Controlled Chaos

St. Louis poised for entertainment upswing – CNN.com

St. Louis is about to get mad cool, apparently!

I just got my wallet picked. For the second time. In two weeks. Statistically speaking – this is fucking incredible.

There are some things that help bump up the statistical likelihood, of course. Like me being a tall white male. Obviously I have money, I guess. I just wish I could GIVE my wallet to these bastards and explain to them that I’m a teacher, and guide them down to wall street where they will a) get more money and b) not fuck over someone who otherwise understands their plight as the underclass. Right now, they’ve got me rethinking my stance on the death sentence for anything but victimless crime.

I can’t help but reflect, partisan hackery aside, on the fact that Bush’s effect on our economy has been to push more people below the poverty line, thereby increasing crime. These criminals, likely of low education, then take revenge at random, and sadly at the wrong class of people. Counterintuitively, this means that Bush et al’s moves have successfully subterfuged the lower class against the middle, and soon-to-be vice versa.

Fuck.

This week, NYC teachers have a one-week break!  Yesterday, I went down to FAO Schwarz and played the giant piano.  Today, I am going to meet some of my students who got 80% or higher on 18 quizzes and/or tests at the school, and bring them back to my place for a pizza-and-movie party.  For the rest of the week, I will finish my thesis, plan for the next five weeks of school, and realx  Should be fun.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State :: Students hail chief, mourn end of Illiniwek

No more Chief Illiniwek…How sad.

The year before last, I actually went to watch the Illini win BIG against Arizona at the house of a Chief, who my dad knows through the optimist Club. Even more cool, Mr. Bitzer’s dad was also a chief, making them the first, and now only ever, father-son pair of Chiefs.

I disagree with the decision that has been made. Chief Illiniwek gave more visibility to the Illinois than did anything else in modern culture. I see this as erasing any reference outside of a history book to a culture that was great and noble. Ah well…

Now that’s what I call a party!

Whatever It Takes – A Documentary Film

This was the documentary created last year about my school.   It’s prideful and promising, but it’s also a bit overly promotional.  Interesting side note – both the teacher featured did not return for the school’s second year.