Happy New Year

Just wanted to take a moment (at 2:00 am) to wish everyone a Happy New Year! While the staff here at the House of Hosh has lost some relatives we were very close with this year, we look forward to a happy and healthy 2006. We wish all of you the same!

Shocking revelation

I was watching the evening news tonight and heard a follow up story concerning the death of David Moss, Jr.. For those of you out of the area, or too lazy to click the link, Mr. Moss was killed when he was restrained by a taser gun wielding OPD officer. According to the police report, Moss, Jr., who according to his father has a history of drinking and drug use, was making animal sounds and acting abnormally. The House sends its prayers to the Moss family and the family of the officer(s) involved.
I have a problem with both sides of the taser issue:
The OPD:
When taser's first came out, OPD, according to the KM3 news story I was watching (just a clarification, KETV had a better link to the story than KM3, so that's why I linked that one...I didn't actually watch KETV), they were to be rated the same as handcuffs. How are electricity and handcuffs similar? I don't hook the House up to handcuffs so that everything can run! I understand its not a large amount of electricity, but it's electricity none the less. It's not as powerful as a bullet, but it's not nearly as harmless as handcuffs. It takes no rocket scientist to figure that out. According to KM3, the status of the taser was changed after the CBS affiliate ran an investigative report (just keep telling yourself that) so that now the taser is classified just below a gun. I trust you to keep law and order, and it took you that long to figure out the power of these things? What was going to be the advantage if they weren't productive? Brilliant!
The ACLU:
Tim Butz, executive director of the Nebraska ACLU, was on talking about how bad these tasers are, how you could kill someone who has a pacemaker or some other condition. Nice work. While I understand that tasers can be deadly, there is a great way to avoid getting shocked by one: Don't be a dumbass. Instead of telling the public that you are trying to convince the police to discontinue taser use, why don't you join the police in convincing the public to obey laws? No, the police aren't always correct, but 9 times out of 10, if the police get you, you shouldn't have been in that place or doing whatever you were doing. I rarely feel sorry for someone who is arrested. While I don't know what Mr. Moss was doing at the time he was arrested, if he was behaving the way the police say he was, he was obviously doing something he shouldn't have been. The doesn't mean he should've died, but if he was conducting himself appropriately he wouldn't have been in that position. The police need every legal option available to keep up with the idiots in today's society. I think we would all agree that they don't have the time to stop and ask someone who is threatening them if they have a pacemaker. If you don't want to get shocked by a taser, don't conduct yourself in a manner that will get you shocked by one. Brilliant!

Random posting for the day

Just a couple things I wanted to get out there today:
The Omaha TV news blog, a favorite chuckle here at the House, has thankfully turned their comments back on so that we can hear stupid people behind a computer rant about stupid people on TV. I am being a bit hypocritically, as I just left a comment there. Just a side note, and the gist of my comment, Malorie Maddox from WOWT is beautiful.
Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't say congratulations to the Huskers for winning last night and on an excellent season. I've never been a Husker apologist, and never will be, but I am becoming a bigger fan. I don't know why, I guess the pressure from the Nebraska public and media and the drowning of Husker news we are presented with every day is finally wearing on me. Luckily, none of my friends know about this site so I won't get crap from them about coming over to the red side.
Speaking of football, I really hope that Texas kicks the crap out of USC in the Rose Bowl. I think its ludicrous all of the "Best team ever" stuff that ESPN has been doing on SportsCenter. USC hasn't even proved that they are the best team this year yet. Having said that, I think they probably will beat Texas. But I will be rooting for the Longhorns so that I can laugh in ESPN's face.
Off to Hooters for lunch. Oh, it's a rough day.

Eavesdropping on Antartic farting

I consider myself a fairly emotional person. I don't cry at movies...well, except Blues Brothers 2000, because that one sucked. But there are times when I get a little fired up. You can look back at previous posts, especially those dealing with the evil M-F Empire and OPS, and see times when you can imagine me sitting in the House venting like Yosemite Sam trying to pound Bugs into oblivion. Sometimes I calm down, sometimes I don't.
Being a Democrat in a Republican run United States does have some perks. No, we don't have a majority, but it also means there are more chances for Republicans to screw up and for Democrats to say "that wouldn't happen if we were in control." I would like to think wire-tapping, eavesdropping and other illegal listening devices wouldn't have happened if Democrats were in control. The president knowingly and willingly went beyond the law to get information that he thought was necessary. If it's so necessary, why don't we follow the law? If this information that the government collected is to be used in court, it will be thrown out, regardless of how important and damning it is to the alleged terroists, if the actions are ruled illegal. It will all be for not and will give America another black eye. I know you must act quickly, but, according to House of Hosh sources, there is a provision to get after-the-fact warrants to use these listening techniques. SO GET THE DAMN WARRANT!! In society today, you can't fart in Antartica without some sensor picking it up and the whole world knowing about in 30 seconds or less. Within two hours, it's on the CNN scroll and PETA is stringing up a noose, saying it will hang you from the tallest tree in Antartica. So why would the president and our government in Washington D.C., the one place in the world where more people go to get a name for themselves, whether it by local interns or foreign journalists, think they could get by with eavesdropping illegally? I understand the importance of having this information, which makes me even madder that all of this so-called valuable information was gathered illegally. I try to be nonpartisan, but some days make me thankful to be a Democrat.

