The Year of the Black Dragon

I'm not an astrologist, but I've been fascinated for a long time with the rich, descriptive nature Chinese astrology.  Its many separately turning dials (yin/yang, five elements, twelve animals) all work together to evoke a wonderfully expressive variety of images to communicate in much greater depth the essence of a thing than I feel like western astrology does. 
Consider the way Chinese astrology is used to forecast the energies for a given year.  Last year was called the year of the White Fur Rabbit (or, more particularly, the Yin Metal Rabbit). It was, astrologically speaking, expected to be one of a series of years with conflicted energies.  This one would look peaceful on the surface, but be full of hidden (unexpected) problems, challenges and trials. These trials were not expected to be of a catastrophic type, overall, but it was not a time to do things on a grand scale because even the smallest of these problems could bring down a great endeavor.

Doesn't that give you a good sense of things?

2012 is the year of the Yang Water Dragon, which is known more descriptively as the Black Dragon.

Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers. They are a symbol of strength and good luck and, as the lone mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, are considered to be unpredictable, untouchable, mysterious. The Black Dragon is traditionally associated with auspicious new beginnings, so when their image comes up on the calendar it suggests a time to start new ventures and boldly, but thoughtfully, initiate change. People who can pursue their own passionate ambitions while meeting the needs of others are best suited to navigating the energies of Black Dragon times. The image of water calming the Dragon's usually tempestuous nature communicates in a descriptive manner the importance of being mindful of other perspectives and considering to the plight of the less fortunate is a good way to be in tune with the energies around us.

In terms of the year ahead, the Black Dragon does not mark the end of the unsettled period of the last couple of years, but it does indicate the beginning of transition and potentially major change. The relationship of the various cycles in the upcoming year is symbolized by the image of water sitting on top of earth (some use the image of an earthen dam). According to Chinese element theory, earth is the destroyer of water (or, in the image of the dam, it holds it back) and so this relationship indicates a period of conflict. However, the water of the annual cycle is a natural element of the Dragon. Water produces wood, which signifies growth and so, even though things are still in a bit of turmoil, there is plenty of possibility for the year to be a positive one.

Doesn't that sound cool?
Happy New Year!

[Image Credit]

Not Your Mama's Grading System

Today is the last day of the fall semester at my school. Grades are due soon, at which point parents will be able to see where they're students are on the continuum of success in my classes. I thought I'd explain how grading works in my world, because it's very different from the traditional.

My school has adopted a standards-based grading model, which means that students are not given grades strictly as an average of their work on assignments (tests, homework, etc.) over a given term. Rather, teachers define at the start of the class a series of things that students should be able to demonstrate they know or can do by the end of the class. For example, my class has 15 Learning Targets, including the following (they are each meant to be preceded by the phrase, "I can..."):

...Carry on a conversation in the language I’m studying about familiar topics, with appropriate vocabulary.

...Identify and use the numbers from 1-100 in the language I’m studying.

...Use a foreign language dictionary.

Students are then assessed (repeatedly, in lots of ways, over time) on their ability to know or do these things, and their progress is measured on the following scale:

4 – Exemplary, or "I wicked get it!"

3 – Accomplished, or "I get it."

2 – Developing, or "I kinda get it."

1 – Beginning, or "I’m just starting to get it."

Over the course of the year, students work toward being accomplished at the things they set out to do in the classes (I try very hard to communicate that this is not the same as getting a grade). At the end of the year, I evaluate where each student is at on all of them and, together, we make a determination about whether they are prepared to move on to the next level of language. I have come to love this approach for several reasons:

1. The conversations I have with my students are not about getting grades (which, ultimately, mean nothing), but about learning stuff. When I student does a crappy job on an exam, for example, I don't talk to them about the crappy job they did. I ask them what went wrong and, through that discussion, we come to some conclusions about how to do better next time. Maybe they didn't study because they've got a lot going on in their world at home. OK, fine. How can the studying of my material live in harmony with that? What needs to happen at school to support doing that practice? I'm finding that this is far a more effective and meaningful conversation to have than, "You got a C."

2. It takes away the fights over why, "You got a C." The goals my students are working toward in the class and are clear, and so they are able to make good connections about how my material relates to the big picture. "Have a conversation in French" is clear and understandable. When I tell them to practice reading dialogs out loud, it's not just work. It's work with a purpose that makes sense. When it comes time to look at how well they can do that, we can both refer to the evidence and come to consensus about how well they can do each of the standards. The discussion about advancement or retention is based only on their performance on the 15 standards of my class -- things like attendance, behavior and timeliness of homework are not on that list, and so my students know they won't be used punitively by me. That doesn't mean I don't report on them or that they don't enter the conversations we have about how to do the best they can; what it does is put those things in their rightful place, which is NOT in the gradebook.

3. It allows me an incredible amount of flexibility to help students in individual ways. There is no single way students have to demonstrate a standard. For example, if the goal is to get students to be able to have conversations in French, but they're very shy and don't participate in class, I can sit with them one-on-one in the hallway or in the library or at lunch and, totally informally, add French to our conversations (it's worth mentioning that I spend a lot of time with my students that doesn't take place during my class), over time and without realizing it, they've shown me that they can talk with someone in French, and how well. This is a lot harder to do well without fudging a grade in a traditional system.

4. It makes clear that grading is subjective and that it involves professional judgment. Any teacher will tell you that there is no such thing as a truly objective grading system. We have created countless methods to make them appear objective but, when it comes right down to it, we fudge grades to make them say what we want them to. By bringing the conversation openly to my students (who, it is worth noting, are generally harder on their performance than I am), I take away the mysterious math and convoluted averaging, weighting and coding and own what my impressions are based on what I know the standard to be. I have the benefit of a professional understanding of what the standard contains and I work hard to communicate that clearly and regularly to my students, so when we talk about their readiness to move on I can be forthright about saying, "I have worries about..." and be clear about what I need them to show me they know or can do.

5. It communicates much more comprehensively what students know and can do for the outside world. What does a C communicate about all the myriad things a French student might know? What about "Accomplished" next to the standard, "...Can use a bilingual dictionary." A composite grade means very little in terms of explaining well the performance of students. A standard comes much closer. Colleges, sadly, will be a long time accepting this (which is ironic because it is through their research that the idea of performance-based grading came to be), but it is very useful in evaluating how best to serve students.

This is the first year my school has used this system in all its classes (I piloted it last year, along with a couple of other teachers).  What do you think?  If you were/are a student, would you like it?  Would it be helpful to you as a parent?  How would it change your teaching practice, if you're an educator?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Quick Hit: Good Numbers

Today at my school I gave or received:

42 hugs -- including the complete set from all three triplets, two visiting alumni, three teachers and one parent.

17 high fives -- most notable among which was the two-sided, four-handed option done while passing at full speed in the hallway between classes.

6 handshakes -- with one that felt very similar to this: 

(I'm convinced I'll get it, but it feels like it changes every time :/ ) 

8 expressions of love -- four left on my whiteboard, three given in passing and one note stuck to my computer screen.

I love my where I teach!

10 Things Tuesday: Diet and Exercise

I'm in the phase of rebuilding the two foundations of my training regimen for triathlon season.  Part of that involves losing some fat, but there's more to it than simply saying, "fat, be gone!" (though wouldn't that be cool!)

