"A long time ago, we used to be friends..." ~the dandy warhols

Random post for my TV-obsessed readers: there's something else I've wanting to mention just because it really pissed me off and I feel like venting. I'm mad at Rob Thomas (the creator of Veronica Mars). He killed off my favorite character (besides Veronica, of course) last week. Not cool, Rob, not cool. Couch Baron, who is also upset (like most fans are), explains his frustration:

I'll keep this short: I think this death was totally lame. It's not that I don't respect a show that's willing to kill off a main character in an unexpected way, because I do. That's the sort of stuff that can keep television fresh. And I think integrating Lamb into the college setting hasn't really worked all that well, so for that reason alone I can get behind the decision to get rid of him. It's just that the way the death occurred was totally pointless. Sure, officers of the law die like this all the time. That's completely irrelevant: as this and other programming demonstrates to us all the time, just because it happens in real life doesn't automatically make it good drama. As much as this show strives for continuity, it isn't vérité. I doubt there's going to be any fallout from Lamb's death, I don't think any character is going to be the slightest bit affected by it after this episode, and I don't think there's any lesson the show wants us to learn here. I mean, Landry seems to be pushing the idea that Veronica's too good for the PI game, which could be interesting. But rather than force her to make that decision herself, the show's giving her an easy way out by breaking up Mars Investigations. So beyond a little shock value, what do we get out of this, other than Keith becoming sheriff, which frankly I don't see the need for? Very little, and I think it's a shame to give a popular and hardworking regular such a crappy sendoff. It feels rushed and lacking in intention. I mean, I had no problem with the show giving Teddy Dunn such a nice sendoff, but would it have been too much to ask to do something decent for Muhney, who's ten times the actor? It makes you think the writers never really knew what they had there, which is quite a shame.

CB is totally right; Michael Muhney was one of the best actors on that show, and he was incredibly under-appreciated. He also promoted the heck out of the show, moreso than most of the other actors. He didn't deserve to be killed off that way. It was pointless and unfair and stupid, and now the fans are angry (and rightfully so). Michael has been really classy about the whole thing and hasn't spoken up about it. Hopefully someone else will realize how talented he is and scoop him up and make him a star.


Another TV-related item:
During the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy, there was some seriously good acting going on. Patrick Dempsey definitely got his Emmy FYC episode submission last week, and it very well might be enough to score him a win. His scene with Kate Walsh was particularly good. But I was especially excited to see Kyle Chandler and Jeffrey Dean Morgan back for a couple of eps. I love JDM. I was offered a job as a PA on a movie he was in last fall and I seriously wanted to take off school to go make the movie. He's so charming and gorgeous; I just had to take a screen cap of him.

*melts*
Okay, that's enough TV-related rambling for now. I need to do plan some lessons.

"It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest. It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success. Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief. All kill their inspiration and sing about the grief." ~u2

I've been really into Achtung Baby lately. I think it's my favorite U2 album (which is saying a lot, because they're my favorite band in the world and they've made 14 stellar albums). The more I listen to it, the more I love it. It took me some time to fully appreciate some of the songs, but now I feel like every single song is strong. Hearing some of them live really turned me on to those songs.

So I haven't written for a while. Synchro has been occupying all of my time up until today. Here's a recap of my life in the past few days:

Thursday: Went to see my high school's production of The Boy Friend, which was very good. One student with whom I'm pretty close had a big role, and she was amazing. It made me so happy to see her up on stage dancing, singing, and acting her heart out, especially when she had spent a few of her lunch periods that week crying in my classroom. She's such a great girl, and she's very talented, but she has a tough life right now. I can see that she loves and is passionate about theater, and I really hope that she can keep pursuing it wherever she chooses after she graduates high school.
Thursday night: Sprained my ankle walking from my car to my apartment. The night before I was scheduled to leave for my last synchro meet ever. Good move, Claire.

Friday: Went to the health center, where they gave me crutches and pills. We left for Southern Regionals at the University of Georgia on Friday afternoon. It was a 9-hour bus ride, and there were no empty seats because there were four teams sharing the bus. It wasn't bad, though. We watched 4 movies on the way there. I love my synchro girls, so I enjoyed spending time with them on the bus.

Saturday: Luckily my ankle felt much better and I was able to swim with no problems. My trio did really well. As we were swimming I had the biggest grin on my face; I was thinking about how much I love synchro and how I wanted to make that swim memorable and special because it was my last swim. It was such a great feeling.
My grandparents came to watch, which was amazing. I can't tell you how excited I was to see them. I love them so much. We went out to lunch and ended up at McDonald's because we got lost and didn't have much time because I had to be back at the pool to swim Figures. I wish I could have spent more time with them.
In Figures, I got 6th out of 42, which made me very happy. Somersub was my last figure, and as I was waiting for my turn I kept thinking about how I was about to do my last figure ever. I was nervous. I nailed it, though, and it was a great way to end my season.
Saturday night: We walked around downtown Athens, which is a beautiful little city. It reminded me of a bunch of Cary Streets put together. We ate at a cheap but good local restaurant.

