Final Four Set

The Final Four is now set. The teams are North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, and UCLA. I have a hard time believing that there is a better team than North Carolina in the Final Four. They are playing some good ball! Hansbrough is pretty much unstoppable. We'll see what happens. That's why they play the games.

Pie For A Good Cause

Today I took a pie in the face for a good cause. Our students at our school raised money for a sick student at the grade school. The class that I sponsored won. The teachers also won which meant our principal also got a pie in the face. It was back and forth for most of the day. Some of my wonderful colleagues made sure that the principal and I tied so we both would receive "the piece of pie". It was a wonderful way to finish off a week and added that extra spark to the school atmosphere that is needed this time of year. I wish I had a picture but I am sure I will be able to update you with a picture at a later time. I think all of my seventh graders snapped a picture of me with the pie all over my face. If anyone would like to donate to this worthy cause please send your donation to Payson Seymour High School, Pie In Face Fund, 420 West Brainard, Payson, IL 62360. All proceeds will be donated to the child's fund. Thank you!

Just Thinking About Wii, PSP, and PS3

I was at my brother's and my mom and dad's this past weekend. My brother has a PS3 and a PSP and my mom has a Wii. I miss gaming but I am still not sure if I have the time to devote to it to validate the cost. My brother and my mom both have their systems setup to receive wireless internet and it is a wonderful tool. I am impressed with the PS3 graphics and audio but I am also impressed with the internet capabilities of the Wii. The PSP is definitely notches above my son's Gameboy Advance but I don't know if I would use all the features. I have a Zune so I probably wouldn't use the music application for the PSP. On the other hand, having the internet in the palm of your hand would be cool and handy. I didn't like that the PSP didn't pull in several sites due to "insufficient memory". Maybe that is something that can be adjusted or fixed with a bigger memory card. I have wireless at my house and the Wii or the PS3 would be a snap to hook up and get going. Cost is definitely a factor in choosing one of these systems. PS3 is a little out my range currently. I guess I am just talking because I just don't think I have time to play with any of these systems to justify spending that amount of money.

Duke

Duke is done! Again, they were beat in the early rounds. I am very disappointed but they are young and should make a good run at the title again next year. I really hope UNC gets beat. I do not want to hear all the Tarheel fans bragging all year. I am still proud to be a Duke fan and will continue to be a fan until I die. Duke has a long living legacy and has one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. What's not to like? Anyway, I continue to bleed blue through and through!

Easter Break

I have had a very busy Easter Break. Thursday after school I headed to my brother's in Normal, IL. I stayed there until Saturday morning. We watched movies, played PS3, and ate at some new restaurants. On Saturday morning we headed over to my mom and dad's. We had a good Easter dinner on Sunday and then I headed home to see my family, who was headed home from southern Missouri. I spent the entire day Monday with my kids, who were still on break. We ran some errands and I made a good home-cooked supper. Today my kids went to to school and I have a enjoyed a quiet day all to myself. It was nice to see everyone and get caught up with the family. Only about two more months of school left! That is hard to believe.

New DVD

I purchased "I Am Legend" last night on DVD and watched it with my wife. She actually stayed awake through the entire movie! As I posted earlier, I went and saw this in the theater and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was just as good the second time. I will probably take it with me this weekend so my brother can watch it. If you haven't seen the movie I definitely think it is worth a rent.

Getting Away

Tomorrow I will be on my way to my brother's in Normal, IL. He is single and I don't get to see just him very often. Our visits usually include my mom, dad, wife, and kids. It will be nice to see him since I haven't seen him since Christmas. We always have a good time when we get together. It, of course, has not always been that way. When we were in school and living under the same roof I would have to say we did not like each other very much. We spent a lot of time bickering and fighting about the usual "sibling" things. When I went off to college the time away from each other did us a world of good. Whenever I was back for a break we always took the time to do something together. We didn't let the little things bother us anymore and realized that we were two entirely different people. He is very quiet and keeps to himself a lot. Myself, on the other hand, am outgoing and I really need to socialize with people (as most of my students and friends know!). I will get to spend a couple of days with my bro' and then we are going to my mom and dad's for Easter. It will be weird without the kids for those days but it should be a good stress reliever.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Be safe and enjoy your day (and night)!

VoiceThread

I am learning a new tool and I think I, and my students, are really going to like it. Voice Thread is kind of like a slide show on the Internet but the ability to add audio, documents, and/or video. Other people can also add comments to your voice thread. It is pretty cool and I can see many advantages to using it in the classroom. I made one on my son's Pinewood Derby for Cub Scouts if you want to check out how it works and looks. Make a comment if you want.