Here's where my efforts are focused:

Be mindful of what I eat. Hello, my name is Wayfarer and I am a carb junkie. There. I've admitted it. If I have an addiction of any kind, it's to carbs. I don't drink to any real degree and I don't do drugs, but you can absolutely fill my plate again with pasta (and I'll take some bread to go with that, too, please). It's not always a bad thing, though. When I'm in full training mode, carbohydrates are a necessary energy source. They're the fuel that allows endurance training to take place. When I'm not running, swimming or biking all the time, though, carbs turn from Yoda to Sith lord. I know this intellectually but, in moments of low mental and spiritual fortitude, they are my comfort food and I am less aware of how much of them I eat. The first place I turn when I need to shed fat before I start full on training is to the carbs. I eliminate the extra bits that have crept in over time (the extra half a bagel I somehow started eating again, for example) and steer back toward more whole grains. We all know we're supposed to be eating whole grains, right? Yeah, well, if they tasted like white bread I'd probably eat more of them.

Be mindful of when I eat. School is busy for me. I hit the ground running and, if I don't remind myself to do it, I won't stop to do things like eat, drink or run to the bathroom (I cannot tell you the number of times I ridicule my wife for saying, "I've needed to pee for four hours," but truth be told, I do the exact same thing at school). If I don't take the time to eat around noon, I'm ravenous by 3pm, which makes me much more likely to the aforementioned comfort foods -- especially the kind that come in bags or boxes. I won't eat the apple or banana I brought, and if it requires heating up, the lunch from home takes too much time. Regardless of what I eat at 3pm, I'll still eat supper at 6pm. I'm not one to turn away a meal. I mean, what happens if the zombie apocalypse should occur before the next one comes?

Be mindful of water. I do not drink well in colder weather. When it's cold, I like warm things in my cup, but the problem is that I'm finicky about my warm drinks. I love coffee, but it's not good to drink too much of it (especially with cream and sugar, like I prefer). Tea is for being sick or supremely cold; I don't like drinking it all the time -- it lacks the richness of coffee, for one thing, and it never tastes as good as it smells. All the other warm drinks (hot chocolate, cider, etc.) are yummy, but definitely Sith drinks when consumed in quantity. Warm water is, well, bleh. I don't have a good solution for dealing with this, except to set an alarm to fill my mug every so often with water and drink it right then. I'm open to suggestions about a better way. Don't take it personally if I criticize it, though. It's the finicky thing.

Take time to breathe. Meditation is something that does me a great deal of good. Sometimes it leads to naptime (which is always nice), but even without that bonus just taking a moment to center myself and recharge is helpful both to my ability to be mindful of things I should and resist doing things I shouldn't. I try to build it into my routine every day, but the fall semester at school is very full and it very easily gets dropped from my schedule to accommodate for one obligation or another.

Lighten my schedule. I make the choice to coach soccer in the fall, and I've learned that this carries with it the consequence of pushing my normally full schedule over the line into the zone of brain exploding busy. I accept that for the two and a half months that is the soccer season, and I do a decent job of maintaining good habits during that time. Once the season is over, I need my calendar to have more white space in it. Sometimes, I overestimate the value of that white space and take on projects that I really need to put off or simply let go. This year, I added a lot to my plate early on, including two independent studies, one of which requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I can't in good conscience let those go, but as other things resolve I can choose to leave that time free. Just say no.

Moderate the heavy thinking. Here's the thing: When I'm doing a lot with my brain, I eat. Unlike when I use my body a lot, though, the calories consumed as part of brain exercise do not burn off. I'm a big picture thinker, and I many of my projects require a lot of that for long periods of time. Because I enjoy that kind of thing, it's easy no ignore how much time goes by when I'm doing it. The problem is that it's also easy to ignore that I'm eating while I'm doing it, and that isn't conducive to shedding fat. So, I'm trying to moderate the amount of time I sit down with them and, when the timer goes off, to put them away.

Go for a walk. It's not super rigorous, but walking is an effective way to lose fat and has several advantages this time of year. It's flexible in it can be done in small amounts during the day or in a longer chunk of time. It doesn't require warm up or cool down. It doesn't require special equipment (just dress for the weather). It carries a low risk of injury, which is good if you're just getting into a habit of exercise (it's hard to hurt yourself from walking too much) or if, like me, you haven't set up your bike on its trainer upstairs or fully set your internal clock to get up at 5am to hit the pool or the treadmill.

Keep records. I've done this for training for the past 6 years, and it does a good job of keeping me honest about taking time every day for some form of exercise. I have a log for eating that I use less regularly, but that is also good for helping me watch my diet. Some people really like paper for this because it's more tangible, but I choose to do this on the computer with spreadsheets because I live on my computer. Do what works.

Have a reason. I committed to shedding 25lbs in 90 days, but there's more to it than that. I have other goals that depend upon this, like running triathlons or going on distance cycling trips or doing my first half marathon. To know why I'm losing the fat (that is, this goal in a context with the rest of my life) goes a long way toward seeing it realized.

Congratulate the successes; Revise as necessary. Failures are only failures if the trying stops. Life is rarely about things being done. If I meet my goal (today, for example, it was just to get out for a walk), I'll tell myself I did a good job. If I should make a mistake and fall off the wagon, I just have to think about what went wrong and try it again. Tomorrow's another day, with another chance to do it right if I choose to. I'm choosing to.

Where are your efforts focused right now?

Monday Meditation: Definitions and Implications

Compassion comes from the Latin roots for "suffers" and "with". In today's language, it means a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is suffering in some way, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate that suffering.

Tolerance comes from the Latin "to bear", and has come to imply a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race or other identifiers differ from one's own. The dictionary also added this phrase: "Freedom from bigotry", which rather fortuitously aids my point in writing about it. I'll come back to that.

Bigotry is defined as the stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. The term comes from French bigot, and was originally a derogatory term applied to the Normans (who, to the French, were a notably stubborn people in their refusal to espouse the behaviors and attitudes of les français).

Finally, freedom is used in the definition of tolerance and so it should be included here. Among its several definitions, the word freedom illustrates the power to determine action without restraint.

In reviewing these words and their definitions, let us consider some implications:

Compassion, if we are to practice it, implies that we all -- together and equivalently with others -- experience suffering. We are not separate from or unaffected by suffering, but instead must contend with it in much the same way as everyone else. In other words, all of us are stuck in the same quicksand.

Bigotry, based on its origins as a word, affords us an interesting look back into a history when at least one group of people thought another less than they because of their beliefs. I find it no end of ironic that this word would come from French, whose culture has been vilified by ours for its own views, but my point is that at least part of the quicksand in which we are all mired has its origins in this state of mind. Simply put, we cannot get to the place of being effective at ending suffering (as the second half of the definition of compassion suggests is our desire) if we adhere stubbornly to the belief that others' beliefs are less than ours.

The definition of freedom above supports the statement that, at least as it relates to belief and action toward others, we have the power to choose. The statement in the dictionary, "Freedom from bigotry", can appropriately be interpreted to say that we can choose to cultivate an attitude of acceptance of difference, and that it doesn't matter what kind of difference. The French thought the Normans were stubborn. We Americans think the French are stubborn. The rest of the world thinks Americans are stubborn. The particular flavor of stubborn doesn't really matter. What matters is the view that someone else's flavor is less than our own.