Maybe a minor retraction

In my last post, I mentioned Omaha being a "wanna be" big city. I thought about this when I was driving towards downtown the other day. I think there are some aspects of Omaha that do mirror a big city (I still maintain that most media do not). Then, I saw on the CNN crawl tonight that Brooks & Dunn will be opening for the Rolling Stones here in town. That's pretty impressive to have both of those acts on the same night in Omaha. So maybe a made too general a statement. I apologize. Congrats to the Qwest Center for bringing in some great shows. You can't say enough about what they've brought to Omaha, especially the downtown area.
But what's up with these opening acts? My first concert ever (well, at least someone that had been on the radio...Otoe street dances don't count) was Kiss in 1997. They had a jazz band open for them. Oh yeah, they got booed off the stage. He had to keep doing a song countdown to keep us from revolting and charging the stage. I've been to concerts since then that I could see the relation (Kiss for Aerosmith, Godsmack for Metallica), but then Kanye West opens for U2. I understand the political view relationship, but that really doesn't register with the majority of the audience. If you are a big U2 fan, more often than not you are not going to be a Kanye West fan. I guess Brooks & Dunn has some rock flavor in their tunes, but to open for the Stones? I don't know if this is a local thing (although I don't believe it is), but I think you need to have some similarity between opening and feature act to keep the natives from being restless.
Just a program note: I'm not happy with the wire tapping, eavesdropping, etc. that pres. bush has admitted to. That will be in an upcoming post once I find some more time. School is almost out. I'm sure all of my reader will be waiting on the edge of their computer chair.
The O logo is property of the Greater Omaha Visitor's Bureau (I think). It's from visitomaha.com.

Omaha TV News

You'll find that one of our favorite blogs, Omaha TV News, has dropped its comments sections because, apparently, someone started guessing who they were and being mean to the news anchors that were supposedly contributing to the site. First of all, I liked the site because it made me laugh. We are in Omaha flippin' NE, aka the wanna be big city. Nobody gives a rats behind which nicknamed anchor stumbled over words. I enjoyed the site not so much for the posts, but for the stupid people who would get all worked up over the anchor news. I seriously feel that one of the contributors had a secret man-crush (I guess we don't know if its a man) on Travis Justice, local sports/commentary personality, and Travis scorned this dreamer. So its a lot of Trav bashing. I don't necessarily like Trav, my problem is I don't see the big deal with Trav. Secondly, and the things that made me laugh the most and the reason they won't have comments, is the people who trash the commentators. I didn't realize there were this strong of feelings for one channel/anchor or another. Get a life! I'm sorry that I won't be able to laugh at the comments anymore because someone is afraid to reveal their identity. I had my name on this site for a while, but I decided to change it to one of my nicknames because I felt it was more interesting. It's not like the nickname is that far away, and plus, this isn't published fact, it's personal opinion.
If you are ever feeling sorry for yourself or thinking that maybe you're nuts, just look around and you are bound to find someone closer to the edge than you are.
Hopefully I'll have a little extra time with the holiday break coming up to catch up on some things that are bothering me in the world. Those family members that were sick have passed, thankfully, and are watching over us. Miss you all.

The Sun'll Come Up, Tomorrow

Some days are better than others. Today wasn't all that spectacular. No need in complaining about the job. Look at your kids, think of 9 times as many, throw in a couple attitudes and what your kids really act like when they are trying to impress their friends, and you have my day. Oh, and I work with a vast majority of women.
However, coming home just topped it off. I'm an avid college basketball fan (Go Tar Heels!). I enjoy watching quality basketball (and sometimes Nebraska), no matter the teams (on another tangent, our Cleveland Indians are opening the season, presumably the same weekend of the Final Four! What could be better!).
While watching ESPN tonight, former ND coach Dick "Digger" Phelps was runnin' his mouth like it's bein' chased. Then came the flashback from last year. For whatever reason, "Digger" (cousin to "Scooter") decided last year to match his highlighters and ties. That makes a queer eye go blind. Tonight was orange night. Rediculous. Just when you think things can't get worse. (Image stolen from ESPN's website)
Lovin' the snow here in town tonight. First good snowfall at the new homestead. However, I'm sure the guy who decided to drive the motor home up the hill and get stuck just short of top isn't really to keen on the flakes. Nice work Einstein.
Rest in peace, Great-Grandma Ethel. Your son will be with you soon. We'll miss you. I'll look through the wedding album later so you can see it. I'm sorry I didn't bring it down. I'll always regret that. Love you.