Sunday: After the awards ceremony, we headed back to Virginia. We watched 4 more movies on the bus and the time passed relatively quickly.
Sunday night: I started watching the Oscars immediately when I walked in my door (around 10pm).

My Oscar reactions:
Best Picture: I was very happy to see The Departed win best picture; I probably would have preferred Little Miss Sunshine, but The Departed was my second choice and I thought it was deserving. I watched it for the second time on the bus ride home that day, which made me like it even more. Although as we were watching it I had to keep explaining what was going on to everyone else on my team because they hadn't seen it before.
Best Director: I seriously went crazy when Martin Scorsese won; I was so incredibly happy for him. If he had lost I think I would have destroyed the TV. I. Love. Him.
Best Supporting Actor: I wanted Jackie Earle Haley to win; he was amazing in Little Children. I thought that one of Little Miss Sunshine's main strengths was its fabulous ensemble cast in which no single actor stood out, so I didn't think a single actor from the movie should be recognized, but I do love Alan Arkin so I was happy for him.
Best Foreign Language Film: Seriously? I can't believe Pan's Labyrinth didn't win. Then again, that category was screwed up when the nominees were announced; I still can't believe Volver wasn't even nominated.
Best Score: Should have gone to Notes on a Scandal.
That's all for now. The other main awards (best actor, best actress, best supporting actress) were very predictable. Overall I'm pretty pleased with the results.

I'm sorry if this post is incoherent; I am seriously sleep-deprived. Hopefully I'll be able to start catching up this week.

"Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is. Sleeping is giving in, so lift those heavy eyelids." ~the arcade fire

Mood: excited

Check out the cover of NME's current issue:

Do you see who's on the cover? The Arcade Fire, with the title "The Second Coming of the World's Greatest Band." The World's Greatest Band. How frakkin' awesome is that?! I don't know if I can agree that they're the world's greatest band, but they are most definitely among the top 5 bands in the world (in my humble opinion), and they deserve all possible recognition for their music. I LOVE The Arcade Fire. I can't tell you how excited I am for Neon Bible. I preordered it a couple of months ago, and it finally comes out next month. It seems like I've been waiting forever. I've actually decided to avoid listening to the leaked copy, which is killing me, but I think it'll be worth it when I get the real CD and I can listen to it for the first time with great sound quality in all its glory. The album has already gotten fabulous reviews. Hot Press said, "The Arcade Fire are unquestionably the real deal. And to prove it they’ve now thrown in another contender for ‘best record of the decade’." Yeah, that's right, best record of the decade. The Sunday Tribune said, "It is impossible in 100 words to convey the brilliance of this Montreal six-piece's sophomore album....There is not one flaw here." I could go on quoting, but I'll spare you (I know I've already rambled about The Arcade Fire on this blog before). It just really excites me.

I'm teaching Paradise Lost to my kids now. Yesterday I started it with two of my classes, and it was an absolute disaster. They didn't understand it at all. Today was better, though; I changed the lesson around, and today's class actually seemed to "get it," although we moved a lot slower. I started teaching in my drama class this week, and that seems to be going okay. The focus is on acting, with which I have no experience, but I think (hope) it sounds like I know what I'm talking about.

On Friday I leave for Georgia! Our synchro team is competing in Regionals there. I'm excited. My grandparents are coming to watch, which I think is really sweet. Hopefully it'll be really warm there.

Today one of the AP kids asked if I was married. Heh. I got a laugh out of that. Usually the problem is that I seem too young. Now some kids are assuming that I'm married.

"I'm a liar; it's my secret, no one knows. I'm a liar, yeah, I know it doesn't show." ~8mm

Mood: lethargic


I'm so good at procrastinating. I've blogged so many times in the past few days; I've definitely set a personal record. I just don't want to plan lessons.

Studio 60 was soooo good tonight. I'm afraid it may have been the last episode ever to air, which makes me really, really sad. I want to see Jordan and Danny as parents. Supposedly it's just being "shelved until a later date," but whenever that's the case with a TV show, the later date never comes. This is such a smart show, too. In honor of it probably being the last episode, here's part of my favorite scene from tonight (this isn't exactly one of the show's smartest, most intellectual moments, but it was funny to watch, especially because Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford are such good actors). I even took a screen capture for you:

I love the look on Jordan's face. And the way that Danny is trying to get away as fast as possible.
[This is after the prop guys have turned Jordan's $600 Baby Care doll (that cries and needs to be fed, burped, rocked, etc.) into a pimped-out jack-in-the-box with eyes that pop out and a head on a spring, after its head got chopped off.]
Jordan: (screams) What was that?!
Danny: That never happened while I was taking care of it.
J: What did you do do it???
D: I'll tell you what I did to it, okay? The baby was in an accident, as babies sometimes are, and I rushed it immediately to a doctor of some sort.
J: What kind of accident?
D: A freak accident.
J: What kind of freak accident?
D: (pause) It was decapitated in an 18th century French guillotine.
J: Uh-huh. And what kind of doctor?
D: Our property master and our director of special effects.
J: Danny!

