good go tomorrow, as I take the day off to finish off my written assignments. Wish me luck, 'cause I'm gonna need as much as I can get.

And even if you don't care about my philosophical development or my stress levels or anything else, you can't hate on Europe.

Hmmm...maybe a trip is in order....