The Waiting Game

I sat with the biggest, baddest, ugliest of beasts tonight. Cancer. It has been slowly tearing away at the body of a kind, gentle man I called “Grandpa.” He married my Grandma in 1977, after my dad’s dad had died from lung cancer. Grandpa was a small town kid that grew up to be a small town old-timer. He worked at the grain elevator and smoked cigars for more years than I’ve been alive. He would come home for lunch with the noon whistle echoing through the village of Otoe. When he wasn’t at work, we would find him in his chair in the southwest corner of the living room, keeping tabs on Husker and Viking football. This afternoon when I got to my grandparent’s home, there he was, in the southwest corner of the room, lying in a hospital bed, specially adorned with flannel sheets to make it seem more like the bed he’d become accustomed to while married to my grandma.
I don’t know of anything worse than sitting there, watching time drift by in the face of someone who can barely breath, let alone take care of themselves. Everything got worse, the breathing, the weight loss, after they told him the words that no person should have to hear or say: We’ve tried everything. The beast has now taken over his whole body. What used to be a potbelly full of laughter now contains demonic tentacles stretching into all areas of his body. And there is nothing that humans can physically do to stop its onslaught.
While this picture will not be the one that we most remember from my grandpa’s life, the image will always be with me. I’ll never forget the last time I saw my maternal grandma: sitting in the same chair she’d sat in for more moons than many of us have seen, waiting for leukemia to take her to heaven. As I see my paternal grandpa struggling against the unforgiving beast, the small smile I can create comes from hoping grandpa is comfortable in his familiar spot in the house.
It has been an especially tough year for my family: My aunt was buried after being hit by a drunk driver the same week, albeit 20 years later, as her dad succumbed to lung cancer. Now, with my grandparent’s 25th anniversary and Grandpa’s 73rd birthday coming, we wait again for God to call another one of our family members home.
As a wise man once said, “It’s times like these you learn to live again.” It’s also times like these that you realize what is truly important in your life. The paper I’m supposed to be writing for grad school can be put off one more day while I deal with the emotions flowing through my mind. Nothing is more important than your family. Whether you love them or hate them, most of us wouldn’t be where we are today without the love, support, and understanding. My grandparents were always around while my parents were divorced, and even after, hauling me wherever I needed to go. They did what all grandparents are supposed to do: go to games, give too many presents, spoil us rotten. But they always commanded respect. Once I cleared my Catholic conversion with my dad, they were the second people I garnered an opinion from. They said what I was raised to believe: We don’t care who you worship God with, just as long as you do. Again, your beliefs and ideals come from your family.
I’ve extremely proud and fortunate to be a part of my family. The tree of my life would not be growing as quickly and beautifully as it has without the roots that my family helped me to plant.
Whether you like your family or not, love them. Learn from them. Whether they teach you what to do or what not to do, God put them with you for a reason.
Cherish the times that you have with the ones that you hold close to your heart.

Nothin' Like a Good Drug

I'm a big music lover. No good drug (legal or otherwise) can have the calming effect on me that a beautifully written, not too deep, track can do for me. If you try to create too many metaphors or substitute all emotion with abstract images (see U2), you really just lose me. I'm not into all that.
My issue comes because I don't think that there are any really great new bands out right now. I start going through the trusty iPod and browsing a couple of my old standby band websites, and they don't even have anything good out.
Back in the early '90s there was a band from Stillwater, OK, that had a pretty big following in Lincoln called the Great Divide. They quickly became my favorite relaxant. A few years back, the lead singer, Mike McClure, decided to head out for himself. Both have put out albums since, neither of which I jump at like I did the old stuff. Remain, the last album they put out, its still a classic to listen to. My second choice is Revolutions, put out back at the end of the last century.
I don't have an appreciation for the new stuff, not like I do the classics. I'm a big outlaw country fan, from Shooter Jennings (up-and-comer and Waylon's son) to Billy Joe Shaver. It's very honest music. Maybe I'm just not a mainstream music fan. The whole reason I got the iPod is I can't listen to radio without having to channel surf. As much as I'm in my car, your arm gets tired.
The point? If you have any suggestions of new music for me to check out. let me know. I will say I was pretty impressed with Sara Benk and the Robbers at the Bon Jovi concert. They are going to have to be a stop when I have more time to go see a show. Let me know what good drugs you are shooting into your ear drums.