I had one of those dolls in high school for a couple of days; it was for my Child Growth & Development class. I had to wake up 4 times in one night to take care of it, and I had to step out of class a few times because it started crying. It was not easy. I don't blame Danny for allowing Jordan's to be decapitated.

"I've got everything that you want. I've got everything, and someday I'll be President." ~counting crows

Mood: crazy

I know I used that opening lyric recently (I posted a freakin' paragraph on how I love the way he sings the word "President"), but it's appropriate today.

My Presidential Hottie Soulmate is:
James Madison - the Emo President

"Maybe he was a little short, a little moody, a little sickly, but the man had a mind like a steel trap -- all the better for remembering anniversaries or your favorite pizza toppings or what song was playing the moment you first met. He was sensitive and brilliant, and you guys could have stayed up 'til 4 am just talking and talking and talking and never once gotten bored. Even better, he was totally laid back in his relationship -- his wife Dolley was the number one party girl of her time, and he totally let her be herself even though he was more into, well, politics. He was one of those stealth hotties -- the kind where first you're like "Madison? Yeah, he's cool. He's super interesting." Then eventually you're like, "I love that guy. He's my best friend." And then, one day you wake up and you love him to the depths of your soul and can't live without him."
Of course I'm not surprised that I got "The Emo President" (I'm totally into emo), but I didn't realize that would be James Madison!
Thanks to Gen for alerting me to this quiz.
Happy President's Day!

"Ain't it funny how the night moves, when you just don't seem to have as much to lose. Strange how the night moves..." ~bob seger & the silver bullet band

Mood: lazy

That song was on The O.C. last week and I got so excited. Julie and Kaitlin sang it a couple of times while they were stuck inside the ice cream shop after the earthquake. Julie said she used to sing that song to Kaitlin as she put her to bed when she was little, and the kid who worked in the ice cream shop questioned the appropriateness of singing the song to a little kid considering its sexual lyrics. The looks that Julie and Kaitlin gave him were priceless. I loved it. Strangely enough, Kaitlin has become my favorite character on that show. Last year when they announced that she would be a regular cast member this season, I was skeptical, but she's been fabulous. I can't believe there's only one episode left of The O.C. That makes me so sad; I've stuck with it all four seasons and, despite its ups and downs, I really think it's a great show. Anyway, back to Night Moves. I love that song. Counting Crows did a great cover of it at Shim Sham four years ago. The O.C. always features the best music.

Unfortunately, my weekend has been filled with vomit. When I was babysitting today, Tim threw up all over the living room floor and I had to clean it up. I felt bad that he was sick. It was not the easiest day of babysitting, though. But I still love those kids. I get such a kick out of Ben; he's hilarious. He always has so much energy, he loves when I pick him up, and he rambles on and on incomprehensibly. He's adorable.

I really need to stop procrastinating. I'm just not in the mood to work, though. I have to go to synchro soon, so I'll go get ready for that.

"I've been up all night, and I might sleep all day. Get your dreams just right, and let 'em slip away. I might sleep all day." ~counting crows

Mood: sleepy

They should have made that song a single. I think I've said that before here, but it's true. There was a petition on the old CCMB to get the band to make it a single. It didn't work, obviously.

Synchro initiation #2 was a lot of fun. Here's a picture of me and my family (my new little, my other little, me, and my little's little):

I ended up throwing up in the middle of my living room, though. That wasn't fun. I managed to catch most of the vomit with my hands. Gross, I know. I'm sure you really wanted to hear that detail. I didn't even feel drunk. Aren't I such a good head captain? Don't I set such a great example for my girls? Ugh. They were all great about it, though. And we did have a great time together. Some other people embarrassed themselves as well, but I won't share the details.
I'll miss synchro so much after I graduate. I only have one week left of synchro, actually. We leave for Georgia on Friday, and when we come back next Sunday my season will be over. Synchro has been a huge part of my college life; I'm so glad I tried it. I don't like thinking about not being on the team.

Now I really need to get down to work. I have to make up a study guide and a test for my 17th century poetry unit, start planning my Lord of the Flies unit, and work on my drama lesson plans (which I start teaching this week). I just feel like going back to bed, though.

"If you wanna kiss the sky, you better learn how to kneel. On your knees, boy!" ~u2

Mood: excited

I think I'm going to bring over my KB mood theme from LJ and use it here. I don't know how long it'll last.

The Associated Press took a photo of my Uncle Bob and it's online now. I think it's pretty funny. My poor relatives just moved to Maine and now they're dealing with a state of emergency and a rare blizzard warning. I don't think my cousins are thrilled, but my uncle is certainly trying to make the best of it (on a bike, no less).

I got my Praxis scores back and I got a 190, which is apparently really good! I thought I failed, so I'm pretty happy.

I gotta go get ready for initiation now! Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow.

" I dream I'm in New York City some nights. Angels flow down from all the buildings. Something about an angel just kills me..." ~counting crows

I love the way ad sings that last line, like you can really hear him suffering. He stammers and his voice cracks as he sings "kills me," like it's killing him just to talk about it. I love that song. I love it so much that I want to live in Chelsea just so that I can play that song (Chelsea) all the time. Chelsea is a nice neighborhood, actually; I would love to live there even if Counting Crows didn't write a beautiful, heartbreaking song about it. Ryan Adams also wrote a great song about Chelsea (Chelsea Nights). For some reason there's something about the neighborhood that makes soulful musicians write brooding, haunting songs about it. Too bad I can't afford an apartment in Chelsea.