Let's bring this back to compassion and being stuck in the same quicksand. If we accept bigotry to be a negative term and, thus, the behavior it references to be negative, and if we accept that bigotry is something we all wrestle with, and if we accept that we have the freedom to choose different behavior then it seems as though the most effective way to practice compassion would be to do the following:

• To work to discover that my own views probably come from the same place as everyone else's (that is, they are an amalgam of my experience, my understanding and the particular flavor of the world around me).


• To free myself from the thought that my own views are better that everyone else's and that everyone else's views are less than my own.


• To work to relate to others' and their views from a place of sameness, not separateness (I'm in this world with everybody else, not just by myself).

Do you think you would be able to see more clearly the wholeness of people by doing these things? What about the idea of practicing compassion through sameness? What does this idea mean for how we relate to people? Does it matter if the people are strangers or friends? Does it matter if we like them or we don't? Feel free to share your thoughts!

Check-in: Day 11

The last few days have seen no shortage of things to keep me occupied, but I didn't want to lose sight of my goal from before the new year to shed 25 pounds of fat. Here's where we're at:

I have to own that I haven't been terribly regular with any sort of exercise since the clock started. I've been to the gym a few times (mostly to the pool), but I have yet to set my bike up in my office or clear the boxes off my weight bench. I did manage to get up early on Friday to do some work on my core muscles before school started (oh, sweet gods, but I need to do more of that kind of work), but I didn't even hear my alarm yesterday. I have the ability to set a second alarm on my watch, so I'll do that until I've reached the point where my body's internal clock has adjusted to getting up at 5:30 in the morning.

Another part of the equation of weight and fat loss for me involves medication. I've been taking synthetic thyroid hormone to replace what my thyroid is no longer producing and this, I've discovered, has a dramatic effect my appetite, my energy level and how my body processes food. My doctor and I are still tweaking the official dosage, but I think I've discovered that I need more of it in the fall and winter that I do in the spring and summer. I didn't increase my dosage when school started, which might have contributed to why I put on as much weight as I did when I stopped paying attention to what I was eating. This reinforces the importance of being mindful of my diet during the colder months.

I've been better about paying attention to food lately. Fatty's has come and gone, and there is less on my plate now, with more of it being veggies. I'm drinking more water and less coffee. I had dessert last night, but that was a special treat because we were invited to dinner chez Mahk and Lisa (a wonderful and very welcome surprise). Such indulgences are rare for me anyway, but I'll be particularly aware of them now that I have a goal to meet. It always takes a couple of weeks for me to fully bring myself back into line when it comes to food, but I feel like I'm making good progress.

The journey to lose 25 pounds of fat is one that will take all of the 90 days I committed to it, but I've done much of what I need to do in these early days to see that goal realized. Over the next week, I'll focus on the habit of daily exercise and in making sure that the end-of-semester grading craziness doesn't distract me from eating right or getting good sleep. I'll check in again next week

Day 1: 204 lbs.
Day 9: 200 lbs. (-4)

Goals: Part 1

Normally at this time of year I take some time to look at the goals I've set out for myself over the past few months. I make adjustments to them, add new goals and, in general, make decisions about what projects I want to undertake and what new paths I want to explore. I'm a little bit behind schedule, what with the events of last week and all, but this presents me with an opportunity to share something I talk about in my classes fairly often, but less so outside of school.

With my students, I spend a lot of time on the topics of setting goals. Very often, it's within the context of doing things like building habits of daily practice and making good choices about time management, but in general I try to impart the value of actively engaging in the process of goal setting while modeling effective ways for people to think about where they are and where they want to be. Over the next few posts, I thought I might do some thinking about this out loud for you. Apart from the entertainment value of reading someone's internal dialog, perhaps seeing the process unfold will be helpful for you if you've ever had trouble seeing your goals realized.

My students are often confused when I talk about the process of setting goals. Many think of it as simple decision making. They think that if they say, "I'm going to be a lawyer," or, "I'm going to get my homework caught up," that this should equate to making it happen. Most of us as grownups know well from experience that this is not the case, but when you don't have that experience it's sort of looks like a magic trick.

"Watch me pull a goal out of my hat!" *TADA*

It's reasonable for them to think that way, especially if the only parts of the process that they actually see are the parts where someone says what the goal is and (if it ever happens) the goal itself. That's what most of us see, and it explains to a large degree why we view goal setting as something designed to produce an end product. It also explains why when we talk about goals, we do so with linear terms like "climb a mountain" or "reach your goals".

Most of us have come to accept that we will very often experience failure when we set goals. We've had to contend with frustration time and time again when we didn't realize what we set out to achieve. We approach the task of setting goals with a healthy dose of cynicism, or we simply quit doing it because we know we'll never be successful at it. We look at people who experience success and think there must be some sort of magic in it, some sort of quality that they possess which we do not.

I would submit that this is not the case. I would further submit that much of the problem lies not with our abilities, but with the way in which we view the task. In looking at goals only as things to be accomplished, we're missing the greatest part of their potential. Sort of like seeing your 4G iPhone as just something to use to make calls to your grandma. It'll do that, sure, but that's not what it's really there for.

Let me propose a thought: What if we consider the act of goal setting as a cyclical process instead of a road to be followed? What if, when we set a goal, we see the goal not as a finished product, but as a moment, an experience that, by its very existence creates another cycle, more goals, more choices?

I developed a way of thinking a few years ago called the Learning Spiral. It looks like this:



The text you see associated with it is has to do with learning, not goal setting, but the underlying idea is the same for both: 

Think of a cyclical process instead of a product to be created.

I put this out there because this paradigm is fundamental to how I approach my thinking this time of year. I think about the spiral to see where I am on it relative to my goals, and I make decisions about how to move forward based on where I am. It takes a little while because I may be at different places on the spiral depending upon which goal I'm thinking about. It's hard for me to explain it without taking a long time to do it so, over the next little while, I'll try to show you what it looks like with a couple of different examples.

If you'd like to follow along with an example of your own, I'll ask you to think about one goal that you'd like to realize. It doesn't matter what it is. It could be a big thing, like deciding on a career. It could be a small thing, like finding a place to put your keys so you don't lose them every day. Whatever you choose, write it down so you can look at it from time to time. You don't have to commit to it right now; commitment comes from an understanding of all that's required to realize it, and you might not have that yet. For now, it's enough that you've made a choice. If I do this right (and understand, please, that I'm not working from a script or a book here), you'll be able to follow my process with your example and end up in the same place. That's the plan, anyway.

Things Learned About What Happens Next

It's been a couple of days, and most of the details of my mother's passing have been attended to. Thank you, everyone, for your expressions of support and love! My family and I very much appreciate every one of you, and it is of great comfort for us to know that you're out there.

I said before that I was learning a lot about this whole thing, and I thought it might be useful to share some of that. Here's what I've learned:

• The task of informing people takes more effort than one might at first believe, especially if, as in my family, most people are spread to opposite ends of the earth and have no desire to talk to each other. The Digital Age has made finding people a great deal easier, but it still took a full two days before all of my mother's kin were contacted.



• When someone dies and there is any question about the manner of death (even if that person is elderly), an investigation is undertaken to determine factually what happened. A detective is assigned, and the coroner arranges for whatever procedures are necessary. Because coroners are often country government officials, they don't have the facilities to do much more than basic procedures and bodies are often shipped to other places.