The Amazing CMA's

I'm an avid Amazing Race fan. While I was ecstatic to watch two hours of fun filled travel last week, I was highly disappointed to see that the CMA's were on CBS tonight instead of the Race. Thanks to Jennifer Nettles of the band Sugarland, I did get a little taste.
If you watched the Amazing Race last year, they would always edit Phil, the host, pointing off into the distance at a team that was coming in, usually the last. My wife and I found this hilarious (don't ask why, just go with it), so we would do it at random times throughout our day. Tonight, while singing with Bon Jovi (killer concert the other night at the Qwest, by the way...I was on the floor a section and a half away when he came out in the crowd), Jen Nettles does the pointing out to the upper rows of the crowd twice during their song. My wife and I got a good chuckle out of it. I'm guessing you probably had to be there.
Image of Sugarland shamelessly taken from CMT.com. Jen Nettles is on the right.

Minor Updates

As you may or may not have noticed, we've changed a few things around here. One of my varied nicknames is Hosh (the o is a long o), so I've incorporated that into the title and my signature for posting (Old Feeder, that's so you know who the new guy posting on your site is...I'm not leaving, just pulling a chameleon on you). I've also taken away a few things here and there, just to keep everyone on their toes. Not to worry, same old crap coming out of my keyboard! Enjoy, and thanks for stopping into the House of Hosh.

Blah, blah, OPS, blah, blah, deegan's big mouth, blah

OPS and Bellevue have stooped to a new low. Now dr. deegan, esteemed supt. of the Bellevue Public Schools (and egg-thrower hiding behind their older, bigger brother OPS) has pulled the race card, saying that's why outer suburbia does not want to join their cozy empire. What a freakin' joke. dr. deegan and dr. mackiel: You ought to be ashamed of yourself. All of your administrators should be. How ridiculous. I have absolutely nothing at stake in this fight, but I'm embarrassed for you. We are talking about kids here! That's the way to win over families from both sides of the issue. Do you think people that live in those low-economic areas will want to send their kids out west to deal with those "Wallaces"? If you thought people were scared to send their kids downtown before, do you think that's going to help now that you all said that they don't want to be integrated? I can't decide if I'm happy that the local news hasn't jumped on this more because it is so ridiculous or if I'm upset that they haven't crucified you. You are truly a disgrace to all of us in education. We've mentioned it before and, unfortunately, I'll mention it again: Once you take over those districts and have control of their kids, 90% (roughly, don't quote the math) of them will be going to the same school. Since you ended mandatory busing and have under-funded those schools in the low-income areas, you have forced yourself into segregation because you have not offered the carrot to lead the horse into north Omaha. dr. deegan: You should take a poll of all of the Bellevue parents and ask them how many would like to option in to schools that we are discussing. Just keep riding OPS's coattails and playing second fiddle and someday you can get 10 more seconds of fame. Why don't you stand up for yourself? Oh, that's right, you tried to be sneaky and go through the legislature to get those two Papillion schools. How'd that end up for you?

As a PS, the Omaha Schools News blog has also been tracking this whole debate:
http://omaschools.blogspot.com/

Why isn't the "right" the "left"?

Has anyone every wondered why the political "right" is considered the right? What wasn't a conservative every referred to as the "left"? And does that ever offend left-handed people? Like maybe, "Oh, he's crazy because he's lefthanded."
This is why I try to stay out of hardcore politics. I always end up with questions like this. I'm too nice to say, "All Republicans suck!!!" because I know that's not true. And I'm also willing to admit that not all Democrats are the peachiest. Don't worry, I'm not getting soft. I still think Bush and his Merry Morons need to exit DC.
Sorry for the off-the-wall post this evening. Too much Supreme Court talk. I wish I had Bush's power to literally change the landscape of the whole judicial system for year's to come by saying one person's name. I can't wait for college basketball season. Go Tar Heels!