Speaking of Broadway, my parents went to see The Drowsy Chaperone tonight after hearing me talk about it for a year. They loved it. My mom called me immediately after the show ended to rave about it. I think I may just have to go watch my video of it now.

Tomorrow is synchro initiation #2. It's gonna be fun. That's all for now.

"When I left you alone to fight your battles of long winters in motels, what went through your mind? How is it that you made it? How is it that you noticed? It wasn't me who was looking at you through foggy glass or windows... it was them....I was in the desert waving planes and burning phonebooks to a tune that was famous the year I was born. Do not leave me dancing alone..." ~damien jurado

That song is so beautiful. I love it.

I think I was a little too harsh on the Grammys a few days ago. I have to keep in mind that they gave U2 5 awards last year (including album of the year and song of the year). The band has won 21 Grammys in total. How mindblowing is that? 21 Grammys. That's amazing. I can't badmouth an awards show that is so kind to my favorite band in the world. This year's awards weren't that bad, either. The Dixie Chicks were in the same position that U2 was in last year (they won 5 awards, including album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year). The Red Hot Chili Peppers won 4. Mary J. Blige won 3. All of those artists released really good albums this year, and they deserved to be honored. I guess I just wish some smaller bands and artists (like Damien Jurado, for example) would get noticed more often. I love a few big, famous artists like U2, but there are so many other bands out there that no one has heard of and are pretty darn talented as well.

I have a few more quotes from my kids to add to my ongoing list, so here goes:

1. Big Bird was talking to Ms. W. and I during lunch, and she wondered if I minded that Ms. W. leaves the room while I'm teaching. She said, "When we learned tumbles (in cheerleading), I felt like a scared, lost, little bunny. Do you feel like a lost little bunny when Ms. W. leaves you alone?" This girl is like no one else I've ever met, and I love it. She's hilarious. Writing her words down doesn't do her justice, because her delivery is what makes everything she says so funny and interesting. She's so straightforward and uninhibited and everyone thinks she's crazy but she doesn't care at all what anyone thinks of her. In an essay that she turned in today, she didn't know what to write so she wrote, "I'm crazy about Ms. W. and Ms. B." in her conclusion and asked if that would get her extra points.

2. Another one from Big Bird: "Don't worry, we won't be barbaric." She likes throwing vocab words, like barbaric, into conversations. Today she said something like, "Stop affronting me!" to another student.

3. "I'm going to name my first child Wiglaf. Or Caliope."

4. Ms. W. read these lines from Andrew Marvell's poem "The Garden" to her AP class:
"Such was that happy Garden-state,
While Man there walk'd without a mate."
Ms. W: What is he talking about here?
Kid: Um....New Jersey?

"As we stumble along, 'cross life's crowded dance floors, as we push and we shove, we live and we learn. And when we finally leave the bar, and we see that morning star, we pull our boot straps up and homeward turn. Then we stumble away, through dawn's blinding sunbeams. Barely knowing right from right, nor left from wrong. But as long as we can hear that little blue bird, there'll be a song as we stumble along. As we stumble, bumble, fumble, plumble, as we stumble along." ~the drowsy chaperone

Heather, this post is for you. And for anyone else planning on being in NYC any time in the near future. I love writing and talking about musicals and trying to get other people excited about them, so making a list of recommendations was so much fun for me. Here are the best musicals on Broadway. I'm not as crazy about straight plays (except for ones written by Martin McDonagh), and there aren't any spectacular ones on Broadway right now, so I'm not including any. I'm also including info on how you could get cheap tickets, because Broadway is expensive.
Here's a good website with lots of info on shows and their rush/lotto policies. And here are my faves, roughly in order of recommendation from highest to lowest (but all the ones I'm listing are great):

If you're looking for something fun, go see The Drowsy Chaperone. It's very clever and hilarious, and you'll especially appreciate it if you're a big musical theater fan. It's about a man listening to a record of his favorite 1920s musical.
They sell cheap balcony seats in advance here. You can also do their lottery on the day of the show if you're feeling lucky and don't mind taking a chance. At 5:30pm (for an 8:00pm show), you can put your name into the lottery. They draw names at 6:00pm. I think they draw about 13 names (2 tickets each). Those are cheap tickets, and they're in the front row. I've tried lotto twice and won once.

Grey Gardens is another wonderful musical. It's funny and sad at the same time. The second act is based on a famous documentary. It's about Edith Beale and her daughter (Big Edie and Little Edie, relatives of Jackie Kennedy) living in a deteriorating old house on Long Island. They never leave the estate, and they are unhealthily dependent on each other. The main reason to see it is for Christine Ebersole; she gives one of the greatest stage performances ever. It's scary to watch the musical and then watch the documentary and realize how accurately Ebersole captures the essence Little Edie. They sell balcony tickets for $36.50 (buy them on telecharge.com), and it's not a bad view from up there.