Being Healthy

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." - Mark Twain

Isn't that the truth! I have been eating the way I should since November. Most days I don't mind but there are some days when I just crave a greasy-slimy-cholesterol filled meal. I don't eat like a Saint all the time but I only eat bad once a week or so. I do feel better, and I definitely look better, but you have to wonder sometimes whether or not it is worth it. Here's what I mean by that; If I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, I would be pretty darn happy all the time but I might not live as long. If I eat healthy, I do not enjoy food as much but I will live longer. I guess I look at it as me getting to spend as much time with my kids as possible (and hopefully grandkids). I think that is a good pay-off. Eating right and exercising is definitely a life style change but I am liking the way I am feeling though I still agree with Mark Twain.

Basketball and Baseball Right Around the Corner

One of my favorite times of the year is right around the corner. The NCAA basketball tournament for men is from March 20th to April 7th. This is a great time to be a college basketball fan. I think this years tournament will be exceptional. Go Duke Blue Devils!

Opening day for Major League Baseball is March 25th. It is a sign of warm weather and the sound of the crack of the bat in the air. Go White Sox! There is nothing like our national past time, regardless of what it going on in the news concerning steroids and the like. There is just something about the smell and sounds of a ball park.

One of Those Days

Today I had a bad day. That is very unusual for me. I think part of it is the time of the year and part of it is what occurred during the day. Problems with coworkers and a lot of things on my plate also contributed to my day of being in poor humor. I told myself when I got home that I have to get out of this funk! I have made up my mind that "you can't please everyone all the time" and that I am not going to let other people determine what my mood is going to be for the day. That's ridiculous! I am in charge of my attitude, not other people. If they want to complain and whine about everything then I will let them but I will smile and walk on.

Global Warming

Check this out! 'Nuff Said!

Gender Equity

I don't know who, or what, I am disappointed with but I am disappointed with someone, or something. Many times our girl's sports teams do as well as, or better than, our boy's sports teams and they do not get the same recognition. The girls work just as hard and deserve the same attention as our boy's teams (By the way, I have coached both!). Our 8th grade girls volleyball team is playing for the regional championship tonight! Was it announced this morning? No. Was there a pep bus lined up to go support these girls? No. We need to do what is right and support all students equally! Some people say "Payson is a basketball town!". I say "Whooptee"! Does that make it right? NO! I will be there tonight and I hope the majority of our community that clings to basketball regional championships comes and supports our girls and their dreams.

Presidential Election and Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a wonderful tool for the 2008 presidential election. Some educators shun Wikipedia and I have to admit that I am on the fence about using Wikipedia with my students but the fact is that there is a lot of information (and opinion) out there that is important in this election. I am not a big follower of politics but I have paid more attention to this race than any other due to the close race in the Democratic party. I guess it appeals to my competitive side. I checked out Wikipedia this morning and they have more information on this presidential race than I could ever use but I was impressed with how it was put together and how easy it was to get around on this topic.

Illinois Organization!

The Illinois agencies need to get on the same page! They tell us that we have to take the ISAT tests during a certain week (this week) and then also have yesterday as a tornado drill day. Most schools in this area rescheduled the tornado drill. You would think that one of these groups would go to a state calendar(if there is such a thing) and check to see what was going on that week. It wasn't that big of deal but disorganization really annoys me! I'm not the only one. Several fellow teachers mentioned this in conversation yesterday. That is my complaint for the day. I guess I need to move my rubber band to the other wrist.

My Tweet Map

I have belonged to Twitter for awhile and find it absolutely addicting but did not like having to go to my "followed" to find out where they were from. Problem solved. My Tweet Map not only shows you where all your followers are tweeting from but also shows you their latest updates. It is really cool to be able to see all your "followed" right on a map. It is, of course, powered by Google. It is brought to us by Minot Public Schools and Tech Director Craig Nansen. The script is by Trey Welstad. This would be a great geography tool!

Feeling Behind Again

I just signed up for Digg. Again, I feel like I am really behind the tech-crowd. You see Digg everywhere on the web. I finally took the time to check it out. In the small amount of time I have messed with it it looks like it has a lot of potential! Videos, pics, and text (news) at your fingertips sounds good to me. I just have to get used to the maneuvering in Digg. You get to "digg" (save) any of the resources that they have. You can even submit your own. Check it out and see what you think!

Midwest Weather

Is it late May? No, it is March 1st in the Midwest. It reached 70 here today! Sunny, warm, and teasing us with Spring . It is 6:50 pm and it is still 68 in Quincy, IL. Tonight it is supposed to get down to 36 and tomorrow the high is supposed to be 35? Thunderstorms tonight and turning to snow tomorrow! Man, this time of year is crazy! Today really got me in the mood to be outside on a regular basis...although it doesn't look like this is going to happen any time soon. If you don't live in the Midwest you are probably wondering whether or not this happens much. It does. I mean think about the difference in temps between today and tomorrow. A high of 70 today and a high of 35 tomorrow! A 35 degree difference is not an uncommon occurrence this time of year in the Midwest. As they say, "If you don't like the weather in the Midwest, then just wait 15 minutes." I hope you enjoyed today, with the Spring like weather, and I hope you enjoy tomorrow with the Winter weather back for another visit.