The M-F Empire At It Again

I'm sure if you have stopped to actually read this post, you've probably read the Omaha World-Herald this past weekend and their report on the latest from the Mackiel-Fahey Takeover plan (cleverly disguised as a report on segregated schools). I don't claim to know everything about it, but I do claim to be amused by the whole issue.
I still fail to see how, if you conquer Millard, Ralston, and Elkhorn Public Schools, you would improve diversity in your lower income schools. If you would like to have high-ability students go to school at 60th and Ames or 24th and Lake, you must make that school attractive to someone who lives on 156th and Q. Unless you are going to force those students to be bused there, what other reasons do they have to attend that school? You have not provided the carrot for the horse to start moving. Having magnet schools does help to some degree. But there is nothing going on at Mount View Elementary on north 56th (I believe, don't quote me) that intrigues an Elkhorn parent. No disrespect to the school, but it is the truth.
Another aspect that, as a small town product, I disagree with is not having your child going to school with students they live among. One of the goals of a school is to not only build a community, but to partner with the surrounding community. (Lets leave magnet schools out of this equation. To me, they are a whole different ballgame from your typical elementary school.) It becomes very difficult for a student to relate to the community around the school if they do not live in the same area. Yes, diversity (more than just racial) increases, but you are really having the student living in two, sometimes very different, environments. I never had any true contact with people other than Caucasian until I was in college, where I met the smartest man I've ever known, who was black and from the Bahamas. My parents and the rural school that I went to did educate us that we were not the only race on this earth and, in order to succeed in life, we must to tolerate and coexist with all other races.
It is kind of frustrating that OPS doesn't come out and say the true reason for this takeover plot: They don't want to become landlocked and have all of the money move into the suburbs. It has nothing to do with diversity among students. If Mackiel and his posse were to force students to go to a school outside of where they live, the students could easily change districts. I refuse to buy into this being about promoting "one city". Say what the real reasons for doing this are. Work with the outside districts. You do not have to be the one and only. Be part of the solution, not the problem.

Must Be The Money

I want to first say that I pray for all of the families that have been effected by all of the latest natural disasters. It's not something I hope to ever have to deal with (obviously, which is why I live where we don't have hurricanes and earthquakes). Having said that, I'm frustrated that we American citizens (and more specifically the government) complain about the deficit and how are taxes are going to the people in the south who couldn't get out of New Orleans because the government didn't hold there hand and color code the exits like they have for the last 20 years, yet we continue to give money to countries who can't spend it properly. Why can't we give Pakistan $50 million to build structures that can better withstand earthquakes? We give them this money and aid, yet they don't have the security forces to protect it so it gets to the people that need it. I know. I'm being insensitive. But it baffles me.
Quote of the day: A little 5 year-old girl was pulled from some rubble in Pakistan and the first thing she says is, "I want a drink." I feel your pain, young sister.

New Blog to Pass Along

Our good friends at Plains Feeder pointed out to us a new blog about OPS's "One City, One School" fiasco. We've added it to our "Links" section. Even if you are in favor of the plan, we'd love to have you log in and be bashed.

Cleveland Rocks

Another disappointing year has come to a close for the Cleveland Indians. I can't be too terribly disappointed because expectations were A LOT lower than what was actually achieved. They only finished a few games out of first in the division and wild card. Last year we had our melt down in August, so pushing it all of the way to the last week of the year is a major improvement. They made up 13 games in the standings in only a couple of months, so they deserve a lot of credit for what they achieved. It was too little too late, though.
If you scroll down to one of my original posts, I mentioned that I was a little nervous about the signing of Juan Gonzales...Juan went 0 for 1 in 1 at bat. He got off the DL for one stinking at bat. Thanks. Appreciate the help.
But with a young nucleus nailed down through at least another year, things are still looking bright. There is still hope. And considering how horrible life was to begin the season and how well the White Sox played, I still have the optimism for next year.

It Can't Happen to Me

Think of how many times you've said either out loud or to yourself: "It can't happen to me." I say it all the time. You see somebody who has a fire or gets into a car accident. "Oh, that will never happen to me." Well, it did happen to me and my family.
I've been working on putting more hard-hitting, interesting stuff on the page. I was all set to do a post about my grandfather who is not in very good health and how I made a virtual tour of our new house because I'm scared he'll never see it in person. In that post was going to be how lucky I am to be able to make my grandpa smile and how great it felt. Instead, I got a call from my dad saying that my aunt (his sister) was killed by a drunk driver. You see it all the time on TV, and, if you're like me, it makes you think twice when you are at the bar and have to drive home. You think about the story you saw on TV and how you don't want to end up like that. Now, I don't need the TV, because it's a family story.
My aunt was the "rebel" child of the family. She was a homosexual that moved away and rarely looked back. We didn't think less of her, she was just different than everyone else in the family. We still loved her. She ended up in Florida with her "friend". They visited every now and then, but we still didn't get to see them often enough.
On Wednesday night, a man crossed the center line as they were driving home. He hit my aunt and her friend head on. My aunt is dead, but her friend is still alive.
Do I hate the man? No, I don't (I do not speak for the rest of my family, though). Right now we are in more of a shock because we are so far removed. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. I know that what happened on that Florida highway Wednesday night was destined to happen. It is a life altering event for all of us. My grandmother has now lost her husband to cancer and her daughter to a drunk driver. My dad and uncle have lost a sister. In our family, it is not out of the ordinary for all of us to drink, so we now must think twice because of the destiny that has fallen over us. I am not mad at the man, I just hope and pray that what he is going through leads him to a better life. I would love to see him speaking to children about the dangers of drinking and driving. I want him to look the children in the eye, to make sure it gets to them, that it can happen to them.