Spring Awakening is amazing. Duncan Sheik wrote the music and it's very modern (you probably know some of his songs; Barely Breathing is his most famous). It's based on an 1891 German play about teenagers exploring their sexuality in a very oppressive community. They sell seats on-stage, which I did and thought was very cool. Those are $31.25, sold at telecharge.com. They also sell cheap rush tickets on the day of the show when the box office opens (10:00am). They might sell cheap tickets in advance as well; I'm not sure (check telecharge).

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is also wonderful. It's absolutely hilarious. It's about a spelling bee (in case that isn't apparent in the title). They have a lottery, names drawn 1.5 hours before the show (put your name in 2 hours prior to curtain). I don't think they sell any cheap seats in advance (check telecharge).

Jersey Boys is amazing. It swept the Tonys last year (best musical, best actor, best book...). It's the story of Frankie Valli and Four Seasons, and it's really, really well produced. If you can get tickets, I highly recommend it. Advance tickets are expensive, though (go to telecharge.com). You can do student rush on the morning of the show; they sell tickets (usually not more than 20, depends on availability) when the box office opens (10:00am on most days) to students (bring a student ID) for $26.25. The rush seats are usually good; I got front row. You'd have to get to the box office fairly early, though (by 9:00am). They sell the tickets at 10:00am for that evening's performance (and for the matinees on Saturday and Wednesday).

Company is a more serious musical. It's a Sondheim show, so of course the music is amazing. It's about a single man in New York examining marriage by looking at five couples that are his friends. It's beautifully directed by John Doyle, and the actors make up the orchestra as well, which is very cool to see. If you're not a huge theater fan, though, I'm not sure it's the best show to see.

If you've never seen Les Mis, I'd recommend it just because it's a classic. The current cast is pretty good overall. They sell $26.25 student rush tickets 2 hours before performances on Tuesday through Thursday evenings.

Okay, I think that's it. Ask me if you have any questions!

"Don't be a coconut, God is trying to talk to you. We could drag it out but that's for other bands to do. I've got nothing to say. I've got nothing to say. I've got nothing to say. I've got nothing to say. I've got nothing to give. Got no reason to live, but I will fight to survive. I've got nothing to hide, wish I wasn't so shy." ~the strokes

I've been listening to The Strokes lately. They are truly one of the best bands around today. They had a whole lotta hype to live up to even before they released their debut album, and that put a great deal of pressure on them, but they still managed to release one of the best debut albums ever and follow it by two more stellar releases. I love the fact that they're a New York band to the core. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next. Here's my review of their concert last spring at the Hammerstein Ballroom, in case you missed it when I posted it for the first time. Julian sitting alone at the piano singing "Ask Me Anything" (quoted above) was a beautiful moment. That concert was crazy. It was a really, really fun night, though. Nic's review is more interesting and amusing than mine; maybe I'll post it later. The band was touring First Impressions of Life on Earth, one of the best albums of the year.

I didn't watch the Grammys last night. You'd think that I would have, being the obsessed music fan that I am, but I decided to boycott them because I was disappointed with the nominees. The Strokes should have been nominated. The Grammys have become too mainstream, political, and commercialized. They make me mad.

School was okay today. Luckily my supervisor observed my easiest, smallest, most well-behaved class, and everything went well. The students were attentive and responsive. They quickly figured out that I was being observed, and one of them loudly announced that I was going to make a great teacher. The other two classes of the day did not go as smoothly. On Monday all classes meet (for 42 minutes each), and if it had been any other day (when we have 90 minute periods), I would have had one class stage a mutiny and the other class all fall asleep. They're getting sick of poetry. And so am I. We still have Donne and Milton left, which are the most difficult. I'm not looking forward to teaching those lessons.

Good moment today: During one class (the one that my supervisor observed), one student asked me if she could recite a poem she had written. She wants to perform it at the talent show. She was absolutely amazing. Her poem was very long (it took her about 4 minutes to recite it), and she had the whole thing memorized; she didn't use any notes at all. It almost sounded like a rap song as she performed it. It was incredibly well-written. This girl has had a really tough life, and she manages to put all her feelings and experiences into her poetry. She is so incredibly talented. I wanted to cry, applaud, cheer, and hug her all at the same time. The students always start packing up 5 minutes before the bell rings no matter how many times I tell them not to, but the student was still reciting as the bell rang and no one in the class moved until she was finished. I was so proud. It was a good moment.

"And every time I try to pick it up, like falling sand, as fast as I pick it up, it runs away through my clutching hands. But there's nothing else I can really do. There's nothing else I can really do. There's nothing else I can really do at all..." ~the cure

Oh, The Cure. How wonderful are they.