• It often takes a month or more for such an investigation to be concluded.



• My mother's primary wish was that her body be left to science and medicine, but because of the length of time between her passing and her arrival at a place that could preserve her body under refrigeration, no organ or tissue donation programs would take her. She was also over the weight-to-height limit that most programs have (she was very short, which meant she had to weigh about as much as a ham sandwich), and so she would have been ineligible for that reason, in any case. My parents made a mistake in expecting that all they had to do was call and offer their bodies after the fact. In particular, they erred in relying on such programs to take on the cost of disposing of the bodies. They didn't have a Plan B option, and that made for more stress, not less, in terms of what to do.



• A forensic donation might have been possible, but there are no programs nearby that would have made such a gift practical. A forensic donation is different than a medical one in that there are almost no qualifiers to participate. Unfortunately, there are only a couple of programs in the country. The nearest one to my folks was in Tennessee. The university would have taken the body, but we would have had to pay to transport it there, which made no financial sense and meant additional costs.



• Every state has its own laws regarding how bodies must be handled. In Alabama, for instance, a body may not be transported out of state unless it is embalmed.



• Funeral homes take care of much of the paperwork associated with someone's death, but there is much in the way of detail that they require in order to do that job well. I didn't have much of that when I started making arrangements and it took a while to pull it together.



• There are several different kinds of services that funeral homes offer. The most basic (the default for my mom) was what is called a Direct Cremation. That is, they'll cremate the body, but not offer their facilities for services or memorials of any kind. This service, at its cheapest, was more than $1,000 (several charged twice that figure). Social Security, by contrast, offers a benefit of around $250 for burial services.



• Funeral homes are a "money-up-front" business for the most part. This makes sense when you think about it, but it does present certain problems when you consider the following:



• Funeral homes are usually the ones generating the death certificate.



• No insurance in the universe will pay out a policy with a death benefit until they receive a death certificate.



• Funeral homes will not generate a death certificate until the check clears.



• No matter how well you might deal with the passing of someone close to you, the task of dealing with everything you see above (which, you will note, does not include going through possessions and settling other matters like bills, property or inheritance) is more exhausting than you'll expect. I offered to take care of most of the details on behalf of my father because I could tell he was not mentally in a place that would allow him to do it. I'm glad I did; it was more than enough for *me*.

Now that things are largely taken care of, I can go back to work and actually focus on all that goes into teaching.  I have grades due on Monday and an intercession activity to set up.  The world keeps on turning, after all.

Some News...

My mom passed away on Saturday at her home in Alabama. She was 63 years old.

I've been in regular contact with my dad since he wrote to tell me and, although he is very sad, he's holding up well and has people to look after him while grieves. I also spoke to my brother, and he seems to be doing ok. He admitted at the time that he didn't exactly know how he was feeling, but I've learned that this is not at all unusual. I'll be in touch with him over the next little while. We're not super close, he and I, but I don't want him to feel like he has to figure it all out on his own.

Our house is processing the news slowly and deliberately. My girls are still awfully young to know how they feel about it, but we're taking the time to have good conversations and they have lots of chosen family to guide them. My wife is doing her usual amazing job of being supportive, even in the midst of working through her own feelings of loss. We went down to Alabama to see my folks for Thanksgiving, and I'm really glad that this happened because my mom got to spend time with us (an all too rare occurrence because of the distance between us), and also particularly because my family got to know her at least a little better before she died. She was a wonderful person.

I'm in a good place, although it'll be a couple of days before I'm able to focus fully on more than this because I've offered to my dad to take on most of the prosaic details of my mom's passing. I'll talk in more specifics later; there's not much to tell about that right now except to say that I'm learning a lot and that there are a surprising number of things to attend to.

There won't be a funeral or any sort of service in Alabama. Mom didn't want anything like that. We're talking about how to most appropriately remember her here at Wayfarer House, though. I'll share what we've decided when the time comes.

In the meantime, hugs (virtual and physical) will be most gratefully accepted.

89 and 25

I went swimming this morning. It is the first time I've been to the gym since September. I did a little more than half a mile. I didn't die.

This fall has not been a good one for staying fit. I finished my last triathlon in late August (crossing the finish line as Hurricane Irene was ripping up the world around me-- it was epic), and that was the end of my season. School started the next day, soccer season kicked off and it was just non-stop from there. It's always non-stop from the start of school. I don't accomplish a lot in the way of fitness from September through December because of that. I was looking at my records from all the way back to 2006 and the latest into school I've ever kept up a training regimen was the third week of September. That's when I say, "&%#$ this!" and start looking for cookies. Or cake. Or fast food. Or anything that will stop long enough for me to eat it. Think Po from Kung Fu Panda.

I thought that if I added a race or something later in the fall, I'd be more motivated to keep training up into the fall, which would lead to winter workouts, which would mean I'd be fit and ready for something fun in the spring. Nope. I signed up for a ½ marathon, but didn't have it to do what I needed to, and the entry fee melted into the breeze. Lesson learned.

Two things -- stress and season -- seem to be at the heart of my problem. This year was especially frenetic, but even during a good year it's so crazy that, by the end of the average day, I'm so mentally and emotionally exhausted the thought of even watching tv is more than I can handle. I hate that! All the new shows are just coming out and my brain just can't process them, so I grab a cookie and go to bed. I've learned that if my brain is exhausted, my body goes into shutdown and the idea of physical exercise becomes as strenuous as the actual exercise.

And then there's the fact that autumn is in full swing. Autumn leads to the Dark Time, and it is the season when my body sends a near constant stream of commands to my hands telling them to keep putting food into my face. Clearly, I'm genetically tied to some species of human that, in prehistoric times, needed to hibernate for the winter. Some years, I'm able to resist (if not refrain from) gaining too much weight. This year was not a good year and the scale made that abundantly clear when I stepped on it this morning. It wasn't telling me something I didn't already know, though, based on the tightness of my heretofore loose-fitting jeans.

A week ago, I started to draw up the ganas to reverse the trend. I told myself it was time to get in the pool, on the bike, on the road, under the weights. It was time to put down the damn cookies! Today's trip to the pool marked the beginning of my yearly sojourn from sloth to fit, from fat to svelt (if still a little pudgy in places). I'm ready.

I'm very much a loner when it comes to training. I don't like to work out with people and I don't talk much about what I do, unless it's part of a teachable moment. I thought I'd share the journey publicly this year, though, because I want demonstrate that the process of realizing a goal is not magical. It does not follow a straight line and it is not without distractions, temptations, obstructions or doubt. It is a process of decisions, and it is as easy as making a choice. To be fair, there can be a lot that goes into making a choice well. There's a whole separate discussion to be had about all that goes into it, but that's a topic for another time.

In order to be ready for triathlon season, I first need to melt off the weight I've put on since September. Based on the scale's reading this morning, that's 25 lbs. My goal is to get rid of as much of that weight as I can in 90 days. I'm going to do it by doing the two things that are at the core of any effective weight loss program: Do more, eat less. Neither will be especially hard at first. It gets more challenging as it gets closer to tri season because there's a balancing act that must be played between eating properly for ever-increasing amounts and intensities of exercise and doing the kind of training that will continue to burn fat (as opposed to muscle). That's later, though. For now, I need to be concerned with rebuilding the routine of daily practice. My students know all about that.