The Pledge of Allegiance

Well, I started out posting my Friday morning school emails, but I've learned that they're really not that funny if you don't work at my school, and even less funny if you are not a teacher. So I'm back to blogging as needed.
Luckily, this week posed a question that ignites the flames of anger. This week a federal judge in San Fransisco ruled that the Pledge should not said in school because it contains the words "under God." I completely understand there is a separation of church and state and, as a teacher, I am very happy for that. I am also a Christian who has a strong faith in God. The thing that drives me more nuts than anything else is why does one little pinhead with nothing better to do than try and put his name out there for another 15 seconds of fame have to ruin things for the rest of us? Why do we as a country have to bow down to a minority? If you would put this up for an election, I would almost guarantee you would have 75% of the vote for allowing the phrase to remain. If you don't agree with Pledge, why do you just not say it? I could care less if I had a student whose parents didn't agree with the Pledge. He's more than welcome to use the restroom at that time or go in the hall and wait. I would never make anyone do something they don't want to do. But why, if one or two people don't like it, do we have to take it away for those of us who do like it?
Another source of ire is the Ten Commandments. Locally, there was a Ten Commandments monument in a local park, not much bigger than a head stone in a graveyard. Even in a town of 3,000, you don't have to walk by it and stare at it every day. I just cannot fathom being that arrogant that, just because you don't like something, you are going to sue or challenge the ability for that statue to be placed there or those words to be said. Groups similar to the ones that are challenging these issues just want to fit in and want to be accepted, but they ostricize themselves with inconsiderate actions. They want us to cater to them, when the only thing they are effected by is the reaction to their poor sob stories that they then get to relay through the media. It honestly infuriates me that I have to watch what I say and what I put up because some people take offense to it. And I'm not supposed to be offended when you take away my rights?
This guy in California that is leading the charge against the Pledge is an idiot. To quote my favorite morning radio peronalities here in Omaha, "If you don't like it, turn the channel." If you don't like the Pledge, don't say it. Don't be in the room when it's said. Show up late to school everyday. But don't come crying to me when you feel like nobody is treating you with respect. You've brought it all upon yourself.

Vol. 7535-08/11

Welcome Back!
For those of you new to the building and/or have short term memory loss I....sorry, I forgot what I was going to say.....I would like to welcome you to Bestest Practices, home to whatever I feel like saying, and normally your personal invitation to Boston's (we'll get to that later). New this year, we've added the administration, Ms. Wood, or, as we've affectionately dubbed her, Lwood (she's on a mission from god). So when replying to everyone, keep snide admin jokes to yourself (just kidding!).
It's been a rather eventful week. Not only did we finally start moving into our own house (well, does an air mattress and coffee maker count?), but I got to help put the tarp down on Rosenblatt Stadium! That was one of the glorious things that drew me to want to work on Groundscrew, but luckily I ended up as an usher, because it's a lot less work. Groundscrew has to be there way to early in the morning and work too long for me. But we got to help the other night, so life is good.
As I'm sure you all have read, or will read, Jen turns the big 2-6 tomorrow, joining the rest of us elderly on our way up life's mountain. You can read her email for details.....I can't remember them (life's tough when you get to be 26, Jen). This, sadly, will take the place of our journey to Massachusetts (Boston's, for you new/short term...oh, what's that called again???). I'm sorry I won't be able to partake because of moving/Cass County Fair (please refrain from any more hick references...you don't know until you've experienced the FUN that IS the Cass County Fair), but I remember last year's birthday party to be very eventful. She didn't mention it, but I'm sure she would be more than happy to accept presents. They aren't necessary to get in, but you do get to sit closer to her if you bring one! I jest because I care!
If those close to you, both in proximity and to your heart, are not receiving Bestest Practice and would like to, please let me know. I think everyone is on the list, but I don't remember. I just used last year's list. If you would like to be excused from this list, let me know as well. You won't hurt my feelings.
Have a great first day!

Finally some consistency

From now on, I'm going to post my school email that I send out every Friday. It may not be as funny to outsiders, but I'll do what I can.

Oh The Irony

Just a little note to mention I was still alive.
Funny how my last post was entitled, "Back In the Saddle", and then I fail to post for almost the entire month. Want to know what I was up to? Didn't think so, so I'm not going to take the time to make up a midly interesting story. It goes back to one of the previous blogs and the internal wrestling match over what and when to write.
During the school year, I make a long, fairly humerous (at times) rant every Friday as kind of a "last push for the end of the week" that gets sent to fellow teachers and friends. I plan on posting those here as a cheap way to increase posts. Some may be laced with inside jokes, but nobody is reading this page, so I don't care. I don't know if I'll every direct people to this page, but why worry about it now.