I haven't blogged for awhile; I've been busy. On Friday night I had the synchro team over to my apartment for dinner, which was fun. I made vegetarian lasagna, and we finished it all so apparently it turned out okay. We played Apples to Apples and laughed and just relaxed together. Yesterday we had a synchro meet vs. Ohio State. It was my last home meet, which was sad. My trio didn't swim our best, and the meet turned into a disaster when we blew out the underwater speakers, but it was still fun. We managed to magically fix the speakers so that the team routines could swim to music, and watching Ohio State's team routine was amazing. Some of those girls are olympic swimmers, and it definitely shows. They are beyond talented. My parents came down to see me swim, and we went out to dinner last night and walked around Short Pump. It was good to see them. I haven't done any work this weekend, though, which is a bad thing. I need to plan a unit for my drama class. At first she told me I wouldn't be teaching until March, but on Friday she said that I'll be starting my unit a week from Monday. That's definitely not enough time to plan, especially because I'm also planning for my English classes. Arg. And my student teaching supervisor is coming to observe me teach an English lesson on Monday. I need to finalize my plans for that lesson and make sure that he won't have to see chaos ensue.

Before I head off to babysit for 5 hours, I want to share a lovely poem that one of my students wrote. They had to respond to the speaker of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," through poetry or prose. It's not an easy poem to understand. This one kid doesn't like to do homework, doesn't respect me, and always talks during class (about topics totally unrelated to class). He definitely makes teaching a challenge. But he actually did this homework assignment, and I was so happy that he actually put some thought into it. So here's his poem:

"Hey dude.
Why don't you chill out
You creep.
I seriously think you need to back off.
I mean, let's be real.
Like my boy Daniel said.
With that make-up and hair, you look like you could be someone's Coy Mistress yourself.
Pervert.
You're lucky you lived about a billion years ago.
Because that's the type of thing that gets you a restraining order nowadays.
I don't know which pleasures you're going to 'tear with rough strife.'
But that sounds like something you could go to jail for."

"We are the champions, my friends." ~queen

CONGRATS TO THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS! I was so happy to see them win; they deserved it. It was a good Super Bowl this year. The halftime show was amazing. Seriously, Prince was on fire. Great performance, great production. It was by far the best halftime show since U2. The commercials weren't great overall, but the football and the halftime show more than made up for that. Budweiser had the best commercials. I thought the "Rock, paper, scissors" one that aired at the very beginning was hilarious.

Today, instead of teaching, I got to go to an all-day workshop at the Virginia Holocaust Museum with my cooperating teacher. It was an incredibly worthwhile and eye-opening experience. We received copies of the book Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust and talked about how to teach it to students. There were so many teenagers like Anne Frank who kept diaries, and this author compiled a collection of them so that more voices could be heard. We met with Holocaust survivors. I got to sit next to a man who survived five different concentration camps and listen to him talk about his experience. He told me that it isn't easy to think about and talk about what happened to him and his family, but he knows that he has to talk about it so that people will know what will happen if we stand aside and don't do anything to fight genocide. It is still happening today. We went beyond the Holocaust and discussed more recent genocides. Someone from the Sudan spoke to us about Darfur.
We watched a 60 Minutes special in which a reporter discovered that North Korea is using The Diary of Anne Frank in schools to compare America to the Nazis and George W. Bush to Hitler. It was really, really scary. The kids were completely brainwashed into thinking that all Americans are Nazis. The message they got from The Diary of Anne Frank is that America needs to be completely destroyed. I'm totally serious. One student's response was, "”After reading this book, I had a hatred for the American imperialists." Another said, "As long as the warmonger Bush and the Nazi Americans live, who are worse than Hitler's fascists, world peace will be impossible to achieve.” The rest of the students expressed similar viewpoints. They saw Anne Frank as weak for hiding. Here's an article on it. I could not believe it.
The whole program was an eye-opening experience. I was very glad to have the opportunity to go, and I hope I can use some of the material in my future classes.

"It's a town full of losers, and I'm pulling out of here to win."

I know, I know, I'm back to Bruce. It seemed appropriate considering the subject of today's post as well as the fact that the Super Bowl is tonight, though.
GO COLTS!!!

Whenever I hear Bruce sing that line, I expect to hear "When I think of Heaven..." right after it. Counting Crows cover Thunder Road, and they stick the song in the middle of Rain King, so Adam goes straight into "When I think of Heaven..." after singing the last line of Thunder Road. And that's always what I expect to hear.

The Oscars are quickly approaching. They are in exactly three weeks. And I can't wait. I love Oscar night. Sometimes I don't love it so much after they've given out the awards to the wrong people, but I love that feeling as they call the nominees' names and everyone holds their breath as the presenter begins to open the envelope. It's thrilling. Here are my predictions, along with who I think should win. I haven't seen all the nominated films, so in my "Should win" picks I'm going by what I've seen. Although I have noticed that many critics agree with my "should win" picks. I may change my predictions closer to Oscar night, because the buzz changes every day. But I'm fairly confident in what I have now.

Best Picture:
Will win: Babel
Should win: Little Miss Sunshine or The Departed (I'll be thrilled if either wins)

Best Actress:
Will win: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Should win: Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
This category is insane this year. It's filled with amazing performances. I thought Judi Dench was particularly good, though. I wouldn't mind Kate Winslet (Little Children) pulling off an upset, either. She was amazing. I think it's funny how they try to make her frumpy and not very attractive in the film, but she's still incredibly beautiful.