So here we go! Day 1. 89 days and 25 pounds to go.

Quick Hit for Xmas

The kids were quieter than the cats this Xmas morning.  This was annoying until I discovered they'd found my missing earbud.  The cats, not the kids.  Both cats and kids are excited for favors, food and family today.  I'm perfectly content to just sit by the fireplace and soak it all in.
May every blessing of this special season be yours, and may the best wishes of Wayfarer House find you well and in good company.
Happy Holidays!

This serene winter image comes from the woodblock print "Pine Tree on a Fine Day After Snow" (1929) by Japanese artist Kawase Hasui. The actual print is part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Prodigal Mart?

Many of you are already aware of my longstanding boycott of W*%m&!t, but for those of you who don't, let me make clear that this boycott is not one of principle. That they may have used child labor, demeaned women and minorities or killed all the younglings at the Jedi temple has nothing to do with my refusal to do business with The Store That Must Not Be Named. Rather, my boycott is a practical one.

Simply put: They NEVER have what I go in there to buy.

When I say never, I mean never in a string of around two dozen times did Voldemart have what I went in there for. Some examples of the more mundane items I would have purchased include a tape measure, a sweatshirt in my size, wrapping paper and a best-selling movie title. The event that instigated the boycott involved the search for a pencil.

That's right. A pencil. And not an automatic pencil or a 205-B high polymer drafting pencil. A regular, run-of-the-mill, any-student-in-any-school-should-have-it, yellow, wooden pencil. I went into Sprawlmart, a retail outlet the size of a city block, looking for an item so ubiquitous I could have found one on the sidewalk, but there was not to be found a single one in the store. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the blue vested people when I asked them where they might be hiding their pencils. You would have thought them some form of mindless undead for the blank stare they gave me.

That was about 18 years ago.

Being the forgiving sort of guy that I am, I've gone in every so often since that time in an effort to see if the label of shame might be lifted, but to no avail. I even manufactured a completely unnecessary shopping trip to the Evil Empire some years ago just to see if they would have a combination lock. No such luck. Wifeness called them to see about a car seat, which was rumored to be on sale there. A clerk on the phone said the item was in stock and even purported to set one aside for her. When she arrived, she was told there were none. I'd resigned myself to the fact that Darth Wal would forever remain untouchable.

I have had reason to revisit their censure.

The [ ] Memorial Dollar

I was cleaning off my desk for the holiday (which mostly meant making different piles from pre-existing ones) and I came across a dollar bill. This is what it looked like:



Now you, the reader, probably don't see that this is an unusual dollar. It certainly doesn't look different from any other dollar, but trust me it is. This dollar is a lesson. This dollar is an honorific reminder to my students. It even has a name: The [ ] Memorial Dollar Bill. It joins the { } Memorial Chair Rule and the <> Memorial Mouth Guard. The [ ], {} and <> each refer to the students for whom these things are named (and whose names I will not use here, although within my school they and the things for which they're named are well known).

The [ ] Dollar Bill has its origins in a bet. During class one day a while ago, I wanted to do an activity that required a packet I had handed out a couple of days earlier. I asked the students to take this packet out while I prepped the rest of the activity. When I turned around, [ ]'s desk was still devoid of packetage. I raised my eyebrows (the class-recognized symbol for wtf) and she said, "You didn't give me one."

"Yes, I did."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yes-huh." (I can talk at that level, too).

"Nuh-uh."

We might have continued this highly literate lexical stalemate for some time (and on many days, I'm happy to go there), but I had a plan and time was running tight.

"Where's your binder?" (all my students are required to have a binder for the materials they receive).

Her binder, one of the 5-subject kinds, was full to bursting with papers from all her academic classes. She hefted it up onto her desk and folded her arms across her chest.

"It's not in there. I checked. Twice."

My internal dialog started off with a stream of "Oh, no you di'int" comments, but I decided this learning opportunity required a different approach.

"What do you want to bet that it's in there?"

She thought for a moment. "$10."

"You don't have $10."

"I have $1."

"You wanna put that $1 up against my $1 that I won't find your packet in this binder?"

"It's not there. You won't find it."

I opened her binder. It took exactly 17 seconds.

*rummage, rummage...* "Here it is."

I handed the packet to her, then went on to teach the class.

I found the dollar bill you see above sitting on my desk when I came back from lunch.

I'll keep the [ ] Dollar Bill in my desk. I'm sure it'll be useful the next time a student says, "You didn't give me one." And there will be a next time. Certain things are predictable like that.

A Late Addition to My Xmas List...

It's a longshot, but if you don't ask...

[HERE] is the link to read about it.  It only costs $19.7 million!

The Last School Week of the Year

This is the last week before the Xmas holiday break.  It is also the time for two other seasonal events:

It is the time when unexpected gifts arrive.  All week, random expressions of love and appreciation have been appearing in my classroom -- as often as not without notes to identify their bestowers.  Some are simple notes on the board, sticky notes on my laptop or pictures for my wall.  Some are gifts for Mbungo, my wooden classroom manikin.  Some is food laid almost venerationally at my desk.  It's very cool!  Today, I got a whole chocolate cake!  The student who brought it stayed and helped me eat it, and we sat and talked about family, holidays, religion.  It was one of those special moments that reinforce to me that I made a good choice in being a teacher.  It also served to remind me that I need to get back on the damn treadmill.

It is the time when the alumni come home to visit.  I'm blessed that I get to see my alumni throughout the year, but the ones away at university often take this week, their first back home, to come and visit.  I love it, and I'm always honored that they take the time to knock on my classroom door to visit!  I try to leave this week light in terms of teacherly stuff so I can spend time with them when they show up, but inevitably it's not enough time.  Today, Kestrel came by to say hello and all we had time for was a quick hug and a promise to figure out when to actually sit down with each other.  I'm sure she'll come to Wayfarer House to visit (the rest of my family adores her and wants to see her, too), but there are others who are only able to connect during these brief moments and I think it's important to make them last as long as I can. 

To all my students, those I see in class every day and those I don't, I love you very much!  My door is always open to you.   

credit

Santa's Cinematic Gift

My inner geek rejoices, even though it's a year away... 

The Wayfarer House Elves...

...have been quite busy today!  The dining room table is piled high with gifts in the making and the kitchen effuses the rich, heartwarming scents of delectables both sweet and savory.  The excitement of the holiday season is bubbling through the house and, though time is short, there is the sense that Santa will have time to enjoy his milk and cookies this year.

Of course, there is still a week to go and it could all go to hell in a handbasket, but let's just close our eyes and enjoy the fantasy, shall we?

 

The (Unofficial) Holiday Photo

Can you tell who the (supposedly) normal one in the house is?

The very best of the season from Wayfarer House to you and yours!

Some (Timely) Wayfarer House Rules

Be kind, helpful, thoughtful and respectful of others -- in and out of the house.

Art supplies shall be used at the dining room or kitchen tables only (not in your bedroom).

Quick Hit: Random Whiteboard Art

This came from Denver (my student, not the city) last year.  I just found it!


Now I just need a note from Ninja Girl.  Monica, are you reading this?