Back in the Saddle

Thanks to Ryan for pointing out the UNO College Democrats (www.unodemocrats.com) site. I did check it out and is another site for us youngin's to check out. Also, congrats to Ryan for being the first person to comment on my site. Your cookie is in the mail :)
Anyway, the College World Series was a blast. Our job was to provide refreshments to the press box lounge, press conference room, parking lot employees, and the metro police force (in exchange for some excellent food..they were very cool guys). Got to spend a lot of time in the press box with the big wigs from tv and print media. Most of them were pretty cool. I think the only guy I got attitude from was a guy from Baylor who was mad because we only had diet coke in the fountain with "shot glasses". I'm hoping he got over it.
Also last week I got to attend the Big & Rich concert at Nebraskaland Days in North Platte. For those of you who haven't been and are thinking of going, begin preparing now. If you've lived your whole life in Omaha and, whether you like it or not, are the stereotypical "urban cowboy", you must understand what you are getting yourself into. Having grown up with family that drank plain labeled beer and craved Waylon and Willie, I've been to that mountain, and can assimilate myself if necessary. I don't sport the cowboy hat or boots anymore, but it could be done without shame or regret. My first mistake was taking my 12 year old sister-in-law and her friend (along with my wife). My second was driving my cavalier. Always take your biggest car. We looked just a tad bit out of place between the F-250 and Dodge Ram with the Cummins Diesel. We made it in and I grabbed a beer to blend in a little more. We made our way down to the pit with a pretty decent view. Especially of the white trash that had showed up. The girls ahead of us had "makes love to Skynyrd" spray painted all over them. They had on tank tops, except for the best looking one (relatively), who had on, you guessed it, a tube top straight from the aisles of Wal-Mart. You kind of feel bad because you know they've saved up the whole year for this one event. As we gazed around a little more at the hats (there were definitely some legit cowboys there), Kid Rock's little black sheep brother slipped in front of us. He'd been drinking for quite a while, and I just thought of how the two 12 year old's were getting their first look at a stupid drunk. He had jeans, a pristine white wife-beater, and short blond air with a goatee. He was getting his groove on with his imaginary centerfold right in front of the girls, and then was kind enough to offer them a smoke. While it wasn't funny at the time, it was when he finally left. All in all, it was a very good time. The concert itself was excellent. Love everybody.

The Rant of the Day

So I just got back from CWS practice. For those of you unfamiliar, the day before the College World Series starts, all teams get an hour to practice at Rosenblatt Stadium, an event that is open to the public. I had to go get my credentials for the series, so I went in to sit and watch Tennessee warm up (I believe that Nebraska worked out at 9 because they were still around at 10:15 when I got there..Just missed a chance to say hi to Joba Chamberlain!! Should've stayed in my seat 5 more minutes!).
Anway, back to the issue: I was sitting along the third base line, watching the Vols take batting practice. In the outfield bleachers, not surprisingly, were a large amount of children begging for balls from the outfield players. Instead of asking for one politely, all you hear is, "Here! Here! Throw it here!!" I would've thrown it there, so that I hit the kid in the mouth so he'd shut it! I was annoyed and they weren't even yelling at me. Am I being too critical? Is the teacher in my coming out?? Oh well.

Another new site

Every now and then I put up sites that I find relatively cool or important or pertinent. So as a Nebraska Democrat, I was pleased to see that they have a web site with a blog as well. Feel free to go and partake in discussions, or just browse!
http://www.nebraskademocrats.org

"Closet Intellectual"

Before I forget, my sympathy to the family of former Gov. and Sen. J.J. Exon, whose funeral is tomorrow. Although I am a young Democrat, I have been catching up on some of the things that he's done.

Now on to something that has nothing to do with politics.
Last weekend, my wife and myself, along with a friend, went to the Anchor Inn to catch Lemon Fresh Day. We sat at a picnic table with an older couple (50's, maybe) who were very nice. After we got to know each other a little bit and found out some of our background, they started giving our friend crap about dating and telling her they would find a man. They razed her about dating a "smart guy" (since he's an optometry student). She finally relinquished the fact that she, too, was an optometry student. Completely catching the man off guard, he says, "Oh, you're one of those closet intellectuals that only reveals herself at certain times." Why I found this to be totally hilarious, I'm not sure, but I did. I've been thinking quite a bit about this, and have developed a definition:

Closet intellectual (adj.): A highly intelligent person who does not always choose to use their intelligence, only using it when it is completely advatageous for themselves. Because of their ability to blend in with all groups of individuals (i.e., both idiots and scholars), they are that much smarter.

This, however, is not to be confused with people who are just "book smart". They lack the common sense to turn off and on their intelligence. They are forced to be dumb in certain situations, while a closet intellectual choses to be dumb. I would like to think of myself as a closet intellectual. I'm pretty quiet when it comes to most things, but every now and then I let my true self be revealed. I'm currently theorizing on other levels of intellectual, so check by later when I need something else to blog about.