Best Supporting Actress:
Will win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Should win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
This is an easy one. I wouldn't mind seeing Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) pull a Marisa Tomei, though. Or Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal).

Best Actor:
Will win: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Should win: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Yes, I know, Leo isn't even nominated for The Departed. But he should be (and I'm not the only person who thinks so). Most critics agree that his performance in that movie is one of the best performances of the year. I guess I wouldn't mind if he won for Blood Diamond, though. I won't mind if Forest Whitaker wins, either (and I'm pretty sure he'll win). I like him. I'm very glad to see Ryan Gosling's name among the nominees, but I don't think he has a chance.

Best Supporting Actor:
Will win: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Should win: Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children)
This is the acting category in which there is the greatest chance for an upset. Either Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) or Jackie Early Haley could sweep in and take it. I love Alan Arkin, but I don't think his role was large enough to merit a win. I would LOVE to see Jackie Earle Haley get this award. I mean, what a comeback. He's absolutely brilliant in Little Children. You don't know whether to despise his character or feel sorry for him.

Best Director:
Will win: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Should win: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
I've mentioned this already, but I'll say it again. If Marty does not win, you will be able to hear me scream from across the country, and Clint Eastwood better watch out.

Best Original Screenplay:
Will win: The Queen
Should win: Little Miss Sunshine

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Will win: The Departed
Should win: Notes on a Scandal
This category is really tricky for me to predict and to choose my pick.

That's all the categories I'm doing for now. I'm not as sure about the smaller categories (sound editing, cinematography, etc.).

"I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow, casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there counting crows. One for sorrow, two for joy, three for girls and four for boys. Five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told. There's a bird that nests inside you, sleeping underneath your skin. When you open up your wings to speak, I wish you'd let me in. All your life is such a shame, shame, shame. All your love is just a dream, dream, dream. Open up your eyes, you can see the flames, flames, flames. Of your wasted life, you should be ashamed. You don't want to waste your life, the way I waste my life...I walk along these hillsides in the summer 'neath the sunshine, I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me..." ~counting crows

I want this shirt:

Too bad it's $23; I don't want it that badly. I am SO on Team Bullit, though. Even though we've already lost. I'm talking about The O.C. by the way, just in case you don't watch it and have no idea what I'm talking about. This season is sooo good. Kaitlin and Bullit are adorable; they almost made me cry in this week's episode. He's such a wonderful father figure for her, and she really needs that right now. I'll be sad to see the series end in 3 weeks.
Grey's Anatomy was also fabulous this week. Ellen Pompeo will most likely use the episode as her FYC submission to the Emmys; she gave what I think is the best performance I've ever seen from her. I love her. She's amazing. And this week more than made up for her recent disasterous SAG Awards speech (which I thought was kind of adorable, although I know I'm in the minority in having that opinion).

So here's something that's been on my mind lately. I'm weird about music. Or at least I thought I was weird about it. But now I'm realizing that I'm actually not alone. There are some songs (actually, they're mostly specific live performances of certain songs) that I love so much that I can't share them with anyone else. I know that's incredibly selfish of me, but it's the truth and I can't do anything about it. Sharing one of those songs would be like tearing out a piece of my soul and putting it on display for all the world to see. I can talk about those songs/specific performances with other obsessed fans online because they "get it." But I just can't bring myself to play certain songs to people who don't know Bono and Edge's real names and how they got their nicknames, who don't know whom Anna, Elisabeth, Mary Ann, Amy, Amelia, and Maria are to Adam Duritz, to people who don't know what Brandon Flowers thinks of indie rock, to people who haven't waited outside for 10 hours in NYC in November to get a spot on the railing at a U2 concert...I'm a music snob. I know it. I can't help it, I really can't. I wish I could. And I've often thought about how crazy I am because I'm like this. But there are others like me, which makes me feel so much better. A fellow CC fan wrote the following about a particular version of a particular song: "That version means so much to me I don't like to share it with 'non-fans.'" I feel exactly the same way (regarding the same version of the same song he's talking about, too, which I was more than fortunate enough to hear performed live this summer). I love music, I listen to a whole lot of it, and I only feel that passionate protectiveness about a very, very select few songs/versions. I think they're mostly by Counting Crows (maybe one or two by U2). I don't know why we music snobs are so hesitant to share our passion with others. You'd think we'd want to show others how awesome some music can be. But sometimes I think it's because we're afraid others wouldn't recognize the awesomeness of a particular song. If they don't spend their free time learning as much about the band as possible, obsessing over little details about the origins of songs, and digging up as many live versions as they can find of certain songs (I've accumulated over 30 versions each of a few songs), will they fully appreciate a specific performance? And if they don't appreciate it, what does that say about those of us whose hearts break every time we hear it? I don't know, I'm rambling. I'm just trying to make sense of myself. Which is an impossible task.

"The sky glows, I see it shining when my eyes close. I hear your warnings but we both know, I'm gonna look at it again. Don't wait, don't wait. The road is now a sudden sea, and suddenly you're deep enough to lay your armor down. To lay your armor down. To lay your armor down." ~dashboard confessional

I think I've done enough lyrics from the Boss for now, so I'm moving on to a new artist. And Dashboard Confessional is a worthy successor. I love that song. I love that whole album. That song is a perfect way to kick it off.