10 Things Tuesday: Movies I'm Glad Were (re)Made

Last week, I wallowed in bitterness at the steaming pile of celluloid that passes for remade movies being released of late. This week, I look at the flip side and look at some of the best of the recycled.  I was surprised to actually come up with a full list of titles where I'd seen both (or at least two) versions, although I have to admit it did take some thinking. 


1.  3:10 to Yuma. I loved that the remake of this movie actually focused on relationships between the characters -- while at the same time bringing the gunfighting into the 21st century. I also loved that the ending so unexpected! I wish more westerns (remakes or originals) were as good!

2.  Ocean's 11. The reasons to like the remake of this story begin with the fact that there's no singing. The cast is wonderfully diverse and the acting keeps the same light and slightly smirky feel to the story that the original tried to portray. The ending in the Brad Pitt version is nothing like the original, but that's not a bad thing when all the rest of it is so entertaining.

3.  13 Assassins. Like its predecessor, it takes the time to honor the conventions of a good samurai film: It takes the time to introduce its characters, it is unapologetically violent, it brings a dash of witticism to contrast the sadistic villainy and the battles are truly epic. What makes this movie better are a few new twists and turns and cinematography that brings the movie into the right century.

4.  True Grit. When I heard the Coen brothers were remaking this movie, I cringed. It is a classic of Western films, after all, and made John Wayne a household name. When I saw in, though, I was very much impressed. It focused on the girl, which made the movie interesting from the point of view of the plot, and had a much better ending. It paid appropriate homage to the original, though, by keeping much of the same kind of language as the original film.

5.  Star Trek. This movie was like letting go of an old, yet very comfortable pair of shoes for me. I knew it needed to be done, but I mourned the fact that the old version was so used up, so well worn that nothing more could be gained from it. I hoped that, when it came out, it didn't destroy an innovative, engaging universe that had growing and maturing for some 40 years. I was relieved to see that it did not. In rebooting the franchise, J. J. Abrams breathed what I hope will give another 40 years to those of us who want to continue the mission to explore strange, new worlds and new civilizations.

6.  King Kong. The original film is very much a classic, and that should properly have put this remake on last week's list, but after watching it I changed my mind. The new version doesn't displace the original, but pays it appropriate respect by sticking with the same time period and storyline while taking advantage of the latest in visual effects (something the 1933 film was recognized for, as well).

7.  Casino Royale. James Bond was another franchise desperate for a reboot, and this one does a beautiful job of it! Daniel Craig makes a real (flawed, tortured) version of 007, supported by better (darker) writing and intense action sequences. I used to go see every new Bond film when it came out because it had become something of a tradition. I'm genuinely excited to see the series continue now in a way I haven't ever been, thanks to this film and its sequel, Quantum of Solace.

8.  Batman Begins. I was ruined on the story of Batman after Tim Burton's version (and the incessant mediocre sequels that followed), but this film restored my faith in Hollywood to do justice to comic book superheroes. Christian Bale gives Batman the dark, yet realistic flavor he's been needing and the plot actually did justice to Batman's origins, instead of going straightaway to his clashes with the Joker.  If the rest of the superhero universe would take some notes, please?

9.  I Am Legend. This is the third film to be based on Richard Matheson's book (1954). I've never seen the first one (The Last Man on Earth, made in 1964), and the second one, Omega Man (1971) was just not that engaging. The Will Smith version, however, scared me to death!  It was edgy, dark, suspenseful and every bit as unpredictable as I could stand without jumping out of my seat and spilling my popcorn.  The nightmares have faded over time.

10. M*A*S*H. The movie was forgettable, but not the TV series. The weekly ritual of watching this show provided some memorable moments from my childhood and the series finale easily ranks as one of my favorite episodes of any show, ever. I don't know if today's kids would find it as entertaining as I did, but I would hope that someone, somewhere would succeed in producing for every generation an ensemble show that is as funny, yet poignant, as this was in its time.

Monday Meme: Ghosts and Insipid Answers

Stolen from Sunday Stealing, who in turn stole it from bluelifememories:

Are you happy with the person you've become?  I think it's important to recognize that I'm still becoming (it is, as I see it, the nature of the human experience to evolve continually), but I like that I am learning to master some aspects of myself and that I still very much value active living over simply existing (although there are certainly times when that's good, too).


What's a sound you hate; sound you love?  Fingernails on chalkboards make me want to crawl out of my skin! There are other sounds like it, but that's the only one I can think of right now. On the flip side, the sounds of "happy" make me smile, as does the particular *whump* of a well-kicked soccer ball

What's your biggest "what if"? Hmmm... Conjecture allows for a whole lot of possible answers here, but I don't engage in second guessing much with any attachment so, just to put it out there, I'll go with this: "What if I'd gone to Hawai'i at 22 when I had the chance?"

Do you believe in ghosts? I've never seen one that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. I haven't seen evidence to say that there can't be any, either. I accept the influence of "otherworldly forces" on the world, but I also accept that there is a great deal about this that I do not perceive or understand well. If I ever have an answer for this question that isn't insipid, I'll let you know.

How about aliens? My answer here is much the same as for the previous question, but the more I learn about the vastness of the universe, it seems less and less likely that we are alone out here. If they ever come to visit, I hope they treat us nicely -- and vice-versa.

What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? To marry my wife. I was very nervous to make the leap, but it has affected my life wonderfully in so many ways. I sigh regularly with relief that I made the right choice.

What's the worst place you have ever been to? When I was about 8 years old, I lived in Jacksonville, FL for around 9 months. I wasn't there long enough to have any friends, but managed plenty of run ins with local bullies, thugs and even a sexual predator. My folks were big on the "go outside and play" thing, so I spent a lot of time riding around the (very small) neighborhood on my bike. I would ride around, doing my best to imagine myself doing something fun. It was a long 9 months.

Can insanity bring on more creativity? Sanity is the condition of behaving (and, thus, thinking) within societal norms. Since creativity necessarily involves working outside what is expected by social norms, insanity (the condition of behaving outside those norms) certainly fosters it. It's a source of great social tension in our culture that we must reject the one while appreciating the other.

Most attractive actor of your opposite gender? There are so MANY! My celebrity crush of the moment is Megyn Price but, with so many to choose from, I can flit about from one to the other like a butterfly in a field of daisies.

To you, what is the meaning of life? To experience it! We'll never get all of it in a lifetime, but that doesn't mean we don't enrich our lives incredibly for the attempt. Living life is how we learn, how we grow (see the first question) and how we give back -- for we must do this in some form or other -- to the forces of the universe that created us.

Define “Art”. Again, perhaps, I offer an insipid answer, but I like a valueless definition:  The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. When people ask, "Is it art?" what they're really asking is, "Does this (creation) have any value or worth?" It's value and worth that are absolutely contextual (in the eye of the beholder, as it were), not the creation. 

Do you believe in luck? I roleplay, which means that I have experience with rolling dice as a means of deciding the fates and fortunes of imaginary characters. I've also lived in Las Vegas, which means that experience with rolling dice as a means of deciding the fates and fortunes of real people, too. What I've learned is that, whatever role randomness may play in the universe, it does not act entirely independent of the people around it. Just ask Kelly, who won every time she gave me money to gamble on her behalf (even though I, myself, never won more than $200 during the entire 6+ years I lived in Sin City), or Indigo Frostfoot who, almost every single time monsters would attack, would succumb to paralysis as a result of poor die rolls (no matter who rolled the dice).