The Great Debate

The greatest time of the year is approaching here in Omaha: the College World Series. I'm excited because, as an usher, I actually get paid to be at the games. I just hope I get to do more watching than actual working.
I've been browsing through many other blogs of people that I have shared interests with, according to our profiles. I've noticed a lot of them haven't been updated recently, and even when they were updated, they were crap. One started out by saying, "Some of you told me to write something intelligent, so, something intelligent". The next (or previous, depending on how you read them) was a two line post that he says was made when he was drunk. So here's my great debate: to blog for the sake of blogging, or minimizing my blogs until I have something intellectual to say (which reminds me of another story, which I'll create another post for). So, if for some reason you happen to fall across this canvas of rants and posts, please weigh in on this subject.

Your business

I consider myself an intelligent American. I am a loyal Democrat, but not so much that I feel I'm wearing blue-colored glasses. I would be willing to predict that I would be labeled a conservative on a majority of issues (having said that, I've never seen a definition of liberal, conservative, radical, etc., that I've taken the time to decipher). Which brings me to my latest beef.
Just last night, the Omaha Public School Board passed a resolution saying that it wanted to take over schools in Millard and Ralston because they lie within the Omaha city boundary. I get highly annoyed when people can't leave well enough alone. A few months ago, the city voted to annex Elkhorn. I can understand why, but they came out in the media before letting Elkhorn residents or city officials know. The same thing happened last night. Neither Millard nor Ralston officials had any knowledge of their plans before it came across the 10 o'clock news (actually, the news media must have called them before the showing, but you get my drift).
If they want to take over the schools, that's fine. I don't teach in those districts, and, personally, I would quit if my school got taken over by OPS. I don't feel they do a good enough job with keeping in touch with the schools that they have. I feel that my district pushes it, and we only have 13 schools, as opposed to the 60+ that OPS has. Their ability to do so, although it will be challenged by Millard and Ralston, seems to be perfectly legal. Why does this not include Westside? A law enacted in 1947 (which will probably be referred to as the Westside Exception) says, to some effect, that if a school district that maintains a high school and is unincorporated at the time of annexation will remain separate. The Millard schools were part of the City of Millard (which was obviously not unincorporated) at the time of annexation, and Ralston High School will not be part of the takeover. The Westside Exception, which makes absolutely no sense if you look at it from Omaha's point of view (why would the city allow the exception except for their must have been some buddy-buddy agreement), obviously only applies to Westside.
My whole beef is the way that Omaha is handling it's dealings. Be it the school board or the city council, neither is acquiring PR points. If you want to flex your muscle and participate in an eastern Nebraska takeover, that's fine. But handle it in a professional way. Don't let the first blow be in the media. It would be a lot less controversial if you would fire a warning shot by letting the affecting people (i.e., Millard/Ralston school boards or Elkhorn city government) know ahead of time. If you consider yourself a professional organization, act like it.
But that's just a conservative speaking.

My own welcome back

Well, it's been a while since I've updated. Now that summer is here and school is there, I'll be able to update to myself a little more often.
If you get a chance, check out http://www.tpmcafe.com/. It is a very cool political blog that I just hooked up with.
School's out for the summer. It couldn't come at a better time. Now I can spend my summer looking for other less stressful, more enjoyable, and better paying jobs.
My Cleveland Indians started out the baseball season pretty poor, but now we are only a game under .500. That's a pretty big step up from earlier in the season. As expected, Juan Gonzalez has spent most of the year injured. Thanks for the help.
One of the problems that I have with where I live is that I am a Democrat in a republican state. I was watching Pres. Bush today, and I feel that I lost brain cells listening to his stupid banter. From education (which is obviously dear to my heart) to foreign issues (name a country we don't feel we need to run), I don't understand how some people can be so in love with him? I do support some of his ideas (I can't think of any of hand, but I know there is a couple), but to feel that this man is the second coming is beyond ludacris. I would be willing to bet that someone, somewhere, is putting the exact opposite message on their blog or website. DON'T DRINK THE RED KOOLAID!
Well, gotta run. More info at a later date. Thunderstorms are rolling in, so I'd better check as to how severe.

My Beloved Indians

I have been a big, dedicated, loving fan of the Cleveland Indians since I was about 15 and began to develop a love for the game of baseball. I loved the players: Albert, Jim, Manny, Jaret, and all the many others who became legends on their way to blowing the '97 Series against the rented World Champion Marlins. Since then, I've watched all of those players leave and have welcomed the new crop of talent with open arms. The Cleveland Indians are my love, 2nd only to my wife and family. Feel free to share in the joy that is watching the Indians this upcoming year. Please Juan Gonzales: bring back the power!