Today I got letters from kids in my last class telling me about themselves. A few quotes:

"I want really smart kids, but if something bad happens and they some reason they cant be smart then I will still love them anyway."

"I hate my job. They think I'm stealing but I'm not!!!!!!!"

And I have to post one entire letter, because it's too funny not to. This kid is absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately he has some learning disabilities that make school hard for him, but I can totally picture him as a famous writer someday. I read one assignment he wrote last semester and it was one of the most creative pieces of writing I've ever read. So here's what he wrote to me today:

"Every fiber of my being is slaving to the goal of being the best ditch digger in the tri-state area.

Usually I'm pretty easy-going, but if pressed I'm liable to bury the assailant under my rose garden.

I like burning carpet and putting sand in people's toilets.

I love flipping through my well-worn copy of Mein Keimph, it's so inspiring!

Lastly, I like counting...to seven."

The kid is hilarious, he's a genius, and I don't know what to do with him in my class because he's much better at writing creative stories and philosophical rants than he is at sitting in class learning about seventeenth century poetry. I really want to encourage him to write and to go to college (which he doesn't want to do), but I have to teach specific material, about which I'm afraid he isn't interested in learning. So I have to make the material interesting. Which is hard to do when I'm not a huge fan of it myself.

Yesterday in class a girl told me I reminded her of the teacher from the movie Freedom Writers. That made me really happy.

I got a package from my grandmother today; I love getting mail from her. She sends me stacks of magazines after she reads them. She writes funny notes alongside certain articles and pictures, like, "READ THIS!!" or "I hate her hair when it's this color" or "she's obviously had some plastic surgery." She knows which actors, movies, and musicians I love, so sometimes she cuts out or tears out pictures or articles about them so that I'll be sure to see them. I love Gran so much. I think she just might be my favorite person in the world. She calls me her southern belle. I was born in Columbia, South Carolina, where she and my Grandad live, and whenever we drive past the hospital where I was born she'll say, "There's your old home, Claire!" She was there when I was born. I'm her first grandchild. She understands me.

"You can´t start a fire sitting ´round crying over a broken heart. This gun´s for hire, even if we´re just dancing in the dark. You can´t start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart. This gun´s for hire, even if we´re just dancing in the dark." ~bruce springsteen

The video for that song is pretty hilarious. It was made in the year that I was born (22 years ago), so I guess it's not surprising that times have changed and modern viewers are bound to expect slightly different things from a music video. The funniest part about it is Courteney Cox Arquette (she was just Courteney Cox back then). She was only 19 years old when she filmed it and it was her big break. Check out her dance moves in the video.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has a release date! July 21st, 2007. They're not releasing it on 7/7/07 like some people originally expected because that's the anniversary of the London bombings. I can't wait for it. Although it's strange; I almost don't want it to come out because then I won't be able to look forward to it anymore. After I've finished reading each Harry Potter book so far, there has always been another one to look forward to. After this one, there won't be any more to wait for or to speculate about. And that makes me a little sad.

I taught my own lessons for the first time today and everything went well. The kids in both classes actually payed attention for most of the time (I had to wake one kid up three times, but that's not unusual). They responded to me and I think most of them absorbed the information. Before the lesson I asked them to write to me and tell me whatever they want me to know about them. They could write about themselves (hobbies, family, etc.), what they want to accomplish in this class, how I can help them accomplish their goals, what their future plans are, or anything else. I got some good responses. Here are a few quotes pulled from their letters:

"I want us to like each other and work good together. :-) Love you, Big Bird! P.S. I'll visit you a lot, get ready. :-) I think your going to be AMAZING! Don't let the uninvolved class discourge you."
~I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but of course all teachers do, and she's mine. People really do call her Big Bird. I'm not sure why. She's tall and has blonde hair, so that might have something to do with it. She's such a sweetheart. Hardly anyone talks in the class that she's in, but I can always count on her for a response, even if it's not a serious one. She's a cheerleader and she always is overflowing with energy. She's friendly and outgoing and talkative and honest and totally uninhibited and it's impossible not to like her. She's struggling in English class, though. I really want to help her do well.

"Big Bird is wierd."
~from her friend

"I love playing basketball, drawing, music, and of course yoga. My favorite yoga position is downward facing dog if you were interested. I don't play any instruments but I like to act like I do."
~This guy is another one of my favorites. He's a good-looking, hilarious, athletic, African-American boy who seems to be the "leader" of his class. I can always count on him for a response. He is definitely not someone I would have pegged to be interested in yoga, and I can't tell if he's serious about that or not.

"Welcome to the Jungle!"

"I don't see my dad much because he's married to a whore."
~This girl is another hilarious one. I wish I could type her whole letter here because it's just so funny. She isn't afraid to say exactly what's on her mind.

There are tons of great responses that I'm not typing. There are so many different personalities in the classes, and the range of interests is huge. I love all the kids, and I loved reading about their lives.