In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? The great triumvirate of Communication, Trust and Compromise. All relationships are made greater (or lesser) by how much and how well these three qualities work together.

What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? To answer this question I decided to scroll through my Walkman's playlist until I found a song that made me smile. The first one to come up? "I'm Alright [the theme from Caddyshack]" by Kenny Loggins. The gopher gets me every time!

Where were you yesterday? I spent all day at Wayfarer House doing domestica and working on a couple of publications that need finishing (more on those later). The real news came the day before.  The girls and I walked downtown  -- and discovered that Myryah has come back! Myryah is an alumna from *ahem* years ago who is known for fading in and out of the Wayfarer House universe. I'm excited to sit down with her and find out all that's been happening to her since we saw her last!

What's the worst injury you've ever had? My gallbladder nearly killed me, but that's not an injury in the normal sense of the term. The spinal injury I received from when I was run over by a lime green Porsche while training outside of Las Vegas still gives me lingering pain almost every day, some 20 years later.

Do you have any obsessions right now? I seem to be all about the eating of food, but that's normal for this time of year.  Damn you, Wintertime!

Ever had a rumor spread about you? Oh, for sure! In fact, there are probably 3 spreading about me right now. It's the necessary consequence of working where I do, how I do, with the level of students I do. I wonder what the rumors are, though.  Would anyone care to share?

Do you believe in real magic? The only difference between magic and science is whether you know how it works. I enjoy the mental imagery of the mystical, and I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea that I don't know how it all works, but I try not to be afraid of what I don't know or understand.

Do you ever hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Truly, no. Life's too short, for one thing. I've also found that doing so gets in the way of understanding an essential truth:  The vast majority of people are just trying to make their way in the world like I am. Although they may not make decisions I appreciate, it's much easier to anticipate and adapt than to attach negative emotion to them.

What's your favorite (non-pet) animal? I'm fascinated by all the big animals of foreign lands -- giraffes, jaguars, pandas, kangaroos. Oh, and moose. Moose are the most gangly, ungainly, ridiculous looking things, and yet they are among the most elegant creatures in our part of the world.

What is your secret weapon to get people to like you? Humor and approachable conversation work well for me. I strive to use these in other cultures as well, but must often settle for humility and embarrassment when it's discovered that I'm American.

Where is your best friend? Right now, she's at a PTO meeting, but she said she'd be back by the girls' bedtime.

The Week in Quotes

“[It was] a rhetorical point...”  Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa Divsion of Human Rights Watch, in response to criticism of her impromptu estimation of the population of Libya as double that of Bahrain (to make a point about the proportion of violence in the larger country). Detail-oriented viewers were quick to point out that it is, in fact, nearly nine times the size.

“Would you be willing to commit to it at 1:00? 2:43? 3:27?”  SiSi, after I told her I would not be willing to commit to a time to discuss time in front of the television in the afternoon.

“This isn’t getting less creepy over time.” Kai

“...with the puhstrophuphe.” Julia

“You can admire and respect tightrope walkers with no desire to be one yourself.”  Someone talking about being, “as traditional as Garrison Keillor” and feeling ok about it.

“Sorry, I couldn’t tell.  He had chick underwear on.” Jasmine, about a Where’s Waldo picture.

“Before, I had asked God to right the wrongs and comfort the suffering.  I now know--really know--that God entrusts those tasks to us.” Sister Helen Prejean, from the book Dead Man Walking.

“I’m confusing my algebraic function of time and my Latin ablative of time!”  Gabbie

“The most important part of any mental prosthetic (as calculators and all forms of finger math are) is that they support good mental models of mathematics rather than replacing them.” Indiana University professor Andy Harris, in his musings about Chisenbob, a Korean method of doing basic arithmetic using the fingers.

“I don’t have a wardrobe, I have a floor-drobe.”Kenna.

“When you find a top hat you are required to have a photo-shoot.”Monica.

“Hey!  Did you see a little naked man running around with a $100 bill?”  Eddie Murphy, in the movie The Golden Child.

“I've never seen anyone dance like that!”  NiNi, of her mother.

"Morgan Freeman is coming. Everybody look busy!" Maypaz.

Are you looking busy today?

Quick Hit: Saturday Morning

Scene: Papa sits in comfy chair, laptop in lap, typing away productively. Cat arrives, placing self on the small portion of Papa's lap not already occupied by technology.


Papa: "I'm just about to get up and get some coffee, you know."

Qita: *purrrrrrr*

Papa: "No, really. I'd like some coffee."

Qita settles down and gets comfortable. Papa sighs.

Quick Hit: Leisure Time

According to the Greek philosophers, men and women could only realize their potential during their leisure time. That is, only during the time not required for necessary things could we properly realize our human potential by devoting time to self development. That time, which the Greeks termed scholea, is the root for our English word “school”, which suggests that the best time for learning is leisure time, not “work” time.

What does this mean for you?

Technology and Educators

Today's seminar made clear to me two things about educators:

1.  This is where most of us are.

2.  This is what we need to be talking about.

Unpacking Diversity

Jinx posted this article [HERE] online today that led me to two others [HERE] and [HERE]. The general question posed throughout them all was this:

What is the effect of promoting a universal acceptance of diversity?

I would encourage you to read the articles because I'm not going to summarize them here (I've got too much to do). After you've read them, I'd welcome some respectful and thoughtful discussion on the points of the article.

A warning: This stuff is heavy on your brain (or it should be). Like any deep reading, take it in steps:

1. Read it, then let it sit.

2. Think on it for a while.

3. When you're ready, go back through it. Try to put the information in the readings in context with your thoughts. What makes sense? What doesn't? What do you agree with and, more importantly, what do you NOT agree with? Are there things in the readings that you're not sure about or have questions on? Are there points in the readings that seem unfounded or invalid?

4. Write your thoughts down, then let them sit.

5. Reread them after a bit. Ask the same questions you did of the reading.

6. If you're inclined, send your thoughts to me. I'd love to hear them! Please remember to be respectful in your use of language if you post them for others to see. Let's model good behavior, people!

I'm only on Step 2 just now, but it's been a busy day. I'm hoping to have time to post something more lengthy soon. Maybe for a Monday Meditation.

10 Things Tuesday: Movies That Didn't Need To Be (re)Made

I am thoroughly dismayed by the number of films being produced lately that are nothing more than remakes or reboots of other, older (and sometimes not all that much older) movies. It smacks of a distinct lack of creativity or vision, and makes clear that Hollywood is simply afraid to take chances on something that might stray even a little from the well-worn rut of popular success. Here are 10 examples of films (actually, 9 films and a TV show) that illustrate this:

1.  Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The original film, a Scandinavian production released just 2 years ago (and released in the U.S. just last year), was an excellent adaptation of the gritty, gripping book by Stieg Larsson. It was wildly successful in Europe and critically acclaimed around the world, and is expected to see a couple of Oscar nominations this year. What possible reason did Hollywood have for stepping all over this work by putting out an American version? Is it that big a deal to read subtitles?

2.  Footloose. The original 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon was iconic because it dealt with one of the more touchy social issues of the time -- the tension between popular (rock) music and mainstream conservative Christian values. Although this topic is still timely in certain areas of the country, it is not at all as compelling as it was and most definitely not worthy of simply rehashing a melodramic teen drama of nearly 30 years ago.

3.  The Grinch. I have a particular distaste for live-action versions of perfectly charming animated films, especially if the original version continues to appeal to audiences. This movie is the prime exemplar of this most annoying categoriy of film remakes.

4.  Arthur. Even for those of us who remember when it came out, the original was just not that good. Who in their right mind thought said, "Dude! We should totally redo this movie! People will LOVE it!" Whoever you are, can I have some of what you took before making that statement?  Clearly, it's good stuff.

5.  Conan the Barbarian. The original 1982 production had better names than the remake, better acting (which is hard to believe, if you've watched it) and a lack of plot that no amount of 3D work will ever atone for.

6.  Psycho. Another classic film whose remake served no purpose whatsoever. It didn't advance the idea of the original. It didn't improve on the original. It was a near exact copy of the original. I'll give credit for the acting where it was due, but as a project, it's hard to see what the point was.

7.  Fame. Roger Ebert summed it up very well, so I'll quote him. "Why bother to remake 'Fame' if you don't have clue about why the 1980 movie was special? Why take a touching experience and make it into a shallow exercise? Why begin with a R-rated look at plausible kids with real problems and tame it into a PG-rated after-school special?"  Especially if you're going to do it with actors that looked like they were graduating college, not entering the 9th grade.

8.  Hawaii Five-0. This is the odd one out in this list because it's not a film. This show bugs me for two reasons. First, there's the name. If you're going to reboot a story, people, use the same name! It's Hawaii Five-O (that's right, the letter O). Second, if you're going to reboot a story, show some respect to the more than just the theme song and the phrase “Book him, Danno”. Most people don't remember the original show well, and this probably accounts for the new show's positive public opinion, even though it plays like a standard modern action show and nothing like the complex crime drama that ran for an impressive 12 seasons.

9.  The Last Airbender. M. Night Shyamalan might have taken an opportunity to revitalize his reputation for making a quality film. Instead, he made this. With acting that ranged in quality from mediocre to ridiculous and a painful ignorance of the subtlety of the original series, anyone who enjoyed the original animated series must have wanted to cry at the seeming active attempt to find new and creative ways to irk them. I certainly did.

10. The Departed. Martin Scorsese said that he didn't think this film was a remake. Are you kidding me? The script and most of the details of the film came straight from the Hong Kong movie Internal Affairs! And it may have won an Oscar, but Departed is not as good. Martin Scorsese, I shake my finger at you.

For next week, I'll see if I can find 10 remakes that were actually worth their weight in celluloid.

Monday Meme: Have you ever caught a fish?

The following questions come through Sunday Stealing from several blogs (which I'm sorry to say I haven't read)...

If you were an animal what would you be? Why?  I've considered that question for some time as it applies to martial arts fighting style and I haven't come to a firm conclusion.  I'm a Leo, so I suppose I portray some of the charactistics of a lion but I don't think that's quite right, either.  *shrug*  What do YOU think?

Hair color you like on someone you’re dating?  I'll admit I've always been a sucker for redheads but, as a colorblind guy who sees most hair as green, the color of the hair doesn't mean a lot.

If suffering an injury, would you rather be left blind or deaf?  Of the two, I think deafness would be easier to adapt to in my current lifestyle.  Although colorblindness gets in the way sometimes, it doesn't really affect my ability to do the things I really want to do (like get around and type on this blog).  Total blindness would certainly do that.

Do you have any special talents?  We refer to them as superpowers at Wayfarer House, and yes.  I can nap anywhere, anytime, and for exactly as long as I want.  OK, it's not exactly something to fight crime with, but a superpower's a superpower!

What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?  In this order:  Put keys in key basket, put gloves/hat in bin, hang up jacket, put laptop bag and briefcase into bedroom.  Simultaneously to this, I'll say hi to any and all who may be present.

Do you like horror or comedy?  Comedy.  I don't like being scared.

Are you missing anyone?  Ed MacMahon.  He seems to have taken a wrong turn on the way to deliver that Publisher's Clearinghouse sweepstakes check. 

Where do you want to live when you are old?  Someplace warm and quiet.  Wifeness wouldn't do it, but I'd be totally comfortable living in the desert Southwest.  I'd also take Hawai'i or the Carribbean (with a sailboat).

Who is the person you can count on the most?  My wife.  She is amazing in her consistent ability to follow through on whatever she takes on.

If you could date any celebrity past or present, who would it be?  I've had far too many celebrity crushes to answer this question well.  Currently, I'm enamored of Megyn Price but that'll change before too long.  Celebrity crushes are just not meant to last.

What did you dream last night? I have NO idea! It is rare that I remember my dreams the next morning. If I do at all, it's usually because they're reminding me that I haven't done something I'm supposed to.

What is your favorite sport to watch?  There are several types of sports that lend themselves well to the small screen.  American football is great if you have a bunch of people, decent weather and a tailgating experience, but the game itself is more more pleasant with a couch to nap on.  Also, sports like golf, marathon and cycling are much nicer to enjoy when you can see the entire event, not just the brief moment when the contest passes your location.

Are you named after anyone?  My middle name is my father's original last name (he adopted my current last name when my grandmother remarried). 

What is your favorite alcoholic drink?  I very much enjoy (though rarely partake of) a good wine at dinner, a good beer at the grill and a good piña colada for the coconut and pineapple.

Non alcoholic drink?  I drink a fair amount of selzer.  Sometimes I add a splash of kid friendly juice, but often I enjoy it just on its own.

Have you ever been in love?  "Ah, to be young again and feel loves keen sting!"  To be sure, I've been in love in a variety of forms in my life.  Every one, every time, has been wonderful.

Do you sing in the shower?  Every day, a different tune.  Sometimes it's an actual song, sometimes it's just some random improv, but I've learned that it's part of my subconscious' morning routine.

Have you ever been arrested?  Nope.  I've been ticketed, lectured, drawn on and patted down (not all at the same time), but never have I had cuffs applied and Miranda warnings issued.

What is your favorite holiday?  New Year's Eve/My Anniversary.  It carries great person significance to my wife and me, but it has taken on a life of its own from all the contributions of our chosen family -- and that means it's special to more than just us, and that's really great!

Would you ever get plastic surgery?  Not to be vain (please!  There's no amount of plastic surgery that can fix this).  If I needed cosmetic help to address some form of trauma, I would at least give it some thought.

Have you ever caught a fish?  Everything from perch to flounder, catfish to bass.  I love fish!  I'm less interested nowadays in catching them than eating them, but a good day out in a boat with nothing to do but watch the water certainly has its appeal.


Happy Monday! 

Breaking Wi... Dawn

The womenfolk are going to see the latest installment of the Twilight saga.  I am kidsitting and hanging out with Mahk and working on grades.  I have the better end of this bargain.

Quick Hit -- Because I'm Doing Grades

Ten thousand thank-yous to Sandi for passing along a digital copy of Wifeness' Jeopardy! episode!  You are so wonderful!  It looks great, and I'm totally excited to have something of such high quality to keep for posterity. 

In other news, we have kittens in the house.  This can be interpreted as either great or a headache in the making, depending upon whether or not you're me.  Details to follow.  And maybe pics.